The following material is a list of 200-level and higher course descriptions submitted by individual instructors to help students in making their selections. Students wishing further information regarding courses in the department should consult the assigned instructor or Department Chair.
61210 208 Creative Writing TTh 14:00 to 15:15 Mitchell
This course will provide the student with the opportunity to explore--as a creative
writer--the genres of drama, fiction, and poetry. The course will require in-class
writing exercises, in-class discussion and reading of student work, and--of
course-a great deal of out-of-class imaginative writing. Additionally, we will
read some short, published writings in each genre and, when appropriate, view
video performances. Students will regularly complete assignments, and at the
end of the semester, each student will submit a substantial portfolio of his
or her best work.
61210 208 Creative Writing TTh 14:00 to 15:15 Mitchell
This course will provide the student with the opportunity to explore--as a creative
writer--the genres of drama, fiction, and poetry. The course will require in-class
writing exercises, in-class discussion and reading of student work, and--of
course--a great deal of out-of-class imaginative writing. Additionally, we will
read some short, published writings in each genre and, when appropriate, view
video performances. Students will regularly complete assignments, and at the
end of the semester, each student will submit a substantial portfolio of his
or her best work.
61224 255 Introduction to Literature TTh 8:00 to 9:15 Chacon
This course provides an introduction to major literary genres, and is designed
to help students enjoy literature, and read and write thoughtfully. A manageable
reading list will enable us to give critical consideration to the plays, poetry,
and short fiction we study. In addition to active engagement with each piece,
we will explore how basic literary modes and techniques function in the literature.
In pursuing these goals, we will examine both the critical lenses of the authors
and our own. Coursework will include active participation/discussion, written
assignments and an oral project.
61226 255 Introduction to Literature TTh 12:30 to 13:45 Chacon
This course provides an introduction to major literary genres, and is designed
to help students enjoy literature, and read and write thoughtfully. A manageable
reading list will enable us to give critical consideration to the plays, poetry,
and short fiction we study. In addition to active engagement with each piece,
we will explore how basic literary modes and techniques function in the literature.
In pursuing these goals, we will examine both the critical lenses of the authors
and our own. Coursework will include active participation/discussion, written
assignments and an oral project.
61228 255 Introduction to Literature TTh 14:00 to 15:15 Wedin
An intensive introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. Evaluation based on
class participation, three short papers, and a final exam. The text will be
X. J. Kennedy, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama,
3rd Compact Edition.
61248 275 Major American Writers TTh 9:30 to 10:45 Andrews
This is a survey of American literature from the colonial period to the present.
Through poetry, prose, fiction, and drama, the course introduces students to
the range of voices that have filled the continent -- American Indian, European,
African, and Asian. Through our readings we will trace major themes in American
culture through various time periods - nature, family, history, religion, race,
class, gender. We will focus on articulating our personal responses to the things
we read; we will look for connections between these "old" ideas and
American culture today; and we will try to understand the readings within their
own historical and cultural contexts. The course grade will be based on quizzes,
three exams and one short paper.
61252 275 Major American Writers TTh 14:00 to 15:15 Andrews
This is a survey of American literature from the colonial period to the present.
Through poetry, prose, fiction, and drama, the course introduces students to
the range of voices that have filled the continent -- American Indian, European,
African, and Asian. Through our readings we will trace major themes in American
culture through various time periods - nature, family, history, religion, race,
class, gender. We will focus on articulating our personal responses to the things
we read; we will look for connections between these "old" ideas and
American culture today; and we will try to understand the readings within their
own historical and cultural contexts. The course grade will be based on quizzes,
three exams and one short paper.
61246 275 Major American Writers MWF 14:00 to 14:50 Solomon
A survey of American literature from the pre-Columbian and Colonial periods
to the present, this course is designed to introduce you to the cultural and
ideological underpinnings that make the United States such a fascinatingly complex
and even contradictory place. Taking a generalized Cultural Studies approach,
the class will focus on a representative selection of shorter literary works
in order to illustrate some of the many strands of American consciousness and
the ways in which America has come to be the kind of nation that it is today.
