English and Theater Course Descriptions

 

Changes:

28 Nov. 2012: THTR 275 canceled

19 Nov. 2012: time of THTR 130

 

English 110: College Writing

Writing as an intellectual act and a recursive process; ways of reading complex texts. Prerequisite: First-Year Seminar.

English 110-01: Tell Me a Story

Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of discourse. In this class, we will examine narrative as both a social construct and a rhetorical mode. The main goal of the class will be to learn and practice the conventions of academic writing. While we do this, however, we’ll also be experimenting with ways that narrative can enhance academic writing.
Prof. Christian Tatu, MWF 9-9:50

English 110-02: Arguments, Conversations, America, and You

In this course we will explore some of the core arguments and conversations in American cultures. We will consider how these arguments throughout American history influence what we think and write about today. Questions we may ask include: Who are Americans? What are their dreams? How do they define work and success? What defines an American family? Why and how do Americans construct an “enemy”? We will analyze, evaluate, and reflect on the strategies various writers and speakers use to appeal to different audiences, while creating our own persuasive writing portfolios.
Prof. Kathleen Clayton, MWF 10-10:50

English 119: Literary Women

This semester Literary Women will focus on plays, poems, and fiction in which the notion of “sisterhood” is a central concern. Some works may explore women’s relationships to their biological sisters, but most will depict female characters who are struggling to identify and overcome barriers that often divide women from one another: barriers such as race, class, religion, age, nationality, and sexual orientation. Among the works we may read: Sula, The Secret Life of Bees, Bastard Out of Carolina, Lucky, In the Time of Butterflies, Rubyfruit Jungle and The Help. There probably will be a service-learning option for the major course project.
Prof. Deborah Byrd, MWF 11-11:50

English 205: Literary Questions

This course provides students with an introduction to the theory and methodology of literary study by focusing on three questions: What is a literary text? How do we read a literary text? How do we write about a literary text? By considering the rhetorical, aesthetic, and ideological issues that determine literary value, students examine their assumptions about literature.
Sec 01: Prof. James Woolley, MWF 2:10-3
Sec 02: Prof. Patricia Donahue, TR 1:15-2:30
Sec 03: Prof. Paul Cefalu, TR 2:45-4

English 207: Theater History [= THTR 207]

Theater is one of our most ancient arts, beginning with religious rituals like the Abydos Passion Play in ancient Egypt, to the Dionysian festival in Ancient Greece, through the liturgical plays of Medieval Europe, to today’s more secular forms. Re-creation and recreation have long been fundamental human needs, and we will be studying how theatrical forms changed from time to time and culture to culture. Theater/English 207 will consider such matters as historical context, periodicity, genre, conventions, and style. We will also examine how theatrical spaces, acting styles, and technical effects have changed over the centuries.
Prof. Suzanne Westfall, MWF 1:10-2

English 210: English Literature I

“English Literature I” is not an introduction to the study of literature, as the title might imply. It is the first half of an historical survey of British literature. It meets a requirement for the English major, but it is also intended for non-majors who want to read some of the best known and most influential works in the English tradition. The course covers nearly 1,000 years (ending in 1688); thus we cannot linger over any single work. Instead, I will ask you to read actively and intensely in preparation for discussing the significance of each text for its era and for readers today. You will also be asked to learn some major historical facts and literary concepts relevant to the works being studied. Requirements include daily quizzes (two per week), Moodle postings (at least one per week), two five- to six-page papers, and a final exam or completion of optional GRE component.

Optional component to prepare for the GRE subject test in English—six noon-hour sessions and one three-hour practice test—is also open to students not taking English 210 this semester. Information will be distributed by e-mail to all English majors.

