ENG 001 Writing Review (1)
A workshop for students who would benefit from brushing up on their writing skills before taking ENG 105. Includes meetings with a supportive small group and weekly conferences with the instructor. Prerequisite: placement or consent. *While students receive no credit from this course, the course grade does count toward their overall grade point average (as if this were a one-semester hour course). Offered each semester.
ENG 105 College Writing (4) (W)
An intensive introduction to several forms of college writing and to the critical thinking and research skills essential to producing them. This course requires the submission of a portfolio that meets standardized requirements and is judged proficient by an outside reader. Three hours per week, plus regular conferences with the instructor. A grade of C or better satisfies the first semester English requirement. Prerequisite: placement. Offered each semester.
ENG 106 College Writing Workshop (2)
A workshop designed to offer intensive instruction in the writing of essays around a common theme. Prerequisite: placement on the basis of performance in ENG 105. A grade of C or better satisfies the first semester English requirement. Offered each Winter Session.
ENG 107 Practical Grammar (1)
A course in practical grammar, usage, and mechanics covering the most important rules to follow when proofreading. Emphasizes application of skills to students' own writing. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
ENG 112 Writing about Literature (3)
ENG 215 The Experience of Poetry (3)
ENG 216 The Short Story (3) (W)
An introduction to the short story focusing primarily on contemporary and innovative fiction by authors from diverse backgrounds. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered in selected semesters.
ENG 222 Modern English Grammar (3)
A survey of traditional, structural, Chomskyan, and cognitive approaches to grammar. This course includes an introduction to dialect variation and a review of standard usage. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each fall.
ENG 230 Environmental Literature & Ecological Reflection (3) (W)
Students read and discuss influential works of environmental writing, and then travel to a field location where they engage in the practice of environmental writing through a series of reflective and creative writing exercises. A portfolio of student work is published via a course website. Field locations vary. Not repeatable for additional credit without special permission. Prerequisites: ENG 105 with C or better & sophomore level literature course or consent. Offered in selected winter and summer sessions.
ENG 232 Literature Into Film (3) (A)
An examination of the differences between literary and film narrative. Both popular fiction and classics are used in looking at how plot, characterization, setting, spectacle, and other aspects of storytelling change depending on whether the medium is the written word, the stage, or the screen. Adaptations that attempt to preserve significant parts of the original and ones that completely reword it will be reviewed. Also studied are how film versions of a classic work affect how contemporary audiences read the original. Prerequisite: English 105 with grade of C or better andýeither sophomore status or consent. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
ENG 240 Advanced Composition (3) (W)
A course in expository writing which offers opportunities to improve skills in designing, drafting, andýrevising prose for academic and professional writing projects. It provides instruction in documented scholarly writing, feature writing, technical writing and creative nonfiction. Prerequisite: English 105. Offered each semester.
ENG 242 Writing for Business and Organizations (3) (W)
Covers the skills needed to write different types of business and organizational communications, including letters, e-mail, reports, and proposals. Emphasis is on planning, drafting, and editing as well as developing a professional writing style to achieve results. Prerequisite: completion of ENG 105 and either sophomore status or consent. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 250 Studies in Literature (3) (W)
Selected topics approach literature from different generic, historical, or methodological perspectives. Versions may include several different media, but the focus will always be on literature. At least 20 pages of writing including at least one documented essay are required. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered most semesters.
ENG 251 Diversity in American Literature (3) (W)
An opportunity to study--and to listen to--voices in American culture that have often been silenced or ignored. The focus is on ethnic groups such as Native American, African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American but also includes people marginalized because of class, gender, or sexual orientation. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered in selected semesters.
ENG 259 Literature of Mystery and Detection (3) (W)
A study of the evolution of the mystery and detective novel, focusing primarily on American and British writers from Poe and Doyle to contemporary novelists. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered in selected semesters.
ENG 261 American Women Writers (3) (W)
Women in North America are writing many of the best works of our time. This course focuses on how these new voices, and some of their predecessors, illuminate the depth and the diversity of human experience. Authors from several ethnic groups might include: Wharton, Hurston, Walker, Oates, Munro, Atwood, Tan, Silko, Kincaid, Hempel, and new young writers. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 265 Love, Sex, Marriage in West Literature (3) (W)
A study of the history and development of our conceptions of love, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, and marriage as they are represented in literature from the ancient Sumerians to the present; some attention is also be given to art forms other than literature. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered each spring.
