ENG400CourseDescriptions
Spring2016
Dr.RachelBanner
Discipline&Punish:Criminalityin19th‐CenturyU.S.Literature
Thiscoursewillstudyrepresentationsofcrime,criminals,prison,andpunishmentin19th‐century
Americanliterature.In19th‐centuryAmerica,peoplewereconcernedwithandcaptivatedby
spectaclesofcrimeandpunishment,afascinationevidentintheliteraturefromtheperiod.This
historicalmomentwashosttotheexpansionofchattelslaveryandplantationsurveillance,therise
ofnewsystemsofincarcerationandpunishment‐‐includingthesharecroppersystem,prisonlabor
camps,andtheopeningofthe‘revolutionary’EasternStatePenitentiaryinPhiladelphia‐‐,anda
multitudeofculturalanxietiesaboutwhocriminalswereandwhatoughttobedonewiththem.
Coursediscussionswillfocusonvariousliteraryandpopularwrittenformsconcernedwith
thefigureofthecriminal.Wewillstudythewaysthesediversetextstheorizecriminalityinrelation
toraceandracism,sexualityandgender,capitalism,andsocialclass.
Assignedreadingswillincludetextsfromtraditionalliterarygenreslikethenovel,short
story,andautobiography,aswellasnewspaperaccountsofcrimes,executionsermons,and
criminalconfessionnarrativesfromtheperiod.Studentsshouldexpecttowriteaclosereading
responseessay,amidtermessay,anannotatedbibliography,anda10‐pageresearchessay.They
willalsogivetwoshortpresentationsduringthesemester.
Dr.MichaelS.Burns
AfricanAmericanRhetorics
InthisseminarwilladdressthehistoryanddevelopmentofAfricanAmericanEnglish(AAVE),its
roleswithinandbeyondblackculture,anditsrelationshipstoblackexperiencesinmainstreamU.S.
society.Asamotivatingtheme,wewillviewtherhetoricalpracticesofblackAmericansas
expressionsofcultureandmeansofresistancetoracialoppressionintheU.S.Thecoursewilldraw
rhetoricalframeworksfromWesternEuropeanandAfricanDiasporictraditions(e.g.,Aristotle,
Asante,JacksonandRichardson),sociolinguistictheory(e.g.,Smitherman,RickfordandRickford),
andsocioculturaltheory(e.g.,OmiandWinant).Studentswillwritethreepapers:twoshort5‐page
papersanda2500‐3000wordresearchpaper.Themaingoalsofthecoursearetohavestudents
engageinrhetoricalanalysisanddevelopamorecriticalunderstandingoftherolelanguagehas
playedintheblackAmericanExperience.
Dr.JuanitaComfort
AfricanAmericanWomen’sEssayTradition
GeneralDescription:ThisseminarfocusesonAfricanAmericanwomenwriterswhohavehelped
toexpandthescopeoftheessaygenre–initsliterary,cultural,personal,contemplative,polemic,
academicandothervariations–wellbeyonditsprivilegedbelletristicorigins.Thisseminargives
specialattentiontoworksproducedduringandaftertheCivilRights,BlackArts,andBlackPower
movements(mid‐1960sforward).Theauthorsunderstudy–wellknownasnovelists,poets,
playwrights,scholar‐teachers,andpoliticalactivists–havefoundtheessaytobeapowerfulvehicle
forassertingtheirdistinctiveidentitiesasblackwomen.We’llengagetheaesthetics,politics,and
rhetoricsofthegenrefromtheseauthors’ownintellectual,culturalandliteraryvantagepoints,as
wellasagainstthehistoricalbackdropoflargersocietalandessay‐writingtraditions.Concepts
fromblackfeminismandwomanismwillconstituteourprimarycriticallens.Seminarparticipants
shouldgainadeeperappreciationfortherichlydiversestandpointsthatthesewritersbringtothe
essaygenrealongwithinsightintodiscursivestrategiesthathelpmakemarginalizedgroupsvisible
toprivilegedgroups.
