ENGL
209
FALL 2016
COURSE
DESCRIPTIONS
JessicaZerr
TuTh9:30Ͳ10:45
3Credits
Howdobabieslearnlanguage?Whataccountsforyourabilitytounderstandsomethingyou’veneverheard
before?Howarethoughtandlanguageconnected?Whydopeopleswear?Whydopeoplehaveaccents?
Andwhogetstodecidewhat“propergrammar”isanyway?
Thesequestionsandmorearepartofourinquiryintolanguageandthefieldoflinguistics.IntrotoLinguistics
isasurveycoursedesignedtogiveyouanoverviewoflanguageasasystemofcommunication.Wewill
examinethestructureoflanguage,considerhowpeopleacquireanduselanguage(s),anddiscusslanguage
variety.Astimeallows,wewillconsiderhowlanguageisencodedintowritingsystemsandhowliteracyskills
relatetolanguage.Wewillconsiderexamplesfrommanydifferentlanguagesasweseektounderstandhow
languageworks,however,Englishwillprovidethebasisformostdiscussionandanalysis.
Studentsinterestedinboththesciencesandthehumanitieswillfindthesubjectmatterappealingand
relevant.Studentsinthiscourseareencouragedseetheconnectionsbetweenlinguisticsandotherfieldsof
study.
Department of
English
Studentsshouldexpecttocompleteregularreadings,quizzes&homework,andatleast2examsorprojects.
RequiredText:
Fromkin,Rodman,Hyams.AnIntroductiontoLanguage.(10thed.)ThomsonͲWadsworth.
April 14, 2016
IntroductiontoLinguistics
ENGL
209
IntroductiontoLinguistics
IntroductiontoFilm
ChristopherJacobs
Sec.1:Tu2:00Ͳ4:00/Th2:00Ͳ2:50|Sec.2:Tu2:00Ͳ4:00/Th3:00Ͳ3:50
3Credits
Linguisticsisthescientificstudyoflanguage.ItendeavorstoanswerthequestionͲͲwhatislanguageand
howisrepresentedinthemind?Linguistsfocusondescribingandexplaininglanguageandarenot
concernedwiththeprescriptiverulesofthelanguage.Theunderlyinggoalofthelinguististotryto
discovertheuniversalsconcerninglanguage;thus,thisclasswillexplorethenatureofhumanlanguage.
Topicsincludetheintricatesystemthatgovernslanguage,howitisacquired,thesimilaritiesand
differencesamonglanguages,andhowspoken(andsigned)languagerelatestowrittenlanguage,among
others.Sometopicswewilltouchoninclude:phonetics,phonology,morphology,syntax,semantics,and
languageacquisition.Itisimportanttorecognizethatlinguisticsisasocialsciencethatsharescommon
groundwithothersocialsciences,butalsoinfluencesotherdisciplinessuchasEnglish,communication
studies,andcomputerscience.
ENGL
225
MichelleSauer
TuTh11:00Ͳ12:15
3Credits
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinHumanities.
Thisessentialstudiesclassisdesignedtosharpenyouranalyticalskills.Thisclasswillintroduceyoutothe
basicsoffilmproduction,narrative,performance,style,cinematography,editing,sound,etc.Itwillteachyou
torecognizehowmoviesconveyinformationandmeaningonmultiplelevelssimultaneously.Itwillalso
exposeyoutoavarietyoffilmsproducedintheU.S.andothercountriesfromtheverybeginningsofthe
mediuminthe1890s,throughthesoͲcalled"silentera"ofthe1910sͲ20sandthe"goldenage"ofHollywood
inthe1930sͲ50s,uptothepresent,includingsomefilmsinforeignlanguageswithEnglishsubtitles.Students
interestedonlyinthelatestHollywoodhitsareinthewrongclassandshoulddropimmediatelytomakeroom
forseriousstudents.Wewillbeviewingfilmstoseehowtheyfunctionascommercial/entertainment/artistic
artifacts,aswellashowwemightplacethemwithincertainhistorical/culturalperspectives,andwhythese
waysofseeingfilmmightbemoreorlessimportanttousasviewers.Youwilllearnhowfilmmakerscanguide
andmanipulateaudienceresponse.Bytheendofthisclassyouwillbecomeadeptatviewingfilmswithan
eyetowardhowtheyaffectyouasaperson.Therewillbethreepapersandthreeunittests,butno
comprehensivefinalexam.Studentswillalsobeexpectedtopostweeklyreactions/analysestoaBlackboard
onlinediscussionforumaboutthefilmsassignedforclass.OurtextwillbeRichardBarsam'sandDave
Monahan’s"LookingatMovies"(fourthedition),whichcomesinapacketwithtwoDVDsoftutorialsandshort
filmsplusanotherbook“WritingAboutMovies.”
Theprimarygoalistosharpenstudentskillsinobservationandanalysis,providingafoundationforplacing
filmsintohistoricalandculturalperspectivewhileunderstandinghowfilmmakersguideandmanipulate
audienceresponse.
ENGL
226
IntroductiontoCreativeWriting
ENGL
226
STAFF
Section1:MWF10:00Ͳ10:50|Section2:TuTh11:00Ͳ12:15
3Credits
ElizabethHarris
TuTh12:30Ͳ1:45
3CreditsHonors/EnglishMajors&Minors
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinFineArts.
Writingisamuscleandgoodwritersexerciseregularly.English226isanintroductorycourseopentostudentsof
anymajorwhoareinterestedinexercisingtheirwritingmusclesbyreading,writingandtalkingaboutreadingand
writing.TheclasswillbediscussionͲbasedandfocusedonreadingandwritingassignmentsdonebothinsideand
outsideoftheclassroom.Studentswilladditionallyberequiredtocomposenumerous,originalcreativeworksof
theirownincluding:shortfiction,flashfiction,poetryandcreativenonͲfiction.Theseworkswillbesharedand
critiquedingroupworkshopssothattheymayberevisedaspartofthestudent’screativeportfolio.
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinFineArts.
Inthisclass,you’llbegintolearnaboutwritingshortstoriesandpoems.You’llreadandanalyzeagreatdealof
publishedfictionandpoetry,intermsofcraft.You’llalsowriteagreatdeal—thentearupwhatyou’vewritten—
andwritesomemore.TheclasswillincludepeerͲreviewworkshopsandafinalportfolio.
PossibleTexts:
Schoen,TheTruthAboutFiction
Boisseau,WritingPoems,8thEdition
Hansen,You’veGottoReadThis
ThissectionisreservedforHonorsstudents
andEnglishmajors/minors.Pleasecontact
english@und.eduforpermissiontoregister.
IntroductiontoCreativeWriting
ENGL
227
IntrotoLiteratureand Culture:LiteratureandFilmofWar
ENGL
228
SharonCarson
TuTh9:30Ͳ10:45
3Credits
DiversityinGlobalLiterature:EmpireandItsOthers
RebeccaWeaverͲHightower
MWF9:00Ͳ9:50
3Credits
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinHumanities.
EverysectionofEnglish227hasadifferentfocus:ourworkinthisversionoftheclasswillbetoanalyzethe
manydifferingwaysthatwriters,visualandnewmediaartists,andfilmmakersworkwithwarasboththe
explicitsubjectmatteroftheirart,andasarealmofmetaphorforexploringmultipledimensionsofhuman
experience.
We’llstartwithanonͲfictionbookentitledWarisaForcethatGivesUsMeaning,bywarcorrespondentand
socialphilosopherChrisHedges.
