English

English Department

Evelyn Spratt, Ph.D., Interim Dean, School of Arts, Sciences and Business
Kate Bossert, Ph.D., Chair
William A. Davis Jr., Ph.D. 
Jeana DelRosso, Ph.D
Margaret Ellen Mahoney, SSND, Ph.D.
 

Campuses

Main Campus

Summary

The English Department of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business offers a Major in English and Minors in English and Drama to traditional undergraduate students. Students may also pursue a preparatory program for secondary certification in English. Students learn to respond to literature with critical thought, understanding, inquiry and imagination, sharing the many experiences recorded in literary works of all genres and periods. They also have an opportunity to develop their own literature through a strong writing program. Around the core of required English courses, each student can construct a Program with an emphasis on either literature or writing, or a balance of both. Special features of the English Department include opportunities in creative writing, drama, and a 10-day theatre trip to London.

Degrees and Certificates

Courses

DRM-240: Acting Techniques

Credits 3.00
Helps students develop their acting potential and sharpen their skills in interpreting scripts through individual and group exercises, improvisations, monologues and scene studies. Central to the conduct of the course will be relaxation and breathing exercises, oral projection, movement and gesture. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

DRM-245: Directing Techniques

Credits 3.00
Explores fundamentals of script analysis, conceptualization, visualization, composition, blocking and the role of theatre director. Practical application of learned techniques and completed playbook are required. Students are encouraged to direct productions of original student work and actively participate in campus productions. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts and artistic expression. [3 credits]

DRM-320: Techniques in Theater Practice

Credits 3.00
Focuses on particular aspects of theatre: voice, movement, stage combat, improvisation, period acting, makeup techniques, costume design, lighting design, set design or other elements. Practical application of the selected element or elements leads students to develop expertise in the area on which they are focusing. Design courses entail both design technique and practical application. A course focused on acting practices requires reading, research and application techniques in a theatre environment. This is an upper-division course in theatre practice, allowing students to achieve competence in a particular area of theatre. For classes in various acting techniques, DRM-240 is recommended. [3 credits]

DRM-411: Topics: Drama

Credits 3.00
Provides students with the opportunity of in-depth study of such literary topics as the following: a significant writer or group of writers, a literary period or movement, a particular genre or themes related to a geographic region. The topic will be announced before registration each semester when the course is offered, and the course itself can be taken more than once on different subjects. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

DRM-427: London Theater Tour

Credits 3.00
Provides students with an opportunity to experience English life in the city and country; see professional plays; visit museums, cathedrals, and other places of interest in and around London; visit beautiful English towns such as Bath, Stratford, Salisbury, and Windsor. Organized and directed by English departmental faculty. Offered during Winterim. Satisfies cross-cultural studies requirement. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-101: College Writing

Credits 3.00
Provides students with an understanding that clear thinking is fundamental to clear writing. It also demonstrates every stage of the composing process: generating and organizing ideas, prewriting and drafting, critiquing, revising, final editing and proofreading. In addition, students work to accomplish clarity, unity, coherence and emphasis in sentences, in paragraphs, and in the overall structure of an essay. They develop techniques of style and tone toward more fluent and appealing prose and strive to sharpen their analytical, critical and editing skills by interacting with other students about their own writing and about the writing of professionals. Students learn to use standard English and develop a sensitivity to sentence structure and diction and to appreciate effectively written prose and recognize characteristics that make such prose effective. To fulfill the general education requirement in written communication a minimum grade of C is required. [3 credits]

ENG-103: Hrs: Writing Well

Credits 3.00
This is an intensive course in writing designed to help students develop superior facility in the various types of expository writing, including reporting, analysis, interpretation, criticism, persuasion, synthesis and research writing. The course will also study the writing process and rhetorical theory and present ways that enable students to assess writing tasks and to develop practical strategies to accomplish each task effectively.

