Literary Studies (ENLS)
Literary Studies offers students courses in global English literatures from medieval poetry to postmodern theory, supporting their growth as critical writers and readers with skills in literary rhetoric and poetics, and with empathy for varied cultures. It fosters a range of student research, honors projects, and internships aimed at developing skills in critical thinking and writing, and rhetorical and narrative analysis, including both experiential and logical understanding of how narratives shape our lives and how we shape cultural narratives.
The study of a breadth of world literatures in English across centuries enables students to develop a deeper understanding of human experience and their own place in larger contexts of life. Literary Studies majors and minors also engage with the program's affiliated centers — the Bucknell University Press and the Griot Institute for the Study of Black Lives & Cultures — and with affiliated initiatives such as digital humanities and environmental humanities studies at Bucknell.
The Literary Studies Major offers students, through the disciplinary depth of its coursework: (a) focus on writing as an evidence-based and public rhetorical craft, drawing on models from diverse critical and persuasive traditions; (b) practice and instruction in presenting work through public speaking in class or conference presentations; and (c) instruction and practice in information literacy through the developing field of digital humanities (including blogging, online research, and analysis of digital sources) and in more traditional library skills. Its emphasis on seminar work supports development of these skills, which are highlighted in both the general Major and in its optional Race and Literature Concentration.
Literary Studies Major
The minimum requirement for a major in Literary Studies is nine courses. Foundation Seminars or 100-level courses other than ENLS 199 Survey of Literatures in English will not satisfy major requirements.
The Literary Studies Major and its Concentration in Race and Literature (details of which are further below) share a core of three requirements: the Survey in English and American Literature, a pre-1700 course requirement, and coursework on Race/Ethnicity in Literature. Topics for other courses are electives in the general Major and more specific in the Concentration. Both require three seminars. The specific requirements for the general Literary Studies Major follow in the table below, with those for the Concentration listed after.
| ENLS 199 | Survey of Literatures in English 1 | 1 |
| One Race/Ethnic Literature Course at the 200-level or above. 2 | 1 | |
| One Pre-1700 Literature Course at the 200-level or above. 3 | 1 | |
| At least four additional courses in Literary Studies at the 200-level or above. | 4 | |
| Three of the above courses must be seminars. 4 | ||
| Additional electives within the English Department at the 200-level or above to reach nine courses total. 5 | 2 | |
| Culminating Experience. 6 | ||
| If a student would like to double major in Literary Studies and Film/Media Studies within the English Department, an additional approved course must be substituted for ENLS 199, to be approved by the student's adviser in consultation with the Department Chair. | ||
| 1 | Literary Studies majors are strongly encouraged to take this course as early in their program of coursework as possible. |
| 2 | For a current listing of these courses, please see the English Department website. |
| 3 | For a current listing of these courses, please see the English Department website. |
| 4 | ENLS 319 Individual Projects in Literary Studies will not satisfy the seminar requirement. |
| 5 | May include additional seminar courses. |
| 6 | Requires seniors majoring in Literary Studies to attend six appropriate events during one senior semester selected from a list designated by the department as acceptable. Students will submit a 250-word response to their advisers after each event, and advisers will submit a pass/fail grade for this Culminating Experience. Students may petition the Program Director if they wish to suggest an alternative project as their Culminating Experience, such as an Honors, or Department, thesis. |
Concentration in Race and Literature
The Literary Studies major includes a concentration in Race and Literature as an option that enables students to focus on African American, Latino/a, Caribbean, Asian American, and Native/American Indian/Indigenous literatures and critical theories of race.
The Race and Literature Concentration is designed to highlight curricular offerings in English that examine the social phenomenon of race as it is expressed, queried, and subverted in literature. Its primary focus will be on minority and ethnic literatures of North America, with particular interest in the centrality of race issues in American culture, but will also extend to global literatures and theoretical models involving issues of race. The goal of the concentration is to enable students to develop a coherent focus in their studies on theoretical models regarding race as applied to literature. Overall, however, it as a concentration will share the existing philosophy and learning goals of the major in Literary Studies, of which it will form a part. Research writing, presentations, and applications of digital humanities (including digital storytelling) will all be important parts of the concentration, which also will draw on resources and programs of the English-affiliated Griot Center for Africana Studies.
