Department of English

EL-175. Fundamentals of Acting I. 3.00 Credits.

Students will use scenes, activities, and games tolearn to improvise, move on stage, project their voices, understand a scene, and develop a character.

EL-176. Fundamentals of Acting II. 3.00 Credits.

Continuation of Part I including presentations for theatre and video space creation of video suitable for use as an audition piece.

EL-201. English Literature I. 3.00 Credits.

A study of major works in British literature from the Old English period to the late eighteenth century, with emphasis on literary forms, genres, and themes, as well as key linguistic, cultural, and historical contexts. Required of all English majors. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Core curriculum course.

EL-202. English Literature II. 3.00 Credits.

A study of major works of British literature from the Romantic Era to the present, focusing on thematic concerns and aesthetic innovations within British literary production in relation to the socio-historic development of the cultures of Great Britain and its Commonwealth. Required of all English majors. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Core curriculum course.

EL-203. American Literature I. 3.00 Credits.

Two elements of the American Dream have been present from the very beginning-freedom and opportunity. We will explore the earliest treatments of those ideas and others in works from authors such as John Smith and Edgar Allan Poe. (Group 3) Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Core curriculum course.

EL-204. American Literature II. 3.00 Credits.

This course surveys the literature of America in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries that shape evolving notions of what it means to be American. Through a variety of literary texts and genres, students will make connections between form, content and meaning while exploring how American literature delineates the capacious and often contested sense of American identity. Topics may include immigration and migration; performance, race, class, and gender; notions of liberty and oppression; place and space. Critical and writing skills will be enhanced through close analysis of texts and the application of basic literacy concepts and methods of interpretation. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Core curriculum course.

EL-205. Survey of World Literature. 3.00 Credits.

An introductory survey of the modern and contemporary literatures of the developing world, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinarily situating texts in terms of their various cultural, political, economic, and historical contexts. As an introductory literature course, this class will also serve to introduce students to the methods of close-reading-based textual analysis. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Arts/Language, Addl Humanities, Pluralism.

EL-206. Poetry. 3.00 Credits.

This introductory literature course is designed to help students develop the skills necessary to understand and enjoy poetry. The class will explore the diversity and range of poetry, emphasizing the analysis of short lyric poems, and selected examples of verse drama, verse essay, and narrative poems. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Arts/Language, Addl Humanities.

EL-207. Drama. 3.00 Credits.

This class introduces students to the creative, eclectic and wonderful world of theatre in order to develop an appreciation for the art. Members of the class work together on creating a greater awareness of the role of theatre in its aesthetic, cultural, historical, and educational settings, helping students to gain a strong and well-rounded understanding of the role theatre plays in our everyday lives. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Arts/Language, Addl Humanities.

EL-208. Fiction. 3.00 Credits.

Designed to initiate and develop understanding and appreciation of the nature, properties, and traditions of prose fiction; and to stimulate critical interest in this literary form by establishing standards of judgment and evaluation. Prerequisites: CM-102, CM-115, CM-116, OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Arts/Language, Addl Humanities.

EL-212. History of Film I: Beginnings to 1959. 3.00 Credits.

This course presents an overview of cinema history from its beginning to 1959 and provides students with the basic tools for analyzing the art of film. Students view representative films from major movements and study the uses of camera, editing, light, and sound.

EL-213. History of Film 1960 - Now. 3.00 Credits.

This course presents an overview of cinema history since 1959, with attention to the cultural, political, economic, and technological forces that helped to shape cinema during this time. Significant trends within the U.S. are studied, including new and changing genres, independent and maverick filmmakers, and the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters. Students are introduced to national cinemas in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

EL-250. Live Performance Art. 3.00 Credits.

Participants will be enlightened, enriched, entertained, by attending performances representative of Broadway musicals, ballet, concerts, dance, and opera. Additional course fee of $235. Prerequisites: CM-115, CM-117 OR CM-120.

EL-252. Creative Writing. 3.00 Credits.

Creative Writing is designed to teach the craft of writing creatively; the objective of the course to produce original work through the study of published authors with a wide range of styles, determined by the genre focus. These writing workshops will work on audience, point of view, tone, language choice, plot, character, setting, dialogue and description, depending on the overall form. Students may repeat the course depending on the subject matter, which will alternate between creative writing and the short story, the novel, poetry, drama and fan-fiction.