ENG-201: Techniques: Writing Poetry

Credits 3.00
Practices fundamental techniques of writing poetry. Provides experience with writing in a variety of verse forms and styles, from traditional to contemporary, from lyrical writing to free verse, and from metaphorical to fairly direct styles. Explores the means through which written expression can be made more emphatic, figurative, memorable and evocative. Course will be a workshop experience. Students will complete a portfolio of work. Prerequisite: ENG-101. Fulfills general education requirement in Artistic Expression. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-202: Techniques in Writing Short Fiction

Credits 3.00
Introduces a step-by-step approach to writing a short story. Develops the techniques of writing fiction, including development of theme, setting, plot and character, through the exploration of the craft. Course will be a workshop experience. Students will complete a portfolio of work. Prerequisite: ENG-101. Fulfills general education requirement in Artistic Expression. [3 credits]

ENG-203: Playwriting

Credits 3.00
Explores creative techniques and the craft of writing plays. Requires students to present and rewrite work which is read, acted out and discussed for dramaturgical effectiveness. Each student writes a "10-minute" play and either a one-act play or the equivalent portion of a full-length play. Staged reading, production issues and submission of play manuscripts are covered. Extensive review of work in progress by peers and instructor in workshop setting. Prerequisite: ENG-101. Fulfills general education requirement in Artistic Expression. [3 credits]

ENG-204: The Essay As Literature

Credits 3.00
Studies nonfiction prose written as literature, including nonfiction novels and stories, personal essays, humorous essays, memoirs, travel and nature writing, and literary essays. Examines the appeal, impact and style of essays written "to delight and instruct." Provides opportunities for students to develop critical and analytical skills as they respond to this literature. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-205: Short Fiction

Credits 3.00
Examines the short story with emphasis on the elements of fiction, focusing especially on plot, character, setting, point of view and theme. Introduces students to stories by a variety of authors-traditional and contemporary, ethnic and mainstream, American and international. Broadens analytical and critical ability through guided discussion and short papers that respond to the literature. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-207: Techniques in Writing Creative Nonfiction

Credits 3.00
Practices the techniques for writing various sub-genres of creative nonfiction. Allows writers to explore a wide range of prose types, from travel writing to memoirs to scientific exposition. Provides students with the ability to apply the art and craft of writing to different contexts according to their interests and future goals. Students produce a portfolio of work. Prerequisite: ENG-101. Fulfills general education requirement in Artistic Expression. [3 credits]

ENG-213: Contemporary American Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines and interprets representative works from contemporary authors. Analyzes and compares major movements such as Modernism and Postmodernism. Assists students in building an informed critical response to literature. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and Thinking Critically and Analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-214: Voices of Hope

Credits 3.00
"Hope is the thing with feathers" - provides the opportunity to study authors and texts that provide an optimistic view of life. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-215: American Literature in the 19th Century

Credits 3.00
Introduces and assists students in interpreting representative works from major authors, including Hawthorne, Douglass, Thoreau and Dickinson. Analyzes and compares major movements such as Romanticism and Realism. Fulfills general education requirement in literatureand general education requirement in thinking critically and analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-216: American Literature in the 20th Century

Credits 3.00
Examines and interprets representative works from major authors including Chopin, Faulkner, Williams and Morrison. Analyzes and compares major movements such as Realism, Modernism and Postmodernism. Provides students with a basic background in contemporary literature. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-220: Introduction to Drama

Credits 3.00
Examines drama as a genre to be read and performed. Texts span the centuries from the Greek classical age through the 21st century, represent themes ranging from intense tragedy to light comedy, and exemplify both traditional and experimental forms rooted in different cultures. Fulfills general education requirements in Literature and Thinking Critically and Analytically. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-221: Growing Up in Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines the coming-of-age theme in literature. Readings include some full-length novels and/or memoirs by American and international writers, but most readings are short stories focused on children and adolescents in international settings. Students relate the coming-of-age theme to theories of professional psychologists. They also study variations in the literary treatment of the theme and the causes of these variations, especially the influence of familial, social and cultural milieu. This course would be of particular interest to prospective teachers. Fulfills general education requirements in literature and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-222: African American Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines form and style, issues of audience, and historical, social, economic and racial issues and contexts in African American fiction, poetry, autobiography and drama. Builds student ability to analyze literature. Fulfills general education requirements in literature and crosscultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-223: Literary Research

