English Course Offerings

A course designed to provide students who have completed INTD 105 the opportunity to develop proficiency in specific types of writing, such as descriptive, expository, persuasive, and critical writing.
Credits: 4

A course exploring a particular topic involving specific themes, issues, authors, literary forms, or media types. Subtitles of "Topics in Literature" help students develop fundamental skills for critical reading and effective writing.
Credits: 4

The general subtitles offered under the heading “The Elements of Creative Writing” will share the common aim of developing an understanding of the cultural and craft decisions involved in producing creative writing within a particular genre, form, or style of writing, such as the prose poem, the lyric essay, the short-story. This writing-intensive course will ask students to examine models of written creative expression, learn to understand key techniques and aesthetics, and to produce and critique their own and others pieces. As students create new artworks, they will consider the ideological, cultural, and political contexts of creative work.
Credits: 4

This is an introductory course for first semester and second semester students who have declared as or are interested in being English majors. The course will introduce students to English at Geneseo and to career paths for English majors; it will provide enhanced advisement and planning for the undergraduate degree, offer problem solving assistance to students as they navigate the first year of college, expose students to the range of academic and co-curricular opportunities available to English majors at Geneseo, and provide opportunities for students to interact with members of the faculty and more advanced undergraduates.
Credits: 1

The course uses literature and other cultural productions from the United States to engage directly with diversity, pluralism, and power. Texts include a diverse range of authors and artists, and the focus is on the various ways that these texts enable students to think critically and self-reflectively about diversity and systems of power in the United States. Guided discussion of these texts will enable students to consider the reasoning and impact of their personal beliefs and actions with respect to issues of diversity and power in the United States, and it will offer them a model for how to participate effectively in pluralistic contexts where it is necessary to communicate and collaborate across difference.
Credits: 4

The course focuses on literature and other cultural productions from areas across the globe, engaging extensively with areas outside of Europe and the United States (but including marginalized cultures, ethnic groups, and nations within those regions). Guided discussion of these works will enable students to understand systems of value and meaning as embodied in one or more cultures from different regions of the world and will allow them to assess interconnections among/across local and global systems and cultures.
Credits: 4

A critical study of a theme, movement, or special subject that incorporates literature and other cultural productions to explore contemporary global challenges. Course content may incorporate diverse texts and modes of learning (e.g. written, oral, visual, digital, dance/performance). Representative offerings might include Black British Literature and Culture, African Women's Literature, Northern Irish Literature, Postcolonial Literatures.
Credits: 4

The course focuses on literary studies and sustainability. Literature and other cultural productions (e.g., films, novels, poetry, nature writing) provide an opportunity for students to engage with and reflect on the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability, how these dimensions relate to each other, and how they shape our changing planet.
Credits: 4

An introduction to ancient, biblical, medieval, and early modern literary texts that are regarded as "classics" in the Western tradition. In addition to providing students with a critical understanding of the ancient literary tradition, the course is designed to critically investigate the basic notion of a classic-and, indeed, the very idea of a canon.
Credits: 4

Credits: 0-4

Credits: 1-4

Credits: 0-6

An intermediate-level writing workshop involving assignments in various literary forms. Class discussions will focus on student work as well as work by published authors.
Credits: 4

A creative writing class designed to give students opportunities to practice and refine their writing skills in one or two genres. Students may take twice for credit under different subtitles. Topics may include point-of-view and perspective in short fiction, creating characters, the persona poem. There is an emphasis on close reading, critical thinking and revision. Frequent writing required.
Credits: 4

An introduction to the discipline of English through the study of particular topics, issues, genres, or authors. Subtitles of "Reader and Text" help students develop a working vocabulary for analyzing texts and relating texts to contexts; understand the theoretical questions that inform all critical conversations about textual meaning and value; and participate competently, as writers, in the ongoing conversation about texts and theory that constitutes English as a field of study.
Credits: 4

The course uses creative writing as a way for students to engage directly with diversity, pluralism, and power in the United States. Texts include a diverse range of authors and artists, and the focus is on the various ways that these texts enable students to think critically and self-reflectively about diversity and systems of power in the United States. Guided practice in creative writing will enable students to consider the reasoning and impact of their personal beliefs and actions with respect to issues of diversity and power in the United States, and it will offer them a model for how to participate effectively in pluralistic contexts where it is necessary to communicate and collaborate across difference.
Credits: 4

