For all English classes, registered students must be present at each of the first two meetings to claim their places. Any students 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)
124. College Writing: Writing and Literature. ECB
writing assessment. (Introductory Composition).
Section 101. (4 credits). 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 six essays, with considerable 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.
125. College Writing. ECB writing assessment. (Introductory Composition).
Like English 124 (Writing and Literature), English 125 (College Writing) prepares students for the various kinds of academic writing required of them as undergraduates at the University of Michigan. In addition to informal exercises or impromptu essays, students can expect to write six or more formal papers exemplifying the various modes of discourse which comprise our academic community.
223. Creative Writing. Completion of the Introductory Composition requirement. (HU). May not be repeated for credit.
All sections of 223 teach the writing of two of the following three genres: fiction (including personal narrative), drama, and poetry. Different sections will emphasize the individual genres to varying degrees. Class work involves the discussion of the process of writing and the work of a few published authors. Students will do exercises meant to develop a sensitivity to language and a facility with evocative detail, voice, form and so forth. Most classroom time, however, is devoted to reading and discussing of student writing. Final portfolio of revised finished work of 35-50 manuscript pages may be required.
225. Argumentative Writing. Completion of the Introductory Composition requirement. (HU).
This course furthers the aim of English 124 and 125 in helping to analyze the various claims of a given issue and to develop ways of exploring and defending positions, ideas and beliefs in writing. Careful attention will be paid to the process of reasoning, the testing of assumptions and claims, the questioning of beliefs and the discovery of ideas and evidence through, analysis and rhetorical articulation. The course will also focus on considerations of style, formal strategies techniques, and revision as integral to precision in making points and developing argumentative ideas for the purposes of both individual reflection and of audience persuasion. .
230. Introduction to Short Story and Novel. (HU).
Section 101. Rather than a comprehensive survey of the short
story and novel, this course offers an introduction to the basic
techniques of analyzing prose fiction. Beginning with short stories, students learn to define questions of narrative construction, voice, characterization, theme, and style. As critical facility
increases, the course will consider more challenging and in some
cases experimental fiction. At least three novels will be read
in addition to numerous short stories. Students should expect
to read substantial amounts of fiction, to participate in class
discussions, and to write several short literary analyses.
Section 102. We will be reading short fiction, mostly modern, to discuss issues and themes, but especially to examine the nature of fiction, narrative, or story. There will be frequent short writings and a final exam. (Cloyd)
239. What is Literature? Prerequisite
for concentrators in the Regular Program. (HU).
Section 101. In this section of the course, we will raise
and discuss questions related to the acts of reading and interpretation.
We will also explore some of the basic techniques of analyzing
different forms of writing. We will examine a broad range of texts, including theoretical, critical and literary works. The class
will be based on a discussion format. Assignments will include
weekly writing exercises, a midterm, and a final paper. (Gregg)
240. Introduction to Poetry. Prerequisite
for concentrators in the Regular Program and in Honors. (HU).
Section 101. This is an introduction to the shifting qualities
of poetry in English. The course will alternate between exposure
to the poetic genres of earlier periods and attention to poetry
of the 1980s, especially by women. In class, we will work on honing
our ability to perceive, discuss, and write about the structures
of poetry, especially in contemporary free verse. Class time will
be divided between brief lectures and discussion. Requirements:
attendance and participation, occasional homework, in-class writing
and exercises, two reports on poetry readings, two papers, exams.
Cost:2 WL:1 (Ellison)
Section 102. The aim of this course is to introduce you to the art of poetry so that you can read and discuss any poem with understanding and delight. Our basic strategy in the course will be to explore poetic expression in as many ways as possible: through silent reading and reading aloud, through close analysis and more impressionistic response, through class discussion and individual study, and through various forms of writing (both spontaneously exploratory and more carefully argued). During the term, we will move form a general survey of poetic techniques and forms to a more detailed study of the work of a selection of authors from the Renaissance to the present. For the former, we will use Western Wind by John Frederick Nims. For the latter, we use The Norton Anthology of Poetry. To record your day-to-day interactions with texts, I will ask you to keep a poetic journal. More formal writing will include four (ungraded) exercises in poetic analysis and four (graded) papers (3-5 pages) on individual authors and poems. WL:1 Cost:4 (Cureton)
