DepartmentofEnglish
ENGLISHDEPARTMENTCOURSEDESCRIPTIONS
MAYMESTER2011
AllEnglishcourses300andaboverequireENGL101,102,andonecoursebetweenENGL
270‐292
ENGL285M‐00THEMESINAMERICANWRITING‐OUTSIDERSMTWThF2:00‐4:45
SMITH
OutsidersarecommonfiguresinAmericanfiction.Thiscoursewillfocuson“paradoxical
outsiders,"orpara‐agonists.Inotherwords,charactersthatseemtofityetnotfitwithintraditional
narrativecategoriesofprotagonistandantagonist.Thestoriesofsuchmis‐fitsoftenprovide
opportunitiestoexploreandquestionthenatureofsocialnormsandboundariesthatshapehowwe
understandourselvesandothersandtherealitiesandpossibilitiesoftheworldsinwhichwelive.
We’lltakeadvantageoftheseopportunitiesthroughengagementswithselectionsfromJohn
KennedyToole'sAConfederacyofDunces;acollectionofFlanneryO’Connor'sshortstories;andtwo
graphicnovels,JohnRidley'sTheAmericanWayandFrankMiller’sTheDarkKnight.
ENGL360M.001CREATIVEWRITING
MTWThF2:00‐4:45 BARILLA
“Thiscoursewillbeaworkshopincreativenonfiction.Wewillexplorevarioussub‐genresand
techniquessuchascollage,memoirandliteraryjournalism,readpolishedexamplesandrespondto
writingexercisesdesignedtopromptideasandhoneskills.Thefocusofthecourse,however,will
bethewritingandsharingofnewcreativework.Studentswillbeexpectedtosharetheirworkwith
peersinanworkshopsetting,andtocontributeconstructivelytothesediscussion.Thegoalwillbe
toproduceaportfoliooffourpolishedessays.”
ENGL419M‐001TALESOFTERROR&SHOCKERS:POPULARCULTURE&ROMANTICISM
MTWThF11:00‐1:45
JARRELLS
(MeetswithENGL650)
WordsworthwrotehispoetryinparttocounteractwhathesawasRomanticEngland’s“degraded
thirstafteroutrageousstimulation.”Inthiscourse,insteadofstudyingtheresponsesofthepoets,
we’lllookattheoutrageousstimulationforwhichWordsworth’scontemporariessupposedly
thirsted.Whatwaspopularcultureintheperiod?WhatkindofviewofRomanticismdoesastudy
ofpopularculturalformsprovide?Howdifferentweretheseforms(andWordsworth’slamentfor
them)fromthoseofourownday?Thesearesomeofthequestionswewillask.Thefocusofour
surveywillbepopularprintculture:franticnovels,talesofterror,murderousmagazineeditors,and
periodicalpersonalities.Butwewillgivesomeattention,too,tothevisualandtheperformingarts
(panoramapainting,peep‐shows,musichalls,andpopularsciencelectures).Worksstudiedwill
includeessaysbyMaryRobinson,WilliamHazlitt,PierceEgan,andCharlesLamb;afewtalesof
terrorfromBlackwood’sMagazineandsomegothicbluebooks(alsoknownas“shillingshockers”);a
recentbookbyRichardHamblynonLukeHoward,the“manwhoinventedtheclouds”;and
accountsfrompastandpresentoflifeintheRomanticmetropolis.Requirementswillinclude
regularresponsepapers,weeklyquizzes,andafinalexam.
ENGL431M‐001CHILDREN’SLITERATUREMTWThF8:00‐10:45JOHNSON
ThiscourseisabroadintroductiontotheworldofcontemporaryAmericanchildren’sliterature.
StudentswillexaminetextswhichareinsomewayrelatedtocentralideasofandaboutAmerica
andAmericansofvariousethnicitiesandbackgrounds.Discussiontopicswillincludethemeaning
of“excellence”inchildren’sbook‐writingandillustration,theculturalpoliticsofthechildren’sbook
publishingworld,andcurrentissuesandcontroversiesinthefield.
ENGL439M‐001LOVEAFRICANAMERICANSTYLEMTWThF8:00‐10:45DAWES
“What’sLoveGottoDowithIt?”LoveAfricanAmericanStyleexploresthetreatmentofromance
anderoticloveintheworkofcontemporaryAfricanAmericannovelistsandshortstorywriters.
Theusingfilm,popularmusic,andcriticalwriting,thecourseexaminestheseworkswhichrange
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forpopularromancestomoreliteraryworksbymajorAfricanAmericanauthorsthroughthe
prismsofgender,sexualorientation,race,class,religion,popularculture,andethnicityevenasit
allowsustostudycontemporaryAfricanAmericansociety.
