Creative Writing Course Descriptions

In this discussion-based course, we will grapple with language stretched to its absolute limit as we move through several centuries of writers attempting to describe war's indescribable violences, from the U.S. Civil War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assignments will include discussion leading, journal-keeping. 2-3 short papers, and a final exam.

A discussion course focused on literary works about music and musicians. Readings will include stories and novels, memoirs, plays, and poetry. As they read and discuss these works, students will be encouraged to reflect on the place of music in their own lives. Assignments will include brief oral presentations, daily learning journals, and a few short papers.

All first-person narrators are unreliable; everyone's story is biased, incomplete, flawed by memory. Yet certain narrators are particularly suspicious, and this class explores stories told by manipulative, self-deceitful, and unstable voices. Working across multiple genres - including novels, short stories, and visual media - we will investigate what these works ask of readers and how they comment on truth-telling and reality. Assessments: class discussion, reader's journal, essay.

A discussion course focused on literary works that explore characters' and speakers' psychological complexities, especially in terms of memory. We will analyze texts from multiple genres, such as short stories, novels, poetry, and memoirs. Assessments: class discussion, reader's journal, and a few short papers.

A discussion course focused on literary works about adolesence. Readings will include literary novels, youngadult novels, graphic novels / memoirs, and a film. As they read and discuss these works, students will be encouraged to reflect on their own experiences as teens / adolescents. Assignments will include short papers, a group presentation, and learning journals.

An introduction to the techniques of literary analysis through the detailed study of individual texts.

An introduction to the pleasures and possibilities of fiction as a literary form. Through the close study of texts across a variety of narrative styles, this seminar will consider how novels, novellas, and short stories convey meaning and draw readers into imaginative worlds. Students will learn how to analyze fiction critically and creatively and write about it thoughtfully.

An introduction to the techniques of poetic analysis through the detailed study of individual poems and poetic forms. In this course, we will consider how poems work, how to read them closely, and how to write about them thoughtfully

House museums exist in several temporalities: when they were constructed and occupied, when they were opened as museums, and whenever a visitor tours them. What happens when we think of these sites as texts to be read—as historical artifacts whose meaning might be multiple and complex? In this course, we’ll tour and reflect on house museums with an eye to understanding the complex relationship between a writer’s house and their literary legacy. PREREQUISITES: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

Using David Olusoga's groundbreaking book Black and British (2016) as both its inspiration and guiding principle, this course seeks to listen to and learn from Black British voices across history and across empire. How do these voices change our understanding of British history-and perhaps British literary history specifically? How might they allow us to explore alternative cartographies-literary, historical, and spatial--for London as we experience it today? PREREQUISITES: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

Students will study several plays by William Shakespeare selected from among the current offerings by the Royal Shakespeare and other companies. Discussions will address the plays themselves, production techniques, and the audiences to whom they appeal. Students are required to attend performances of the plays under study. Offered at the London Centre. PREREQUISITES: Must be attending Lawrence London Centre

The class includes poetry, short stories, novels, plays and film scripts which document the cultural and political conflict in Northern Ireland ("The Troubles"). Analysing literature from both sides of the conflict and from the Republic and Ulster, will allow for an in-depth understanding of the socio-historical context influencing these works, and the importance of literature as a personal and political voice. PREREQUISITES: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

The class will read and discuss plays by contemporary Irish playwrights from Brendan Behan to Martin McDonagh. It will analyse personal and the political issues in modern day Ireland, the question of Irish identities and the gradual social changes since the beginning of the Troubles. Particular emphasis will be on the performance history of the plays, both in Ireland and abroad. PREREQUISITES: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

A survey of prominent literary works through the lens of creative writing. Students will analyze works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and will have the opportunity to respond creatively to the assigned readings-- i.e., by composing original stories, creative essays, and poems. Assigned texts will seek to expose students to various writing styles, and provide examples of the successes and strategies of other writers. In addition to learning various aspects of reading and discussing texts as writers, students will learn how to respond to writing in different genres.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

