Undergraduate Program

Term Schedule for Undergraduate Courses

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Spring 2026

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
ENGL 115-01 Introduction to American Literature Natina Gilbert MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
Significant achievements by American writers of poetry, fiction, and other prose in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A survey of American literature in English from its origins in colonial British America to the late-19th-century US. We begin with the fascinating diversity of colonial writing (explorers accounts, sermons, captivity narratives, religious poetry) and end with the canon of “classic American literature” in the second half of the 19th century (prose narratives, novels, lyrics). Alongside this process of literary development, we see British America gradually unified around a new national identity—one which must constantly shore itself up against the threat of fracture, internal and external pressures. Our focus will be the literary side of the story, but we’ll remain mindful of its relationships to that larger history. Location (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
ENGL 116-01 Introduction to African American Literature Matthew Omelsky TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
This course surveys African American literature of a variety of genres—primarily fiction, poetry, and non-fiction essays—from the early 20th century to the present. The course interprets this tradition not only as the creative expression of American writers of African descent, but also as a set works displaying formal characteristics associated with black cultural traditions. Discussion topics will include the meanings of race, the construction of black identity, and intra-racial differences of class, gender, and sexuality, as well as how experimentation, 1960s black radicalism, and the contemporary Movement for Black Lives have shaped black literature. Our readings will traverse a range of influential writers, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Nella Larsen, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Claudia Rankine, and Danez Smith. Location (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 118-01 Intro to Media Studies Joel Burges TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of media studies. We will look at a range of both media and historical tendencies related to the media, including manuscript culture, print, and the rise of the newspaper, novel, and modern nation-state; photography, film, television and their respective differences as visual mediums; important shifts in attitudes towards painting; the place of sound in the media of modernity; and the computerization of culture brought about by the computer, social networks, video games, and cell phones. In looking at these, we will consider both the approaches that key scholars in the field of media studies use, and the concepts that are central to the field itself (media/medium; medium-specificity; remediation; the culture industry; reification and utopia; cultural politics). By the end of the class, students will have developed a toolkit for understanding, analyzing, and judging the media that shape their lives in late modernity. Location (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 121-01 Creative Writing: Fiction David Hansen R 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Writing fiction is a way to stay sane and be interesting. In this class, you’ll read weird stories, write a lot, and exchange work with each other. I’ll give you stories by Joy Williams, Donald Barthelme, Lydia Davis, Edward P. Jones, and other excellent weirdos. We’ll talk about how to make interesting characters, eventful plots, and emotionally resonant moments; how to have good taste; the unimportance of literary principles; how to write when you don’t feel like it; the necessity of paying close attention to your life; and lots of other things. Contact dhansen9@ur.rochester.edu for more info. Location (R 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 121-02 Creative Writing: Fiction David Hansen T 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Writing fiction is a way to stay sane and be interesting. In this class, you’ll read weird stories, write a lot, and exchange work with each other. I’ll give you stories by Joy Williams, Donald Barthelme, Lydia Davis, Edward P. Jones, and other excellent weirdos. We’ll talk about how to make interesting characters, eventful plots, and emotionally resonant moments; how to have good taste; the unimportance of literary principles; how to write when you don’t feel like it; the necessity of paying close attention to your life; and lots of other things. Contact dhansen9@ur.rochester.edu for more info. Location (T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 122-01 Creative Writing: Poetry Christian Wessels M 4:50PM - 7:30PM
An introductory course in the art of writing poetry. In addition to reading and writing poems, students will learn about various essential elements of craft such as image, metaphor, line, syntax, rhyme, and meter. The course will be conducted in a workshop format. Location (M 4:50PM - 7:30PM)
ENGL 122-02 Creative Writing: Poetry Christian Wessels W 4:50PM - 7:30PM
An introductory course in the art of writing poetry. In addition to reading and writing poems, students will learn about various essential elements of craft such as image, metaphor, line, syntax, rhyme, and meter. The course will be conducted in a workshop format. Location (W 4:50PM - 7:30PM)
ENGL 124-01 Intro to Lighting for the Stage Michael Wizorek TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
This course introduces students to the mechanics, materials, and aesthetics of lighting for the theatre. Students gain a thorough understanding of lighting equipment, procedures, safety, and how these fascinating elements contribute to creating theatrical storytelling. Students work actively with these technologies on productions, getting valuable practical experience. There is a required lab component that will be scheduled with the instructor. Location (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 124-02 Intro to Lighting for the Stage Michael Wizorek F 1:00PM - 4:00PM
This course introduces students to the mechanics, materials, and aesthetics of lighting for the theatre. Students gain a thorough understanding of lighting equipment, procedures, safety, and how these fascinating elements contribute to creating theatrical storytelling. Students work actively with these technologies on productions, getting valuable practical experience. There is a required lab component that will be scheduled with the instructor. Lighting LAB - Fridays 1-4pm in Todd Theatre Location (F 1:00PM - 4:00PM)
ENGL 126-01 Production Experience Katherine Duprey 7:00PM - 7:00PM
ENGL 126 Production Experience is a 1-credit course where you get to work on the current theatre production in the new Sloan Performing Arts Center. Designed for students with or without prior training, this course is a perfect way to get hands-on experience in a variety of backstage departments through lab participation, joining run crews, or other practical ways. Working in lighting, sound, costumes, scenery & painting, or stage management you can explore the excitement, camaraderie, creativity, and skills needed for backstage work. You will learn valuable skills while contributing to the excellence in production that the International Theatre Program is known for. You will be playing a real role in making theatre happen! No prior experience needed. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 132-01 Feature Writing Mark Liu R 4:50PM - 7:30PM
