ENGLISH
English 110: College Writing
Writing as an intellectual act and a recursive process; ways of reading complex texts. Taken in the spring semester of the first year or the fall of the second year, the course complements and extends the writing experience of the First-Year Seminar. Required of all students except those exempted by the English Department for reasons such as success in an advanced placement program. Prerequisite: First-Year Seminar.
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 are Sula, The Secret Life of Bees, Bastard Out of Carolina, The Lovely Bones, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rubyfruit Jungle, and The Red Tent. For the major group project, students will have the option of enacting principles of sisterhood by working with low-income and teenaged single mothers in the Easton area.
D. Byrd—TR 9:30-10:45
English 205: Literary Questions
An introduction to the theory and methodology of literary study, 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 will examine their assumptions about literature. Required of English majors and English and writing minors.
Section 01—C. Phillips—MWF 1:10-2:00
Section 02—B. Falbo—MWF 3:10-4:00
Section 03—C. Rohman—TR 1:15-2:30
English 210: British Literature I
A survey of British literature from Beowulf to Milton; major writers, movements, and forms are viewed in their historical contexts. Requirements include quizzes and exams, frequent informal writing, and a paper. Counts toward the literary history requirement for the English major (see major requirements for more information). Normally closed to seniors.
P. Cefalu—TR 1:15-2:30
English 213: American Literature II: The Gilded Age to the Present
This course surveys the literature of realism, modernism and postmodernism in America. It is designed as an introduction to students who may wish to pursue more intensive studies of the authors, genres, and literary movements in late nineteenth and twentieth-century America. Among the authors we will consider are Charles Chestnutt, Henry James, and Theodore Dreiser. Counts toward the literary history requirement for the English major (see major requirements for more information). Normally closed to seniors.
B. Washington—MWF 11:00-11:50
English 225: Contemporary Literature: Contemporary Fiction: Detective Stories
For many, detective stories are a guilty pleasure, but they are also an excellent vehicle for literary investigation, raising questions about reading, the interpretive activity, the function of narrative, and the problem of identity. While this course will emphasize contemporary texts, it will also consider some earlier ones. Secondary readings will provide theoretical frameworks. Special attention will be paid to the development of the genre, its conventions, and the debates surrounding its status as “high” or “low” art. Authors will (probably) include Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle (“Sherlock Holmes”), Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Carolyn Keene (“Nancy Drew”), Robert Parker, Walter Mosley, Paul Auster, Patricia Cornwell, Sara Paretsky, and Ken Bruen.
P. Donahue—MWF 9:00-9:50
English 231: Journalistic Writing
The aim of this course is to learn the methods and skills of writing for a general public. Journalists write for a variety of media in a manner that is clear, fair, accurate and in a style that invites readers. Emphasis will be on developing the ability to write about everyday subjects and complex issues in an engaging, lively manner. Closed to seniors except on a space-available basis. Enrollment capped at 15.
K. Briggs—MWF 9:00-9:50
English 251: Screenwriting
Intensive workshop in writing for film. Screenings, papers, and a digital video filmmaking assignment also required. Prerequisite: permission of Professor Ohlin. If you wish to take the course, email Professor Ohlin (ohlina@lafayette.edu) as soon as possible.[W]
A. Ohlin—TR 11:00-12:15
English 255: 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 email as soon as possible: uptonlee@lafayette.edu [W]
Section 01–L. Upton—M 10:00-12:50
Intensive workshop class devoted to the writing of poetry and fiction. Writing exercises and assignments, combined with reading and analysis of published work, will culminate in a portfolio of creative work by the student. Permission of Professor Ohlin required. Please email her at ohlina@lafayette.edu to register.
Section 02—A. Ohlin—W 10:00-12:50
English 273: 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. Although a student may take two English internships, normally in the junior and senior years, the internship does not count toward the literature concentration in the English major. Permission of Professor Byrd required.
Note: All English courses at the 300 level are “W” (enhanced writing) courses. Unless otherwise noted, the prerequisite for these courses is English 205 or 206 or 207 or 210 or 211 or 212 or 213 or permission of the instructor.