English 210 counts toward the Literary History requirement for the English major (see major requirements for more information). Normally closed to seniors.
Prof. Carolynn Van Dyke, MWF 11-11:50

English 213: American Literature II: The Gilded Age to the Present

This course introduces students to poetry and prose by representative writers of the late 19th and 20th century. Normally closed to seniors.
Prof. Bryan Washington, MWF 2:10-3

English 225: Contemporary Literature

Contemporary literature highlights current issues, engaging us in an indispensable debate on modern life, theory, and ethics. Euthanasia, race, gay and lesbian politics, marriage and the family, the harshness of urban life and the unique complexities of regional living, the arguments about war and the responsibilities of nationalism: all contribute to the complex dialogue of our day. Ideological and cultural paradigms that once seemed unshakeable are radically revised, and subjects that once inhabited the margins of culture now find a place nearer the center of our daily concerns. This course introduces an exciting array of authors such as Alex Wheatle, Annie Proulx, Ian McEwan, Paul Auster, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Walker, Gabriel García Márquez, Alice Munro, Nadine Gordimer, Tim O’Brien, and Doris Lessing.
Prof. Ian Smith, TR 11-12:15

English 231: Journalistic Writing

An introduction to the practice of writing news and feature stories for magazines and the daily press. Attention is paid to writing, revising, evaluating, and publishing work. The course also examines audience, style, and the role of the journalist in society. [W]
Prof. Kathleen Parrish, MW 3:10-4:25

English 232: The Short Story in America

This course will explore the American short story across a variety of writers and modes—from the earliest American stories to representative examples of Romanticism, realism, modernism, post-modernism, and what has been termed “meta-fiction.” Through close reading of stories and of the commentaries by some of the writers themselves, we’ll investigate how storytelling, over time, has changed and has remained the same; that is, how writers have used an old art form to engage the changing circumstances of contemporary American life, and how writers have modified that art form to re-engage with many of the age-old matters of human living.
Prof. David Johnson, MWF 1:10-2

English 250: Writing Genres: Playwriting

Playwriting introduces students to the expectations and purposes of writing for the theater and offers them intensive practice composing texts that function within the conventions and boundaries of the genre. Students will compose multiple texts in drafts, participate in workshops and discussions, meet with practicing playwrights, attend plays and readings, and write and revise a one-act play. Special attention in the course will be given to the ways playwriting differs from writing for film or television. Readings will include numerous contemporary plays. Students should note that this course will require attendance at some evening and weekend events. [W]
Prof. Michael O’Neill, TR 1:15-2:30

English 253: Writing Seminar

Writing seminars are courses that make writing and language their explicit subject. Examples include seminars in writing genres (memoir or travel writing), in rhetoric and argument, or in the way language and discourse constitute particular cultural constructions (“the animal” or “race”). While each seminar has a specific focus (to be announced in its subtitle), all seminars emphasize the processes of academic reading and writing and use student writing as a primary text. Enrollment is limited to 15. [W]

English 253-01: Language, Racism, and Anti-Semitism

Students will read and write about nonfiction, films, and works of imaginative literature that explore the nature, causes, and consequences of racism and anti-Semitism. Particular attention will be paid to ways language can be (and has been) used to perpetuate, justify, or “hide” the harsh realities of oppression—and to precisely define, object to, and resist racist and anti-Semitic ideologies. Revisions and peer review will be key features of the course. Note: Several films will be shown outside of class time, and there may be a field trip to New York City. [W]
Prof. Deborah Byrd, MWF 9-9:50

English 253-02: Representing Animals

Animals are our companions, our scientific “models,” our evolutionary kin, our food, our genetic playthings, our fashion statements. We experience animals at home, in zoos, in the grocery store, in labs, in the “wild,” and throughout the spectrum of popular media like television and film. This writing seminar will investigate how animals are represented in language and the value systems that underwrite those representations. Among our chief considerations will be what our descriptions of animals say about us; the intersections of gender, race, and animality in language; and the question of animals “talking back.” [W]
Prof. Bianca Falbo, MWF 1:10-2

English 253-03: Writing with Digital Media

In this class we will write with—and about—digital media like blogs, wikis, and ebooks. We’ll consider how digital writing technologies give (and sometimes take away) control over the production of texts and their various elements like document design and publication format. We will also consider how the affordances of digital media enable multimodal forms of composing. You do not need previous experience with digital writing technologies to succeed in this class, but you should be willing to learn to work with software packages like Adobe’s InDesign. [W]
Prof. Tim Laquintano, MWF 2:10-3

