Variations on Black Themes, an introductory course in the study of black literature, permits students to make cursory examination of representative works of many black writers for the purpose of identifying major writers and recurring themes. The course content includes: introduction to some works of major Black American authors; identification of lesser known writers; identification of recurring themes, such as "on the beauty of blackness", "love is a sometimes thing", "to be free", "as we lay dying", and "the black woman"; and finally, comparison of various writers' attitudes toward the identified themes. An 8-page listing of resource materials is included. (CL)