Undergraduate English Courses for Spring 2008

Consult semester listing of courses (online under Student Solution Center or in print brochure) for full registration details.

Please note:

• The following English courses offered in Spring 08 fulfill Liberal Education Objective 04:  ENG 106, 116, 126, 134, 172, 216, 226, 236, 244, 260
• The following English courses offered in Spring 08 fulfill Liberal Education Objective 05:  ENG 222, 287
• ENG 105 fulfills Liberal Education Objective  01.
• The following English courses offered in Spring 08 fulfill the college-wide diversity requirement:  ENG 116, 126, 172, 216, 226, 227

Many courses listed here fulfill requirements for English and English-Adolescence Education majors and English Language Arts concentrators; consult the catalogue, your academic progress report, and your advisor about those.

ENG 105—22 sections.  This course is required of all first-year students and transfer students who have not completed an equivalent course.  (See semester brochure or Student Solution Center online listing for specific details.)   (LO1)

2120 ENG 106 02 Sports Literature and Film (4)     

Butler MW 9-10:15; F 9-9:50                            

We will examine the role of sports— in particular, sports heroes—in American literature, film, and cultures.  The texts will include James Dickey’s Deliverance, Mark Harris’s Bang The Drum Slowly, Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It, Robert Coover’s Universal Baseball Association and Jeff Silverman’s anthology The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told.  We will look at the films of the first three texts above and some boxing films to be named later. We will write 5 papers of 5-10 pages with full documentation. This course is challenging: it’s not for those who are looking for a chip shot 106.  (LO4)

1154 ENG 106 03 Witches in Drama  

Newton   MW 9-10:15; F 9-9:50                            

This course will explore the historical phenomenon of witchcraft and the persecution of witches in the 1600s in drama inspired by actual events. We will also examine the persecution of witches through the paralleled lens of responses to religious and political fears. Texts include Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom, Thomas Heywood’s The Late Lancashire Witches, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and August Strindberg’s A Dream Play.  (LO4)

2121 ENG 106 04 Home and Family                 

Ruchel MW 11:50-1:05; F 11:50-12:40

“Home is not where you live but where they understand you.”  ~Christian Morgenstern

Home and family is a topic capable of transcending time, culture, and genre.  In this course, we will discuss and explore this topic as portrayed in various myths, parables, folktales, short stories, poems, and drama.  The focus will be on how we define home and family, family role expectations, and the relationship between parents and children, and siblings.  As a class, we will examine the “universality” of such relationships and other issues, such as coming of age, sibling rivalry/loyalty, and separation and death of a loved one.  (LO4)

1182 ENG 106 05  Revolution and the People                      

Cadman MW 2:40-4:20

The course focuses on five recently published books related to Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq—countries that have undergone a number of revolutions.  These book include a novel by Khaled Hosseini, a memoir by Shirin Ebadi, a play by Heather Raffo, a memoir by Said Hyder Akbar, and a novel by Andre Dubus III. Together, we will explore the impact of revolutions on the people and the concepts of identity, the past, violence, justice, loyalty, honor and love. We will explore the artistry of the books by using strategies for close reading and examine other media including films.   (LO4)

1176 ENG 106 06 Film or Fiction? (4)                          

Farco TR 11:15-12:55

1177 ENG 106 07 Film or Fiction? (4)                                        

Farco TR 2:30-4:10

This course will look closely at 19th century novels in the context of their initial publication era and in the context of their 20th and 21st century film adaptations.  Students will be expected to engage in-depth textual analysis, critical thinking, and a multitude of questions including, but not limited to: Why did modern directors and screenwriters choose to translate these novels to the film medium?  Has the change in temporal context shifted the meaning of the text?  What is lost and/or gained when the text is moved from one medium to the other?  Authors studied may include Austen, Bronte, Gaskell, James, Shelley among others. (L04)