This course studies literature created in and about London, from Medieval poetry, short stories, journals to newspaper sequels and contemporary novels. We will walk in the footsteps of London-born writers and those who made London their home to find out how their writings have capture social, political, and cultural changes. A variety of assignments will allow students to engage individually with London. Offered at the London Centre. PREREQUISITES: Must be attending Lawrence London Centre

The course is built around weekly sessions with alumni who make their living with books – authors, agents, editors. The aim is to encourage career discernment in the first two years of college. For three units, students write a short paper and prepare a resume. For six units, students also explore the history of the publishing industry, doing outside readings and keeping a learning journal.

Intensive study of five or six major British authors from Chaucer to Swift. Emphasis on close reading and critical writing.

Intensive study of five or six major British authors from Wordsworth to Yeats. Emphasis on close reading and critical writing.

A comparative study of nineteenth century Europoean realism, with readings taken from a variety of national traditions. Authors studied may include Dickens, Flaubert, and Dostoevsky. Collaborative teaching of each text will expose participants to a wide range of critical and pedagogical methods. With instructor approval students may also register for an additional tutorial (3 units) in which we will read and discuss important theoretical works on the history of the novel form. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

Intensive study of major American authors from Emerson to Hughes. Emphasis on close reading and critical writing.

A survey of African American literature from slave narratives through contemporary literature. Readings include works by Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, and Toni Morrison.

In this course we analyze ancient plays both as great works of literature and as artifacts of a particular artistic, cultural, and political context. Students will read excerpts and complete plays in English from a variety of ancient authors, including (from Classical Athens) Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander, and (from late Republican and early Imperial Rome) Plautus, Terence, and Seneca. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

An examination of ancient epic literature through the study of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid, all read in English translation. Emphasis on the important features and themes of the epic genre, ancient conceptions of the hero, and the literary, cultural, and political resonance of these texts in classical antiquity. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

An introduction to major postcolonial works in their literary, historical, and cultural contexts. Readings include novels by African, Asian, and Caribbean authors such as Chinua Achebe, Salman Rushdie, and Jean Rhys.

Practice in the writing of non-fictional prose. PREREQUISITES: ENG 180. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

The is a seminar-style course, built around exploring, drafting, and workshopping hybrid poetry-nonfiction forms of creative writing. Such forms include prose poetry, lyrical essays, haibun, and personal criticism. Exploiting the thin line between nonfiction and poetry, this class will count as either a 300-level prose or 300-level poetry class for the Creative Writing major. PREREQUISITE: ENG 180, “Introduction to Creative Writing” PREREQUISITES: ENG 180, “Introduction to Creative Writing”

Practice in the writing of short fiction. PREREQUISITES: ENG 180. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

Practice in the writing of poetry. PREREQUISITES: ENG 180.

Tutorial study in the literature of various periods, English and American, and in literary forms and composition. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Arrangements should be discussed with the department chair. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Advanced study, arranged in consultation with the department chair. Students considering an honors project should register for this course. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

In this discussion-driven class, we will focus on a single early modern author or literary text in order to master the art of sophisticated literary criticism: crafting and organizing complex arguments, conducting scholarly research, and employing both primary and secondary sources effectively in literary analysis. May be repeated when topic is different.

In this discussion-driven class, we will focus on a single nineteenth-century author or literary text in order to master the art of sophisticated literary criticism: crafting and organizing complex arguments, conducting scholarly research, and employing both primary and secondary sources effectively in literary analysis. May be repeated when topic is different.

Newtonian Lit is a course that investigates the connections between the literature and science of the Enlightenment, particularly with respect to contemporary notions of space and time. Students will analyze important texts from the fields of English and Physics, notably Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and Isaac Newton’s Principia. PREREQUISITES: One natural-science class or one English class.