English 301: Shakespeare
Contrary to popular conception, Shakespeare did not spring, quill in hand, from the forehead of Queen Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Shakespeare is king of the canon in Western literature, and in this course we’ll discuss reasons why that is so. We’ll read several genres of his work: sonnets, comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances, focusing not only on critical issues, but also on theatricality, language, and culture. We will examine strategies for reading and learn about theatrical conventions and performance techniques while we acquire the standard critical vocabulary necessary to the analysis of dramatic texts.
S. Westfall—MWF 2:10-3:00
English 304: American Writer: Hemingway and 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.
D. Johnson—MWF 3:10-4:00
English 326: The Romantics
This course will focus on English poetry of the period 1798-1832, much of which was inspired by the political revolutions in America and France. We will be reading prose by Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley and the poetry of Blake, Coleridge, Byron, Keats, Percy Shelley, and the Wordsworths. We will be exploring texts that focus on the nature of the creative process, differences in the perspectives of children and adults, relationships between women and men, the role of nature in human experience, and social and political phenomena such as slavery, prostitution, poverty, and warfare.
D. Byrd—TR 1:15-2:30
English 330: American Decades: American 1890s
America in the 1890s was not unlike America today: the country was in a state of social confusion, even of crisis. In an era of massive immigration, cities as social spaces were mosaics of segregation–by ethnicity, race, and class. By the middle of the decade, the unemployment rate was a staggering 20 percent. And women, entering the work force in droves, were redefining their roles and, as a result, implicitly questioning the authority of men. What we’ll want to consider this semester is the extent to which these conditions gave rise to a literature that we already know how to read because in it we can so readily locate ourselves.
B. Washington—MWF 1:10-2:00
English 331: American Fiction from 1945 to the Present
Since the Second World War, it has become increasingly difficult to think about the United States without thinking about its relationship with the rest of the world. Accordingly, in this course we will examine works of American fiction that deal in various ways with the complicated relationship between the United States and the world. We will read some of the most interesting and engaging works of American fiction written since 1945; although we will cover some canonical and influential American writers, we will also study works by lesser-known authors. As you can expect challenging texts and steady reading and writing throughout the semester, be sure that you have ample time to devote to the course. Possible authors include: Jessica Hagedorn, Thomas Pynchon, Joan Didion, Susan Choi, Michael Herr, Paul Bowles, Robert Stone, and Ishmael Reed (this is subject to revision). Grading will be based on argumentative essays, weekly critical observations, and class presentations.
S. Belletto—TR 11:00-12:15
English 338: Metaphysical Poetry
Metaphysical poems are witty, cerebral poems that use elaborate metaphors or “conceits” to comment on a range of elusive “big topics,” including the nature of love, death, evil, and God. We will consider not only the form, style, and imagery of such poems, but also the historical contexts in which metaphysical poetry emerges in England. To what extent, for example, does the scientific revolution influence the anxious poetry of John Donne? In what manner does the rise of Protestantism help to shape the theocentric poetry of Thomas Traherne? In answering these questions and others, we will read not only the “canonical” poetry of the seventeenth century – John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Thomas Traherne – but also some poets who have recently entered the canon, including Aemelia Lanyer. We will also compare such foundational seventeenth-century poetry with romantic and modern poetry. This will include the poetry of William Blake, Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Elizabeth Bishop.
P. Cefalu—TR 9:30-10:45
English 360: Advanced Creative Writing—Poetry
Intensive weekly workshop in poetry. 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 Professor Upton required. Students who wish to take the course should contact Professor Upton by email as soon as possible: uptonlee@lafayette.edu
L. Upton—W 7:00-9:50 p.m.
English 387: Nineteenth Century American Poetry
Poets, both American and worldwide, have long turned to Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson for inspiration…but what created those poets to begin with? This course explores a wide range of poetry and poets in the U.S. through the nineteenth century, paying special attention to developments in form, rhetoric, historical context, and sound. Critical as well as creative and editing projects will guide students through the material—no prior experience in creative writing or performance of poetry required. Readings will include works by Whitman, Dickinson, Melville, Longfellow, Sigourney, Bryant, Poe, Holmes, Lowell, Dunbar, and others.