Thisbookoffersusaphilosophicalstartingpointforourwork.OnereasonIpickthisparticularbookisthat
almosteveryonewhoreadsitfindsthingstheystronglyagreewithinthebook,thingstheystronglydisagree
with,andthingsaboutwhichtheyaren’tsurewhattheythink.Thismakesitagoodandintellectually
demandingbooktodiscussandwriteabout.Thebook’ssubjectmatterisnever“outofthenews,”sorryto
say,andourtimeiscertainlynoexception.We’llspendsometimediscussingthisbookinrelationtocurrent
wars(onseveralscales),andhopefullywewillhaveagoodandproductiverangeofopinionaboutthese
mattersintheclass.
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinHumanities.Thiscourse
alsomeetstheGlobalDiversityspecialemphasisarea.
WhatdoŽǁŶƚŽŶďďĞLJ,JamesBond,and'ĂŵĞŽĨdŚƌŽŶĞƐhaveincommon?Eachexploresthemyriad
waysempirecontinuestodefineandaffect20thcenturyculture(s).Thiscoursewillexaminetextslikethese—
booksandfilmsfromacrosstheglobethat,indifferentways,examinetheinteractionofempireandculturein
the20thcentury.
Ihavechosenonenovelandone
filmfromeachoffivecontinents,
withtheaimoffindingastorythat
isgrippingbutalsothatwill
provokethoughtfuldiscussion
aboutculture(ofourselvesand
others),aboutliteratureandfilm,
aboutraceandclass,andabout
theinfluenceofhistoryonmodern
life.Wewillalsoparticipateasa
classinaModelUNͲstyled
simulationbeingheldoncampus,
where,aspartofparticipatingina
“real”globalcrisis,wewillfurther
investigatethecontinuedimpacts
ofhistoryandculture.Thiscourse
isaimedatnonͲEnglishmajors,butEnglishmajorsarewelcome,too.Gradingwillcomefromthreeshort
essays,anoralreport,shortwritingassignments,and,ofcourse,classdiscussion.
DŽƌĞĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞƚĞdžƚƐ͗
NorthAmerica,wewillreadChimamandaNgoziAdichie’spopularnovel,ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶĂŚ,whichtellsa
TodiscussN
storyofaNigerianwomanwhoimmigratestotheUSforaneducation,whichwewillwatchalongsidethefilm
dŚĞDƵŵŵLJ,aspartofalargerdiscussionofAmericanfantasiesofempire.FromAfrica,wewillread>ĂƐƚ
KƌĚĞƌƐĂƚ,ĂƌƌŽĚƐ,thecomicnovelof(yes)choleraandcapitalism,whichwewilljuxtaposewiththeOscarͲ
winningSouthAfricanfilmdƐŽƚƐŝ,aboutviolenceandganglifeinthetownships.FromAustralia,wewillread
dŚĞ^ĞĐƌĞƚZŝǀĞƌ,presentingacompellingvisionofAustralia’sconvictpast,whichcomparesininterestingways
withthepopularfilmZĂďďŝƚWƌŽŽĨ&ĞŶĐĞ,astoryofthreeindigenousgirlswhotravelacrosstheAustralian
continentonfoot.FromSouthAmericaandtheCaribbean,wewilldiveintoJunotDiaz’sdŚĞƌŝĞĨtŽŶĚƌŽƵƐ
>ŝĨĞŽĨKƐĐĂƌtĂŽ,amurdermystery/sciͲfiadventure/comingofagetale,contrastedwiththeactionpacked
Braziliangangsterfilm,ŝƚLJŽĨ'ŽĚ.FromAsia,wewillreaddŚĞtŚŝƚĞdŝŐĞƌ,adarklyhumorousnovelabout
India’sclassstruggleinaglobalizedworld,whichwewillcomparetotheBollywoodfilmZĂŶŐĚĞĂƐĂŶƚŝ,a
popularandawardwinningfilmaboutfilmmaking.
Ourotherreadings/filmsforthisclasswillinclude:
- SectionsofTheIliad(Homer)
- AllQuietontheWesternFront(ErichRemarque)
- TheThinRedLine(film)
- Severaladditionalandmorerecentnovelsandfilms(stilltobeselected)
Wewillalsoanalyzefilmdocumentariesandcontemporarypressas“warliterature,”andwewillreadarange
ofblogs.Wewilllookatphotography,videoart,visualart,andmusic.Muchreading,viewing,discussionand
writing.
ENGL
228
DiversityinGlobalLiterature:TravelWriting
3Credits
TheArtofFilmmaking:Screenwriting
ChristopherJacobs
W5:00Ͳ7:30pm
3Credits
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinHumanities.This
coursealsomeetstheGlobalDiversityspecialemphasisarea.
Travelcanchangeourlives,joltingusoutofourcomplacencies,transformingusfromourcomfortable
notionsofwhat’s“normal”or“true.”Travelcanbeexciting,offeringanamazingarrayofnewtastesand
feelingswedidn’trealizewerepossibleorevenpresentonthisearth.Travelcanbedangerousand
difficult,luxuriousandutterlyriskͲfree.Thewriterswewillstudyinthiscoursehavetraveledtheglobe:
sometoescape,sometoexplore,sometoconquer.AllofthemillustratewhatinveteratetravelerGeorge
Santayanasays:“Weneedsometimestoescapeintoopensolitudes,intoaimlessness,intothemoral
holidayofrunningsomepurehazard,inordertosharpentheedgeoflife,totastehardship,andtobe
compelledtoworkdesperatelyforamomentatnomatterwhat.”Todaytouristscanwatchrefugeesin
leakyboatsdrowninwatersfrontingtheirbeachhotelsinGreeceorItaly.Travelersmaysignupforwork
onsheepfarmsorarcheologicalsitesorcityslums.Packagedtoursofcatastrophicenvironmentalsites,
prisons,multiͲculturalbrothels,saints’tombsandsacredshrines,areallonsaletoday.
What’sgoingonhere?
Withinternetconnections
toblogs,websites,videos,
databases,Googlemaps,
andvirtualtoursof
virtuallyeverywhere,why
wouldanyonewanttogo
somewhere,unlessforced
todosobycircumstances
beyondtheircontrol?
Textsincludeessaysby
PattiMarxsen(TheArtof
theTravelEssay),Dean
MacCannell(Staged
AuthenticityandTheEthics
ofSightseeing),PicoIyer
(TheGlobalCitizen),Monte
Reel,(HowtoExploreLike
aVictorianAdventurer),OlaudahEquiano,(InterestingNewsofMyLife),LouiseErdrich(Riversand
Islands),andJamaicaKinkaid(ThisSmallPlace).
FilmsandvideosincludeTheRevenant,GrizzlyMan,BeastsoftheSouthernWild,andBrooklyn.
Weeklywritingassignments,shortpapers,atravelprojectofyourownmaking.
ENGL
235
SherylO’Donnell
MWF1:00Ͳ1:50
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinFineArts.
Thisessentialstudiesclasswillexerciseyourskillsincreativethinkingandwriting.Itwillfocusonwritingscreenplays,
shortorfeatureͲlength,eitheroriginaloradaptedfromsomeothermedium.Therewillbeaparticularfocusonthe
script’sabilitytobefilmedonalimitedbudgetsothatnextsemester’smovieproductionclasscanproducethem.