| ENLS 199 | Survey of Literatures in English 1 | 1 |
| ENLS 203 | Introductory Topics in Race and Literature | 1 |
| A pre-1700 course, or an 18th-century course relevant to the concentration's subject matter, at the 200-level or above. | 1 | |
| Two 200-level courses in African American; Latino/a; Native American/Indigenous/American Indian; Asian American; Caribbean literatures; and/or comparative studies of multiple racial traditions selected in conversation with adviser. | 2 | |
| Three seminars in Literary Studies, of which at least two must have Race and Literature as their primary focus (African American; Latino/a; Native American/Indigenous/American Indian; Asian American; Caribbean literatures; and/or comparative studies of multiple racial traditions). 2 | 3 | |
| One elective at the 200-level or above in any program within the English Department. | 1 | |
| Culminating Experience. 3 | ||
| 1 | Majors are strongly encouraged to take this course as early in their program of coursework as possible. |
| 2 | ENLS 319 Individual Projects in Literary Studies will not satisfy the seminar requirement. |
| 3 | Requires senior majors to attend six appropriate events during one senior semester selected from a list designated by the department as acceptable. Students submit a 250-word response to their advisers after each event, and advisers will submit a pass/fail grade for this Culminating Experience. Students may petition the Program Director if they wish to suggest an alternative project as their Culminating Experience. |
For a current listing of courses meeting the required topics for the concentration, please see the English Department website.
Literary Studies Minor
Literary Studies offers students courses in global English literatures from medieval poetry to postmodern theory, supporting their growth as critical writers with skills in literary rhetoric and poetics, and with empathy for varied cultures. It fosters a range of student research, honors projects and internships, aimed at developing skills in critical thinking and writing, rhetorical and narrative analysis, as well as experiential and logical understanding of how narratives shape our lives, and how we shape cultural narratives. The study of a breadth of world literatures in English, across centuries, enables students to develop a deeper understanding of human experience and their own place in larger contexts of life. Literary Studies minors also can engage with the Program's affiliated centers, the Bucknell University Press and the Griot Institute for Africana Studies, and affiliated initiatives such as digital humanities and environmental humanities studies at Bucknell.
The English minor in Literary Studies consists of:
| Five courses in Literary Studies above the 100-level (with the exception of ENLS 199 Survey: English and American Literature, which can count toward the minor). | ||
| One of the five courses must be a seminar at the 300-level (not counting ENLS 319, Individual Projects). | ||
Students planning to minor in Literary Studies are strongly encouraged to meet with a professor in the English Department to construct a coherent minor that focuses on a particular area of study (for example, Race and Ethnic Studies, Dramatic Literature, Literary Theory, Medieval and Renaissance Literature, Women Writers, or Anglophone Literature).
(1) Students will analyze and interpret a wide variety of literary texts in English, drawing on close reading, aesthetic and rhetorical principles, and/or secondary sources in literary criticism and theory.
(2) Students will understand complex, multiple connections between texts and their historical, cultural, and political contexts.
(3) Students will develop critical awareness of the racial and ethnic diversity of literatures in English, and of the influence of race and ethnicity on literary production and interpretation.
(4) Students will develop the ability to ask productive questions and to engage in open-ended discussion and debate.
(5) Students will produce solidly argued and effective writing about literature.
(6) Students will come to appreciate the fundamental ambiguities and complexities inherent in problems posed by literary texts.
Courses
ENLS 101. Literature and Composition. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to the critical study of literature and instruction in composition. First-year students only; others by permission of the instructor.
ENLS 103. Public Writing for Media: Rhetoric for a Digital Age. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course will help students develop skills in effective writing for a public audience across a range of types of digital and print media--including journalism, blogs, short video scripts, email lists, and even social media such as Twitter. The course will draw on basics of Classical Rhetoric, the instructor's experience.
ENLS 107. Introduction to World Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces students to literary works from several countries, covering five continents and many cultures. It also provides instruction in composition. Prerequisite: first-year students only; others by permission.
ENLS 109. Public Speaking in the 21st Century. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to public speaking with a focus on historical speeches. Study and practice of speech writing and organization, verbal and nonverbal communication.
ENLS 117. Introduction to Dramatic Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to and focus on drama as an integral genre that is vital to the study of literature and performance. This course offers a sustained examination of plays and playwrights from various geographies, time periods, politics, and positions. Prerequisite: open to first-year students only; others by permission of the instructor.
ENLS 120. Literature and the Environment. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Interdisciplinary study of major texts which demonstrate an abiding interest in nature and in cultural and social values concerning the environment.