There will be a midterm and a final (essay type) and two critical essays.
61258 300 Contemporary Literature TTh 11:00 to 12:15 Arthur
The following is the catalog copy for this course: "Prerequisite: Completion
of the lower-division writing requirement and upper division standing. A study
and analysis of selected major works of fiction, poetry, and drama and major
authors since approximately the end of World War II in England and America.
Not allowed for credit in the English major and minor. Critical writing required.
(Available for General Education, Humanities.)" As you will see from the
texts indicated below, I have selected two representative and important longer
works and a collection of short stories, allowing us to deal with some of the
fiction written during the past fifty years; a collection of poetry by a major
poet, Anne Sexton; and an anthology of scenes from plays. The purpose of this
course is to provide students in general, and prospective teachers in particular
(those enrolled in the PACE section and others as well) with an understanding
of some of the themes, subjects, and techniques reflected in recent American
literature, based on the assumption that literature provides us with some of
whatteachers and the rest of us need to know about our society. Texts: Roger
Ellis, ed. Scenes and Monologs from the Best New Plays; Robert M. Pirsig, Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; Richard Russo, Empire Falls; Anne Sexton,
Transformations; Tobias Wolff, ed The Vintage Book of Contemporary American
Short Stories. Mid-term, Final Exam, quizzes, and two short papers required.
R 300 Contemporary Literature W 18:00 to 20:00 Arthur
The following is the catalog copy for this course: "Prerequisite: Completion
of the lower-division writing requirement and upper division standing. A study
and analysis of selected major works of fiction, poetry, and drama and major
authors since approximately the end of World War II in England and America.
Not allowed for credit in the English major and minor. Critical writing required.
(Available for General Education, Humanities.)" As you will see from the
texts indicated below, I have selected two representative and important longer
works and a collection of short stories, allowing us to deal with some of the
fiction written during the past fifty years; a collection of poetry by a major
poet, Anne Sexton; and an anthology of scenes from plays. The purpose of this
course is to provide students in general, and prospective teachers in particular
(those enrolled in the PACE section and others as well) with an understanding
of some of the themes, subjects, and techniques reflected in recent American
literature, based on the assumption that literature provides us with some of
what teachers and the rest of us need to know about our society. Texts: Roger
Ellis, ed. Scenes and Monologs from the Best New Plays; Robert M. Pirsig, Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; Richard Russo, Empire Falls; Anne Sexton,
Transformations; Tobias Wolff, ed The Vintage Book of Contemporary American
Short Stories. Mid-term, Final Exam, quizzes, and two short papers required.
61262 301 Language and Linguistics TTh 14:00 to 15:15 McClave
A whirlwind tour of the study of human language. Feast on sounds and then tour
the building of words in the world's languages. Explore the mind's patterning
of words into groups and then navigate theories of meaning. Get a close view
of how context can change meaning as part of a conversation cruise. The trip
concludes with a celebration of gender and ethnic dialects of English and language
acquisition fireworks.
Included in the tour package: 2 tests, 1 final, written assignments
What to pack: A sense of humor.
61266 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar MW 14:00 to 15:15 Kleinman
If you speak English, why is it still hard to learn "grammar"? In
this course we will examine grammar as more than just a set of rules which you
have to memorize to produce acceptable speech and writing. We will survey the
ways in which sound and structure work to produce meaning in Standard English,
as well as some non-standard grammatical systems. Using insights from linguistic
theory to arrive at a more sophisticated notion of grammar, we will discuss
the implications of this understanding for English usage and pedagogy.
61270 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar MWF 13:00 to 13:50 Kleinman
If you speak English, why is it still hard to learn "grammar"? In
this course we will examine grammar as more than just a set of rules which you
have to memorize to produce acceptable speech and writing. We will survey the
ways in which sound and structure work to produce meaning in Standard English,
as well as some non-standard grammatical systems. Using insights from linguistic
theory to arrive at a more sophisticated notion of grammar, we will discuss
the implications of this understanding for English usage and pedagogy.