EL-254. Dramatic Writing Workshop. 3.00 Credits.

An introduction to the basics of dramatic writing, this course is for students who wish to concentrate on developing scripts for the stage. Prerequisites: CM-115, CM-117 OR CM-120.

EL-257. Creative Writing: Poetry. 3.00 Credits.

Creative Writing is designed to teach the craft of writing creatively; the objective of the course is to produce original work through the study of published authors with a wide range of styles, determined by the genre focus. In this class we will read a wide variety of poetry, in different forms and from various time periods. We will analyze poems considering context, literary devices, style, and themes, and we will then use them as inspiration for composing our own poetry. By the end of the semester, students will have not only written multiple poetic analyses, but they will also have compiled a dossier of their own creative work, which they will be encouraged to read aloud at one or more "poetry slam" events. Students will also be encouraged to become involved with The Pavan, the literary magazine of Saint Peter's University.

EL-265. Screenwriting. 3.00 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce the fundamentals of writing for film and television. Students experience the same creative process as a professional screenwriter, moving through the various levels of a typical Hollywood "step" deal. During the first two weeks of class, the students conceive, plan, outline and "sell" their ideas for either a feature length film (75-120 minutes) or a television program (sit-com or drama series pilot). Prerequisites: CM-115 OR CM-120; Course Type(s): Writing Intensive.

EL-293. Today's Film Scene. 3.00 Credits.

Students will meet in Manhattan to view and analyze contemporary films, often before they are released to the general public. At times the film makers are likely to participate. The course will give students a knowledge of the contemporary film scene as well as skills in film analysis. Additional course fee of $235. Prerequisites: CM-115, CM-117 OR CM-120.

EL-295. Credited Internships. 3.00 Credits.

EL-298. Literary Travels. 3.00 Credits.

Students will read, analyze, and write about works of literature, within their historical contexts, and will travel to the site(s) of their inspiration, typically during the spring break. Destinations will vary, depending on the theme of the class. Additional course fee of $50.00. Course Type(s): International (Travel).

EL-303. Dante Boccaccio and Chaucer. 3.00 Credits.

In this course we will study, analyze and compare three literary giants of the late Middle Ages: Dante, Boccaccio and Chaucer. Each writer will be studied separately and in a comparative context. In addition, we will look at the influence of these writers on one another, Dante on the other two and Boccaccio on Chaucer. Naturally, each of the writers will be discussed in his historical context, how the three express medieval thought and values and can be read as precursors of the early Renaissance. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-304. Medieval English Literature. 3.00 Credits.

Survey of the Old English period (499-1066), covering selected prose and poetry, including Beowulf, and the Middle English period (1066-1485), surveying the works of Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, Malory and others. (Group 1) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-306. Textual Analysis: Theory and Practice. 3.00 Credits.

An introduction to the predominant contemporary methodologies of literary/cultural studies analysis and their theoretical underpinnings, this course will introduce core disciplinary concepts and develop awareness of the "schools" of criticism that make up the field of literary/cultural studies analysis as it stands today (new historicism, feminism/gender studies, deconstruction, etc.), thereby grounding students in the constitutive disciplinary practices of the field of English. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-308. Literature and Pop Culture. 3.00 Credits.

Literature and Pop Culture will focus upon a different author or aspect of contemporary literary fandom each semester it is offered. It will consider how composers of fan fiction, spinoffs, mashups, screenplays, vlogs, video games, and more adapt the works of their favorite authors in order to extend their experiences in these beloved "universes" and to bring their characters along with them, addressing issues of their own times. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-309. Women in Drama. 3.00 Credits.

This class will explore the multitude of contributions made to the world of drama and theatre by female-identifying playwrights, producers, directors, designers and performers to help you develop an appreciation and understanding for their historical impact for this art form. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-310. Gender and Sexuality in Film. 3.00 Credits.

An introduction to an understanding of the ways in which gender and sexuality have been represented in film and the mass media. Beginning with an introduction to methods of film analysis, it will explore socio-cultural presumptions about gender and sexuality, how some of these have changed over time, and how they have influenced social expectations, body types, and narrative structure. It will also look at diversity within categories and how "woman" can include Charlize Theron, Kate McKinnon, Lillian Gish, and Marilyn Monroe and "man" can include John Wayne, Kevin Hart, and Pee Wee Herman. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-311. The Renaissance: Major Texts. 3.00 Credits.