ENGLISHDEPARTMENTCOURSEDESCRIPTIONS
SummerI2011
ENGL101‐001CRITICALREADING&COMPOSITIONMTWTh1:00‐3:15 GREER
Acourseofferingstructured,sustainedpracticeinresearching,analyzing,andcomposing
arguments.Studentswillreadaboutarangeofacademicandpublicissuesandwriteresearched
argumentativeandpersuasiveessays.
ENGL101‐002CRITICALREADING&COMPOSITONMTWTh10:30‐12:45
GWARA
InthiscoursewewillreadfourrecentbestsellersfromtheNewYorkTimesbestsellerlist,inthe
paperbacktradefictioncategory.Athree‐pagecriticalessayoneachnovelwillbedueevery
Monday.
ENGL102‐001RHETORIC&COMPOSITIONMTWTh10:30‐12:45FRIEND
(Prereq:ENGL101)
English102isdesignedtobuildonEnglish101tohelpprepareyouforthewritingyouwilldoin
futurecollegecoursesandbeyond.WhileEnglish101honedyourabilitytocriticallyreadand
closelyanalyzetexts,English102emphasizeshelpingyoutowritewell‐reasonedargumentative
papersthatdrawonmultiplesourcesandviewpoints.Duringthesemester,youwilllearnto
identifytheelementsofaneffectiveargument,andthenyou’llapplythoseprinciplesincomposing
researchedessaysaboutacademicandpublicissues.Thiscoursewillalsostrengthenyour
informationliteracyskills,byteachingyoustrategiesforfinding,assessing,using,citing,and
documentingsourcematerials.
ENGL270‐286DesignedforNon‐majors.
ENGL282‐001
FICTION
MTWTh8:00‐10:15 RICE
Anintroductiontothegenreoffictionandtotheoriesofinterpretation.Thisclasswillconcentrate
onclosereading,analysis,andinterpretationofindividualstories,ontheculturalcontextsofthe
works,andontheoriesofnarrative.
ProbableTexts:H.G.Wells,TheTimeMachine,J.Conrad,HeartofDarkness,G.Greene,TheThird
Man,W.Golding,LordoftheFlies,M.Spark,ThePrimeofMissJeanBrodie,I.Murdoch,TheSevered
Head,M.Drabble,TheMillstone,T.Pynchon,TheCryingofLot49,K.Vonnegut,Slaugherhouse‐Five,
K.Ishiguro,TheRemainsoftheDay
Paper:acomparativecriticalessay(c.5pp.)
Examinations(2):shortanswers(possible),identifications,andanalyticalessay(s).
Quizzes:Therewillbedailyquizzes(3‐5briefobjectivequestions)ontheassignedreadings.
Format:mixofinformallectureandclassdiscussion,withemphasisonthelatter.
ENGL283‐001THEMESINBRITISHWRITINGMTWTh8:00‐10:15GWARA
(DesignedforNon‐majors)
ThemesofBritishFiction.Thethemeofthiscourseis"Transgression,Loss,andMemory."Wewill
readfiverecentbestsellersfromtheLondonTimesbestsellerlist:Ishiguro,TheRemainsoftheDay,
DeRosnay,Sarah'sKey,Swift,Waterland,Enright,TheGathering,Banville,TheSea.Studentswillbe
askedtocontributemeaningfullytoclassdiscussionandtowritetwo‐pagereactionpapersoneach
book.
ENGL285‐001THEMESINAMERICANWRITINGMTWTh1:00‐3:15STEELE
(DesignedforNon‐majors)
ThiscoursewilllookatthewidelyvaryingwaysthatColonialandAmericanwritershaverespondedto
nature‐‐initswidelyvaryingforms‐‐overthepastfivecenturies.Readingswilltakeusfromthe
howlingwildernesstothepicturesquelandscapetothewildfrontierandbeyond.Throughout,wewill
considerthemetaphoricalandmaterialrolesplayedbynatureinU.S.nationalismandculturalpolitics.
ReadingswillincludeworksbyBradstreet,Cooper,Emerson,Thoreau,Dickinson,Cather,Hurston,
Wright,Erdrichandothers.Therewillbeamidterm,afinal,andashortcriticalpaper.
