Summer 2005 Course Descriptions

• Maymester,
• Summer I, and
• Summer II.

MAYMESTER

ENGL 431M-001 CHILDREN'S LITERATURE M-F 11:00-1:45 JOHNSON

This course, most appropriately, would be titled AMulticultural American Children=s Literature.@ It will begin with an examination of L. Frank Baum=s The Wizard of Oz, published at the turn of the century, and will go on to examine other texts which are in some way related to central ideas of and about America and Americans. In the second half of the course, we will read books by and about Asian, African, Hispanic, Native, and other Americans.

ENGL 439M-001 COMICS AND CONTEMPORARY MYTH M-F 1:00-1:45 WHITTED

Too often dismissed as junk food for the brain, comics allow general readers and academic scholars alike to explore elements of storytelling through the dynamic fusion of sequential art and writing. This course uses Neil Gaiman's award-winning series, "The Sandman," to study the genre's provocative modern revisions of ancient mythology and folklore, while scrutinizing the value of comics as a form of artistic expression. With the help of Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" and other recent critical scholarship, we will briefly examine the significance of comics and graphic novels as a medium with a unique vocabulary, grammar, and range of styles. Next we will take a closer look at how Gaiman uses these elements to manipulate mythic structures in at least three collections of "The Sandman" series, including Volume 4, "A Season of Mists." Along with our study of Gaiman's work, students will also have the chance to investigate an additional comic of their choice. Grades will be determined by class participation, reading quizzes, a creative project with both a written and an oral component, and a final exam.

ENGL 439M-002 BOB MARLEY: LYRICAL GENIUS M-F 8:00-10:45 DAWES

Using the lyrics of Bob Marley, video footage, and several texts that engage with Marley the artist and figure, along with close analysis of his music paying attention to issues of politics, religion, race, sexuality and identity, this course will introduce students to one of the most important musical icons of the twentieth century. The course will combine lecture, discussion and an innovative journaling system to connect students with the music of Bob Marley.

ENGL 566/WOST 566M SEX, SOCIETY, & GENDER IN FILM M-F 11:00-1:45 MADDEN

In this class we will explore various ways that films construct narratives of gender identity and sexual identityBthe ways that movies exemplify cultural narratives and images of how we become and how we live as sexed and gendered beings. We will also look at how certain films interrogate or examine constructions of gender and sexuality, especially etiological, developmental, and teleological narratives of gender and sexual identityBsuch as the oedipal and romance plots. Readings and films include The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, Fay Weldon, Myra Breckinridge, Gore Vidal, Father of Frankenstein, Christopher Bram, Shane, Jack Schaefer, and a course packet of readings in gender and film theory. Grades will be based on response papers (on films and readings), a short memoir, a group presentation, class work and participation, and a final paper (6-8 pages). Graduate students will be expected to write a longer and more substantive final research paper (8-12 pages) and read 3-5 additional theoretical essays.

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SUMMER I

ENGL 282-001 FICTION M-TH 1:00-3:15 FOX

Fiction from several countries and historical periods, illustrating the nature of the genre. For more information, contact the instructor.

ENGL 285-001 THEMES IN AMERICAN WRIT. M-TH 8:00-10:15 GREER

(Designed for Non-majors)
Reading a variety of American texts that exemplify persistent themes of American culture. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL 285-002 THEMES IN AMERICAN WRITING M-TH 10:30-12:45 ELLIOTT

(Designed for Non-majors)
Reading a variety of American texts that exemplify persistent themes of American culture. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL 287 Is Required for English Majors

ENGL 287-001 AMERICAN LITERATURE M-TH 10:30-12:45 FORTER

This course is a survey of American literature from the Puritans to the 20th century. In order to make this historical sweep manageable, we will examine this literature through the lens of a common theme: the theme of freedom and constraint. Some of the questions I hope to encourage are: what are the versions of freedom that our imaginative writers offer? What kinds of forces constrain freedom*what, that is, prevents us from being free, and do these authors imagine these constraints to be surmountable? How do the authors reconcile the idea of America as "land of the free" with the persistent facts of unfreedom*institutionalized sexism, for example, or slavery? What happens to the concept of freedom when African American authors write about it? How do their visions differ from those of Anglo-American writers? How do women writers imagine the meaning of being free, and how is this connected to the questions of sexual, economic, and social independence? Finally, the course will examine the relationship between freedom and literary form: do certain kinds of writing*certain styles and narrative techniques*encourage freedom, while others counsel submission or despair? TEXTS: K. Chopin, The Awakening; F. Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas; N. Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance; Z. N. Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God; M. Rowlandson, Narrative of Captivity; M. Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; W. Whitman, Song of Myself; short poems and/or essays by L. Hughes, J. Baldwin, T. S. Eliot, W. Stevens, W. C. Williams.

