JAMES P. THOMPSON, Chair
William L. Andrews, Christopher M. Armitage, A. Reid Barbour, James W. Coleman, Eric S. Downing, Rosa Palmer Durban, Connie C. Eble, Joseph M. Flora, Darryl J. Gless, Philip Gura, Minrose Gwin, William R. Harmon, Trudier Harris, Mae Henderson, Fred Hobson, Joy Kasson, Edward D. Kennedy, Clayton Koelb, Laurie Langbauer, George S. Lensing Jr., Erika C. D. Lindemann, Michael A. McFee, John P. McGowan, Jeanne Moskal, Patrick P. O'Neill, Ruth Salvaggio, James Seay, Alan R. Shapiro, Beverly W. Taylor, James P. Thompson, Joseph S. Viscomi, Linda Wagner-Martin, Joseph S. Wittig.
Nicholas Allen, Daniel Anderson, Erin Carlston, Pamela Cooper, Tyler Curtain, Jane M. Danielewicz, María DeGuzmán, Mary Floyd-Wilson, Marianne Gingher, Randall Kenan, Ritchie D. Kendall, Theodore H. Leinbaugh, Diane R. Leonard, Allan R. Life, Megan Matchinske, Thomas J. Reinert, Eliza Richards, Bland Simpson, Todd Taylor, Jane Thrailkill, Jessica Wolfe.
Inger S. B. Brodey, Rebecka Fisher, Gregory Flaxman, Jennifer Ho, Jordynn Jack.
Dino Cervigni, Marsha S. Collins, Alice A. Kuzniar, James L. Peacock.
Donna Bickford, Alicia Rivero.
Laurence G. Avery, Doris W. Betts, Paul Debreczeny, Alan C. Dessen, Lilian R. Furst, J. Lee Greene, Howard M. Harper Jr., S. K. Heninger Jr., George J. Kane, George A. Kennedy, J. Kimball King, C. Townsend Ludington Jr., Fred H. MacIntosh, G. Mallary Masters, Jerry L. Mills, Margaret A. O'Connor, Daniel W. Patterson, Julius R. Raper III, Mark L. Reed, Louis D. Rubin Jr., Richard D. Rust, Richard A. Smyth, Philip A. Stadter, Albrecht B. Strauss, Thomas A. Stumpf, Weldon E. Thornton, David Whisnant, Charles G. Zug III.
To major in English at the University is to pursue the central goals of a liberal arts education by studying the most illuminating literary works of Western culture in a department known for its excellent and dedicated teachers. Traditionally, the study of English and American literature draws vitality from exploring great works in the context of other academic disciplines.
Comparative literature explores major works of literature and theory, as well as interrelations among national literatures, thereby enabling students to acquire a broad, liberal education. Sophomores planning to major in comparative literature should take the two-semester Great Books course (CMPL 121 and 122.) One of these courses can be used to fulfill the literary arts Approaches requirement in General Education.
The majors in English and comparative literature foster:
Knowledge of major works of literature, which range in marvelous variety from traditional classics like Beowulf, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare's plays, Cervantes, Wordsworth's poetry, novels by Charles Dickens, Flaubert, William Faulkner, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, to exciting works of authors in our own time, such as Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Collateral knowledge of many other fields - African American studies, anthropology, art history, biography, folklore, economics, social and intellectual history, religious studies, classical and modern languages, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, women's studies and others - that help to recover and reveal the significance of literary works.
Persistent training in the techniques by which cultural phenomena of all kinds can be fruitfully studied.
Constant attention to the development of students' skills in reasoning and in oral and written communication.
The degrees offered are bachelor of arts in English and bachelor of arts in comparative literature. Minors are offered in English, comparative literature, creative writing and Latina/o studies. The minor in writing for the screen and stage is an interdisciplinary program drawing on the faculties and resources of the Department of Dramatic Art, Department of Communication Studies and the Creative Writing Program of the Department of English. For information, see the Department of Dramatic Art in this bulletin.
All General Education requirements apply. ENGL 101 and 102 are prerequisites to all other English courses unless exempted by placement exams. ENGL 120 and 121 are required for the major, but are not prerequisites to the upper level courses.
The major requires 10 courses.
ENGL 120 British Literature, Chaucer to Pope
ENGL 121 British Literature, Wordsworth to Eliot
ENGL 225 Shakespeare
One pre-1660 British literature: ENGL 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 319, 320, 430
One 1660-1900 British literature: ENGL 331, 332, 333, 338, 339, 436, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442
One American literature: ENGL 343, 344, 347, 348, 367, 443, 444
One post-1900 British and/or American literature: ENGL 345, 350, 351, 355, 356, 360, 368, 369, 445
Three focus courses: Students may choose focus courses (numbered between ENGL 200 and 699) in consultation with their faculty mentors. Students should view these courses (which may include any of the courses listed among the core requirements) as an opportunity to further their work in historical periods or to explore other fields, methods, themes and approaches to literature. The three courses can share a common ground - organized, for example, around a theme, a historical period or periods, a genre, a critical approach, a national, regional or ethnic grouping, or a writing focus - or they can combine a range of different interests.
English majors may choose additional focus courses in the department, though they should keep in mind that no more than 45 semester hours of English (excluding English 100, 101 and 102) may be used toward fulfillment of the B.A. graduation requirement.
Students must have a grade of C or better in at least 18 semester hours in courses numbered ENGL 120 and above to satisfy the major requirements.
A student who is interested in teaching English in public high schools can apply to the M.A.T. program for certification after completing a B.A. in English. To meet special certification requirements, students should take the following courses as part of, or in addition to, the English major (remaining within the 45-hour limitation referenced above):
Required: ENGL 400, 313, and 373 or 368 or 369; COMM 160.
Recommended: ENGL 314 and 373 or 374 or 446; COMM 162, 261.
An undergraduate major consists of eight courses beyond CMPL 121 and 122: either one literature course in classics (not including CLAS 125, 126, 263, 265, or 415) or a course in one major author (e.g., ENGL 320 Chaucer, ENGL 225 Shakespeare, RUSS 464 Dostoevsky, ITAL 240 Dante, SPAN 280 Cervantes, etc.); two literature courses in a foreign language (beyond the General Education foreign language requirement, usually 220 or higher; these would be in addition to the major author course mentioned above if the course in the major author is taken in the original foreign language); and five courses taught as or cross-listed as comparative literature (COMP) courses, to be chosen in consultation with the undergraduate advisor. CMPL 250 (Approaches to Comparative Literature) or CMPL 251 (Introduction to Literary Theory) is required as one of the five courses. CMPL 691H and 692H can be included among the five courses.
Students may choose to take comparative literature as a second major, a particularly attractive option for students majoring in a foreign language since two of the foreign language major requirements can also count toward the eight-course major requirement in comparative literature.
Undergraduates majoring in comparative literature may minor in any department, curriculum or school in which a minor program is offered. The two foreign language literature courses required for the major in comparative literature may not also be counted as part of a minor in any of the foreign language departments.
The English minor consists of five courses:
ENGL 120 or 121 (both are recommended).
One American literature course: ENGL 343, 344, 347, 348, 367, 443, 444.
At least three courses numbered between ENGL 200 and 699.
The minor in comparative literature is available to any undergraduate who has completed CMPL 121 and 122. In addition to CMPL 121 and 122, the minor consists of three additional courses listed or cross-listed in comparative literature, with one exception. Courses cross-listed between comparative literature and classics may not be counted for a minor in comparative literature by students majoring in classics.
The Creative Writing Program, centered in the Department of English, offers four different levels of workshop - introductory, intermediate, advanced and senior honors - which can lead to graduation with honors in creative writing and/or a minor in creative writing. The minor requires 15 hours, a total of five courses. Students need to begin work toward the minor by their sophomore year and may take one creative writing class per semester. The minor in creative writing may follow a fiction, poetry or multi-genre track.
Completion of a minor in creative writing is contingent on the student's successful advancement through the sequence. Note that enrollment in all courses beyond the introductory level is by permission only. Also note that a minor may be earned in any combination of creative writing courses and does not necessarily have to include senior honors.
The courses for the fiction track and poetry track are:
Fiction:
ENGL 130 Introduction to Fiction Writing or ENGL 133H First-Year Honors in Fiction Writing
ENGL 206 Intermediate Fiction Writing
ENGL 406 Advanced Fiction Writing
ENGL 693H and 694H (a yearlong two-semester senior workshop, which counts as two courses and can lead to graduation with honors or with highest honors in creative writing)
Poetry:
ENGL 131 Introduction to Poetry Writing or ENGL 133H First-Year Honors in Poetry Writing
ENGL 207 Intermediate Poetry Writing
ENGL 407 Advanced Poetry Writing
ENGL 693H and 694H (a yearlong two-semester senior workshop, which counts as two courses and can lead to graduation with honors or with highest honors in creative writing)
Other creative writing courses include ENGL 208 (Creative Nonfiction), ENGL 209 (Writing Children's Literature), ENGL 210 (Writing Adult Literature), ENGL 306 (Playwriting), ENGL 307 (Study in Stylistics) and ENGL 412 (Creative Writing - Contemporary Issues).