1185 ENG 106-08: Contemp. World Poetry/Culture (4)   

Newton MW 11:50-1:05; F 11:50-12:40

This course will explore the social responsibilities of the poet alongside the quest to find his/her place in culture, ideologically and aesthetically. We will also examine poetry that bears witness to issues of social justice to further aid in our appreciation of the cultural and political significance of poetry in society. Texts include Bei Dao’s The August Sleepwalker, Carolyn Forché’s The Angel of History, Ihor Kalynets’ The Fire of Kupalo, Andrew Motion’s Public Property, and Robert Pinsky’s An Explanation of America.  (LO4)

2153 ENG 106 09 Short Story (4)                                   

Seamon  TR 2:30-4:10

Study of the short story genre, from its beginnings through its contemporary practice.  We will read and discuss individual stories as well as collections of linked stories.  (LO4)

2154 ENG 106 E1 Hollywood on Film (4)       

Meyer   M 6:15-9:45 pm

This section of ENG 106 is designed specifically for Exploratory Students, and focuses on Hollywood movies “about” Hollywood movies--that is, American movie-making in a self-reflexive/self-critical key.  It considers such broadly related themes as artifice and authenticity, escapism and self-deception, and the roles they have traditionally played in American life.  A tentative list  of films and related literary texts should include at least some of the following: Woody Allen's Purple Rose of Cairo, Robert Altman's The Player, John August's The Nines, Shane Black's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Tim Burton's Ed Wood, the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink, Joan Didion's Play It As It Lay, and George Huang's Swimming with Sharks.  (LO4)

1155, 1156, 1274, 1275 ENG 114 01-04 Intro. Literary Genres/Traditions (See semester brochure or Student Solution Center online listing for specific details.)

531 Eng 116 01 Native American Literature             

Rice MW 1:15-2:30

One credit of this 4-credit course is online.

Selected readings from 20th-century Native American writers such as McNickle, Momaday, Silko, Welch, Hogan, Harjo, Owens, and Alexie. Some discussion of oral traditions and earlier works such as Black Elk Speaks, as well as relevant cultural and historical background. Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

1186 ENG 126 01 Caribbean Women Writers (4)   

Clerico  MW 10:25-11:40; F 10:25-11:15

1187 ENG 126 02 Caribbean Women Writers (4)  

Clerico  MW 11:50-1:05; F 11:50-12:40

This course will be a focused examination of fiction by Caribbean women living in the United States, and will provide students a chance to explore diasporic literatures.  We will consider how these writers challenge the multiple, contradictory physical and cultural locations out of which they write.  Through this gendered analysis of diaspora, we can give full consideration to the specificity of women’s experiences of dislocation.  We will also examine the importance these writers have in shaping American literature, not just for their representations of the historical and political conditions out of which they write, but also for the way their literatures problematize perceived borders between the U.S. and the Caribbean.  Through the work of writers such as Edwidge Danticat, Angie Cruz, Achy Obejas, Jamaica Kincaid, Christina Garcia, and Maryse Conde, we will trace a dialogue that argues for a more inclusive view of America within the U.S. literary tradition.  Students will be responsible for two critical papers, as well as several shorter assignments to help contextualize their knowledge of the subject matter.  Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

1188 ENG 126 03 Female Gothic Writers (4)                          

Sanders MW 1:15-2:30; F 1:15-2:05

Fascination with the macabre is not a contemporary phenomenon.  Terror, madness, monstrosity, death, and horror have preoccupied readers since the emergence of Gothic literature in the eighteenth century.  In this course, we will focus our study on Gothic texts written by women, primarily from the eighteenth century.  We will touch on questions such as what makes Gothic fiction “Gothic”? Should Gothic fiction be read as merely middle-class escapism?  How do women writers employ the gothic form?  Texts to be studied may include:  Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

2131 ENG 126 E4 Coming of Age:  Exploration through Fiction, Film and Memoir (4)

Fitzsimmons   MW 4:25-6:05

This class will examine selections that explore the cultural rituals and rites of passage negotiated on journeys of self-discovery during this transition into adulthood.  The course will include attention to diverse communities, addressing social, political and historical themes expressed in the works.  We will examine issues of race, gender, sexual orientation and multicultural perspectives.  Fulfills diversity requirement. (LO4)

2124 ENG 134 01 Medieval Literature (4)                              

Laity MW 9-10:15

One credit of this 4-credit course is online.