The course uses creative writing as a way for students to engage directly with contemporary global challenges. Texts include a diverse range of authors and artists from different parts of the world, and the focus is on the various ways that these texts enable students to think critically and self-reflectively about local and global networks, systems. Guided practice in creative writing that focuses on contemporary global challenges will enable students to apply global perspectives in addressing challenges and solving problems.
Credits: 4

A study abroad course that provides an introduction to the poetry and drama of Irish author W.B. Yeats. The course will be taught in a four-week summer session, beginning with an online introduction, followed by three weeks in Ireland, most of that time spent at the Yeats International Summer School in Sligo, Students will attend lectures and seminars by leading Yeats scholars from throughout the world, along with poetry readings and dramatic presentations. Permission of instructor.
Credits: 4

This Study Abroad course explores how writing is shaped by theland around us: not just by what we notice, but by the shapes, moods, and possibilities of the land itself. It focuses on sitespecific writing, with on-location exploration of a particular country's landscape and literature, e.g. Iceland, a country of extreme terrains that at times seems extraplanetary. Students will hone core creative skills in response to the ecological world and complete field-based reading and writing assignments as well as working with geologists or other scientists to learn about theirresearch, and use their terminology to devise new creative work. May be taken twice under different subtitles. Credits: 3 (3-0) Not offered on a regular basis.
Credits: 0-6

Credits: 0-4

An opportunity to experience a broad spectrum of the best in English theatre. The group will attend at least nine productions in small "fringe" theatres; the state-supported theatres like the Royal Court, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Royal National Theatre; and the commercial West End. Several tours will be required, such as Shakespeare's Globe, Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare Walking Tour, Drury Lane tour, and Covent Garden tour. Workshops will be scheduled to suit student interests, such as Acting Shakespeare at the Old Globe or design workshops through the Theatre Museum at the V&A. Students are expected to attend all of the above. There will be two orientation sessions prior to leaving for London. Students will be responsible for projects in London museums, written reviews of shows, and class discussions, held every 3-4 days. Note: course duration is two and a half weeks; may not be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Credits: 0-3

Credits: 1-5

A practical course in the writing of poetry, using student assignments in the genre as a central means in discussions both in class sessions and individual conferences with the instructor.
Credits: 4

A fiction writing workshop using student writings in the genre as well as published stories, both in class sessions and individual conferences with the instructor.
Credits: 4

A practical course in the writing of creative nonfiction. Student assignments in the genre are the focus of discussions, both in class sessions and individual conferences with the instructor.
Credits: 4

This four-week summer course takes place in the port city of Dakar in Senegal, one of the more successful postcolonial democratic transitions in Africa. The course is intended to enhance students' understanding of history, ideas, and critical issues pertaining to modern west African societies in general, and to Senegal in particular as is expressed through multiple languages, literature, politics, customs, and religion. These components are fundamental in getting to know and appreciate contemporary west African cultures from the inside. The main aspects of past and modern lives (institutions, society, way of life) of Senegal in particular, and of other West African nations, will be studied through lectures in class, notes from field visits, literary texts, excursions, interview discussions, intensive use in class of authentic documents (local newspaper articles and magazines) and homestay experience. Cross-listed with FREN 312. Prerequisites: ENGL 203 Credits: 4(3- 2) Offered in the summer as part of the Senegal program
Credits: 0-4

Medieval Literature concentrates on literature from AD CE 500-1500, with Old English literature (in translation), Middle English Literature (some in translation, most in original texts), and Medieval Literature in other languages (in translation). The course presents specifically medieval genres, such as : epic poetry, sermons and chronicles ) ; Middle English debate poetry, devotional poetry, romances (Arthurian and non-Arthurian), frame narratives, mystical writing, and drama. These readings will closely consider aspects of Old English and Middle English grammar and also the intertextual and multilingual nature of Medieval Literature, especially when considered in a global or transnational frameworks, as well as the reception of literature in the modern period. Prerequisite: ENGL 203. Credits: 4(4-0) Offered every even year.
Credits: 4

A study of works by representative Black British writers from the mid-20th century onward in their cultural and social contexts. The course will cover a variety of genres, focusing theoretically on the development of Black British literature, and being framed through these initial questions: Who is English in that nation's imaginary? Who is not? Does Englishness mean WHITE only, as Catherine Hall has so persuasively demonstrated by retelling some of that country's history in relation to its colonies? Black British Literature has historically coincided not only with the questioning of what constitutes a British identity but with critical articulations of the issues of full citizenship and belonging.
Credits: 4