ENGL 130, 131, 132H and 133H, the introductory classes, are prerequisites to other Creative Writing Program classes. ENGL 130 and 131 are open for registration by rising sophomores only during spring semester for the following fall and for current sophomores only during fall semester for the following spring. Rising or current sophomores may register for ENGL 130 or 131, not both. Demand by sophomores regularly exceeds the number of seats available. Enrollment of juniors and seniors is on a space available basis by permission of the instructor, and they may inquire of the instructor during the first week of classes to see if seats are available. ENGL 130 and 131 are sometimes offered during summer sessions with no registration restrictions. Please always review summer session course listings for any changes or updates.
Advancement to successive courses in either the fiction or poetry sequence is by recommendation of the student's previous instructor(s) and by application for both the advanced workshops and honors seminars. If possible, the student is assigned to a different instructor for each course. Should students not advance beyond the intermediate level, they may choose to finish the minor with other classes offered in creative writing. Creative writing minors receive priority in all creative writing classes and usually fill all seats.
To receive a minor in creative writing, a student may take 15 hours in the fiction or poetry sequence, as described above, or take a collection of courses from fiction, poetry, nonfiction and so on. The Creative Writing Program also gives credit toward the minor for several courses offered in other departments, such as DRAM 231, playwriting; COMM 330 and 433, screenwriting; and JOMC 256, feature writing. A student may seek permission from the program's director to declare the minor once he or she has taken two courses and is on track to graduate with three more without doubling up in any one semester. To receive a degree with honors or highest honors in creative writing, students must maintain a 3.2 grade point average and meet all requirements to both enter and complete the Senior Honors Seminar (ENGL 693H and 694H). Students minoring in creative writing must also plan carefully when intending on studying abroad and keep in mind submission and deadline requirements for applying to successive courses.
Students completing the five courses for the minor may take additional creative writing courses only by permission of the director, providing that all other students still completing the minor are served first.
Please note that online courses do not count towards the creative writing minor.
Transfer Students: Important Information
The requirement for taking a minor in creative writing is five courses or 15 semester hours. Students are limited to one creative writing course at a time. Most junior transfer students have four semesters remaining. Junior transfer students wanting to minor in creative writing will need to:
Secure a seat in an introductory workshop (ENGL 130 for fiction writing or ENGL 131 for poetry writing), if space is available by permission of instructor, during their first fall semester at Carolina and then take their final course during an additional semester (five semesters at Carolina will be necessary).
OR take an introductory course via UNC-Chapel Hill Summer School if offered prior to their first fall term at Carolina and be promoted to the next level or to another creative writing class (on a space available basis).
OR have an introductory course already on their record that will transfer to Carolina as credit - i.e., an introductory course in fiction writing or poetry writing taken at their former college or university that is transferring in as credit for ENGL 130 or 131.
Permission to move forward with transfer credit for an introductory course requirement will require a review of the syllabus and work completed in the course by the creative writing faculty and is dependent on space availability, which cannot be guaranteed. Students must provide hard copies of syllabi and samples of course work as early as possible in order to ensure time for review and to schedule a meeting with the director.
Junior transfers who are able to minor in creative wiring via option 1 above would not be eligible to apply for Advanced Fiction or Poetry (ENGL 406 or 407) or the senior honors seminars and would need to complete the minor using the multi-genre approach. Students fitting options 2 and 3 would be eligible for those courses provided they are promoted to and there is space available in Intermediate Fiction (206) or Intermediate Poetry (207) their first fall semester.
Latina/o studies as a field is constituted out of the interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary study of Latina/o cultural production and experience in terms of a whole variety of factors. Latinas/os are defined as people of Latin American and, possibly, Iberian descent living in the United States or U.S.-based, but also moving between the United States and the rest of the Americas. Latina/o studies takes as its primary concern the presence of Latin America, Spain and the myriad combinations of Hispanic-Native-African-Asian cultures within the borders of the United States. However, Latina/o studies is not confined within those borders either to the extent that its subjects of study (and the very creators of the field itself) are in motion and in flux, coming and going, continually crossing borders and boundaries. In this respect it does share some of the transnational and transcultural scope, momentum and issues of Latin American studies but with its own foci, its own perspectives. Latina/o studies does not duplicate the work of Latin American studies; it draws on it and complements it.
Latina/o studies is characterized by heterogeneity. Latina/o studies encompasses Chicana/o studies, Puerto Rican studies, Cuban American studies, Dominican studies and so forth, and it must take into account the cultural production and the socio-economic and political experiences of a diverse population located in many parts of the country, not just in the Southwest borderlands, though, of course, those are of primary importance. As such, it offers plenty of opportunity for specialization.
The main stipulation of the minor is that students must take a combination of courses in the humanities (literatures and cultural production) and the social sciences (communities and cultural space), some of which have been designated as core courses and others as electives. Students who feel they need a basic introduction to Latina/o studies should take ENGL 364 (Introduction to Latina/o Studies).
Requirements for the five course minor in Latina/o studies are as follows:
Two core courses
One humanities/fine arts course in Latina/o literatures and cultural production chosen from ENGL 265/AMST 390, ENGL 364, ENGL 465, ENGL 665, ENGL 666, ENGL 685, MUSC 147, AFAM 293 , SPAN 398, HIST 490, HIST 561, DRAM 488, MUSC 286
One course in social sciences or Latina/o communities and cultural space chosen from GEOG 50 or 51 (first-year students only), GEOG 452, ANTH 130, AFAM 278, PLCY 249/INTS 249
Three electives
Courses chosen from the core or from AFAM 254, DRAM 486. At least one elective must be from the humanities and at least one from social sciences.
Honors in English and in Creative Writing
The department offers at least two honors seminars each semester. Students seeking a degree with honors (GPA of 3.6 required) also undertake a yearlong independent senior project (ENGL 693H and 694H), usually a 40-50-page thesis. Students working on these projects normally meet every week with the professors supervising their projects. This opportunity for individually directed research and writing often proves to be a high point of the student's academic career.
Majors who have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.2 or higher at the end of their junior year will be invited by the director of undergraduate studies to do honors work in comparative literature. To receive departmental honors, students in their senior year sign up for a two-semester sequence of independent study courses (CMPL 691H, 692H) under the direction of an advisor. During the two semesters, the student will write an honors thesis and defend it in an oral examination on the basis of which honors or highest honors will be awarded. Both CMPL 691H and 692H may count among the CMPL courses required for the major.
Creative Writing
One of the English Department's special strengths is in creative writing. Excellent fiction and poetry writers are members of the permanent staff, and because many famous writers live in or near Chapel Hill, others periodically teach in the department. Recent students - Kaye Gibbons, Jill McCorkle and Bland Simpson are among them - have developed national reputations for creative writing after studying in the English Department with professors such as Daphne Athas, Doris Betts, William Harmon and Jim Seay.
Departmental Involvement
The department provides opportunities for students to get to know each other and faculty members in informal settings. Each year the department sponsors events that mingle social, educational and career-oriented discussions and activities. Visit the department's Web page for information. Students will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, colloquia and conferences, including events sponsored by CLOUD (the Comparative Literature Organization for Undergraduate Discussion), such as the annual Comparative Literature International Film Series. For information on CLOUD, see www.unc.edu/cloud and www.unc.edu/depts/complit.
Faculty Mentors
Students have an opportunity to request a faculty mentor with whom they can consult regarding their career as an English major. To request a mentor, students should visit english.unc.edu/undergrad/mentoring.html.
Study Abroad
Some of the best programs offered at the University for study overseas are especially appropriate and useful to English majors. These include semester- or yearlong programs at Bristol, Manchester, Sussex, Edinburgh, Glasgow and certain Australian universities. Students who have a minimum GPA of 3.3 at the end of their sophomore year can participate in the King's College Exchange Program at King's College, London. Special opportunities are also available at Oxford University. For information on all overseas programs, see the Study Abroad Office or visit the Web site studyabroad.unc.edu.
As in the past, many English majors go on to graduate programs in business, law, medicine, education and other fields; some pursue careers as college professors of English. Chapel Hill English majors have been welcomed by the best graduate programs in the country, including those at Berkeley, Chicago, Harvard, Princeton, Virginia and Yale. The University's own strong graduate program admits undergraduates who have majored here. The English major provides essential preparation for numerous career paths in business and government as well as in educational, legal and medical professions in a society whose leaders increasingly value breadth of information; the capacity to comprehend complex situations from multiple perspectives; and readiness to describe, evaluate and promote - in clear and forceful language - new ideas as well as civilizing influences of a shared past.