Studentsmayinitiallychoosetowriteothertypesoffictionsuchasshortstories,plays,ornovellas,orpossiblycreative
nonfiction,essaysorpoetry,andthenadaptoneofthose
intoascreenplayforafinalproject.Sometopicstheclass
willcoverinclude:standardscreenplayformat,typesof
storymaterialespeciallysuitedforexpressionasa
screenplay,typesofstorymaterialdifficulttoconveyin
thefilmmedium,effectiveuseofdialogue,howto
visualizescenesinwordswithoutgivingspecificcamera
directionsthatmayalienatepotentialdirectors,and
simpletricksforincreasingthechancesforyour
screenplaytobeproduced.Studentswillreadand
analyzeseveralscreenplaysofvariouslengths,andwill
watchoneormorefilmsbeforeorafterreadingthe
screenplaysand/ortheoriginalsourceliteraturethey
werebasedupon.
Nofinalexam.Studentswillreadandevaluateeachother’sworksͲinͲprogressorallyorinwriting.Theyalsomaymake
abrieforalpresentationcomparingafilmoftheirchoicetoitsscreenplay.Bytheendofthesemesterstudentsshould
havecompletedeitheronefeatureͲlengthscreenplayinitssecondorthirddraft,orseveralshortscreenplaysand/or
storytreatments.
REQUIREDTEXTS:͒
DavidHowardandEdwardMabley,TheToolsofScreenwriting:AWritersGuidetotheCraftandElementsofa
Screenplay(ISBN#0Ͳ312Ͳ22908Ͳ9)
DaveTrottier,TheScreenwriter’sBible(ISBN#978Ͳ1935247104)͒
SydField,TheScreenwriter’sProblemSolver(ISBN#440504910)
DennyMartinFlinn,HowNOTtoWriteaScreenplay(ISBN#1Ͳ58065Ͳ015Ͳ5)
RECOMMENDEDTEXTS:͒͒
SydField,Screenplay:TheFoundationsofScreenwriting(ISBN#440576474)
SydField,TheScreenwriter’sWorkbook(ISBN#440582253͒J)
JohnGardner,TheArtofFiction:NotesonCraftforYoungWriters(ISBN#679734031)
LynneTruss,Eats,Shoots&Leaves(ISBN#1592400876)
Recommendedprerequisites:EnglishComposition,anintroductoryclassinfilmordrama,creativewriting,play
writing
ENGL
271
ReadingandWritingaboutTexts
ENGL
271
LoriRobison
MWF12:00Ͳ12:50
3Credits
SheilaLiming
MWF11:00Ͳ11:50
3Credits
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinbothHumanitiesand
AdvancedCommunication.
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinbothHumanitiesand
AdvancedCommunication.
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourse:Essential
Studiescoursesaredesignedtohelp
studentsdevelopskillsthathavebeen
identifiedasparticularlyimportantfor
professional,private,andciviclifeinthe
twentyͲfirstcentury.Suchskillsinclude:
beingabletothinkandreasonwell,to
communicateeffectively,tojudgethe
credibilityofinformation,andtoengage
withdiversityincomplexandthoughtful
ways.AsanAdvancedCommunication(A)
course,thisclassisadditionallydesignedto
helpstudentsbuilduponandenhancetheir
writingskillsthroughparticularfocuseson
argumentation,audience,purpose,and
rhetoricalefficacy.Wewillpayspecial
attentiontothewaythatintellectual
questionsareframedandarticulatedwithin
literarystudy.
Thiscourse,thefirstpartofourintroduction
totheEnglishmajor,servestoprepareyou
forupperͲlevelcoursesinEnglishStudiesby
trainingyouintheclosereadingoftexts.
“Closereading”readingacknowledgesthat
weallcomeawayfromtextswith
immediate,emotionalresponses,butit
requiresustomovebeyondthoseresponsesasameansofassessingandidentifyingthespecific,intellectual
choiceswritersmakethatcontributeto,orinspire,suchreactions.Thiscoursewillrequireyoutointeractwithtext
veryclosely–moreclosely,perhaps,thanyouhavebeenusedtointhepast–inordertoevaluatenotonlythe
contentofagiventext(whatitsays),butalsoitsformandrhetoricalstrategy(or,howitsayswhatitsays).
Readingtextcloselyis,however,onlyhalfofthestoryhere:inadditiontoclosereading,thiscoursewillalsopermit
youtohoneyourskillsasa“close”writer,andwillinstructyouinhowtoappropriatelyframeandarticulate
argumentsaboutliterarytexts.Wewillsurveyavarietyofclassicexamplesofliterarytext,andwillconcentrateon
constructingstrongthesisstatementsinspiredbyourreading,andondevelopingthestakesofliteraryarguments.
WewillalsoworktobetterfamiliarizeourselveswithMLAstyle–thestandardforbothcitationandformattingin
EnglishStudies–andtoplanforandstrategicallyapproachwritingassignmentsthroughprewriting.Wewillalso
worktohoneourskillsasresearchers,applyingour“closereading”skillstotheactsofbothsearchandresearchin
ordertobetterunderstandhowtobestlocatetheanswersweseekwhenweaskquestionsaboutliterarytexts.
Thiscourse,thefirstpartofourintroductiontotheEnglishmajor,servestoprepareyouforupperͲlevel
coursesinEnglishStudies.Wewillpracticeclosereading,literaryanalysis,andthemanyskillsinvolvedin
writingaboutliterature.Wewillalsotalkaboutwhywearepracticingthesethings:whyisinterpretation
important?Whatisinvolvedintheactofinterpretation?Whatdowebringtoourreadingsoftexts?
Howdowebringtheideasandinterpretationsofothersintoourowninterpretations?And,finally,why
doweread,interpret,andstudyliterature?
Wewillreadavarietyoftextsandgenres,andstudentswillwritebothformalandinformalpapers.This
classwillbeprimarilydiscussionͲoriented.Studentsshouldbepreparedtoreadcarefully,toasklotsof
questions,andtotryoutnewideasthroughtheirwritingandthroughclassdiscussion.
ReadingandWritingaboutTexts
ENGL
272
IntroductiontoLiteraryCriticism
ENGL
301
MichaelFlynn
MWF12:00Ͳ12:50
3credits
MichelleSauer
TuTh2:00Ͳ3:15
3Credits
BritishLiteratureI,isdesignedtogivestudentsabasicunderstandingofwhatisgenerallyreferredtoas
medievalandearlymodernliterature.Moreover,thiscoursewillalsointroducethehistorical,political,
social,andculturalenvironmentwithinearlyBritain.Thisclassisconsideredafoundationclassofthe
Englishmajorandminor.Ourmainpurposesaretobecomefamiliarwiththebasicsofliterarycritical
inquiryandtogainanunderstandingoftheunderpinningsofmodernWesternsociety.Wewillexamine
textsinconjunctionwithculturalaspectssuchasgender,economics,politics,andreligion,especiallyearly
Christianity.
This course is the second part of our introduction to the English major. If the first part, ENGL 271, is
designedtoprepareyoufordeepengagementwithliterarytexts,thissecondpartisabouthelpingyou
enterintoconversationsgoingonaboutandaroundthosetexts.Curlingupwithagoodbookmaybean
intenselyindividualandpersonalact,butdecidingwhichbooksaregood,andwhythey’regood,andwhat
they’regoodfor,isasocialprocessthatinvolvesmanygenerationsandmanydifferentgroupsofreaders
talkingtooneanother.
