ENGL Courses Summer/Fall 2016 Page 1

ENGL 2303: Topics in Literature: The Lord of the Rings as Modern Mythology

Maymester 20168am-noon; Kevin Porter

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

Course Description

In 1961, one of Tolkien’s critics, Philip Toynbee—despite the fact that each volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy was in its eighth or ninth hardcover impression!—opined that “today these books have passed into merciful oblivion.” Yet Tolkien’s work has outlasted its early critics, not merely lingering into the twenty-first century, but thriving, bolstered by the phenomenal success of Peter Jackson’s film versions. Why? What are its sources of continued vitality? And what sets Tolkien’s work apart from its many forgettable or already-forgotten imitators?

We will explore these questions among others as we read and discuss as much of Tolkien’s work as is feasible within the confines of a Maymester course: The Lord of the Rings trilogy (which Tolkien did not think of as a trilogy at all, since each text cannot stand on its own) and The Silmarillion (completed by his son, Christopher). Secondarily, we will learn about Tolkien’s life and career; his personal and professional interests in philology, mythology, and medieval studies; his elaborate writing and revising processes; and some of his many wellsprings of inspiration in literary, mythological, linguistic, or historical sources—some obvious, like the calque of the creation story in Genesis that we find in the opening of The Silmarillion, and some subtle, like the name of the dragon Smaug (from The Hobbit), which is the past tense of reconstructed Germanic verb “smaugen” (i.e., “to squeeze through a hole”). We will also talk about the ways in which Jackson’s films depart from Tolkien’s texts, and why; the function, if any, that myth retains in the twenty-first century; and the logic of gift-giving and the webs of obligations that it spawns as they play out in Tolkien’s work. But beyond discussing all of these topics, I wish to encourage a greater appreciation for and enjoyment of the aesthetics—both aural and visual—of the language(s) that Tolkien draws upon, extends, and, at times, creates.

ENGL 2303 – Writing About Film

Summer 11-week 2016 6-8pm MW; Tim Richardson

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

This course will focus on (some of) those movies that offer versions of a high school experience, certainly with an eye to what they say about adolescence and early adulthood, but also with an eye toward how they present whatever they seem to say. This means that, though this is not a course in film studies or history but “writing about film,” we will pay a great deal of attention to the language and elements of movies (those that are common with literature, for instance, and those that are specific to the medium). Since time in class is limited, students will be expected to spend some time outside of class seeing and studying additional films.

ENGL 2303- Working Class Literature

Summer I 2016 8:00-9:50 MTWR; Bethany Shaffer

What exactly is Working Class? What defines it? Who makes the rules? What percent of the population falls into the category of Working Class? How does any of this relate to literature? This course will help you understand the answers to the above questions and more. You'll develop an understanding of the central debates surrounding the Working Class. To achieve these goals you will read a number of texts, both literary and critical; discuss the ideas in the texts with your colleagues and your instructor; and pursue a group project exploring the work and developing a thorough presentation about one working-class writer. Class lectures and discussions will focus on ways of understanding and interpreting the works and on locating them in their historical, cultural, and intellectual milieus. Also, one major essay will demonstrate your ability to discuss a text in an academic format.

Texts include: Christ in Concrete, The Street, Bastard Out of Carolina, and The Hunger Games

ENGL 2303 – Graphic Literature

Summer II 2016 1-3pm MTWR; Cathy Corder

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

In this class, students will read comics, graphic, novels, and manga--and they will examine these visual narratives as significant works of literature and learn to analyze them for plot development, characterization, style, and significant themes related to gender, ethnicity, and social and cultural values. Students will consider how the juxtaposition of text and image works to tell rich and vivid stories, as well as how these narratives reveal elements of film making (wide, medium, and close-up shots) and graphic design (color, black/white, panels, and gutters). Possible readings may include early works by Lynn Ward and Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Alan Moore’s reboot of Swamp Thing, and Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, among others. In addition, students will have hands-on opportunities to draft graphic retellings of familiar fairy tales or urban myths and to experiment with such apps as Pixton and Comic Life as they create a short comic or storyboard (no artistic talent required!).