Recent English and comparative literature majors have consequently found profitable careers in virtually all professions, including business and government consulting, investment banking, financial management, journalism, law, medicine, magazine and book publishing, and teaching (elementary, secondary and university levels). Majors should take General Education and elective courses in fields that bear on careers they may wish to pursue. For instance, the combination of an English or comparative literature major with some courses in economics and business has long been recognized as one of the best ways to prepare for careers in the business world or in law. Today business leaders often prefer to hire people who have such preparation rather than an undergraduate degree in business administration. Many medical schools now show a marked preference for students who major in disciplines like English, as long as they also take a prescribed number of courses in chemistry and biology. The possibilities are limitless, though first-time job seekers must plan to search energetically to locate jobs after graduation. Work experience and serious extracurricular activities undertaken during college years often prove especially helpful for liberal arts majors seeking to enter the work force directly after college. A bachelor of arts in comparative literature may be particularly useful to anyone considering a career that involving cross-cultural communication or international perspectives, including a career in international business or international law. Students wishing to pursue a teaching or research career within English or comparative literature must generally do graduate work, preferably on the Ph.D. level; however, some students have used their degrees as part of their preparation to teach literature in secondary schools.
English and comparative literature majors will find that they will have many opportunities for graduate study. Not only is the major excellent preparation for graduate programs in many areas of the humanities, it is also ideal for those students wishing to enter professional schools. For example, the interpretation of literary texts is analogous to the interpretation of legal texts that a student will encounter in law school. Medical schools often search for students who can understand the human side of medicine. English and comparative literature can provide special insights into the human condition in its various cultural and historical settings, preparing the prospective physician for dealing with the larger ethical issues of medicine.
For the student wishing to continue study in comparative literature, the importance of foreign language preparation cannot be overemphasized. Requirements for admission to most M.A. programs in comparative literature include mastery of English and one other language, and most Ph.D. programs require mastery of English and two other languages. Thus a second major in a foreign language offers good preparation for graduate study in comparative literature.
Director of Undergraduate Literature Courses, CB# 3520, 211 Greenlaw Hall, (919) 962-6922. Web site: english.unc.edu.
For information concerning the major in Comparative Literature, contact: Dr. Inger S. B. Brodey, CB# 3150, 336 Dey Hall, (919) 843-0965, brodey@email.unc.edu.
For more information concerning the Latino/a minor, contact: Dr. Maria DeGuzman, CB# 3520, Greenlaw Hall, (919) 962-4031, deguzman@email.unc.edu. Web site: english.unc.edu/latina-o/index.html.
For more information concerning the creative writing minor, contact: Creative Writing Program Office, CB# 3520, 203 Greenlaw Hall, (919) 962-4000.
Web site: english.unc.edu/creative/index.html.
ENGL
050 [006E] First-Year Seminar: Multimedia North Carolina (3). Each student will complete a service-learning internship and compose a multimedia documentary about the experience using original text, photos, audio and video.051 [006F] First-Year Seminar: "Boy Raised by Wolves": Wild-Child Stories and Theories of Human Nature (3). This course is on accounts of "wild children" raised in a state of nature and the philosophical, moral, historical and scientific questions they raise.
052 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Computers and English Studies (3). How do computers change the study literature? How do images tell stories? How is writing evolving through photo essays, collages and digital video? Students investigate these and related questions.
053 [006N] First-Year Seminar: Slavery and Freedom in African American Literature and Film (3). The seminar's purpose is to explore the African American slave narrative tradition from its 19th-century origins in autobiography to its present manifestations in prize-winning fiction and film.
054 [006M] First-Year Seminar: The War to End All Wars? The First World War and the Modern World (3). Examination of literary and cinematic works that expose the cultural impact World War I had on contemporary and future generations.
055 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Studies in African American Drama (3). Students will learn about the experience of African Americans as depicted in the American theater, about the artists who have depicted it and about the techniques for reading and interpreting plays.
056 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Projections of Empire: Colonial and Postcolonial Fiction and Film (3). The course covers a range of fictions about colonialism and its aftermath, exploring both narrative and filmic depictions of empire and its legacies.
057 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Future Perfect: Science Fictions and Social Form (3). This class will investigate the forms and cultural functions of science fiction using films, books and computer-based fictional spaces (Internet, video games, etc).
058 [006M] First-Year Seminar: The Doubled Image: Photography in U.S. Latina/o Short Fiction (3). Course will examine the aesthetic and cultural functions and implications of textual images of photography and photographs in U.S. Latina/o short stories from the 1960s to the present.
059 [006E] First-Year Seminar: English: The International Language (3). An exploration of the status and use of English worldwide, considering the varieties that have developed in Singapore, South Africa, the Caribbean islands and the American South and their histories.
060 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Awakenings: Coming of Age in Modern American Literature and Film (3). Through a study of modern novels, films, essays and occasionally a poem, this seminar will study moments of awakening to a life-defining concept of the self.
061 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Turner, Wagner, Hardy: An Interactive Conspectus of All the Arts (3). Scrutiny of graphic art (by Turner), music and music drama (by Wagner), and literature (Hardy); comparisons and correlations: materials for a lifetime of self-education.
062 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Martin Luther King Jr.: His Legacy in African American Literature (3). Seminar will tie together history, politics, the civil rights movement and literature in an exploration of King's impact upon the nation and particularly upon the South.
064 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Ethics and Children's Literature (3). An investigation of how the tradition of children's books addresses and negotiates central questions of existence and conduct, focusing on the ways ethical problems are formed in such literature.
065 [006M] First-Year Seminar: The Sonnet (3). Students will read more than 100 sonnets, learn the sonnet's different forms and relate them to the cultural environments in which they were written over the past four centuries.
066 [006M] First-Year Seminar: William Butler Yeats and Irish Independence (3). A consideration of Yeats's poetry, plays and political activities in relation to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and its aftermath.
067 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Travel Literature (3). Students will read examples of several kinds of travel literature, e.g. voyage, pilgrimage, exploration, tour and mission. Special attention to North Carolina as a tourist venue.
068 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Radical American Writers, 1930-1960 (3). The evolution of leftist American literature from the Depression through the early Cold War. Authors include Mary McCarthy, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller, Saul Bellow and others.
070 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Courtly Love - Then and Now (3). Study of the medieval concept of courtly love, tracing its classical antecedents, its expression in Renaissance literature (especially Shakespeare) and its influence in modern culture.
071 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Doctors and Patients (3). This course explores the human struggle to make sense of suffering and debility. Texts are drawn from literature, anthropology, film, art history, philosophy and biology.
073 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Leaving Adolescence (3). Course looks at films as they illuminate stories, poems, memoirs, biography and novels from American and Canadian literatures. Students write essays, journal entries, memoirs, film criticism and brief performances.
074 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Epic/Anti-Epic in Western Literature (3). In this course, students will study epic and anti-epic strains in Western literature, reading key texts in the epic tradition from Homer and Virgil through the 20th century in light of various challenges to that tradition and tensions within it.
075 First-Year Seminar: Interpreting the South from Manuscripts (3). The aim of the course is to give beginning university students the requisite research skills to allow them to appreciate and to contribute to an understanding of the past by directly experiencing and interpreting records from the past. Students will actually get to work with historical documents, some more than 200 years old.
076 First-Year Seminar: Decadence, Nihilism and Aestheticism: 1870-1910 (3). This course will explore four writers of this period in order to examine a range of responses to what each writer saw as a crisis in the West's ability to provide both a prosperous and a meaningful life for all people.
077 First-Year Seminar: Seeing the Past (3). This course will introduce students to practices of critical analysis that inform academic work in all the core humanistic disciplines: how do we ask analytical questions about texts, artwork and other cultural artifacts that come down to us from the past or circulate in our own culture?
078 First-Year Seminar: The Life and Writing of William Butler Yeats (3). This course will explore the range of Yeats' work, of first editions, pamphlets, manuscripts and essay collections to assess how Yeats' practice evolved from Mosada (1886) to Last poems and plays (1939), with special emphasis on group research.
079 Globalization/Global Asians (3). This course will explore the concept of globalization by focusing on the Asian diaspora, particularly the artistic and cultural productions that document, represent and express Global Asians.
080 The Politics of Persuasion: Southern Women's Rhetoric (3). Narratives of women spies, social reformers, missionaries, teachers, blockade runners and escapees from slavery help uncover persuasive strategies used to challenge the limited roles to which women were assigned.
081 A Century of W. H. Auden (3). An examination of Auden's work as a poet, playwright, critic, librettist, documentarian, travel writer and exemplary literary figure who was at home in Europe and America.