Credits 3.00
Introduces students to the methods and processes of literary research, bibliography and scholarly writing. Students identify and use the latest Internet research tools along with other standard sources in English and American literature and apply their skills to selected literary texts. Provides students with instruction and practice in identifying an original research project, finding and incorporating literary criticism into their own writing, and presenting their work to other students. Majors only. [3 credits]

ENG-224: Literary Perspectives I: British Literature to 1800

Credits 3.00
Surveys the origins and development of British literature through 1800, introducing students to representative works from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Restoration and 18th Century. Traces pervasive themes, techniques, and genres that develop across periods. By building a foundation in the understanding of literary history, the course establishes a basis for later in-depth study at the 300-level. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically, objectives 1 and 2. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-226: African Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines fiction and drama of African writers from two perspectives: the colonial writing of Conrad and Cary and the post-colonial variant view of contemporary African writers from diverse cultures, including Achebe, Soyinka, Gordimer and Okri. Fulfills general education requirements in literature and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-227: Japanese Literature

Credits 3.00
An exploration of the flowering of Japanese literature from the diaries of medieval women, through the constant stream of poetry, to Bunraku, Noh and Kabuki drama, as well as the contemporary novel and short fiction.

ENG-230: Gothic Fiction

Credits 3.00
Examines the origins and conventions of the Gothic tradition in literature and studies representative works by Mary Shelley, Charles Brockden Brown, Emily Bronte, Edgar Allan Poe and others. Students practice and refine the skills of interpretive reading, discussion and writing as they address literary elements such as plot, character, setting, point of view and theme. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-238: Detective Fiction

Credits 3.00
Traces the history of the art of detective fiction from more intellectual short stories of Poe and Doyle through the early "hard-boiled" private eye fiction and the "cozies" of the 1930s and 1940s to the many varieties of today. Identifies adaptations of the genre in pre-1950 radio broadcasts and later films and TV shows. Through charts, short papers and presentations students analyze artistry in plotting, characterization, formulaic devices, and literary techniques of effective short stories and novels in comparison with less well-constructed examples of the genre. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-242: Comedy and Humor: Celebration And Satire

Credits 3.00
Explores comedic literature across periods and genres, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Investigates the social, political, and cultural effects of humor and laughter. Readings may range from jokes, insults and other forms of popular culture to drama, poetry, film, and the comic novel. Fulfills the general education requirement in literature. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-243: Literature by Women

Credits 3.00
Requires students to analyze, interpret and write critically about a select number of texts by and about women to investigate how women represent ourselves. The course contributes to students' critical skills by teaching them to read and write about literature, and it introduces diversity into the curriculum by presenting authors who are often omitted from the literary canon. Students will discuss texts and question what we read, as well as write about the texts with critical engagement. Fulfills general education requirements in literature and gender studies and general education requirement in impact of diversity. [3 credits]

ENG-244: Literary Perspectives II Literature in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Credits 3.00
Traces pervasive themes, literary theories, and the development of genres in English literature during the Romantic and Victorian periods and in the 20th century. Interprets selected works of these periods in the context of social, political, and literary history, analyzing ways in which literature has been shaped by literary movements and world events. Traces signs of modernism and postmodernism as they are reflected in 20th century authors. [3 credits]

ENG-250: Reading Poetry

Credits 3.00
Focuses on the basic poetic elements: speaker, theme, diction, imagery, figures of speech, tone, patterns of sound and rhythm, meter, rhyme and various poetic forms. Examines poems by a variety of poets-traditional and contemporary, ethnic and mainstream, American and international. Teaches students to analyze and scan poems. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically, objectives 1 and 2. [3 credits]

ENG-251: Honors: Ethnic American Literature

Credits 3.00
Studies works by writers of different ethnic groups in 20th century America, with emphasis on African-American, Asian-American, Jewish-American, Native-American and Latino/a writings. The course will provide interdisciplinary approaches to literature; readings will come from several literary genres, including novels, short stories and poetry, but students will also read theory and criticism relevant to recent work in ethnic studies. The course will teach students to read and write about literature, and it will introduce many of the important works of 20th century American minority literature. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. Fulfills general education requirements in literature and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-270: Hrs: Doomsday Literature