A study of works, mainly from the 1880s to the present, by representative Irish and Northern Irish authors writing in English. Works will be examined in their historical contexts. Authors may include W.B. Yeats, John Synge, James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Samuel Beckett, Edna O'Brien, Eavan Boland, and Seamus Heaney. Prerequisite: ENGL 203
Credits: 4

A study of representative texts created and published in Britain, by British writers, largely for a cosmopolitan audience. The course explores how contemporary writers conceptualize their identity in relation to the national imaginary. Offered every other summer at Goldsmiths College, University of London. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisite: ENGL 203. Offered not on a regular basis.
Credits: 4

A critical study of a theme, movement, or special subject matter of some consequence in the cultural tradition of the United States. Representative offerings might include The Environmental Spirit, Women Writers and Social Reform, Film Heroes, The Puritan Legacy, and The Graphic Novel.
Credits: 4

A study of works by representative Asian American writers from a range of backgrounds (might include but not exclusive to American writers of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese and Cambodian ancestry) from the early 20th century onward in their cultural and social contexts. The course will cover a variety of genres. Prerequisite: ENGL 203
Credits: 4

A study of works by representative Native American writers in their cultural and social contexts. The course will cover a variety of genres.
Credits: 4

A study of works by representative African-American writers from the mid-19th century to the present in their cultural and social contexts. The course will cover a variety of genres. Prerequisites: ENGL 203. Offered every spring
Credits: 4

Digital technology is transforming the way we produce, distribute, and study literature. Under the umbrella term "digital humanities," scholars are building electronic archives that put literary texts in historical, biographical, geographical, and other contexts; using computational tools to analyze and visualize the form and content of texts; creating new platforms for scholarly communication about texts; and trying to understand the larger cultural impact of the digital revolution. This course undertakes a close examination of all these developments while also introducing students to basic tools for digital communication, preservation, and textual analysis. Prerequisite: ENGL 203
Credits: 4

The comparative study of significant literary works from cultural traditions across the world. May be designed around a central theme/topic that is cross-culturally relevant. Prerequisites: ENGL 203
Credits: 4

The course brings together Caribbean, African, Black British, and U.S. texts for a detailed exploration of historical memory and representation, focusing on the role of genre in such texts. According to Paul Gilroy, Black Atlantic themes and techniques in a way ?transcend ethnicity and nationality to produce something new.? Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or instructor permission. 4 (4-0) credits. Offered at least once every four semesters.
Credits: 4

This course examines the works of primarily continental, as well as global African, writers to understand African literature within the context of the lives of Africans in the 20th and 21st century. Students will develop grounded approaches to examining African literature by engaging Africa from the perspectives of the artists writing within, as well as in exile from, their communities. Interdisciplinary texts are used to help contextualize the histories, cultures, politics, and societies. Literature, film, and to a lesser extent music are incorporated into the course, providing students an opportunity to read a variety of African texts coming from the artists, who recognize the significance of using various types of media in representing African culture, people, languages and ideas.
Credits: 4

A study of works that have emerged out of different experiences of (de)colonization and asserted themselves by foregrounding their difference from the assumptions of an imperial center. The course will cover a variety of genres, and the works will be read in their cultural, social, and historical contexts. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisites: ENGL 203. Offered spring, even years
Credits: 4

A historical survey of the English language, introducing the techniques of historical linguistic research and contrasting the phonology, grammar, and lexicon of Old and Middle English with that of Modern British and American English. The course also considers the growth and distribution of "World Englishes," including Canadian, Indian, Southern Hemisphere varieties as well as English creoles and pidgins. Students also contribute to an updated edition of the Dictionary of Geneseo English. Prerequisites: ENGL 203. Offered fall, even years
Credits: 4

A course charting the historical movement of pre-1700 literatures in the British Isles or globally or transnationally. The course emphasizes historical, political and cultural events through which this literature was produced; the development of genres and poetics over time; and changes in language, including for example the ways that English has changed from Old English to Early Modern.
Credits: 4

A study of selected Anglophone literary texts written between 1660 and 1900 focusing on the dynamic relationship between individual works and the broader culture from which they emerge. The course emphasizes historical, political and social events through which this literature was produced; the development of genres and poetics over time; and important changes in language. Representative offerings include: Poetry of the Augustan Age; Victorian Comedy; Literature of 19th Century Social Reform; Napoleon in British Literature; Antebellum Literature; Silver Fork Fiction; Virtual Thoreau; Transatlantic Romantic Prose.
Credits: 4

