100- and 200-level |
300-399 |
400-499 |
A complete up to date listing of English Department course descriptions can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/.
For all English classes, registered students must be present at each of the first two meetings to claim their places. Any student who does not meet this requirement may be dropped from the course. NOTE: If you must miss a class due to religious observances, contact the instructor or leave a message for the instructor with the department (764-6330).
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124. College Writing:
Writing and Literature. ECB writing assessment. (4).
(Introductory Composition).
By connecting the two terms of its title, Writing and Literature
aims to help prepare the student to produce the range and quality
of expository prose expected in college courses. Works of literature
will be considered for their effective use of language and argument.
They will serve as reference points for thinking and writing strategies.
Characteristically, sections of English 124 will involve the writing
of a minimum of five essays, with considerate attention given
to the preparation of drafts and to revision. The literary works
which will serve as points of reference will vary from section
to section and from term to term. Section descriptions can be
found on the department's Web page or
in 3020 Angell Hall.
Check Times, Location, and Availability
Section 005 – Contemporary American Fiction. In this class we will work together in a collaborative writing environment conducive to exploration and development of our individual voice, style, expression, and tone. While honing our critical thinking and argumentation skills, we will learn to make our writing a persuasive and exciting account of our ideas and beliefs. This class will provide you with both technical skills and an awareness of the various forces that work upon the effect of your writing. We will be reading four short American novels that explore issues of national, individual, racial, religious, cultural, and gender identity. You will have some choice in the selection of readings, which will be drawn from the work of Joan Didion, Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Gayl Jones, Charles Johnson, Toni Morrison, Jessica Hagedorn, Philip Roth, and E.L. Doctorow. Course requirements include four medium length papers in several drafts, short writing assignments, and daily "observation" exercises. Grades will be determined according to final portfolio presentations of selected assignments and active, engaged participation in class. (Lieberman)
Section 006 – The Satirical Smile. Many authors share a satirical smile with their audiences, using irony or sarcasm to ridicule a person, a vice, or a literary genre. The author of a satire forges an uneasy relationship with her audience, for the reader, while laughing (or smirking) at others' follies, risks seeing herself reflected in the same funhouse mirror. In this section, we will focus upon the techniques employed to establish credibility and an "appropriate" audience response. Texts may include: poems by Aphra Behn, Rochester, Alexander Pope, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu; Books 1 and 3 of Gulliver's Travels; Persuasion; Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience; Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; Russell Baker's essays; and Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm. Course requirements: active participation in class discussions, four essays and one in-class essay, a library project, and a final group presentation in which you will have the opportunity to extend our discussion to contemporary fiction or film. (Widmayer)
Sections 008 and 022. Family is, and historically has been, a prime subject for much of our country's most powerful and imaginative literature. In this course, we will explore the notion of the American family as it is presented and chronicled in works of twentieth century fiction, poetry, and drama. We'll examine the ways American authors have presented us with diverse images of families, and we'll consider issues and themes common to all. During the semester, we will read and extensively analyze and discuss the various assigned works; in addition, you will be writing a number of both formal and informal papers. The basic elements of fiction, poetry, and drama – language, voice, theme, structure, etc. – will be studied and applied throughout the term. One of the most important goals of this course is to help you consider yourself an able writer and insightful reader, capable of thinking independently and writing both analytically and creatively. Our class time will be devoted to developing a supportive community of critics and writers through meaningful reading, writing, and discussion. (Litzenberger)
Section 009. This composition class incorporates the reading of literature as an approach to good writing and analytical thinking. Focusing on the details of language from overall paper organization to the specifics of word choice and sentence structure, students will be asked to write in a variety of stylistic forms. For discussion and analysis, we will read American literature in the context of the centrality of "place" in society: how authors configure their identity in relation to where they come from and/or the places that have meaning in their lives. We will read short stories, poetry and several short novels by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Eudora Welty, Emily Dickinson, and Jamaica Kincaid among others. You will be asked to write three papers, weekly short response essays, and a longer revised paper at the end of the term. (Lee)
Section 010. More than two centuries ago, Hector St. Jean De Crevecoeur posed the daunting question: "What is an American?" In this course we will be reading selections of American fiction, poetry, and drama from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that all explore, to some degree, issues of identity and belonging. Class discussion will challenge you to develop your skills of analysis and interpretive thinking and inspire you to explore your thoughts in essay form. The primary goal of this course is to provide you with the tools you need to become confident and convincing writers. Assignments will introduce you to different styles of essay writing (argumentative, analytic, descriptive, etc.) and develop your understanding of audience, voice, organization, and other aspects of writing. Throughout the term you will be encouraged to develop your own, unique writing voice and to share your perspectives on the writing process with your classmates. Writing assignments will include four formal essays, informal critical responses to the reading, critiques of workshopped papers, and a final portfolio (including 20-30 pages of revised essays). (Braun)