ENGL 2350

Summer I 2016 330-503pm MTWR; Charles Hicks

This course is designed to introduce current and potential English majors to the language practices that inform English Studies. In this course students will study several influential schools of literary criticism, learning how they build off of each other and to theories in disciplines such as philosophy, history, and sociology. Students will practice applying the various critical theories to primary texts, both in class discussion and essays. The course will teach student to (1) identify characteristics of genres, (2) recognize and understand critical and literary terms, (3) develop methods and strategies for analyzing and interpreting texts, and (4) demonstrate a command of these methods and strategies in written work. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level English courses.

ENGL 2384: Structure of Modern English

Summer II 2016 330-530pm MTWR; Gyde Martin

Required for all English Majors

We will examine English grammar, not to teach you “proper” grammar but to discover what is unique about the structure of this particular language. In other words, we will discover the “real” rules, rules you already know as speakers of the language. To see these structural rules in operation, we will use Chomsky-style diagrams in our analysis of sentences and phrases.

We will also discuss topics in linguistics particularly relevant to teachers, for example, language acquisition in children (versus adults) and dialect differences.

ENGL 4370: Rhetoric and Composition for Secondary School Teachers

Summer II 2016 1030-1230am MTWR; Jim Warren

BATCH Requirement

This course is required for students pursuing an English degree with Secondary Teacher Certification and students seeking Mid-Level English Language Arts Certification, so these students are the primary audience. However, the course is designed to appeal to any student interested in the history, theory, and practice of reading and writing instruction.

As we examine rhetorical theory as manifested in the classroom, we’ll consider questions like: What is “rhetoric,” “composition,” and “rhetoric and composition?” Why do we teach reading and writing differently from the way it was taught 50 or 100 years ago? Why is reading and writing taught so differently in college and in high school, and what, if anything, should we do to improve alignment between the two?

This is a content course, not a pedagogy course, but we will examine writing instruction as itself a research field. You’ll learn what pedagogical practices are supported by recent scholarship in rhetoric/comp, and as you do so, you’ll occupy the dual role of student and teacher-in-training. For example, you’ll learn how to teach analytic reading skills as you practice these skills. You’ll learn how to teach argument as inquiry as you produce written arguments that engage timely issues. I’ll include you in the process of composing writing assignments that you then complete. We’ll talk about how to comment on and grade student writing as I give you feedback on your writing. We’ll consider the best ways to teach grammar and mechanics as you sharpen your command of Standard Written English.

ENGL 2303- Working Class Literature

Fall 2016 8-920am Tues/Thurs (hybrid, so please pay attention to section numbers); Bethany Shaffer

Please note: Both sections of my course are hybrid sections. A hybrid course combines traditional classroom learning with on-line learning in an effort to offer students the *best of both worlds.* The success of the course, as well as the success of each student, depends on 100% participation by each class member. This means arriving on time to each class meeting and submitting all assignments on time. For one section, we will meet face to face every Tuesday at 8:00am and every Thursday will be a Blackboard/hybrid day. For the other, we will have our Blackboard/hybrid day on Tuesday and meet face to face on Thursday at 8:00am.

ENGL 2303-003: Body Politics

Fall 2016 section 003 10-1050am MWF; Stephanie Peebles Tavera

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

In the late-nineteenth century, women became increasing involved in medical science and practice, especially in the field of gynecology, which emerged as a new field in 1876. Social reformers and feminist writers including Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, and Annie Nathan Meyer responded to these developments by voicing their own opinions on gynecological practice and women in medicine, often calling for reform. This semester, we will read four (short) social reform novels written by the aforementioned women writers who were also writing a variety of political and social reform essays. These women responded to and called for reform in gynecological practice during the period 1875-1915. In our class, we will seek to answer such questions as: How does medical practice influence women’s bodies? How might these reform measures positively or negatively influence gender roles? In what ways does the novel function as a genre for social reform arguments? How were these novels influence by other social reform movements including dress reform, higher education, and even the birth control movement?

ENGL 2303-005: Latino/a Experience

Fall 2016 section 005 9-950am MWF; Alison Torres Ramos

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

This course offers a literary introduction to the study of the diverse groups of people who are called “Latina/o” in the U.S., with an emphasis on the significant cultural, political, and economic influence that Latinos have had on “mainstream” U.S. society. We will consider how various forms of cultural expression reflect experiences of hybrid culture(s), identity, language, and contemporary political issues. Students will be asked to examine how a heterogeneous and changing Latina/o population both shapes and is shaped by life in the United States. Over the course of the semester, we will also engage with scholarly conversations about constructions of “Latinidad” as they relate to questions of identity, class, race and/or ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality, (im)migration, language and popular culture. Students will learn to recognize and appreciate the complexities of Latina/o experiences in the United States and will become familiar with a critical vocabulary that will facilitate complex discussions about broader issues of American culture and identity.

