Some of our readings will be available as PDFs or links on our Canvas page.
The other books you will need to acquire (in hard copies, not e-books) are the following. The bookstore has these books ordered. I recommend getting the editions listed since that will put us all on the same page (literally).
Ling Ma, Severance. 9781250214997.
Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. 9780199691340.
Most of the other readings from the class are from the Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism. I will be providing PDFs, and I highly recommend you print them out so that you have a hard copy to refer to during class. If you'd like to, you can purchase this book (978-0-393-60295-1), but it is not required.
The only other thing you'll need is a notebook and a writing utensil to keep track of our discussions and to take notes. You can turn in your notebook at the end of the semester for up to 10 extra credit points.
For this course, most of the “work” you’ll be doing—reading and preparing for discussion—is ungraded; however, rigorous engagement with the texts is the goal of this class and will enable you to succeed in the graded written assignments and the RAQs. If you are not prepared for our discussion, you will not be able to practice the analytical skills that this course aims to teach (and which will be assessed in the graded assignments). Please see the “Reading Tips,” posted on our Canvas page, for how to read in preparation for our course meetings. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time; therefore, you should expect to spend on average 4-6 hours a week preparing for this class. If you feel that you're spending too much time reading, get in touch and we can talk about it!
Every week (on Fridays) I will send a reminder email with tasks and assignments for the following week through Canvas. The Canvas page is the best place to look for up-to-date information about class activities, readings (which are subject to change), special events, and announcements. I will send out important updates via the announcements feature, so you should have your settings set up so that announcements will go directly to your Florida Tech email account, which you should check regularly. You should consider the information and dates on the Canvas site to be the definitive version of class activities and expectations.
During class time, I aim to foster as much interaction between students and between myself and students, as possible. For this reason, our classroom discussions will be a screen-free space. During our workshops toward the end of the semester, you may need to use a computer or other device, but throughout the majority of the semester, you can leave your devices at home (make sure to bring your books or printed-out readings instead!).
The texts in this class are complex. You should set aside a considerable amount of time to read each text not just once, but twice. Careful re-reading will help you move beyond comprehension of the text’s content toward a meaningful understanding of how and what each text is doing. The more work you have put into your reading, the more you will be able to make meaningful and substantial contributions to discussion.
Read with a pen in your hand—be an active reader. Mark points in the text (or in a notebook) that confuse you or intrigue you; make note of keywords; make notes if you think of an idea or if you make connections between this text and other aspects of our course material.
Always bring your notes and the texts currently under discussion to class and be prepared to use them. We are striving toward making arguments with evidence.