English: Anatomy of a Short Story (A)

About ENGL 1002 A

Intensive instruction and practice in writing, reading, research, and revision through the exploration of a theme related to the instructor's expertise. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years.

Notes

Sophomores, juniors and seniors only during first week of registration PACE students with permission and override System waitlisting enabled for this section

Section Description

In this class, we’ll be reading stories that exhibit a range of styles and genres by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Willa Cather, Ralph Ellison, Flannery O’Connor, Raymond Carver and Kelly Link, among others. Over the course of the semester, our analysis of the stories will be supported by critical theory in narrative and literary studies, philosophy and history to frame some big questions: How do fictions, from “historical realism” to “absurdist fantasy,” reflect the world we think we know? What are the effects of getting to know the world through fiction? What kind of thinking do we engage in when we read fiction? What sort of “truth,” if any, can we find in fiction? What can a study of "narrative knowing" teach us about other ways of knowing? What does it mean to “read for pleasure,” and how do (or should) our reading habits change when we’re reading for study? A later phase of the course will bear out some of these questions through brief interdisciplinary units on fiction and history, fiction and philosophy. Throughout all of this, we’ll be exploring the social role of fiction and the nature of narrative thinking.

Students will work toward mastering terms and concepts in literary criticism that will prepare them to write informed analyses of our primary texts. We will also explore how scholarly articles, interviews and other secondary materials can enhance and embolden our own responses to literature. Because this course fulfills your WIL1 Writing and Information Literacy requirement, we will be cultivating a community of student thinkers and writers, developing strategies for shaping research questions, and practicing college-level research methods as students draft a final research project focused on one work/author or theme.

This is a low or no AI class. I will not be using AI for any part of the content creation, lecture prep, responding or evaluating. I will require students to do their own reading and interpreting, their own idea-generating, their own drafting, and their own polishing of their writing. In other words, we won't be offloading any of the cognitive labor onto text extrusion machines; they'll have to get their data elsewhere. We will discuss the role of AI in our current environment (academic and social), and we may scrutinize some AI-generated material in class together, but AI use for creative and intellectual work will be prohibited.

Section Expectation

Students are expected to read, participate in discussions in person and/or online, draft two essays on assigned topics relating to the readings (minimum 1200 words or about four pages) and complete a drafted final research project (minimum 1800 words or about six pages).

Evaluation

Grading will be based on accomplishment of course goals, including participation, brief homework assignments, two short essays and a final research project.

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

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