Sections 011 and 012. In this section, we will read fiction, poetry, and essays and discuss how language is used to create as well as reflect meaning. The readings will be connected by a number of themes. In the latter half of the course, we might read three to five literary texts that have influenced the idea of the American Midwest, possibly including novels by Theodore Dreiser, Sherwood Anderson, and Toni Morrison. By comparing the readings, we will think about what counts as the Midwest and what issues the term addresses in a shorthand fashion. You should read for themes that interest you and be prepared to bring your own issues to the seminar table in the form of response papers, other texts, and class discussion. Assignments include two 2-3 page and three 5-7 page papers that practice definition, textual analysis, narrative, and argument, workshop responses, and participation on email and in class. (Palmer)
Section 013. In this composition course we will use literary/cinematic genres to introduce students to analytic and interpretive thinking at the college level. Through writing exercises, discussions, and presentations the class will work to arrive at a common understanding of the rules of particular genres – noir, women's melodrama, romantic comedy – and their thematic concerns. We will explore different types of essays to respond to the social and cultural questions each literary work or film raises. These responses will include short weekly writing exercises, in and out of class, as well as essays of varying length that will be revised based on peer reviews and instructor's comments and will total 30 pages of polished prose. Each student will also be responsible for an oral presentation based on a writing exercise. This is a writing course and most of our time will be spent working on drafts and revisions to increase student understanding of organization, argument, audience, voice, and other apsects of academic writing. Our aim will be to bring students beyond summarizing plots and describing characters to interpreting and analyzing the structure and systems of meaning created by any given text. The reading will include works by James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, Daphne DuMaurier, Olive Higgins Prouty, Joyce Carol Oates. Films will include The Lady Eve, Stella Dallas and contemporary versions of these genres. Students will be responsible for viewing the films on tape in the Frieze building. (Haas)
Sections 015 and 017 – Being Human: A Cognitive Approach to Literature. In this course students will explore a wide variety of literary texts that will help them develop answers to the question: Why do human beings write and read literature? More generally, students will ask why we as a species universally love stories and storytelling. Finally, students will ask why and how we write about literature. In the process of developing these tentative answers (no such answers can ever be final), students will read novels, short stories, drama, and poetry that emphasize how individual cognition and everyday communication are themselves inherently narrative processes. As they write and revise five papers (varying in length, but the final submission will be 20-30 pages of revised, polished prose) throughout the semester, students will become familiar with the standard conventions of writing about literature. (Melanson)
Section 018 – Home and Family in American Literature. In this course we will use short stories, essays, articles, and a novel to stimulate our thinking and writing about issues pertaining to American conceptions of home and the family. The format of the course will be based on a tutorial method; each student will provide a self-assessment of his/her writing abilities, and we will focus on individualized programs for improving composition skill. There will be four formal papers assigned, ranging in length from one to seven pages each. There will also be a number of shorter writing assignments, including a biographical essay, fictional sketches, reaction papers, and peer review notes. Expect some class meetings to be devoted to individual consultation with the instructor to ensure reasonable progress, and review and revise goals throughout the term. Particular issues we may engage include the impact of class and ethnicity upon family form, roles, and responsibilities; the contrast between urban and rural environments and different regional customs; and the cultural implications of non-traditional approaches to creating families, such as fertility treatments, surrogacy, and transracial adoption. (Calloway)
Section 020 – Reading For Meaning. In this course we shall read a variety of texts and then write out interpretations. Why do we interpret? What is so important about finding meaning? Just consider for a moment how unpleasant it is when you admit "I don't understand," or "What does it mean?" A lot of our life is spent figuring out what something or someone means. Literature gives us a good training in making sense, in constructing meaning, in interacting with a text so that our minds become more familiar in dealing with what is complex and difficult. We can also apply these strategies for reading to our own writing. What do I want to say? How can I develop this argument? What is the best way persuade my reader? Writing assignments will include weekly responses, about twenty-five pages of polished prose, and a final. (Swabey)
Section 021. I am presently working on an NEH (National Endowment of the Humanities) research project in which high school and university teachers of literature are exploring the concept of American Literature. The project is called Making American Literatures, and our plan is to probe each of those words – "making," "American," and "literature" – in order to understand better how a national literature gets constructed, and how teachers and students ought to understand the work that they are doing in an American literature classroom. Our English 124 section will enact the NEH project. We will be reading some poetry, short stories, and a novel or two, all for the purpose of writing about American literature in meaningful ways. Plan on four large papers and several on page logs. The reading list is still in process, but some of the authors we will be reading include Raymond Carver, Mary TallMountain, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, Sonya Sanchez, Gary Snyder, Danny Santiago, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, and others. (Murnen)