270. Introduction to American Literature. (HU).
Section 101. The main work in the course will be to read
closely and to discuss – orally and in writing – a relatively
small number of noteworthy American authors in the genres named
below. The course will not be a "survey." The first
focus will be on features of the assigned story (novel, poem, play) of the day – not on what it "tells" about the
author's psychology or place in any main or minor streams; nor
on how its topic or theme may be fitted to one or another history
of all-American ideas. An early question: "What is the author
'Doing' in this work – and how well is it done?" Later questions:
"What is it – if ANYTHING – that makes THIS WORK a peculiarly
American one?" "Do features of this work invite comparison
with those of others that we have read?" (We will not ignore the "American" question merely because we are doomed
to leave the course with no certain answer at all.) Reading: Short
Stories (anthology). Six or more authors, H. Melville to J.C.
Oates. Novels, N. Hawthorne, J. Steinbeck, T. Morrison. Poems, E. Dickinson and R. Frost, then two contemporaries. Drama, A.
Miller. Writing: short (ten minute) class time impromptu pieces;
short (one and two page) weekly essays in response to currently
assigned readings; midterm and final examinations (to be discussed
in the first meeting of the class). Participation for credit in the course includes attendance from day one in ALL scheduled meetings
of the class. Cost:2 WL:1 (Van't Hul)
Primarily for Juniors and Seniors
301. The Power of Words. (Excl).
Students will explore various uses of words in writing descriptive, analytic, and persuasive pieces, with a focus on types of writing that will be useful in professional life beyond the university. Since we gather vocabulary and writing patterns from observing, reading, and listening, the writing will be based on a diverse array materials: essays, videotapes, artwork, advertisements, maybe some short stories and poetry. To clear up any lingering grammatical and mechanical problems with students' work, each class will feature a brief lecture on an issue such as comma usage, sentence variety, or pronoun agreement. The rest of the class time will be devoted to vocabulary enhancement, discussion, reading out of student work, and peer editing by students in assigned groups of four. Requirements: attendance at every class; timely submission of about 10 to 12 papers, which will range in length from 1 to 5 pages and which will go through a process of progressive revision before being submitted to the instructor; cooperative editing of and commentary on peers' writing. Weekly quizzes; no final exam. Reading texts to be announced. Reference text: Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference. Total cost should be less than $50. If you are not present at both of the first two sessions, your CRISPed place will be given away. (Crawford)
305. Introduction to Modern English. Recommended for students preparing to teach English. (HU).
This course surveys the forms and functions of contemporary English. We will consider some of the major dimensions of English structure (orthography, phonetics, intonation, word formation, syntax, etc.) and how these structures characterize both English speakers and their linguistic purposes. During the term, we will explore the social and geographical dialects of Modern English (e.g., British vs. American English and Black English Vernacular), its professional jargons (e.g., the language of advertising, religion, law, and politics), and its situational varieties (e.g., the language of conversation, oral narrative, and literature) and will affect our actions and attitudes (e.g., our notions of 'good' English vs. 'bad'). Requirements for the course will include a language journal, a midterm, a final exam, and a project investigating some aspect of Modern English structure or use. Cost:4 WL:1 (Cureton)
315/Women's Studies 315.
Women and Literature. (HU). May be repeated for credit
with department permission.
Section 101: Women in Literature – Women Poets of the Last Ten
Years. Poets will probably include: Jorie Graham, Amy Gerstler, C.D. Wright, Audre Lord, Louise Gluck, Adrienne Rich, and others.
Intensive close reading will be the basis for discussions of public
and private history, lyric form, "identity" (gendered, class, national, racial, educational, and bodily), and poetic
voice. Two papers. Midterm. One oral presentation. Attendance
at and report on poetry readings. This course satisfies the New
Traditions and American Literature requirement for English concentrators.
(Ellison)
317. Literature and Culture. (HU). May
be repeated for credit with department permission.
