Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages
Upcoming Courses
Spring Semester 2010 English Humanities core-course offerings Prerequisites: 6 hours English or instructor permission
Gods and Monsters ENGL 2321.01, .02: British Literature Do the gods curse us with monsters? Or do we create them? To answer these questions, we’ll read stories about some of the most famous monsters in all literature—Grendel, Caliban, Frankenstein’s Creature, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde—as well as the gods and men who try to control them. Section 2321.01 – MW 11:00-11:50 a.m., F 10:00-10:50 a.m.; Section 2321.02 – MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m.; Instructor; Smith. Reading Women Writers 2321.03: British Literature Despite their contemporary advancements, women writers have been, and continue to be underrepresented and underappreciated. This course explores writing by women from Medieval times to the Modern Period, and takes up particularly their interest in issues of gender and sexuality. TTh: 10:30-11:45 a.m.; Instructor: Wilcox.
The Crusades 2321.04: British Literature. Learn the history of one of the most profoundly influential series of wars in Western civilization. We will read medieval literature of the crusades, both historical “chronicles” and fictional narratives. MW: 9:30-10:45 a.m.; Instructor: Wilcox.
Shakespeare for Beginners ENGL 2321.05: British Literature. This course teaches students how to read, appreciate, and enjoy Shakespeare's plays. We will discuss what makes Shakespeare such an important, highly-regarded writer. We will also pay special attention to recent film versions of his plays. TTh: 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Instructor: Doty.
Reading the Romance ENGL 2341.01, 02: Introduction to Literature. Love stories underpin all great literature. We examine the role of love stories in international narratives, considering how it forms a site of resistance – where social conventions are strategically overturned and critiqued. Works include Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, Love in the Time of Cholera, film and Harlequin-style romances. Section 2341.01 – MW: 9:30-10:45 a.m.; Section 2341.02 – MW: 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Instructor: Roos.
American Gangsters: Film Adaptations of American Literature ENGL 2343: Literature & Ideas “You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot further with a smile and a gun”— Al Capone. This course will view films adapted from a variety of American novelists including Dashiell Hammett, Truman Capote, Mario Puzo, Elmore Leonard, and Cormac McCarthy. M 6:00-8:40 p.m.; Instructor: Tyrer.
English 3000-/4000-level offerings Prerequisites: 6 hours English or instructor permission
ENGL 3311: Language Structure Language makes us, us. To understand language structure is to understand the foundation of the human condition. From sounds (phonology) to words (morphology) to sentences (syntax) to speeches (discourse), linguistics illuminates the basic components of language and the fundamental behavior of humanity itself. TTh: 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Instructor: Jacobsen.
ENGL 3312: History of the English Language Do you know where your words come from? Find out by exploring the history of the English language. From its Anglo-Saxon roots to its current collage of influences, English has adapted to numerous influences to become the most spoken language on Earth, comprising twenty-five percent of the global population. TTh: 9:00-10:15 a.m.; Instructor: Jacobsen.
Postcolonialism to Globalism ENGL 3332: Modern Novel We will explore some of the greatest contemporary international novels as they reveal the marginalization that is often the cost of resistance in an increasingly nationalized and globalized world. Works include Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, Keri Hulme’s Bone People and Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera. MW: 1:00-2:15 p.m.; Instructor Roos.
Dirty Little Secrets ENGL 3352: English Literature Since 1800 Take a tour through the seamy underbelly of British literature and encounter mystery, corruption, murder and sex. Primary authors will include Lord Byron, Wilkie Collins, Ford Madox Ford, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and William Wordsworth. MW: 1:00-2:15 p.m.; Instructor: Severn.
Forging a National Voice English 3360: American Literature before 1865 We’ll focus on how a young nation emerged from the 18th century and looked not only for political but literary and cultural independence through the forging of a national literature. Authors include Franklin, Cooper, Irving, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville. MW 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Instructor: MacDonald.
ENGL 3380: Literary Analysis Required of all English majors, this introductory analysis course will explore the basic concepts underlying contemporary approaches to literature and the major differences between them. Study will include close readings of primary texts. MW: 9:30-10:45 a.m.; Instructor: Tyrer.
ENGL 4301: Advanced Composition Does your writing leave your reader feeling dull and flat? Is your writing competent yet leaden, serviceable yet uninspired? Do you write what you intend, to whom you intend to write it with clarity and vigor? This portfolio class will help you discover practical techniques with which to “get the lead out.” MW: 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; Instructor: Trela.
Documents as Performance ENGL 4305: Advanced Topics In Technical Communication Learn more about the conventions and implications of laws and policies that shape the way we understand education, language, immigration and other pressing issues of today. Primary documents will include, among many others, No Child Left Behind, The English Language Unity Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act. MW 1-2:15 p.m.; Instructor: Walls.
ENGL 4310: Advanced Grammar Grammar, the rules in your mind that make you capable of an infinite number of new sentences—literally without thinking about it—offers a puzzle as challenging as anything your iPhone has an app for. Try the puzzle underlying the most habitual activity you don’t even know you’re doing. MW: 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; Instructor: Jacobsen.
ENGL 4351: Works of Geoffrey Chaucer This course investigates the range of works produced by Geoffrey Chaucer, emphasizing particularly The Canterbury Tales. TTh: 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Instructor: Wilcox.
ENGL 4353: Shakespeare, Later Plays This course offers in-depth readings of Shakespeare's great tragic period and his experiments in new dramatic forms ("problem comedy" and "romance"). Specific themes we will investigate include: how Shakespeare characterizes public and private identities; his representation of self-knowledge; metadrama and theatricality; and how he induces critical thinking in audiences. TTh: 10:30-11:45 a.m.; Instructor: Doty.