61274 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar TTh 11:00 to 12:15 T. Mathis
The course aims to provide a theoretical and practical knowledge of English
grammar. The goal is to understand the grammatical structures of English and
the meanings of such structures within particular contexts.
61528 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar T 19:00 to 21:30 T. Mathis
The course aims to provide a theoretical and practical knowledge of English
grammar. The goal is to understand the grammatical structures of English and
the meanings of such structures within particular contexts.
61276 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar TTh 11:00 to 12:15 McClave
Ever had the urge to say ain't at a formal dinner? Do you have nightmlares about
relatives (clauses)? Suffering from general grammar angst? Then this is the
course for you! Lose your linguistic inhibitions and enjoy nouns, verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs again with abandon!
Course requirements: a sense of humor, quizzes, and 2 major exams.
61527 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar T 16:20 to 18:50 McClave
Ever had the urge to say ain't at a formal dinner? Do you have nightmlares about
relatives (clauses)? Suffering from general grammar angst? Then this is the
course for you! Lose your linguistic inhibitions and enjoy nouns, verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs again with abandon!
Course requirements: a sense of humor, quizzes, and 2 major exams.
R 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar W 18:00 to 20:00 Noguchi
A course that focuses on the most useful aspects of traditional, structural,
and generative-transformational approaches to grammar. The course will examine
the nature of grammar and grammatical study and offer some pedagogical applications
to the teaching of English and the language arts.
R 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar W 20:00 to 22:00 Noguchi
A course that focuses on the most useful aspects of traditional, structural,
and generative-transformational approaches to grammar. The course will examine
the nature of grammar and grammatical study and offer some pedagogical applications
to the teaching of English and the language arts.
61905 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar M13:00 to 16:00 This class acquaints
the student with knowledge of the sounds, the structure, the systematic nature
of the words and sentences of American English. It defines and then applies
common grammatical terms to selected texts, the student hopefully extending
this knowledge to classroom teaching. Selected readings include a look at grammar
in the classroom, an examination of cohesion and coherence in paragraphs, and
a look at a broader concept of literacy. D. Rankin
61910 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar T13:00 to 16:00 This class acquaints
the student with knowledge of the sounds, the structure, the systematic nature
of the words and sentences of American English. It defines and then applies
common grammatical terms to selected texts, the student hopefully extending
this knowledge to classroom teaching. Selected readings include a look at grammar
in the classroom, an examination of cohesion and coherence in paragraphs, and
a look at a broader concept of literacy. D. Rankin
61543 310 Playwriting TTh 11:00 to 12:15 Mitchell
This course will enable the student to explore the unique challenges of writing
for performance. In addition to reading a few performance texts, discussing
dramatic structure, viewing performances, and examining some basic aspects of
acting and directing (with which the playwright should be familiar), the student
will complete various writing exercises. The course will also include limited
discussion of writing for solo performance (including stand-up comedy) and,
if time permits, film. "Workshopping" of student material, a central
component of the course, will include peer feedback from small groups as well
as from the class, which will occasionally view script-in-hand performances
of student works-in-progress. Towards the end of the semester, each student
will present a rehearsed performance (of approximately eight to ten minutes)
of his or her work. The student will have the option of presenting a staged-reading
(with actors holding and acting out scripts) in front of the general public
as part of the Northridge Playwrights Workshop. (Last semester, student plays
were presented at the Road Theater Company, Lankershim Arts Center in North
Hollywood.) Additionally, the student will hand-in several assignments and a
final portfolio, and we will try to attend at least one play.