ENGL 380-001 EPIC TO ROMANCE M-TH 10:30-12:45 GWARA

A study of major works of epic and romance expressive of heroism, love, civilization, irrationality and Christian philosophy. Texts include Homer=s Iliad, Ovid=s Metamorphoses, Beowulf, Chrétien de Troyes= Knight of the Cart (King Arthur), Njal=s Saga (medieval Scandinavian), Chaucer=s Troilus and Criseyde, with secondary readings assigned.

ENGL 427-001 SOUTHERN LITERATURE M-TH 1:00-3:15 BUTTERWORTH

A study of major Southern authors of the 19th and 20th centuries: Poe, Twain, Chopin, Ransom, Tate, Warren, Faulkner, Hurston, O=Connor, Percy. Lecture discussion. 2 critical papers (1000-1500 words). Pop tests. 2 hour examination. Texts: Poe: Poetry, Tales and Essays; Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Chopin: The Awakening; Pratt: The Fugitive Poets; Faulkner, Sanctuary; Hurston: Their Eyes Were Watching God; O=Connor: Wise Blood; Percy: The Moviegoer.

ENGL 428-001 AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE M-TH 8:00-10:15 DAWES

A close textual study of the works of the major African American authors of the last fifty years with close attention to recent African American writers. It will include writers like Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neal Hurtson, Jean Toomer, James Baldwin and others. Evaluation: Three essays, one research paper, in class presentations and a final exam. TEXT: Norton Anthology of African American Writers, ed., Henry Louis Gates.

ENGL 432-001 ADOLESCENT LITERATURE M-TH 10:30-12:45 JOHNSON

The subject matter of this course is contemporary American young adult literature. Students will examine texts which are in some way related to central ideas about America and Americans of various backgrounds and experiences. Discussion topics will include the meaning of literary excellence in the YA literature world, the politics of the children's book publishing industry, and current issues and controversies in the field, including awards, censorship, gender, authorship, and race.

ENGL 457-001 AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENGLISH M-TH 1:00-3:15 WELDON

This course is designed to introduce students to the structure, history, and use of the distinctive varieties of English used by and among many African Americans in the u.s. In this course, we will examine some of the linguistic features that distinguish African-American English (aae) from other varieties of American English. We will consider theories regarding the history and emergence of aae. We will look at the representation of aae in literature. We will examine the structure and function of various expressive speech events in the African-American speech community. And we will consider attitudinal issues regarding the use of aae, especially as they relate to education and the acquisition of Standard English.

ENGL 463-001 BUSINESS WRITING M-TH 1:00-3:15 WATSON

Extensive practice in different types of business writing, from brief letters to formal articles and reports. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL E463-300 BUSINESS WRITING M-TH 6:00-8:15 STAFF

Extensive practice in different types of business writing, from brief letters to formal articles and reports. For more information, please contact the instructor.

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SUMMER II

ENGL 270/CPLT 270 WORLD LITERATURE M-TH 1:00-3:15 AL-HAMID

This course will explore World Literature masterpieces. A wide range of literatures and cultures will be represented. Specifically, the course will introduce students to World literary texts selected from the ancient writers to the contemporary ones. The cultural, historical and literary contexts in which the works were created will be discussed through lectures, films, theatre pieces, short trips, and museum visits. Students will be encouraged to use a comparative approach when analyzing literary texts. We will start our exploration with the Middle East (The Arab World, Turkey and Iran), then move on to Africa, and from there travel to Asia (India, China and Japan). Next, we will explore literature of Europe, then visit South America, ending the semester in North America. Readings and discussions will be focused on major works in prose and verse. Here are several examples: Homer=s The Iliad and The Odyssey, Plato=s The Symposium, Aristotle=s Poetics (Greek), Li Po=s and Tu Fu=s Poems (Chinese), Dante=s The Divine Comedy, Petrarch=s Rime sparse (Scattered Lyrics) (Italian), Basho=s The Narrow Road of the Interior (Japanese), Gibran Khalil Gibran=s (Gubran Khalil Gubran) The Prophet, Nagib Mahfuz=s Zaabalawi, (Arabic), Omar Khayyam=s Rubaiyyat, Jalalodin Rumi=s Mathnawi-i- Manawi (Persian), Mirabai=s Life without Hari is no life (Indian), Baudelaire=s The Flowers of Evil (French), Goethe=s Faust (German), Nazim Hikmet=s On Victory (Turkey), Pablo Neruda=s Twenty Love Poems (South America), T. S. Eliot=s The Waste Land (North America). All readings will be in English and will be from the Norton Anthology. This course is a prerequisite for the major and minor in Comparative Literature. Text: The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Expanded Edition, Volume 1 & 2, 1995. Norton. Requirements: Attendance and Participation, 10 %; Scheduled Quizzes, 10 %; 5-6 page Paper, 20 %; Oral Presentation, 20 %; NO Mid-term. Final Exam, 40%.

