ENGLISHANDMEDIASTUDIES2017COURSEGUIDE
MAYINTENSIVES/SUMMERSESSIONS/FALL2017
BENTLEYUNIVERSITY
AAC084
175ForestStreet
Waltham,MA02452
http://academics.bentley.edu/departments/english
StudentFilms:http://vimeo.com/bentleyems
Twitter:@MediaandCulture
Facebook:MediaandCultureatBentleyUniversity
CREATIVEINDUSTRIES
MAJOR
Lastrevised:4/1/2017
MEDIAANDCULTURE
MAJOR
ENGLISHMAJOR
Detailsinside.
STUDYINGENGLISHANDMEDIASTUDIESATBENTLEYUNIVERSITY
Language is at the heart of our mission as a department. We aim to foster
creationandcriticalanalysisofculturaltexts,includingvisualmediaandliterary
works,andtoguidestudentstowardacomplexunderstandingofthepersonal,
social, cultural, historical, political, economic, and institutional contexts in
which these texts are produced and interpreted. Offerings include closelylinked courses in Literature and Film, Media and Culture, and Writing and
Communication.
Studentsmaypursuethefollowingprogramsofstudy:
• EnglishMajor(EN)
• MediaandCultureMajor(MC)
• CreativeIndustriesMajor(CR)
• LiberalStudiesMajor(LSM)inMedia,ArtsandSociety(MS)
• MinorinEnglishandMediaStudies
• MinorinGenderStudies
English and Media Studies programs prepare students to enter fields that
require both creative and business skills, including: Media Production, Film
Distribution, Sound Design, Media Advertising, Film Editing, Media Finance,
Digital Archiving, Game Design, Entertainment Law, Motion Graphics Design,
MediaManagement,Screenwriting,MediaPolicyAnalysis,Journalism,Lighting
Design,MediaMarketing,Publishing,andWriting.
StudentshavetheoptionofenrollingintheBusinessStudiesMajororBusiness
StudiesMinorwhendeclaringaB.A.degree.
CONTACTINFORMATIONFOREMSMAJORS,MINORS,CENTERS-FALL2017
Prof.BenAslinger,Chair,EnglishandMediaStudies
AAC075,781.891.2944,[email protected]
KathleenSheehan,AcademicAdministrativeAssistant
AAC083,781.891.2629,Fax:781.891.2896,[email protected]
ENGLISHMAJOR
Prof.TzarinaPrater,AAC085,781.891.3103,[email protected]
MEDIAANDCULTUREMAJOR/INTERNSHIPS
Prof.ElizabethLeDoux,LIN34,781.891.2961,[email protected]
CREATIVEINDUSTRIESMAJOR
Prof.JenniferGillan,AAC093,781.891.2816,[email protected]
(forspring/summer2017inquiries,contactProf.BenAslinger)
LIBERALSTUDIESMAJOR:MEDIA,ARTSANDSOCIETY
Prof.SamirDayal,AAC067,781.891.2957,[email protected]
ENGLISHANDMEDIASTUDIESMINOR
Prof.KenStuckey,AAC099,781.891.3495,[email protected]
GENDERSTUDIESMINOR
Prof.TraciAbbott,AAC088,781.891.2643,[email protected]
THEESOLCENTER
Prof.PamelaCarpenter,Director
MOR306,781.891.3135,[email protected]
MEDIAANDCULTURELABSANDSTUDIO
Prof.ElizabethLeDoux,Director
LIN34,781.891.2961,[email protected]
Prof.JeffreyStern,ProductionManager
LIN10A,781.891.2967,[email protected]
THEWRITINGCENTER
Prof.GregoryFarber-Mazor,Director
LIB023A,781.891.2978,[email protected]
2
B.A. IN ENGLISH
To succeed in the business world, no matter what your passion —
buying or selling, marketing or management, finance or economics
— you need to be able to communicate. In fact, communication
skills are a key factor in career advancement.
The English major is a distinctive study of the methods, philosophies and practices of literary and cultural studies. The curriculum
enables students to gain a wider understanding of our increasingly
globalized and diverse world and focuses on textual analysis and
production. English majors are trained to communicate effectively,
clearly, and logically and have a variety of exciting career paths in
both public and private sectors to choose from: Writing for Web
and Multimedia, Screenwriting, Communications, Marketing, Public
Relations, Publishing, Journalism, Editing, Entertainment, Law,
Education, Grant Writing, Copywriting, Technical Writing, Library
Sciences/Information Services, and Public Policy. To that end, you
will hone writing skills across genre and are encouraged to complete
an internship or capstone project that requires you to develop effective communication skills on and off the page.
(4) Core Courses:
EMS 200: Introduction to Literature, Film, and Media
EMS 201: Introduction to Cultural Studies
(1) LIT or CIN course on race and ethnicity, or globalization and colonialism, or transnationality and postcoloniality from the following:
LIT 260: Introduction to African American Literature
LIT 262: Native American Literature and Culture
LIT 330: Literature of the Holocaust
LIT 333: Literature and Film of the Vietnam War
LIT 337: Carribbean Literature
LIT 365: Immigrant and Ethnic Literature
LIT 367: African American Women Writers
LIT 370: Passing in American Literature
LIT 380: Money, Love, & Death: Colonialism in Literature/Culture
LIT 394: Selected Topics in African American Literature/Culture
CIN 376: International Cinema
CIN 377: African Americans in Hollywood Film
With departmental approval (Selected Topics Courses):
LIT 391, LIT 392, LIT 393, LIT 395, LIT 397, LIT 402, LIT
491, LIT 492, CIN 371, CIN 370
(1) Creative writing course from the following:
LIT 310: Poetry
LIT 311: Fiction
LIT 312: Drama/Screenwriting
LIT 313: Nonfiction/Essay
LIT 314: Mixed Genres
COM 328: Writing and Design for the Web and Multimedia
(4) Course Electives (CIN, COM, EMS, LIT, MC); it is encouraged
that one course focus on constructions of gender and sexuality,
such as: CIN 371, CIN 375, LIT 334, LIT 367, LIT 369
B.A. IN MEDIA AND CULTURE
B.S. IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Centered on the nature of storytelling in all its forms and designed
to prepare students for careers in the media industries, the Media
and Culture major is focused on production with an integrative
curriculum on media literacy, theory, and business. Show business
is just that—a business. Students not only gain technical expertise
in specialties such as video and audio production, graphic and
motion design, and writing about media forms, they also learn solid
business skills that teaches what it really takes for today’s leading
and innovative media companies to succeed. With a keen focus on
media literacy that everyone student should have, the wide array of
available English and Media Studies courses teach how media texts
operate at the creative, cultural, and industrial levels. You can join
other media and culture majors who have screened their original
films at the Cannes Film Festival, interned at companies like MTV,
and landed full-time jobs with prominent media firms in Boston,
New York, and Los Angeles.
The Creative Industries program is the perfect major where
business meets the arts & sciences. A partnership of the Departments of English and Media Studies with Information Design
and Corporate Communication, Creative Industries majors learn
how historical and technological changes drive demand for new
culture, and dissect how innovators build content, platforms, or
services for market success.
You will be encouraged to complete either a media internship or
capstone project, and will have the flexibility to study abroad or
enroll in Bentley’s domestic away program for one semester at
New York University. The Media and Culture Labs and Studio are
home to professional software for screenwriting, film editing, sound
mixing, animation, and graphic design and it is where you will gain
hands-on experience in all forms of media production.
MC 341: Creative Industries
(1) Media industry elective from the following:
MC 250: Global Media Industries
MC 260: The Television Industry
MC 342: Media Industry Convergence
MC 345: The Music Industry
MC 350: The Video Game Industry
(2) EMS media-related elective from the following:
COM 321: Mass Communication
COM 324: Design as Communication
COM 328: Writing and Design for the Web and Multimedia
LIT 312: Creative Writing: Drama/Screenwriting
LIT 313: Creative Writing: Nonfiction Essay
LIT 314: Creative Wiriting: Mixed Genres
MC 200: Introduction to Media Theory
MC 220: Introduction to Media Production
MC 300: Special Topics in Media Studies
MC 321: Audio Production and Sound Design
MC 323: Animation Production and Motion Design
MC 421: Internship in Media (only one internship applied)
MC 260, MC 342, MC 345, or MC 350
(4) Core Courses:
EMS 200: Introduction to Literature, Film, and Media
MC 220: Introduction to Media Production
(1) Theory elective from the following:
EMS 201: Introduction to Cultural Studies
CIN 375: Women in Film
CIN 379: Film Theory
MC 200: Introduction to Media Theory
(1) Media production elective from the following:
MC 222: Digital Photography
MC 224: Video Production
MC 320: Selected Topics in Advanced Production
MC 321: Audio Production and Sound Design
MC 322: Documentary Production
MC 323: Animation Production and Motion Design
(4) Course Electives (CIN, COM, EMS, LIT, MC)
Additional Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements required of all majors
Business Studies Minor or Major
(4) Modern Language Courses (intermediate proficiency)
(3) Arts & Sciences Course Electives
(5) Unrestricted Course Electives
Additional Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements required of all majors
Business Studies Minor or Major
(4) Modern Language Courses (intermediate proficiency)
(3) Arts & Sciences Course Electives
(5) Unrestricted Course Electives
“Entertainment is the second largest
export in the U.S. economy.”