ENGL287IsRequiredforEnglishMajors
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ENGL405‐001
SHAKESPEARE’STRAGEDIESMTWTh8:00‐10:15
RHU
ThiscoursewillfocusonthetragicelementinShakespeareandrama,especiallyasitappearsin
suchmajortragediesasHamletandOthello.WewillalsoconsiderhowShakespeare’slateplays,the
romancesortragicomediessuchasTheWinter’sTale,seektorecoverfromtheirreversiblelossesof
tragicexperience;howhisearliercomedies,likeTheMerchantofVeniceandMuchAdoabout
Nothing,expressandcontainthepossibilityofsuchloss;andhowthetragediesthemselves,like
AntonyandCleopatra,vergeuponcomedy.
ENGLJ423‐655
MODERNAMERICANLITETATURE DVDCOURSE
WENTZ
(ScheduleCodeRequired:SeeDistanceEducationCourseListings)
ModernAmericanLiteratureisasurveyofthemajorAmericanwritersoffictionandpoetryof
roughlythefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury.Inaddition,thecourseattemptstoplacethese
writersandtheirworkswithinthecontextofthemostimportantliterarymovementsofthetime.
Thisisanupper‐levelEnglishcourse.Studentsshouldhavecompletedonesophomoreliterature
course(ENGL282‐289)beforetakinganyupper‐levelcourse.
ENGLJ429B‐655
TOPIC/SCOTTFITZGERALD WEBCOURSE
BUCKER
(ScheduleCodeRequired:SeeDistanceEducationCourseListings)
(Prereq:Studentsmustcompleteonesophomoreliteraturecourse(282‐288)beforetakinganyupper
levelcourse.Asurveyoftheauthor’sworksandcareerthrough26recordedlecturesbypreeminent
FitzgeraldscholarandbiographerMatthewJ.Bruccoli.
ENGL430D‐001
AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE I TO 1865 MTWTh 1:00‐3:15
TRAFTON
(meetswithENGL650R)
This course will provide an introduction to some of the most important issues, themes, and texts
associatedwithAfricanAmericanliterature.Theselectionswewillcoverwillincludepoetry,drama,
song and other folk traditions, political manifestos and correspondence, as well as the most
recognizableformsinthistradition,thenovelandtheautobiography,whichareoftenfusedintothe
distinctly African American genre known as the slave narrative. As this course is meant toactin
conjunction with other courses in both the English Department andtheAfricanAmericanStudies
Program,ourfocuswillbetheliteratureofblackAmericansfromtheearlydaysofthecoloniestothe
yearmarkingthecloseoftheCivilWar,1865.Manyofthetraditionswewillstudywillhaverootsmuch
earlier, and lives far beyond, this period; indeed, part of the aim of this course will be to provide
studentswiththetoolstoinvestigatetextsandissueswhichlieoutsidethespecificbearingsofthis
course.Nevertheless,therewillbenecessaryattentionpaidtotheparticularhistoricalandcultural
contextswhichproducedthetextswewillread,andbytheendofthesemester,aworkingfamiliarity
withsomeofthesecontextswillbeexpected.Attheconclusionofthiscourse,then,studentswillbe
expectedtobefamiliarwiththeprinciplefeaturesoftheearlyAfricanAmericanliterarytradition,
including the characteristics of specific authors and texts as well as their varying contexts more
generally;theywillalsobeexpectedtoshowmasteryoftheskillsinvolvedincraftingananalyticessay
appropriateforanupper‐divisionEnglishcourse.
ENGL435‐001
SHORTSTORY
MTWTh1:00‐3:15 RICE
Anintroductiontotheshort‐storygenreandtotheoriesofinterpretation,throughin‐deptreading
ofworksbyfiveinternationalmastersoftheform:AntonChekov,KatherineMansfield,JamesJoyce,
ErnestHemingway,andJorgeLuisBorges.Thisclasswillconcentrateonclosereading,analysis,
andinterpretationofindividualstories,ontheculturalcontextsoftheworks,andontheoriesof
narrative.
Texts:A.Chekov,ShortStories,K.Mansfield,SelectedStories,J.Joyce,Dubliners,E.Hemingway,in
ourtime,J.L.Borges,Ficciones
Papers(2):abriefdiagnosticessay(c.2pp.)andacomparativecriticalessay(c.5pp.ea.)
Examinations(2):shortanswers(possible),identifications,andanalyticalessay(s).
Quizzes:Therewillbedailyquizzes(3‐5briefobjectivequestions)ontheassignedreadings.
Format:mixofinformallectureandclassdiscussion,withemphasisonthelatter.
