Literature (LIT)

This course introduces students to multicultural literature primarily in the U.S. Students read works that explore a range of socio-cultural identities or experiences, such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and disability. This course does not count toward a Literature or Creative Writing major.

This course will deepen students understanding and appreciation of literature as an art form as well as to strengthen students ability to read short stories, poems, novels and drama for meaning. This course does not count toward a Literature or Creative Writing major.

This course is an introduction to literature through the study of works past and present which explore both the nature of humanity and humanitys relation to the world. The course will introduce students to literature from primarily outside the United States to enable cross-cultural comparisons. Does not count toward a Literature major.

This course introduces students to literature focused on the environment and our relationship to it. The course covers several literary genres and may include both U.S. and non-U.S. writers and environments. This course does not count toward a Literature or Creative Writing major.

This course is an introduction to literature through the study of works which are set in a rural and/or regional environment and explore both the nature of humanity and humanitys relation to the world. The course will expose students to literature from primarily those writers who focus their art on rural landscapes and/or a particular region (e.g., the Mississippi Delta, western Montana, Siouxland, etc.) which demonstrates the importance of environment and region on the human condition. Does not count toward a Literature major.

This course offers students the elemental skill necessary for academic literary research and analysis. It covers the major literary critical tools in a systematic way. Required of all Literature and Creative Writing majors

This course introduces students to the novel as a literary form.

This course introduces students to the short story as a literary form.

This course introduces students to poetry as a literary form.

This course introduces students to drama as a literary form, including plays from a wide variety of periods and countries.

This course introduces students to literary works and their film adaptations, exploring their different forms or means of storytelling, the technical and social factors that affect their productions, and their cultural impact. Texts many include the following filmic and literary genres: western, musical, science fiction fantasy, horror, comic, detective story, thriller, war, or family melodrama.

This course introduces students to fiction - in the form of the novels and short stories - as a literary form and helps them to appreciate its gifts. We will read a selection of short fiction and novels (or novel excerpts) and come to understand how this literary genre has developed and acted as both a reflection of and influence on culture. Students will practice critical analysis of these forms of fiction within their historical and cultural context through in-class discussion, D2L forums, quizzes and essay assignments.

These courses are studies in topics of special interest. Consult the semester schedule of classes for the selected topic for a given term.

An independent study course designed primarily for Honors Program students. This course allows more in-depth or comprehensive study or research by certain students concurrently enrolled in at least one other Literature course.

A study of one British authors work in-depth. Consult the semester course schedule for the author to be studied. No more than a total of 4 credits may be used toward a Literature major.

A study of one American authors work in-depth. Consult the semester course schedule for the author to be studied. No more than a total of 4 credits may be used toward a Literature major.

A study of one World authors work in-depth. Consult the semester course schedule for the author to be studied. No more than a total of 4 credits may be used toward a Literature major.

This class is designed for students interested in the craft and theory issues relating to the construction of literary prose and poetry. The class will focus on the authors style within the context of the different historical literary movements and social/cultural influences. The main emphasis of this class is the analysis of the processes of literary prose and poetry, and not necessarily the critical interpretation of literature.

A study of one, two, or three authors work in-depth. Consult the semester course schedule for the author(s) to be studied. If a student takes 309, only one (1) credit of 308 may be counted toward the Literature major.

The course covers great Greek literature, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, plus selected plays from the Greek tragedians. The mythological background of the literature and its characters is also included.

This course introduces students to a range of texts, authors, genres, and periods spanning from the Anglo-Saxon era to the present.

This course focuses on examples of Shakespeares best-known tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances.

This course covers the periods of American Literature from Colonial to Contemporary.

This course is an introduction to the literature of African American writers from the African Diaspora through the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary African American literature.

This course reads a selection of literature from a range of historical and cultural periods through the lens of sexuality and gender.

This course will introduce students to the literature of the American Indian and may include novels by such authors as Leslie Marmon Silko, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich, and James Welch, as well as poetry and memoir by Native American writers from Canada and the United States.

This course considers the broad genre of writing focused on the life of a living or historical person, including the self. Students will become familiar with issues surrounding life-writing and read examples from a variety of historical periods.

This course explores the rich diversity and interdependence of contemporary post-colonial literatures and other international literatures specifically since 1945. This class examines the works of writers from varied cultures, such as Chinua Achebe, Jorge Luis Borges, Italo Calvino, Nadine Gordimer, Milan Kundera, Louise Erdrich, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

This course introduces students to literature written by and about women from various time periods and cultures.

This course is required of teaching majors. It covers teaching of poetry, fiction and drama, and young adult literature. The course includes methods and materials for teaching reading at the junior high and high school levels.

This course focuses on examples of Shakespeares best-known tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances.

These courses are advanced studies in topics of special interest. Consult the semester schedule of classes for the selected topic for a given term.

Independent work is available only to students with special needs or exceptional ability. Only four (4) credits may count toward a Literature major.

This course focuses on examples of Shakespeares best-known tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances. Graduate students will be required to prepare and submit a seminar paper at the conclusion of the course in lieu of the final exam given to undergraduate students. Graduate students will also be tasked with leading and participating more actively in ongoing online discussions.

These courses are advanced studies in topics of special interest. Consult the semester schedule of classes for the selected topic for a given term. Graduate status or Senior status (with permission) required. Up to four credits of any Special Topics may be applied to a graduate degree with permission of the English Department and Graduate Dean.

This course is a survey of the major British writers from the 19th and 20th Centuries. These literary periods are of special interest: The Romantic Period, the Victorian Period, and the Modernist Period. The class examines all the genres but focuses primarily on poetry, drama, and fiction.

This course includes canonical as well as alternative or marginalized U.S. literary texts. The primary, if not exclusive, focus will be on those texts that have emerged out of marginalized literary traditions. Students will be expected to analyze assigned texts in order to explain how they work, but they will also analyze what historical and cultural forces might have led to texts being included, removed, or left out of the canon. Those analyses along with readings of literary criticism about the American literary survey will equip students to identify and challenge the cultural and political biases that often exist in the background of canon formation, undetected.

This course in World Literature covers works from a variety of periods and countries. Selected topics may include different genres of literature from different countries written by members of diverse ethnic groups. Consult the semester class schedule for the selected topic during a given term.

These courses are advanced studies in topics of special interest. Consult the semester schedule of classes for the selected topic for a given term. Graduate status or Senior status (with permission) required. Up to four credits of any Special Topics may be applied to a graduate degree with permission of the English Department and Graduate Dean.