100 Basic Writing (3). Required for incoming students with SAT I Writing of 460 or lower. Provides frequent practice in writing, from short paragraphs to longer papers, focusing on analysis and argument. Workshop format.
101 [011] English Composition and Rhetoric (3). Required of all students except those exempted by placement tests. Students practice the writing conventions that define social, cultural and professional communities. Up to nine papers, including research projects.
102 [012] English Composition and Rhetoric (3). Required of all students except those exempted by placement tests. Students practice the writing conventions that define various academic disciplines. Up to nine papers, including research projects.
102I English Composition and Rhetoric (Interdisciplinary) (3). Required of all students except those exempted by placement tests. Students practice the writing conventions that define various academic disciplines. Up to nine papers, including research projects.
120 [020] British Literature, Chaucer to Pope (3). Required of English majors. Survey of medieval, Renaissance and Neoclassical periods. Drama, poetry and prose.
121 [021] British Literature, Wordsworth to Eliot (3). Required of English majors. Survey of Romantic, Victorian and modern periods. Poetry, novels and plays.
122 Introduction to American Literature (3). Representative authors from the time of European colonization of the New World through the 20th century.
123 [023] Introduction to Fiction (3). First-year and sophomore elective, open to juniors and seniors. Novels and shorter fiction by Defoe, Austen, Dickens, Faulkner, Wolfe, Fitzgerald, Joyce and others.
124 [024] Contemporary Literature (3). First-year and sophomore elective, open to juniors and seniors. The literature of the present generation.
125 [025] Introduction to Poetry (3). First-year and sophomore elective, open to juniors and seniors. A course designed to develop basic skills in reading poems from all periods of English and American literature.
126 [026] Introduction to Drama (3). First-year and sophomore elective, open to juniors and seniors. Drama of the Greek, Renaissance and modern periods.
127 Writing About Literature (3). Course emphasizes literature, critical thinking and the writing process. Students learn how thinking, reading and writing relate to one another by studying poetry, fiction, drama, art, music and film.
128 [028] Major American Authors (3). A study of approximately six major American authors drawn from Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Stowe, Whitman, Clemens, Dickinson, Chesnutt, James, Eliot, Stein, Hemingway, O'Neill, Faulkner, Hurston or others.
129 [022] Literature and Cultural Diversity (3). Studies in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Native American, Anglo-Indian, Caribbean, gay-lesbian and other literatures written in English.
130 [023W] Introduction to Fiction Writing (3). A course in reading and writing fiction. Close study of a wide range of short stories; emphasis on technical problems. Class criticism and discussion of student exercises and stories.
131 [025W] Introduction to Poetry Writing (3). A course in reading and writing poems. Close study of a wide range of published poetry and of poetic terms and techniques. Composition, discussion and revision of original student poems.
140 [022Q] Introduction to Gay and Lesbian Culture and Literature (WMST 140) (3). Introduces students to concepts in queer theory and recent sexuality studies. Topics include queer lit, AIDS, race and sexuality, representations of gays and lesbians in the media, political activism/literature.
141 World Literatures in English (3). This course will be a basic introduction to literatures in English from Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Anglophone literary traditions.
142 [042] Film Analysis (3). This course offers an introduction to the technical, formal and narrative elements of the cinema.
143 Film and Culture (3). Examines the ways culture shapes and is shaped by film. This course uses comparative methods to contrast films as historic or contemporary, mainstream or cutting-edge, English- or foreign-language, etc.
144 Popular Genres (3). Introductory course on popular literary genres. Students will read and discuss works in the area of mystery, romance, westerns, science fiction, children's literature and horror fiction.
145 Literary Genres (3). Studies in genres including drama, poetry, prose fiction or nonfiction prose, examining form, comparing that genre to others (including popular genres), placing works within a tradition or a critical context.
146 Science Fiction/Fantasy/Utopia (3). Readings in and theories of science fiction, utopian and dystopian literatures and fantasy fiction.
147 Mystery Fiction (3). Studies in classic and contemporary mystery and detective fiction.
148 Horror (3). From its origins in Gothic and pre-Gothic literatures and arts, this course examines the complexities and pleasures of horror. Topics include psychology, aesthetics, politics, allegory, ideology and ethics.
190 [027] Introduction to Literary Studies (3). Introduces students to the field of literary studies while emphasizing a single writer, group, movement, theme or period. Students conduct research, develop readings and compose literary interpretations.
206 [034] Intermediate Fiction Writing (3). Prerequisites, ENGL 130 or 132H; permission of the director of the Creative Writing Program. Substantial practice in those techniques employed in introductory course. A workshop devoted to the extensive writing of fiction (at least two short stories), with an emphasis on style, structure, dramatic scene and revision.
207 [034P] Intermediate Poetry Writing (3). Prerequisites, English 131 or 133H; permission of the director of the Creative Writing Program. An intensification of the introductory class. A workshop devoted to close examination of selected exemplary poems and the students' own poetry, with an emphasis on regular writing and revising.
208 [035N] Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction (3). Prerequisite, English 130, 131, 132H, or 133H; or permission of instructor. A course in reading and writing creative nonfiction, focusing on three of its most important forms: the personal essay, nature writing and travel writing.
209 [039] Reading and Writing Children's Fiction (3). Prerequisite, English 130, 131, 132H, or 133H; or permission of instructor. A course in reading and writing children's fiction, focusing on five important forms: folk tale, fairy tale, picture book, young adult and biography.
210 Writing Young Adult Literature (3). Prerequisite, ENGL 130, 131, 132H, or 133H; or permission of instructor. A course in reading and writing young adult fiction, with a focus on the crafting of a novel.
225 [058] Shakespeare (3). A survey of representative comedies, tragedies, histories and romances by William Shakespeare.
226 [045] Renaissance Drama (3). A survey of Renaissance drama focusing on contemporaries and successors of Shakespeare during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.
227 [054] Literature of the Earlier Renaissance (3). Poetry and prose of the earlier Renaissance, including More, Wyatt, Sidney, Spenser, Bacon and Marlowe.
228 [060] Literature of the Later Renaissance (3). Poetry and prose from the late Elizabethan years through the "century of revolution" into the Restoration period after 1660: Donne, Jonson, Bacon, Herbert, Burton, Browne, Marvell, Herrick and others.
229 [049B] Renaissance Women Writers (3). This course introduces students to a variety of renaissance English texts authored by women. Topics include historical perspectives on women and gender and methodological approaches to Renaissance feminist study.
230 [064] Milton (3). A study of Milton's prose and poetry in the extraordinary context of 17th-century philosophy, politics, religion, science and poetics, and against the backdrop of the English Civil War.
246 Introduction to American Indian Literatures (3). Students will develop a working knowledge of American Indian cultural concepts and historical perspectives utilizing poetry, history, personal account, short stories, films and novels.
261 [090] An Introduction to Literary Criticism (3). An introduction to literary criticism in English studies, with an emphasis on historical developments from Plato to the present.
262 Literature and Cultural Difference (3). Studies in the diversity within and between African American, Asian American, Latina/o, Native American, Anglo-Indian, Caribbean, GLBTQ, feminist, proletarian and other literatures in English. Intended for ENGL majors.
263 [050] Literature and Gender (WMST 263) (3). Intensive study, focused on gender issues, of criticism and writing.
264 Literature and Sexuality (3). A literary and cultural critical examination of the role sex plays within the creation, consumption and regulation of literature.
265 [090C] Literature and Race, Literature and Ethnicity (INTS 265) (3). Considers texts in a comparative ethnic/race studies framework and examines how these texts explore historical and contemporary connections between groups of people in the United States and the Americas.
266 Science and Literature (3). Introductory exploration of the relation between science and literature, as well as the place and value of both in the contemporary world.
278 Irish Writing, 1800-2000 (3). This course introduces major texts and current themes, from Joyce to the postcolonial, in Irish writing from 1800 to 2000.
279 The Irish Literary Revival (3). Course will examine the roots and development of the Irish literary revival, in the work of Yeats, Joyce, Lady Gregory and Shaw, from 1890 to 1930.
280 The Western (3). This course offers a broad overview of the western as a literary and especially cinematic genre.
281 Literature and Media (3). This course investigates the rich and complex relationship between literature and other mass media.
282 Travel Literature (3). Students will analyze various types of travel literature, such as voyage, pilgrimage and tour, in terms of literary conventions, historical conditions and considerations of gender, ethnicity, economics, empire and religion.
283 Life Writing (3). Exploration of different forms of life writing such as autobiography, biography and autoethnography. Readings will include theories of autobiography and selected literature.
284 Reading Children's Literature (3). An overview of the tradition of children's literature, considering the ways those books point to our basic assumptions about meaning, culture, self, society, gender, economics.
