This class is a survey of nearly 800 years of British literature, so our readings tended to be brief, emblematic writings of a particular period. Despite the large timeframe, I felt most eras were well represented, especially early and medieval literature. The 800 years sift through major British authors, going from old English and translations through to middle English and writing that more closely resembles modern English.
[Required for English Major]
ONLY OFFERED IN FALL
I had Dr. Olbricht for this course, though Dr. Parkins, who will be teaching the course this time is my manager at the Writing Center, so I can comment there as well. Frankly, both professors are excellent, though each certainly has their own style. Professor Olbricht was an extremely friendly professor, perhaps the most skilled professor at class discussions and encouraging new ideas I've encountered. She's also a very relaxed professor with a lenient grading policy and an exceptional knowledge of early English literature. Dr. Parkins is at least as expert in medieval literature as Professor Olbricht but about ten times as energetic (or really as compared to any professor here!) Expect a fast paced class and a professor that pushes students in a very active direction.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: The course was fairly heavy on writing, with six 2-page worksheets and two 5-page papers, but frequent revisions were allowed for all writings.
CONTENT: Most of the readings were poems and short stories, though some short novels also appeared, especially towards the latter half of the class. Expect well-worn British literature classics like Beowulf, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, but taught with a particular attention to detail and historical context. Some light linguistics work and historical background through the OED was also a part of the course (don't worry - no background in these subjects is actually needed!)
There was a wide range of work that we had to complete, from poetry recitations, to presentations, as well as an essay and a commonplace book project (and reading quizzes!). Although the work seemed daunting at first, it was not too hard to complete when you really got to it and met with him about any questions you had, and all the readings and projects really helped us learn the information and concepts that are prominent in post 1800s British Lit.
[Required for English Major]
ONLY OFFERED IN SPRING
Dr. Koenigsberger is truly great, and is always willing to meet with students if they need help on some assignment or do not understand a project coming up. He listens to what students are concerned about, and it usually willing to move back a deadline if students express overall stress about meeting it in time. He has also brought baked goods to class a couple times!
3 credit hours
3 meetings/wk
50 min classes
LOAD: Weekly readings from textbook, along with presentations, 2 major essays and class participation.
CONTENT: We pretty much read from The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, where there were many poems and short stories. We also read biographies about authors, and had to read one novel of our choice (chosen from a list offered to us), on which we wrote an essay.
Most, if not all, of the class periods were dedicated to discussing the course's readings and content, which was often student-led but also guided by the professor; contributions to discourse in class were either voluntary or part of the biweekly response papers that are due for every student, with six response papers of one- to two-page length each due in total over the course of the semester. If a student has a response paper due that week, they must introduce the topic of their response in class, but it's a low pressure environment and everyone's input relevant to the discussion is welcome. The reading assignments can range from relatively relaxed to rather lengthy, in extreme cases requiring one hundred pages of a novel to be read per school day; however, the novels and excerpts chosen for the curriculum are almost always enjoyable and engaging reads, which comprise the majority of the course's daily work in addition to the responses.
[Required for English Major]
ONLY OFFERED IN FALL
Dr. Clune is a prominent figure in CWRU's English Department and is very enthusaistic about the content covered in American Literature; Clune encouraged discussion and always wanted to hear the students' input pertaining to the engaging novels and stories he selected for the course curriculum. Very energetic and attentive in terms of students' views and opinions both during class and in essays/response papers; gives thorough and specific feedback on assignments and encouraged one-on-one meetings for students to improve essay-writing techniques, making sure everyone enjoys the course content.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Daily readings from novels or packets, six 1-2 page responses due over the course of the semester, and two five-page papers due towards the beginning and end of the semester, respectively
CONTENT: Most of the works covered in American Literature are medium-length novels from American authors like Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Claude Brown, Frank Norris, Edith Wharton, and Marilynne Robinson. Occasional poems and journal entries covered at specific points in the year as well, but the major assignments (papers) focus largely on the more complete works of literature.
My experience in ENGL 380 was with a different topic and professor, but the general structure of the course tends to be rather flexible in any case. A variety of different works relevant to Shakespeare's plays, including a mix of the written works, viewed performances, and supplementary readings, is probable. Assignments for seminars are generally low in frequency but fairly demanding.
Since this course is usually very much up to the whims of the professor teaching it at a particular time, consider reaching out to Dr. Vinter over email or in person (she's very friendly!) to get a feel for what the class may be like.
[Required for English Major]
EVERY SEMESTER
Professor Vinter will be teaching this course, and I can comfortably recommend her as a professor. In addition to being deeply knowledgeable of Shakespeare (the focus of this semester's seminar), her teaching style is very geared towards making the material accessible. Ample historical context, a focus on plays as performed works, and a general conversational style are all to be expected. Additionally, Dr. Vinter is among the most approachable and understanding professors on Campus - never a harsh grader, always willing to cut some slack, and more than happy to give individual students the attention and help they need outside of class.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Expect a ~5pg midterm paper and a size-able research paper as a final.
