Fall 2009 English Major Course Guide - Chicago Campus

Department of Literature and Languages

210  British Literature to 1789

STAFF

Prereq. Eng 101 with min grade of C-                                  

(Tu Th 4:30 – 5:45 pm)

Covering 1000 years of literature produced in Great Britain, this is a whirlwind tour of British literary history. The chief goals of the course are: to familiarize you with the writings of several major English authors of the Middle Ages and Renaissance; to acquaint you with the development of dominant literary forms such as lyric and narrative poetry, drama, prose fiction, and satire; to trace some recurring themes and issues in works written over the course of several centuries; to improve your ability to read literary texts closely and with understanding; to develop your skill at writing about literature clearly and perceptively; and to increase your awareness of the intimate connection between literature and the culture in which it is produced. 

 

212  American Literature to 1865

Theodore Gross

Prereq. Eng 101 with min grade of C-                      

(M W 11:00- 12:15 pm)

This course will deal with the culture of America from the early 1600’s until the Civil War—primarily through the required readings of literary texts but also with reference to recommended readings in history, art, and architecture.  We will be discussing the importance of Puritanism and the Revolutionary period as well as  multi-cultural documents that make America distinctive. Major authors will include Edwards, Franklin, Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Poe, Whitman, and Dickinson.  The text for the course will be The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Paul Lauter, General Editor, Houghton Mifflin, 2006, Volumes A,B,C.

 

215 Topics in World Literatures

Kimberly Ruffin

Prereq. Eng 101 with min grade of C-                

(M W 9:30 – 10:45 pm)

This course focuses on the Caribbean as a region through the creative and critical works of authors of African descent.   A study of the Caribbean’s history and various cultures is combined with analysis of the aesthetic stamp of individual authors.  Works from most, if not all, of the following authors will be required reading: Jamaica Kincaid, Edwidge Dandicat, Earl Lovelace, Maryse Condé, Derek Walcott, George Lamming, Kamau Brathwaite, and Erna Brodber.

 

220  Introduction to Literary Analysis

Bonnie Gunzenhauser

Prereq. University Writing Requirement     

(Tu Th 2:00 - 3:15 pm)   

In this course, we'll explore literature and literary language by asking such questions as: what is literature? how is literature different from other kinds of writing? what is literature good for? and how do our ideas of ‘literature’ change over time? We'll begin by reflecting on the power of literacy and literature in individual lives (including our own), using Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass as our central text. We'll then read poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction, paying special attention to the critical vocabulary and analytical tools proper to each genre. Throughout the course, we’ll combine textual analysis with big-picture considerations so that you'll leave this course a skilled reader of literary genres and an astute analyst of the ways we as human beings make meaning through literature.

 

221  Texts and Contexts

Ann Brigham

Prereq. University Writing Requirement                            

(Tu Th 11:00 – 12:15 pm)

In ENG 221, students practice working with literary criticism, critical theory, and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of literature. During the semester, we will focus on a small set of primary texts—in this case, British and American gothic literature—and consider those primary sources through a range of critical lenses. We will examine several studies that propose different theories for understanding the meaning of the gothic genre. In addition, we will study how specific critical approaches, including psychoanalysis, gender studies, postcolonialism, and new historicism, emphasize diverse interpretations of the literature.  We will also pay close attention to the processes of research and methodology, so that students will become more familiar with the types of research available to them and the strategies necessary for conducting such research.

 

222  Writing about Ideas

STAFF

Prereq. University Writing Requirement                                             

(Th 2:00 – 4:30 pm)

The theme of this writing intensive course is Food, Culture, and Identity. We will explore food in its cultural contexts, asking such questions as: How does food construct identity? What role does food play in the community? How does it help define a culture? Are we really what we eat? We will also examine food taboos, dietary habits, the kitchen as a symbol of domesticity and power, Americanization of ethnic foods, and the politics of food production. We will read texts from a variety of disciplines, write several short essays, conduct ethnographic research, and produce a final research project. 

 

303  Intermediate Creative Writing

Scott Blackwood

Prereq.  ENG 253 with min grade of C-                         

(W 2:00 - 4:30 pm)

Through work in two genres--chosen by the instructor from fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction--students develop their craft and build their portfolios.  Focus on critique of student work; analysis of work by notable authors, both contemporary and historic; and exploration of voice, style, and techniques for effective revision.