Interpreting the term "texts" broadly (as any important intellectual or artistic productions emerging from the variously and often vaguely defined era called the Renaissance), this course examines crucial literary works-including Don Quixote, Hamlet, the sonnets of Petrarch, and Calderon's Life is a Dream-as well as important artists (Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael) and philosophers (Descartes and Pascal, among others) of the period. (Group 1) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-312. Fantasy: Worlds of Wonder. 3.00 Credits.

Fantasy, comprised of tales rooted in history and myth, still retains contemporary resonance. From the fairy tale aspect of The Wizard of Oz to the epic scope of The Lord of the Rings, fantasy as a literary genre continues to fascinate readers. This course will draw on such diverse scholarly sources as J.R.R. Tolkien's approach to world-building to Joseph Campbell's arc of the hero's journey to explore classics of this compelling type of literature. Students will read and analyze selected works to determine not only the power of creative aesthetics found therein but also to analyze why such stories are experiencing a popular resurgence in today's society. For those who have spent years secretly wishing for an acceptance letter from Hogwart's, this course will provide entry into quests, quidditch, and cavernous wardrobes that open into magical realms! Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-313. Renaissance Drama. 3.00 Credits.

A reading and analysis of a variety of Renaissance plays from England and the continent (including Spain, Italy and Portugal). (Group 1) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-314. Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama. 3.00 Credits.

A study of important dramatists, from Marlowe to Ford, excluding Shakespeare. Revenge tragedies, history plays and city comedies are examined both as literature and as plays intended for performance. (Group 2) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; Course Type(s): Writing Intensive.

EL-315. Studies in Shakespeare. 3.00 Credits.

A critical appreciation of representative sonnets, history plays, comedies, "problem comedies", tragedies, and romances. Works are studied within their historical context, and plays are approached both as published literature and as work designed for the stage. (Group 2) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-324. Restoration and Eighteenth Century Drama. 3.00 Credits.

After the English Civil war and Charles II's restoration to the throne, English theater saw a revival and openness to new themes and broader participation (with women joining the ranks of players and playwrights). In this class, we will examine wickedly satirical comedies of manners, highly emotional tragedies, and new genre of opera, and more - on the page and in performance. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-330. Greek Mythology: When Women Were Gods. 3.00 Credits.

A study of Greek Mythology: the theories of myth and their specific influence in literature, media, and art. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-331. English Romanticism. 3.00 Credits.

An exploration of major trends in English Romanticism with particular attention to the question of why writers of this era had such an explosive effect on the course of English literature. (Group 3) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-332. W. Wordsworth Percy B. Shelley J.Keats. 3.00 Credits.

Issues to be discussed in this class include the nature of Romanticism, the Romantic Revolution, and these writers and other Romantic poets as rebels against the work and views of poets of the Eighteenth century. Important themes which these poets focused on and which we will discuss are the poet, himself or, rather, his feelings and ideas as the subject of his verse. Another theme, especially in our discussion of William Wordsworth, is the poet's relationship and view of nature. And, finally, we shall study the work of these poets as expressions of deep feelings, and attitudes and their defense of emotion as a legitimate subject of poetry. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-334. Victorian Prose and Poetry. 3.00 Credits.

An exploration of significant trends in Victorian literature primarily through a study of the works of its major poets, essayists, and novelists. (Group 3) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-335. Victorian Life and Literature. 3.00 Credits.

A study of art, education, history, religion, and science in the literature of the Victorian era. (Group 3) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-339. Literature of the Black Atlantic. 3.00 Credits.

Africana culture has flowed across the Atlantic Ocean littoral from the earliest days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade - not just from West Africa to the New World, but back and forth in complex circuits interconnecting the black peoples of West Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This is what scholar Paul Gilroy, in his groundbreaking formulation, calls "the Black Atlantic": an Africanist socio-cultural entity that traverses national and geographic borders. This course examines the literature of the Black Atlantic, proceeding from a survey of different theorizations of blackness to an analysis of select works by black authors that focus particularly on social and cultural encounters, exchanges, movements, and inter-group conceptualizations of different Africana peoples. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; Course Type(s): Pluralism, Writing Intensive.

EL-345. Gothic Literature. 3.00 Credits.