— Philip Napoli
Media Economics and the Study of Media Industries
Creative industries are a major driver of global growth. To
succeed in this rewarding arena there is a need for mastery of
vital advocacy and visibility tools so creative works can “break
through the clutter” to reach intended audiences. Our courses introduce students to the specialized techniques creative industries
need in film, music, mobile gaming, television, advertising, user
interface design, packaging, promotion, information architecture,
and sports or entertainment public relations.
IDCC 370: Web Design I
IDCC 240: Fundamentals of Visual Communication
(1) IDCC elective from the following:
IDCC 250: Public Relations Theory and Practice
IDCC 255: Public Relations Writing
IDCC 340: Advanced Visual Communication
IDCC 350: Journalism for the Web
IDCC 360: Public Relations and Information Technology
IDCC 375: User Interface Design
IDCC 380: Web Design II
IDCC 385: Elements of Usability and User Experience
IDCC 390 (approved topic only; see DRS for details)
IDCC 421: Internship in IDCC
(1) IDCC elective or internship
Additional Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements required of all majors
Business Core Requirements
(5) Arts & Sciences Course Electives
(2) Unrestricted Course Electives
(1) Business related elective
LIBERALSTUDIESMAJORINMEDIA,ARTSANDSOCIETY
StudentsembarkingintheLiberalStudiesMajorwithaconcentrationinMedia
ArtsandSocietywillbegroundedinthedisciplineofEnglishandMediaStudies
with a cultural studies approach. This LSM aims to engage students in critical
discourse about the uses and effects of modern media, increase knowledge
about media technology, and encourage creative thinking through the use of
suchmedia.Thisconcentrationhasa“handson”componentinwhichstudents
workdirectlywithvideo,graphicdesign,digitalphotography,andsounddesign
increativeways.LSMinMediaArtsinSocietycourserequirementsinclude:
• MediaandCultureproductionelective
• 1or2media-focusedcoursesfromabusinessdiscipline
• 5or6coursesinmedia-focusedelectivesinmediaandculture,cinema
studies,communication,expositorywriting,literature,mathematics,
modernlanguages,naturalandappliedsciences,sociology,history,
interdisciplinarystudies,globalstudies,psychology,information
designandcorporatecommunication,law,taxation,andfinancial
planning,marketing,andcomputerinformationsystems
Note:youmaynotmajorinIDCCandtheLSMinMedia,ArtsandSociety.
ENGLISHANDMEDIASTUDIESMINOR
A minor in English and Media Studies is a perfect complement to a business
education. The English and Media Studies minor increases your sensitivity to
language and culture, enhances your ability to communicate effectively, and
develops your analytical abilities. The following detail the basic guidelines to
completeaminor,aswellasinformationonthefourconcentrationsavailable:
§ Allminorsconsistof4courses(12credits)inaspecificdiscipline,with
theexceptionofthebusinessstudiesminor(15credits)
§ Completionofaminormayrequirecourseworkbeyonddegree
requirements
§ Coursesappliedtotheminormaynotcounttowardthemajor
§ CoursesintheminormaybeappliedtotheHumanities/SocialScience
electiveintheGeneralEducationcore,Business,ArtsandSciences,or
Unrestrictedelectiveslotsonly
§ Studentsmayapplynomorethan3creditsinAPortransfercreditto
theminor
§ StudentsmustattainaminimumcumulativeGPAof2.0intheminor
Communication
§ COM210:EffectiveSpeaking
§ COMCommunicationelective
§ COMCommunicationelective
§ COMorIDCCCommunicationelective
NotethatIDCCcoursescountasbusinesscourses.
CreativeWriting
Thisminorencouragesstudentstoexploretheirowninsightsanddeveloptheir
ownstylesandvoices.
§ LITLiteratureelectiveinliteraryforms(LIT210-224)
§ LITCreativewritingelective(LIT310-314)
§ LITCreativewritingelective(LIT310-314)
§ LITLiteratureelective
LiteratureandCinema
With the help of an advisor from the English and Media StudiesDepartment,
minors select four courses in literature—and/or cinema studies that form a
coherent group. (The four courses for the minor do not include the general
educationliteraturerequirement.)
MediaandCulture
With the help of an advisor from the English and Media StudiesDepartment,
minorsselectfourcoursesinmediaandculturethatformacoherentgroup.
The Gender Studies program provides an interdisciplinary approach to
understanding the political, social, economic, and personal implications of
gender issues. Courses combine the analytical tools of different disciplines,
incorporatingpracticalandtheoreticalstrategiestoexploregenderinabroad
range of cultural and historical contexts. This minor allows students to more
fullyunderstandthewaygenderinformsthepersonalandprofessionalaspects
of their lives and to communicate to prospective employees that the student
has taken initiative to expand upon his or her academic and professional
knowledgeofsocialandpoliticalissues.
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GENDERSTUDIESMINOR
The Gender Studies program provides an interdisciplinary approach to
understanding the political, social, economic, and personal implications of
gender issues. Courses combine the analytical tools of different disciplines,
incorporatingpracticalandtheoreticalstrategiestoexploregenderinabroad
rangeofculturalandhistoricalcontexts.
The Gender Studies minor allows students to more fully understand the way
gender informs the personal and professional aspects of their lives and to
communicatetoprospectiveemployeesthatthestudenthastakeninitiativeto
expand upon his or her academic and professional knowledge of social and
politicalissues.
CoursesofferedforFall2017(unlessotherwisespecified):
ENGLISHANDMEDIASTUDIES
LIT340:GRAPHICNOVEL:SUPERHERO,HEROIC,ANDTHEFALL(MayIntensive)
S11:TzarinaPrater,MTWRF,9:00AM-5:00PM–D,LSM-MS
CIN370:HORROR/SCIENCE-FICTIONINFILMANDTELEVISION
001:ElizabethLeDoux,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–D,LSM-AM/MS
CIN381:WONDERWOMEN
001:KenStuckey,F,2:00-4:50PM–C,D
LIT356:THEVICTORIANPERIOD
001:ClaudiaStumpf,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–LSM-GP
LIT366:AMERICANICONS:COWBOYS,FEMINISTS,CAPITALISTS
001:JenniferGillan,M/W,5:00-6:20PM–C,D,LSM-AM/MS
GLOBALSTUDIES
GLS243:THEDEVELOPINGWORLD
001:JoniSeager,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–I,LSM-DS/EG/GP
HISTORY
HI315:FASHION,FILM&FOOD
001:AngmaJhala,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–I,LSM-GP/MS
LAW,TAXANDFINANCIALPLANNING
LA105:RACEANDTHELAW
001:KianaPierre-Lewis,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–D,LSM-AM/DS/ES
MANAGEMENT
MG228:MANAGINGDIVERSITYINTHEWORKPLACE
001:MarcusStewart,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–D,LSM-ES
MG241:LEADERSHIP,POWERANDPOLITICS
001:SusanAdams,R,8:00-10:50AM
MODERNLANGUAGES
ML301:GENDERBENDERSINLATINAMERICANLITERATURE
001:JaneDeLéonGriffin,M/W,9:30-10:50AM–I,SL4,LSM-GP
NATURAL&APPLIEDSCIENCES
PS333:GENDERPSYCHOLOGY
001:ClarissaSawyer,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–D,LSM-DS/ES/HN
PS388:ABNORMALPSYCHOLOGY
001:BarbaraNash,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM–C,D,SL4,LSM-DS/ES/HN
002:BarbaraNash,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–C,D,SL4,LSM-DS/ES/HN
SOCIOLOGY
SO241:DIVERSITY,MINORITIESANDSOCIALCHANGE(SummerSession1)
S11:CurtisHolland,T/R,6:00-9:10PM–C,LSM-AM/ES
SO241:DIVERSITY,MINORITIESANDSOCIALCHANGE
001:AnneRawls,M/R,12:30-1:50PM–D,LSM-AM/DS/ES
5
FACULTYADVISERSforallEMSMajorsandMinors
PleasespeaktoyouradviserorafacultymemberintheEnglishandMedia
StudiesDepartmentshouldyouhavequestions.