ENLS 128. Introduction to LGBTQ+ Literatures & Media. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces literatures and media by and about LGBTQ+ individuals. In addition to the varied genres and media, this course will also introduce theories of gender, sexuality, and queerness.
ENLS 150. Enlightenments. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:4
An interdisciplinary study of selected works in art, music, literature, science and philosophy from European Renaissance through the early 20th century.
ENLS 199. Survey of Literatures in English. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
A survey of major authors, texts, concepts, and developments in English and American literature with participation of weekly guest lecturers from the English department.
ENLS 1NT. Literary Studies Non-traditional Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Non-traditional study in Literary Studies. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ENLS 200. Ways of Reading. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to literary creation, criticism, and theory, with emphasis on reader/writer; text; context; and identity.
ENLS 201. Public Rhetoric and Literary Journalism. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
The art of rhetoric, including poetics, has roots in the ancient liberal arts, yet remains directly applicable to contemporary literary journalism in a digital environment. This course will apply this art, through study of past literary journalism, and projects in writing the same for public audiences online, to current issues.
ENLS 202. Crash Course: Reading. .5 Credits.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:8
This course is designed to help students slow down and develop keen reading and analytical skills as the class thinks through a range of troubling and/or inspiring issues using textual analysis to help us formulate our responses.
ENLS 203. Introductory Topics in Race and Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Intro to Literary Race Studies will examine the social phenomenon of race as it is expressed, queried, and subverted in literature. It will focus on minority and ethnic literatures of North America but extend to global literatures and theoretical models involving issues of race.
ENLS 205. Early American Colonial Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of American literature from Columbus through the American Revolution.
ENLS 206. Early American National Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of American Literature from the Revolution to the Civil War.
ENLS 207. American Romanticism 1800-1865. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examination of selected texts in various genres, read in their cultural contexts.
ENLS 208. American Realism and Naturalism. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of selected texts by American writers from 1865 to 1900.
ENLS 209. Modern American Literature 1900-1950. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of selected texts by American writers from 1900-1950.
ENLS 211. Southern Exposure. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Twentieth-century literature of the American South. Probes the legacy of a culture that celebrated honor, but was built on slavery.
ENLS 212. Contemporary American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of selected texts by American writers from 1950 to the present.
ENLS 213. Special Topics in American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected special topics in American literature.
ENLS 214. US Latino/a Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to literature written in English by Latinos/as in the United States. The course readings will include creative writing by various Latino/a groups, for example, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, and Dominican-Americans. Additionally, the class will expose students to a variety of interpretive frameworks via secondary sources in US Latino/a Studies.
ENLS 215. Asian American Literature and Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces students to significant 20th-century Asian American literary texts, plus recent work by emerging writers and filmmakers that may suggest new directions for the field. May include Miné Okubo, Maxine Hong Kingston, David Henry Hwang, Jhumpa Lahiri, Bao Phi, Ang Lee, Jennifer Phang, others. No prior knowledge necessary.
ENLS 216. Studies in American Literary Genres. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of a selected genre of texts in American Literature.
ENLS 217. Studies in Dramatic Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected movements and topics in drama such as Restoration drama, African American dramatic literature, the Theatre of the Absurd.
ENLS 218. Studies in Children's Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Fairy tales, fantasy, animal fables, and tales of adventure from 19th - 20th centuries, with a sampling of contemporary films, primarily American.
ENLS 219. Studies-Selected American Authors. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Authors selected from among Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Cather, Melville, Wharton, James, H.D., Frost, Hemingway, Faulkner, O'Neill, Stein, Welty, O'Connor, and Morrison.
ENLS 220. Young Adult Fiction. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of literature that appeals to adolescent and young adult readers, with particular emphasis on British and American fiction and non-fiction prose from the 19th century to the present.
ENLS 221. Introduction to African American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Provides a selection from across the vast array of examples collected under the inadequate rubric “African American Literature.” We'll read poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama in order to understand how a group of people who have been written out of American history and culture write themselves back into these stories. Crosslisted as AFST 221.
ENLS 222. Ethnic Comedy in the United States. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
History, theory, and practice of comedy in the United States, focused on works by comedians of many ethnicities. The course explores how comedy contributes to the national conversation on race, sometimes soothing social tensions with laughter and at other times sparking ethnic conflict.