Section 102 – Literature and Culture of Ireland. This course
presents for study the literature of Gaelic Ireland in translation, from early saga to modern poetry and fiction. We will read translations
of the chief heroic saga, The Cattle Raid of Cooley,
of early Irish religious and nature lyric, of medieval satire, of later bardic verse; of the eighteenth-century masterpieces, Lament for Art O'Leary and The Midnight Court; of
love poems and folk songs; of twentieth century poetry and prose
fiction by the men and women who have continued the tradition
of writing in Irish Gaelic. An outline history of Gaelic Ireland will be given to furnish context for the literature. Two short
papers, one hour exam, one final examination. This course satisfies the New Traditions requirement for English concentrators. WL:1
(McNamara)
325. Essay Writing: The Art of Exposition. (Excl).
Section 101. Assumption: Textbook advice about writing well
is like too much advice about loving or living well: Offered "in
general" and "as a rule," such advice is wasted
on most of us. The specific responses of attentive readers, focused
on what one IS writing or HAS written, can be of use. Your writing
(with some attention to the writing of others) will be the main
work in the course. Writing: You will write short impromptu pieces
and overnight assignments. Reading: Handouts and one required
book, The Essays of George Orwell, (Vintage edition, available at Shaman Drum Bookstore). One weekly lecture (no longer than 45 mins. in length). Class meeting time will be given to
discussion – of handouts and assigned writing. Small groups will
meet once weekly between meetings of the class to discuss on-going
course projects. Participation for credit in the course includes
attendance, from day one in all scheduled meetings to the end
of term. Cost:1 WL:1 (Van't Hul)
367. Shakespeare's Principal Plays. (HU).
Shakespeare's Principal Plays, introduces students to the major works of Shakespeare, tracing his achievement through a study of plays drawn from the major genres in which he wrote. In this term, we will follow that pattern, reading comedies and tragedies, one or two history plays, one of the Roman plays, and one of the great romances. This course will have a dual focus: a study of Shakespeare as a writer of the stage, whose writings are designed to come to life fully only when they are produced in the theatre; and a study of Shakespeare as a writer who often situates his plays in the context of the family. Students in this course will be expected to read and re-read the plays, join in discussions and attend lectures, write two essays, and do a final examination. In addition, all students will have an opportunity to join in a group project involving the presentation of a scene from one of the plays. The text for the course is The Riverside Shakespeare. This course fulfills the Pre-1600 and the Pre-1830 requirement in English. WL:1 Cost:3 (Jensen)
370. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature.
(Excl). May be repeated for credit with department
permission.
Section 001 – Drama in the Age of Elizabeth and James. During this term, English 370 will be devoted to a selection of plays
written by contemporaries of Shakespeare. We will focus on the
major writers – Marlowe, Jonson, Middleton, and Webster – in both
comedy and tragedy. Class sessions will involve both lecture and discussion. Requirements for the course include regular class
attendance, participation in discussions, successful completion
of assigned papers and examinations (two short papers, a final
exam), and taking part in a group presentation. This last requirement
will be of key importance in this course. Each week, a small group
of students will design (with the instructor's help) a project
designed to illustrate and respond to a major critical issue in
one of the plays being studied that week. This course meets the
Pre-1600 program requirement for English concentrators. Texts
are available at Shaman Drum Bookstore. WL:1 Cost:2 (Jensen)
371. Studies in Literature, 1600-1830. (Excl).
May be repeated for credit with department permission.
Section 101. This is essentially a survey of eighteenth-century
English literature in which we will examine some of the principal
movements in that literature. In any time, but especially in the
eighteenth century, there are close connections between literature
and the other arts: we'll see how patterns in gardening, architecture, music, prose and poetry in this period relate to and echo one
another. Authors studied will include Dryden, Addison and Steele, Pope, Gay, Swift, and Samuel Johnson. Frequent short writing, two longer essays, and a final exam. This course meets the Pre-1830
program requirement for English concentrators. (Cloyd)
372. Studies in Literature, 1830-Present. (Excl).
May be repeated for credit with department permission.