285 Classical Backgrounds in English Literature (3). A survey of Greek and Roman epic and lyric poetry, literary criticism and philosophy designed for the undergraduate English major.
286 Nature Writing (AMST 313, ENST 286) (3). Introduction to the field of nature writing surveys historical periods, authors and a variety of genre; cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary; study classics in the field such as A Sand County Almanac.
287 [091C] Another Country: Homoeroticism in British Literature (3). This course will examine themes of homoeroticism, gender identity, class relations and the changes in cultural norms precipitated by World War I in literary works by British men.
288 Literary Modernism (3). In this course students will read early 20th-century poetry, fiction, films and criticism, and consider the ways these works constituted, defined and challenged the phenomenon known as literary modernism.
289 [049J] Jewish-American Literature and Culture of the 20th Century (JWST 289) (3). Through readings in a wide range of genres, this course will examine major factors and influences shaping Jewish American literature and culture in the 20th century.
300 [030] Advanced Expository Writing (3). Advanced practice with critical, argumentative and analytic writing, including forms of the essay. Special attention to style, voice and genre.
300I [030I] Advanced Expository Writing (Interdisciplinary) (3). Advanced practice with critical, argumentative and analytic writing, including the essay. Special attention to writing in the disciplines of life and applied sciences, social sciences (including business) and humanities.
301 Advanced Expository Writing for the Humanities (3). Advanced practice with the oral and written discourse of the humanities. Special attention to disciplinary rhetoric, style, genre, format and citation.
302 Advanced Expository Writing for the Social Sciences (3). Advanced practice with the oral and written discourse of the social sciences. Special attention to disciplinary rhetoric, style, genre, format and citation.
303 [033] Advanced Expository Writing for the Natural Sciences (3). Advanced practice with the oral and written discourse of the natural sciences. Special attention to disciplinary rhetoric, style, genre, format and citation.
304 [032] Advanced Expository Writing for Business (3). Advanced practice with business and professional oral and written discourse. Special attention to disciplinary rhetoric, style, genre, format and citation.
305 Advanced Expository Writing for Law (3). Advanced practice with legal oral and written discourse. Special attention to disciplinary rhetoric, style, genre, format and citation.
306 Playwriting (3). Prerequisite, ENGL 130, 131, 132H, or 133H; or permission of instructor. A workshop for people interested in writing plays, focusing on elements that make them work on stage, such as: characterization, climax, dialogue, exposition, momentum, setting and visual effects.
307 [047W] Studies in Fiction: Style and Stylistics (3). Prerequisite, permission of instructor. Restricted to creative writing minors. Close study of language and grammar as tools of style. Numerous short exercises. Collaborative development and production of a language-arts show based on original exercises.
313 [036] Grammar of Current English (3). An introductory course in descriptive English linguistics that studies the sounds, word-building processes and sentence structures of current English as well as general notions of correctness and variation.
314 [038] History of the English Language (3). A study of the development of English from its Proto-Indo-European origins to modern English, with emphasis on how events and contacts with other languages influenced the vocabulary of English.
315 [094A] English in the U.S.A. (3). A historical and critical examination of regional, social and stylistic variation in English in the United States, including correctness, legal and educational issues and the influence of mass media.
319 [051] Introduction to Medieval English Literature, Excluding Chaucer (3). An introduction to English literature from the eighth century to the 15th, focusing on the primary works of Old English and Middle English literature.
320 [052] Chaucer (3). An introduction to Chaucer's major poetry: Troilus and Criseyde, the "dream" poems (e.g., Parliament of Fowls) and The Canterbury Tales.
321 Medieval and Modern Arthurian Romance (CMPL 321) (3). Representative examples of Arthurian literature from the Middle Ages and 19th and 20th centuries, with some attention to film, art and music.
322 Medieval England and Its Literary Neighbors (3). A study of the external literary influences which shaped Old and Middle English, notably the vernacular literatures of England's Celtic neighbors (Wales, Brittany, Scotland and Ireland) and/or France.
325 Shakespeare and His Contemporaries (3). This course explores the wide range of drama produced in England between the 1570s and 1640s, including work by Shakespeare and his many rivals.
326 Renaissance Genres (3). This course traces the historical evolution/devolution of Renaissance literary genres. Each offering will focus on a single generic kind or set of kinds.
327 Renaissance Literature and its Intellectual Contexts (3). A focused study of one or two intellectual movements of the Renaissance through the literary and nonliterary texts of the period.
328 Renaissance Authors (3). This course involves the detailed study of a substantial author of the English Renaissance, such as Sidney, Spenser, Marlowe, Raleigh, Bacon, Jonson, Donne, Browne or Herbert.
330 Perspectives on the Renaissance (3). Students will study Renaissance literature while assessing the usefulness and status of a theoretical approach, such as feminist theory, queer theory, cultural materialism, new historicism or psychoanalytic theory.
331 [066] 18th-Century Literature (3). A survey of British literature from Dryden to Paine.
332 [065] 18th-Century Drama (3). A survey of Restoration and 18th-century drama from Etheredge to Sheridan.
333 [043] 18th-Century Fiction (3). A survey of 18th-century fiction from Behn to Austen.
338 19th-Century British Novel (3). Important novelists in the tradition, from Austen to Wilde.
339 English Romantic-Period Drama (3). Covers history of the British theater, 1780-1840, with representative plays and closet dramas, by playwrights such as Holcroft, Cowley, Inchbald, Baillie, Coleridge, P. B. Shelley and Byron.
343 [080] American Literature before 1860 (3). Selected topics or authors in American literature from the period of European colonization of the New World through the onset of the Civil War.
344 [081] American Literature, 1860-1900 (3). Instructors choose authors or topics from the period 1860-1900. The course may be organized chronologically or thematically, but is not intended as a survey.
345 [082] American Literature, 1900-2000 (3). Instructors choose authors or topics from the period 1900-2000. The course may be organized chronologically or thematically, but is not intended as a survey.
347 [083] The American Novel (3). The development of the American novel, from the late 18th century through the 20th century. May proceed chronologically or thematically.
348 American Poetry (3). Content of course varies with instructor, but students are given a sense of the chronological, stylistic and thematic development of American poetry over two centuries.
350 [093] 20th-Century British and American Poetry (3). Poetry in English from the middle of the 19th century to the present, approached historically, thematically, technically, politically and aesthetically; concentration on analysis, comparison and synthesis.
351 [095] British and American Drama of the 20th Century (3). The course focuses on modern drama in English. Most of the plays will come from the British and American theaters, though a few may exemplify the European background of modern drama or the colonial reach of the English language.
353 Modern Women's Literature (3). This course will examine literature written in English by women, focusing on issues of style and genre and their relation to gender.
355 [091] The British Novel from 1870 to World War II (3). Students will read novels in English, including Joyce, Woolf and Proust, to explore how writers from across cultures created new strategies to represent the late 19th and 20th century worlds of imperialism, science and experiment.
356 [092] British and American Fiction since World War II (3). Course studies contemporary British and American fiction through representative works. Intellectual and aesthetic, historical and cultural emphases. May include works from the Anglophone diaspora.
360 [070] Introduction to Contemporary Asian American Literature and Theory (ASIA 360) (3). This course will provide an introduction to contemporary Asian American literature and theory and examine how Asian American literature fits into, yet extends beyond, the canon of American literature.
361 Literature and Diaspora (3). Course looks at diaspora movements as expressed in literary, cultural, historical and theoretical sources. Topics include cultural constructions of race, transnational circulations of ideology and transformative potential of imagined communities.
362 Theories of Language (3). A sustained examination of what is meant by "language," this course reads major philosophical and critical-theoretical texts from Plato to contemporary evolutionary biological accounts of language/representation.
363 [090B] Feminist Literary Theory (WMST 363) (3). Theories of feminist criticism in relation to general theory and women's writing.
364 [079] Introduction to Latina/o Studies (INTS 364) (3). Introduction to the major questions within Latina/o studies in terms of transnationalism, transculturation, ethnicity, race, class, gender, sexuality, systems of value and aesthetics.
365 Migration and Globalization (3). Covers literary works associated with one or more of the major historical migrations, forced and voluntary and present-day works engaged with globalization.
366 Literature and the Other Arts (3). Course examines relationship of literature to the other arts, especially music and the visual arts, in terms of similar period characteristics and of distinct material and formal constraints.
367 [084] African American Literature to 1930 (3). Survey of writers and literary and cultural traditions from the beginning of African American literature to 1930.
368 African American Literature, 1930-1970 (3). Survey of writers and literary and cultural traditions from 1930 to 1970.
369 [085] African American Literature, 1970 to the Present (3). Survey of writers and literary and cultural traditions from 1970 to the present.
