CLASSES
An ancient tome of eldritch madness that forever warps its readers with the maddening knowledge of what classes I took.
An ancient tome of eldritch madness that forever warps its readers with the maddening knowledge of what classes I took.
Spring 2022. An elective English class that focused on both analyzing and composing narratives of the supernatural. Interrogated elements of folklore, contstructed monstrosity, haunting, and the plastic reality of horror. Allowed me to fully burrow into genre, and produced Bleeding-Edge. Taught by Joanna Howard, to whom I will be eternally grateful for encouraging me to be as weird and confusing as possible. Clearly I took the lesson to heart.
Fall 2022. An English class that investigated the construction of the city in the novels of the twentieth century- how it housed its characters, what imaginations moved within its framework, and the metatextual meaning and potential of the built environment. Taught me a lot about environment and its relationship to modernism, and introduced me to artistic movements that continue to influence me. Taught by the indispensable Leah Nieboer, whose ability to compose simultaneous analysis and poetry I will forever be chasing.
Fall 2022. A Writing Practices class concerned with different conceptions of what writing is, what it means to certain disciplines, and what it could be as the discourse changes. Lots of multimedia, lots of out-there theorization, and an incredibly fun implosion of my previous conception of writing didactically. The home of the very first attempt at GRAVEYARD SHIFT. Taught by Kara Taczak. At least forty percent of this is her fault.
Spring 2023. A run-of-the-mill required poetry class for the English major until it was revealed to be a class on something even better: MARXIST POETRY. Investigated composition and analysis of poetry from the lens of historical materialism and various theories on superstructure and culture. My favorite class I have taken at this school and (due respect to my other incredible instructors) it is not close. Well-taught, confident and intense, completely turned my conception of art and history on its head. Taught by George Kovalenko, who showed me that I could write to do more things than shock and impress, and my soul is more whole for it.
Fall 2023. An English class concerned with Jewish American immigrant narratives of the twentieth century. Provided me the opportunity to read some incredible immigrant fiction, and to research the lived experiences of Jewish immigrants to Colorado with its research component, which introduced me to the love of my life the DU archives. Fascinating combination of cultural mythology, history, and literary analysis. Taught by Adam Rovner, whose class discussions helped me to develop my structuralist proclivities.
Fall 2023. A creative writing class that focused primarily on practice and workshop- Several interesting prompts, several very interesting short stories, and a collaborative environment where I felt supported to experiment in getting even weirder and more confusing. Encouraged me to start challenging myself with weird literary games. Brought the world Guardian of Paradise, The World of Tomorrow, and Apple Poem. Taught once again by Joanna Howard.
Fall 2023. A communications class (in lieu of writing practices) that went through the history of rhetoric, argumentation, and the art and science of making other people agree with you. Provided me the opportunity to learn debate, deliver passionate student speeches of yesteryear, and make a truly ridiculous amount of homphone jokes in the miscommunication exercise. Taught by Bryan Reckard, who knew how to bring out the best in every speaker.
Winter 2024. Another creative writing class (it's my concentration!) focusing more on developing aspects of craft and building a sustainable practice and identity as a writer. Brought the world Duchess, as well as a few half-finished short stories that will at one point see the light of day.Taught by Patrick Cottrell, whose system for expediting workshop and making feedback meaningful has made me into a much better peer reviewer.
Winter 2024. An English class focusing on religious upheaval and controversy in Early America, and the literature that came out of an era of democratization and turmoil. Deeply fascinating history, important contextualization of widely misinterpreted historical events, and a quality introduction to my obsession with esoteric eschatology and the Calvinists. Taught by Clark Davis, whose understated historiographic analysis helped me internalize that all literature is on some level a primary source.