TraciAbbott,AssistantProfessor
AAC088,781.891.2643,[email protected]
BenAslinger,AssociateProfessorandChair
AAC075,781.891.2944,[email protected]
AndyAylesworth,AssociateProfessor(MK)
MOR279,781.891.3149,[email protected]
WileyDavi,AssociateProfessor
AAC091,781.891.2651,[email protected]
SamirDayal,AssociateProfessor
AAC067,781.891.2957,[email protected]
JenniferGillan,Professor
AAC093,781.891.2816,[email protected]
CaseyHayward,AssociateProfessor
AAC087,781.891.2862,[email protected]
ElizabethLeDoux,SeniorLecturer
LIN34,781.891.2961,[email protected]
TzarinaPrater,AssociateProfessor
AAC085,781.891.3103,[email protected]
AnnaSiomopoulos,AssociateProfessor
AAC073,781.891.2858,[email protected]
JeffreyStern,SeniorLecturer
LIN10A,781.891.2967,[email protected]
KenStuckey,SeniorLecturer
AAC099,781.891.3495,[email protected]
6
ESOLCENTER
StudentswhosehomelanguageisnotEnglishareinvitedtotakeadvantageof
thefreetutorialservicesofferedbyourESOLCenter.EnglishandMediaStudies
facultywhospecializeinteachingEnglishtospeakersofotherlanguages(ESOL)
providesupporttohelpstudentsachievesuccessintheircoursesacrossthe
curriculum.Toscheduleanappointmentorformoreinformation:
http://www.bentley.edu/academics/departments/english-and-mediastudies/esol-centerorcall781.891.2021.
MEDIAANDCULTURELABSANDSTUDIO
TheMediaandCultureLabsandStudiosupportstheEnglishandMediaStudies
Department’smediaandculturemajor,thejointCreativeIndustriesmajor,as
wellastheuniversity’sdoublemajorinLiberalStudieswithaconcentrationin
Media,ArtsandSociety.Thisstate-of-the-artfacilityprovidesresourcesforall
formsofmediaproduction:video,sound,digitalphotographyanddesign.The
labs house industry-standard software for video editing, screenwriting, sound
mixing, animation, graphic and motion design, and DVD authoring. The
professionalproductiontoolsavailableincludedigitalandHDcameras,lighting
and grip equipment, microphones and audio accessories. A soundproofed
studio with green screen and lighting grid complete the professional
production environment. For more information or to reserve equipment:
http://www.bentley.edu/academics/departments/english-and-mediastudies/media-and-culture-labs-and-studio
THEWRITINGCENTER
TheWritingCenterisopensdaysandeveningsforone-to-oneassistancewith
writingskills.Itisstaffedbyawritinginstructorandbypeertutorschosenfor
both the quality of their own writing and for their friendliness. Hundreds of
students at Bentley — students of all years and abilities — use The Writing
Centereachsemester.Whatismore,theycometothecenteratallstagesof
the writing process. To schedule an appointment or for more information:
http://www.bentley.edu/academics/departments/english-and-mediastudies/writing-centerorcall781.891.3173.
CAREERSANDINTERNSHIPS
Studentsinourprogramshaveinternedorcurrentlyworkforsuchcompanies
as Dreamworks Studios, Amblin Entertainment, MTV Networks, Allen &
Gerritsen, Spike TV Digital, Arnold Worldwide, Dick Clark Productions, Martha
Stewart Omnimedia, Marvel Comics, Charlesbridge Publishing, WGBH, Picture
Park, Mark Jacobs, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Fox News, CBS News, NBC
Universal, Sony Music Entertainment, General Electric, and the Cannes
InternationalFilmFestivalanL.A.IntensiveInternshipProgramsofferedbythe
AmericanPavilion,amongothers.
REGISTRATIONFORDIRECTEDSTUDIES,INTERNSHIPS,ANDCAPSTONES
Ifyouplantoregisterforthefollowingmedia-relatedcourses,pleasespeakto
youradviserdirectly,astheyeachentailadditionalregistrationrequirements:
LSM450:CULMINATINGPROJECT–MEDIAARTSANDSOCIETY
MC401:DIRECTEDSTUDYINMEDIA
MC420:MEDIAANDCULTURECAPSTONEPROJECT
MC421:MEDIAANDCULTUREINTERNSHIP
LIBERALSTUDIESMAJOR–ALLCONCENTRATIONS
TherearenumerousEnglishandMediaStudiescoursesthatareapprovedfor
thefollowingLSMconcentrations:
• AmericanStudies
• DiversityandSociety
• Earth,Environment,andGlobalSustainability
• EthicsandSocialResponsibility
• GlobalPerspectives
• HealthandIndustry
• Media,ArtsandSociety
• QuantitativePerspectives
PleasebesuretoconsulttheRegistrar’ssiteforapprovedandofferedcourses
foreachterm.
7
2017REGISTRATION
The following are course offerings from the English and Media Studies
Department. Please consult the Registrar’s course information on the Bentley
websiteforanynewlyLSM-approvedcoursesandcoursesinotherdisciplines:
http://www.bentley.edu/offices/registrar/undergraduate-day-registrationinformation
Registration for May intensives and Summer sessions begins on April 3. Fall
registrationbeginsApril4.
Pleasenotethefollowingwheredesignatedforcoursedescriptions:
C=CommunicationIntensiveCourse
D=DiversityIntensiveCourse
I=InternationalIntensivecourse
SL4=ServiceLearning4thCreditOption
EMB=EmbeddedServiceLearning
LSM-AM=LiberalStudiesMajor(AmericanStudies)
LSM-DS=LiberalStudiesMajor(DiversityandSociety)
LSM-EG=LiberalStudiesMajor(Earth,Environment,andGlobalSustainability)
LSM-ES=LiberalStudiesMajor(EthicsandSocialResponsibility)
LSM-GP=LiberalStudiesMajor(GlobalPerspectives)
LSM-HN=LiberalStudiesMajor(HealthandIndustry)
LSM-MS=LiberalStudiesMajor(MediaArtsandSociety)
LSM-QP=LiberalStudiesMajor(QuantitativePerspectives)
SynchronousRemoteCourse:studentswillworkon-linefromaremotelocation
duringtheregularlyassignedclasstimes.
HybridCourse:studentswillhavetheoptionofattendingintheclassroomOR
workingfromaremotelocationduringtheregularlyscheduledclasstimes.
*:Designatesclustercourses.Requiresregistrationforbothcourseslisted.
8
MAYINTENSIVES-2017COURSEDESCRIPTIONS
LIT340:GRAPHICNOVEL:SUPERHERO,THEHEROICANDTHEFALL(3credits)
S11:TzarinaPrater,MTWRF,9:00AM-5:00PM–LSM-MS
MandatoryPre-sessionApril21,6-8PM.ClassmeetsMay15-19.
The graphic novel, a medium that joins text and image, has been historically
dismissed as marginal to “serious literature,” and as such, less deserving of
critical attention. It’s been deemed “kid’s stuff,” ephemera, crap you read
during your childhood, that may or may not have a pedagogical function in
teachingsocialmoresorethics.But,youaresupposedtoletgoofthisformof
“entertainment”asanadult.Yet,thisformofexpressionhasn’tgoneaway.We
caneasilyunderstandhowthesefiguresemergedduringwartime,buthowdo
we account for the resilience and popularity of the genre and these figures
now? Is it the obvious? In the superhero, we have a body that can often
withstand violence, trauma, and time. Are we, as humans, just collectively
expressing fantasies for power and immortality? If the popularity of the
superhero tells us “something” about our contemporary moment, our
relationshiptospace,place,technology,andourownbodies,thenwhatisthat
something? The graphic novel operates with its own visual and textual
grammar.Alongwithgraphicnovelsthatexplicitlytakeupfiguresoftheheroic,
youwillbeintroducedtovocabularynecessarytocritiquethemedium.Youwill
produceanalysesofnarrativetechniquesparticulartothegenre:panellayout,
interplaybetweentextandimage,analysisoficonography,andintertextuality.
