'When told that his wife's madness cannot be cured, Macbeth asks: 'Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased?' Although the term 'trauma' was not used to describe a psychological state until the nineteenth century, Macbeth's query suggests that premodern subjects both understood and experienced the sorts of psychic injury the term denotes. Our course will explore how trauma was discerned, expressed and represented in premodern European culture.

'A study of Milton's major works, both in poetry and prose, with particular attention to Paradise Lost.'

'A study of the language and literature of Anglo-Saxon England (ca. 450-1066 AD) in a series of graduated grammar lessons and readings of Old English poetry and prose. These will include selections from the Bible, the Venerable Bede, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 'The Wanderer,' 'The Dream of the Rood,' 'The Wife's Lament,' and the Exeter Book riddles. We will also learn the 31-character Old English futhorc as it was preserved in 'The Rune Poem' and used to inscribe verses on the Franks Casket and the Ruthwell Cross.'

'This class is designed to immerse students in some of the most powerful nonfiction being published today. We will read extensively to explore the art of telling factual stories with drama, accuracy, imagination, and skill by examining works on topics ranging from business to science to history and politics. Outside the classroom students will be expected to apply these skills to their own writing through a series of assignments culminating in the production of one magazine-length work. Throughout, we will focus on challenges of structure, 'voice,' and sustaining a narrative.

'Does historical fiction offer readers something history books cannot? What obligation does the writer of historical fiction have to the verifiable facts of the past? Is history a place we can visit, or is it a living force, defining the present? Isn't there a sense in which all fiction is historical fiction? In this course we'll consider these and other questions as we read and write historical fiction.

'An introduction to literary and cultural theory with an emphasis on twentieth century and contemporary thought. We will focus on crucial questions that have focused, and continue to focus, critical debate. These questions may include representation, subjectivity, ideology, identity, difference, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and nation. Throughout we will be particularly interested in the ways in which language and form mediate and construct social experience.'

'This course introduces students to Asian American literature, considering its historical origins and evolution. Throughout the course we explore questions of identity, immigration and citizenship, generational conflict, war and migration, and mixed and cross-racial politics. Readings of primary texts will be supplemented by historical and critical source materials. Authors may include Nina Revoyr, Ruth Ozeki, Nam Le, Chang-rae Lee, Aimee Phan, Susan Choy, and Jhumpa Lahiri.'

'This course introduces various genres of children's literature, including literature for adolescents; explores issues in interpretation and critique; and examines approaches to using literature in the preK-12 curriculum with an emphasis on making literature accessible to English language learners. Students will read a variety of texts across genres and discuss ways to integrate literature into content-area learning as they expand their knowledge and appreciation of children's literature.

'This course offers an introduction to the literary works of African Americans from the late-eighteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on poetry and fiction. Beginning with slave narratives and early poetry, we will consider issues of genre, literary traditions, and historical context while gaining experience in reading and analyzing literary texts. We will examine how authors consciously went about creating a literary tradition that mirrored, challenged and created a dialogue with the American canon.'

'A survey of American literature from the literature of exploration through the major authors of the mid-nineteenth century, with special attention to the formation of an American literary tradition, along with the political, social, and religious context that helped shape the imaginative response of American writers to their culture.'