A study of Middle English literature and culture, focusing especially on the oral and performative dimensions of literature produced between 1300 and 1550. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

An introduction to Shakespeare’s plays and their literary, historical, and theatrical context. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

A selected study of poetry and prose in Sixteenth Century England. Readings will include Spenser's Faerie, Queene, and lyric poetry from Wyatt to Sidney. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

A study of eight to ten plays from the early modern period, excluding Shakespeare. Readings include Marlowe, Jonson, Middleton and Webster. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

A study of Donne and the metaphysical poets, the poetry and prose of Milton, and the poetry of Dryden. Emphasis on Milton. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

This lecture/discussion class will explore the rich historical, sexual, and religious tensions of 17^th century British poet, courtier, and Anglican priest, John Donne. We will also explore the same tensions, manifested very differently, in the poetry of Donne's contemporary poet-priest, George Herbert. Students will write short weekly papers and a substantial final paper. In addition to Donne and Herbert, we will also read works by Sir Thomas Wyatt, Andrew Marvell, and others. PREREQUISITES: ENG 250 or ENG 260, junior standing, or consent of instructor

A study of New England Puritan poetry in the context of new world spiritual aspirations and anxieties. Readings will include sections of Martin Luther's writings and Perry Miller's and others' criticism, as well as the poems of Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, Michael Wiggelsworth, and other minor and post-Puritan poets. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

In this discussion-driven course, we will consider issues of gender, sexuality, class, and performance in English comedies from 1660-1800. Students will complete regular informal writings, a group research project, a proposal, and a researched term paper. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

This course will examine writings by both men and women that reflect on the changing social roles for women in eighteenth-century Britain. Focusing on women's labor, reproduction, reading, and writing, the course will consider to what extent women could participate in the project of the Enlightenment. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

In this discussion course, we'll consider British poetry and prose of the eighteenth century specifically designed to frighten readers in order to uncover just what anxieties—cultural, racial, political—these texts are meant to awaken. Students will complete numerous short assignments, a group research project, and a researched term paper. Authors might include: Defoe, Walpole, Gray, Radcliffe, Austen. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

An interdisciplinary investigation of key concepts of identity and the emotions as understood during the Enlightenment. Students examine philosophical and literary texts to uncover how seventeenth and eighteenth century people conceived of their mental and emotional existence, and how these historical conceptions still influence contemporary theories of mind and self. PREREQUISITES: One course in either English or philosophy, or junior standing, or consent of instructor

Eighteenth-century Britain was bookended by revolutions of the political sort—the Glorious Revolution (1688) and the French Revolution (1789)—yet also rife with revolutions of the social sort: abolition, women's rights, libertinism, etc. We'll consider prose, poetry, and fiction from the period, paying particular attention to how they're imagining social and other forms of change. Regular short assignments, group research project, and researched term paper. May not be taken by students who have already earned credit for ENG 450. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 230, or consent of instructor

Clarissa (1748) is one of the longest novels in English, and we're going to read every single beautiful word of it. Its sheer density and complexity mean that, as author Amy Gentry puts it, Richardson's messy #metoo tale "breaks and renews itself over thousands of pages." Required: short writings, short research presentation, critical synthesis. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or ENG 230, or consent of the instructor.

A study of the period from 1790 to 1830, focusing on the development and elaboration of what we now call Romanticism. Readings in the major authors of the period: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats, Percy Shelley, and Mary Shelley. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 240, or consent of instructor

A study of the period from 1830 to 1900, focusing on poetry, fiction, and critical prose. Readings range widely, including selections from Carlyle, Tennyson, the Brownings, the Rossettis, and Oscar Wilde. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 240, or consent of instructor

A study of English fiction from 1740 to 1900. Readings include novels by Richardson, Burney, Austen, Dickens, Eliot, and Hardy. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 240, or consent of instructor

Intensive study of Austen's achievement and legacy. In additon to her six novels, readings will include books by earlier and later writers. these readings will help us to trace Austen's development as a writer and to consider her crucial place in literary history. Regular short assignments, brief oral reports, and a final examination. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 240, or consent of instructor

This course will read across the spectrum of nineteenth-century American poetry, considering how and why writers turn to this versatile genre as their preferred mode of expression. Readings from Dickinson, Piatt, Melville, Whitman, Harper, Horton, Larcom, and others. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, an intermediate course in English, or consent of the instructor.