We will also read selections from theorists such as: Hannah Arendt, Frantz
Fanon,MichaelIgnatieff,andElaineScarrytohelpuscontextualizethegraphic
novels’ representation of varied visual and textual aesthetics. Specifically, we
willinterrogatehowgraphicnarrativesrepresenttheheroic,violence,trauma,
andthepossibilityofresistance.
SUMMERSESSIONS–2017COURSEDESCRIPTIONS
CIN370:HOLLYWOODREBELS:AHISTORYOFAMERICANINDEPENDENTFILM
(3credits)
L11:JeffStern,M/W,6:00-9:10PM–LSM-AM,LSM-MS
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
Hybridclass.ClassmeetsMay22-June28. The term “independent film” has come to be defined rather broadly. It can
mean a film that was produced outside of a major Hollywood studio. It can
mean a film that was made for a miniscule budget. It can refer to a style of
storytellingandamodeofproductionthatstandsincontrasttowhatwethink
of as a conventional Hollywood film. Add to this the rapid advances in digital
technologythathavemadefilmmakingequipmentvastlymoreaffordableand
thefactthattheInternetnowallowsmillionstodistributetheirworkwithout
the help of traditional gatekeepers, and the definition of “independent film”
becomesevenmorecomplex.ThiscoursewillexamineAmericanindependent
film from all of these angles: financial, cultural, technological, aesthetic and
historic.WewilltrytoplaceAmericanindependentfilmwithinthecontextof
its times. Starting with independents working in the Studio Era, through the
workofJohnCassavetesandthemavericksofthe‘60sand‘70s,intothegolden
ageofthe1990s,andendingwiththestateofaffairsin2017,thiscoursewill
survey the American independent film landscape and study the key works of
th
st
the20 andearly21 centuries.
MC350:THEVIDEOGAMEINDUSTRY(3credits)
R21:BenAslinger,M/W,6:00-9:30PM–C,LSM-MS
Remoteclass.ClassmeetsJuly5-August9. This course focuses on the emergence of PC/console gaming as a medium of
communication, an industrial sector, and a cultural arena. Class readings
addressgamedesignanddevelopmentstrategiesandprocesses,relationships
between game publishers and developers, controversies over authorship,
ownershipandcompensationinthegamingindustry.Classdiscussionsexamine
theemergenceofparticulargamegenres,gamesinlearningandmedialiteracy,
the evolution of gaming firms, and the emergence of games as a medium in
which designers, marketers, and players construct and contest gender, race
and sexual norms. Writing projects in the course include textual analysis,
summarizingandcritiquingacademicandtradesources,evaluatingvideogame
criticism,andafinalresearchpaperthatexaminesconnectionsbetweengame
design/development,play,andculturalissuesingaming.
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FALL–2017COURSEDESCRIPTIONS
CinemaStudies
CIN370:HORROR/SCIENCE-FICTIONINFILM&TELEVISION(3credits)
001:ElizabethLeDoux,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–D,LSM-AM,LSM-MS
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
IsaacAsimov,masterofhardsciencefiction,oncesaid,“sciencefictioncanbe
defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human
beingstochangesinscienceandtechnology.”StephenKing,masterofhorror
fiction, stated, “we make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”The
study of the horror and science-fiction genres in film and television offers
unique insight into the consequences of the what if? scenario. These two
genres, sometimes referred interchangeably and occasionally viewed as
overlappinginsharedcodes,conventions,andiconography,provideameansto
debate cautionary social and political controversies surrounding unforeseen
futures,usuallydystopias,orthecreationorexistenceofunimaginablebeings
—bothofwhicharepositionedasadetrimenttohumanity.Inparticular,the
twogenres’mostcentralconveyanceconcernstheperceptionoftheotherand
theprotagonist’sstruggletoremainorbecomehumanand/ormoral.Although
thiscoursewillprovideanhistoricalsurveyofsomeofthemoreinfluentialand
popular films and television programs of the two genres, the focus will be on
contemporary work that reinvents prior axiomatic tropes by contextualizing
them with specific social commentaries on the science and horrors of the
present. We will explore issues of gender, race, sexuality, class, and
sustainability through such vehicles as: disaster — alien invasion,
environmental catastrophes, humans supplanted by technology, the
apocalypse, and pandemics; identity — cyborgs, clones, experimentation by
biotech and government, precognition, and artificial intelligence; and, the
fantastical — monsters, the paranormal, time travel, and the devil incarnate.
Television programs likely to be discussed includeBattlestar Galactica (2004),
StarTrek(various,includingthenewDiscoveryseries),TheX-Files,BlackMirror,
The Walking Dead, iZombie, Lost, Game of Thrones, American Horror Story,
Being Human (U.K.), Supernatural, The OA, Penny Dreadful, Stranger Things,
and Westworld. Recent films may include Blade Runner, Moon, District 9, The
Host (2006), Edge of Tomorrow, It Follows, The Discovery, Snowpiercer, Star
Trek(2009),TheBabadook,TheCabinintheWoods,andGetOut.Afewgenrebendinghorrorandsci-ficomedies,suchasShaunoftheDead,WhatWeDoin
theShadows,GalaxyQuest,andZombielandmaycompletethemix.Ultimately,
comingtotermswithwhatismeantby“beinghuman”willbeexplored.
CIN370:YOUTHCULTURESANDGLOBALCINEMA(3credits)
002:SamirDayal,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–I,LSM-AM,LSM-MS
003:SamirDayal,M/R,12:30-1:50PM–I,LSM-AM,LSM-MS
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
This course is a focused study of a general theme: youth cultures and global
cities.Weapproachfilmsnotsolelyintermsofthehistoryofcinemanoronly
in terms of technical details, or film theory, although students will learn and
employ basic vocabulary of film studies and categories of cinema studies.
Rather,westudyfilmsprimarilyasdocumentsofyouthculture,asexplorations
of the ways in which youth occupy urban and non-urban spaces, how they
experience the local and the global, and how their identities and lives are
represented in media, old and “new.”The films will function as case studies
enablingdiscussionofmajorissues:youthself-fashioningandidentities,family,
traditionandsocialchange,violence.Weexploredimensionsofyouthculture
in cinema, including technology, media, fashion, design, space, limit-testing
behavior, music, cars, pets, jewelry, tattoos, and drugs, gang membership,
gender and space, class and poverty, coupling, sex, love and marriage,
educationorattitudestoconventionalschooling,rebelsandtheestablishment,
employment and the future life prospects or chances for young people. The
aimsofthecoursearetoenableustomakesomeinitialconjecturesabouthow
youthculturesinhabitthespaces—bothurbanandnon-urban—atthetwilight
th
st
of the 20 century and the dawn of the 21 century.What are the special
challenges,problems,andjoysoflivingduringthelastquarterofacenturyas
expressedincinema?
CIN381:WONDERWOMEN(3credits)
001:KenStuckey,F,2:00-4:50PM–C,D,LSM-MS
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
FromthepreternaturalstrengthofBuffySummerstothesultryconfidenceof
Jackie Brown, heroic women characters often have a profound and lasting
impactontheculturalimagination.Butwhenis'GirlPower'reallychallenging
staid notions about gender roles, and when does it simply serve as a fantasy
reinscription of old premises about women as servants, caregivers, or sex
objects? This course applies these critical concerns to a number of heroic,
superheroic,andantiheroicwomencharactersintelevisionandcinema.
10
LanguageStudiesandCommunicationTheory
COM210:EFFECTIVESPEAKING(3credits) 001:MareikeStanitzke,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–C
002:JoanAtlas,M/W,3:30-4:50PM–C,SL4
003:MarthaSinger,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM–C,SL4
004:ZacharyHanzel-Snider,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–C,SL4
005:AllanaDaGraca,M/R,2:00-3:20PM–C
E01:ChristineSarkisian,M,6:30-9:10PM–C
Prerequisite:EXP101.FulfillsA&SorHum/SSelective,notLITelective. Successineveryaspectofbusinesslife,frominterviewingtomeetingstogiving
reportsandpresentations,fromsalestomanagementtoclientrelationshipsin
accountingandfinance—alldependontheabilitytospeakconfidently,andto
project oneself and one’s message effectively. Developing these skills
strengthenspresentationsinotherclassesaswell.Thiscoursegivestechniques
and tools for developing, organizing, and delivering a variety of strong
presentations.ItalsocoverseffectiveuseofPowerpointandothervisualaids,
andmethodsforovercomingstagefrightandanxietyaboutpublicspeaking.