61543 310 Playwriting TTh 11:00 to 12:15 Mitchell
This course will enable the student to explore the unique challenges of writing
for performance. In addition to reading a few performance texts, discussing
dramatic structure, viewing performances, and examining some basic aspects of
acting and directing (with which the playwright should be familiar), the student
will complete various writing exercises. The course will also include limited
discussion of writing for solo performance (including stand-up comedy) and,
if time permits, film. "Workshopping" of student material, a central
component of the course, will include peer feedback from small groups as well
as from the class, which will occasionally view script-in-hand performances
of student works-in-progress. Towards the end of the semester, each student
will present a rehearsed performance (of approximately eight to ten minutes)
of his or her work. The student will have the option of presenting a staged-reading
(with actors holding and acting out scripts) in front of the general public
as part of the Northridge Playwrights Workshop. Additionally, the student will
hand-in several assignments and a final portfolio, and we will try to attend
at least one play.
61608 311 History of African American Writing TTh 9:30 to 10:45 In this
survey course, we will study African American Literature from a historical perspective.
A manageable reading list will enable us to give critical consideration to the
novels, autobiographies, essays, poems and short fiction we study. In addition
to exploring the major themes, genres and movements in African American literary
tradition, we will consider rhetorical purpose and strategy. We will also examine
the different places and spaces that African American authors have portrayed
and created. Coursework will include active participation/discussion, written
assignments and an oral project. Chacon
61616 313 Studies in Popular Culture MWF 13:00 to 13:50 Solomon
Studies in Popular Culture is a course that carries credit as an elective for
English majors and Section E credit for General Education. Designed especially
for students who may want to enter the fields of entertainment or advertising,
or for future teachers who may want to use popular culture in their classrooms,
this course will critique the products of American popular culture as signs
of larger cultural forces and realities. Employing a semiotic methodology, students
will interpret such popular cultural subjects as the movies, television, and
advertising, as well as the galaxy of products Americans commonly consume. The
textbooks for the class will include Roland Barthes' "Mythologies"
and Jack Solomon's and Sonia Maasik's "Signs of Life in the USA."
Students will participate in a group presentation on a popular cultural topic
and will satisfy the 2500 word General Education writing requirement through
the writing of two critical essays and a final exam.
61620 314 American Indian Literature TTh 11:00 to 12:15 Andrews
This course introduces students to a wide range of themes and genres within
American Indian literature: the oral tradition and tribal stories of creation,
tricksters, and heroes; biographies of witnesses to the conflicts between Euro-Americans
and American Indians; and poetry and fiction by Indians living in the 20th and
21st centuries. Among the modern authors covered will be Leslie Marmon Silko,
Louise Erdrich, and Sherman Alexie. American Indian literature is often times
challenging because it presents a perspective - on nature, on human relations,
on American history, on a sense of the sacred - radically different from mainstream
America's. As we seek to understand what we read in class, we will explore our
own perspectives and beliefs. The course grade will be based on two exams and
two critical papers.
61626 316 Shakespeare TTh 11:00 to 12:15 J. Kahan
Born in the tiny market town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare quickly came
to be known as the finest playwright of his day. Subsequent generations have
read, performed and studied his works. Today, Shakespeare is a worldwide literary
phenomenon and cultural icon. But the most famous playwright in the English
language is also the most controversial: Does Shakespeare deserve his revered
status? Do his works express the human condition or do his works actively block
the possibility of social change? Is a Shakespeare an enlightened humanist,
seeking and expressing the best of humanity, or is he a racist and a misogynist?
Are his works closeted biographies, philosophical explorations, or cheap pornography?
This course is designed to introduce the student to a selection of Shakespeare's
works and many of the often contentious issues regarding his celebrity.
This course attempts to talk about the plays, but also concerns itself with
an investigation of a wide range of social texts and practices against which
we can assess, differentiate, and specify the function of dramatic presentations.
In all these regards, it will offer a counterpractice to the usually predominating
Bardology in the teaching Shakespeare.
The purposes of this course are:
1. To re examine the cultural force of Shakespeare on his own and subsequent
generations.