A study of selected Anglophone literary texts written after 1900 focusing on the dynamic relationship between individual works and the broader culture from which they emerge. The course emphasizes historical, political and social events through which this literature was produced; the development of genres and poetics over time; and important changes in language. Representative offerings include: Literature of the Twenties; Realist Fiction and the Depression Era; The Image of Islam; British Literature and Fascism; Hip-Hop Culture and Contemporary Literature.
Credits: 4

This course evaluates the English Bible as a literary text, with readings from the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (including the Apocrypha). Along with historical and cultural backgrounds, emphasis will be placed on literary genres present in (and sometimes unique to) the Bible, aspects of biblical language and poetics, and the intratextuality of biblical texts. The course will also compare the Bible's relationship with the text of the Qur'an and with readings and research in biblical influences on Western and world literature.
Credits: 4

Credits: 0-4

Credits: 1-12

Individual study and research under the supervision of a faculty member. (May be taken at any level.) (One to three semester hours.) Offered by individual arrangement.
Credits: 1-4

This is the capstone class for English majors pursuing the creative writing track. Students will select, revise and polish work for presentation at their Senior Reading. In addition, students will learn all aspects of staging a literary event, including publicity and advertising. Finally, students will learn the practical skills of pursuing a literary life beyond Geneseo.
Credits: 4

Advanced study of poetry focusing on in depth analysis of a topic, issue, genre feature, or single or small group of authors. Course requirements include substantial reading and engagement of relevant critical and theoretical writings. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor.
Credits: 4

This course offers writing instruction to advanced undergraduates who intend to teach. Students read writing theory, review English grammar, and write a series of essays over the course of the term. Prerequisite: Junior Standing
Credits: 4

A course examing a particular subset of literary theory; possible offerings include (but are not limited to) "Feminist Theory," "Post-colonial Theory," "Existentialism" and "Postmodern Theory." (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor and at least one ENGL 300-level course. Not offered on a regular basis
Credits: 4

A study of major trends in literary theory in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Prerequisites: ENGL 203 and at least one 300 level ENGL course or permission of instructor.
Credits: 4

A study of selected works in Irish and/or Northern Irish literature, seen within one of multiple contexts such as themes, cultural issues, intellectual movements, nationhood, and genre.
Credits: 4

A study of representative novels emphasizing the development of the Anglophone novel as a literary form. Course topics include The Rise of the Novel; the Picaresque Novel in English; the Nineteenth-Century British Novel; Dandyism and the Novel; the American Civil War Novel; The Novel during the Interwar Period; and the Black British Novel. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.)Offered when demand is sufficient. Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor.
Credits: 4

A course organized around projects that draw upon critical and writing skills for applications beyond the college classroom: service learning, community partnerships, field-based research, web archives, etc. Students will be expected to work both independently and in collaboration with others. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisites: ENGL 203. Not offered on a regular basis
Credits: 4

An introduction to the basics of publishing through the opportunity to edit and produce, Geneseo's online literary journal, Gandy Dancer. Coursework will include the creation of advertising and marketing, solicitation of manuscripts, collaboration within editorial committees, copyediting and proofreading as well as layout and design.
Credits: 4

A study of selected works seen within the context of disability studies. Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor.
Credits: 4

This advanced course focuses on editing and producing, Geneseo's online literary journal, Gandy Dancer. The coursework will include the creation of advertising and marketing, solicitation of manuscripts, collaboration within editorial committees, copyediting and proofreading as well as layout and design. Students enrolled in this course will assume leadership roles in the hands-on work of putting out this journal.
Credits: 4

Advanced critical study of a current critical and/or aesthetic conversation in literature and cultural studies. (May be taken for credit twice under different subtitles). Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor. Not offered on a regular basis.
Credits: 4

Advanced critical study of literary and cultural texts about cities. May be designed around a central/theme topic (e.g,. particular cities [New Orleans, Lagos, Montreal]; city and music). Prerequisites: ENGL 203 or permission of instructor. Not offered on a regular basis.
Credits: 4

Advanced critical study of a theme, movement, or special subject in the U.S. cultural tradition. For example, Women Writers and 19th-Century Social Reform, Filming the 70s, and The Harlem Renaissance.
Credits: 4

An advanced course focused on social constructions of gender and sexual identity in literary and other cultural productions, considered in the context of social class, ethnicity, race and ability. Readings are informed by feminist theory, Queer studies, and other forms of advanced literary criticism.
Credits: 4