An exploration of 19th century women writers, including Sigourney, Harper, Stowe, Jacobs, Dickinson, Harding Davis, Chopin, Lazarus, Johnson, Zitlaka-sa and/or others. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, an intermediate course in English, or consent of instructor.

In this lecture/discussion course, we will grapple with the difficult poetry of Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest, and most mythologized, of American poets. Cutting through the myths of Dickinson, we will attempt to get to the truth of Dickinson by careful readings of her poetry and archival investigations of its historical and material contexts. Assignments will include short weekly papers, presentations, and a substantial final research project. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or one course in English at the 200-level or above, or consent of instructor.

This lecture/discussion class will explore the rich literature African-American authors created, against great adversity, in nineteenth-century America. We will read works by Frederick Douglass, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Charlotte Forten Grimke, Paul Laurence Dunbar and others. Students will write short weekly papers and a substantial final research paper. PREREQUISITES: ENG 250, ENG 260, or junior standing; or consent of instructor

A study of selected works of British fiction in relation to early 20th-century thought. Authors include Conrad, Lawrence, Joyce, Mansfield, Forster, Woolf, and others. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 240, or consent of instructor

An intensive study of Ulysses, covering the entire novel. Discussions will focus on Joyce's experiments with language and narration, his exploration of human psychology and sexuality, and (time permitting) his unique sense of humor. Seminar with short papers. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor

A study of prominent American autobiographies from the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine how autobiography responds to social, cultural, and aesthetic conditions and the relationship of the genre to the larger American literary tradition. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 250, or consent of instructor

Studies in some of the major playwrights in Europe, England, and America from the time of Ibsen to the present. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, an intermediate course in English, or consent of instructor

Examination of selected works of American fiction, with particular emphasis on the literary movements of the post-World War II era, including postmodernism, multiculturalism, regionalism, and other topics. The course will include a diverse array of readings, which will vary by term and topic, as well as selected films and theoretical texts. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 250, or consent of instructor

In recent years, graphic novels have taken a decidedly autobiographical turn as an increasing number of artists explore their own personal histories though a genre typically reserved for the fantastic and imagined. This course will examine a diverse array of contemporary graphic novels, ranging from popular comics to autobiography to experimental forms. Though the course will concentrate primarily on American graphic novels, it will include works produced by writer-artists in Asia, Western Europe, and elsewhere. PREREQUISITES: ENG 250, junior standing, or consent of instructor

Examination of selected works of American poetry with particular emphasis on the post-World War II era. The course will consider individual poets’ responses both to poetic traditions and to formal and thematic innovations of the 20th century. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 250, or consent of instructor

A study of selected works reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of American literature, with primary attention to minority voices and experiences. Selected texts will center on a specific theme such as hybridity, migration, or belonging. Works are taught in their literary, historical, and cultural context, critical readings will also be incorporated. Students will complete several short writing assignments and a researched term paper. PREREQUISITES: ENG 150 or the equivalent

In this lecture/discussion course, we'll look at the great stylistic variety of poetry that Black women have been writing during the past twenty years. Students will consider poetry through the lenses of critical race and gender criticism and will write weekly short papers and a substantial research paper. Poets may include Marilyn Nelson, Natasha Trethewey, Claudia Rankine, Tracy K. Smith, Nikky Finney and others. PREREQUISITES: ENG 250, ENG 260, or junior standing; or consent of instructor

A study of poetry, fiction, and essays by African American writers from the era of World War I through the 1930s. Authors include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Nella Larsen, W.E.B. Du Bois, and others. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 250 or 260, or consent of instructor

In this discussion course, we will engage with literary criticism and analyze various novels and works of non-fiction by Toni Morrison, who was described in late 20th Century U.S. as "the closest thing the country has to a national writer." Discussions will include analysis of Morrison's depictions of Black Americans' experiences and the traumas of racism. Requires a researched term paper and exams. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, 200-level (or higher) course in ENG or ETST or consent of instructor.