ENG 271 Southern Literature (3) (W)
A study of the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry of the American South in which both the social background and historical development are stressed. Chopin, Faulkner, Hurston, Welty, Porter, McCullers, Ellison, Wright, and contemporary writers are featured. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 280 Early British Literature (3)
A survey of major authors, works, and literary traditions from Beowulf to 1745. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered each fall.
ENG 281 Later British Literature (3)
A survey of major authors, works, and literary traditions from 1745 to the early 20th century. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered each spring.
ENG 284 American Literature (3)
A survey of American authors, works, and literary trends from the beginning up to the contemporary period. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered each fall.
ENG 285 Contemporary American Literature (3) (W)
A survey of authors, works, and literary trends from the Beats of the 1950's to the latest published works. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered intermittenly.
ENG 287 Modern and Contemporary Literature (3) (W)
A survey of major authors, works, and literary traditions from the beginning of the 20th century. The emphasis will be on British and American literature, with attention to European literature and world literature in English. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better and either sophomore status or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 298 Intermediate Writing Workshop: Poetry (3) (W)
An intermediate-level workshop in the writing of poetry, with critical discussions in class of student writing as well as the study of well-known poems. Emphasis is placed upon experimentation and creative exercises. Work produced during the course is considered for publication in VWC's literary magazine. Non-majors welcome. Pass/fail grading. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each fall.
ENG 299 Intermediate Writing Workshop: Fiction (3) (W)
An intermediate-level workshop in the writing of fiction, with class discussions of student work as well as the work of established writers. Students explore and experiment with techniques and structures of the short story. Work produced during the course is considered for publication in VWC's literary magazine. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Pass/fail grading. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
ENG 300 Study Abroad (3)
ENG 310 Distinctive Voices in Contemporary American Poetry (3) (W)
A study of the many and varied voices in contemporary American poetry, especially selected works of poetry published since 1960. Authors studied include poets such as Jorie Graham, Dana Levin, and Adrienne Rich. Prerequisites: completion of ENG 105 with a grade of C or better, one 200-level literature course, and junior status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 311 Theory and Criticism (3)
A survey of literary theory and criticism as it relates to drama, poetry and fiction from Plato and Aristotle to contemporary poststructuralist theory. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Identical to TH 311. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each fall.
ENG 314 History and Development of the English Language (3) (W)
The development of English from its Indo-European and Germanic backgrounds to the present. The course includes a survey of current dialects of English and discussion of current social and political issues relating to English. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each spring of even-numbered years.
ENG 315 The Experience of Poetry (3)
An intensive introduction to poetry through an examination of the poem's relationship to universal human experiences and with a special emphasis on gaining a thorough understanding of the elements of poetry. Attention is given to explication, analysis, and reading comprehension. Students also experiment with writing some poetry. The course is particularly geared toward those who will be teaching poetry. Prerequisites: completion of ENG 105 with a grade of C or better, a 200-level W literature course, and junior status. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each semester.
ENG 317 Children's Literature (3)
A study of the patterns of children's literature, the major themes, the genres taught in elementary grades and middle school, with attention to criteria for selecting books, stories, and poems with cultural and literary value suited to the needs of children. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each fall.
ENG 318 Adolescent Literature (3) (W)
A survey of literature for young adults including the classics of adolescent fiction, social problem novels, historical fiction, biographies, and poetry. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Offered each spring.
ENG 320 Feminist and Gender Theory (3)
Examines contemporary arguments about the nature of women and men as well as about the biological, social, and aesthetic categories of male, female, intersex, masculine, feminine, heterosexual, homosexual, and the transgendered. Gender issues are studied in relation to historical and cross-cultural contexts, in relation to western women's movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and in relation to local and global issues affected by the politics of gender. Prerequisite: WGS 220 or ENG/TH 311 or consent. Identical to WGS 320. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 321 Introduction to Linguistics (3)
An examination of several main areas of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language acquisition, language variation, and language change. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 326 French Novel in Translation (3)
ENG 327 The British Novel (3) (W)
The history of the British novel from its antecedents through the 20th century. Along with attention to theories of the novel, the course focuses in detail on representative texts. Prerequisite: any sophomore literature course or consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
ENG 329 Modern German Literature (3)
Identical to GER 329.