COM320:INTERCULTURALCOMMUNICATION(3credits) 001:TzarinaPrater,M/W,9:30-10:50AM–I,LSM-GP
Prerequisite:EXP101
This course explores theories of intercultural communication and the ways
specificculturalknowledgeinformscommunication.Wewillconsidertheways
race, class, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation and age affect
communication within (domestic) and across (international) cultures. The
coursereadingsaredrawnfromawidevarietyofsources.Sometakeabroad
view and are theoretical. Others relate a piece of cultural knowledge or
practice that has the potential to impact intercultural communication in a
variety of ways. We will view videos and occasionally listen to music as
additional means of understanding some of the multiple ways different
culturesgoaboutcommunicationsimilarissuesandtasks.Theclassinvolvesa
greatdealofparticipationandregularreflectiononreadingsandexperiences.
COM321:MASSCOMMUNICATION(3credits)
001:BenAslinger,R,8:00-10:50AM–D,LSM-MS Prerequisite:EXP101
Radio,television,film,andnewmediaaremajorpartsofU.S.historyandsome
would even argue global culture, yet their pervasiveness is rarely matched by
criticalscrutinyofhowmediabecomemeaningfultoaudiencesorshapesour
nationalculture.Thiscourseoffersanopportunitytothinkcriticallyaboutthe
emergence, evolution, and history of American media. Organized historically,
thiscoursesurveysthehistoryofAmericanmediabydrawingonanintegrated
approachtofocusonthetextual,industrial,social,anddimensionsofAmerican
audiences.Lectures,discussions,screeningsandreadingswillillustratevarious
aspects of U.S. media history, and how mass media forms have formed
American constructions of race, class, gender, sexuality, and nation. By
examiningthehistoricalevolutionofmassmediaformsandindustries,wewill
consider how and why media ownership, production practices, and reception
patterns have been so hotly debated by academics, policymakers, media
producers,executives,entrepreneurs,andthegeneralpublic.
11
EnglishandMediaStudies
EMS200:INTRODUCTIONTOFILM,LITERATURE,ANDMEDIA(3credits)
H01:TzarinaPrater,M/W,8:00-9:20AM–C,D,LSM-MS(HonorsProgram)
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
Thiscoursehelpsstudentsbecomemoreadeptreadersofculturaltexts.When
wereadatext,weengageinapractice;thispracticeisshapedbythetextand
bytheconditionsofitsproductionandreception.Thiscourseprovidesabasic
foundationforunderstandinghowavarietyoftextualformsandgenreswork
in terms of style and form. Students will read, view, and listen for plot and
pleasure as well as for the intricate processes of narrative, visual, and sonic
construction that create meanings and affect audiences. This course asks
studentstothinkabouttextsaremadeandtothinkaboutwhatpracticeswe
usetocriticallyreadculturaltexts.
EMS201:INTRODUCTIONTOCULTURALSTUDIES(3credits) 001:TzarinaPrater,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–C,D,LSM-MS
FulfillsLITrequirementorA&Selective.
Thiscourseconsiderscultureasanarenaofsocialandpoliticalstruggle.Itlooks
at how cultural texts change meaning and significance as they become
increasingly“popular.”Iswhatweconsider“popular”completelyevacuatedof
substantive meaning? Is it a matter of generational and disciplinary
differences? If we are considering subcultural formations, do you have to be
“in”theculturetobeableto“read”thetextsproducedbythatculture?What
does it mean to read from outside? This class gives students a vocabulary to
enterdebatesaboutthemeaningsofculturaltexts.
ExpositoryWritingI:CriticalThinkingandWriting
Sectionswithaspecifictopicaredesignated;descriptionsareatendofEXPlistings.
EXP101:EXPOSITORYWRITINGI(3credits)
001:EmilyFine,M/W,8:00-9:20AM
002:ZeinaBoumalhab,M/W,8:00-9:20AM
003:MareikeStanitzke,T/F,8:00-9:20AM
004:NathanielHodes,T/F,8:00-9:20AM–SL4,“DecayoftheAmericanCity”
005:ZeinaBoumalhab,T/F,8:00-9:20AM
006:EricaArkin,M/W,9:30-10:50AM–SL4
007:ThomasFinn,M/W,5:00-6:20PM
008:AdamSzetela,T/F,9:30-10:50AM
009:NathanielHodes,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–SL4,“DecayoftheAmericanCity”
010:AiméeSands,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–SL4,“SubliminalMessages”
011:RalphPennel,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM–SL4
012:JacobBurke,T/F,12:30-1:50PM
013:ClaudiaStumpf,M/R,2:00-3:20PM–SL4,“Media,Politics,andPower”
014:JacobOliver,M/R,2:00-3:20PM
015:DavidBlair,M/R,2:00-3:20PM
016:DavidBlair,M/W,3:30-4:50PM–SL4
017:ThomasFinn,M/W,3:30-4:50PM
018:LukeMueller,T/R,3:30-4:50PM
019:DebraGoldberg,T/R,5:00-6:20PM–SL4
H01:JacobCrane,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM(HonorsProgram) Students learn to summarize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the published
viewsofothers.Thecourseaddressesquestionssuchas:Whatdoesittaketo
“crack” a difficult text? To assess the soundness of a text? To position other
sources and oneself in relation to a text? Instructors of Expository Writing I
assignreadingsthatadvancestudents’learning,challengethemintellectually,
engage them in the process of thinking critically about the issues raised, and
motivate them to construct meaning of their own. Students are expected to
complete Expository Writing I by the end of their first year. Designed for
studentswhoarenativespeakersofEnglish.
12
ExpositoryWritingI:CriticalThinkingandWriting(con’t)
Sectionswithaspecifictopicaredesignated;descriptionsareatendofEXPlistings.
EXP101L:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIWITHLAB(3credits)
001:TraciAbbott,M/W,8:00-10:50AM–SL4
002:RalphPennel,T/F,8:00-10:50AM–SL4
003:DebraGoldberg,M/R,11:00AM-1:50PM–SL4 005:NathanielHodes,T/F,11:00AM-1:50PM,“DecayoftheAmericanCity” 006:ZacharyHanzel-Snider,M/R,12:30-3:20PM–SL4
007:EricaArkin,M/W,3:30-6:20PM–SL4 008:KeithClavin,T/R,3:30-6:20PM–SL4 C04:ClaudiaStumpf,M/R,11:00AM-1:50PM–SL4(ClusteredwithFS111C04)*
Students learn to summarize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the published
viewsofothers.Thecourseaddressesquestionssuchas:Whatdoesittaketo
“crack” a difficult text? To assess the soundness of a text? To position other
sources and oneself in relation to a text? Instructors of Expository Writing I
assignreadingsthatadvancestudents’learning,challengethemintellectually,
engage them in the process of thinking critically about the issues raised, and
motivate them to construct meaning of their own. Students are expected to
completeExpositoryWritingIbytheendoftheirfirstyear.Designedfornative
speakersofEnglishwhocanbenefitfromanintensivewritinglab.
EXP102:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIFORESOL(3credits)
002:MarilynMatis,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM
003:MichaelMurphy,T/R,3:30-4:50PM 004:KirkleySilverman,T/R,5:00-6:20PM–SL4
C05:PamCarpenter,M/W,9:30-10:50AM(ClusteredwithFS111C05)*
Students learn to summarize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the published
viewsofothers.Thecourseaddressesquestionssuchas:Whatdoesittaketo
“crack” a difficult text? To assess the soundness of a text? To position other
sources and oneself in relation to a text? Instructors of Expository Writing I
assignreadingsthatadvancestudents’learning,challengethemintellectually,
engage them in the process of thinking critically about the issues raised, and
motivate them to construct meaning of their own. Students are expected to
complete Expository Writing I by the end of their first year. Designed for
internationalandbilingualstudents.
EXP102L:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIFORESOLWITHLAB(3credits)
001:CarlMason,M/W,3:30-6:20PM
002:JenniferNourse,T/R,3:30-6:20PM
Students learn to summarize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the published
viewsofothers.Thecourseaddressesquestionssuchas:Whatdoesittaketo
“crack” a difficult text? To assess the soundness of a text? To position other
sources and oneself in relation to a text? Instructors of Expository Writing I
assignreadingsthatadvancestudents’learning,challengethemintellectually,
engage them in the process of thinking critically about the issues raised, and
motivate them to construct meaning of their own. Students are expected to
complete Expository Writing I by the end of their first year. Designed for
internationalandbilingualstudentswhocanbenefitfromanintensivewriting
lab.