Credits 3.00
Investigates how literature has constructed and depicted the end of the world. Students examine the literature of Doomsday across periods and cultures, mapping varied expectations for "the end time" from the ancients to the modern day. The course explores what these doomsday depictions suggest apart from eschatological prophecy. Doomsday themes frequently boom during times of ideological crisis, and the course investigates the "rhetoric of Doomsday" as it is used to inspire both hope and fear in the face of potential catastrophe. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or instructor permission. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-275: American Women Writers

Credits 3.00
Requires students to read, analyze, interpret and write critically about a select number of texts by 20th-century American women writers. Students will learn to enjoy and appreciate the literary artistry of representative women writers; to identify common concerns of women writers of the past century; to experience vicariously the lives of diverse women and evaluate the social, cultural, economic and political forces that shape those lives; to recognize different approaches of women's portrayal of women; to understand how American feminism has developed and how it is manifested in these writings; and to develop their critical reading and writing skills. Fulfills general education requirement in literature, gender studies and impact of diversity. [3 credits]

ENG-298: Writing about Literature

Credits 3.00
Students are introduced to short fiction, drama, and poetry. They analyze typical techniques in each of these literary genres, compare individual works to one another, and evaluate works according to basic critical principles, such as consistency of character, development of plot, effectiveness of setting, and use of effective tone and style. The course also develops basic writing skills by the production of frequent short papers. These papers in turn increase the ability of students to analyze the literary works which are the subject of the papers. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-302: Workshop in Creative Writing

Credits 3.00
Provides advanced practice in the writing of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction or plays. Participants choose to work in the craft of specific genres. Students share in reading and discussing the submitted artifacts. Revision is emphasized as a significant function of the creative process as students produce a portfolio of work. Prerequisite: ENG-201, 202, 203 or 207, or presentation of a suitable manuscript. [3 credits]

ENG-307: Workshop in Writing Creative Nonfiction

Credits 3.00
Develops more sophisticated techniques of writing creative nonfiction in a workshop setting, allowing students to focus on the area of creative nonfiction with which they are most engaged either professionally or creatively. Students may approach their writing through memoir, biography, literary journalism, humorous nonfiction, travel, history or other appropriate forms. Within a workshop framework, students present their own work and critique the work of others. Interview techniques and research methods are explored in accord with the student's writing focus and subjects chosen. Students produce a portfolio of work. Prerequisite: ENG-207 or permission of instructor. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-309: English Literature of the Renaissance

Credits 3.00
Focuses on English literature in the 16th and 17th centuries, from the beginning of the Tudor period in 1485 through the era of the Commonwealth. Analyzes links between literature and life in Britain during a time of cultural rebirth and political turmoil. Explores non-Shakespearean drama, representative essays of the time, and newly evolving Elizabethan fiction and Utopian fantasy. Compares varied poetic techniques in epics of Spenser and Milton, in popular ballads, and in the lyrics of the cavalier and metaphysical poets. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-310: English Literature Before 1485

Credits 3.00
Examines the roots of English literature from the fifth-century Anglo-Saxon period through the Middle Ages to the beginning of the Tudor reign in the 15th century. Traces images of the heroic life from the folk-epic hero Beowulf through the evolution of Arthurian traditions in the later Middle Ages. Explores other aspects of medieval life through student-selected research projects on such topics as illuminated manuscripts, medicine, archeology, history, drama or whatever else ppeals to individual students. Demonstrates the relationship between modern English and Middle English through oral reading and analysis of selected passages from Chaucer's anterbury Tales. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-313: Honors: Thomas Hardy: Novelist and Poet

Credits 3.00
Provides an in-depth study of English writer Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). Hardy is known as a Victorian novelist and a modern poet; his work thus crosses literary (generic) and historical boundaries. Hardy wrote 14 novels, 50 short stories, roughly 1,000 poems, one epic drama, seven volumes of published letters, an auto-biography, and a number of essays on literary and sociological topics. Students will read selected novels and poems as we trace Hardy's career and examine literary topics such as serial publication, the circulating library, and censorship, along with themes such as the Victorian "Woman Question," the part-real, part-invented land of Wessex, social class, law, and the "ache of modernism" in his later novels. Students will engage in primary (letters, notebooks, etc.) and secondary (critical) research as they explore these and other topics in two research projects during the semester. The course emphasizes the process of writing a research paper. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-315: English Literature: 19th Century