This course focuses on enhancing the creativity, vibrancy, and engagement of your nonfiction writing. We’ll delve into online, magazine, and newspaper articles that use scenes and details to craft compelling narratives about people and their experiences. You will develop a strong voice in your writing, with a particular focus on the importance of effective interviewing. We’ll emphasize writing about topics you are passionate about, analyzing AI-generated essays, and incorporating nonfiction examples that resonate with you. The course includes writing practice to reinforce the concepts studied. Location (R 4:50PM - 7:30PM)
ENGL 133-01 Editing Julie Philipp M 3:25PM - 6:05PM
The course will focus on the basic elements of editing for publication and on the ethical, legal and practical issues editors face. Location (M 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
ENGL 134-02 Public Speaking Curt Smith TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
Basic public speaking is the focus. Emphasis is placed on researching speeches, using appropriate language and delivery, and listening critically to oral presentations. ENG 134 contains two quizzes, a final exam, and four speeches to be given by the student. The speeches include a tribute, persuasive, explanatory, and problem-solving address. Material also features video and inaugural addresses of past U.S. presidents. The course utilizes instructor Curt Smith’s experience as a former White House presidential speechwriter and as a Smithsonian Institution series host. Location (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 135-01 Intro to Debate Brady Fletcher TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
The purpose of this course is to give students an appreciation for and knowledge of critical thinking and reasoned decision-making through argumentation. Students will research both sides of a topic, write argument briefs, and participate in formal and informal debates. Students will also be exposed to the major paradigms used in judging debates. Location (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
ENGL 136-01 Principles & Practices of Copyediting Dustin Hannum MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
While the term “copyediting” may be associated with journalism or literary fiction, in fact it is a vital component of the publication of almost any textual materials—from scholarly and popular publishing in arts and sciences to corporate and technical communications. So what do copy editors do? Is copyediting simply about enforcing rules of correctness? When is it okay to break those rules, or to allow others to do so, and what guides such decisions? How do copy editors understand and negotiate the relationships and interests of readers, writers, and the publications they work for? How has the information age changed the way copy editors think about and approach textual editing? In this class we will address both the principles and practices of copyediting. Students will learn the principles that guide copy editors, and then put these principles into use in a workshop setting, practicing copyediting in a variety of contexts, including digital communications. Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement. Location (MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)
ENGL 142-01 Stage Combat J Simmons F 9:40AM - 10:55AM
Stage Combat explores the concepts and techniques of theatrical violence for stage and screen. Students will stress safety and control as they learn to create the illusions of punches, kicks, throws, and falls. The course focuses on unarmed combat. In-class performances will be video recorded to study stage and film technique. Location (F 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 151-01 Acting with Objects: Puppetry Emma Wiseman M 10:25AM - 1:05PM
Puppetry has a history dating back thousands of years. In this course, class participants will be introduced to the breadth, scope, and history of puppetry arts, including traditional Japanese forms (Bunraku-style, kuruma ningyo-style), shadow puppetry (wayang kulit and overhead projectors) and object performance. Students will learn style-specific manipulation techniques through hands-on exploration of breath, eyeline, focus, and micromovement. Students will have the opportunity to make their own Bunraku-style puppets, and explore how to tell stories with objects, using non-verbal communication and gesture. This class is great training for actors, dancers, and performers to explore subtlety, nuance, and how to make your performance secondary, and in service to the puppet/object, which is the primary focus of storytelling. Location (M 10:25AM - 1:05PM)
ENGL 154-01 Intro to Design for Stage Seth Reiser M 10:25AM - 1:05PM
Space and how it is conceived and explored is fundamental to the telling of stories on stage and elsewhere. This introductory course aims at giving students skills to create, translate and communicate a visual design/environment for performance. The class will focus on design fundamentals, materials, research and visual storytelling through class discussion, script analysis and practical work. Students will read a play, devise a concept for that play, research possible environments, and begin to produce drawings and other visual ideas for their design. Student's work will be presented and discussed in each class. Class meets the 1st 7 weeks of Spring semester - Friday, 1/23, Monday 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2 Location (M 10:25AM - 1:05PM)
ENGL 161-01 Introduction to Video Art Cary Adams MW 10:25AM - 1:05PM
This course introduces the basic aesthetic and technical elements of video production. Emphasis is on the creative use and understanding of the video medium while learning to use the video camera, video editing processes and the fundamental procedures of planning video projects. Strategies for the use of video as an art-making tool will be explored. Works by artists and directors critically exploring media of film and video will be viewed and discussed. Video techniques will be studied through screenings, group discussions, readings, practice sessions and presentations of original video projects made during the course. Sophomores and Juniors with officially declared FMS and SA majors are given priority registration; followed by sophomores and juniors with officially declared FMS and SA minors. Location (MW 10:25AM - 1:05PM)
ENGL 161-02 Introduction to Video Art Cary Adams MW 2:00PM - 4:40PM
This course introduces the basic aesthetic and technical elements of video production. Emphasis is on the creative use and understanding of the video medium while learning to use the video camera, video editing processes and the fundamental procedures of planning video projects. Strategies for the use of video as an art-making tool will be explored. Works by artists and directors critically exploring media of film and video will be viewed and discussed. Video techniques will be studied through screenings, group discussions, readings, practice sessions and presentations of original video projects made during the course. Sophomores and Juniors with officially declared FMS and SA majors are given priority registration; followed by sophomores and juniors with officially declared FMS and SA minors. Location (MW 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 164-01 Improvisation Eno Okung R 3:25PM - 6:05PM