2. To expose the student to many of Shakespeare's dramatic themes and conventions.
3. To familiarize the student with London theater and other forms of entertainment.
4. To introduce the student to various critical tools used to examine these
texts.
Procedures
Following the university's goal of fostering a greater sense of competence among
students, I propose transforming traditionally Exclusive elements of the course
to an Inclusive dynamic. Rather than simply lecture and then question the student,
a methodology that presupposes that the instructor is the sole purveyor of knowledge,
the class will focus on relating knowledge to previous life experiences, and
engage the student in constructing opinions on the materials.
61628 316 Shakespeare TTh 14:00 to 15:15 J. Kahan
Born in the tiny market town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare quickly came
to be known as the finest playwright of his day. Subsequent generations have
read, performed and studied his works. Today, Shakespeare is a worldwide literary
phenomenon and cultural icon. But the most famous playwright in the English
language is also the most controversial: Does Shakespeare deserve his revered
status? Do his works express the human condition or do his works actively block
the possibility of social change? Is a Shakespeare an enlightened humanist,
seeking and expressing the best of humanity, or is he a racist and a misogynist?
Are his works closeted biographies, philosophical explorations, or cheap pornography?
This course is designed to introduce the student to a selection of Shakespeare's
works and many of the often contentious issues regarding his celebrity.
This course attempts to talk about the plays, but also concerns itself with
an investigation of a wide range of social texts and practices against which
we can assess, differentiate, and specify the function of dramatic presentations.
In all these regards, it will offer a counterpractice to the usually predominating
Bardology in the teaching Shakespeare.
The purposes of this course are:
1. To re examine the cultural force of Shakespeare on his own and subsequent
generations.
2. To expose the student to many of Shakespeare's dramatic themes and conventions.
3. To familiarize the student with London theater and other forms of entertainment.
4. To introduce the student to various critical tools used to examine these
texts.
Procedures
Following the university's goal of fostering a greater sense of competence among
students, I propose transforming traditionally Exclusive elements of the course
to an Inclusive dynamic. Rather than simply lecture and then question the student,
a methodology that presupposes that the instructor is the sole purveyor of knowledge,
the class will focus on relating knowledge to previous life experiences, and
engage the student in constructing opinions on the materials.
61622 316 Shakespeare F 14:00 to 15:15 Reid
We will discuss six or so plays in terms of what Shakespeare may arguably have
been saying that still relates to us now. Two exams, possibly a few spot quizzes,
and other brief writings. I use + or - for grading.
61630 355 Writing about Literature MWF 10:00 to 10:50 Kessler
Students will study the literary genres with some focus on literary theories
and styles to provide a basis for analysis. Students will be required to write
three major essays and one-page analytical papers on various assigned readings.
Students will also be required to give one oral presentation and take a final
exam. Students should be prepared to participate in clas discussion of each
assigned work.
61644 364 The Short Story TTh 12:30 to 13:50 Wedin
This class, an analytical approach to short fiction, will focus on an intensive
study of selected short stories from the 19th and 20th centuries. Evaluation
will be based on class participation, two in-class essay exams, and an original
short story. The text will be X. J. Kennedy, Introduction to Fiction,
8th Edition.
61551 400 History of the English Language M 16:20 to 18:50 Kleinman
In this course we will trace the history of English pronunciation, grammar,
and writing, as well as the ways in which the English language has interacted
with social and literary history. We will focus on both the theoretical concepts
of English historical linguistics and the practical analysis of English literary
texts to explore the ways in which dialectal distinctions and notions of correctness
have affected people's perceptions of themselves and of others, and continue
to do so today. In studying the ways in which English and attitudes towards
language have changed over time, we will learn to read older and more recent
literature in a more informed way, enhancing our understanding and appreciation
of English as a medium of communication and a vehicle for literary expression.
61533 405 Language Differences and Language Change T 19:00 to 22:00 Noguchi
Language Differences and Language Change
61555 408 Advanced Narrative Writing Th 16:20 to 19:00 Haake
English 408 in an advanced class in the theory and practice of narrative prose.