ENGL439D‐001
TOPIC/COMICBOOKS&RACE
MTWTh10:30‐12:45
WHITTED
(MeetswithAFAM398C)
Thiscourseisascholarlystudyofhowcontemporarycomicsandgraphicnovelsexplorequestions
ofracialrepresentation,history,andidentity.Wewillexplore:1)howcomicsthatfocusonblack
experienceseffectivelyquestionthemeaningandsignificanceofheroisminAmericansociety;2)
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therolethatcomicsplayincounteringspecifichistoricalnarrativesofracismandoppression;and
3)thewaysinwhichthevisualelementsofthemediumprovideafresh,creativeperspectiveon
blackculturalrepresentation.Gradeswillbebasedonclassparticipation,adailydiscussionjournal,
twoshortessays,andafinalexam.Readingsinclude:NATTURNER(Baker);STAGGERLEE
(McCullochandHendrix);BAYOU#1‐2(Love);SENTENCES:THELIFEOFMFGRIMM(Careyand
Wimberly);andAYA(AbouetandOubrerie).
ENGL450‐001
ENGLISHGRAMMAR MTWTh10:30‐12:45
DISTERHEFT
(Cross‐listedwithLING421)
AnintensivesurveyofEnglishgrammar:sentencestructure,theverbalsystem,discourse,and
transformations.Alsodiscussedaresemantics,socialrestrictionsongrammarandusage,histories
ofvariousconstructions,etc.PleasereadChapter1ofthetextbookbeforethefirstclassmeeting.
TEXT:DorothyDisterheft,AdvancedGrammar:amanualforstudents.Prentice‐Hall.
REQUIREMENTS:onemidterm,onefinal.
ENGLISHDEPARTMENTCOURSEDESCRIPTIONS
SummerII2011
ENGL270‐286DesignedforNon‐majors.
ENGL270
WORLDLITERATURE
MTWTh10:30‐12:45 CORNET
F.
(Cross‐listedwithCPLT270‐001,WGST298B‐001&AFAM398L‐001)
Selectedmasterpiecesofworldliteraturefromantiquitytopresent.Forinformation,pleasecontact
theinstructor.
ENGL282‐001FICTION MTWTh10:30‐12:45DINGS
(DesignedforNon‐majors)
Description:Thisisanintroductorycoursethatwillfocusonmostlymodernandcontemporary
shortfictionwithavarietyofauthors,themes,andstyles.Studentswilldeveloptheirskillsinclose
readingbylearningtoidentifyinternalconflictsincharacters,interpretpotentialepiphanies,
determinethedegreeofreliabilityofafirstpersonnarration,andidentifyprimaryandsecondary
themes.Gradingwillbedeterminedbyexaminationandessay,includingafinalexam.
ENGL285‐001THEMESINAMERICANWRITINGMTWTh10:30‐12:45
GLAVEY(DesignedforNon‐majors)
ThiscoursewillserveasanintroductiontoAmericanliteraturefromBenjaminFranklinthrough
thetwentiethcentury.Oursurveywillbeorganizedaroundaseriesofquestionsrelatedtothe
variouswaysthatwritersgrapplewithandattempttorepresenttheidealofdemocracy.Ourgoal
willbetoattendtothespecificartisticmeansbywhichwritersrespondtothesequestions,andto
thinkaboutwhattheirresponsescanteachusaboutAmericaanditshistoryaswellasitsliterature.
Ourreadingswillbedrawnfromadiverserangeofauthorsandfrommultiplegenresincluding
fiction,memoir,andpoetry.Requirementsincludereadingquizzes,creativeexercises,amidterm,
andafinalexam.
ENGL288‐001
ENGLISHLITERATURE
MTWTh1:00‐3:15 SHIFFLETT
StudyofthethemeofheroisminrepresentativeworksofBritishliteraturefromprehistorictimesto
theendofthenineteenthcentury.Thethemewillberelatedintegrallytothevariousliterarygenres
(e.g.epic,romance,historicaldrama,novel)withwhichwritershaveadvancedandcritiquedit.
Twoexamsandonepaper.
ENGL360‐001
CREATIVEWRITING MTWTh1:00‐3:15 DINGS
Thisisanintroductorycoursethatwillfocusonthefundamentalsofwritingshortfictionand
poetry.Modelstoriesandpoemswillbereadanddiscussed,thenstudentstoriesandpoemswillbe
discussedinaworkshopformat.Gradingwillbebyportfolio.
ENGL406‐001SHAKESPEARE’SCOMEDIES&HISTORIESMTWTh10:30‐12:45 RICHEY
WewillthinkaboutthepropertiesoftheaterintheRenaissance,howclothing,props,and
performanceconstructgender,developconflictingviewsofpoliticsandhistory,andmaterialize
change.Howmuchchangetakesplaceonstage,andhowdeepdoesitgo?Doesitsignificantlyalter
identity?Doesitmerelyrepresentordoesittransformculture?
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