C. Phillips—MWF 11:00-11:50
English 391: Independent Study
A program of tutorial study, initiated by the student and pursued independently under the guidance of an instructor from whom the student has gained approval and acceptance. Permission of Professor Woolley required.
English 395: Problems and Possibilities: Literary Research Seminar
Literary research, like all research, entails both discovering answers and, more interestingly perhaps, discovering questions: finding uses for already-available evidence. We will do research in both these senses of the word. This course is an opportunity to find out what resources exist, what they are good for, and how to incorporate research into readable and lively papers. Seminar members will provide an interested and inquisitive audience for each others’ projects. These projects, culminating in a substantial research-based essay, will be on topics chosen from a wide range of possible inquiries into literature and language. The course is designed for anyone interested in research and should be of particular value to present or prospective independent study and honors students and to those contemplating graduate or professional study. Prerequisite: English 205 and a literary history course (English 210, 211, 212, or 213), or permission of the instructor.
J. Woolley—MWF 10:00-10:50
English 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 departmental honors. Permission of Professor Woolley required.
THEATER
Theater 120: Theater Practicum
Only those students who participate in faculty-directed productions for the College Theater as crew or cast members are eligible to register for the ¼ credit course. Must be available most evenings Sunday through Thursday. Permission of Professor Westfall required.
S. Westfall—arranged
Theater 201: Elementary Public Speaking
Theater 201 is an introductory class in public speaking. Emphasis will be on, but not limited to, impromptu, after dinner, informative, and persuasive speaking. Students will be expected to write and perform several speeches over the semester.
S. Placke—Section 01, TR 9:30-10:45; Section 02, TR 11:00-12:15, Section 03, TR 1:15-2:30
Theater 221: Basic Stagecraft
An introduction to the history, theory, and practice of technical theater, focusing upon construction, painting, rigging, and electrical practices. Laboratory sessions in the theater shop and backstage assignments ensure hands-on exposure to topics discussed in class. Closed to seniors except with signature of the instructor or of Professor Westfall.
J. Webb—MWF 11:00-10:50
Theater 230: Acting II: Scene Study
This course extends beyond basic acting and improvisation training to offer a more in-depth study of the craft of acting. Students will utilize exercises, improvisation and detailed script analysis as they build and develop characters. In this course, students will perform a range of modern American Realist scenes, as well as in scenes drawn from the early Modernist plays of Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekov.
M. Lodge—TR 10-11:50
Theater 235: Musical Theater
This broad based examination of Musical Theater combines an exploration of the history and literature of this uniquely American art form with a practical introduction to performance techniques used in the field. Students will study the structure, terminology, practitioners, organization, and history of the musical while exploring repertoire through either the preparation and performance of scenes and songs from musicals or through dramaturgical research and writing about musicals.
M. Lodge—TR 2:10-4:00
Theater 371/Art 371: Dada: Visual and Performing Arts — or What’s your name? Who’s your Dada?
Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi is widely regarded as the first absurdist dramatic work. Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” a “found object” done in 1917, is regarded as a landmark piece in modern art. Why? Against a backdrop of European society coming unhinged by the erosion of fundamental values, by adherence to nationalist philosophies, by rampant industrialization, and by the seeming meaninglessness of established institutions, Dada art and theater elicited outrage and anger from its audiences. By satirizing and mocking institutions, governments and national leaders, Dada created “anti-art.” Through discussion, performance, presentations and studio projects, this class will focus on the underlying principles and cultural critique of Dada and its synergistic relationship to future art and theater movements.
S. Westfall and E. Kerns—MW 11:00-12:15
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. Permission of Professor Westfall required.
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. Prerequisite: Theater 107 (Introduction to Theater) or Theater 221 or approval of Professor Westfall required.