CONTENT: The exact sort of writing that will be expected in this class is hard to say, but knowing Dr. Vinter, I would not expect anything extraordinarily difficult or an overwhelming amount of reading. Familiar Shakespeare plays, but some historical/textual background readings and some videos of performed plays will likely make up the bulk of materials.
I took this class at 8:30am, so sometimes it was hard to be fully awake and engaged. However, I would say the course content was intriguing and pulled me out of my sleepiness, especially toward the end of the semester. The second half of the course moves away from some of the text-book history facts and shifts to a more modern socio-cultural lens, and those were the class discussions that were really passionate and interesting.
[Elective for English Major]
NOT ALWAYS OFFERED
I took this course with Kimberly Emmons. She is incredibly compassionate, caring immensely about her students and classroom culture. She is knowledable about the history of English, yet presents her information in a very approachable way. She was always willing to meet outside of class, and was really great at leaving actually helpful feedback on assignments. Most of all, Professor Emmons seemed to want to learn from her students just as much as she wanted to teach us!
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Definitely manageable. There are small weekly assignments and then several mid-length papers and a final project.
CONTENT: Readings assigned from textbook as well as academic articles and essays. She also uses a good amount of videos to supplement!
Extremely interesting class discussions with a focus on not only elements of theory in writing and literature, but on the greater context of philosophy, art, gender studies, and social applications as well. One of the most difficult aspects of the class is the density and verbosity of the course's content; while it's often interesting, most students who haven't delved into critical theory before, including myself, find it hard to understand at first. Even so, this makes class discussions all the more productive and engaging because students and the professor actively interface to better grasp the meaning of texts/theories that can be difficult to tackle alone.
[English Honors Option]
NOT THIS FALL
Dr. Koenigsberger - a prominent figure in the Dept. and head of the campus Gutenberg Annex - effectively helps students to understand some of the more difficult concepts within critical theory; he encourages class discussion and the input/impressions of students, and is very open to questions/potential arguments posed by students. He encourages one-on-one meetings for papers, pressing matters, and the resolution of any potential issues or conflicts any student is experiencing.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Readings essentially every class, four papers interspersed throughout the semester, with lengths of five, seven, 10-13+, and six pages (in chronological order); occasional Discussion Board posts on Canvas, one 15-minute presentation of a chosen theory text per student and one brief presentation of the third paper's topic/concept
CONTENT: Essays, articles, long-form nonfiction literature covered in class from authors and theorists of Literary Criticism (Jonathan Culler, Richard Altick, Terry Eagleton, M.H. Abrams), Philosophy, Semiotics and Social Theory (Freud, Foucault, Marx, Jacques Derrida, Ferdinand de Saussure, Edward Said, bell hooks, Toni Morrison), Gender Studies (Judith Butler), and many more authors/topics.
This small elective class always has the BEST discussions that are both funny and insightful--the texts we read, ranging from poems to plays to essays, mainly portray gender and sexuality in ways that lead to fruitful conversations. Examining texts in this way is not only an interesting peek into the history of literature on this subject and how styles may or may not have changed, but it is also a relevant study in relation to the discourse on gender and sexuality; a topic that is increasingly prevalent in social and academic settings of today.
[English Major Elective]
NOT ALWAYS OFFERED
Professor Vinter is one of the main reasons why the discussions are never boring, especially with her witty remarks and humorous commentary. She poses interesting questions that concentrate locally on the text but that also apply to a broader region of time and literature. This combination fills each class period with fresh insights and lively discussion. She is extremely approachable and understanding, always willing to help with any concerns, extending from the classroom discussion to outside, as she truly just wants the best for her students.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Readings for every class and a discussion board post, 3 papers (2 of which you can submit a rewrite for!), one presentation for the last paper of the semester.
CONTENT: Plays (such as As You Like It by Shakespeare & The Roaring Girl by Thomas Middleton), poems, essays (ex Judith Butler, Foucault).
As someone who watches films for fun, I never knew what went into the film making proces, nor what elements lie behind the reactions you expect, but take for granted in movies. I would definitely recommned "Intro to FIlm" for those who feel they need a break from reading novels, but still want to take an English class.
[Elective for Film Concentration Major or Minor]
NOT ALWAYS OFFERED
Professor Spadoni - Advisor of Sigma Tau Delta and resident Film expert - does his best to make the class interesting. He is very passionate, presenting a variety of diverse movie choices that change each semester. This course provides a well rounded view on film for beginners.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: can feel heavy at times with papers, a midterm, and final, but otherwise class is spent mostly watching movies.
CONTENT: Some older films like King Kong and Casablanca as well as newer films like Groundhog Day. There is a textbook to teach about different film making concepts.
