English R1A

Other Readings and Media

"Nina Baym, ed., The Norton Anthology of American Literature: Between the Wars 1914-1945, Vol. D, Sixth Ed.

Donald McQuade and Christine McQuade, eds., Seeing & Writing 2

William Strunk, Jr., E.B. White, and Maira Kalman (illustrator), The Elements of Style Illustrated

James Joyce, Dubliners

Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse

Dave Eggers and Chris Ware, eds., McSweeney�s Quarterly Concern, Issue No. 13."

Description

"This course will introduce students to the process and practice of critical reading and writing, through examining a selection of twentieth century literary texts, examples of visual art, and works that combine elements of both textual and visual art forms. A central theme for the course will be the interplay of visual signs and textual codes in literature and in our contemporary cultural context. Despite the wide range and types of works we will study � from the novel and short story to print advertisements, graphic novels, paintings and photographs � our critical approach will be the same: training ourselves as readers of structure, perspective, theme, content and context, whether we�re considering a short poem by H.D., a passage from Virginia Woolf�s To The Lighthouse, or still photography by Cindy Sherman.



We�ll engage with these works in a variety of ways: through class discussion, close-reading and group work, personal response papers and longer, expository essays. Our emphasis on the process of composition will entail peer-editing, in-class writing, research and revision exercises, as well as drafting assignments and office hour conferences. Our goal will be to become as comfortable with performing critical readings of these texts, as we are with supporting and conveying these ideas in writing and in group discussion."