ENLS 223. Questioning the Post-Racial. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The term “post-racial” has emerged within public discourse from time to time over the course of America’s existence. From Frederick Douglass to Barack Obama, this expression has described an American aspirational goal. Our class will take a contemporary and literary approach to understanding the limits of the term. Crosslisted as AFST 223.
ENLS 224. Visions of the Susquehanna. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course examines literature of the Susquehanna Valley. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENST 224.
ENLS 225. Susquehanna Country. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Interdisciplinary studies in environment, philosophy, literature and communities of the Susquehanna region. Not open to students who have taken ENGL 225, ENST 225, HUMN 290, or UNIV 241.
ENLS 226. Irish Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to Irish literature, with attention to Irish mythology, history, and politics as they affect Irish art.
ENLS 227. Caribbean Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring or Summer; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to selected literatures, cultures, and histories of the Caribbean, with close analysis of text and context. When taught in the summer, the course is the core of the Bucknell in the Caribbean summer study abroad program. Crosslisted as AFST 222.
ENLS 228. Gender and Sexuality in America. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Literature and popular culture exploring such topics as construction of gender identities, sexualities, GLBT cultures and gender-based violence.
ENLS 230. Modernism and Crisis. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
An interdisciplinary study of major texts, figures, and concepts of the 20th century. Designed to follow HUMN 128 and HUMN 150.
ENLS 235. Black Radical Thought & Art– Multi-disciplinarily Considered. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
W.E.B. DuBois’ assertion of the color-line as the 20th century problem now speaks to this century. We will examine Black Radical Thought as it is enacted through the Arts and host a series of renowned guest artist-activists whose works intervene in the ongoing problem of racism on a global scale. Crosslisted as AFST 235.
ENLS 239. Modernism on the Margins. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Exploiting the exclusionary nature of "High Modernism," this course highlights literature on the margins of modernism, revealing literature's political investment in race, class, and sexuality.
ENLS 240. Medieval English Literature to 1485. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Survey of the poetry and prose of medieval England.
ENLS 241. The Green World. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An examination of the roots, contexts, and major texts of early British literature with emphasis on views of nature and subjectivity from an ecocritical perspective.
ENLS 243. Chaucer. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The major works and language of Chaucer.
ENLS 244. Elvish Writing: Chaucer, Spenser and Early Phenomenology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Major works of Chaucer and Spenser examined in the context of early Insular poetic traditions of intersubjectivity.
ENLS 245. Terror with a Human Face: Literary Resistance to Revolutionary Violence. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examines how writers--in fiction, satire, and literary journalism--have resisted official justification of mass violence and cultural genocide in the name of social revolution. Explores works such as Orwell's 1984, Koestler's Darkness at Noon, Zamyatin's We, Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago, and Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism.
ENLS 248. Representing Human Rights and Development. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This IP course seeks to introduce the concept of human rights in historical context, asking basic questions about human rights and using art, literature, economics, and film to further explore these topics.
ENLS 249. Modern Literature: Modernism and Crisis. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:2,Other:2
This course will explore the pervasive sense in Western culture that fundamental shifts in cultural patterns and paradigms have occurred. Topics will include philosophy, art, film, modern physics, literary texts, and cultural criticism.
ENLS 250. Renaissance Literature, 1485-1660. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Survey of the poetry and prose of representative authors, including Spenser and Milton.
ENLS 251. Studies in Renaissance Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected major prose and poetry.
ENLS 255. Shakespeare and Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examine some of the interpretive and analytical question that the vast body of films based on the plays of Shakespeare invites.
ENLS 257. Shakespeare. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Selected plays.
ENLS 258. Studies in Shakespeare. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Studies in such special topics as "Shakespeare before Shakespeare", "Shakespeare's History Plays", "Psychoanalysis and Shakespeare".
ENLS 260. Restoration and 18th-century Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Survey of the poetry and prose of representative authors.
ENLS 261. Studies in Restoration and 18th-century Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected authors and various genres, including the relationship between literature and politics, history, and the sciences.
ENLS 263. Sex and the Single Heroine. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to the 18th-century novel, focusing on issues of gender, sexuality, and class, in a wide range of novels and contemporary conduct books. Crosslisted as WMST 263.
ENLS 268. Jewish-American Literature and Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examines the literary and cultural production of American Jews through the study of diverse series such as novels, short stories, plays and film. Crosslisted as UNIV 268.
ENLS 270. Romantic Literature, 1780-1832. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Examination of selected authors in poetry and prose, read in relationship to contemporary political and cultural influences.
ENLS 271. Studies in 19th-century English Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected major prose and poetry.