13
ExpositoryWritingII:AdvancedInquiryinWriting
Sectionswithaspecifictopicaredesignated;descriptionsareatendofEXPlistings.
EXP201:EXPOSITORYWRITINGII(3credits)
001:DavidCopeland,M/W,8:00-9:20AM
002:StephanieBrownell,R,8:00-10:50AM
003:CourtneyMalpass,R,8:00-10:50AM,“ExpeditionUnknown”
004:JacobOliver,R,8:00-10:50AM
005:PierceButler,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–SL4
006:MarthaSinger,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–SL4,LSM-HN,“1917/2017”
007:KenStuckey,T/F,12:30-1:50PM,“TheHeroic”–LSM-MS
008:LukeMueller,W,11:00AM-1:50PM
st
009:ColinHalloran,W,11:00AM-1:50PM,“21 CenturyConflict”
010:CourtneyMalpass,W,11:00AM-1:50PM,“ExpeditionUnknown”
011:PierceButler,M/W,3:30-4:50PM–SL4
012:AiméeSands,T/R,3:30-4:50PM–SL4
013:StephanieBrownell,F,2:00-4:50PM
st
014:ColinHalloran,F,2:00-4:50PM,“21 CenturyConflict”
015:JacobBurke,F,2:00-4:50PM
E01:PatriciaPeknik,T,6:30-9:10PM,“LawandCivilLiberties”
H01:GregoryFarber-Mazor,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM,“WritingAboutWriting,”
(HonorsProgram)
Prerequisite:EXP101orEXP101Lwithapproval
ExpositoryWritingIIreinforcesandadvancesthelessonsofExpositoryWriting
I, leading students toward mastery of the processes involved in sustained
inquiry: questioning, hypothesizing, testing, re-hypothesizing, and re-testing.
Studentsundertakeanambitiousintellectualprojectthatculminatesinafinal
paperinwhichtheyreportontheprogresstheyhavemadethroughextensive,
in-depth inquiry. Projects must draw on library and Internet sources and may
entail original research that takes such forms as interviews, observations,
surveys,andservice-learningexperiences.Duringthecourse,studentswillhave
opportunities to engage in guided self-assessment for the purpose of
generating personalized agendas for improvement that will serve them both
during the course itself and in the years to come. Students are expected to
complete Expository Writing II by the end of their junior year. Designed for
studentswhoarenativespeakersofEnglish.
EXP201L:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIIWITHLAB(3credits)
001:PatriciaPeknik,T/R,3:30-6:20PM,“LawandCivilLiberties”
Prerequisite:EXP101LorEXP101withapproval
ExpositoryWritingIIreinforcesandadvancesthelessonsofExpositoryWriting
I, leading students toward understanding and mastery of the processes
involved in sustained inquiry: questioning, hypothesizing, testing, rehypothesizing, and re-testing. Students undertake an ambitious intellectual
project that culminates in a final paper in which they report on the progress
they have made through extensive, in-depth inquiry. Projects may draw on
library and Internet sources and/or may entail original research such as
interviews, observations, surveys, and service-learning experiences. Students
areexpectedtocompleteExpositoryWritingIIbytheendoftheirjunioryear.
Designedforstudentswhocanbenefitfromanintensivewritinglab.
EXP202:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIIFORESOL(3credits)
001:MaryWright,M/W,5:00-6:20PM–SL4
Prerequisite:EXP101
ExpositoryWritingIIreinforcesandadvancesthelessonsofExpositoryWriting
I, leading students toward understanding and mastery of the processes
involved in sustained inquiry: questioning, hypothesizing, testing, rehypothesizing, and re-testing. Students undertake an ambitious intellectual
project that culminates in a final paper in which they report on the progress
they have made through extensive, in-depth inquiry. Projects may draw on
library and Internet sources and/or may entail original research such as
interviews, observations, surveys, and service-learning experiences. Students
areexpectedtocompleteExpositoryWritingIIbytheendoftheirjunioryear.
Designedforinternationalandbilingualstudents.
14
ExpositoryWriting–AdditionalCourseDescriptionsforTopics
EXP101:EXPOSITORYWRITINGI:“SubliminalMessages”
010:AiméeSands,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–SL4
In this section, we will study the subliminal messages in modern packaging,
advertising,andfilm.Inadditiontotherequiredpapersandhomework,wewill
do a great deal of collaborative writing in class. This means that we will
generate sentences, paragraphs, and summaries together, and then learn to
revisethemtogether.It'sfun,andyoulearntobeabetterwritertoo.
EXP101:EXPOSITORYWRITINGI:“DecayoftheAmericanCity”
004:NathanielHodes,T/F,8:00-9:20AM–SL4
EXP101L:EXPOSITORYWRITINGIWITHLAB:“DecayoftheAmericanCity”
005:NathanielHodes,T/F,11:00AM-1:50PM
ThethemeofthiscourseistheAmericancity:howdowewriteandthinkabout
cities,howdoweliveinthem,howdotheyshapeourpersonalidentities,what
makes some flourish, and what can be done to revitalize those that are in
decay? Readings will span a variety of disciplines, including journalism,
sociology,economics,andurbanplanning.
EXP101:EXPOSITORYWRITINGI:“Media,Politics,andPower”
013:ClaudiaStumpf,M/R,2:00-3:20PM–SL4
Inthisclass,wewillreadanddiscussaselectionofliteraryandacademictexts
on the topic of the media. Over the duration of the course, we will consider
howmediauseintersectswithpersonalandpoliticalpower,whattheeffectsof
livinginamedia-saturatedworldmightbefordiversesocialgroups,howmedia
impacts our politics, the way that our media represents our society, and
more.Thesereadingsaboutthemediawillformthebasisforourprimarygoal:
honingourskillsascriticalthinkers,readers,andwriters.
EXP201:EXPOSITORYWRITINGII:“ExpeditionUnknown:Uncoveringofthe
World’sGreatestLegends”
003:CourtneyMalpass,R,8:00-10:50AM
010:CourtneyMalpass,W,11:00AM-1:50PM
Students will research legends, such asAtlantis, Robin Hood, the Nazca Lines,
and the Roanoke Colony, in order to compose a proper research argument.
Students will also use a multidisciplinary approach to their research in this
class.
EXP201:EXPOSITORYWRITINGII:“1917/2017”
006:MarthaSinger,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–SL4,LSM-HN
Thissectionwillbethemed"1917/2017"withemphasisonwhatlifewaslikein
1917 (politically and socially) and a comparison with the current day and
punctuated by whatBentley College wasand Bentley University is now. Some
areas that will be covered include World War I, legislation, conditions of
women, the elderly,the LGBTQ community, children, workers and the
physically and otherwise handicapped (so-called then). We will do readings,
interviews,seefilmsandcomparetheaboveconditionswiththepresentday.
EXP201:EXPOSITORYWRITINGII:“TheHeroic”
007:KenStuckey,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–LSM-MS
Themodernhero,theantiheroandtheantagonistarethreedistinctcharacter
categoriesintherealmofnarrativeanalysis.However,thiscourseoffersaset
ofnarrativesthatconnectsthesecategories.Thestorieslistedherequestionin
avarietyofwayswhetheritispossibleinaprofoundlydisorderedordystopic
society for a pure notion of heroic virtue to survive. The cynical impulses of
these modern narratives are demonstrated through common tropes such as
the obliviousness of contemporary society to the real threats facing it, the
necessity of the hero’s solving problems through the violation of the law or
abandonment of personal values, and the narrative indistinguishability of
protagonistandantagonist.
EXP201:EXPOSITORYWRITINGII:“WritingAboutWriting”
H01:GregoryFarber-Mazor,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM,(HonorsProgram)
Inaworldoftweets,texts,andconstantvideos,doeswritingstillmatter?How
dowordsreflect,change,orreinforceidentity,privilege,orpower?Canwriting
help or hinder our navigation of new contexts and cultures? These are just
someofthequestionswewillattempttoanswerthroughoutthesemesteras
weexploreissuesoflanguageandliteracyandultimatelywriteabouttheactof
writingitself.Indoingso,wewilladvancethelessonsofExpositoryWritingI,
leadingstudentstowardmasteryoftheprocessesinvolvedinsustainedinquiry:
questioning, hypothesizing, testing, re-hypothesizing, and re-testing. Students
will undertake an ambitious intellectual project drawn from the theme of the
classandculminatinginasubstantial,argument-basedpaper.