A study of the construction of gender in early 20th-century fiction and poetry. Authors include Cather, Woolf, Lawrence, Hemingway, Sassoon, and others. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, an intermediate course in English or gender studies, or consent of instructor

An interdisciplinary investigation of the aesthetics and ethics of representing human rights and their violations in literature and film. Texts include novels, plays, essays, and films on topics such as genocide, torture, and development. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing, ENG 280, or consent of instructor

This course will address an advanced topic in the study of human rights such as human rights and narrative forms, ethical witnessing, or humanitarianism.

What can literature teach us about inequality and the efforts to address it? This course explores select works that represent wealth, health, and environmental inequalities at home and abroad. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor

An interdisciplinary investigation of the ways that literature shapes environmental values and practices as well as responds to environmental concerns. We will study novels, films, and essays on topics such as organic food and farming, air and water pollution, and environmental justice movements. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing

A survey of important movements. Among the readings are selections by Derrida, Foucault, and Bakhtin as well as selections from more recent figures, such as Judith Butler, Eve Sedgwick, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Cornel West, and bell hooks. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor

To provide an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Book History, which should help students think more critically about the impact of material culture on intellectual activity. The course will be taught as a speaking intensive seminar, which means that students will frequently be responsible for presenting reading material and leading discussion in the first half of class. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of the instructor.

A writing workshop for students with previous creative writing experience. PREREQUISITES: ENG 350 or ENG 360

A workshop for students with previous fiction writing experience. PREREQUISITES: ENG 360 or consent of instructor

Course for students composing creative, book-length works of prose. PREREQUISITES: ENG 350 or ENG 360, and ENG 550 or ENG 560

A workshop for students with previous poetry writing experience. PREREQUISITES: ENG 370 or consent of instructor

This workshop-based course is for advanced poetry students who would like to delve more deeply into the craft of poetry. The course will include intensive readings in contempoary poetry and poetics, frequent poetry workshops, and a practical introduction to the world of publishing. Sudents will produce a substantial poetry portfolio and will write several short papers and craft professional documents related to poetry publication. Recommended for students interested in applying to graduate programs in poetry. PREREQUISITES: ENG 370 and ENG 565

Tutorial study in the literature of various periods, English and American, and in literary forms and composition. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Arrangements should be discussed with the department chair. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Advanced study, arranged in consultation with the department chair. Students considering an honors project should register for this course. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

A seminar involving analysis of theoretical, historical, critical, and literary readings at an advanced level in conjunction with students' research and writing of an original, substantial paper. Each section of the seminar will focus on a theme that can accommodate variety in students' individual research projects. PREREQUISITES: Majors only; junior standing for spring term, otherwise, senior standing; at least two English courses numbered 400 or above

A seminar involving analysis of theoretical, critical, literary, and practical (i.e.,craft-related) readings at an advanced level in conjunction with students' writing of an original, substantial creative work, in either poetry or prose. Students working in different genres will have the opportunity to read one another's work and discuss, as a group, both the challenges and possibilities associated with composing lengthy creative projects. Each section of the seminar will focus on a theme that can accommodate variety in students' individual research projects. PREREQUISITES: Majors only; junior standing for spring term, otherwise, senior standing; at least two English courses numbered 400 or above, and two workshops numbered 500 or above.

Tutorial study in the literature of various periods, English and American, and in literary forms and composition. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Arrangements should be discussed with the department chair. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

Advanced study, arranged in consultation with the department chair. Students considering an honors project should register for this course. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.