Drug literature is perhaps not the most respectable of literary genres, but like any other literary genre it has a history, notable authors and generic conventions. Its unique feature is that it has clearly influenced the way we see drugs, drug abuse and addiction in the modern world. The course focuses on autobiographical texts about drug use from Thomas De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821) and Fitz Hugh Ludlow's The Hasheesh Eater (1857) to psychedelic trip reports found on various Internet forums dedicated to the subject. The course proceeds chronologically from the Romantic period to the present day. In terms of theory, it examines, among other things, the concept of experience and the relationship between experience and representation in literature. Special emphasis is given to the many social issues surrounding drug use. Assessment: class participation, presentation, essay.