Section 022. See Section 008. (Litzenberger)
Section 023 – Literature and Loss. This course will examine the ways in which twentieth-century writers have dealt with the concepts of loss and death, and with the challenges of living in a world bounded by the fact of mortality. Because all living persons are (by definition) alive, writing about death becomes an exercise in probing the unimaginable, the traumatic, and the taboo. By examining the variety of strategies that authors have developed to discuss this most elusive of subjects, we will explore – and write frequently about – such issues as mourning; memory; generational, familial, and cultural connectedness; and the responsibility of the living to the dead. We will focus on novels (William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, and Toni Morrison's Beloved, ) but will also study a nonfictional account (Elie Wiesel's Night ) and a small selection of poetry and essays. Students will write and revise four papers (3-6 pages each), participate in critiques of one another's work, and submit periodic short writing assignments. Though our subject is weighty, conversation should be lively and engaged; to that end, you should come to each class prepared to participate in discussion. (Egger)
Section 031 – Reading with a Pen. One of the greatest benefits of literature is the pleasure we experience in simply reading it. However, we only begin to understand the complexity of that literature when we put pen to paper to trace out the currents and eddies of emotion and logic and highlight the moments of wonder and surprise. That act of writing helps us think through our reactions - positive and negative – and allows us to enter into a productive conversation. In this section, we will draw texts from a variety of literary genres – short story, poetry, drama, or short novel - to focus our discussions of ways to write about and actively read literature. Expect to write at least four short papers (3-5 pages) and revise each of them, an informal reading-response journal, and one larger term paper (10-12 pages). Be prepared to participate in a weekly e-mail deliberation and on-going peer response groups, and to make one substantial class presentation. (Cook)
Section 033 – Our Culture, Ourselves. Writing is a critical tool that we will all sooner or later need in order to convey our thoughts, intentions, and ideas to loved ones, graduate programs, and prospective employers. By the end of this semester, we should all have successfully refitted our writing, argumentative, and analytical skills to better meet the standards and needs of the University and future circumstances, whatever they may be. This class will focus on popular culture and consumption, and their participation in the construction of social behavior and assumptions. Readings will include Du Maurier's "Trilby," Childress' "Like One of the Family," Dick's "Ubik," and several critical essays. These will be complemented by screenings of "Roger and Me," "History and Memory," and perhaps episodes of "South Park" and "The Simpsons." This course necessitates a commitment to writing (expect four papers of varying lengths totaling 20-30 pages of polished writing) and an open mind. (Silva)
Section 050. This course will develop the ability to write critically about literature. Working within the confines of the essay form, we will ask what it means to formulate an argument about a literary text, and how one most successfully goes about advancing that argument. Above all we will be concerned with questions of rhetorical structure, organization, clarity, and documentation. For example, we will ask how specific claims can be presented in their most compelling form, at the level of the sentence, the paragraph, and the essay itself. What should an introduction accomplish? What kind of sentence structure fits best with a speculative argument? When are conclusions necessary? We will pursue these and similar questions in the context of the 20th-century American short story. Taking up authors such as Jane Bowles, Raymond Carver, Robert Coover, Jamaica Kincaid, William Gass, Amy Tan, Eudora Welty, and Richard Wright, we will focus on how each uses the economy of form in their stories to rhetorical and argumentative advantage, asking, in effect, how essays on literature might similarly capitalize on the constraints of "shortness." Students will deliver drafts of their writing to the rest of the class on a regular basis and will use feedback from their peers to assist in the revision of these drafts (Szalay)
Section 053 – Film and Society. In this course we will view eight films by major
directors, all of which deal with political or social issues, as the basis for discussion and writing. The earliest film is
D.W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), the latest, Akira
Kurosawa's Rhapsody in August (1991). Other directors
and films include: Charles Chaplin, Monsieur Verdoux;
John Ford, The Grapes of Wrath; Orson Welles, Citizen
Kane; Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove; Francis
Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now; and David Lean, A Passage
to India. We will also read some of the sources for these
films. Frequent writing with opportunities for revision. Paper
topics will be drawn both from the films themselves (e.g., the styles of different directors), and from some of the issues they deal with. (Howes)
Section 060. This section is restricted to students in the 21st Century Program. Exploring diverse cultural practices
and behaviors requires that we imagine otherness as individual
experience (privately) and as a collective position (publicly).
To this end we will read a range of fictional texts that reflect this diversity. By considering the ways these stories, poems, and essays represent ethical conflict we will ask how individual
identity politics – ethnicity, race, gender, religious difference
- complicate the moral judgments that inform our interpretations.
By looking at particular characters in specific situations we
will attempt to develop a broader description of the personal
and social issues these stories present. Our goal will be to better
understand how the idea of mutual tolerance connects with the
ability to imagine and describe otherness and its context, both
orally and in writing. Required Texts: Threshholds: Literature
Based Composition Required Work: Five 4-6 page essays, regular
attendance and thoughtful conversation. (Tessier)
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Times, Location, and Availability
100- and 200-level |
300-399 |
400-499 |
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