Students will complete weekly reading and writing assignments, including some
directed exercises and a finished short story. Class will consist of intensive
work in small groups, whole class workshop, and some lecture. Additional assignments
will include critical writing, journal, and mid/term exam. Grading based on
overall performance.
61965 428 Children's Literature W 19:00 to 22:00 D. Rankin
This class includes a look at the history of children's literature and its changes
in both form and content. It provides a theoretical framework for teachers,
for parents, for children looking at literature. Specific works selected target
early learners through middle school. Interpretation of selected fiction and
nonfiction includes not only classroom discussion and individual essays but
also collaborative learning, both oral and written.
61686 436 Major Critical Theories MW 14:00 to 15:15 Chatterjee
In analyzing the complex interactions among readers, writers, and texts, various
theories of literature engage in debates about literature's status and value,
and the nature of reading and interpretation. These critical theories wrestle
with such questions as: What assumptions do we bring to our reading? What ideologies
(gendered, racial, sexual) enable our act of reading? What is the relationship
between reading and interpretation? How do the desires of the reader affect
the reading process? In this course, we will explore these and other questions
about the activity of reading through a study of the major texts of literary
criticism from Plato to the present. Unlike in your other English literature
courses, you will spend the majority of this course reading theory. Course requirements
include a few short assignments, a midterm, 1 paper, and a comprehensive final
exam.
61564 436 Major Critical Theories W 19:00 to 22:00 Solomon
A broad survey of the genealogy and descent of literary theory. Beginning in
Greece, where literary and political theory were two branches of the same tree,
and ending in contemporary America, where, once again, literature and politics
have been wed, our course will take us through a long parade of classical, neoclassical,
romantic, formalistic, structural, poststructural, historicist, and feminist
discourses. There will be a midterm, a final, and a critical essay.
61694 458 The Romantic Age MWF 13:00 to 13:50 Chatterjee
The period from the last two decades of the 18th century and the first three
decades of the 19th century (1780-1830) is known as the British Romantic era
and is generally regarded as the age of poetry, predominantly that of the "big
six" (Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, and Byron). However, the
British Romantic period is currently undergoing a reexamination in light of
the increasing awareness of the other work produced in that time. There is a
recognition that both men and women from the lower-class, middle-class, and
aristocracy wrote in a variety of genres about subjects ranging from aesthetic
and literary concerns to political issues, especially the French Revolution,
the democratic rights of men, the necessity for women's rights, British imperialistic
activities abroad, and the slave trade.
In this course we will study the various political writers, poets, and novelists
associated with the British Romantic Era (1790-1830). Through our focus on the
"big six" poets we will reconsider the thematic and aesthetic boundaries and
concerns of this period. We will study these writers in their literary and historical
contexts, as well as from the perspective of current critical scholarship. Course
requirements include 1 short paper, a midterm, 1 longer research paper, and
a comprehensive final exam.
61567 461 Modern British Literature W 19:00 to 22:00 Wedin
A survey of the major figures and forces in 20th-century British literature.
Works by Conrad, Yeats, Joyce, Ford, Lawrence, Woolf, Forster, and others will
be covered in depth and detail. Evaluation based on class participation, a midterm
and final paper, and occasional quizzes.
61696 465 Theories of Fiction TTh 14:00 to 15:15 Haake
English 465 is an advanced course in theories of fiction as they may be framed
from the perspective of practicing writers. One important goal of the class
will be to create an informed community of writers to support the individual
working writer. To do so, we will explore a variety of critical ways to approach
by the reading and writing of fiction, even as we attempt to see how these approaches
may inform our own work. Assignments will include the reading, application,
and practice of theory, fiction, and writing itself. Grading based on overall
performance.