ENG400CourseDescriptions
Spring2016
Dr.RandallCream
DigitalResearchMethods
Thiscoursehelpsstudentstobecomeproficientwithusingemergingdigitalmethodstoconduct
researchinthefieldsofEnglish.Proficiencyindigitalresearchmethodsisakeyskillforavarietyof
employment,internship,andgraduateschoolopportunities.Thiscoursewillprovidein‐depth
instructioninthreeleadingedgemethodologies:textualaggregationandanalysis(datamining),
imagemanipulationandanalysis,andspatial/locationrepresentationdataandmetadata.These
methodologiesareusedinmanyofthesubfieldsofEnglishstudies.Thiscoursebuildsuponand
complementsdiscipline‐specifictheoreticalcoursesthatpreparestudentstoframe,pursue,and
interpretquestionsofimportanceinthefieldsofthehumanities.Thiscourseenablesstudentsto
undertakemeaningfulresearchbyworkingtogatherdata,analyzeandevaluatedata,andcritically
respondtothatdatawithinthefieldsofthehumanities.Thecourseusescriticaltheoriesand
methodologiesfromthedigitalhumanities.
Dr.EricDodson‐Robinson
Cross‐CulturalReceptions:AkiraKurosawa’sShakespeareandtheNōPlaysofW.B.
Yeats
ThiscourseconsidersKurosawa'stransformationofShakespeareantragedyandYeats’sreception
ofJapanesedrama.Theclassbridgesthedisciplinesofearlymoderndrama,Asianstudies,film
studies,andmodernpoetryanddrama,withanemphasisonthecrossculturalreceptionof
dramatictradition.While'influence'isoftenconsideredaone‐wayphenomenon,thisclasswill
scrutinizeculturalpreconceptionsandanalyzethebidirectionaldynamicsofreceptionfromboth
AsianandEuropeanperspectives.Studentswilllearntothinkandwritecriticallyaboutsuchcross‐
culturalinteractionsthroughmultidisciplinaryengagementwithfilm,plays,poetry,and
appropriatetheoryandresearch.Consideringcross‐culturalreceptionfromtwodifferentcultural
perspectivesleadstoafullerunderstandingofboth,aswellastoamorethoroughunderstandingof
theprocessesoftranslating,adapting,andtransformingforeigntraditions.
Dr.ErinHurt
Latin@sinLiteratureandPopularCulture
Thiscoursedrawsontheoriesofpopularculturetoexplorehowvarioustexts—novels,memoirs,
television,film,music,twitter—constructLatinaidentityintheU.S.culturalimaginary.Though
popularculturehaslongfunctionedasasphereinwhichLatinashavehistoricallybeen
marginalized,stereotyped,andgivenlimitedrepresentation,ithasmorerecentlybecomeaspace
whereLatinaculturalproducersnegotiate,contest,andredefineunderstandingsofLatinidad.This
coursewillfirstfocusonhowU.S.commercialmass‐mediatedculture(re)presentsLatinidadto
Latinaandnon‐Latinapublics,andwillthenexplorethewaysthatLatinaculturalproducersdraw
onpopularmediaandmaterialculture,bothwithintheirliterarytextsandastextsthemselves,to
engagewithmainstreamdepictionsandstereotypesinordertodebatetheirsocialidentities.Our
analysisofthesetextswillconsiderissuessuchasrepresentation,stereotypes,gender,sexuality,
beauty,thebody,agency,ambivalenceversusacculturation,authenticity,appropriation,
commodification,theuseof“Latina”asamarketingcategory,reception,andmodesofcultural
production.ThiscoursemeetstheWritingEmphasisrequirementsforGeneralEducation,which
meansthatdevelopmentofyourwritingabilities,andtheabilitytocommunicateeffectively,isan
importantobjectiveofthiscourse.
Dr.GrahamMacPhee
ENG400CourseDescriptions
Spring2016
TheGreatestNovelInEnglish?ReadingJamesJoyce’sUlysses
GeneralDescription:JamesJoyce’snovelUlyssesisoftendescribedasthe“greatestnovelever
writteninEnglish,”yetmanypotentialreadersareputoffbyitsreputationasanespecially
“difficult”and“inexplicable”book.Don’tbeintimidatedbythescarestories—thisseminarwillgive
youthe“key”tounderstandingthisbrilliant,funny,andground‐breakingnovel.Wewilllookatthe
historicalcontextwithinwhichJoycewaswritingandtracehowtheseeventsshapedthehumor,
insights,andexperimentationofhisfascinatingnovel.Understoodinrelationtothemomentous
eventsofthetime—warandrevolutioninIreland,racismandimperialismintheBritishEmpire,
andnewwaysofseeinggenderrelationsandsexualityinthemodernworld—you’llfindareal
senseofachievementintamingatextthathas(sadly)scaredofflesscourageousreaders.