Study of texts written around the world during the Middle Ages.  Texts are in Modern English translations. Students explore the early contexts and ongoing influence of these tales in written and oral presentations. (L04)

2125 ENG 172 01 Asian American Literature (4)      

Middleton MW 1:15-2:30

One credit of this 4-credit course is online.

Examines the writing of authors from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Filipino, and time periods. Relevant topics may include identity/assimilation; family and generation; gender and class; cultural hierarchies and cooperation; strategies of resistance; transnational allegiance. Authors may include Frank Chin, Monica Sone, Chang-rae Lee, Margaret Cho, Li Young-Lee. Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

2126 ENG 206 01 Creative Writing (4)                                      

Fulwiler MW 1:15-2:30

2127 ENG 206 02 Creative Writing (4)                                      

Laity MW 10:25-11:40

One credit of this 4-credit course in online.

An introductory course in creative writing providing practice in and critique of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing. Recommended for students with little or no experience in creative writing. Prerequisite: ENG 105 or  equivalent.

1211 ENG 216 01 The Harlem Renaissance (4)                      

Slade  F 1-4:20

Survey of black authors from diverse cultures and an analysis of their relationship to black thought. An examination of language and the African/African-American traditions compared and contrasted with Western literary modes and ideas. The course emphasizes major literary genres.  Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

1158 ENG 217 Detective Fiction (4)                              

Seamon TR 9:25-11:05

Study of mystery fiction as a genre. Readings of short stories, novels, and theories on detective fiction. Consideration of the history of the genre, its cultural evolution, and its current place in the literary canon. Authors might include Doyle, Poe, Collins, Sayers, James, and Evans. (L04)

1046 ENG 218 01 Oral Interpretation of Literature (4)         

Ungar TR 2:30-4:10

847 ENG 218 E1 Oral Interpetation of Literature (4)            

Nester R 6-9:20 pm

Development by theory and practice of the skills of reading aloud to present informed sharing of literary selections, increase understanding of literary works, and provide enjoyment to reader and audience. Presentations include prose, poetry, and drama.  Prerequisite:  ENG 105 or equivalent.

2128 ENG 221 E1 20th Century American Literature                           Moretti TR 4:15-5:55

Explores any of a number of 20th-century American literary movements such as realism, regionalism, modernism, postmodernism, or cultural themes such as multiculturalism, feminism, war and peace literature, literature of the city. 

2129 ENG 222 E1 American Drama (4)                        

Hunter  T 6-9:20

Introduction to American dramatic literature from the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasis is placed on the emergence of a genuinely American dramatic art form and on the influence of different movements in the theatre on the evolution of the American playwright. (L05)

1287 ENG 223 01 Early American Women Writers  (4)   

Wells MW 9-10:15; F 9-9:50         

2130 ENG 223 02 Early Amer. Women Writers  (4)  

Wells MW 10:25-11:40; F 10:25-11:15              

This course explores literature written by American women from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries. We’ll consider the relationship between gender roles and writing—for instance, since women were valued primarily for their domestic and reproductive roles, what strategies did they need to devise in order to enter the public conversation that is literature? To what extent did factors of race, class, and region complicate gender as an influence in women’s writing? We’ll read a wide range of genres, including poetry, captivity narratives, slave narratives, and novels as we attempt to answer these questions. Authors will include Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Mary Rowlandson, Harriet Jacobs, Catharine Sedgwick, and Emily Dickinson.