15
CreativeWriting
LIT310:CREATIVEWRITING:POETRY(3credits)
E01:RalphPennel,W,6:30-9:10PM–C,SL4
Develops the student's ability to recognize, analyze, and design effective
structures of imaginative language and poetic form. Classroom methods
include workshops to critique student work, in-class exercises, analysis and
expositionofworksbynotedpoets,andfrequentwritingassignments.
LIT311:CREATIVEWRITING:FICTION(3credits)
001:EricaArkin,R,8:00-10:50AM–C
This course is an intensive workshop in writing short stories—and an
exploration of the creative process. The material of the course is drawn
primarilyfromyourownexperience.Howcanyouunderstandthisexperience
bywritingaboutit?Howcanyougainagreaterunderstandingofyourselfasa
writer? How can you get in touch with your own creativity? The emphasis is
divided between the technique of short-story writing and an analysis of the
psychological difficulties faced by individual writers. You will study the
elements of fiction, analyze the stories of contemporary writers, and apply
what you learn in your own writing. You will also read work-in-progress and
receive constructive suggestions from the group. Each student will conceive,
write, and revise four complete short stories. Visiting writers are frequently
invitedtositinonaclass.
LIT313:CREATIVEWRITING:NONFICTION/ESSAY(3credits)
001:ValWang,T/F,12:30-1:50PM–C,LSM-ES
Personal essay and memoir are among the most popular forms of literature
today, a fact one can confirm by looking any Sunday at the best sellers list in
the New York Times. Emphasizes creativity of expression and provides an
opportunity to practice these genres. Encourages experimentation with a
variety of first-person forms and shows how to treat subjects that they know
about and that are important to them. Conducted as a workshop in which
studentssharetheirworkwithandlearnfromoneanother.Frequentindividual
conferenceswiththeinstructor.Theclassislimitedinsize.
LIT314:CREATIVEWRITING:MIXEDGENRES(3credits)
001:ValWang,T/F,9:30-10:50AM–C
Thiscourseteachesstudentshowtowritefictionfromreal-lifeexperience.We
will begin by practicing techniques to mine our memories, lives and
observations as memoir writers. After the nonfiction section of the class, we
will turn to fiction and use our observations and obsessions from memoir
writingasstoryfodderaswedevelopbasiccraftskillssuchascharacterization,
dialogue,setting,voice,pointofview,andrevision.Eachstudentwillwriteand
revise several complete fiction stories. This class has frequent reading and
writing assignments and has both analytical class sessions and writing
workshops.Theclassislimitedinsize.
16
Literature
LIT216:FORMSOFTHESHORTSTORY(3credits)
001:DebraGoldberg,T/R,3:30-4:50PM-C,I,SL4
Themodernshortstoryischaracterizedbyitsmovementtowardamomentof
realization or insight. How can we decipher and benefit from this insight?
Studies the different forms a short story can take and the different ends to
which individual writers subject the form. Includes writers who have
contributed to the development of the modern short story (such as Anton
Chekhov, Edgar Allen Poe, and Katherine Mansfield) and more recent
innovators(suchasErnestHemingwayandRaymondCarver).Incorporatesthe
storiesofvisitingwriterswhocometoBentleytosharetheirwork.
LIT230:LIT&CULTURE:LITERATUREOFTHESPIRITUALJOURNEY(3credits)
001:PierceButler,M/R,12:30-1:50PM–C,SL4
The journey of the seeker appears in the literature of all religious traditions.
The study of this journey in different cultural contexts can lead to an
understanding of what the different traditions have in common. All religions
postulate the existence of a path or way, a pilgrim’s progress of well-defined
stages.We’llstudythesestagesastheyarerepresentedintheoriginalsacred
textsandastheyappearinthepersonalaccountsofseekersandintheworks
of writers who represent religious experience in fictional or poetic form. You
willbeencouragedtocomparethereligioustraditionwithwhichyouaremost
familiar with the other traditions that we study, to examine religious
stereotypes, and to come to a more complex understanding of religious
identity. We will try to cultivate a greater receptivity to traditions that might
otherwiseseemstrangeandincomprehensibleandtounderstandtherolethat
cultureandcustomplayindeterminingtheformofareligion.Sometextsthat
we will study: Lying Awake, a novel about a Carmelite nun in an urban
monasteryinLA;HermanHesse’sSiddhartha,anovelbasedonthelifeofthe
Buddha; Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums, a free-wheeling account of the
pursuit of Buddhist values in the milieu of the beat poets and writers of the
1950s; Laughing Boy, a story of the efforts of the Navajo to preserve the
spiritualbasisoftheirwayoflife.
LIT232:INTRODUCTIONTOMYTHOLOGYANDFOLKLORE(3credits) 001:BarbaraPaul-Emile,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–I,SL4 002:BarbaraPaul-Emile,M/R,2:00-3:20PM–I,SL4
This course examines the importance of global myth in shaping a culture’s
principlesandvalues,therebygivingmeaningandpurposetolife.Attentionwill
be paid to the ways in which mythic traditions provide context by answering
such philosophical existential questions as “Who am I? Where am I going?
WhatismorallycorrectandwhatshouldIbedoingwithmylife?Focuswillbe
placed on Carl Jung’s Archetypal forms and their influence on interpreting
character and relationships. Students will become familiar with the pantheon
of gods from various cultures and readings will include material from the
Greco-Roman,MiddleEastern,CentralAmerican,AfricanandNordictraditions.
Parallelism and similarities in content and structure reflected in Mono-myth,
CreationandHeromyths,Trickstertales,Storiesofmagicandenchantmentand
mythic journey motifs will be studied. Comparative analysis of myths with
emphasis on interpreting plots, metaphors, symbols and analogies will be
highlightedandstudentswillhavetheopportunitytocreateandactouttheir
owncontemporaryre-tellingofclassictales.
LIT356:THEVICTORIANPERIOD(3credits)
001:ClaudiaStumpf,W,11:00AM-1:50PM–LSM-GP
Were Victorians really sexual prudes? What were the women hiding under
theirenormousskirts?DidthesuneveractuallysetontheBritishEmpire?How
muchdifferencedidthesteamenginereallymaketoordinarypeople?Wewill
ask all of these questions and more as we explore British literature in the
th
19 century, a period of great upheaval and excitement in England. We will
readavarietyoftexts,focusingonmanythemesthatarestillrelevanttoday.
These themes will include gender roles and sexual morals, the intersection of
religionandscience,theethicsofindustrialproductionandurbanpoverty,and
the dangers of the colonial project. Authors include Charlotte Brontë, Charles
Dickens,MarySeacole,OscarWildeandmore.
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Literature(con’t)
LIT363:AMERICANLITERATURE:REALISMANDNATURALISM(3credits)
001:JacobCrane,R,8:00-10:50AM–C,LSM-AM,LSM-EG,LSM-HN Theperiodbetween1870-1920wastheeraoftheinventionofthebicycle,the
telephone, and the incandescent light. The poet Walt Whitman captured the
spirit of optimism of these inventions and celebrated the creative force of
Americans. Awed by the inhuman scale of new technologies, naturalists
including Dreiser and Wharton were not as optimistic about one'scapacityto
shape personal destiny. It was everyday life and emotion not grand or
disastrousdestinieswithwhichrealistwriterssuchasHowellswereconcerned.
Explores these varied viewpoints on this transformative era as they are
expressed in literature written between the war "to preserve the union" and
"thewaytoendallwars."
LIT366:AMERICANICONS:COWBOYS,FEMINISTS,CAPITALISTS(3credits)
001:JenniferGillan,M/W,5:00-6:20PM–C,D,LSM-AM,LSM-MS
ThemediaturntoiconsinAmericanculturetosendtheirmessageseffectively
andefficiently.Aswespeedbythesesuperblypackagedimages,werarelyask
about the values they represent and the deeper messages about American
culturethattheyaresending.Inthiscourse,westopandtakeacloserlook.We
analyze American literature, film, television, and other popular culture to
examinetheentrenchmentoficonographicrepresentationsofthecowboy,the
feminist,thecapitalist,thesoldier,thedisaffectedyouth,andvariouskindsof
new generation Americans (e.g., flappers, hippies, yuppies, slumpies, and
millennials). We locate the roots of these American icons and trace
developments of new iconic types or variations on established icons in more
recent decades. The goal is to develop an understanding of how icons evolve
andtransforminresponsetochangesinsocietyitself.Indoingso,weattempt
to come to an understanding of what different icons tell us about American
self-representationsandculturalanxieties.