Thecoursewillencouragestudentstoexaminehowhistoricalcontextexpandstherangeof
interpretation.Thus,studentswillbeaskedtoconsidertheextenttowhichaliteraryworkmight
imagineIrishidentitiesthatbothreflectthelegacyofBritishcolonialisminIrelandandlookbeyond
ittoamodernandpost‐colonialnation.Theseminarwillalsodevelopstudents’skillsinclose
reading,criticalwriting,anddeepentheirunderstandingandappreciationofliterarymodernism.
Dr.PaulMaltby
RhetoricsofRedemption:BeingSavedinAmerican,1945‐Present
Thisseminarwillexploretherhetoricalformsinwhichthedoctrineofredemption,initsChristian
articulations,hasbeenconveyedinNorthAmericasinceWorldWarTwo.(Thedoctrinehasa
contentioushistorythatdatesbacktotheColonialera.)Thecoursewillexaminehowthekey
tropesandstrategies,whichstructureandorganizenarrativesofredemption,renderthedoctrine
persuasive.Hence,analysiswillfocuson(a)tropesoftransfigurabilityandtranscendence;(b)
figuresofpurificationandhealing;(c)motifsofjusticeandreward;(d)literaryepiphaniesas
signifiersofredemptiveknowedge;(e)encodingsofredemptivetimescapes(messianictime,
salvationhistory).Thecoursewillalsoexplorethepoliticalprescriptionsembeddedinthe
rhetoricsofredemption,andtheideologicalandmaterialconditionsofreceptionthathelpvalidate
thedoctrine.Bywayofpreliminaries,thecoursewillacquaintstudentswiththefounding
principlesofsoteriology(asformulatedbySaintPaul,SaintAugustineandJohnCalvinintheir
understandingofGraceandtheSubstitutionaryAtonement)andcontemporarytheological
reflectionsonredemption(MarkJohnston,PaulMoser,JürgenMoltmann).Inthemainbodyofthe
course,thesampletextswillencompassawiderangeofgenresthroughwhichtherhetoricsof
redemptionfindexpression:Fiction(FlanneryO’Connor,JohnUpdike,TimLaHaye/JerryB.
Jenkins);ConversionNarratives(ThomasMerton,BillyGraham);SpiritualWriting(Marilynne
Robinson,NormanWirzba);Film(TerrenceMalickandMartinScorsese);Painting(Thomas
Kinkadeandhisevangelicalcounterparts);CivilRightsDiscourse(MartinLutherKing;protest
songsandsermons);PresidentialAddresses(RichardNixon,RonaldReagan,GeorgeW.Bush);
Advertising(commercialsmarketingself‐reinvention);andCybernarratives(MMORPGs‐the
promiseofrebornselvesinvirtualworlds).Inshort,theseminarwillillustratehowrhetorical
formsanimatethedoctrineofredemptionandpromoteitspresenceinAmericanculturewith
seductiveappealstothedreamofself‐transfiguration.
Dr.WilliamNessly
TheorizingtheNovel:KazuoIshiguroandChang‐raeLee
Thisseminaristargetedtowardstudentsinterestedinnarrativeandthetheoryofthenovel,
contemporaryliterature,ethnicandminorityliterature,andthestudyofimperialism.Asafocused
studyoftwosimilarauthors,thecoursewillinvolvearigorous,in‐depthstudyofnarrativeform
andadetailedintroductiontothetheoryofthenovel.Bynarrowingourfocus,wewillbeabletogo
ENG400CourseDescriptions
Spring2016
deeperintothenovelsandtheoriesthanisusuallypossible.Youwillreadfivenovels—Ishiguro’sA
PaleViewofHills,AnArtistoftheFloatingWorld,andTheRemainsoftheDay,andChang‐raeLee’s
NativeSpeakerandAGestureLife.Youwillalsoreadselectionsfromclassicnoveltheoristssuchas
IanWattandMikhailBakhtin,Foucaultianscholarsofthenovel,andtheoreticalworksbyEdward
SaidandLisaLowe,amongothers.Unreliablenarration,linksbetweenimperialismandthenovel,
comparisonsofAmericanandBritishcontexts,andtherepresentationoftraumawillbeimportant
topicsofthecourse.