373 [088] Southern American Literature (3). An introduction to Southern literature, with emphasis on the 20th-century: fiction, poetry, drama, essays. Representative authors include Faulkner, Wolfe, Williams, Warren, Hurston, Wright, Ransom, Tate, Welty, Chappell, McCullers, O'Connor.
374 [087] Southern Women Writers (WMST 374) (3). The study of fiction, poetry, plays and essays by Southern American women writers of the past 200 years, continuing to the present.
375 [088B] Contemporary North Carolina Literature (3). A study of the novels, short stories and poems produced by North Carolina writers during the literary renaissance of recent decades.
377 Introduction to the Celtic Cultures (3). A broad survey of the cultures of the Celtic-speaking areas, notably, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Brittany, with special emphasis on language and literature.
378 Contemporary Irish Poetry: Heaney and After (3). Students will read modern Irish poetry from Seamus Heaney to the present, addressing issues of language, culture and society.
379 Irish Prose from Joyce to Doyle (3). Students will read modern Irish poetry from Seamus Heaney to the present, addressing issues of language, culture and society.
380 Film History (3). The course offers an introduction to the history of cinema and, in particular, to a period of film history.
381 [142] Literature and Cinema (3). The course introduces students to the complex narrative and rhetorical relationship between literature and cinema.
382 Regionalism (3). This course introduces students to the organization and conceptualization of American literatures by geography and local culture. The course looks at literature from a diverse array of groups and locales.
383 Literary Nonfiction (3). An introduction to the many forms of creative nonfiction by contemporary writers. Will include nonfiction literature as well as theoretical and critical responses to such literature.
384 The Lesbian Novel (3). In this course, students will discuss the formation and evolution of lesbian identities as manifested in novels in English in the 20th century.
385 Literature and Law (3). Explores various connections of literature and law, including: literary depictions of crime, lawyers and trials; literary conventions of legal documents; and/or shared problems in interpretation of law and literature.
387 [089] Canadian Literature (3). A study of Canadian literature in English from the late 18th century to the present, with emphasis on 20th-century writing and on the novel.
388 Modernism: Movements and Moments (3). What was Modernism? When was Modernism? Where was Modernism? Reading literature and visual art from 1890 to 1940 in Europe, America and Africa will be key to finding answers.
390 [049] Studies in Literary Topics (3). An intensive study of a single writer, group, movement, theme or period.
396 [096] Directed Readings in English or Creative Writing (3). Intensive reading on a particular topic under the supervision of a member of the staff. Section 001 (English) requires special permission of committee on honors. Section 002 (creative writing) requires special permission of the director of the Creative Writing Program.
400 [031] Advanced Composition for Teachers (3). This course combines frequent writing practice with discussions of rhetorical theories and strategies for teaching writing. The course examines ways to design effective writing courses, assignments and instructional materials.
401 [031E] Advanced Composition for Elementary Teachers (3). This course introduces students to the teaching of writing and reading in the elementary grades. Students explore composition theory and learn about effective practices for improving writing.
405 Writing Literary Genres (3). Focuses on producing writing in a particular genre or form such as personal essay, autobiography or creative nonfiction.
406 [035] Advanced Fiction Writing (3). Prerequisites, English 206 and permission of the director of the Creative Writing Program. A continuation of the intermediate workshop with emphasis on the short story, novella and novel. Extensive discussion of student work in class and in conferences with instructor.
407 [035P] Advanced Poetry Writing (3). Prerequisites, English 207 and permission of the director of the Creative Writing Program. A continuation of the intermediate workshop, with increased writing and revising of poems. Extensive discussion of student poetry in class and in conferences with instructor.
412 Creative Writing - Contemporary Issues (3). Prerequisite, permission of instructor. Restricted to creative writing minors. An occasional course, which may focus on such topics as: editing and revising; short-short fiction; contemporary poetry; short stories of the modern South; the one-act play; the lyric in song.
418 The English Language - Contemporary Issues (3). Focused study of a specific subfield or issue of current or historical English linguistics not covered in depth in other courses, e.g., dictionaries, North Carolina dialects, language of advertising.
423 Old English Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). This course investigates themes or issues in Old English literature, thought and culture.
424 Middle English Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). This course investigates themes or issues in Middle English literature, thought and culture.
430 Renaissance Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). This course investigates cultural themes or problems across a wide spectrum of Renaissance authors.
436 [049C] Contemporary Approaches to 18th-Century Literature and Culture (3). Focuses on particular forms, authors or issues in the period.
437 [072] Chief British Romantic Writers (3). Survey of works by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Percy and Mary Shelley, Keats and others.
438 19th-Century Women Writers (3). An investigation of important texts by 19th-century British women writers that considers issues of gender in relation to other important considerations: tradition, form, culture.
439 [073] English Literature, 1832-1890 (3). Poetry and prose of the Victorian period, including such writers as Tennyson, the Brownings, Arnold, the Brontes, Dickens, G. Eliot.
440 [078] English Literature, 1870-1910 (3). The Pre-Raphaelites, Wilde, Conrad, Shaw and Yeats.
441 Romantic Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). Devoted to British Romantic-period literature's engagement with a literary mode (such as the Gothic) or a historical theme (such as war or abolition) or to an individual author.
442 Victorian Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). The study of an individual Victorian writer, a group (such as the Pre-Raphaelites), a theme (such as imperialism) or genre (such as Victorian epic, or the serialized novel).
443 American Literature before 1860 - Contemporary Issues (3). A junior or senior level course devoted to in-depth exploration of an author, group of authors or topic in American literature to 1860.
444 American Literature, 1860-1900 - Contemporary Issues (3). Intensive study of one or more authors or a topic in American literature from the Civil War through 1900.
445 American Literature, 1900-2000 - Contemporary Issues (3). A junior or senior level course devoted to in-depth exploration of an author, group of authors or a topic in American literature from 1900 to 2000.
446 [086] American Women Authors (WMST 446) (3). American women authors from the beginnings to the present.
461 [041] Aesthetics (3). Examines the question of what defines art and what describes art's social and human significance through a reading of classic texts on these issues.
462 [040] Contemporary Poetry and Theory (3). This course introduces the student to historical and contemporary thinking about poetry and poetic language. Examines the place of poetry in theoretical thinking and theoretical thinking about poetry.
463 [092C] Postcolonial Literature (3). This course is a multigenre introduction to postcolonial literatures. Topics will include postcolonial Englishes, nationalism, anti-imperialism, postcolonial education and the intersections between national and gender identities in literature.
464 Queer Texts, Queer Cultures (3). The literary and cultural critical arts of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transvestite and other communities of sexual dissidents of the contemporary United States, United Kingdom and other Anglophone cultures.
465 Difference, Aesthetics and Affect (3). Examines interrelations between cultural difference, aesthetic form and the representation, production and conveyance of subjectivity (in particular affect or states of feeling) in texts, other media and material culture.
466 Literary Theory - Contemporary Issues (3). Examines current issues in literary theory such as the question of authorship, the relation of literary texts to cultural beliefs and values and to the formation of identities.
472 African American Literature - Contemporary Issues (3). Study of particular aspects of African American literature, such as the work of a major writer or group of writers, an important theme, a key tradition or a literary period.
478 Projecting Ireland (3). This course will examine the relationship between literary and cinematic versions of Ireland, exploring how written and visual texts negotiate the difficulties of representation in a decolonizing society.
479 Ireland and Modernism (3). This course explores Ireland's contribution in literature and art to movements in 20th-century modernism.
481 Media Theory (3). This course investigates the ramifications of the development of mass media and popular culture, paying special attention to the transformation of literature.
485 Introduction to Folklore (ANTH 485, FOLK 485) (3). Introduction to the study of folklore, surveying the range of verbal, material, musical, medical and festive genres and exploring the significance of traditional and self-constructed culture in contemporary life.
486 Literature and Environment (3). Multi-disciplinary, thematic investigations into topics in literature and environment that cut across boundaries of history, genre and culture. Junior/senior level. Taught in alternating years.
487 [186] Folk Narrative (FOLK 487) (3). The study of three genres of folk narrative - fairytale, personal narrative and legend - and their distinctive roles in contemporary life.
489 Cultural Studies - Contemporary Issues (3). The student will have an opportunity to concentrate on topics and texts central to the study of culture and theory.
525 Senior Seminar in Renaissance Literature (3). Senior-level survey of one or two key themes or issues in the literature of the English Renaissance.
564 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Literature (3). Examines the ways knowledge from other disciplines can be brought to bear in the analysis of literary works. Questions of disciplinary limits and histories will also be addressed.
566 Literature and Psychoanalysis (3). This course offers an introduction to the theoretical intersection of psychoanalysis and literature and to the spectrum of what is called "psychoanalytic theory."
578 Irish Americas, American Irelands (3). Course will explore the cultural connections between Ireland and America in literature and film to examine how each has imagined the other.