61570 473 American Literature 1607-1860 T 16:20 to 18:50 Kessler
This is an upper division American Literature that focuses on the writings of
individuals from 1607 to 1860 with a primary focus on identity. We will trace
the development of individuals from their sense of being British citizens living
in the New World to Americans. We will look at the evolution of religion, politics,
gender roles, and literary styles through the various genres. Course requirements
for this class include two major essays, one oral presentation, ten one-page
position papers, a research paper and a final exam. Students should be prepared
to participate in class discussion of each assigned work.
61571 487 Latino/a Literature of the Americas Th 19:00 to 22:00 Kessler
This class looks at works that have become "classic" Chicano novels
and moves to works by California and Latin American writers. We will focus on
the importance of family and how men and women assume traditional roles, how
they depart from those roles, and how they deal with the conflicts involved
in their acculturation to American values and standards. Course requirements
include the following: ten one-page position papers, an ethnography, one oral
presentation, two major essays, and a final exam. Students should be prepared
to participate in class discussion of each assigned work.
61572 495AI American Indian Literature: Colonialism and Postcolonialism
W 16:20 to 18:50 Andrews
This course will introduce students to some key concepts of colonialism and
postcolonialism as they are demonstrated in American Indian literature of the
20th century. In addition, the course will cover basic concepts essential to
reading and interpretting American Indian literature in general. A partial list
of readings for the course: Luther Standing Bear's My People the Sioux (autobiography);
D'Arcy McNickle's Wind from an Enemy Sky (novel); Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony
(novel); Louise Erdrich's Tracks (novel); and Laura Tohe's No Parole Today (poetry).
The grade will consist of participation, short written assignments, and a research
project of 15-20 pages.
61574 495MIL Meaning In Literature M 19:00 to 22:00 Reid
From the beginning, literature is said to consist of "delight and instruction."
Over time, "delight" has fallen largely to speech-drama. "Instruction,"
while it has stayed with literature, has often become either didacticism or
"scientism." This class proposes to avoid both the pure prescriptive
and the pure descriptive and concentrate upon the literary. Half the
time we will read & discuss literature, and half the time consider the meaning
of literary meaning. The term grade will be based on class participation plus
a relevant, senior-level term paper. I use + and - in grading.
61576 608 Graduate Seminar in Narrative Writing Th19:00 to 22:00 Haake
English 608 is a graduate level seminar in the theory and practice of narrative
prose. One important goal of the class will be to create an informed community
of writers to support the individual working writer. Toward this end, students
will be expected to do intensive work in reading, as well as in writing. Additional
assignments will include critical writing, journal, and mid/term exam. Grading
based on overall performance.
61577 612 Stylistics M 19:00 to 22:00 Noguchi
A graduate-level course in the theory and practice of stylistics. The course
will focus on the various manifestations of stylistic choice in language in
both literary and nonliterary texts and explore how style in language can help
convey, reinforce, conceal, or subvert meaning. The general aim is to gain a
fuller understanding and appreciation of the intricate relationship between
language form and discourse meaning. The course is especially designed for students
in the three options of the M.A. Program in English (i.e., Literature, Composition
& Rhetoric, and Creative Writing) and for anyone with a special interest
in style in language. English 604 Studies in the English Language or an equivalent
course in general linguistics is recommended but not required.
61578 620M Seminar in Individual Authors: W. B. Yeats T 19:00 to 22:00
Wedin
This seminar will present an intensive and extensive study of Yeats's poetry,
drama, and selected prose. Official texts for the class will be The Collected
Poems of W. B. Yeats, 2nd Revised Edition, Mythologies, and A
Reader's Guide to William Butler Yeats by John Unterecker. Additional material
will include a selection of Yeats plays and A Vision. In the seminar
we will examine Yeats's interest in and use of French Symbolist poetry, Imagism,
Irish myth and folklore, and the apocalyptic imagery of the Tarot, the Hermetic
Students of the Golden Dawn, and other occult systems. Course work will include
class discussion, reports, a background paper, and a twenty-five page seminar
paper.
61582 630VS Victorian Sexualities W 19:00 to 22:00 D. Hall
This seminar covers a range of theoretical materials related to Victorian sexuality,
as well as novels and poetry that reveal Victorian beliefs regarding sexuality.