This course allows students to move progressively toward a stronger understanding of long form improvisation acting theory and skills related to listening, supporting others, heightening, and taking risks. By the end of this course students will be able to work within a cast to create full length, fully improvised plays that incorporate spontaneous monologues and scenes with recurring characters and themes. Performers will develop skills that enable them to write, direct, edit, and act in pieces that are made up on the spot using a single audience suggestion. Particular focus will paid to the format known as Harold. Originally conceived by Del Close in the 1960s with the Compass Players in San Francisco and later developed at the Improv Olympic in Chicago with Charna Halpern, the Harold is widely considered the cornerstone of modern improv comedy. Location (R 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
ENGL 172-01 Intro to Sound for the Stage Daniel Spitaliere R 11:05AM - 1:45PM
Ever wonder and admire how sound designers create awesome aural environments in live performance? This course investigates the tools, tricks, skills, and equipment of realizing sound design for the theater. You’ll learn how Sound Designers shape sound and music, and collaborate with other artists to achieve a specific creative vision. You’ll see and experience how sound systems are put together, getting hands-on time with different equipment and learning just what each piece does. We will build on the fundamentals of sound systems that can start as small as your computer and go as large as filling a 1,000 seat theater or larger. As you learn these trades and skills, you’ll then apply them in the Theatre Program's productions, working with peers and industry professionals to put on a full scale production. Whatever your experience level, you are welcome here. All you need is a passion for hearing the world around you, and the desire to bring your own creative world to life on whatever stage you find. There is a required lab component that will be scheduled with the instructor. Location (R 11:05AM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 172-2 Intro to Sound for the Stage Daniel Spitaliere F 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Ever wonder and admire how sound designers create awesome aural environments in live performance? This course investigates the tools, tricks, skills, and equipment of realizing sound design for the theater. You’ll learn how Sound Designers shape sound and music, and collaborate with other artists to achieve a specific creative vision. You’ll see and experience how sound systems are put together, getting hands-on time with different equipment and learning just what each piece does. We will build on the fundamentals of sound systems that can start as small as your computer and go as large as filling a 1,000 seat theater or larger. As you learn these trades and skills, you’ll then apply them in the Theatre Program's productions, working with peers and industry professionals to put on a full scale production. Whatever your experience level, you are welcome here. All you need is a passion for hearing the world around you, and the desire to bring your own creative world to life on whatever stage you find. There is a required lab component that will be scheduled with the instructor. Lab Section meets on Friday from 11am - 1pm in Todd Theatre - Todd Union Room 112 Location (F 11:00AM - 1:00PM)
ENGL 174-01 Acting I Esther Winter T 11:05AM - 1:45PM
This course serves as an introduction to, and exploration of the acting process for the stage, developing the fundamental skills students need to approach a text from a performer’s standpoint and to create character. The course takes as its basic premise that the actor’s instrument is the self—with all of the physical, psychological, intellectual, social, moral and spiritual implications of that term. Students will be encouraged in both the expression and the expansion of the self and of the imagination. The class will also help the student develop an overall appreciation for the role of the theatre in today’s society. Location (T 11:05AM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 177-01 The Actor's Voice Sara Penner F 11:05AM - 1:45PM
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”- Maya Angelou. In this course students will gain an understanding and greater command of their unique and powerful voice. We will explore the teachings of Kristin Linklater, Alexander Technique, Cecily Barry and many others to create full, free and forward sound that will serve the actor from the audition to the stage, the interview to the boardroom. Students will develop relaxation and awareness skills, learn to connect to a variety of texts in a meaningful and creative way and the ability to support and project, increase their vocal range, versatility, and confidence. Actors will learn to transform their voice into the voice of the character with the technique that allows them to meet the demands of doing it eight shows a week! Location (F 11:05AM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 205A-01 Dante's Divine Comedy, Part II Donatella Stocchi-Perucchio MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
The second of a sequence of two, the course approaches 'The Divine Comedy' both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through a close textual analysis of the second half of 'Purgatorio' and the entirety of 'Paradiso,' students learn how to approach Dante's poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a way to understand and affect the historical reality. They also gain a perspective on the Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with the multiple levels of Dante's concern, ranging from literature to history, from politics to government, from philosophy to theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the 'Comedy' and multiple artworks pertinent to the narrative, complements the course. Class format includes lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session. Intensive class participation is encouraged. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster. Prerequisites: ITAL 220 (Dante’s Divine Comedy, Pt. I) or permission of the instructor. Location (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 208-01 Topics in English Renaissance Drama (Renaissance Drama) Rosemary Kegl MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