English 253-04: Humor Writing

A seminar in which we closely examine the work of exceptional humor writers and try to write a whole lot better than they ever did. No, seriously: a seminar in which we study selected strategies of writers such as David Sedaris and Jenny Lawson to determine how such strategies might inspire and enliven our own writing and allow us to generate new perspectives. Supportive atmosphere in which we destroy one another’s will to live. No, seriously: supportive atmosphere. Students will compile a final portfolio of humor writing in varied genres, including essays, flash fiction, and short scripts, with a research-based introduction. Impromptu exercises and collaborative writing, occasional arm-wrestling. Required: a great big (or even middling) sense of humor, tolerance. [W]
Prof. Lee Upton, TR 11-12:15

English 253-05: Art and Argumentative Writing

This writing seminar introduces students to strategies for effective argumentative writing. In order to hone their argumentative writing skills, students will read examples of effective arguments and will produce their own written arguments in multiple drafts. The course will be thematically centered on questions concerning art (what is good art? should art be funded by taxpayers?); although no prior knowledge of art is required, it helps if students have some interest in art as well as learning to write more persuasively. [W]
Prof. Steven Belletto, TR 1:15-2:30

English 255-01: Creative Writing

Intensive workshop class devoted to the writing of fiction and poetry. Writing exercises and assignments, combined with reading and analysis of professional writers’ work, will culminate in a portfolio of creative work by the student. Permission of Professor Ohlin required. E-mail her at ohlina@lafayette.edu soon as possible to obtain permission. [W]
Prof. Alix Ohlin, TR 9:30-10:45

English 255-02: Creative Writing

An introduction to the writing of poetry, fiction, and hybrid forms. Weekly exercises. Because reading generates and enriches writing, students will concentrate intensively on matters of craft in the work of highly accomplished imaginative writers. Completion of a final portfolio of revised imaginative writing will be required. Students who wish to take the course should contact Professor Upton by e-mail as soon as possible: uptonlee@lafayette.edu. [W]
Prof. Lee Upton, TR 2:45-4

English 272: Internship

Practical experience in fields such as journalism, broadcasting, publishing, public relations, and advertising, in which writing is a central activity. Written reports are required of the student, as is an evaluation of the student by the supervising agency. Advance approval of Prof. Byrd required.
Prof. Deborah Byrd, hours arranged

English 301: Shakespeare

Comedy, for Shakespeare, is not limited to mere entertainment, fun, and fantasy. Disguise, love, and marriage—some of the familiar tropes of the comic genre—are brilliantly probed to reveal a concern with serious cultural issues that began to emerge in the early modern period. The course also attends to Shakespeare’s drama as it engaged in an increasingly political dialogue about the place of the theater in urban and national life. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [W]
Prof. Ian Smith, TR 1:15-2:30

English 304: American Writers: Hemingway/Faulkner

Hemingway and Faulkner remain the two best-known American novelists of the twentieth century. No American writers have been more widely acclaimed or had more influence on the writing of fiction by others. The distinctive styles and narrative methods of each have fostered several generations of imitators and innovators. In this course, students will read and discuss major and minor works by Hemingway and by Faulkner, attempting to assess through an analysis of style, theme, and narrative perspective the basis of their separate claims to be major literary figures of the twentieth century. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [W]
Prof. David Johnson, MWF 10-10:50

English 320: The English Language

Most people believe that language defines us as human; in any case, language links us with the rest of reality, human and otherwise. English 320 is divided into three segments: (i) descriptive linguistics (the scientific study of language, with an emphasis on the phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics of English); (ii) the history of English; and (iii) applied linguistics, the study of language in use. Requirements include class participation and informal exercises, four tests, and three written and/or oral projects. (Counts toward the literature major and the major with a concentration in writing. Recommended also for students who plan on a career in elementary or secondary teaching.) Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [W]
Prof. Carolynn Van Dyke, MWF 2:10-3

English 325: London High and Low Life

Eighteenth-century London was “the great scene of ambition, instruction, and amusement . . . a heaven upon earth,” according to Boswell, and Dr. Johnson declared that anyone “tired of London . . . is tired of life.” As Europe’s largest city, London held the largest European concentration of readers and theatergoers. It was the undisputed center of England’s literature, drama, art, architecture, music, politics, and wealth. Yet alongside London’s opulence flourished astonishing crime and corruption. This rich urban diversity—occasionally contrasted with life in other places—will be reflected in the course readings: major works by major authors from the Restoration to the Regency, with some emphasis on drama. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of instructor. [W]
Prof. James Woolley, MWF 10-10:50