Dr.PaulineSkowronSchmidt
TeachingShakespeareintheSecondaryClassroomandBeyond
ThisWritingEmphasiscourse,designedforEnglishmajorsandminors,willexplorefiveof
Shakespeare’smostpopularplays:Hamlet;HenryIV,PartOne;RomeoandJuliet;Macbeth;andA
MidsummerNight’sDream.Shakespeareisanessential‐yetchallenging‐author,particularlywhen
heisintroducedinvariousmiddleandhighschools.Wewillfocusontheplaysthemselves,butalso
examinethewaysinwhichtheseplaysaretaughtatdifferentlevelsofeducation.Wewillreadthe
workofeducationalspecialistswhobelievethatwelearnbestbydoing;thattheartsorganicallyget
infusedintotheteachingofliterature,especiallydrama.Byexaminingcuttingedgescholarshipon
multimodality(Miller,2012),processdrama(Heathcote,1984and1995;Wilhelm&Edmiston,
1998;Schneider,2006;)andnewliteracies(Gee,2011;Lankshear&Knobel,2003),youwilldesign
andcraftyourresearchpaperforthecourse.
Dr.EleanorShevlin
Novels,Newspapers,andMagazinesasNewMedia:PrintNoveltiesintheEighteenth‐Century
PrintMarketplace
Thisseminarexploresatimeinwhichnovels,newspapers,andmagazineswerethenewmediaof
theirdayandtheimplicationsofthatrecognition.Allbornofprint,thistrioofnewgenreshelpedto
createamarketplacerichinanever‐expandingarrayofreadingmaterialandnewopportunitiesfor
anincreasingnumberofauthors.Whilenewspapersandmagazinesoftenfeaturedfictionaswellas
poemsandotherliterarypieces,theirpagesalsoaffordedanexpanseofreports,advertisements,
andnewsitemsthatcouldthenbeappropriated,reworked,andrepackagedasfictionalnarratives.
Itisnotcoincidentalthatsomanyeighteenth‐centurynovelistsalsowroteforthepapersand
magazines.NovelistsDanielDefoe,ElizaHaywood,HenryFielding,CharlotteLennox,andOliver
Goldsmith,forinstance,wereallfirmlyensconcedintheperiodicalworld.Informedbythe
theoreticalandhistoricalworkofLaurelBrake,MichaelHarris,RalphCohen,andothers,this
seminarwillfocusontheeighteenth‐century’sformsofnewmediawithaneyetobetter
understandinggenerictransformations,theusevalueofgenreasaconcept,theintegralyetoften
overlookedtiesbetweenperiodicalsandnovels,theeffectsofthisnewmediaoneighteenth‐
centuryculturebroadlyconceived,and,byextension,ourownageofmediatransformation.
Foremost,wewillexploretheconnectionsbetweeneighteenth‐centurynovelsand
periodicalsaswellastheirtiestoandrelationshipswiththeemergenceoftheprofessionalauthor,
expansionoftheprintmarketplace,andgrowthofreadingpublics.Togetherwewillreadnovels
andperiodicals,givingparticularattentiontotheworkofElizaHaywood,abest‐sellingauthor,
friendofHenryFielding,actress,bookseller,andperiodicalownerandessayist.Inadditiontoin‐
classinformalwritingassignments,youwillwritea3‐pagepositionpaper(750wordsormore)and
usethispapertogenerateseminardiscussion;writea3‐to4‐page(850wordsormore)paperon
researchusingtheECCOand/orBurneydatabases;offera15‐to20‐minuteformalpresentationon
aparticulartopicassignedforagivenclassperiod,andcompleteafinalprojectthatconsistsof
severalstages(proposal,progressreport/annotatedbibliography)andresultsinanelectronic
ENG400CourseDescriptions
Spring2016
scholarlyedition,editedandcompiledcollaboratively,ofatextrelevanttotheseminar’sfocus.
Althoughthisworkwillinvolvecollaboration,eachstudentwillbegradedonhisorherindividual
contributions.