Department of English
Boise State University
Fall 2008
Upper-Division
Courses in English and Linguistics
These courses are offered at the
ENGL 301.001:
Teaching English Composition
TuTh 7:40 AM
Staff
Theories and techniques for teaching English composition in secondary schools, with emphasis on individualization of instruction, student-centered activity, creativity, and relationships between composition and other aspects of English. Intended for students with a teaching option and a major or minor in English, and for teachers. PREREQ: Upper-division standing or PERM/INST. COREQ: ENGL 481.
ENGL 302.001 Technical Rhetoric
Dr. Mike Markel
Online
An introduction to the rhetoric of technical communication for technical communication emphasis students and others who are considering a career in the field. Topics include information design, technical communication ethics, instructional writing, and strategies of visual and verbal rhetoric. PREREQ: ENGL 102 and Technical Communication Emphasis, or PERM/INST.
ENGL 303.001: Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing
Dr. Michael Mattison
TuTh 9:15AM
Preparation for tutoring for the Boise State Writing Center. Emphasis on writing processes, interpersonal dynamics, questioning techniques, evaluation of writing-in-progress, and rhetorical theory as it pertains to tutoring. PREREQ: ENGL 102 and PERM/INST. COREQ: ENGL 493: Internship in Writing Center.
Prospective students should visit the Writing Center website (
http://www.boisestate.edu/wcenter/consultants.html) and follow the steps to apply for admission into the class. Apply as soon as possible; space in ENGL 303 is limited.
ENGL 304.001: Argument
Dr. Michelle Payne
MWF 11:40AM
Study of various kinds of arguments (causal, proposal,
definition) used in academic and civic writing. Provides an overview of the
history and
terminology of argument, and allows students to workshop their own argumentative
writing.
PREREQ: ENGL 102 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 305: Intermediate Poetry Writing
Exploration of poetic technique and the study of how poets
read and learn from other poets. Students will write original poetry and
discuss it in a workshop format. May be taken twice for credit. PREREQ: ENGL
205.
ENGL 305.001
W 6 PM
Prof. Abigail Wolford
ENGL 305.002
TuTh 10:40 AM
Prof. Jodi Chilson
ENGL 305.003
Tu 6:00 PM
Prof. Adam Phillips
ENGL 306:
Intermediate Fiction Writing
Exploration of narrative technique, dialogue form, and the short story. Students will write original fiction and discuss it in a workshop format. May be taken twice for credit. PREREQ: ENGL 206.
ENGL 306.001
W 6:00PM
Prof. Alan Heathcock
ENGL 306.002
TuTh 1:40 PM
Prof. Brady Udall
ENGL 306.003
TuTh 3:15 PM
Prof. Brady Udall
ENGL 306.004
Th 6:00 PM
Prof. Christian Winn
ENGL 309:
Introduction to Book Arts
The course introduces students to the study of basic history
of books, including papermaking, typography, printing, binding, book
decoration, and contemporary bookworks. Students produce a classroom edition of
their own text and/or visual material.
ENGL 309.001
M 6:00PM
Prof. Tom Trusky
ENGL 309.002
Tu 6:00 PM
Prof. Tom Trusky
ENGL 342.001: Medieval Drama
M 6:00 PM
Dr. Linda Marie Zaerr
This course is an investigation of the development of theater in Europe from the early Middle Ages through the early Renaissance. Readings provide a survey of representative works. Production of a play is a major part of the course: students from the course and members of the community jointly form the Medieval Drama Guild and present dramatic entertainment from the Middle Ages for the community.
This year the Medieval Drama Guild will produce The Adventures of Sir Bevis and Princess Josian, a fourteenth-century tale about an English knight brought up in Armenia and the Armenian Princess Josian, a highly skilled musician and physician. They encounter a number of adventures in the strange world they inhabit, and this production will allow modern audiences entrance into that colorful and surprising world. For more information, see
http://english.boisestate.edu/lzaerr/medieval1.htm.