Varying topics relating to Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century drama, in its historical and cultural contexts. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. This course focuses on drama written by Shakespeare's contemporaries. Classes center around careful analysis of individual plays. We discuss, among other topics, the plays' tragic and comic inflections, depictions of psychological interiority, meditations on love and desire, staging of death, use of props, fascination with sensational and often violent events, and insistent references to contemporary performance practices. We also become familiar with a range of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century theatrical spaces—their geographical locations and physical properties, the composition of their audiences, the training and performance practices of their actors, and the aesthetic, social, and political contexts of their productions. We consider plays written by Beaumont and Fletcher, Dekker, Jonson, Kyd, Marlowe, Marston, Middleton, and Webster and, when possible, view scenes from recent staged productions. Satisfies the pre-1800 literature, the dramatic literature, the literature, and the 200-level literature requirements for various English major and minor tracks. Satisfies a requirement in the Humanities/English cluster, Plays, Playwrights, and Theater. Appropriate for all students, from those in their first semester at the university to senior English majors. No restrictions -- all students welcome. Location (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
ENGL 226-01 American Realists John Michael MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
We will focus on American literature, especially fiction, from 1865 to 1914. We will also consider some philosophical, polemical, and popular texts from the period. We will read works by Mark Twain, W. E. B. Dubois, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin and others. After the cataclysm of the Civil War and the final abolition of slavery, the United States confronted new complexities and conflicts of national identity, changing gender roles, increasing stratifications of social and economic relationships and power and an increasingly interrelated global environment. Writers in this era redefined the aesthetics of realism and reconsidered the relationship of literary art to the world and artists to their audiences, They debated the potentialities of fiction to represent and influence (for good or ill) society and politics, and the nature and implications of nationalism, imperialism, and justice We will focus on American literature, especially fiction, from 1865 to 1914. We will also consider some philosophical, polemical, and popular texts from the period. We will read works by Mark Twain, W. E. B. Dubois, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin and others. After the cataclysm of the Civil War and the final abolition of slavery, the United States confronted new complexities and conflicts of national identity, changing gender roles, increasing stratifications of social and economic relationships and power and an increasingly interrelated global environment. Writers in this era redefined the aesthetics of realism and reconsidered the relationship of literary art to the world and artists to their audiences, They debated the potentialities of fiction to represent and influence (for good or ill) society and politics, and the nature and implications of nationalism, imperialism, and justice Location (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 228-01 African American Literature (African-American Fiction: History, Novels, Traditions) John Michael MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
Varying topics relating to the literature and culture of people of African descent in the United States. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (4 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. From Abolitionist Interventions to Afro-Futurist Art, African American fiction writers have made distinctive contributions to U. S. and world culture and created a rich vein of narrative invention that has immeasurably enriched both. We will read and discuss tales by Hannah Craft, Frederick Douglass, Charles Brockton Brown, Francis Harper, Charles Cotton, W. E. B. DuBois, Nella Larson, Zora Neal Hurston, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Samuel Delaney, Octavia Butler, Yaa Gyasi. Location (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 228A-01 Topics: Writing About and With Artificial Intelligence Whitney Gegg-Harrison TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
What does it mean to be a writer in a world where AI systems like ChatGPT or Claude can produce text that is at least sometimes indistinguishable from text written by a human? In this course, we will explore a variety of AI tools with the goal of understanding how these tools might fit into the writing process and where the possible pitfalls lie. We’ll learn how to interpret articles about AI in the media with a critical eye and discuss what would be necessary for media to do a better job of writing about AI. But we’ll also experiment with AI tools to explore what it means to write with AI. Throughout the semester, we’ll dive deeper into what it is that we humans do when we write, from brainstorming all the way through final drafts, and we’ll probe what happens when we add AI to the mix at each of those stages in a series of reflective assignments. These will build towards a final project in which students offer a research-based proposal for a specific way in which AI could be effectively and ethically used by writers. Location (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 242-03 Literary Topics Across Historical Periods (The Literature of Nonsense) Kenneth Gross MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
Varying topics tracing themes, ideas, or figures beyond the limits of any single historical period. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. Literary “nonsense” is often a form of radical play. It’s a means to stretch and transform our ways of seeing, speaking, and thinking. Far from being meaningless, nonsense literature puts narrower ideas of meaning, sense, and logic to the test, dissects them. It plays with paradox and parody. It creates alternative logics and new shapes of beauty, often nightmarish as much as comic. Such nonsense often appears in what’s thought of as writing for children, in nursery rhymes and fairy tales. It’s part of the literature of madness and dreams, also central to the experimental spirit of modern poetry, drama, and fiction. Course readings will include Old English riddles, Shakespeare’s King Lear, selections from Lawrence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, the limericks of Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, as well as poetry and fiction by T. S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Franz Kafka, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein. This course fulfills the post-1800 requirement for the English major. Applicable English clusters: ???. Freshmen not admitted without permission of the instructor. Location (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
ENGL 243-01 Major Author: (Jane Austen & Her Contemporaries) Katherine Mannheimer TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
Intensive study of the writings of a single author or small group of authors from literary traditions in English. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (3 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. This course places Jane Austen's novels within the context of other female novelists writing in the late-eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Readings will include Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion, in addition to works by Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and Mary Shelley. Fulfills the pre-1800 Requirement for the English Major. Location (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 244-01 Topics in Poetry (Poetry and Memory) Kenneth Gross MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