The course is centered around first learning grammar structures and what it means to "have grammar" from the linguistic perspective. Then we delved more into language practices, influences of linguistics, and performing research. The class is largely discussion based and, like many English courses, having a small committed set of classmates really helped to make this course a morning activity that I was never worried about and always looked forward to attending. Engagement is really important for some of the more nitty gritty aspects of grammar, and sharing our experiences with language made it a lot of fun!
General Elective
NOT ALWAYS OFFERED
This course is taught by Martha Schaffer. I absolutely love Martha, she is super knowledgable and passionate, always willing to meet with you about anything. Her lectures on grammar are full of participation (activities, questions, exercises etc.) and she gets to know all of her students personally. She is also very flexible with grading, her main goal being to get us to think and broaden our perspectives. I appreciate her understanding to meet us in the middle when classes can get overwhelming.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Weekly readings with follow up discussion board posts. Weekly quizzes for the first half of semester(short, open-note, untimed, free response), 3 mid-length papers, a presentation, and research paper.
CONTENT: Weekly readings cover chapters from Cognitive Linguistics, occasional supplementary texts posted online. Research and presentations are very loosely guided, allowing you to pursue whatever aspects of linguistics most interest you. Papers are also similarly structured, allowing you to engage the reader through drawing on and talking about personal experiences.
I took this course with Joshua Hoeynk. He was a really kind professor who taught in a discussion style and talked with us instead of standing at the front of a room and lecturing at us. He was pretty laid back and gave helpful feedback on writings.
[Works for Cr. Wr Minor]
With Hoeynk
I think this class is structured differently depending on who teaches it. Professor Hoeynk had three main sections: memoir, poetry, and short fiction stories. We read samples of each as well as writing our own. I really liked it because it pushed me to try different types of writing, such as a memoir. There were also a few classes he left open for the students to decide what do to with, which I really liked and was different because it gave students the opportunity to voice what they wanted to get out of the course. The writing assignments were spaced out enough where I didn't feel rushed.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: depends on who is teaching. Expected to have some sort of free writing built into class or to do on your own.
CONTENT: Poetry, memoirs, short stories, exerpts or chapters of narratives, etc.
Taking this class this semester with Professor Schaer, I would say that it required being able to block out a sizable amount of time per week. I really enjoyed the course, however more often than not, the homework felt more like busy work than actually engaging material. Class discussions were very effective, though, and it gave me an opportunity to dedicate deeper thinking towards the homework assignments, so I always had more to say in class. The first half of the semester dealt with poetry, while the second half dealt with fiction writing, all of which were at an introductory level.
[Works for Cr. Wr Minor]
With Schaer
I am currently taking this course with Dr. Schaer, and I believe she is a wonderful professor to teach an introductory course in creative writing. Her lecture-style lessons are based on the assigned readings, and she takes a deeper dive into the different elements of writing and promotes questioning of students’ own thoughts about the assigned poems and stories. Each class tackles a subset of writing, and instead of close-reading stories to extract plot points, she focuses on the author’s choices and the speaker’s way of thinking. Beyond all that, she is very approachable, and her encouragement for students to share their thoughts makes it very easy to start a discussion in class.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: Two reading responses per week, along with an additional exercise. Reading responses included assigned chapters on writing and 2-3 pieces of poetry or fiction. Two poems were drafted during the first half of the semester, and a story and manifesto were written for the second half. The final assignment was a portfolio that included a poem, a story, and three drafts of each piece.
CONTENT: Different forms of poetry, short stories, reading assignments on different elements of writing, workshop days.
I personally loved the class! It was the one class I could take a breather in before I had to think of other things. The class was my formal introduction to poetry and I had a great experience. However, the class is less fun if people don't participate or offer feedback during the workshop. As long as you're putting effort in and trying to improve, you should get a good grade. I had a nice group of people in my class and Lucas loves throwing a few jokes in every class.
[Works for Cr. Wr Minor]
I had Dave Lucas. He was incredibly laidback and made the class really fun. He gave a lot of good feedback and the based the class are discussions and workshops. He was always very open to questions and meeting with students one-on-one to discuss their poems.
3 credit hours
2 meetings/wk
75 min classes
LOAD: I would say - light. Given 9 different poem prompts to write off of throughout the semester that contribute to your final portfolio. You have the option to ""skip"" one. The final portfolio consists of 8 poems you wrote in the class, your revisions on those poems, 2 additional independently drafted poems, and a reflection essay.
CONTENT: Poetry and prose - Read a variety of poetry/prose and essays/readings on how to write poetry. Those are given to everyone ahead of time and during class he'd ask everyone their favorites and why. The top poems would be the focus of discussion for the day. A few of the readings were harder to understand, but Lucas goes over them in class and answers any questions people had.