ENGL 345:
Shakespeare’s Tragedies & Histories
MWF 12:40 PM
Dr. Mac Test
The purpose of this course is to introduce students, both English majors and non-majors, to Shakespeare’s tragedies and histories and the development of Shakespearean engagements with historical representation and received traditions of tragedy. Students in this course will be expected to engage with Shakespeare’s plays in a variety of ways including written analysis, performance, and imaginative engagement with music, film, and other media. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 346:
Shakespeare’s Comedies & Romances
MWF 10:40 AM
Dr. Matthew Hansen
The purpose of this course is to introduce students, both English majors and non-majors, to Shakespeare’s comedies and romances and the development of Shakespearean comic theory and practice. I am an historicist critic and will therefore aim to provide some historical contexts concerning the original production, performance, and reception of Shakespeare’s plays. We will also endeavor, together, to test the validity of Shakespeare’s friend and critic Ben Jonson, who wrote that Shakespeare “was not of an age, but for all time.” This course has an optional service learning component; more will be said about this optional element in the first few weeks of the course. Students in this course will be expected to engage with Shakespeare’s plays in a variety of ways including written analysis, performance, and imaginative engagement with music, film, and other media. Plays to be studied include The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Measure for Measure, and The Tempest. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 348: British Renaissance Poetry and Prose
MWF 2:40 PM
Dr. Mac Test
A study of the poetry and prose of the English Renaissance, including works by More, Marlowe, Spenser, Shakespeare, and Bacon. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 359: British Novel: Beginnings through Austen
MWF 2:40 PM
Dr. Ann Campbell
An investigation of the novel tracing its roots and exploring the work of Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, Sterne, Austen, and others. The emergence of the most popular genre of literature helps us to understand how fiction reflects our assumption about the world around us. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 376: Nineteenth-Century American Nonfiction
MWF 10:40 AM
Dr. Tom Hillard
Studies some of our nation’s most central texts selected from the expression prompted by slavery, the Civil War, westward expansion, and rapid social and intellectual changes. Includes writers such as John Burroughs, George Catlin, Mary Boykin Chesnutt, Frederick Douglass, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ulysses S. Grant, and Harriet Jacobs. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 381.001: English Teaching—Writing,
TuTh 4:40 PM
Dr. Bruce Robbins
Theories and methods of teaching secondary school English
language arts, instructional planning, and integration of composition,
literature, and language. PREREQ: ENGL 275. COREQ: ED-CIFS 401 and ED-LTCY 444.
ENGL 384: Literature
of the American West
MWF 12:40 PM
Dr. Tom Hillard
We will survey a variety of literary approaches to the American West from the Revolutionary period to the present. We will read novels, some poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction inspired by the landscape and human society of the American West. Primary texts will trace the changing ideas of Americans toward the West and the changing ways that the West adapts itself as a symbol for American ideas of gender, class, labor, liberty, community, and more. Several texts will demonstrate the role literature can play in real-life social debates, both past and present. Assignments include a combination of short response papers, a longer research paper, and, possibly, jobs assisting in the editorial work of the Western Writers Series. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 390: Folklore
TuTh 1:40 PM
Dr. Dora Ramirez Dhoore
This course will focus on the academic field of Folklore. Students will have the opportunity to study trickster tales, spirituals, cultural visions, fairy tales, myths such as Cupid and Psyche, legends such as Paul Bunyan and/or Elvis Presley, and more current cultural representations such as the comic book hero Superman. Because the fall semester includes Halloween, this course will also examine the historical and cultural origins of this holiday in America—and our society’s fascination with urban legends. This course focuses on a variety of genres and concepts important to the field of Folklore; as well as employing the methodology and theories necessary for the students to complete an ethnographic project. Overall, students will be introduced to (or reminded of) the variety of folktales, myths, and legends influencing American society, which they will then connect to the literature, film, and media already familiar to them. In order to do this, this course will incorporate music, folk art, dance (don’t worry you don’t have to dance), food, rituals, holidays, and of course, story. Texts include: David Leeming and Jack Page’s Myths, Legends, and Folktales of America, George H. Schoemaker’s The Emergence of Folklore in Everyday Life, and a variety of reserved and linked material.
ENGL 393.001: History
of Literary Criticism
TuTh 4:40PM
Dr. Cheryl Hindrichs
This course is an introduction to how Western culture has defined and studied the literary arts since Plato. We will examine how critical theories have evolved historically, how movements have overlapped, clashed, and synthesized, and how critical debates emerged in particular contexts. In studying a wide range of theorists-from Aristotle to Said-and their contributions to critical movements-from aesthetics to postcolonialism, we will ask, “What is literary theory?” and, moreover, “What can theory do for us?” Theory is not meant to merely reaffirm our assumptions (although it certainly can do that), nor is it a secret language you master to enter an elite club (although it may sometimes seem so). Rather, theory has a rich history-including the theorization of poetics, debates about literature’s ability to offer knowledge and value, beliefs about the proper stuff of the art of fiction, and epistemological investigations of language and meaning. In gaining an appreciation for the history of criticism and in developing your ability to evaluate and use theory through this course, you will discover that good theory and good application of theory can open your readings of the texts and contexts in your life in incredible and challenging new ways. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
Texts: Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism; David Richter’s The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends.