In this class, we’ll practice reading literary criticism, and work on various tactics for recognizing,
anticipating,andunderstandingsomeconventionsofthegenre.We’lllearntoletcriticismteachusnew
waysofreadingtexts,butwe’llalsomaintainacriticaleyeoncriticismitself,andsharpenourabilityto
engageinactiveconversationwithit.Inotherwords,we’llbewritingaswellasreadingliterarycriticism,
exploringvariouswaysoffindingandchoosingcriticalconversationstojoin,ofaccuratelyrepresenting
thoseconversations,andofinsertingourownperspectivesandargumentsresponsiblyandsubstantively
intothem.Overthecourseoftheterm,we’lltalkaboutthedifferentpurposes,audiences,andapproaches
of commercial book reviews and academic criticism; we’ll look at criticism that discusses the textual,
biographical,andhistoricalcontextsofliterarytexts;andwe’llsamplesomeofthemanyschoolsofliterary
theory,andthinkaboutwhattheyteachusaboutthesocialandpoliticalimplicationsofthepracticeof
interpretingtexts.
SurveyofEnglishLiteratureI
ENGL
303
SurveyofAmericanLiterature
ENGL
306
EricWolfe
MWF11:00Ͳ11:50
3Credits
CreativeWriting:Fiction ElizabethHarris
Tu5:00Ͳ7:30
3Credits
Thiscoursewillsurveythecomplex
culturalinteractionsthatemergedout
oftheEuropean“discovery”and
subsequentcolonizationofthe“New
World”ofNorthAmerica.Longbefore
“America”meantthe“UnitedStates,”
theprojectofEuropeancolonization
broughttogetherEuropeans,Native
Americans,andAfricans;therefore,
thiscoursewillexploretheoriginsof
theUnitedStatesasgrowingfromthe
crossingsofthesemultiplecultural
histories.Inadditiontopoetry,fiction,
andautobiography,ourreadingswill
includemanytextsthatstretchthe
boundariesofwhatwemighttypically
consider“literature”—Native
Americanoraltraditions,European
narrativesofexplorationand
colonization,Puritanandother
religioustexts,Captivitynarratives,
slavenarratives,andpoliticaltracts.
Thegoalofthiscourseisforyoutolearnhowtowriteagoodstory.Todothat,you’llreadalotof
publishedstoriesandanalyzethem,tofigureouthowtheywork.You’llalsowriteagreatdeal—thentear
upwhatyou’vewritten—andwritesomemore.
Textswillinclude:
WillifordandMartone,TheScribnerAnthologyofContemporaryShortFiction,2ndEdition
Schoen,TheTruthAboutFiction
Alsobepreparedtospendapproximately$15.00oncopies.
ENGL
308
TheArtofWritingNonfiction
ENGL
308
SherylO’Donnell
MWF11:00Ͳ11:50
3Credits
TheArtofWritingNonfiction
YvetteKoepke
TuTh12:30Ͳ1:45
3Credits
ThiscoursefulfillstheEssentialStudiescategoriesofFineArtsandAdvancedCommunication,andthe
EssentialStudiesgoalofWrittenCommunication.
Thiscourseseekstoexaminethevarietiesofhuman/animalrelationshipsrepresentedinmodernculture.
First,wewilllookatanimalperformances:incircusesandonstage,inhouseholdsaspets,onfarmsas
livestock,inthewildasgametobehuntedorphotographedorsoughtoutinsomewaybyhumans.Other
culturalpractices—cockͲfighting,dogshows,equestriandisplays,rodeos,bullͲfighting,animalsacrifice,
hunting,slaughterhouses,dogfighting—willbeexploredforwhatwecanlearnaboutthewaysthatour
interactionwithanimalsshapesoursenseofwhatishuman.Race,class,andgenderareimportant
considerationshere,aswestudythediscoursesofanimalityinperformance.Second,wewillreadworks
andviewfilmswhichexplorerepresentationsofanimal/humanrelations(theoriginalKingKongandthe
2005remake,Herzog’sGrizzlyMan,GorillasintheMist,Avatar,BestinShow).Third,wewillconsiderthe
reversaloftraditionalhumanisthierarchiesinsciencefiction,inposthumanistphilosophy,andin
communitypoliciesgoverninganimalsandinpolitics.Thiscoursewillintereststudentswhoownanimals,
whoworkwithorcareforanimals,whohunt,train,study,orshowanimals,orwanttohonetheiranimal
identities.Ihopethat,bytheendofthecourse,wehavemovedfromliteralistanthropomorphismtoa
positionofothernessͲinͲconnection.Carnivores,vegetarians,hunters,PETAmembers,mushersandrodeo
riderswelcome.Themorevarietywehaveinthisclass,thebetter.Wewillbeworkingwithtextsandfilms
featuredinthe2012UNDWritersConferenceonHumanimals(und.edu/orgs/writersͲconference/).
Shortwritingassignments,two
papers,andaclassprojectare
required.
Texts:
HalHerzog,SomeWeLove,SomeWe
Hate,SomeWeEat:WhyIt'sSoHardto
ThinkStraightAboutAnimals
JonathanSwift,Gulliver'sTravels
LouiseErdrich,LoveMedicine
GwenethAnneThayer,Goingtothe
Dogs:GreyhoundRacing,Animal
Activism,andAmericanPopularCulture
EliciaEdijanto“Smell”
ThiscoursefulfillstheEssentialStudiescategoriesofFineArtsandAdvancedCommunication,andthe
EssentialStudiesgoalofWrittenCommunication.
WanttolearnaboutthefastestͲgrowingtypeofwritingonthemarket?Wanttobuildwritingskillsthat
willstrengthenanythingyouwrite?Howaboutchoosingwhatyouareinterestedinwritingabout?Or
readingengagingstoriesthatmakeyouthinkcriticallyabouttherealworld?Ifso,thisclassoncreative
nonfictionisforyou.Creativenonfictiondeliberatelyusesliteraryelementssuchasstoryandsceneto
craftcompellingtrue
pieces.Inthiscourse
wewillreadandwrite
suchpieces,exploringa
rangeoftopicsand
formsshapedbyyour
owninterests.Our
focusonhowgood
writingworkswill
benefitstudentsofall
levelsandcareergoals.
Thisfocus,though,will
alsomakeyouabetter
analyticthinkeranda
moredynamicand
creativeresearcher.
Expecttobeactivein
thisclassbyreflecting
onyourwriting,revising
it,andsharingit.
ENGL
309
ModernGrammar
XiaozhaoHuang
TuTh11:00Ͳ12:15
3Credits
ENGL
315
Shakespeare
AdamKitzes
TuTh12:30Ͳ1:45
3Credits
ThisisanintroductorycoursetomodernEnglishgrammarforstudentswhoareinterestedinimprovingtheir
understandingofEnglishgrammarandperforminggrammaticalanalysistoenhancetheirunderstanding.
ThecourseconcentratesontheessentialsofModernEnglishstructurefrombothlinguisticandpedagogical
pointofview.Topicsincludewordformationandclasses,phrasalstructures,basicsentencetypesand
transformations,finiteverbclauses,andnonfiniteverbphrases.Courserequirements:takeͲhome
assignmentsandexaminations.
RequiredTextbook:
Klammer,Schultz,&Volpe(2013).AnalyzingEnglishGrammar.7thed.PearsonLongman.
ThisisanEssentialStudiescourseandwillcounttowardsyourdistributionrequirementinHumanities.
Asafigurewhoseiconicstatusfarexceedswhateverheaccomplishedasaprofessionalwriter,itisrefreshingtotake
upShakespeareatamomentwhenhislifeandcareerwereshroudedinobscurity,whenhiscriticalreception(suchas
itwas)wasamixedbag,andwhenasaprofessionalwriterheclearlystruggledwithhiscraft.Indeed,inthecaseof
playsthathavebecomeculturalinstitutionsintheirownright–thinkRomeoandJuliet,withitsadaptations,its
touristindustry,itsappealtobigͲhairedbigͲstadiumrockmusicians–wecanobservetheplaywrightdirectlyinthe
processofrevisingworkthatfailedtosatisfyhim.Atothermomentswecanobservehimindaringexperimentation,
willingtotakeonrisk(perhapsevenfail)forthesakeofdiscoveringjustwhatthepublicstagescoulddo.Butwealso
canobservemanyofhisexperimentsastheypayoff,insomeinstancesperhapsevencatchaglimpseattheprocess
ofhistransformationfromasuccessfulplaywrighttothelegendaryfigurehewouldbecomeinsubsequentcenturies.