An in-depth study of from eight to ten Shakespeare plays selected from the different genres (comedy, history, tragedy, and romance) in which the poet-dramatist worked.
Credits: 4

Comprehensive studies of the works of from one to three authors.
Credits: 4

A course focused on a narrowly-defined topic, theme, issue, question, approach, scholarly debate, movement, or group of authors in pre-1700 literature. In addition to helping students to acquire in-depth understanding of the literature, the course stresses the ability to "join the conversation" that is always ongoing among critics and scholars regarding texts, authors, and topics by engaging with secondary sources.
Credits: 4

A course focused on a narrowly-defined topic, theme, issue, question, approach, scholarly debate, movement, or group of authors in 1700-1900 literature. In addition to helping students to acquire in-depth understanding of the literature, the course stresses the ability to "join the conversation" that is always ongoing among critics and scholars regarding texts, authors, and topics by engaging with secondary sources.
Credits: 4

A course focused on a narrowly-defined topic, theme, issue, question, approach, scholarly debate, movement, or group of authors in post-1900 literature. In addition to helping students to acquire in-depth understanding of the literature, the course stresses the ability to "join the conversation" that is always ongoing among critics and scholars regarding texts, authors, and topics by engaging with secondary sources.
Credits: 4

A practical course designed to give English majors seeking Adolescent Education certification opportunities to refine their skills in the conventions of Standard English and in the study and teaching of literary texts. There is an emphasis on close reading of texts not limited to but likely to appear on the high school curriculum, as well as on leading classroom discussion. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Prerequisite: ENGL 203. Credits: 4(4-0) Not offered on a regular basis.
Credits: 4

Credits: 0-4

This course is designed for junior and senior English majors considering graduate school, teaching, and business or not-for-profit careers. Participants will prepare for their lives after graduation using a career design model that prioritizes frank self-assessment, systematic exploration, and the development of flexible skills: activities include creating a professional portfolio and practicing interviews. Important coursework will be tailored to the student's individual goals and require active, independent engagement, such as meeting with people in their desired field.
Credits: 4

Two semesters of directed study leading to the production of a scholarly or creative work with an eye toward (but not requiring) eventual publication or other public dissemination of the work. To be eligible to enroll in the first semester of study, a student must submit a proposal to a faculty member describing the intended project and the student’s qualification to undertake it. In the first semester (2 credits), the student will develop a prospectus for the project, an annotated bibliography, and a plan for how the finished work will reach a wider audience. In the second semester (4 credits), the student will complete the project. Projects may be undertaken in a variety of media. Students are encouraged (but not required) to share completed born-digital scholarly projects under a Creative Commons license, and required to deposit a copy of the project, whether born-digital or intended for print, in an open-access institutional repository. Only the four credits earned in the second semester may be applied toward the degree requirements in English. Prerequisite: 20 credits towards the requirements of the BA in English. Offered by individual arrangement
Credits: 1-6

Selected intensive studies of a focused topic in literature with a significant component of guided research. Sample topics include: Dante, the Bloomsbury Group, Metaphysical Poetry, the Epic Novel, the Confessional Hero, Ben Jonson and Classical Tradition, Literature and the Irrational, and Contemporary American Novelists. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.)Prerequisites: ENGL 203 and at least one 400-level ENGL literature, FMST, or CMLT course, or permission of instructor. Offered not on a regular basis.
Credits: 4

Credits: 1-12

Credits: 1-6

Practice in writing fiction, drama, or poetry, with emphasis on individual writers and manuscripts. May be repeated for a total of 6 semester hours, under advisement only. Offered: when demand is sufficient
Credits: 4

This course offers writing instruction to graduate students who intend to teach. Students read writing theory, review English grammar, and write a series of essays over the course of the term. You will be required to present your research findings on writing and pedagogy to the class. Offered: every semester
Credits: 4

Studies in selected representative poetry, drama, and fiction in England from Chaucer to the 20th century. Offered: alternate spring semester
Credits: 4

Studies in selected representative poetry and fiction in America from colonial times to the 20th century. Offered: alternate spring semester
Credits: 4

Introduction to the study of English, including systems of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics as well as historical and sociological aspects. Particular emphasis is placed upon applications to the teaching of American English at primary and secondary levels and upon uses of language study in literary analysis. Offered: when demand is sufficient
Credits: 4

Credits: 0-12

Credits: 1-12

Credits: 0-4

Credits: 1-12

Credits: 0-6