ENGL 397: Special Topics
ENGL 397.002: Special Topics--Femme Fatale in French Literature
TuTh 12:15 PM
Dr. Mariah Devereux Herbeck (Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures)
What are the origins of the oft-used term "femme fatale"? Can this cinematographic term appropriately define socially deviant women in French literature of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries? From Manon Lescaut to Nana to Antéchrista, we will examine diverse representations of this difficult to define woman.
ENGL 397.4036: Special Topics--Contemporary Childbirth
M 1:40 PM
Dr. Dora Ramirez Dhoore
co-taught with faculty from Nursing
“Contemporary Childbirth” will give students a deeper sense of how women have written about their experiences with childbirth. Authors have often moved to the power of written discourse to express their realities regarding childbirth, thus this course looks to the women who have brought their bodies forth to the public arena in order to define their maternal or gendered domains and “individual” experiences within the health care system. A variety of genres are implemented here, including the novel, poetry, personal memoirs, and critical essays that all explore how women writers create an understanding of their body and identity when experiencing contemporary childbirth. Note to students: “Contemporary Childbirth” is a joint course offered through the English and Nursing departments. Students may enroll in either English 397 or Nursing 397. The courses have been planned collaboratively by the instructors and will be conducted in a joint learning environment. This is a predominately online course, with four f2f meetings planned. The goal of the course is to examine the diversity of childbirth as a healthcare experience through the lens of the English discipline. While the content, delivery, and expectations for each course will be the same, there may be slight modifications in discussion or assignments for students registered in English 397 or Nursing 397. You do not need to be familiar with nursing practices to be enrolled in this course.
ENGL 401/401G: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
ENGL 401.001/401G.001: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
TuTh 3:15 PM
Prof. Karen S. Uehling
Focus
Journal writing: extensive journal writing from varied prompts, developed into pieces of various kinds
Study of writer's journals of the twentieth century: the range of journal approaches; how journal entries lead to professional writing though creative, analytical, and revision processes; the many genres journals support
Advice on journal keeping
Special element
Journaling and writing about/for Special Olympics: service
learning assignment.
Format
Hybrid course: about half regular class meetings or in-person group meetings and half online discussion using "Discussion Board" feature of Blackboard--will need time available for some group meetings outside of class time.
Final portfolio of selected pieces: prose in several nonfiction genres, particularly forms that evolve from journal entries or forms that analyze and reflect on journal writing.
Likely texts
Daniel Halpern, Our Private Lives: Journals, Notebooks, and Diaries (1989)
Alexandra Johnson, Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal (2002)
Virginia Woolf (edited by Leonard Woolf), A Writer's Diary (2003)
Graduate credit
From catalogue: "Students seeking graduate credit will produce a greater quantity and higher quality of original work, will have a separate and more extensive reading list, and will be expected to participate more fully in class activities." This translates into equivalent of 600 pages (two books) of extra reading (both a complete book and selected excerpts), extra leadership of online discussion, and extra writing: longer, more extensive portfolio, including an analysis and additional creative work.
ENGL 401.002
MWF 12:40 PM
Prof. Matthew Haynes
Advanced practice in nonfiction genres, and study of how
writers read and learn from other writers. Experimentation with subjects,
voice, organization, and style. Students may take the course twice, for a total
of 6 credits. Students seeking graduate credit will produce a greater quantity
and high quality of original work, will have a separate and more extensive
reading list, and will be expected to participate more fully in class
activities. PREREQ: ENGL 201.
ENGL 403.001: Technical Editing
W 6:00 PM
Dr. Russell Willerton
An introduction to the role of the technical editor in
organizational settings. Topics include copyediting, comprehensive editing,
proofreading, working with authors, and preparing documents for publication. PREREQ: ENGL 312 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 406/406G:
Advanced Poetry Writing
Intensive work in writing and critiquing poetry. Students seeking graduate credit will produce a greater quantity and higher quality of original work, will have a separate and more extensive reading list, and will be expected to participate more fully in class activities. May be repeated for up to six credit hours. PREREQ: ENGL 305 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 406/406G.001:
Advanced Poetry Writing
TuTh 3:15 PM
Prof. Janet Holmes
ENGL 406.002
Tu 6:00 PM
Prof. Jason Appelman
ENGL 407/407G:
Advanced Fiction Writing
Intensive work in writing and critiquing fiction. Students seeking graduate credit will produce a greater quantity and higher quality of original work, will have a separate and more extensive reading list, and will be expected to participate more fully in class activities. May be repeated for up to six credit hours. PREREQ: ENGL 306 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 407/407G.001
Tu 3:15-5:55
Prof. Mitch Wieland
ENGL 407/407G.002
M 6:00 PM
Prof. Al Heathcock
ENGL 412.001: Women
Writers
W 6:00 PM
Dr. Rena Sanderson
Literature by English speaking women, with special attention to cultural contexts, the themes and methods used by women writers, and how women writers have created their own tradition. The course may focus on writings of a particular period. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 415.001/415G.001: On-Screen Document Production
Th 6:00 PM
Dr. John Battalio
An advanced study and application of the principles involved
in designing, creating, and managing information on the screen. Topics include
the relationship between screen layout and readability; techniques for
integrating text, graphics, and multimedia; principles of writing and indexing
on-screen instructional materials; and the use of online help and Web-authoring
software. Students will practice effective hypertext and screen-design
techniques in producing basic electronic documents, such as online help and Web
sites PREREQ: ENGL 312 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 481.001:
Literature for Use in
TuTh 9:15 AM
Staff
A literary content course designed for prospective or
experienced teachers of secondary school English. Primary emphasis is on
critical reading of literature ordinarily used with adolescents in secondary
schools. Secondary emphasis is on methods of critical analysis appropriate to secondary
students. All genres will be discussed. Both classical and popular authors will
be included. PREREQ: Either ENGL 275 and two literature courses, or PERM/INST.