580 Film - Contemporary Issues (3). This course is designed to introduce students to a particular historical or cultural aspect of the cinema.
581 [047] Contemporary Approaches to Fiction (3). Examines the formal features of narrative and its role in shaping social values, groups and identities through readings in literary theory, short stories and novels.
582 [048] Contemporary Approaches to Poetry (3). The course is an introduction to the genre of poetry and its subgenres, the practice of reading it in both form and content and to the work of selected poets or individual poets.
583 [046A] Drama on Location (3). Offered as part of summer study abroad programs in Oxford, London and Stratford-on-Avon. Students experience plays in performance and as texts, and discuss their literary, dramatic, cultural and historical aspects.
585 [147] British and American Folksong (FOLK 585) (3). Explores the forms, functions and relationships of British and American folksongs, charting the emergence of Anglo- and African American vernacular musics and the dynamic processes of tradition, creolization, innovation and revival.
587 [187] Folklore in the South (FOLK 587) (3). An issue-oriented study of Southern folklore, exploring the ways that vernacular artistic expression (from barns and barbecue to gospel and well-told tales) come to define both community and region.
589 [189] African American Folklore (FOLK 589) (3). Focuses on the richness and variety of oral traditions that define African American culture, with some emphasis on African origins.
600 [130] Advanced Expository Writing (3). The course, restricted to graduate students in English, offers students practice writing vitae and job application letters, grant or conference proposals, dissertation or thesis chapters, book reviews or journal articles.
605 [132] History of Rhetoric and Composition (3). A survey of major figures in the history of rhetoric, beginning with classical rhetoric, but emphasizing contemporary rhetorical theory.
606 [131] Rhetorical Theory and Practice (3). A study of rhetorical theories and practices from classical to modern times. Emphasis is on translation of theories into instructional practice for teaching in the college writing classroom.
613 [136] Modern English Grammar (LING 613) (3). A study of current English structure and usage using a traditional approach modified by appropriate contributions from structural and generative grammar, with some attention to the application of linguistics to literary analysis.
619 [151] Survey of Old and Middle English Literature (3). An introduction to English literature from the eighth century to the 15th, focusing on the primary works of Old English and Middle English literature.
621 [153] Arthurian Romance (CMPL 621) (3). British and continental Arthurian literature in translation from the early Middle Ages to Sir Thomas Malory.
625 [258] Shakespeare (3). A study of selected plays and poetry by Shakespeare and some of the key critical and theoretical approaches to his work.
626 [255] Renaissance Drama (3). A study of a representative group of plays by dramatists writing between the establishment of the permanent theaters in the 1570s and the closing of those theaters in 1642.
627 [254] Literature of the Earlier Renaissance (3). A graduate-level survey of the literature of the earlier Renaissance in England.
628 [260] Literature of the Later Renaissance (3). In this course, students will interrogate the social, historical and representational dimensions of 17th-century literature and culture in England.
629 [264] Milton (3). A study of Milton's prose and poetry in the extraordinary context of 17th-century philosophy, politics, religion, science and poetics, and against the backdrop of the English Civil War.
630 [358] Shakespeare and His Contemporaries (3). This course will examine drama written and performed in England from 1570 to 1640, situating Shakespeare's plays in relation to others in his generation.
631 [166] 18th-Century Literature (3). Studies in a variety of British writers from Rochester to Cowper.
637 [172] Chief British Romantic Writers (3). A survey of the major British Romantic writers, including Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Percy and Mary Shelley, Keats, with an introduction to the chief scholarly and critical problems of this period.
639 [174] Victorian Literature (3). Survey of major Victorian writers, such as Tennyson, the Brownings, Arnold, Dickens, the Brontes, G. Eliot, Mill, Ruskin.
643 Introduction to American Literature to 1860 (3). A graduate-level survey of American literature from the European settlement of the New World through 1860. Consideration of authors in their aesthetic, historical and contemporary critical contexts.
644 Introduction to American Literature, 1860-1900 (3). A graduate-level introduction to the range of American writing from the Civil War through 1900. Attention given to major critical concerns, e.g., the cultural force of realism, etc.
651 [195] British and American Drama of the 20th Century (3). A survey of British and American drama, poetry, fiction and criticism.
657 [190] English and American Literature of the 20th Century (3). A survey of 20th-century English and American drama, poetry, fiction and criticism.
659 [196] War in 20th-Century Literature (PWAD 659) (3). A study of literary works written in English concerning World War I, or the Spanish Civil War and World War II, or the Vietnam War.
660 [196D] War in Shakespeare's Plays (PWAD 660) (3). The focus is on Shakespeare's various treatments of war in his plays: all his Roman histories, most of his English histories, all his tragedies, even some of his comedies.
661 [140] Introduction to Literary Theory (3). Examines contemporary theoretical issues and critical approaches relevant to the study of literature.
662 [240] History of Literary Criticism (3). A history of literary criticism from the Greeks to mid-20th century, focusing on recurrent concerns and classic texts that are indispensable for understanding the practice of literary criticism today.
663 Postcolonial Theory (3). This course covers major works of and topics in postcolonial theory.
664 [190Q] The Challenge of Queer Theory to Literary Studies, Cultural Studies and the Humanities (3). An advanced-level investigation of queer theory's challenges to literary criticism, cultural studies and questions of critical methodology in the humanities. Cutting-edge research and just published articles will be used.
665 [155] Queer Latina/o Literature, Performance and Visual Art (WMST 665) (3). This course explores literature, performance art, film and photography by Latinas and Latinos whose works may be described as "queer" and that question terms and norms of cultural dominance.
666 [180] Queer Latina/o Photography and Literature (WMST 666) (3). This course explores Latina/o literature about photography in relation to photography by "queer" Latina/o artists and, through this double focus, poses certain questions about identity, subjectivity and culture.
673 [188] Literature of the U.S. South (3). A study of the literature of the U.S. South, in most cases focusing on 20th-century southern literature and on prose fiction.
680 Film Theory (3). This course offers a rigorous introduction to the various theories (aesthetic, narratological, historiographic, ideological, feminist, poststructuralist) inspired by the cinema.
684 Women in Folklore and Literature (FOLK 684, WMST 684) (3). An exploration of representations of women in oral traditions as well as in literature based on oral traditions.
685 [179] Literature of the Americas (AMST 685, CMPL 685) (3). Prerequisite, two years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent. Multidisciplinary examination of texts and other media of the Americas, in English and Spanish, from a variety of genres.
686 Readings in Literature and Environment (3). Readings course selects an author, genre or method as a means of deepening awareness of the politics, poetics and paradoxes in the field of literature and environment.
687 [191] Canadian Literature in English (3). A study of Canadian literature in English, with emphasis on writing since 1940, particularly the novels, by, for example, Margaret Laurence, Robertson Davies, Mordecai Richler and Margaret Atwood.
691H [097] English Senior Honors Thesis, Part 1 (3). First semester of senior honors thesis. Independent research under the direction of an English department faculty member. Restricted to senior honors candidates. Permission of departmental committee on honors.
692H [098] English Senior Honors Thesis, Part 2 (3). Second semester of senior honors thesis. Essay preparation under the direction of an English department faculty member. Restricted to senior honors candidates. Permission of departmental committee on honors.
693H [099A] Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part 1 (Fall) (3). Prerequisite, ENGL 406. The first half of a two-semester seminar. Each student begins a book of fiction (25,000 words) or poetry (1000 lines). Extensive discussion of student work in class and in conferences.
694H [099B] Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part 2 (Spring) (3). Prerequisites, ENGL 406 and ENGL 693H. The second half of a two-semester seminar. Each student completes a book of fiction or poetry. Extensive discussion of student work in class and in conferences with instructor.
697 [094D] Capstone Course: The Romantic Revolution in the Arts (3). Examines the technical and aesthetic revolutions in the fine arts of the English Romantic period, focusing on lyrical poetry, landscape painting, and original printmaking and works by Wordsworth, Turner and Blake.
CMPL
121 [021] Great Books: Antiquity through Neoclassicism (3). Includes Virgil, Chretien de Troyes, Dante, Boccaccio, Cervantes, Milton and Voltaire.
122 [022] Great Books: Romanticism through Modernism (3). Reading great works of global fiction from 1750 to 1950; students learn techniques of literary analysis. Wordsworth, Goethe, Austen, Flaubert, Charlotte Bronte, Tolstoy, Ibsen, Chekhov, Kafka, Borges, Kawabata, Abe and T.S. Eliot.
141 Introduction to Comparative Literature (3). An introduction to the methodology of comparative literature, especially insofar as it struggles to reconcile its predominantly western lineage with the recognition of non-western textual.
151 [031] Literature and Society in Southeast Asia (ASIA 151) (3). This course is an introduction to the societies of Southeast Asia through literature. Background materials and films will supplement the comparative study of traditional works, novels, short stories and poems.