ENLS 272. Studies in Literature and the Environment. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores themes, currents, or topics in literature and the environment with a particular focus on theory, genre, and application.
ENLS 280. Modern Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A selective introduction to the varied forms, significant authors, and literary movements from the turn of the century to the recent past.
ENLS 282. Modern Poetry: Rilke and Eliot. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A close study of two major modernist poets, Rainer Maria Rilke and T.S. Eliot, whose work shaped generations of writers.
ENLS 283. The Early English Novel. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The rise of the novel as a genre, and analysis of representative novels.
ENLS 284. The 19th-century English Novel. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Major developments in the novel as a genre and representative novels.
ENLS 285. Modern British and American Poetry, 1890-1960. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected major poets of England, the United States, and other English-speaking cultures.
ENLS 286. The Modern Novel. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Selected major novelists (English, Irish, continental, American).
ENLS 287. Modern Drama. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Studies in modern dramatic literature, theatre history, and performance theory.
ENLS 288. Studies in Contemporary Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
An intensive study of selected British and American authors of the past 40 years.
ENLS 289. Theatre in London. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:2,Other:3
This course is offered off campus in London through the Bucknell in London program. Introduces students to all aspects of the London theatre. Crosslisted as THEA 264.
ENLS 290. Special Topics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Flexible in subject matter and in method. Topics such as Literature and Psychology, Literature and Myth, Science Fiction.
ENLS 291. London in Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
How London's urban realities shape the literary imaginations of writers and readers, and how their imaginative visions shape our perceptions and experience of London. Only offered in London on occasion.
ENLS 297. The Teaching of English. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Discussion and practice related to the teaching of English in secondary schools. Required for 7 - 12 certification in English.
ENLS 2NT. Literary Studies Non-traditional Study. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3; Repeatable
Non-traditional study in Literary Studies. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ENLS 300. Seminar in Literary Theory and Criticism. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to graduate study, including literary and critical theory, research, and other elements of literary scholarship. Open to advanced undergraduates. Crosslisted as ENLS 600.
ENLS 301. Seminar in American Literature Topics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced topics, such as Cross-Cultural Encounters, The American Novel, Gender and American Poetics, and Beat Generations. Crosslisted as ENLS 601.
ENLS 302. Seminar in Selected American Writers. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of the works of one or more major American writers. Crosslisted as ENLS 602.
ENLS 305. Seminar in Early American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Seminar in a special topic or genre of Early American and/or 18th-century American culture. Crosslisted as ENLS 605.
ENLS 306. US: Fever/Fantasy/Desire. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Seminar on American literature between 1770-1861 with an emphasis on psychoanalytic approaches to literary and cultural study. Authors may include Brown, Sansay, Poe, and Melville. Crosslisted as HUMN 306 and ENLS 606.
ENLS 307. Seminar in 19th-century American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Seminar in special topics, authors, or genre of 19th-century American literature and culture. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 607.
ENLS 310. Seminar in Modern American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Seminar in a special topic, author, or genre of modern American literature and culture. Crosslisted as ENLS 610.
ENLS 311. Seminar in Contemporary American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Seminar in a special topics, author, or genre of contemporary American literature and culture. Crosslisted as ENLS 611.
ENLS 314. Digital Storytelling: Stories of the Susquehanna Valley Documentary Production and Editing. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable
Digital storytelling is an important new area of literary studies. This course will explore the intersection of digital humanities and environmental humanities in developing, producing, and editing documentaries (and at times multimedia digital editions of texts) for the Stories of the Susquehanna Valley project, for public audiences.
ENLS 315. Unsettling Memories. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Cultural analysis of unsettling, historically powerful racial ideas about purity and pollution written on the "lady's" and "black" bodies in 20th-century Southern fiction and photography. Crosslisted as ENLS 615.
ENLS 319. Individual Projects in Literary Studies. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable
Individual special projects supervised by instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 619.
ENLS 321. Seminar in African-American Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of selected thematic, aesthetic and ideological issues in Black American writing. Crosslisted as ENLS 621.
ENLS 322. Haiti and the American Imagination. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of selected thematic, aesthetic and ideological issues in writing from the Americas. Crosslisted as AFST 322 and ENLS 622.
ENLS 326. Seminar in Irish Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced topics in Irish literature including Irish Women Writers, Nationalism and Literature, and Contemporary Irish Writers. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 626.