COREQ: ENGL 301.
ENGL 485.001: British and American Poetry: 1900-1945
MWF 10:40 AM
Dr. Jeff Westover
A study of the radical changes that W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and others made in poetry’s traditional aesthetic and thematic concerns, as seen in their work from the turn of the century through two world wars. PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 497: Special Topics
ENGL 497.001: Special Topics
TuTh 1:40 PM
Dr. Marcy Newman
ENGL 497.002: Special Topics
TuTh 10:40 AM
Prof. Steve Barrett
(Honors section: 5 spots for non-Honors students)
ENGL 497.003: Special Topics--Film and Literature
W 2:40 PM
Prof. Matthew Haynes
(Honors section: 5 spots for non-Honors students)
In this course students will look at films as texts that can be read for meaning and analyzed for form, structure, cultural contexts and convention. Students will examine the ways film has entered our consciousness. In addition to screening film, students will read and discuss literature, theory and criticism.
English 498: Senior Seminar
Required of all senior English majors. PREREQ: Senior standing or PERM/CHAIR.
English 498.001:
Senior Seminar (Literature)
TuTh 1:40 PM
Dr. Carol Martin
PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
ENGL 498.002: Senior
Seminar (Writing)
MWF 2:40 PM
Dr. Devan Cook
PREREQ: ENGL 275 or PERM/INST.
LING 305: Introduction to Language Studies
A general survey of contemporary language study as it is
carried on in the fields of linguistics, anthropology, and psychology, with
emphasis on meaning, sounds, words, and sentence formation in English. PREREQ:
ENGL 102 or PERM/INST.
LING 305.001
MWF 11:40 AM
Dr. Jon Dayley
LING 305.002
Th 6 PM
Dr. Mary Ellen Ryder
LING 305.003
Dr. Mary Ellen Ryder
LING 306.001: Modern English Grammar
MWF 2:40 PM
Dr. Jon Dayley
An approach to modern English grammar based on linguistic principles. The course will cover word formation and sentence structure, including transformational, structural, and newly developing theories of grammar. PREREQ: LING 305.
LING 406.001: Psycholinguistics
Tu 6 PM
Dr. Mary Ellen Ryder
The study of language in relation to mind and cognition. Topics include the relationship between language, thought, and memory; language acquisition; language disorders; and the psychological processes involved in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and spelling. PREREQ: LING 305.
LING 497: Special Topics
LING 497.001: Special Topics--Politics of Language
TuTh 1:40 PM
Dr. Gail Shuck
This course will examine the connections between language and
power in social and political arenas. Topics such as public debates about
bilingual education and Ebonics, the use of foreign accents in popular media,
and the construction of race and gender through language practices will be
discussed. PREREQ: LING 305 or permission of the instructor. Cross-listed with
Gender Studies 497, section 001.
LING 497.002: Special Topics--Types of World Languages
MWF 1:40 PM
Dr. Jon Dayley
The course will provide an in-depth survey of a number of languages from around the world. The languages will be selected from several different language families and will display a great variety of typological characteristics. The purposes of the course are twofold: on the one hand, to illustrate the range of types of languages found in the world, and on the other, to show how similar all human languages are relative to other possible forms of communication. The course will be run in seminar fashion, with the instructor as well as students giving presentations and all discussing the material covered.
Each student will be required to review the literature on a particular language (preferably, a lesser known or relatively exotic language), give an oral presentation to the class on it, and write a term paper about it. PREREQ: LING 305.