Section 101 – Modern Projects: Developing Family Pictures; Remaking
Wartime Narratives. In this course, we will read texts dealing
with two major subjects in post-Romantic literature: development
of self, family, and vocation in modern life; and gendered representations
of war and peace in modern writing. Our aim is to examine how
Victorian and modern writers of traditional, revisionist, and variously innovative literary texts configure these subjects and their intersections. To carry out this project, we will read stories, poems, and novels selected from British, Irish, Canadian, and American literatures from 1832 to the present. The fiction readings
will include: Joyce, "The Dead", Lawrence, Sons
and Lovers, Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night, Atwood, Cat's Eye, Oates, Heat and Other Stories, Phillips, Machine Dreams. The poets will include Tennyson, C. Rosseti, Yeats, Millay, Owen, Sassoon, Hughes, Rich, Kumin, Simpson, and Ehrhart. Class meetings will proceed by discussion and the occasional
lecture. Attendance is mandatory, and participation in discussion
is expected. Required writing: weekly 1-2 page response papers, two 5-7 page essays, and a final exam. Cost:4 WL:1 (Heininger)
412/Film-Video 412. Major
Directors. (HU). May be repeated for credit with
department permission.
Section 101. Alfred Hitchcock's career spanned a half-century
of film making, from the silents to cinemascope. He created a
distinctive body of work and succeeded, in his own words, in bringing
"murder back into the home – where it belongs." His thrillers, with their ingenious plots, virtuosic cinematic devices, and probing analyses of human relations, have been frequently
imitated, but rarely equaled. We will view a selection of his
most important films, from the Lodger to Psycho.
There will be supplementary readings and an opportunity to
view each film twice. Students will turn in viewing notes and take a midterm and a final exam. Cost:2 WL:1 (McDougal)
413/Film-Video 413. Film
Genres and Types. (HU). May be repeated for credit
with department permission.
Section 101 – The Horror Film. We shall focus on the horror
film as a specific genre of motion picture, discussing a number
of films from diverse perspectives. We shall be primarily concerned
with the psychological impact of these films on audiences, their
cinematic techniques, their cultural and social backgrounds, and their place in the history of the genre. These films will often
be a starting point for an examination of what people fear and how they attempt to handle their fear through superstition, religion, and art. among the films to be seen are: PSYCHO, KING KONG, BRIDE
OF FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, CARRIE, and ALIEN. Students will be
required to read a number of literary texts, also write several
short papers, and take a final examination. (Konigsberg)
432. The American Novel. (Excl).
Section 101. Why do American Writers express the subtlest
philosophical issues through violent and melodramatic actions?
Why do they create characters who aren't quite people, plots which
interrupt themselves so often that they aren't quite stories, environments that are not the streets and houses we know, and endings that are not resolutions or answers so much as disturbing
open questions? We will wrestle with these problems in an attempt
to define what is unique about American fiction. At the same time, our primary focus will be on each work in terms of itself. The
course will proceed ahistorically, by concerns rather that dates.
This is a tentative listing of those concerns and the writers
and works we will consider. Frontier as Metaphor: Hawthorne (Stories),
Twain (Huckleberry Finn), Barth (End of the Road)
Ontological Insecurity, or Anxiety and Power: Melville (Benito
Cereno and Bartleby the Scrivener), James (Turn
of the Screw), Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury), The Gendering
of America: Chopin (The Awakening), Morrison (The
Bluest Eye). We will move forward and back in time to identify
literary and experimental issues that have seemingly permanent
status in American lives. The course will combine lectures and discussions. Two essays and a final examination are required.
This course satisfies the American Literature requirement for
English concentrators. WL:1 Cost:3 (Weisbuch)
434. The Contemporary Novel. (Excl).
Contemporary Fiction. This will be a course in some influential and (I hope) interesting novels in the changing French, British, and American traditions since World War II. The novels will be discussed as singular works, as well as representations of changing social and cultural issues and perspectives. The course will also include some discussion of questions of literary history and of classification (what "postmodernism" may or may not be, for example). Tentative book list: Sartre, NAUSEA; Robbe-Grillet, JEALOUSY; Doris Lessing, THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK; Fowles, THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN; Heller, SOMETHING HAPPENED; Bellow, SEIZE THE DAY; Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW; Murdoch, A SEVERED HEAD; A.S. Byatt, POSSESSION. Classes will proceed through discussion and the entirely interruptible lecture. Three five page papers, a mid-term, and a final exam. (Gindin)
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