250 [050] Approaches to Comparative Literature (3). This communications-intensive course familiarizes students with the theory and practice of comparative literature: the history of literary theory; translation; and literature combined with disciplines such as music, architecture and philosophy.
251 [051] Introduction to Literary Theory (3). Familiarizes students with the theory and practice of comparative literature. Against a background of classical poetics and rhetoric, explores various modern literary theories, including Russian Formalism, Frankfurt School, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, Deconstruction, New Historicism and others. All reading in theory is paired with that of literary texts drawn from a wide range of literary periods and national traditions.
252 [062] Popular Culture in Modern Southeast Asia (ASIA 252, INTS 252) (3). This course examines popular culture in Southeast Asia as a response to colonialism, nationalism, modernization, the state and globalization. Topics include: theater, film, pop songs, television, rituals and the Internet.
269 [069] Representations of Cleopatra (CLAS 269, WMST 269) (3). Study of the life of Cleopatra and how her story has been reinvented in postclassical societies, often as a mirror image of their own preoccupations, in literature, art, movies and opera.
321 Medieval and Modern Arthurian Romance (ENGL 321) (3). Representative examples of Arthurian literature from the Middle Ages and 19th and 20th centuries, with some attention to film, art and music.
364 [064] The Classical Background of English Literature (CLAS 364) (3). Study of classical writers influential on selected genres of English literature.
373 [096] Modern Women Writers (WMST 373) (3). The development of a women's literary tradition in the works of such writers as George Sand, George Eliot, Isak Dinesen, Colette, Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein, Marguerite Duras, Nathalie Sarraute, Marguerite Yourcenar.
379 [094] Cowboys, Samurai and Rebels in Film and Fiction (ASIA 379) (3). Cross-cultural definitions of heroism, individualism, and authority in film and fiction, with emphasis on tales or images that have been translated across cultures. Includes films of Ford, Kurosawa and Visconti.
380 [084] Almost Despicable Heroines in Japanese and Western Literature (ASIA 380, WMST 380) (3). Authors' use of narrative techniques to create the separation between heroines and their fictional societies and sometimes also to alienate readers from the heroines. Austen, Flaubert, Ibsen, Arishima, Tanizaki, Abe.
383 [083H] Literature and Medicine (3). Examines the presentation of medical practice in literature from the mid-19th century to the present. Readings include some medical history, novels, stories and recent autobiographies of medical training.
385 [090] Modernist and Postmodernist Narrative (3). A study of the structure of various types of modernist and postmodernist narrative, including texts by such writers as Proust, Faulkner, Camus, Hesse, Duras, Mann, Woolf, Robbe-Grillet, Kundera, Simon.
390 [095] Special Topics in Comparative Literature (3). Course topics vary from semester to semester.
392 [092] Women and Work, 1850-1900 (WMST 392) (3). An explanation of the problems of work for women in the later 19th century, drawing on historical and fictional materials to illuminate each other.
393 [093] Adolescence in 20th-Century Literature (3). An analysis of the literary portrayal of adolescence by major 20th-century English, American and European writers, focused on dominant themes and modes of representation.
435 [135] Consciousness and Symbols (ANTH 435, FOLK 435) (3). This course explores consciousness through symbols. Symbols from religion, art, politics and self are studied in social, psychological, historical and ecological context to ascertain meanings in experience and behavior.
450 [150] Major Works of 20th-Century Literary Theory (3). Comparative study of representative works on literary and cultural theory or applied criticism to be announced in advance.
452 [170] The Middle Ages (3). Study of selected examples of Western medieval literature in translation, with particular attention to the development of varieties of sensibility in various genres and at different periods.
454 [172] Literature of the Continental Renaissance in Translation (3). Discussion of the major works of Petrarch, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Ariosto, Tasso, Rabelais, Ronsard, Montaigne, Cervantes and Erasmus.
456 [174] The 18th-Century Novel (3). English, French and German 18th-century narrative fiction with emphasis on epistolary novel. The relation of the novel to the Enlightenment and its counterpart, the cult of sentimentality and on shifting paradigms for family education, gender and erotic desire.
458 [173] Sense, Sensibility, Sensuality 1740-1810 (3). The development of the moral aesthetic of sensibility or Empfindsamkeit in literature of western Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
460 [175] Romanticism (3). An exploration of the period concept of Romanticism, using selected literary works by such writers as Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Goethe, Novalis, Schlegel, Hugo, Nerval, Chateaubriand.
462 [176] Realism (3). An exploration of the period concept of Realism through selected works by such writers as George Eliot, Dickens, James, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Zola.
464 [177] Naturalism (3). The Naturalist movement in European and American literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on its philosophical, psychological and literary manifestations in selected plays and novels.
466 [178] Modernism (3). An exploration of the period concept of modernism in European literature, with attention to central works in poetry, narrative and drama, and including parallel developments in the visual arts.
468 [181] Aestheticism (3). Aestheticism as a discrete 19th-century movement and as a major facet of modernism in literature and literary theory. Authors include Kierkegaard, Baudelaire, Nietzche, Huysmans, Wilde, Mann, Rilke, Nabokov, Dinesen, Barthes, Sontag.
470 [180] Concepts and Perspectives of the Tragic (3). History and theory of tragedy as a distinctive literary genre and as a more general literary and cultural problem. Authors include Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Shakespeare, Racine, Goethe, Nietzsche, Wagner, Mann, Samuel I and II, Faulkner. Also engages theorists, ancient and modern.
472 [184] The Drama from Ibsen to Beckett (3). The main currents of European drama from the end of the 19th century to the present. Includes Chekhov, Strindberg, Pirandello, Lorca, Brecht, Anouilh.
476 [191] Autobiography as a Literary Form (3). The rise and evolution of interest in the self in literary forms from St. Augustine's to Rousseau's Confessions and from Abelard through Dante, Petrarch, Cellini and Montaigne.
481 [182] Rhetoric of Silence: Cross-Cultural Theme and Technique (ASIA 481) (3). The uses of literary silence for purposes such as protest, civility, joy, oppression, nihilism, awe or crisis of representation. Authors include Sterne, Goethe, Austen, Kawabata, Soseki, Oe, Toson,[GB1] Camus, Mann.
482 [142] Philosophy in Literature (PHIL 482) (3). Selected literary classics from ancient times to the present, emphasizing changing approaches to such perennial problems as human nature and destiny, evil, freedom and tragedy.
483 [183] Cross-Currents in East-West Literature (ASIA 483) (3). The study of the influence of Western texts upon Japanese authors and the influence of conceptions of "the East" upon Western writers. Goldsmith, Voltaire, Soseki, Sterne, Arishima, Ibsen, Yoshimoto, Ishiguro.
485 [185] Approaches to 20th-Century Narrative (3). An examination of central trends in 20th-century narrative.
486 [186] Literary Landscapes in Europe and Japan (ASIA 486) (3). Changing understandings of nature across time and cultures, especially with regard to its human manipulation and as portrayed in novels of Japan and Europe. Rousseau, Goethe, Austen, Abe, Mishima.
487 [190] Literature and the Arts of Love (3). Love and sexuality in literary works from various historical periods and genres. Authors include Sappho, Plato, Catullus, Propertius, Ovid, Dante, Petrarch, Shakespeare, LaClos, Goethe, Nabokov and Roland Barthes.
490 [195] Special Topics (3). Topics vary from semester to semester.
492 [192] The Fourth Dimension: Art and the Fictions of Hyperspace (3). An exploration of the concept of the fourth dimension, its origins in non-Euclidean geometry, its development in popular culture and its impact on the visual arts, film and literature.
496 [140] Reading Course (1-21). Readings vary from semester to semester. The course is generally offered for three credits.
535 Boccaccio and European Narrative (ITAL 535) (3). Boccaccio's Decameron within the context of previous narrative traditions and subsequent development of narrative in Europe. Class discussion in English; readings in Italian for majors and in translation for nonmajors.
560 [160] Reading Other Cultures: Issues in Literary Translation (SLAV 560) (3). Starting from the proposition that cultural literacy would be impossible without reliance on translations, this course addresses fundamental issues in the practice, art and politics of literary translation.
621 [153] Arthurian Romance (ENGL 621) (3). British and continental Arthurian literature in translation from the early Middle Ages to Sir Thomas Malory.
685 [179] Literature of the Americas (AMST 685, ENGL 685) (3). Prerequisite, two years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent. Multidisciplinary examination of texts and other media of the Americas, in English and Spanish, from a variety of genres.
691H [097] Honors Course (3). Required of all students reading for honors in comparative literature.
692H [098] Honors Course (3). Prerequisite, CMPL 691H. Required of all students reading for honors in comparative literature.