Ourcourseisdesignedtohelpstudentsmakesenseofthismassivefigure,bothasaplaywrightandasaculturalicon.
Tothatend,wewillspendtimegettingtoknowtheplays,selectingamonghiswellͲknownaswellassomeofhis
overlookedgems.Wewillreadandwriteaboutthoseplays.Butwealsowilltakesometimeexperiencingtheseplays
indifferentforms,comparingdifferentprintandfilmversions,makingnoteofappropriations,andexploringfeatures
thatarenotnecessarilypickedupfromtextualanalysisalone.
ThiscourseisdesignedforallUNDstudents.English
majors,theatermajors,andcuriousͲminded
individualsarewelcomeoneandall.Thatsaid,the
expectationsarehigh.Wewillread,onaverageand
withsomevariations,oneplayeverytwoweeks.
Takeitforgrantedthatyouwillreadeachplay
carefully,andmorethanonce.(Theweekly
scheduledoesnotspecifyreadingassignments,but
Iwillassumethateverybodyhasfinishedeachplay
wearecoveringbythesecondscheduleddiscussion
day,respectively.)Thereareanumberofwriting
assignments,eachofwhichasksyoutoexaminethe
playsfromdifferentperspectives.Everybodywillbe
expectedtobeinvolvedinclassdiscussions,
participateinactivities,andmakeonesemiͲformal
presentationonatopicrelatedtothemajorthemes
oftheclass.
ENGL
334
PracticuminWriting,Editing,andPublishing
ENGL
357
DavidHaeselin
MWF10:00Ͳ10:50
3Credits
WomenWritersandReaders:Sex/GenderTransitions
KathleenDixon
TuTh11:00Ͳ12:15
3Credits
ThiscoursefulfillstheEssentialStudiescategoriesofFineArtsandAdvancedCommunication,andthe
EssentialStudiesgoalofWrittenCommunication.
RememberingtheRedRiverFloodof1997
Nextspringwillbethetwentieth
anniversaryofthelegendaryRed
Riverflood.Tomarkthis
occasion,studentsinthecourse
willhelpassembleaFloodof’97
anthology,aneditedcollection
ofmaterialsthatwewillcalla
“reader.”Wewillgatherour
sourcematerialfromtheOrinJ.
LibbyManuscriptCollectionat
theChesterFritzLibrary.The
“floodcollection”heldthere
containsover25boxesofitems
whichdocumenttheeventfrom
manydifferentperspectives.
Suchitemsrangefrompersonal
narrativeaccountsofvictims,
local,national,andinternational
newscoverage,andeventhebureaucraticpaperworkfiledtoapprovetheprematureendoftheSpring
1997semesteratUNDandtheconstructionoftheGreaterGrandForksGreenway.Thetaskfacingthe
studentsofthisclassistwofold:decidinghowtotellacomprehensivestoryofthefloodtwentyyearslater
andhowtobestframethematerialinordertohighlighthowfarGrandForkshascomeintheyearssince.
Studentswilltakeactiverolesinallstepsoftheeditorialprocess.Inshort,wewillstartthecoursetogether
withjustanideaandworktogethertocompeltheanthologyintobeing.Studentswillgainexperience
workingwithprimarymaterialsatthearchive;theywillevaluateandselectmaterialrelevanttoour
project;and,finally,studentsworkinginsmallteamswillpreparetheselectedmaterialforpublication
throughpracticingtheproperprotocolsofprofessionaleditingandcopyediting.
EveryGrandForkserhasastoryabouttheFloodanditsaftermath.Throughthepreparationofthisreader,
studentswillhavethechancetohelpdecidehowthestoryofGrandForksistoldtodayandinthefuture.
Studentswhohavenottakentheprerequisite(knownasEnglish234/299)mayseekpermissiontoenrollin
thiscourse.PleaseeͲmailDr.Haeselin:david.haeselin@und.edu
Whatwe'reinvestigatingtogether:
"Trans"ͲͲ"across,crossing,beyond,totheothersideof"(OxfordEnglishDictionary)
We'llbeinterestedinthetransitionssuggestedbytheuseoftheprefixincontemporaryfeminism.
There'sthetransgender(previously,transsexual):howdidfeminismaidinthetransitionfromtranssexual
totransgender?What,nowandinthepast,hasthis/theseterm(s)provokedbywayoffeminist
response?
Thenthere'stransnationalfeminismthat
acknowledgestheglobalizationofcapital
andcommunication,nottomentionthe
movementofpeoples,bothvoluntary
andin.Whatisfeminism'srelationto
thistransitionindiscourse?
Howwe'lldoit.Wewillread....
We'llburrowabitintorelevantfeminist
philosophies,astheseestablishfeminist
positionalitiesandgroundforthought
andactivism.
We'llconsultTransfeministPerspectives
InandBeyondTransgenderandGender
Studiesandsomefictionthatmakes
theseideascomealiveorchallenges
themorextendsorcontradictsthem
fromTheCollection:ShortFictionfrom
theTransgenderVanguardandthe
QueerAfricanReader.
TransitionsbyYulondaRios
Wewillwrite....
Recently,essayexamshaveworkedwellinmyclasses,astherearedefiniteconceptsandmethodsthat
needlearning.Interestinglyenough,theclosersupervisionofferedbypreparationsforessayexams
seemstofreestudentsforadisciplinedcreativity,abeautifulachievement.Therewillalsobeothershort,
moreinformalwritings.Ifyoucravewritingaliterary,takeheart:thoseessayexamsaretakeͲhomeand
doofferagreatdealofflexibility.
ENGL
359
YoungAdultLiterature
ENGL
372
YvetteKoepke
TuTh9:30Ͳ10:45
3Credits
3Credits
LoriRobison
MWF10:00Ͳ10:50
AccordingtoSlavojŽižek,"Cinemadoesn'tgiveyouwhatyoudesire—ittellsyouwhatyoudesire."Thisstatement
suggeststhatfilmisamediumbestunderstoodthroughthelensofpsychoanalysis,asetoftheoriesthatseekto
understandhow—andwhy—andwhat—itisthatpeopledesire.Filmandpsychoanalysishavelongbeenlinked—
perhapsbecausetheyarebothproductsofthemodernera—andourgoalthissemesterwillbetoexplorethe
connectionsbetweenthem.
Literaturewrittenforadolescentsiswildlypopularrightnow:thesebooksregularlyshowuponbestseller
lists;criticallyͲacclaimedauthorsarewritingforthisaudience;andmanyadultsarewillingtoidentify
themselvesasavidfansoftheTwilightseriesandtheHarryPotterbooks.
Clearly,somethingisgoingon,andthisiswhatwewillexploreinthisclass.Whatarethesetextsgivingto
theirreaders?Whatstory,aboutgrowingup,aboutindividuality,andabouthowwecometodecidewho
wewanttobecome,dothesetextstell?
Wewillbeginbyreadingacoupleofnovelsthatmightbestbecategorizedaschildren’sliteratureinorder
togiveusaworkingdefinitionofYoungAdultLiterature.Wewilldiscusssomeclassicadolescentnovelsto
furtherrefineourdefinitionofthisgenrebeforewemoveintoaconsiderationofseveralrecentͲͲandvery
popularͲͲyoungadultnovels.
