This was the introduction course for my major that focused on reading, writing, research, and critical strategies essential to English majors. The course drew on connections among the four content areas in the English Department: literature, language, writing, and theory. It also focused on their relationship to broader social and personal contexts, enabled students to make informed choices about their program of study and their careers.
Required Books
- Selected Poems by Thom Gunn
- The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
- Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
- Doubt by John Patrick Shanley
This assignment was a literacy narrative that was required to be 3-4 pages in length. It traced my experience as a reader and a writer with special attention to the origins of my interest in language, reading, and writing. We were specifically asked questions like: What books do you remember enjoying from your childhood? What do you read now? When did you learn to read? Do you enjoy writing? What made you choose this major?
This assignment was a 6-7 page documented essay based on a book from the course. English majors specifically were told to explore more fully an interpretation of one of our readings and perhaps dive into theoretical questions raised by a specific text.
This assignment was a close reading of poetry we were assigned in class. It had to be 4-5 pages and was my first experience with close reading poetry, which I quickly learned I did not like.
Ink and Crystals 