English 327: The Victorians

The Victorians examines the prose, poetry, and fiction of the British Victorian period (1837-1901). We explore how these works of literature respond to and influence central Victorian themes such as the Industrial Revolution, the “Woman Question,” the rise of the middle class, and faith, evolution, and science. The Victorian era marks the painful and exciting rise of the modern capitalist, urban age. Its literature—varied, challenging, and extraordinarily creative—reflects the triumphs and fears of a society awash in profound and rapid change. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [W]
Prof. Mary Armstrong, TR 9:30-10:45

English 331: American Fiction from 1945 to the Present

This course examines American fiction from the end of World War II to the present. Possible authors include Nabokov, Pynchon, Morrison, DeLillo, Jin. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [H, W]
Prof. Steven Belletto, TR 9:30-10:45

English 337: Milton

This course covers Paradise Lost and selections from Milton’s prose and other poetry, focusing on literary themes, style, and genre, and the place of his writings in the history of religious and political thought. Considerable attention is given to Milton’s radicalism, including both his theological “heresies” and his left-leaning political sympathies. The course considers Milton’s unique conception of the creation narrative and the “characters” of Adam, Eve, Christ, God, and his arguably most magnificent creation, Satan. Prerequisite: English 205 and 210, or permission of the instructor. [H, W]
Prof. Paul Cefalu, TR 11-12:15

English 350: Writing and Authorship: From Print to Digital

In the age of print, writing was more or less separate from the act of publishing. Now digital writing technologies bring with them the capacity to publish. Beginning with this difference, this writing-intensive class will examine how new technologies might foster changes in authorship and writing. We will begin with theories of authorship and their relationship to technological, legal, and cultural conditions. We will then spend most of the semester pursuing questions about digital technologies and their relationship to contemporary theories of authorship and writing: What is authorship’s status when everyone can publish? What should copyright’s relationship to writing be when digital texts are freely shared? How do e-readers and tablets condition reading and writing practices? Readings will be interdisciplinary and draw from a wide array of methodologies, from poststructuralist theories of authorship to sociological studies of writing. [W]
Prof. Tim Laquintano, MWF 1:10-2

English 351: Environmental Writing

This is a workshop class focused on creative and journalistic writing about nature and the environment. We will examine questions about the natural world from a variety of perspectives: socio-political, ecological, and aesthetic. Students will be encouraged to think broadly about environmental issues, as we ask: how do we define terms such as “nature” or “wilderness”? Why does “nature” matter? Some field trips will be required. Reading and commenting on student writing will also be a significant part of the course. [W]
Prof. Alix Olin, TR 1:15-2:30

English 352: Writing Black

The course title is an implicit acknowledgment of bell hooks’s landmark book Talking Back. Major texts will include The Alchemy of Race and Rights (Patricia Williams) and also the New York Times bestseller How to Be Black (Baratunde Thurston). Challenging the idea that there is a way to write black, the course will also consider writers renowned for their fiction, poetry, and plays: Toni Morison, for example, and also Langston Hughes and August Wilson. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 207, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [GM1, W]
Prof. Bryan Washington, MWF 11-11:50

English 361: Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry

Intensive weekly workshops in poetry writing. The course requires completion of advanced exercises in structure and style and the composition of an ambitious final portfolio of poetry. Prerequisites: English 250 or English 251 or English 255 or permission of instructor. Signature of Profess Upton required. Students who wish to take the course should contact Professor Upton by e=mail as soon as possible: uptonlee@lafayette.edu. [W]
Prof. Lee Upton, W 1:10-4

English 365: Seminar in Literary Criticism

An advanced introduction to the history of literary criticism and its dominant theoretical practices. Students read representative texts from various schools of criticism, such as structuralism, deconstruction, Marxism, psychoanalysis, gender studies, and cultural studies, and apply them to several literary works. Recommended for students seeking honors in English or considering graduate study in literature. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 206, 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor. [W]
Prof. Carrie Rohman, TR 11-12:15