Thereadinglistisnotyetcomplete,butitwilllikelyincludethefollowing:CharlieandtheChocolate
Factory,ABadBeginning,TheChocolateWar,oneoftheHarryPotterbooks,Twilight,TheHungerGames,
ANorthernLight,Speak,KingDork,andTheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartͲTimeIndian.
LiteraryTheory:PsychoanalysisandFilmTheory
Wewillstartslowly,comingtoabasicunderstandingofthepsychoanalytictheoriesofFreudandLacan,then
movingtoclassicpsychoanalyticfilmtheoryandtoHitchcock'sRearWindowandVertigoastextsthroughwhichwe
canapplyandtestthosetheories.Studentswillthenhavetheopportunitytodeterminethefinaldirectionofthe
coursebyhelpingtoselectfilmsandreadingsthatwilladdresstheclass’sinterestsandquestions.
Nopriorfamiliaritywithpsychoanalysisorfilmtheoryisexpected,butstudentsshouldbepreparedtoreadand
watchfilmswithcare,toparticipateactivelyinclassdiscussion,andtobewillingtoexplorenewideasthroughclass
discussionandthroughtheirwriting.
Ourgoalistobuildtoamoresophisticatedunderstandingofbothfilmandpsychoanalysisbytheendofthe
semester.
ENGL
408
AdvancedComposition:WritingforDigitalEnvironments
ENGL
415
DavidHaeselin
MWF1:00Ͳ1:50
3Credits
CrystalAlberts
MWF12:00Ͳ12:503Credits
ThisEssentialStudiescapstonecoursefulfillsthedistributionrequirementinHumanitiesandAdvanced
Communication.
ThiscourseisanEssentialStudiesCapstoneCourse,andfulfillsthegoalsofWrittenCommunicationandCritical
Thinking.Thiscourseisapprovedforgraduatecredit.
Thereportsofreading’sdeathhavebeengreatlyexaggerated;mostreadingtodayjusthappenstobedone
onascreen,notinprint.Inthiscourse,wewillconfrontthisrealityheadͲonbyexperimentingwithwritingŝŶ
andĨŽƌdigitalplatforms.Assignmentsfortheclassmayincludebuildingapersonalwebsite,designingan
infographic,filmingavideoproductreview,andwritingasocialmediarelease,amongothers.
“Isawthebestmindsofmygenerationdestroyedbymadness,starving,hystericalnaked
[…]burnedaliveintheirinnocentflannelsuitsonMadisonAvenue”~Howl,AllenGinsberg
Fromthetimethatitdebutedin2007untilitsfinalepisodein2015,AMC’sMadMen,depicted“alushly
reimaginedMadisonAvenueinthe1960s,wheresleeklysuited,chainͲsmoking,hardͲdrinkingadvertising
executivesdreamupingeniouslyintuitivecampaignsforcigarettesandbrasandairlineswhileeffortlessly
beddingbeautifulyoungwomenorwhiskingtheirGraceKelly–lookalikewivesofftobusinesstripsin
Rome.”Acriticalsuccessthatinfluencedcontemporaryculture(especially,andperhapsunsurprisingly,
advertising),theshowwaspraisedforitshistoricalaccuracyandfortouchingonanumberofsocialissues
fromtheera.But,howaccuratewasit?
Inthiscourse,wewillnotwatchall52episodesofMadMen(althoughfeelfreetodosoonyourown),
butwewilllookatafewtextsofthetime—primarily,liketheshow,setaroundNYCandCalifornia—that
speaktosomeofthetopicstouchedonbyMadMenwithaparticularemphasisonthemiddleͲclass
AmericanDream,gender,andrace.Whatwasitliketobeoneofthosemanymeninagrayflannelsuit?
Whataboutthewomenwhowereexpectedtobeathome,waiting,withdinneronthetable?What
happenedwhenpeoplechallengedracialand/orgenderexpectationsintheworkplaceandbeyond?
Whataboutthecounterculturemovementsthatremain,forthemostpart,inthebackgroundofthe
show?
Studentsinthisclasswillbeexpectedtoparticipateindetaileddiscussionsaboutthereadings,conduct
research,andwritethoughtful,argumentativeessays(includinga"seminar"paperattheendofthe
semester).
SomePossibleTextsInclude:
TheManintheGrayFlannelSuit(1955),SloanWilson
Rabbit,Run(1960),JohnUpdike
RevolutionaryRoad(1961),RichardYates
TheFeminineMystique(1962),BettyFriedan
AnotherCountry(1963),JamesBaldwin
TheMessenger(1963),CharlesWright
TheBellJar(1963),SylviaPlath
TheNowhereCity(1965),AlisonLurie
SlouchingTowardsBethlehem(1968),JoanDidion
ThisclassisnotonlyforEnglishmajors,butanystudentwhowouldliketolearnnewtechniquesfor
producinganddistributingtheirwriting.Likewise,theprojectsforthiscoursedonotpresumeadvanced
technologicalliteracy,buttheywillrequirestudentstopracticenewskillsanddevelopnewproficiencies.
Learningtowritein“mediumͲspecific”wayswillhelphoneyourwritingforprofessionalcontextsand/or
graduateschoolbyencouragingyoutocommunicatetonewaudiencesinavarietyofdifferentmedia
formats.
SeminarinLiterature TheRealMadMen:TheAmerican1950sand‘60s
ENGL
415
SeminarinLiterature:BibleTextsasLiterature
ENGL
419
SharonCarson
TuTh12:30Ͳ1:45
3Credits
ThiscourseisanEssentialStudiesCapstoneCourse,andfulfillsthegoalsofWrittenCommunicationandCritical
Thinking.Thiscourseisapprovedforgraduatecredit.
Ratherthantakeasurveyapproach,wewillworkcloselywithafewbiblicaltexts,focusingourlaborson:
1. Interpretingbiblicaltextsasliterarynarratives,withemphasisontheirframingof“storyworlds,”literary
themes,characters,plot,literaryconstructionsofspaceandtime,philosophicalandpolitical/socialpatternsof
meaning,symbolism,etc.We’lllookatthehistoricalcontextswithinwhichtheywerewritten.Wewillalso
analyzethewaysthatthesetextshavebeenusedinbylaterwriters,visualartists,musiciansandfilmmakers.
2. Interpretingthetextsinrelationto“war”:we’llanalyzethethematicsofwarfrom(atleast)threedifferent
angles:
ͲͲAsthematicterritorywithinthetextsthemselves;
ͲͲAshistoricalcontextfortheiroriginalauthorship;
ͲͲAsacontextfortheirlaterinterpretation(thislastfocuswilllet
uslookatthemanywaysthatculturaluseismadeofbiblicalstory
duringtimesofwar).
Theseminardoesnotrequirepreviousstudyofbiblicalliteratures,butdoesrequireaseriousinterestinhistoricalͲ
criticalmethod,interdisciplinarycritique,sustainedandcarefulreading,closetextualanalysisandseriouswriting.
Prerequisite:English209orpermissionofthedepartmentchairpersonortheinstructor.
RequiredTextbook:AliceOmaggioHadley(2001).TeachingLanguageinContext.3rded.Boston:Heinle&
HeinlePublishers.