2132 ENG 226 01 Warriors and Witches (4)       

O’Connor-Salomon TR 2:30-4:10

2133 ENG 226 E2 Warriors and Witches (4)     

O’Connor-Salomon R 6-9:20 pm

Literacy has been linked with power in many cultures throughout history. This is one reason that women were often denied the right to an education—to limit their power and "keep them in their place." However, despite restrictions, perhaps even because of them, some women defied convention and wrote about their experiences—fighting, and sometimes dying, for their causes. This course will look at the writings of such women, analyze what made their works stand the test of time, and examine why self-expression, in any of its forms, frequently led to a woman being labeled a rebel, a whore, a heretic, or a witch. Authors/texts may include the Mary Magdalene, Sappho, The Tale of Genji, Marie de France, Joan of Arc, and Queen Elizabeth I.Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

590 ENG 230 01 Med. Brit:  Love, Religion, War (4)           

Cavanaugh TR 9:25-11:05

Courtly love, warrior kings, chivalry, Christianity—these are just a few of the topics we will explore in medieval English works, such as Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Orfeo, lyric poems, The Canterbury Tales, Le Morte D’Arthur, and The Book of Margery Kempe.  Students will engage in reading, analysis, discussion, oral presentation, research, and writing.

2134 ENG 231 01 London, City of Dreadful Night                

Chan MW 1:15-2:30

One credit of this 4-credit course is online.

London is the center of culture and business for the British, and therefore held a significant place as the metropolitan center for the British Empire. When we consider the extent of the Empire, it makes sense to examine how the City was portrayed during the height of Britain’s imperial growth. It is a city that often seems sinister and dangerous, filled with people who are not “British.” Our readings help construct the city as a problematic representation of a nation, one whose literary identity becomes increasingly diverse in terms of class, ethnicity, nationality, and politics.  Tentative Readings: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; “City of Dreadful Night” by John Thomson; The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad; “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot; Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf; Small Island by Andrea Levy. Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

1161 ENG 236 01 ReWriting Africa                                            Palecanda  TR 2:30-4:10   

What are some familiar images Africa?  How has this created an image of Africa for us?  Do we know of or understand the circumstances that lead to the devastating images we associate with the continent today?  How are we implicated in the tragedy of others?  We will “rewrite” in our imaginations stories, stereotypes and myths of a vast continent as we familiarize ourselves with its aesthetic traditions and literary histories.  We will learn how colonization affected these societies, economically, politically and culturally and how new regimes continue to repeat power politics and face resistance. Thus enabled, we will critically examine contemporary representations of African nations. We will become familiar with terms such as culture, colonization, tradition, modernity, gender systems, etc. The response papers in this course encourage students to reflect upon your comprehension of colonization as complex phenomena and encourage students to think of writing as a reflective, growing process.  Fulfills diversity requirement. (L04)

1162 ENG 244 E1 Early World Lit.: Lit. and Society (4)                     

Clarity M 6:15-9:55

We will explore several works in early literature that reveal the importance of societal and cultural roles on human behavior.  We will explore several readings in terms of how cultural roles shape characters’ choices and actions.  Our readings will include timeless classics by such authors as Homer, Sappho, Euripides and several medieval poets.  We will examine the influence of society and culture on individuals’ actions and will discuss each reading in terms of the theme of individual responsibility.  Students will engage in research on topics of their choosing and will share their findings both in writing and through oral participation.  We will also discuss the connection between the themes explored and typical artwork from each of the historical periods explored. (LO4)

648 ENG 251 01 Personal Essay (4)                   

Butler TR 11:15-12:55

We will learn how to draft and edit personal essays for the literary marketplace. This course assumes that writing is not inspiration, but a craft.  We will analyze a bunch of essays for technique and work intensely on writing--looking at form, content, style, correctness.  Students will write about a half dozen pieces and submit them as a portfolio at the end of term.  Prerequisite: ENG 105 or  equivalent.

1288 ENG 260 01 Shakespeare (4)                   

Morrow  TR 11:15-12:55

Examination of poetry and representative plays in the context of early modern English society and culture. The careful study of Shakespeare’s language, of genres, and of theatrical practice will be supplemented by attention to early modern social issues and to present-day critical trends. (L04)

2135 ENG 274 01  Professional Presentation  (2)              

Cavanaugh 11:15-12:55

Second half of semester: March 13-May 7.