 

313  Crime in Victorian Literature

Ellen O’Brien

Prereq. ENG 220 min grade of C- or consent                   

(Tu 2:00 – 4:30 pm)   

                                  

With special attention to issues of class and gender, we will examine the growing nineteenth-century discourse of crime and the aesthetic innovations that arose in response.  Literary genres and forms will include: the detective novel, the sensation novel, the dramatic monologue, street ballads, investigative journalism, formal prose, and narrative and lyric poetry.  Themes will include: crime/punishment, prostitution/fallen women, state execution, criminological theory, criminal psychology, criminal law, the “dangerous classes,” and domestic violence.  In addition to a selection of essays and short poetry, the following primary texts will be studied: Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist; Thomas de Quincey’s “On Murder Considered As One of the Fine Arts,” Augusta Webster’s A Castaway, D.G. Rossetti’s “A Last Confession,” Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret; Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis and “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”

 

331  Advanced Fiction Writing

Scott Blackwood                                                                                    Prereq.  ENG 253 and Eng 303; Consent/submit portfolio to instructor

(M 6:00 - 8:30 pm) 

Part seminar and part workshop, this class focuses on the craft of the short story and the aesthetics of artful fiction in general.  You will read and discuss published  stories by writers such as Stuart Dybek, Louise Erdich, and Denis Johnson; you will also write short stories and participate actively in the workshops, receiving and offering thoughtful, constructive criticism.  The class will function as a writing community in which we help one another achieve what John Gardner called “the vivid and continuous dream of fiction.” 

 

332  Advanced Poetry Writing

Janet Wondra    

Prereq.  ENG 253 and ENG 303; Consent/submit portfolio to instructor          

(Tu 6:00 - 8:30 pm)

Reading and writing travel hand in hand, so in addition to intensive workshopping of participants’ poetry, we’ll read and analyze contemporary and classic published works. We’ll also explore how to submit your work successfully, how to analyze literary journals so you can target ones likely to embrace your poems, how to give successful readings, and how to research resources for poets. Finally, writing exercises will limber up the imagination and challenge your perceptions of  voice, style and form. You’ll exit the class with a portfolio of revised work and a stronger sense of yourself as an artist.

 

340  African-American Ecological Perspectives

Kimberly Ruffin

Prereq.  ENG 220 min grade of C- or consent

(M W 12:30-1:45 pm)

Despite various challenges, African-American ecological engagement has a long and varied tradition.  This course uses literature, film, criticism, and theory to explore the tradition.  Concepts such as environmental justice and environmental racism inform class readings and discussions.   Rural southern and northern urban areas are significant geographic touchstones.  In addition, the course examines the ecological insights to be gained from being part of a marginalized group in human hierarchies.  Works from most, if not all, of the following authors will be required reading: Paul Laurence Dunbar, Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Henry Dumas, Octavia Butler, Frank X Walker, Van Jones, Percival Everett, Toni Cade Bambara, Charles Chestnutt, Albery Whitman, George Moses Horton, Marilyn Nelson, and Yusef Komunyakaa.

 

345 Literature of Chicago (Honors)

Theodore Gross

Prereq.  Scholars Program                                 

(M W 9:30 - 10:45 am)

This course will deal with the culture of Chicago in the past 130 years—primarily through the required readings of literary texts but also with reference to recommended readings in history, art, politics, and architecture. The major authors will be Theodore Dreiser (Sister Carrie), Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Richard Wright (Native Son), Nelson Algren (Chicago on the Make), Saul Bellow (short stories), Mike Royko (Boss), David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross), Sandra Cisneros (House on Mango Street), and Stuart Dybek (The Coast of Chicago), with excerpts from the works of Jane Addams, Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, James T. Farrell, Carl Sandburg, Studs Terkel, and Gwendolyn Brooks.

 

352  Advanced Studies in a Literary Genre

STAFF

Prereq.  ENG 220 min grade of C- or consent    

(M 6:00 – 8:30 pm)

We will offer an upper-division course in this time slot. The course is not yet staffed so that topic has not yet been determined, but it should be set by mid- to late-March. Please check the course descriptions on the department website for updated info on this course: http://www.roosevelt.edu/english/default.htm.

 

College of Arts and Sciences