Varying topics on the study of poetry, outside the bounds of any single historical period. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. Poetry is by nature a form of “memorable speech.” And there are many poets who make memory itself the subject of their writing. In this class, we’ll be looking at poems that explore memory’s mystery, urgency and power. They show us memory as a tool of survival, a force that both preserves and transforms the past, colludes with dream and fantasy, even with forgetting. We’ll be looking at poems that remember the dead—as in the ancient genre of elegy—poems that explore the elusive, charged, and sometimes wounding memories of childhood, as well as poems that play personal memory against collective memory. Readings will include poems by William Wordsworth, John Keats, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Bishop, James Merrill, Louise Glück, and Natasha Trethewey. This course fulfills the post-1800 requirement for the English major. Applicable English cluster: Poems, Poetry, and Poetics. Freshmen not admitted without permission of the instructor Location (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 245-01 Literary Modes (Utopian and Dystopian Writing) Rosemary Kegl MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
Varying topics relating to literature and culture representing specific styles, modes, genres, or media. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (4 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. In this course we discuss the literary qualities and social impulses that characterize utopian and dystopian writing. We focus on utopian and dystopian worlds imagined in British and American prose fiction from the sixteenth through the twenty-first century. We consider, among other topics, how this writing draws on African, Afro- and Indigenous futurisms, and on journalism, naturalism, realism, romance, satire, science fiction, travel narratives, the visual arts, and treatises about ecology, science, politics, and urban planning. We read short stories and longer fiction (in entirety and in excerpt). Our authors include Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Francis Godwin, Margaret Cavendish, Jonathan Swift, Mary Shelley, Samuel Butler, Edward Bellamy, William Morris, E.M. Forster, W.E.B Du Bois, Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, Darcie Little Badger, Nnedi Okorafor, and Ken Liu. You have the option, in your essays, to focus on utopian or dystopian works beyond those on our syllabus. Satisfies both the pre-1800 and the post-1800 literature requirement in the English major. No restrictions, all students welcome Location (MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)
ENGL 249-01 Gender, Writing, and Representation (The Matter with Men in Literature and Society) David Bleich TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
Varying topics relating to writings by women and the representation of gender from a variety of periods and cultures. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (4 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. In 1949 Simone de Beauvoir said “throughout humanity superiority has been granted not to the sex that gives birth but to the one that kills.” Is it true that the matter with men is killing? Do men kill because they think they are superior? Do they think they are superior because they kill? Are men violent because they can’t speak? Why don’t men “use their words”? How is men’s woman-hating related to killing and raping? Why do women say that “men don’t listen”? Writers, who do use their words, have depicted men’s killing and their chronic melancholia over two millennia. This course considers how well-read stories and poems show men’s struggle with shame, anger, violence, and language. Writers studied include: James Baldwin, Samuel Coleridge, Joseph Conrad, T. S. Eliot, Stephanie Greenberg, Ira Levin, Herman Melville, Anne Petry, William Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf. Location (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 249-02 Gender, Writing, and Representation (Women and the Environment in American Lit) Natina Gilbert MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
Varying topics relating to writings by women and the representation of gender from a variety of periods and cultures. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (4 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. Since its founding, the narratives of the United States have taken inspiration from, and been haunted by, myths of the frontier. The competing drives to celebrate and conquer the natural world only came into sharper relief as the country underwent large-scale political, technological, and economic upheaval in such watershed moments as the Civil War and the Great Depression. In the twentieth century, female authors utilized regional specificity and the geography of the world around them to investigate a citizenry that was beginning to think of itself as occupying a distinctly “modern” era. In this course, we will read a variety of writers who will introduce us to, and complicate, literary tropes of the natural world that shape our collective and individual identities. From the wooded coasts of Maine, the harsh winter of New England, and the summer heat of the Berkshires, to the dynamic urban centers of Chicago and Harlem, novelists such as Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Nella Larsen, and poets like Muriel Rukeyser, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Elizabeth Bishop evoke landscapes that represent the diverse and pressing questions we have inherited from the last century. Location (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
ENGL 250-01 Film Theory and Aesthetics Jason Middleton W 4:50PM - 7:30PM
This course is designed for students who have completed introductory and intermediate level courses in film and media, and are prepared to engage with more advanced readings in film theory and analysis. Subject areas will include semiotics, psychoanalysis, Marxist theory, feminist theory, queer theory, genre studies, phenomenology, cinematic realism, and theories of the avant-garde. The course will closely examine significant works of global cinema in the narrative, documentary, and experimental traditions. Prerequisite: Two courses in either English or Film and Media Studies. Location (W 4:50PM - 7:30PM)
ENGL 253-01 Florence Advanced Creative Writing Tutorial Joanna Scott 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This is a study-abroad course based in Florence, Italy, and dedicated to the intensive study of Creative Writing. Both interdisciplinary and international, this course will offer students the opportunity to work on their writing projects in one of the most culturally significant cities in the world. The course will combine group workshops, tutorial meetings, site visits, and walking tours through Florence and the surrounding countryside. Students will complete a portfolio in their preferred genre: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, or literary translation. There is a fee of $3800 and scholarships and travel grants are available for students. The course is open to University of Rochester students and can be taken as an elective. It will fulfill a 200-level requirement in the Creative Writing major, minor, or cluster. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 254-01 Arthurian Literature Gregory Heyworth TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