Theory texts include Foucault's History of Sexuality, Vol. 1, Bristow's
Sexuality, and my new manuscript Queer Theories. Narrative works
include Eliot's Adam Bede, Stoker's Dracula, Wilde's Teleny,
and the autobiographical work My Secret Life. We will also use a poetry
anthology. Course requirements include an in-class presentation and response,
and a 20 page research paper, using relevant theory. Please note that some texts
required in the class contain explicit sexual content.
61583 638 Seminar in Critical Approaches to Literature T 16:20 to 18:50
Chatterjee
This course will introduce you to various schools of literary and critical theory.
Critical theories analyze the complex interconnections among readers, writers,
and texts. These critical theories wrestle with such questions as: What assumptions
do we bring to our reading? What ideologies (gendered, racial, sexual) enable
our act of reading? What is the relationship between reading and interpretation?
Can a text be any set of signs that can be read such as bodies, advertisements,
and films in addition to novels and critical essays? How do the desires of the
reader affect the reading process? Through our reading of various "classic"
and contemporary works from Anglo-European philosophers, theorists, linguists,
literary critics, and other cultural thinkers, we will explore these and other
questions about the activity of reading. Our particular focus will be the various
intersections of political and erotic desires as they emerge in specific critical
readings of texts.
Unlike in your other English literature courses, you will spend the majority
of this course reading theory. We will read some novels and poetry, and see
some films but only to examine what an application and awareness of a particular
school of critical theory can bring to our understanding of a text, literary
or otherwise. Course requirements include 1 take-home midterm exam 20%, 1
20 minute oral presentation in-class 20%, and 1 Research paper 60% (Paper
50% + annotated bibliography 10%).
61584 652 Creative Writing Studies W 16:20 to 18:50 Mitchell
Description to come.
61584 652 Creative Writing Studies W 16:20 to 18:50 Mitchell
As creative writers we work within or against, or, quite often--both within
and against--dominant traditions and ideologies, whether or not we're conscious
of this. Throughout the semester we will examine the implications of various
aesthetic choices through explorations of literature, theory, performance, and--importantly--our
own writing. In addition to completing writing exercises, each student will
write short responses to the theoretical readings, give a presentation, and
complete a longer project that will require both imaginative and theoretical
writing (or some combination thereof). While we will cover, directly and indirectly,
various areas of imaginative writing--including drama/performance, fiction,
poetry, creative non-fiction, and (experimental) ethnography--the course will
feature a special emphasis on performativity, an increasingly important aspect
of writing that the writer can foreground (if desired) within every genre of
creative writing. Additionally, the course will include some discussion of professional
concerns, such as publication and teaching. Readings will include works by Bertolt
Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Judith Butler, Georges Bataille, Charles Bernstein,
Caryl Churchill, Gertrude Stein, Sergei Eisenstein, and others.
61584 652 Creative Writing Studies W 16:20 to 18:50 Mitchell
As creative writers we work within or against, or, quite often--both within
and against--dominant traditions and ideologies, whether or not we're conscious
of this. Throughout the semester we will examine the implications of various
aesthetic choices through explorations of literature, theory, performance, and--importantly--our
own writing. In addition to completing writing exercises, each student will
write short responses to the theoretical readings, give a presentation, and
complete a longer project that will require both imaginative and theoretical
writing (or some combination thereof). While we will cover, directly and indirectly,
various areas of imaginative writing--including drama/performance, fiction,
poetry, creative non-fiction, and (experimental) ethnography--the course will
feature a special emphasis on performativity, an increasingly important aspect
of writing that the writer can foreground (if desired) within every genre of
creative writing. Additionally, the course will include some discussion of professional
concerns, such as publication and teaching. Readings will include works by Bertolt
Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Judith Butler, Georges Bataille, Charles Bernstein,
Caryl Churchill, Gertrude Stein, Sergei Eisenstein, and others.