ENG 332 The New Theater in France (3)
Identical to FR 332.
ENG 336 Spenser and Milton (3) (W)
A study of England's two greatest epics, The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost. Subjects for discussion include the epic tradition, Christian theology, Renaissance humanism, the nature of masculinity and femininity, armed combat with dragons, forbidden picnics, and many others in two of the Western tradition's most varied, inclusive, and interesting works of art. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
ENG 340 Advanced Composition and Teaching Methods (3) (W)
A course in expository writing and composition theory which combines opportunities to improve skills in designing, drafting, and revising prose with an examination of ways of teaching writing and discussions of composition theory and practice. Students explore academic writing, journalism, technical writing, and creative nonfiction. Prerequisites: English 105 and one 200-level literature course. Offered each semester.
ENG 342 Peer Tutoring--Writing Center (1)
Peer writing tutors help other students understand their writing problems and improve their skills. They work three hours per week on an arranged schedule and are trained, supervised, and evaluated by the Director of the Writing Center. Prerequisites: junior status, B or above in ENG 105, recommendation of an English faculty member and consent of the Writing Center director. Offered each semester.
ENG 344 Practicum in Teaching English (2)
Selected students work closely with faculty members in the teaching of ENG 105 and other courses. Students gain experience in the various aspects of teaching grammar, composition, and literature. Prerequisite: consent. Offered on demand.
ENG 346 Shakespeare I (3) (W)
A study of the principal works of Shakespeare which concentrate on plays in which love, femininity and the family are particularly important. Satisfies the English or theatre requirement. Prerequisite: sophomore status or consent. With prior consent may fulfill the sophomore literature requirement. Identical to TH 346. Offered each fall.
ENG 347 Shakespeare II (3) (W)
A study of the principal works of Shakespeare which emphasize history, masculinity and the state. Satisfies the English or theatre requirement. Prerequisite: sophomore status or consent. With prior consent may fulfill the sophomore literature requirement. Identical to TH 347. Offered each spring.
ENG 350 Renaissance Drama Exclusive of Shakespeare (3) (W)
A study of the major plays from what would be England's finest period of drama, even without Shakespeare. Among the kinds of plays are heroic history, humours comedy, domestic melodrama, and revenge tragedy; the authors include such major figures as Marlowe, Jonson, and Webster. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 355 Restoration to Revolution: British Literature, 1660-1789 (3) (W)
A chronological and thematic survey of British Restoration and 18th-century writing. Major figures, such as Dryden, Swift, Pope, Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, and Johnson, are studied alongside important women writers, including Behn, Cavendish, Astell, Haywood, Lennox, Fielding, and Burney. Setting literary texts into their historical contexts, focus is given to genre, print culture, natural philosophy, empire, nationalism, and the emergence of a polite, commercial society. Prerequisite: English 105 with a grade of C or better. Offered intermittently.