MarcChagall’sWhiteCrucifixion,1938
(TheArtInstituteofChicago)
3Credits
ThiscourseisprincipallydesignedforthosewhoareinterestedinteachingEnglishasasecondorforeign
language.ItintegratesTESLtheoriesandclassroompractice,sothatparticipantscanbecomenotonlymore
proficientandresourcefulasESLteachers,butalsomoreknowledgeableaboutthedifferencesinteaching
EnglishtobothnativespeakersandnonͲnativespeakersaswellashowTESLmethodswork.Topicsinclude
TESLtheoriesandmethodsbasedondifferentlinguisticschools,assessmentoflanguageproficiency,TESL
textbookevaluationandselection,syllabusdesign,lessonplanpreparation,ESLtestsdesignandevaluation,
andespeciallymethodsandtechniquestoteachlistening,speaking,reading,andwriting.
Thebiblicaltextswe’llworkwith:***thesechoicesmayshiftasourcollaborativeworkunfolds.
FromtheNewTestament
ͲMark
ͲMatthew
ͲPhilemon
ͲRevelation
XiaozhaoHuang
TuTh9:30Ͳ10:45
FromtheTanakh(HebrewBible)
ͲGenesis
ͲExodus
TeachingEnglishasaSecondLanguage:Theory&Methods
ENGL
423
Methods/MaterialsforTeachingMiddle/SecondaryEnglish
ENGL
428
KimDonehower
W8:00Ͳ10:50
3Credits
SheilaLiming
MWF9:00Ͳ9:50
3Credits
“Whatis‘digitalhumanities,’andwhat’sitdoinginEnglishdepartments?”Thisisthequestionthat
MatthewKirschenbaum,adigitalhumanitiesscholarandalsoaprofessorofEnglish,asksina2013essay.
Andinhisanswertothequestion,Kirschenbaumkeepsthingssimple:thedigitalhumanitiescomprisea
“commonmethodologicaloutlook”thatunitesthekindsofresearch,teaching,andinventiontakingplace
attheintersectionofhumanitiesanddigitalcomputing.Today,weliveintheageofinformation,
informationthatisconstructedanddigitallyrelayedviavastamountsofƚĞdžƚ.Theconstantexchangeof
informationrequiresconstantinterpretation,andthatinterpretationinturnrequiresmodesoftextual
literacyandexpertise.Andthat’swhereEnglishdepartments–andEnglishƐĐŚŽůĂƌƐandƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ–come
intoplay.
Thiscourseoffersstudentsanintroductionto
theconcepts,tools,andtechniquesofdigital
humanities,aswellasabroaderengagement
withtheintersectionsbetweennew
technologiesandsocialquestions.Overthe
courseofthesemester,studentswillhavethe
opportunitytostudyandinteractwith:
Toolsandtechniquesforanalyzingtext
inbothprintanddigitalformats
Softwareandspecializedcomputer
programs,designedtohelpusers
navigatetextualresources
Electronicresearchmethodsand
approachestocriticalthinkingrequired
tofindandevaluateelectronictextual
sources
Methodsofanalyzinghumanities
researchproblemsintermsof
appropriatecomputingsolutions,with
anawarenessofthepotentiallimitations
andbenefitsofaparticularsituation
Collaborativeresearchinfieldsofthehumanitiesthathavetraditionallypromotedindividual
research
Thesocial,ethical,legal,andphilosophicalimplicationsofusingdigitaltechnologyinconjunction
withtraditionalhumanitiesresearch
Atitscore,thiscourseoffersstudentsachancetoapplytheirinterestsinreading,writing,andliterary
studytoavarietyofdigitalformatsandtools.Forthisreason,studentsneednotworryabouttheirown
levelsofdigitalcompetency.Nospecificcomputingskillsarerequired:wewillbelearningaswego,and
experimentingallalongtheway.
TheEnglishmethodscourseformiddle/secondaryeducation,thisclasspreparesstudentstoteachEnglishintheir
studentteachingplacementsandintheircareersasteachers.Wewilldiscussandpracticethehow’sandwhy’sof
assessment,standards,assignmentdesign,teachingwritingandreadingprocesses,andteachinggrammar,usage,
andstyle.Bytheendofthecourse,studentsshouldunderstandthewaysliteracyinstructioncandevelop
adolescents’abilitiesasthinkers,readers,andwriters,andbeabletomakeinformedchoicesabouttheirown
teachingpractices.Assignmentsincludeacollaborativeunitplan,demonstrationlessons,andthedevelopmentof
materialstobeusedinthefield.CoͲRequisite:T&L486fieldexperience(60hours).
DigitalHumanities
ENGL
500
IntroductiontoGraduateStudies
ENGL
510
ChrisNelson
W3:30Ͳ5:15
2Credits
AdamKitzes
Tu5:00Ͳ7:30
3Credits
Thiscoursewillexploreavarietyofissues
withinthedisciplineofEnglishStudies,
largelybyanalyzing(andpracticing)the
kindsofcriticalwritingthatareproduced
withintheprofession.Wewillbeginwith
anexaminationofthehistoryand
disciplinarycontoursofEnglishStudies.
Fromthatwewillmoveonwardtoan
extendedexaminationoftherhetoricof
literarycriticism,beforefinishingwithtwo
projectsinthefinalweeksofthecourse.
Thefirstofthesewillbetheanalysisofan
academicjournal(oneofthekey
institutionsthatfunctions—inpart—to
defineconventionsofwritinginthe
discipline).Thesecondwillbeyouropportunitytodevelopyourownwritteninterpretationofaliterarywork
(stilltobedetermined),puttingintopracticewhatyouhavelearnedabouttherhetoricofcriticism.
Ourcoursewillrunasasurveyofliterarycriticism,rangingfromclassicalstatementstomoremodernand
contemporarymovements.Fromthisdeceptivelysimpleframeworkwewillbeabletopositandstudya
numberofproblems,suchasthefollowingquestions:
xWhatkindsof
statementscountas
literarycriticism,andwhat
makesthemso?
xWhatkindsofknowledge
doescriticismproduce,
andwhatmakesitvalid?
xWhataretheeffectsand
limitationsofstudying
criticismthroughthelens
ofhistory?
ENGL
501L
TeachingCollegeEnglishLab
ChristopherBasgier
Th3:30Ͳ5:15
1Credit
Thisclassisdesignedtointroducenewgraduateteaching
assistantstothetheoriesandpracticesthatunderlieour
compositionprogram.Ourweeklymeetingswillgiveusthe
opportunitytodiscussandtosharepracticalteachingissues
andalsotocontinuetodevelopthestrategiesthatweexplored
intheAugustOrientationWorkshop.Thiscoursewillencourage
youtoreflectonyourownteachingpracticesandtothink
aboutthosepracticesinthecontextoftheComposition
Program’slargerpedagogicalobjectives,aswellasinthe
contextofscholarlyconversationsinthefieldofcomposition
studies.Tothatend,youwillcreateregularlessonplans,
observeeachother’steaching,andcreateateachingportfolio.
HistoryofLiteraryCriticism
Duringthecourseofthetermstudentswillread,discussandwriteaboutseveralmajortextsofliterary
criticism.Throughanumberofwritingactivities,whichrangefromshortexercisestolongeressayswith
componentsofresearch,studentsshouldcomeawaywithanadvancedsenseoftheintellectualproblems
thatgiveshapetothestudyofliteratureinacontemporaryacademicsetting.