The origins and later developments of the chivalric romance tradition centering on the legends of King Arthur and his knights. Location (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
ENGL 266-02 Film Studies (The Politics and Aesthetics of Horror Cinema) Jason Middleton TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
Topics in the study of film. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. Offering a grounding in horror studies and film theory, this course invites students to view horror cinema with close attention to both formal and social/historical elements. One particular focus of the course will be on how the horror genre reflects larger cultural anxieties surrounding race, gender, class, and sexuality over time. Subtopics will include grief and trauma in horror; found footage and techno-horror; folk horror; and eco-horror. Location (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 267-01 Intro to Literary Publishing Chad Post MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course doubles as an internship at Open Letter Books (no need to apply for an internship separately) and focuses on explaining the basics of the business of literary publishing: editing, marketing, promoting, fundraising, e-books, the future of bookselling, etc. Literature in translation is emphasized in this class, and all the topics covered tie in with the various projects interns work on for Open Letter Books. Location (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 268-01 Digital Imaging Gregory Heyworth TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
This course introduces students to the methods involved in turning real objects into virtual ones using cutting edge digital imaging technology and image rendering techniques. Focusing on manuscripts, paintings, maps, and 3D artifacts, students will learn the basics of multispectral imaging, photogrammetry, and Reflectance Transformation Imaging, and spectral image processing using ENVI and Photoshop. These skills will be applied to data from the ongoing research of the Lazarus Project as well as to local cultural heritage collections. Location (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
ENGL 270-01 Advanced Production Michael Wizorek R 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Develop specialized skills needed for theatrical technical production beyond introductory technical courses. Using current Theatre Program productions, students will work in small seminars and in one-on-one tutorials with the instructor to accomplish advanced production processes in a chosen technical area. In the required lab sessions, students will develop skills in advanced planning, technical problem-solving, and crew leadership. Labs are scheduled with the instructor based on the current production calendars. Permission of instructor required. Labs are scheduled with the instructor based on the current production calendars. Location (R 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 270-02 Advanced Production Michael Wizorek F 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Develop specialized skills needed for theatrical technical production beyond introductory technical courses. Using current Theatre Program productions, students will work in small seminars and in one-on-one tutorials with the instructor to accomplish advanced production processes in a chosen technical area. In the required lab sessions, students will develop skills in advanced planning, technical problem-solving, and crew leadership. Labs are scheduled with the instructor based on the current production calendars. Permission of instructor required. Lab is scheduled on Friday from 1 - 4pm in Todd Theatre - 112 Todd Union Location (F 1:00PM - 4:00PM)
ENGL 272-01 Acting II Patricia Browne T 3:25PM - 6:05PM
Acting II aims to provide students who have substantial or significant performance experience an opportunity to explore, in depth, advanced acting techniques, while further developing interpretive and imaginative skills. The class aims to build creativity and the ability to inhabit a broad diversity of characters and performance styles. Pre-req: ENGL174, 292, 293, 294, 295 or by Audition Location (T 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
ENGL 275-01 Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction Stephen Schottenfeld M 2:00PM - 4:40PM
This workshop is for advanced fiction writers who have completed ENG 121 or have permission from the instructor. The course emphasizes the development of each student's individual style and imagination, as well as the practical and technical concerns of a fiction writer's craft. Readings will be drawn from a wide variety of modern and contemporary writers. Students will be expected to write three original short stories as well as to revise extensively in order to explore the full range of the story's potential. Applicable English Cluster: Creative Writing. Location (M 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 276-02 Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry Jennifer Grotz T 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Advanced creative writing workshop in poetry. Work by various contemporary poets will provide the framework for explorations into technique and poetic narrative. Poems, as William Carlos Williams once said, are machines made out of words, and in this advanced poetry workshop we will work on making the most gorgeous, gripping, and efficient machines possible. To that end, we will read both one another's poems and poems by established authors, in either case paying attention to the ways in which the authors harness aspects of their medium, the English language: syntax, diction, rhythm. The poems we write may take any shape, any form, but we will work towards understanding why a particular poem must take the shape it has; we will pay attention not so much to what the poems say as to how they say it. Requirements: weekly writing and reading assignments, revisions of assignments, devoted participation in class discussions, a final project. Permission of instructor is required. Students are to submit 3-5 typed poems, preferably before the first class. Location (T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 277-01 Topics in Screenwriting (Scriptwriting: The Short Film) Pirooz Kalayeh T 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Varrying topics in screenwriting and scriptwriting. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. Please see public notes for specific section titles and course descriptions. Review and practice of the requirements for writing professionally formatted scripts used in short films and webisodes. Emphasis will be placed on writing short-form scripts and analyzing and discussing key elements of storytelling. Location (T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 280-01 Topics in Debate (Rhetoric of Resistance) Brady Fletcher TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM
Varying topics in the practice and history of debating. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. "When activists, advocates, and resisters plan, organize, and strategize to oppose the powers that be, language and image are among their first considerations. The way in which they publicly represent their group, movement, or organization can make the difference between growing their ranks and successfully struggling against that power or failing to gain a foothold and remaining marginal or unknown. In this course we will examine some of the history of how movements and struggles have articulated their identity, mission, and goals to the world using critical, literary, and rhetorical theory to better understand those specific representational choices as forms of rhetorical praxis. We will consider many genres of resistance rhetoric, from manifestos, declarations, and slogans to pamphlets and essays, all of which also had specific authorial conditions and reception contexts. While written texts will form the majority of the first half of our course, we will venture into examining images, both still and moving, to understand how the mass reproducibility of graphics and images affected how movements represented themselves over the decades. Students who take this course should be prepared to actively participate in class discussions and projects throughout the semester." Location (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 281-01 Creative Nonfiction (The Art and Craft of Nonfiction) Melissa Balmain Weiner T 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Varying topics in the practice of non-fiction journalism. This topics course can be repeated (2 times) for additional credit as long as the special topic (section title) is different. AI has come a long way, but nothing touches us like words that we know come from a human—especially when those words are about real, lived experience. This class will help you find such words. And it will help you craft them into a story, essay, or memoir that makes facts every bit as compelling to readers as fiction. But good nonfiction depends on more than writing techniques, so we’ll also explore ways to get and develop ideas, dig for information, interview and quote people effectively and ethically, build a solid structure, and fact-check. We’ll read and discuss work by some of the best journalists, essayists, and memoirists around. By the end of the semester, you’ll be the author of several new pieces you can be proud of. **Instructor’s permission required. Please email Melissa Balmain (melissa.balmain@rochester.edu) a short paragraph on your writing experience: You should have at least one nonfiction or creative-writing course under your belt, such as Feature Writing, Fiction Writing, News Writing, Humor Writing, Screenwriting, Playwriting, or a WRTG 105 course—or significant writing experience at a print or online publication, on or off campus. English 281 can count as an upper-level (200-level) course in the CW major and minor. Location (T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 284A-01 Argument and Evidence Across Contexts Kate Phillips TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
We will investigate broad models of argument and evidence from the interdisciplinary field of argumentation theory. Students will apply these models to specific academic and social contexts of their choice. Some questions we might ask are: Can argument or evidence be understood absent context? What do arguments in STEM fields have in common with those in the humanities? For instance, is there common ground in how we argue about English literature and how biologists argue about the natural world? How do audience and purpose in disciplines such as psychology, physics and philosophy shape what counts as an argument in their respective fields? Does political argument resemble academic argument? What strategies will enable experts to communicate more effectively with public audiences in fields such as public health and the environmental humanities? Students will write frequent reflections, develop several short papers, and the semester will culminate in the construction of a final project of the student’s own design (for example, a research paper, a website, a podcast…) that can focus on any aspect of academic, professional, or political argumentation. Location (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
ENGL 287-02 Translation & World Literature Chad Post TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
The focus of this course is to examine what makes a translation "successful" as a translation. By reading a series of recently translated works (some contemporary, some retranslations of modern classics), and by talking with translators, we will have the opportunity to discuss both specific and general issues that come up while translating a given text. Young translators will be exposed to a lot of practical advice throughout this class, helping to refine their approach to their own translations, and will expand their understanding of various practices and possibilities for the art and craft of literary translation. Location (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
ENGL 288-01 Writing in a Digital World Liz Tinelli WF 10:25AM - 11:40AM
The purpose of writing in a digital world is to engage with a broader community around a topic of interest and contribute to public knowledge. In this course, students are invited to dig deeply into a question of interest, write for a public audience, and use the Internet as an archive of information waiting to be discovered, analyzed, and written about. Students can draw on pre-existing research interests from their majors or develop a line of inquiry stemming from class discussions, writing, and research. In order to gain experience writing to a range of readers, students will engage in a writing process informed by peer review, self-assessment, and revision. Shorter writing assignments will help students develop and refine ideas as they transform texts for different audiences. The final research project will be multimodal, published for a public audience, and should demonstrate your ability to think critically about a topic and effectively communicate that knowledge to a range of readers. Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement. Location (WF 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
ENGL 291-01 Musical Theater Performance Nigel Maister W 3:25PM - 6:05PM
This is a course devoted to the performance of work--both dramatic scenes and songs--from the musical theatre repertoire. The class follows a workshop model, with students singing, acting and performing material that is then critiqued and reworked. Students will get to work on both contemporary and Golden Age musical theatre repertoire in both solo/monologue format and in scenes. The class is intended for students with some background in musical theatre performance and is by audition only. The class may culminate in a public showing of work undertaken over the course of the semester. Location (W 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
ENGL 293-01 Plays in Performance III (1984) Nigel Maister 7:00PM - 7:00PM
For actors, assistant directors and select student staff working on the current mainstage production. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 295-01 Plays in Performance IV (The Christians) Nigel Maister 7:00PM - 7:00PM