ENG 357 British Romanticism: 1784-1832 (3) (W)
Explores British Romanticism as a literary movement of the years 1784-1832, and situates writers and their writing in relation to issues of industrial transformation, slavery and abolition, the rights of man and woman, revolution, and the condition of the working classes. Prerequisite: ENG 105 with a grade of C or better. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
ENG 361 American Women Writers (3) (W)
See description under ENG 261. Taught at the same time as ENG 261 but with increased reading and writing requirements. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 365 Modernism (3) (W)
Explores literature and culture between 1895 and 1939, a period which saw unprecedented international exchange among artists as well as unprecedented experimentation in artistic styles. Students examine exemplary works by British, American and Continental authors in the context of such historical pressures as the waning of British imperialism; fears about racial and cultural degeneration; shifts in women's roles and in understanding of sexuality; the rise of a scientific-medical world view; the expansion of consumer capitalism; and the first world war. Pays special attention to how competing styles indicate varying attitudes toward the proper function of art in the modern age. Prerequisite: sophomore literature course or consent. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
ENG 367 Ulysses on the Elizabeth (3)
An in-depth study of Irish writer James Joyce's celebrated, challenging 1922 novel Ulysses. We examine how this modern epic of one day in the life of Dublin stretches from such quotidian moments as protagonist Leopold Bloom's appreciation of fried kidneys to the much grander subjects of Ireland under the yoke of British rule and the human condition under modernity. As we work to make sense of the novel's complex and rambunctious stylistics, we also use this portrait of the city on the river Liffey to consider how the settings and habits of our own everyday lives expose the character of Norfolk, the city on the river Elizabeth. We aid our understanding by visiting local sites and attempting to capture the character of our place and time in our experimental prose. Prerequisite: sophomore literature course or consent. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
ENG 371 Southern Literature (3) (W)
See description under ENG 271. Taught at the same time as ENG 271 but with increased reading and writing requirements. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 373 American Novel (3)
ENG 378 The American Novel (3)
A study of the development of the American novel from the mid-19th century to the present day. Along with attention to historical context and theories of the novel, the course focuses in detail on a range of novels which includes American classics as well as lesser-known works. Prerequisite: any sophomore literature course or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 383 Banned Books and the Law in American History (3) (H)
Interdisciplinary reading and discussion seminar intensively exploring book banning and censorship in US history, with a focus on literature, law, aesthetics, and socio-political context. In addition to reading and evaluating significant literary works banned for a variety of reasons over time, this seminar studies and dissects the legal battles that created, supported, and ended censorship, the shifting nature of free expression, the definitions of obscenity and high art, and the political response to literature. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
ENG 385 American Protest Literature (3)
The U.S. was founded on political protest and has traditionally used literature as a vehicle for conveying social beliefs. Defined most simply as visual and/or written responses to social oppression, protest literature is produced not for art's sake, but to improve the lives of a particular community's members. The diverse tradition of American protest literature, focusing in particular on texts responding to racial, gender-based, and class-based oppressions, is covered. Discussions focus on the aesthetic and literary traditions of each text as well as its historical and cultural contexts. Prerequisites: English 105 with a grade of C or better. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
ENG 398 Advanced Writing Workshop: Poetry (3) (W)
An advanced-level workshop in the writing of poetry, with discussions in class of student writing as well as the study of well-known poems. Students write free verse poems but are also challenged to write in traditional forms. Work produced during the course is considered for publication in the Outlet, VWC's literary magazine. May be repeated twice for credit. Pass/fail grading. Prerequisites: ENG 105 or consent. Non-majors welcome. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered each spring.
ENG 399 Advanced Writng Workshop: Fiction (3)
An advanced-level workshop in the writing of fiction, with class discussions of student work as well as the work of established writers. Students work on a longer story or a section of a novel. Work produced during the course is considered for publication in VWC?s literary magazine. Pass/fail grading. Prerequisites: ENG 299 or consent. Does not fulfill General Studies sophomore literature requirement. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 410 Environmental Writings (3) (I,W)
Identical to ENVS 410.
ENG 430 Camus and Sartre (3)
ENG 440 Topics in Earlier British Literature (3)
An in-depth study of some aspect of British literature before the 19th century. May be repeated for credit as the topic varies. Prerequisite: any sophomore literature course. Offered intermittently.
ENG 441 Topics in Later British Literature (3) (W)
An in-depth study of some aspect of British literature since the beginning of the 19th century. May be repeated for credit as the topic varies. Prerequisite: any sophomore literature course. Offered intermittently.
ENG 442 Topics in American Literature (3)
An in-depth study of some aspect of American literature. May be repeated for credit as the topic varies. Prerequisite: any sophomore literature course. Offered intermittently.
ENG 472 Senior Seminar (3) (I,W)
An in-depth study of some aspect of literature or literary theory. This course is an S.I.E., so the topic and its treatment will have a strong interdisciplinary component. May be repeated as the topic varies. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered intermittently.
ENG 483 English Internship (3)
Prerequisites: 18 hours of English and at least one advanced writing course, or consent. Offered each semester.