Fall 2015 Yellow Sheet Now Available!

 

 

ENGLISH AND WORLD LITERATURE COURSES – Fall 2015

EWL 120 - Themes in World Lit

Dr. M. Colvin

Section One: M/W 10-11:20

Section Two: MW 11:30-12:50

One unique feature of literature is its ability to express universal themes while simultaneously recording the experiences and perspectives of particular societies at specific historical and cultural moments.  In this course, students explore these different but complementary roles by studying how a selected theme has been adapted by authors across various geographic regions and time periods.  In doing so, they come to understanding the value of literature as a vehicle for drawing common connections between peoples across historical and cultural boundaries.  At the same time, students strengthen the essential skills of reading, analyzing, interpreting, and writing about literature that they will utilize throughout the English & World Literatures major. All works will be read in English.Co-requisite: WRIT 101 or 201. Replaces EWL 110 requirement for EWL Majors and Minors who entered in Fall 2012 or later.

 

EWL 207 - Literary Analysis

Dr. M. Colvin

M 2:30-5:20

In this course, students will study and practice various critical methodologies for reading, analyzing, and interpreting literary texts. They begin by learning about the history of the discipline, the rise of Literature as a distinct kind of writing, and the many questions and debates that continue to inform the work of literary critics and scholars. Throughout the course of the semester, students will develop an understanding of major schools of critical thought, namely Psychoanalysis; Structuralism & Deconstruction; Marxism; Feminism & Gender Studies; Gay, Lesbian & Queer Criticism; New Historicism; and Multiculturalism & Post-Colonial Studies. By the end of the course, students will have strengthened their ability to read, analyze, and write about literature. Pre-req: Writ 102 or 201; EWL 115. Required: EWL Major/minor.

 

EWL 225 - Global Modernisms

Dr. M. Sledge

M/W 5:50-7:10

In this course, students study a range of literary texts, particularly those written during the Victorian period (1832-1901), that speak to the rise of the British Empire. The course includes texts written by English authors as well as those written by authors in colonized spaces, including Africa, India, Canada, and Australia. Whether celebrating it or resisting it, these texts are best understood when read through the historical and political lens of Empire. Pre-req: WRIT 102 or WRIT 201. Counts as: elective; Perspective: Historical. Region: Transregional. Pre-2012 catalog:  elective, 20^th and 21c Anglo-American;  Gen Ed: DS2 Literature and Language

 

EWL 3XX - Literature and Business

Dr. C. Feilla

MW 2:30-3:50

This course examines the representation of money and business in America through select literary and philosophical texts from the nineteenth century to the present. Emphasizing various approaches to the analysis of human ways of making a living, and the economic systems within which one does so, the course uses the lens of literature to explore the practices that govern business in America, and the specific ways in which these practices connect to issues (and perceptions) of poverty, debt, race, gender, class, income inequality, consumerism, religion, natural resources, and social conflict. Prerequisites: WRIT 102 or 201, and one prior EWL course. Counts as: EWL elective; Perspective: Thematic. Region: NA. Gen Ed: CP and UP.   

 

EWL 318 Religion and Literature                                           

Dr. M. Maczynska                              

F 1-3:50 (cross-listed with RS 318)

This course is a novel-based exploration of the intersection between religion and literature. The course will include consideration of scriptural texts, as well non- or post-religious texts that persist in expressing religious themes. Course readings include selected gospels, Hindu and Buddhist scripture, and the contemporary novel. Pre-requisite: WRIT 102 OR WRIT 201 and one prior RS OR EWL course, or permission of the instructor. Minimum 45 credits. Counts as: Perspective: Thematic. Region: Transregional.   

 

EWL 322 CHP - Literature and Human Rights

Dr. P Naccarato

M/W 4-5:20

In this class, we will build our work upon the premise that literature is an essential vehicle for exposing human rights abuses, holding those responsible for them accountable, and promoting change. The course offers students the opportunity to understand the rich history of human rights as a philosophical concept and political objective, to examine theoretical frameworks for linking human rights and literary studies, and to apply this knowledge to an analysis of representative works of literature. Students will have the opportunity to study philosophies of human rights and the theoretical frameworks that inform historical and contemporary iterations of them. They will read a range of literary works that focus on human rights abuses and advocate for change and, in doing so, they will necessarily come to understand those literary works in relation to the historical and cultural moments at which they were written. Prereq: WRIT 102 or 201. EWL requirements: pre-2012 catalog: World Lit, 20th & 21st Centuries, with a course sub form; elective. 2012, 2013 and 2014 catalogs: Perspectives: Thematic/Generic; Region: Transnational; elective. Gen ed: AIP – IP, CP. Open to Honors College students only; or by permission of instructor.