Credits 3.00
Examines selected works of major Romantic and Victorian authors in the context of these two literary periods. Students will read selections by Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats, Browning, the Bronte sisters and many others, and will examine 19th-century literary theories and pervasive themes as these inform the poetry, nonfiction prose and fiction of the period. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically [3 credits]

ENG-316: English Literature: 20th Century

Credits 3.00
Studies major writers and literary techniques and themes characteristic of 20th-century Britain. The course examines modernism and postmodernism and the way in which the literature has been shaped by literary movements and world events. Students will have the opportunity to read selected poems, novels, essays and short plays by authors ranging from Hardy and Yeats to A. S. Byatt and Iris Murdoch. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-317: Shakespeare: Chronicles and Comedies

Credits 3.00
Examines selected Shakespearean chronicles and comedies in light of earlier drama which set patterns for Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Explores ways in which Shakespeare?s chronicle plays portray British history and political theory during the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses. Demonstrates the range of character development, comic techniques and vivid language in his comedies. Provides opportunities for students to view major film versions of the plays and to practice their own dramatic skills in group presentations of selected scenes from the comedies. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-318: Great Women Dramatists

Credits 3.00
Explores the development of the role of women on stage from Ibsen and Shaw up through contemporary work by important women playwrights such as Glaspell, Churchill, Duras, Fornes and others who have impacted contemporary drama. As part of the course experience, students attend local area productions. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and gender studies. [3 credits]

ENG-319: Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances

Credits 3.00
Examines selected Shakespearean tragedies and romances. Explores earlier drama and sources that Shakespeare used and adapted. Provides opportunities for students to view major stage and film versions of the plays and to consider staging choices through the discussion and presentation of selected scenes. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-320: Influence and Experiment in Modern Drama

Credits 3.00
Studies important theatre movements and innovative voices of 20th century drama in the Western world. The development of contemporary theatre is traced in the experimental work of Strindberg, Kaiser, Apollinaire, Pirandello, Pinter, Brecht and Beckett, among others. Students attend local area productions. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-321: Voices of Dissent and Affirmation in 19th Century American Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines and interprets representative works from major authors, including Irving, Hawthorne, Emerson, Douglass and Twain. Analyzes and compares major movements such as Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism. Identifies, describes, compares and contrasts genres of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and thinking critically and analytically. [3 credits]

ENG-323: Modern Irish Literature

Credits 3.00
Examines the literature of the Irish Renaissance: the works of W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, J. M. Synge, James Joyce, Sean O'Casey and others. Explores the literature in the context of Irish myth and legend, religious and political influences, nationalism and revolution. Fulfills general ducation requirement in literature and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-324: Honors: The Irish "Troubles": Literature, History and Film

Credits 3.00
Examines, from a variety of perspectives, the Irish "Troubles;" that is, the violent political conflicts between Irish and English in the early 20th century and between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century. Explores literary and cinematic treatments of the conflict and compares them with historical accounts in order to arrive at a better under-standing of the "Troubles." Students will discuss the treatment of the "Troubles" in the plays of Sean O'Casey and Brian Friel, the poetry of W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, the fiction of Frank O'Connor, Liam O'Flaherty, Eugene McCabe and others, and the memoir, Guerilla Days in Ireland by Tom Barry. Students will also view several films, including "Michael Collins" and "Bloody Sunday." Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. [3 credits]

ENG-327: Contemporary World Literature

Credits 3.00
Introduces an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of contemporary literatures from different cultures by presenting authors who are often omitted from the literary canon. Students will attain a global view of basic social issues as they are represented in literature and will focus on the common elements of humanity as well as on the differences across diverse cultures. The class will examine the themes of hope and despair, peace and war, joy and anguish, and the distances between these through fiction, autobiography and essay. We will also examine the different cultural perceptions of literature and its purposes. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