LIT371:AMERICANCITIESINLITERATURE(3credits)
E01:PatriciaPeknik,R,6:30-9:10PM–LSM-DS
ThiscourseusesliterarytextsasalensthroughwhichtolookatAmericancities
andtheirsignificanceforAmericanculture,ingeneral,andAmericanLiterature,
in particular. It aims at understanding urban American intellectual and social
cultures, and the architecture, music, politics and philosophy that embody it.
We'll examine five important US cities—New York, New Orleans, Chicago,
Nashville, and Los Angeles—as case studies of American life at moments of
dramatic,technological,andculturalchange.Wewillstudytheworkofsomeof
the premier creative writers and thinkers in American history, from the
Romantic authors who generated a literary Renaissance in Boston to the
musicians of Memphis and the countercultural activists of San Francisco.
Readings for the course include texts by Henry James, Theodore Dreiser,
TennesseeWilliams,andJoanDidion.
LIT391:POSTMODERNFICTIONANDFILM(3credits)
001:ZacharyHanzel-Snider,M/W,9:30-10:50AM–C
Postmodernfiction—spanningfromthelate1960stotheturnofthecentury
—experimentswiththeformandconventionalnarrativeofmodernliterature
and film, it spotlights morally questionable antiheroes, and it explores
controversial sociopolitical and psychoanalytic theories. Students will analyze
the purposeful pastiche and playful trends of postmodern literature and film,
including historical re-imaginings, metanarratives, creative textual adaptation,
autobiographical author integration, among other characteristics of this
contentious literary movement. We will discuss groundbreaking postmodern
novels,theoreticaltexts,andfilmsfromauthors/filmmakersincludingThomas
Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Erica Jong, Don DeLillo, Quentin Tarantino,
ChristopherNolan,andBretEastonEllis.
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MediaandCulture
MC220:INTRODUCTIONTOMEDIAPRODUCTION(3credits)
001:ElizabethLeDoux,T/F,11:00AM-12:20PM–C,SL4,LSM-MS
Serving as a foundation to media practice, this course offers a broad
introduction to media production through hands on projects involving
componentsofdigitalphotography,animation,videoandaudioproduction,as
well as elements of design. Students will have the opportunity to explore
variousmediaformatsthroughthecourse’semphasisonthefundamentalsof
visual language and the creative process. The overarching framework for a
studyofmediaisprovidedinthecourse:analysis(theory,interpretation)and
synthesis (production, creative process) are emphasized as projects evolve
throughout the stages of conceptualization, visualization, production, and
reception. Issues of culture and media work, professional identity, and
corporatemediacontrol/concentrationarecentralthemestothiscourse.
MC222:DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY(3credits)
001:CaseyHayward,M/W,9:30-10:50AM–LSM-MS
Seeingtheworldphotographicallyandlearningtointerpretandcraftimagesis
a contemporary imperative. This course is focused on communicating
effectively and visually through digital imagery. Students examine four
important facets of visual communication in the rapidly expanding digital
world:theartofphotography,imagemanipulation,applicationsforandethical
implications of digital images. Students will shoot and edit their own digital
photographs,providewrittenresponsestotopicquestions,andcreateaWebbasedportfoliooftheirwork.
MC224:VIDEOPRODUCTION(3credits)
001:JeffStern,M/R,2:00-3:20PM–LSM-MS
This course is designed to give students a complete overview of the video
productionprocessinahands-on,collaborativeenvironment.Fromgenerating
agoodidea,toscriptwriting,tostoryboarding,tolocationscouting,tocasting,
to cinematography, to audio recording, to editing and finally to output and
distribution, students will learn about every stage of movie production by
making movies. In addition to the practical and technical aspects of
moviemaking,wewilldiscussissuesofaestheticsandmeaningastheypertain
tothemovingimage.Thegoalisforstudentstocomeawayfromthisclasswith
an understanding of how movies are made and the ability to think critically
aboutwhattheymean.
MC320:ADVANCEDPRODUCTION:ARTOFEDITING(3credits)
001:CaseyHayward,M/R,12:30-1:50PM–LSM-MS This course examines the crucial role that editors play in shaping motion
pictures–both individually and historically as an industry. Whether it is fiction
filmmaking, documentary or music videos, the editor is the guiding hand that
maintains the director’s vision while problem solving and providing creative
insight. As a student in this class you will learn about this critical collaborator
through lectures, screenings and hands-on editing experiences that allow you
tofullyappreciateaneditor’simpact.Noprerequisiteisnecessaryinorderto
enroll.
MC320A:ADVANCEDPRODUCTION:DIRECTING(3credits)
002:JeffStern,M/R,11:00AM-12:20PM–LSM-MS Everyonehasanimageofafilmdirector.Manyofuspictureamanorwoman
inaberetwithabullhorn,sittingina“director’schair”,barking“action!”and
“cut!” But – beyond being in charge - what does a director actually do in the
real world of filmmaking? What are his or her responsibilities? In this course,
we will attempt to define the role of the director both through study and
through hands on experience.The topics will include visualization &
storyboarding, script breakdowns, casting & working with actors, location
scouting,shotplanningandfilmgrammar,on-setproceduresandthedirector’s
role in post-production. The first half of the semester will give students a
foundationindirectingthroughreadings,lectures,filmanalysisandexercises.
In the second half, the class will be broken up into small film crews. Working
from short scripts, each student will take a turn in the director’s chair. What
will emerge is a set of short films in which each member of the class has
directed a scene. Whenever possible, the class will engage with the greater
Boston film community, including the opportunity for Bentley students to
directprofessionalactorsandspeakwithmembersofthelocalmediaindustry.
Noprerequisiteisnecessaryinordertoenroll.
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MediaandCulture(con’t)
MC341:CREATIVEINDUSTRIES(3credits)
E01:BenAslinger,M,6:30-9:10PM–LSM-MS
We consume media every day, but we rarely think about the people and
institutions responsible for the look and sound of what we see, hear, or play.
This course considers how creative industries establish business models
governing content production and distribution, manage risk while working to
innovate,gaugethepotentialprofitabilityofnewgenres,forms,andtexts,and
construct corporate cultures. Looking at a snapshot of the film, television,
music,andgameindustries,thiscourseaddressesbranding,contentcreation,
distribution and exhibition, audiences, demographics, and cultural policy. This
course also examines ongoing debates within media industries over
compensation, gender and racial equity, authorship, and the globalization of
medialabor.
MC342:MEDIAINDUSTRYCONVERGENCE(3credits)
001:JenniferGillan,M/W,3:30-4:50PM–C,LSM-MS
This course considers the changes to the structure and scope of Hollywood
studio and television network operations, especially in response to the
emergence of new technologies, cross-media conglomerates, transnational
patterns of circulation, and new distribution platforms (e.g., Blu-ray/DVD,
iTunes,Netflix).Ouranalysisofthemillennialmediaindustriesisgroundedin
two case studies of midcentury Disney and Warner Brothers. Through
comparison to current conglomerate practices and recent films and television
programs, these studio case studies provide historical foundations for an
examinationofconvergenceculture—thetechnological,industrial,culturaland
social changes to the way media circulate in and among cultures. This
intersection of media practices also impacts how media industries pursue
nationalandglobalaudiences.Tothatend,westudytrailers,posters,promos,
and engagement campaigns associated with blockbuster and niche films and
television series. We analyze particular forms of visual communication and
address the limitations of that communication given studio, network, and
corporate practices and priorities as well as cultural, social, and technological
constraints.Thecoursecombinesseminar-stylediscussion,groupassignments,
andwrittenresponse.Screeningsareheldoutsideofclass.
MC420:MEDIACAPSTONEPROJECT(3credits)
Prerequisite(s):Seniorstandingandapprovalofdepartmentchair
Undertaken in the last year of coursework in Media and Culture, the final
project requires students to write a media analysis or produce an original
mediatext(forexample,avideoorwebsite).Ifastudentchoosestoproducea
creative work, he or she must also write an essay explaining how the project
reflects his or her understanding of and engagement with key issues and
categoriesofthestudyofMediaandCulture.
MC421:MEDIAINTERNSHIP(3credits)
Prerequisite(s):Junior-orsenior-levelstanding–LSM-MS
Corequisite(s):Internshipcoordinator'spermission Introducesthestudenttosomeaspectofthemediaindustry;emphasizesthe
particular operations of a media company by assigning a student to a
professional in the field under whose supervision the intern undertakes tasks
and participates in analyzing the practical applications of media theories. The
intern’sprogressismonitoredandevaluatedjointlybythefieldsupervisorand
thefacultycoordinatorduringthesemesterinternship.
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