Practice in and polishing of skills in preparing and presenting oral presentations.  Emphasis on use of electronic and other visual and audio aids, group presentation, and professional oral delivery skills.  Students will apply the material to situations related to their professional goals as educators or in other fields.  Intended for education majors and for students who have transferred in a course equivalent to ENG 104, but not an oral communication course.  These students may use this course to complete the LO1 requirement.

2228 ENG 274 02 Acting (2)                               

Dollinger TR 2;30-4:10

First half of semester:  January 14-March 12.

Practice in specific aspects of theatrical production in relation to pedagogical possibilities.   Intended for education majors and for students who have transferred in a course equivalent to ENG 104, but not an oral communication course.  These students may use this course to complete the LO1 requirement.  

2139 ENG 275  01 Writing as Process (2)                    

Sheehan  TR 11:15-12:55

First half of semester:  January 14-March 12.

From a teaching perspective, this course will examine the field of composition in general and the process of writing in particular, from prewriting invention, through drafting, to revision and editing.  Students will be provided with, and also design, a variety of assignments aimed at teaching writing in a range of voices for various audiences and purposes.  To gain experience in providing effective feedback throughout the writing process, students will conduct one-on-one conferences, facilitate peer workshops, and produce written commentaries on the writings of others. (LO4)

1212 ENG 279 E1 Teen Film(4)                       

Middleton W 6:15-9:45 pm

Hollywood has long targeted teenagers as a crucial market for their films.  Since the 50’s, filmmakers have tried to anticipate what teenagers will want to see.  In doing so, they have created movies that represent teenage characters in a variety of ways, with an array of issues, cultural values, and ways of life.  These films are shaped by existing teen cultures, but also work to shape those cultures in ways that designate how teenagers should act, what they should do, and what they should buy.  In this course, we’ll examine the history of the teenager on film, and we’ll also investigate the complicated, reciprocal  relationship between representations of teenage life and existing practices of teenagers.  We’ll conclude the course by producing our own short films that document the complexities of the contemporary teenager.  Viewings may include: Rebel Without A Cause, Thirteen, The Breakfast Club, Better Luck Tomorrow, Marie Antoinette. 

2136 ENG 287 01 Improvisational Acting (4)                          

Krauss F 1-4:20pm

Training in the technique and method of improvisational performance. Students go through “improv” exercises to develop short-form and long-form pieces and are asked to perform for a student audience. (L05)

1236 ENG 290 01 Drama Production and Performance         

Krauss

Practicum in play production. While working with the drama director to prepare the play productions for the semester, students become involved in a wide variety of stage activities, including costuming, makeup, props, scenery, sound effects, and character portrayal. A minimum of 75 hours of commitment is required. Course may be taken more than once (4 credits max).

2137 ENG 292 W1 Contact Literature (1)                    

Rice F 5:30-9:00pm

Jan. 18, 25; Feb. 1, 8, 15.

This course will focus on teaching about Euramerican/Native American contact in the Americas.  We will explore literature and other media dealing with European figures like Christopher Columbus, John Smith, and Mary Rowlandson; their stories will be contextualized and countered by native voices from the period.  Our main goal will be to explore ways that this period of contact can be realistically and constructively presented to students without uncritically relying on highly suspect and widely perpetuated Euramerican fictions. 

2195 ENG 295 W1 Writing the Essay (1)                     

Fulwiler

January 18-20:  F 5:30-9:00 pm; S 9:00 am-3:00 pm; Su 1:00-3:00 pm

A 1-credit writing workshop focused on the genre of the personal essay. Careful study of a wide variety of forms, voices, and topics. Central to the course will be the students’ own writing and the experience of brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing a personal essay. Possible readings include E.B. White, Jo Ann Beard, Sarah Vowell, Scott Russell Sanders, and others. Peer workshops, in-class writing, and mini-conferences with the instructor.