ENG-342: General Linguistics

Credits 3.00
Introduces principles and terminology of language study. Examines the three major branches of linguistics (phonology, grammar and semantics) within a broad spectrum of comparative linguistics and also with closer attention to developments within the English language. Traces major historical developments in English. Analyzes stages of language acquisition in children and provides students preparing for teaching certification with practice in applying theories of language structure to teaching writing skills within a classroom setting. [3 credits]

ENG-347: Hrs: "New Woman" Literature

Credits 3.00
This course will examine selections from the body of writing known as New Woman literature in England during the 1880s and 1890s, along with selected works from American and European writers. New Woman novels, essays, and plays address what was called "the Woman Question" and its primary issues, e.g., women's independence, the "nature" of women, women's roles and responsibilities, the effects of women's independence, sexual relations and gender differences. The course will follow the development of the New Woman character and will examine common conflicts and themes among the various representative works. Prerequisite: Morrissy Scholar or permission. Fulfills General Education requirement in literature and gender studies. 3 credits.

ENG-350: Honors: The Literature and Psychology of Travel

Credits 3.00
Explores the effects and implications of travel as portrayed in contemporary nonfiction and autobiographical fiction. Examines how travel affects our sense of identity, culture, and community, how it affects us emotionally, what needs and fears in human nature it reflects, what socio-political issues are involved in travel, and how it changes our understanding of the world around us. We live in an age of journeys, not all of them physical. Reading in the course will include books about journeys abroad, journeys within one's own country and culture, intellectual quests, explorations of cultural history, and journeys of faith, renewal, and rediscovery. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. [3 credits].

ENG-355: Special Topics in Creative Nonfiction

Credits 3.00
Focuses on an author, group of authors, subgenre, period or theme in creative nonfiction as literature, as determined by the faculty member, so that students will be able to gain familiarity with the author, group of authors, sub-genre, period ortheme and be able to distinguish its critical features from others in the field. Students may repeat the course if it is offered on a topic that they have not previously studied. For anyone who opts to repeat the course, the second topics course counts only as an elective and may not count toward completion of the student's major or minor requirements. Prerequisite: ENG-207 or permission of instructor. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-360: Honors: Geek Literature

Credits 3.00
Investigates geek literary culture with themes of escapism, social alienation, intellectual superiority, conspicuous consumption, and the effect of technology on human nature in a series of texts associated with the geek. Authors include: J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Neal Stephenson, Douglas Adams, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, and Allan Moore, among others. Students will study texts in non-print media, including digital and Internet phenomena. Prerequisite: Morrissy Scholar or instructor permission. Fulfills general education requirement in Literature. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-401: Writing Tutorial

Credits 3.00
Provides student the opportunity for intense work on a single extended work or collection of shorter works under the direction of one English faculty member. Allows student to recognize the importance of revision in the writing process. Before enrolling in this course, the student is expected to have demonstrated proficiency in one of the creative writing genres and to have obtained the consent of her prospective tutorial director. The minimum prerequisite for this course is the successful completion of the relevant writing workshop, depending on the writing genre that the student wishes to pursue. With the consent of the instructor, the writing tutorial may be continued for two semesters, with three credits applicable to degree requirements each term. Prerequisite: ENG-302 or ENG-307 and permission of instructor. [3 credits]

ENG-410: Topics in Literature: Cross-Cultural Studies

Credits 3.00
Investigates the social and cultural dimensions of literature written by and about peoples of other countries or of regional or minority cultures within the United States. Topics may focus on literature from English-speaking countries or on literature in translation by writers from nonwestern countries. Topics will reflect cultural diversity as represented in selected works of literature. The topic will be announced before registration each semester when the course is offered, and the course itself can be taken more than once on different subjects. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and cross-cultural studies and general education requirement in Intercultural Knowledge. [3 credits]

ENG-411: Topics in Literature

Credits 3.00
Provides students with the opportunity of in-depth study of such literary topics as the following: a significant writer or group of writers, a literary period or movement, a particular genre or themes related to a geographic region. The topic will be announced before registration each semester when the course is offered, and the course itself can be taken more than once on different subjects. Fulfills general education requirement in literature. [3 credits]