                                            

EWL 335 - Slavery in the American Imaginary

Dr. M Sledge

Section One: T/Th 10-11:20

Section Two: T/Th 11:30-12:50

This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of how Americans have imagined slavery in their nation’s history. Despite the fact that the “peculiar institution” ended over one hundred and fifty years ago, Americans still struggle to make sense of their history, to teach their past to their children, and to decide, once and for all, how to “atone” for their ancestors’ actions. This course will attempt to understand and address some of those issues as they have been imagined by artists, writers, and filmmakers. Pre-req: Writ 102 or 201 & any prior EWL course; Counts as: elective; Perspective: Thematic/Generic. Region: North America. 

 

EWL 350 - Special Topics: Shakespeare on Film

Dr. J. Brown

Section One: T 1-3:50    

Section Two: Th 1-3:50

This course will look at some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays (Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, among others) and see how they have been translated to film both in the English speaking world and globally. As we discuss and watch the films, we will examine this history of reception, adaptation, translation, and re-appropriation of the plays. We will also consider Shakespeare’s “Englishness” and how this is maintained or discarded by non-Anglophone culture. Counts as: elective; Perspective: Thematic/Generic. Region: Transregional. Pre-req: WRIT 102, COMM 131 and one prior EWL course, or permission of both departments.

 

EWL 347 - Contemporary Latin American Fiction                        

Dr. M Colvin

TH 5:50 - 8:40PM (cross-listed with SPAN 347)

Studies the development of Contemporary Latin American fiction to the present. Juan Rulfo, Jorge Luis Borges, Laura Esquirel, Eduardo Mallea, Julio Cortazar, and Gabriel García Márquez and others will be read. Prerequisite: WRIT 102 or 201, minimum 45 Credits. Counts as: elective; Perspective: Thematic/Generic; Region: Caribbean and Latin American. Gen Ed:  AIP International and Cultural.

 

EWL 4XX - Literature and Feminist Theory                                               

Dr. M. Sledge               

MW 4-5:20pm

This course will explore advanced theoretical concepts in feminist theory as they relate to literary studies.  Feminist theory has evolved from theories of representation to exploring the complexity of gender as it intersects with other categories of identity and power. This course will explore questions such as: How does contemporary feminist theory engage world literatures? How can feminist literary theory be used to analyze fiction?  How is contemporary fiction influenced by feminist thought?  Pre-req:  EWL 302 or permission of the instructor. Counts as: elective; Perspective: Advanced. Region: Transregional. EWL major requirement.

 

EWL 490 - Senior Seminar in Literary Studies                

Dr. J. Brown                   

T/Th 11:30-12:50pm

This course provides students the opportunity to study in depth major issues in literary studies and to engage in advanced research methodologies. The primary goal for this course is for each student to produce an original senior thesis in which they will use a specific theoretical approach to analyze texts. The theme for this section will be Milton’s Paradise Lost. Pre-req: EWL 302.  Requirement for EWL major.

 

FREN 315 01 French and Francophone Cinema           

Dr. J. Huntington       

TTH 5:50-7:10pm

 In this course, we will explore the social and cultural implications of film through the analysis of the history, aesthetics, languages, themes and perspectives presented in French and Francophone cinema. Areas of discussion and inquiry include examinations of the impact of the invention of cinema, surrealism and the avant-garde, World War II and the Occupation, the nouvelle vague, global feminisms, sexual orientations and identities, colonialism, and immigration as viewed on the big screen by audiences in France and around the world. Films will be screened in the original version with subtitles. Course readings and discussion in English. Pre-req: Writ 102 or 201; Counts as: elective, Thematic/Generic Perspective. Region: Transregional.  Gen Ed:  AIP International. Counts toward French minor.

 

AIP 301 - Ghost Stories and Fox Tales in Chinese Culture              

Dr. Y. Cheng                  

T 2:30- 5:20pm

Are ghost stories only for entertainment? What else can we gain from reading ghost stories? The living and the dead lived in tandem throughout the ages in China. Concepts of death reflect on the image we have of life. So the reported behavior of ghosts may tell us much about the condition of the living. In the particular culture of China, fox tales often revealed similar characteristics as those of the ghost stories. In this course we will read both ghost stories and fox tales from a wide array of Chinese sources in English translation, including official history, personal anecdotes, collections of jokes, fiction, and drama. We will explore how these stories have reflected the transformations of Chinese social and political institutions, the changes of mentalities throughout history, and the critical roles gender and sexuality play in these transformations. Comparison of Chinese ghost stories and European ghost stories in selection will also be focused. Pre-req: Writ 102 or 201, minimum 45 Credits; Counts as (with course substitution form):  Perspectives: Thematic/Generic; Region:  Asia.