ENGL
521
StudiesinAmericanLiterature:Satireafter9/11
ENGL
525
CrystalAlberts
M2:00Ͳ4:30
3Credits
KathleenDixon
TuTh2:00Ͳ3:15
3Credits
WithinminutesofthefirstplanehittingtheWorldTrade
CenteronSeptember11,2001,majornetworksbeganlive
broadcaststhatcapturedtheimpactofthesecondplane
andthecollapseofbothtowers.Thosewhowerenot
tunedintoviewtheeventsastheyhappenedwereable
towatchlater—moreorlessanywhereontheplanet—as
thenetworkscontinuouslyreplayedthedevastating
footage.Itwasaneventthat,accordingtoDonDeLillo,
had“nopurchaseonthemerciesofanalogyorsimile.”It
wasadaythatlaunchedtheWaronTerror,inspired
intensepatriotism,andcausedpeoplewhoquestioned
eithertobeviewedwithsuspicion.Inshort,itwasn’ta
timeforhumororcriticism,whichledsome,likeRoger
Rosenblatttothink“[o]negoodthingcouldcomefrom
thishorror:itcouldspelltheendoftheageofirony.”
Admittedly,notallironyissatirical,butsinceagood
portionofsatireinvolvesirony,Rosenblatt’sdeclaration
helpsestablishtheculturalcontextoftheliteraturethat
willbeexploredinthisclass,although,asmanyhave
pointedoutnearlyeveryyearsince,thetruthisthat
neitherironynorsatirediedonSeptember11.
FromthewarsinAfghanistanandIraqtotheTwitterverse
to“postͲracialAmerica”andbeyond,inthisclass,wewill
readsomesatiricaltextsthathavebeenpublishedsince
9/11.Itwillinvolvethoughtfuldiscussion,thoroughresearch,andaseminarpaper.However,becausethiscourse
involvesanalyzingliteraturethatisnomorethan15yearsold,includingsomethatmayhavebeenpublishedwithin
thelastyear,moreoftenthannot,ourtextswillnothavebeenthesubjectofanypublishedcriticism(atleastnotany
tobefoundintheMLABibliography).Consequently,wewillspendtimetalkingabouthowtoconductacademic
researchoncontemporaryliterature.Wewillalsoconcentrateonhowtowritewhatmightbecalled“firstwave”
literarycriticism—aphrasedescribingtheinitialscholarshiponaparticulartext—withoutresortingtotheory,
focusinginsteadonhistoricalandculturalsourcestoinformourinterpretations.
^ŽŵĞWŽƐƐŝďůĞdĞdžƚƐ/ŶĐůƵĚĞƚŚĞ&ŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ;ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚ͕ƐŽŵĞŽĨŽƵƌƚĞdžƚƐŵĂLJŶŽƚŚĂǀĞďĞĞŶƉƵďůŝƐŚĞĚLJĞƚͿ͗
tŽƌůĚtĂƌϯ/ůůƵƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ,issue32(2001)
ŝůůLJ>LJŶŶ͛Ɛ>ŽŶŐ,ĂůĨƚŝŵĞtĂůŬ(2012),Ben
Fountain
^ƵƉĞƌ^ĂĚdƌƵĞ>ŽǀĞ^ƚŽƌLJ(2010),GaryShteyngart
,ŽǁƚŽ'Ğƚ&ŝůƚŚLJZŝĐŚŝŶZŝƐŝŶŐƐŝĂ(2013),
&Žďďŝƚ(2012),DavidAbrams
MohsinHamid
DĂLJtĞĞ&ŽƌŐŝǀĞŶ(2012),A.M.Homes
tĞůĐŽŵĞƚŽƌĂŐŐƐǀŝůůĞ(2015),T.Geronimo
dŚĞ/ŶĨĞƌŶĂů(2015),MarkDoten
Johnson
dŚĞ^ĞůůŽƵƚ(2016),PaulBeatty
dŚĞŝƌĐůĞ(2014),DaveEggers
StudiesinComp/Rhetoric:FeministRhetoric
Composition/rhetoricisasplitterm,andfeministrhetoricisabroadandͲͲwhenfurtherspecifiedͲͲ
contestedone.Soifwewanttofloatdowntheproverbialcreekoneitheroftheseungainlyrafts,we
shouldexpectsomeextraexcitement.
Asanacademicprofession,compositiondenotesapedagogicalfocus,sometimesbutnotalwayscentered
inEnglishdepartments,oritmaysuggestaproductandaprocessofwriting,orthearrangementofthe
partsofathing(e.g.,visualart)intoawhole,oritsbuildingup.Asforrhetoric,amongmyfavorite
rhetoriciansareMichelFoucault,JudithButler,andGayatriSpivak;wecanworkwiththoseandothers
representedintherequiredtextbook.
Forme,rhetoricinvolvesasimilarkindofclosereadingemployedbyliterarycritics,andaccesstothe
sametheories.Inaddition,weincomp/rhetareperhapsmoreextravagantlyawareofrealpeople
producingandreceivinglanguage,whetherliteraryorordinary.
Readingthetextsintherequiredtextbookwillnotbeeasy.Seeingthemasrhetoric,though—texts
writtenbysomeoneandtosomeoneforaparticularpublicpurposeinagivenhistoricalcontextͲͲoughtto
includeameasureof(relativelycomfortable)pleasure.
Readings:FeministTheoryReader,eds.CaroleMcCann&SeungͲkyungKim,3rded.,
Routledge,2013
Evaluation:let'swriteinformallyandmorebrieflyforawhile,thencomposeanarguablethesisthat
"reads"oneormorefeministtextsrhetorically.Thatwouldbesomethingaboutthesizeofaconference
presentation,8Ͳ12pages.Orpossiblyamixtureofwordsandimages.Orpossiblyanannotatedsyllabus
orotherpedagogicaltext.
ENGL
599
SpecialTopic:SerialStorytelling
MichaelFlynn
M5:00Ͳ7:30
3Credits
Serial storytelling has often struggled to gain critical respect. Even in nineteenthͲcentury Britain, where serial
novels were the dominant form of literature, they were disparaged as necessarily lacking in artistic unity,
dangerouslyvergingoncheapsensationalism,andshamelesslypanderingtolessͲdiscerningreaders.Formuchof
the twentieth century, serials were stigmatized as decidedly subliterary – the province of comic books, radio
dramas, and soap operas. But critics have come to recognize that serialization is a unique literary mode with
distinctchallengesandopportunities,andsomanyartistshaveembracedthemodeoverthelastfifteenortwenty
yearsthatmanyobserversfeelwe’renowlivinginasecondgoldenageoftheserial.
In this course, we’ll undertake a wideͲ
ranging exploration of some of the
artisticaspectsofserialstorytelling.For
thefirsthalfoftheterm,we’llfocuson
novels from the first golden age of
serialization – the Victorian period in
England – and draw on an established
bodyofcriticismtogetafeelforsomeof
the traditional questions surrounding
the form. How do variables like
predetermined length, installment size,
interval length, and medium affect a
serialtext?Whatuniquepressuresdoes
serialization place on writers, and how
havetheyrespondedtothosepressures?
Do readers have different relationships
with serial works than with ones
consumed whole? How might gender,
ethnicity,class,orhistoricalsituationaffectone’sexperienceofserialization?Inthesecondhalfoftheterm,we’ll
turnourattentiontocontemporaryserials,tobechosenbythemembersoftheclass.
Somepossibilities:
x ongoingͲseriescomicbooks
x limitedͲseriesgraphicnovels
x “cellͲphonenovels”composedentirelyoftextmessages
x longͲformtelevision(TheSopranos,TheWire,MadMen,BreakingBad)
x artisticallyunsuccessfullongͲformtelevision(Homelandseasontwo)
x longͲformtelevisionironicallydesignedforbingewatching(HouseofCards)
x synchronousreceptionoflongͲformtelevision(TheTalkingDead)
x episodicvideogames(TelltaleGames’sTheWalkingDead)