ENGL 2303-007: Monsters, Madness and other Female Maladies

Fall 2016 section 007 930-1050am TR; Tra Clough

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

This course will explore the many representations of the monstrous figure in various disciplines (anthropology, cultural studies, medicine, science, folklore, history) and cultures, critically engaging with how the monstrous anticipates, represents, provokes, or capitalizes on particular cultural, historical, and political anxieties. We will explore some of the most generative and popular monsters that have emerged in myth, literature, pop culture, and film. We will consider how societies come to identify/label the “monstrous” as we survey traditional monster stories, but we will also delve into the less traditionally identified monsters who nonetheless engender horror and revulsion. To that end, we will interrogate how the monstrous ‘others’ emerge in collective discourses, and the ramifications of such a weighted label on these subjects. What makes a successful monster at a given time? How does form effect our interpretation, evoking our disgust or sympathy. What, if anything, do we gain when the monster speaks back? Class discussions will engage with the ‘idea’ of the monster from a critical perspective informed by an understanding of the cultural, historical, and political forces that contribute the creation of the monstrous.

ENGL 2303-008 On the Road

Fall 2016 Section 008 9-950am; Charles Hicks

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

The course seeks to introduce students to novels, memoirs, and essays centered on travel and the concept of “the road.” Students will explore the primarily characteristics and themes of travel narratives and analyze how these tropes are used to comment on a specific historical period. The class will be comprised of such classic “road” novels as Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Hunter S. Thompson’s roman à clef Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Che Guevara’s memoir, The Motorcycle Diaries.

ENGL 2303-010 Banned Books

Fall 2016 section 010 1100am-1220pm TR; Desiree Henderson

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

This course provides a general introduction to the study of American literature through a focus on banned books and other controversial media. Students will consider the role of literature in society, the debates and disagreements about language, content, purpose and audience that cause some books to be banned and censored, as well as why authors engage with controversial material. Assignments include one test, two short analysis papers, and one research paper.

ENGL 2303-011 Reuse, Remix, Rewrite

Fall 2016 section 011 11-1150am MWF; Sarah Shelton

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

The adaptation and appropriation of literature is all around us; consider the latest trend to re-tell fairy tales in television (Once Upon a Time), film (Snow White and the Huntsman), and books (Beastly). In this class, we’ll analyze what goes into an adaptation/appropriation and explore their creation across multiple genres, particularly young adult literature, literary fiction, TV/film, and graphic novels. At the core of our class will be two questions: Why do we (re)tell stories and are there any “original” stories left to tell? We’ll also explore typical topics in adaptation theory: What makes an adaptation “faithful”? Does faithfulness matter? How do concepts like genre, gender, and race factor into adaptations? How do we remix and reuse stories throughout our everyday lives? We’ll also consider the ethical implications of a shared culture where some stories/ideas are considered fair game for reuse while others are tightly guarded by copyright law. Possible texts/authors for the course (not set and subject to change): various fairy tales, Shakespeare, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, and/or (selections from the tales of) Sherlock Holmes. While we’ll work on a core set of texts and their various adaptations together as a class, students will also each select an outside text to study and begin to adapt through a semester-long project.

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English 2309: World Literature

Fall 2016 section 005 1-150pm MWF; Ana Savic

Meets Language, Philosophy and Culture Core Requirement

In ENGL 2309-005 – World Literature, we will read a variety of world literature masterpieces that raise significant aesthetic, cultural, and social issues. We will focus on developing your ability to engage intellectually with texts and ideas and to articulate your thoughts clearly and effectively both orally and in writing. You will be asked to look beyond surface-level meanings and consider how literary texts reflect the author’s ideology or the philosophical, social, and political concerns of the time through their themes and stylistic devices. Some of the authors we will be reading are Jorge Luis Borges, Chinua Achebe, and JhumpaLahiri. Our overall goal in this class is to help you discover complex aspects of literary art and sharpen your ability of perceptive and informed reading.