ENG 295 01, 02  Poetry Writing in the Schools  (1)

Ungar

2138 TR 1:05-2:20  First half of semester: January 14-March 12

1494 TR 1:05-2:20 Second half of semester:  March 13-May 7
This short course is designed to enable you to walk into any classroom, from early childhood through high school, and successfully teach the writing of poetry. We will begin with Kenneth Koch’s Wishes, Lies, and Dreams, which builds from the simplest exercises for the youngest students, through Koch’s Rose, Where Did You Get That Red, which uses great poems as models for lessons that can be used through high school and college. Each student will design two lessons, one delivered orally to the class, the other written as a lesson plan. (Open to all: no education background needed.)

1163 ENG 302 Language and Linguistics (4)                           

Sheehan TR 9:25-11:05

Introduction to recent developments in language study and to the principles of linguistics. Course examines the structure of the English language including phonology, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics, as well as traditional-descriptive, prescriptive, and generative-transformational grammars. Students engage in guided research, writing, and oral presentations on a range of language topics.

1267 ENG 311 Writing Creative Nonfiction (4)                       

Nester  TR 2:30-4:10  

A workshop in writing creative nonfiction.  The focus is on personal essay, memoir, literary/ aesthetic essay, first-person journalism, and experimental essay. Readings in theory of creative nonfiction as well as a variety of creative nonfiction writers, will round out the course. Fulfills writing-intensive requirement.  Prerequisites: ENG 105 and 200-level writing course, or consent of the instructor based on writing sample.

1164 ENG 313 Writing Fiction (4)                    

Seamon TR 11:15-1:05

2140 ENG 313 Writing Fiction (4)                    

Patrick MW 2:40-4:20

Writing short fiction in a variety of styles and formats. Specialized assignments, in-class workshops of student stories, reading of professional fiction writers, attendance at fiction readings, and study of theories of fiction. Knowledge of the genre and college-level creative writing experience expected. Fulfills writing-intensive requirement. Prerequisites: ENG 105 and 200-level writing course, or consent of the instructor based on writing sample. 

2141 ENG 320 01  19th Century American Fiction     

Ungar 11:15-12:55

Readings in such authors as Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville, Douglass, Jacobs, Warner, Whitman, and Dickinson. Relevant themes include slavery, women’s rights, transcendentalism, and the West. Exploration of relevant historical and critical materials will contextualize readings. This course may be taken more than once, provided it addresses a different topic. Fulfills writing-intensive requirement.

792 ENG 330 01 Literary Criticism/Theory   

Palecanda 11:15-12:55

2142 Eng 330 02 Literary Criticism/Theory   

Palecanda 9:25-11:05

Study of 20th-century literary criticism and theory, with emphasis on current theorists. Readings address diverse conceptions of author, reader, text, literary canon, gender, sexuality, class, and geopolitics. Will include literary texts, film, and other media. Emphasis is on reading, writing, and theorizing. Prerequisite: ENG 112.

2143 ENG 346 E1 Shakespeare on Stage and Screen            

Morrow TR 4:15-5:55

Here students will become familiar with and conversant in Shakespearean drama, the variety of interpretive possibilities available in the texts, and the ways in which these possibilities are explored and exploited on stage and screen. Such concerns are not only ends in themselves; by approaching texts in this way we will also examine the economic, political, and ideological matrices within which Shakespeare and popular culture function. We will study films by directors such as Kurosawa, Jarman, Welles, Olivier, Branagh, Zeffirelli, and Luhrmann.  Fulfills writing-intensive requirement.

2144 ENG 371 E1 Women’s Work in Post-1800 Britain            

Chan MW 4:25-6:05

The Victorian womanly ideal is often depicted as one of studied leisure, with servants doing much of the household work and the woman of the house performing her role as the symbol of the private sphere’s purity. However, many working-class and middle-class women found their lives drawn into the changing workplace out of necessity. In this class we will read about how women found their voices to speak about work conditions, the ways in which the new figure of the working woman captured literary imaginations, and what authors saw to be the pressing social issues of the day. This is a reading and writing intensive course for advanced English majors.

Tentative Readings: Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell; The Type-Writer Girl by “Olive Pratt Rayner”; Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë; The Clever Woman of the Family by Charlotte Yonge;

Factory Lives: Four Nineteenth-Century Working-Class Autobiographies (Ed. James R. Simmons, Jr.).  Fulfills writing-intensive requirement.