ENGL 282-001 FICTION M-TH 1:00-3:15 STAFF

Fiction from several countries and historical periods, illustrating the nature of the genre. For more information, contact the instructor.

ENGL 285-001 THEMES IN AMERICAN WRITING M-TH 10:30-12:45 STEELE

(Designed for Non-majors)
This course will examine the ways that American Literature comes to terms with questions of history and memory. There will be a midterm, a final, and a short critical paper.

ENGL 285-002 THEMES IN AMERICAN WRITING M-TH 8:00-10:15 STAFF

(Designed for Non-majors)
Reading a variety of American texts that exemplify persistent themes of American culture. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL 289 Is Required for English Majors

ENGL 289-001 ENGLISH LITERATURE II M-TH 1:00-3:15 RICE

A survey of the major authors of British literature of the Romantic era, the Victorian period, and the twentieth century. Papers: 2, a diagnostic essay (c. 3 pp) and a critical essay (c. 6 pp). QUIZZES: possible. EXAMS: 3 (essay, short answer, identification format). TEXTS: Norton Anthology of British Literature, volume II.

ENGL 405-001 SHAKESPEARE=S TRAGEDIES M-TH 10:30-12:45 GIESKES
We will read a representative selection of Shakespeare's comedies and histories while placing the plays into their dramatic and historical contexts. Our intent will be to read the plays closely as literature-objects of verbal art-and as playtexts-scripts for theatrical production. In addition we will attempt to situate Shakespeare's plays in the context in which they were produced: early modern London. Plays likely to include: As You Like It, Midsummer Night's Dream, Measure for Measure, Richard III, Richard II, 1 Henry IV, and Henry V. We will also read extensive selections from McDonald's Companion to Shakespeare. REQUIREMENTS: two papers, a play or film review, a treatment of one scene, a midterm, and a final exam.

ENGL 435-001 THE SHORT STORY M-TH 8:00-10:15 RICE

Description: A brief historical survey of the short-story genre, from Hawthorne to the present, and in-depth reading of four international masters of the form: Anton Chekov, Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce, and Jorge Luis Borges. This class will concentrate on close reading, analysis, and interpretation of individual stories, on the cultural contexts of the works, and on theories of narrative. Texts: R.S. Gwynn, ed. Fiction: A Pocket Anthology; A. Chekov, The Princess and Other Stories; K. Mansfield, Stories; J. Joyce, Dubliners; J.L. Borges, Ficciones. Papers (2): a brief diagnostic essay (c. 2 pp.) and a comparative critical essay (c. 5 pp. ea.) Examinations (2): short answers (possible), identifications, and analytical essay(s). Format: mix of informal lecture and class discussion, with emphasis on the latter.

ENGL 437-001 WOMEN WRITERS M-TH 10:30-12:45 HUSEMANN

In this class, we will be examining the writing of women from the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, we will be focusing on how these women contributed to our understanding of their eras. As such, we will be reading such authors as Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Nella Larsen, and Emily Dickinson. Grades will be determined by two essays (4-6 pages), regular pop quizzes, responses to Blackboard, and discussion.

ENGL 450/LING 421 ENGLISH GRAMMAR M-TH 8:00-10:15 DISTERHEFT

An intensive survey of English grammar: sentence structure, the verbal system, discourse, and transformations. Also discussed are semantics, social restrictions on grammar and usage, histories of various constructions, etc. Please read Chapter 1 of the textbook before the first class meeting. TESTS: one midterm, one final. TEXT: Dorothy Disterheft, Advanced Grammar: a manual for students. Prentice-Hall.

ENGL 462-001 TECHNICAL WRITING M-TH 1:00-3:15 STAFF

Extensive practice in different types of business writing, from brief letters to formal articles and reports. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL 463-001 BUSINESS WRITING M-TH 10:30-12:45 STAFF

Extensive practice in different types of business writing, from brief letters to formal articles and reports. For more information, please contact the instructor.

ENGL E463-001 BUSINESS WRITING M-TH 6:00-8:15 STAFF

Extensive practice in different types of business writing, from brief letters to formal articles and reports. For more information, please contact the instructor.

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