ENLS 327. Seminar in Caribbean Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of selected thematic, aesthetic and ideological issues in Caribbean writing.
ENLS 340. Seminar in Early Literature to 1485. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Literatures of the pre-modern world. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 640.
ENLS 341. The Hidden God of Nature: Christian Ecopoetics from Chaucer to Dostoevsky. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Explores how great works of European and American literature related nature and culture in Christian traditions from the Middle Ages to today. Analyzes their legacy for environmental ethics and sustainable cultures. Includes non-Christian and secular critiques in considering poetic, rhetorical, symbolic, philosophical, and spiritual approaches to ecology. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Crosslisted as ENST 341 and ENLS 641.
ENLS 350. Seminar in Renaissance Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Special topics. Student reports, oral and written. Crosslisted as ENLS 650.
ENLS 358. Seminar in Shakespeare. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Special topics on Shakespeare. Crosslisted as ENLS 658.
ENLS 360. Seminar in Restoration and 18th-century Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Studies in canonical and marginalized texts, cultural and philosophical formations, and the continuing historical and theoretical relevance of the period. Crosslisted as ENLS 660.
ENLS 361. Law and Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Studies in the relationship between law, narrative, and social and fictional forms in the 18th century and modern Britain and America, and how that relationship raises questions about identity, justice, historical power, God, and the nature of civil obligations. Crosslisted as ENLS 661.
ENLS 362. Seminar in Translation Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Advanced seminar in the history, theory, and practice of translation, including investigation of the role of translation in intercultural communication and comparative studies. Facility in a language in addition to English is strongly recommended. Crosslisted as ENLS 662 and HUMN 340.
ENLS 370. Seminar in 19th-century English Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Examination of a wide range of poetry and prose by selected authors with emphasis given to the literature's historical and cultural groundings. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 670.
ENLS 378. Thesis Workshop. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
A colloquium on problems arising from the writing of a scholarly thesis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ENLS 678.
ENLS 379. Senior Thesis. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3; Repeatable
The writing of a scholarly or creative departmental senior thesis. Students must confer with and submit a proposal to an adviser prior to registering for the thesis.
ENLS 380. Honors Thesis. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3; Repeatable
The writing of a scholarly or creative honors thesis. Students must confer with and submit a proposal to a departmental adviser and to the University Honors Council for approval. Prerequisite: senior status.
ENLS 382. Seminar in Contemporary Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A selective study of the most recent developments in English and American prose or poetry. Crosslisted as ENLS 682.
ENLS 391. Seminar in Poetry. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A study of poetry as a genre and an analysis of the work of selected poets. Crosslisted as ENLS 691.
ENLS 392. Seminar in the Novel. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Special topics. Student reports, oral and written. Crosslisted as ENLS 692.
ENLS 393. Seminar in Contemporary Drama. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Special topics. Student reports, oral and written. Crosslisted as ENLS 693.
ENLS 394. History of Sexuality in Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An exploration of the history of sexuality through literature, interrogating issues of identity as related to fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Crosslisted as ENLS 694.
ENLS 395. Seminar in Literature and the Environment. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This advanced seminar emphasizes specialized currents in environmental humanities scholarship and theory (especially attuned to the field of literary study) with topics that may include environmental justice, environment and race, human-animal/plant relations, pollution/deforestation/environmental degradation, sea level rise, and climate change. Priority given to students in English. Crosslisted as ENLS 695.
ENLS 397. Seminar in Special Topics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics such as comparative literature, literature and the arts, queer theory, or satire. Crosslisted as ENLS 697.
ENLS 398. Issues in Literary/Critical Theory. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
The study of Continental and American critical positions or schools from Modernism through Post-Structuralism. Crosslisted as ENLS 698.
ENLS 399. Seminar in Cultural Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Introduction to significant issues and debates characterizing the field known as Cultural Studies. Crosslisted as ENLS 699.
ENLS 3NT. Literary Studies Non-traditional Study. 1-1.5 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Non-traditional study in Literary Studies. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Faculty
Professors: Raphael Dalleo (Film/Media Studies Director), Michael Drexler, Elena Machado Sáez, Ghislaine G. McDayter, Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak (Provost), Anthony F. Stewart (Chair, Literary Studies Director), Virginia Zimmerman
Associate Professors: Katarzyna Lecky, Jean Peterson, Meenakshi Ponnuswami, Alfred K. Siewers
Assistant Professors: Jeremy Chow, Chase Gregory, Mai-Linh Hong