For actors, assistant directors and select student staff working on the current mainstage production. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 297-01 Stage Management II Katherine Duprey F 2:00PM - 4:40PM
The stage manager is the critical organizational and management hub in the artistic process of theatrical production. Stage Managers are skilled project managers, and the skills learned in stage management are applicable to almost any management situation. Stage Management (fall/spring) students will get an in-depth introduction to and immersion in stage managing a theatrical production, as well as understanding the broader context of stage management within cultural, historical, theatrical and aesthetic histories/contexts. The course covers all areas of management skills, safety procedures, technical knowledge, and paperwork. Students will be expected to put in significant time in the lab portion of the course: serving as an assistant stage manager or production stage manager on one (or both) Theater Program productions in their registered semester. Location (F 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 298-01 Performance Lab (1984) J Simmons 7:00PM - 7:00PM
1 credit pass/fail performance lab course for students accepted into ENGL292, 293, 294, or 295 or for those involved as actors in mainstage Theatre Program productions. Permission of Instructor Required Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 299-01 Performance Lab (The Christians) J Simmons 7:00PM - 7:00PM
1 credit pass/fail performance lab course for students or actors accepted into ENGL294, or 295 mainstage Theatre Program productions. Permission of Instructor Required Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 316-01 Slow Cinema: Varda, Akerman Sharon Willis T 2:00PM - 4:40PM
This course will explore the many ways in which cinema operates as a time machine. Through close analysis of works by Agns Varda, Chantal Akerman, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Jean-Luc Godard we will consider varieties of cinematic temporality in relation to questions of history and memory (collective and subjective). Readings will include: Gilles Deleuze, Kaja Silverman, David Rodowick, Siegfried Kracauer, Walter Benjamin. Location (T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 320-1 Consent ROCS Sara Penner MF 3:25PM - 4:40PM
“Consent ROCs” is a research study and community engaged partnership initiative where UR & Eastman Students will share consent-forward theatre practices with Rochester Area high school theatre students through co-taught workshops collaboratively designed with in-service high school theatre educators. All students enrolled in the course will receive training and mentorship to co-teach these workshops to share meaningful tools for self-advocacy and collaboration. We will work with six different schools, survey participants and analyze our data towards the creation of a Consent Forward Theatre Guide for High School Theatre practitioners. Prerequisite: Enrollment by instructor permission. Consent and Performance ENGL 279 or Participation in a Theatre or Opera Production involving intimacy direction. * This course is made possible through the Center for Community Engagement and student will receive credit toward their CCE Certificate for completing this course. Location (MF 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 354-03 Advanced Production Project (1984) Nigel Maister 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course will build upon skills and experience garnered in earlier stage management coursework on Theatre Program mainstage production. It allows students to build real-world management techniques, test and develop their working knowledge of stage management, and develop hands-on experience in “the field”. Students will again work with professional artists on a Theatre Program Mainstage production and are expected to manage the production with advanced facility, significant self-regulation and self-evaluation, and develop mentorship skills to assist, inspire, and enhance the abilities of their student assistant stage management team members. Prerequisite ENGL296 or 297 and ENGL392 Permission of Instructor. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 360-01 Special Projects Theatre Nigel Maister 7:00PM - 7:00PM
In Special Projects: Theatre students work in a particular area or on a particular project of their choosing or devising. Developed with and overseen by a Theatre Program faculty member and functioning like an Independent Study, Special Projects: Theatre allows students the opportunity of specializing in or investigate theatre in a tailored, focused, and self-directed way. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 375-01 Seminar in Writing: Fiction Stephen Schottenfeld W 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Read short stories by contemporary writers along with fiction by the students in the workshop, and discuss ways writers can sharpen the conversation between text and reader. Also consider editing and reviewing techniques. Students expected to write and revise at least three original stories or three sections of a longer work of fiction. Location (W 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
ENGL 390-01 Supervised Teaching Brady Fletcher 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course offers undergraduate students a structured, credit-bearing opportunity to gain experience in supervised teaching within a college-level classroom setting. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, students assist in course delivery, lead discussions or labs, support instructional design, and participate in pedagogical reflection. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 391-01 Independent Study – 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Registration form (https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/independent-study-form.php) Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 392-01 Practicum: Advanced Stage Management Nigel Maister 7:00PM - 7:00PM
Practicum for Advanced Stage Management is designed for, and available only to students fulfilling the roll of a Production Stage Manager on a mainstage Theatre Program production. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 394-1 Internship Curt Smith 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Internship Registration form ( https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/internship-registration-form.php) Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 394C-01 Washington Semester Internship – 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Internship Registration form ( https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/internship-registration-form.php) Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 395-01 Independent Research – 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Registration form (https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/independent-study-form.php) Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 398-01 Honors Thesis Matthew Omelsky 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)
ENGL 399-01 Washington Semester Jeff Tucker 7:00PM - 7:00PM
This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department. Location ( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)