This course traces the emergence of a 21st-century gothic tradition in American writing through texts including novels, films, and television shows. The course analyzes the shifting definitions and cultural work of the Gothic in contemporary American literature in the context of political and cultural events and movements and their relation to such concerns as race, gender, class, sexuality, and disability.

In this course students read as writers and write as readers, analyzing the poetic devices and strategies employed in a diverse range of contemporary poetry, gaining practical use of these elements to create a portfolio of original work and developing the skills of critique and revision. In addition, students read and write on craft issues and attend Poetry Center readings and Q&A’s. May be repeated. Enrollment limited to 12. Writing sample required. Instructor permission required.

The crisis of climate change, according to many scholars, is a crisis of imagination. So how can fiction writers—as inventors of imagined worlds—be active participants in the fight for a sustainable future? In this creative writing course, students explore potential answers by learning the ins and outs of writing “Climate Fiction.” Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of contemporary authors, students practice different techniques for navigating environmental issues on the page, with short exercises building toward a longer workshopped story.

A reading of Anglo-Saxon England’s most powerful and significant poem, invoking the world of barbarian Europe after the fall of Rome.

A writer’s workshop that focuses on sharpening and expanding each student’s fiction writing skills, as well as broadening and deepening their understanding of the short and long-form work. Exercises concentrate on generative writing using a range of techniques to feed one's fictional imagination. Students analyze and discuss each other's stories, and examine the writings of established authors. May be repeated. Enrollment limited to 12. Writing sample required. Instructor permission required.

Offered as ENG 202 and WLT 202. Considers works of literature, mostly from the ancient world, that have had a significant influence over time. May include: epics by Homer and Virgil; tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides; Plato’s Symposium; Dante’s Divine Comedy. Enrollment limited to 20.

A selection of the most engaging and influential works of literature written in England before 1800. Some of the earliest survived only by a thread in a single manuscript, many were politically or religiously embattled in their own day, and some were the first of their kind in English. Fights with monsters, dilemmas of chivalry, a storytelling pilgrimage, a Faustian pact with the devil, a taste of the forbidden fruit, epic combat over a lock of hair: these writings remain embedded in American culture and deeply woven into the texture of the English language. Enrollment limited to 20.

This course teaches the skills to read literature with understanding and pleasure. By studying examples from a variety of periods and places, students learn how poetry, prose fiction and drama work, how to interpret them and how to make use of interpretations by others. This course seeks to produce perceptive readers well equipped to take on complex texts. This gateway course for prospective English majors is not recommended for students simply seeking a writing intensive course. Readings in different sections vary, but all involve active discussion and frequent writing.