ENG-412: Topics in Literature: Gender Studies

Credits 3.00
Investigates gender as it is represented and constructed in literature by examining such literary topics as the following: a significant writer or group of writers; a literary period or movement; a particular genre or geographic region. The topic will be announced before registration each semester when the course is offered, and the course itself can be taken more than once on different subjects. Fulfills general education requirement in literature and gender studies and general education requirement in Impact of Diversity. [3 credits]

ENG-427: London Study Tour

Credits 3.00
Provides students with an opportunity to experience English life in the city and country; see professional plays; visit museums, cathedrals, and other places of interest in and around London; visit beautiful English towns such as Bath, Stratford, Salisbury, and Windsor. Organized and directed by English departmental faculty. Offered during Winterim. Satisfies cross-cultural studies requirement. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-440: Hrs:Women and/as Monsters in Literature and Culture

Credits 3.00
Requires students to examine, in a seminar format, the interdisciplinary topic of women and/as monsters in literature and culture. Women's writings, as well as women writers themselves, have historically been viewed as "monstrous"; this course investigates the notion of monstrous women, as well as women writing about monsters, by examining both female- and male-authored, canonical and non-canonical, literary and non-literary texts, primarily but not exclusively from the past two centuries. Prerequisites: Morrissy Scholar or permission. Fulfills general education in literature and gender studies. [ 3 credits ]

ENG-452: Senior Seminar

Credits 3.00
Requires students to examine, in a seminar format, a major literary topic or author(s). Students will employ the skills learned in Literary Research and Literary Interpretation: using library esources and databases, demonstrating an understanding of the variety of theories and approaches to literary criticism, and synthesizing critical research with their own original argument and interpretation regarding a text. Students will demonstrate their ability to present their research both orally and in clear, coherent prose. Majors only. [3 credits]

ENG-453: Literary Interpretation

Credits 3.00
Studies the nature and practice of literary interpretation and evaluation. Examines both traditional methods, such as textual, genre and historical criticism, and contemporary approaches, including "new" criticism, psychological, Marxist, feminist and reader-response criticism. Students learn to analyze literary works from the perspective of these specific approaches. [3 credits]

ENG-463: Independent Study

Credits 3.00
Requires students to create a production project in acting, directing or stagecraft. A student could direct a full-scale stage production, design either lighting or set for a show, perform as a lead actor in a production, or serve as dramaturg for a major production. These projects would be under the direction of a faculty member. For directing, a completed playbook would be required. For design projects, completed sketches and/or models would be required. For acting, an intense written examination of the role would be required. For dramaturgy, a paper outlining the extent of the research and the conclusions would be presented to the director. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. [1, 2 or 3 credits]

ENG-496: Assistantship in Writing

Credits 3.00
Assists the instructor in class preparation and instruction, including research, classroom administration, assessment, guiding other students' writing, editing and revision, and moderating student discussions. Students create and design lesson plans and class writing activities. Experience is designed for those desiring to teach English, particularly on the college level. Prerequisite: Prior successful completion of the course for which the student is the assistant and permission of the instructor. [3 credits]

LCL-370: Hrs: Classical Myth/LitArtMus

Credits 3.00
Examines the major myths of Greece and Rome with emphasis on the impact they have had on the post-classical world, primarily the influence of specific myths in literature, art and music. Prerequisite: Morrissy Honors students or permission of Morrissy Honors Program director. Fulfills general education requirement in intercultural knowledge.

LCO-350: Hrs:Greektragedy/20 & 21 Cent

Credits 3.00
Co-taught interdisciplinary Morrissy Honors course. Examines major works of ancient Greek drama and their reception in the 20th and 21st centuries, including post-revolutionary Cuban tragedy, American feminist and black classicism, and the contemporary Theatre of War project. Examines the treatment of ancient themes and characters by modern playwrights. Analyzes the relationship between context of authors and first audiences and the texts produced. Compares and contrasts works across historical periods and cultures. Prerequisite: Morrissy Honors student.[ 3 credits ]

LCO-378: Hrs: From Homer to Star Wars

Credits 3.00
Traces the evolution of the epic as a literary genre transcending national and cultural boundaries. Epics from Homer and Virgil through the romance epics will be analyzed, culminating in a study of epic characteristics in Star Wars. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. Fulfills general education requirement for english literature. [3 credits]