 

CREATIVE WRITING COURSES – Fall 2015

CRW 201 - INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING I                        

Section One: TTH 10:00-11:30am               

Section Two: MW 5:50-7:10pm                  

The purpose of this course is to explore—through critical reading, inventive writing, and in-depth conversation—the craft elements essential to the composition of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (or memoir). This course is designed to enhance your skills in analyzing and writing about literature. In the process, we will develop a specialized language to discuss how writers use technique to make meaning. Special emphasis will be placed on cultivating the power of the imagination through vocational interpretation.  In other words, you will begin the long apprenticeship towards learning to see as poets, novelists, and memoirists. Perhaps writing cannot be taught, but native talent and a love of words can be nurtured—like a rhododendron or a pit bull. We will start out small, identifying and practicing each artistic ingredient. By the end of the semester, you will be well on your way to passionately and skillfully producing your own poems, stories, and memoiristic essays.  Co-requisite: WRIT 101 or WRIT 201. Counts as: CRW minor requirement.

 

CRW 205 - INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING II   

Dr. Jerry Williams     

T 5:50-8:40

Building on CRW 201, this course is designed to explore the underlying concepts of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction while developing students’ literary interests and abilities. Various analytical and imaginative writing assignments will help students to begin crafting their own poems, stories, and memoiristic essays. Understanding how the writer makes meaning is essential to finding one’s own aesthetic approach. Pre-req: WRIT 101 or 201, and CRW 201. CRW minor requirement.

 

CRW 346 - INTERMEDIATE CREATIVE WRITING              

Dr. J. Williams              

Section One: F 11:30-2:20pm

Section Two: T 2:30-5:20pm

Students begin looking at the formal craft elements of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction while reading literary texts with a more critical writer’s eye. In addition, students will be encouraged to reflect both on their own literary practice and the literary practice of their classmates through continued presentation and discussion of various writing assignments. Pre-req: CRW 205. Counts as: CRW minor requirement.

 

CRW 391 - SPECIAL TOPICS IN CREATIVE WRITING       

Dr. J. Williams              

F 2:30-5:20pm

This course gives students an opportunity to study, in greater depth, more specific aspects of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for the purpose of applying this knowledge to their own writing. This semester students will explore the New York roots of the Beat Generation, a group of writers from the 1940s (and beyond) whose work expressed dissatisfaction with the materialism and conformity of American society and put forward an alternative way of living through candid personal writing and spiritual liberation. Criminality, jazz music, Zen Buddhism, experimentation with drugs, and the freedom of travel fueled their literary aspirations and guided their expert self-mythologizing. The most important and enduring figures of the movement include Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady, Diane DiPrima, Gregory Corso, Gary Snyder, Hettie Jones, Herbert Hunke, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Carl Solomon, Peter Orlovsky, John Clellon Holmes, Amiri Baraka, and Joyce Johnson. Students will read fiction, memoir, and poetry by these authors; visit the many locations that inspired the work; and write both critically and creatively about their experiences. It goes without saying that the influence and allure of the Beats remain with us to this day. Pre-req: CRW 346. CRW minor req.

 

LANGUAGE COURSES – FALL 2015

ARAB 101 - Elementary Arabic I                                                 

M/W 7:20-8:40

In conjunction with speaking and listening skills, reading and writing will be introduced in order to develop a basic knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic, the form of Arabic shared by all Arab countries.  Student participation is vital since this course involves much oral work carried out through interaction among students.  Not open to native speakers. Counts for: Language requirement in EWL. Gen ed: DS2.

 

CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I                                                                               T/Th 11:30-12:50

In conjunction with speaking and listening skills, reading and writing (using simplified characters) and familiarity with Pinyin will be introduced in order to develop a basic knowledge of Mandarin. Student participation is vital since this course involves much oral work carried out through interaction among students. Not open to native speakers. Counts for: Language requirement in EWL. Gen ed: DS2.

 

FREN 101 - Elementary French I                                                

Section One: M/W 8:30-9:50am

Section Two: M/W 1-2:20pm

Emphasis is placed on understanding and speaking in order to develop a basic knowledge of French.  Grammatical principles will be introduced through texts relating various aspects of French life. Poems and current events from magazines will be used along with topical readings to help develop a feeling for French.  Counts for: Language requirement in EWL. Gen ed: DS2.

 

FREN 201 - Intermediate French I                                            

Dr. J. Huntington       

TTH 1:00PM 2:20PM

The purpose of this course is to strengthen and expand the student’s familiarity with the language as an oral and written instrument of communication. Contemporary stories, grammar, and short poems will emphasize modern idiomatic expressions. Pre-req: FREN 101-102 or permission. Counts for: Language requirement in EWL. Gen ed: DS2.

 

Published: April 06, 2015