English 369: Women in American Theater

This course will examine the significant contributions of women to the development of theater throughout its history, with a particular focus on women’s roles in writing and creating theater in the United States over the last century. Students will study significant female theater practitioners, as well as notable plays and musicals created, directed, designed and/or produced by women. In addition, students will explore theory, criticism, productions and interviews relating to these plays, playwrights and practitioners.
Prof. Mary Jo Lodge, TR 2:45-4

Theater 120: Theater Practicum

Available to designated cast and crew members of a faculty-directed College Theater production. May be repeated up to four times for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the Director of Theater, 0.25 credit.
Prof. Michael O’Neill

Theater 130: Acting I: Acting and Improvisation

This workshop-style course will introduce students to various fundamental techniques of acting and improvisation, with special emphasis on sensory awareness, observation, concentration, body movement, and vocal development. Students will develop their imaginations and creative processes through performance situations involving improvisation, scene study and monologue work. Second-semester seniors must have permission of the instructor to take the course.
Prof. Mary Jo Lodge, TR 9:30-11:30

Theater 207: Theater History [= ENG 207]

Theater is one of our most ancient arts, beginning with religious rituals like the Abydos Passion Play in ancient Egypt, through the Dionysian festival in Ancient Greece, the liturgical plays of Medieval Europe, to today’s more secular forms. Re-creation and recreation have long been fundamental human needs, and we will be studying how theatrical forms changed from time to time and culture to culture. Theater/English 207 will consider such matters as historical context, periodicity, genre, conventions, and style. We will also examine how theatrical spaces, acting styles, and technical effects have changed over the centuries.
Prof. Suzanne Westfall, MWF 1:10-2

Theater 221: Basic Stagecraft:

Canceled

Theater 274: Dancing Cultures: Embodying Performance

What constitutes performance? In this introductory course we will use performance and dance as a mode of inquiry to explore how identity and culture are represented through various aesthetic traditions and how textual representations of performance and dance are linked to social and cultural meaning. We will learn through individual and group performances, readings, written assignments, class discussion, practicum, movement workshops, and attendance at live performances.
Prof. Carrie Rohman and Prof. Nandini Sikand, W 1:10-4

Theater 275: Introduction to Technical DirectioN

Canceled

Theater 358: Making Theater: On Aging [= PSYCH 358]

In this interdisciplinary course we will explore the experiences, care, rights, and concerns of older adults from both the theatrical and the psychological perspective. Students will read and discuss scholarly works and will also collect sociological, psychological, and health-related data about today’s elderly in our local communities and the nation at large. We will then transform our observations into a multi-medial theater production.
Prof. Suzanne Westfall and Prof. Jamila Bookwala, MW 11-12:15

Theater 369: Women in American Theater [= ENG 369]

This course will examine the significant contributions of women to the development of theater throughout its history, with a particular focus on women’s roles in writing and creating theater in the United States over the last century. Students will study significant female theater practitioners, as well as notable plays and musicals created, directed, designed and/or produced by women. In addition, students will explore theory, criticism, productions and interviews relating to these plays, playwrights and practitioners.
Prof. Mary Jo Lodge, TR 2:45-4

Theater 373: Internship

Practical experience in a professional theater or theater organization. Written reports are required of the student, as is an evaluation of the student by the supervising agency. Although a student may take two theater internships, normally in the junior and senior years, only one may be counted toward the Theater major. Advance approval of the Director of Theater required.
Prof. Michael O’Neill

Theater 391: Independent Study

Tutorial study in theater practice, initiated by the student and pursued independently under the guidance of an instructor from whom the student has gained approval and acceptance. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Theater 107 or Theater 221, and permission of the instructor.
Prof. Michael O’Neill

Theater 400: Senior Project

Under the guidance of theater faculty and normally during the senior year, the student will undertake an advanced project in one or more specialized areas of theater (e.g., acting, directing, design, criticism). The project will serve to assess the student’s theater education and demonstrate the student’s potential as a theater artist and/or practitioner. Prerequisite: Advance approval of the Director of Theater.
Prof. Michael O’Neill

Theater 496: Thesis

Tutorial sessions related to the student’s investigation of the area chosen for his or her honors essay. Open only to candidates for honors in theater. Prerequisite: Theater 495 and permission of the Director of Theater. [W]
Prof. Michael O’Neill