2145 ENG 379 01 Writers in Motion                            

 Laity MW 1:15-2:30

One credit of this 4-credit course is online.

What does the writer’s life look like on film?  Is this the source of our romantic notions of the creative life?  Is there a bias toward portraying the biographies of writers whose lives feature a lot of drama or tragedy—rather than writers whose work demands celebration? Let’s face it – the writer’s life is a dull one for the most part, sitting before the blank page, thinking and writing. How do films portray this tedious process in a lively way?  How do we portray writers in the past like Shakespeare or Chaucer who did not leave copious details of their daily lives behind? What roles do gender and sexuality play in the depiction of writers? We will look at both literary and film theory to examine the construction of writers’ biographies on film.

Films we may use to consider these questions: Shakespeare in Love, A Knight’s Tale, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Sylvia, Wilde, The Hours, Bullets Over Broadway, Naked Lunch, Old Acquaintance, Impromptu, Barton Fink, Stranger than Fiction, Capote, The Shining, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, and Quills.  Fulfills writing-intensive requirement.

1232 Senior Writing Project (4)

An opportunity to write a major piece or a series of shorter pieces that represent advanced-level work in poetry, fiction, drama or literary/personal nonfiction. Open only to students who have completed 12 credits with grades of B or better in English writing courses, including ENG 105. Permission of the instructor is required.

1233 ENG 494 English Internship (4)                          

Nester

This course provides students with the practical experience of applying the knowledge and skills of their coursework in actual work environments. Students engage in field opportunities in writing, research, drama, and literature at such sites as newspapers, public relations offices, schools, non-profit organizations, government agencies, theaters, and other professional contexts.  Application required; students work with the internship coordinator, Professor Nester, to find placement in the semester preceding the internship.  Open to English and English: Adolescence Education majors who have completed 90 credits toward their degree. Prerequisites: ENG 112, ENG 330, and one 300-level literature course.  Students who have completed at least 12 credits toward the writing minor may also apply to take this course.

2155 ENG 497 01 English Portfolio for English Majors (0)                  Cavanaugh

2377 ENG 497 02 English Port. for English:Adol. Ed. Majors           Cavanaugh

All undergraduate English and English: Adolescence Education majors must submit a portfolio of their writing toward the end of their course of study.  Students should follow the directions provided in the English Portfolio Guidelines.  Students should register for ENG 497 in the same semester as ENG 498 Senior Seminar.  These guidelines are available from English advisors. Pass/fail. Open to English and English: Adolescence Education majors who have completed 90 credits toward their degree. Prerequisites: ENG 112, ENG 330, and one 300-level literature course.

849 ENG 498 01  Preromanticism               

Butler TR 9:25-11:05

“Preromanticism” is a reductive, but sometimes useful, label applied to certain poets of the later 18th century—Crabbe, Smart, Cowper, Gray, Collins and others.  The term assumes a master narrative of literary evolution wherein the “preromantic poets” prepared the way for the full flowering of Romanticism, for Wordsworth, Keats, Coleridge and the lot. Although teleological literary history is out of fashion, the term and debates about its usefulness are still with us.  Marshall Brown’s book Preromanticism (1991) still inspires heat in conferences. Did Gray write only so that Wordsworth could arrive? It’s an issue.  We will focus on these poets of the later eighteenth century—join the debate, in effect—but read them in context of other cultural trends of the era—sentimentalism, Gothicism—and other genres.  Obviously, we’re also required to check out poetry written before (Augustan stuff like Pope’s) and after (that of Wordsworth, Bryon et al).  We are also required to traffic in some critical theory to figure out whether literary history is even possible these days. Students will be a writing a Really Big Paper examining one aspect of the debate.  They can focus on one writer or one of the big poems of the period, but the essay must be theoretically and culturally aware.   Open to English and English: Adolescence Education majors who have completed 90 credits toward their degree. Prerequisites: ENG 112, ENG 330, and one 300-level literature course.