ENGL 295 - Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies Credits: 3-4 Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. Students in this course study a group of works related by theme, by culture, by topic, by genre, or by the critical approach taken to the texts. Involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Spring 2021, ENGL 295-01: Spring Term Seminar in Literary Study: Adapting the 19th Century (3). This course considers what it takes to adapt facets of the 19th century for 21st century audiences. We will read literary works ranging from “Rip Van Winkle” to “The Tell-Tale Heart” to Frederick Douglass’ Narrative, as well as neo slave narratives, film, and artifact curation that either adapt these works or otherwise engage the difficult questions that emerge from the process of reckoning with the 19th century in the United States. We will think about what makes something literature, what goes into adaptation, and what alternative versions of a given text can show us about their source. Part of the course may include a visit to Monticello and one other local site. The course culminates with student projects that adapt/curate an aspect of W&L’s history from the nineteenth century, or a text from the course, for modern audiences. Over the course of the term, we will hone the skills necessary for literary analysis, focusing on close reading, strong arguments that make use of precise claims and evidence. There will be a regular emphasis on writing. (HL) Millan. FDR: HL
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