The Gothic mode in fiction has been popular for over two centuries. This course explores stories and novels, from The Castle of Otranto to The Exorcist, that reflect crucial elements of the genre. We will be reading all forms of the Gothic-supernatural, mechanical, and psychological. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-354. American Drama. 3.00 Credits.

An exploration of works by important American playwrights-including O'Neill, Williams, Hansberry, Mamet, and Wilson-this course examines how plays present universal concerns of family, identity, and the search for meaning, as well as specifically American themes of race, class, and gender. (Group 4) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-360. LGBTQ Drama. 3.00 Credits.

This Group 4 course will focus on 20th and 21st Century American drama that deals with the subject of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer life. Members of the community wrote some pieces; others use an LGBTQ character in a unique manner. All of the pieces contend with the history of this minority group in a historical context; each piece seeks to decipher the place of minority (and often multi-minority) cultures in America.(Group 4) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; Course Type(s): Pluralism.

EL-361. Hitchcock. 3.00 Credits.

This course is designed to offer an in-depth study of the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Examining the major films against the director's life and the Hollywood system, students will understand the parameters of auteur theory and the working of the Hollywood system. Particular emphasis will be placed on Hitchcock's story-boarding method, stylistic and cinematic technique, and his innovative use of editing and sound. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-362. African American Literature. 3.00 Credits.

Students will experience the artistry of American writers of color by tracing their development from the early slave narrative to contemporary works of film, novels, and poetry. Discussions will revolve around these texts to familiarize readers with theories of formal literary reading, and cultural/ethnic distinction subjects include gender-based criticism, theories of community, and attitudes toward racism and prejudice. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-403. Great Books. 3.00 Credits.

Designed to provide a background in intellectual history and provoke consideration of ethics and values, this course studies texts fundamental to the Western literary tradition and to a liberal education. Writers include Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Cervantes, Rousseau, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-417. Detective Fiction. 3.00 Credits.

This course focuses on the history of detective fiction and the evolution of the genre into reportage - the blending of real crime with the narrative of detective fiction. The selected fictions tell stories of crimes from differing points of view, beginning with the detective, moving toward the criminal and ending with their victims. In addition, a variety of crime genres will be studied: the whodunit, the noir, the docudrama, reportage, the neo-noir and the meta-fiction. (Open to all who have met the prereq. requirements -Take 1 course: From courses EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207, or EL-208. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-421. Fiction and Film. 3.00 Credits.

The course provides an introductory understanding of film, of the novel, and of the ways they interrelate. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-423. American Film. 3.00 Credits.

Through lectures, films shown in class, readings, and research projects, this course will develop the students' ability to analyze film in depth as well as to understand the historical and artistic development of the Hollywood film industry. Classical and current films will be studied in relation to American as well as foreign film traditions. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-450. Capstone Seminar. 3.00 Credits.

A required seminar on a topic in English or American literature. As part of its content, the course will provide an introduction to literary theory and criticism applicable to the seminar's focus. Students will engage in extended research and write and present a capstone thesis. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; Course Type(s): Capstone, Writing Intensive, Senior Seminar.

EL-460. Culture of the 70's. 3.00 Credits.

This course offers an interdisciplinary cultural history of the 1970s in the United States. Particular attention will be focused on exploring the major events, trends, and social movements of the period through close analysis of its literature, film, music, television, and visual art. Topics will include the Women's liberation Movement, the Black Power Movement, urban decay and artistic renaissance in 1970s NYC, the birth of neoconservativism, and the politics of disco and the cultural backlash against it. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-473. Shakespeare: From the Page to the Stage. 3.00 Credits.

Since Shakespeare's plays were intended to be performed live, not read in silence, we will both critically analyze a selection of his works and then bring the texts alive in performance, employing both original theatrical practices and modern acting techniques. (Group 2) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208.

EL-493. Film Noir: Dark Side of American Film. 3.00 Credits.

An introduction to this American Film genre with reference to its origins in European films and painting of the 1920's and 1930's, and in American hard-boiled detective fiction of the 1930's, as well as to its significance to the development of Hollywood and today's mass media. Prerequisites: 1 COURSE EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; COMPLETE 6 CREDITS: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES PL-130 PL-140 AND 1 COURSE FROM COURSES TH-110 TH-120; Course Type(s): Values.

EL-498. SPS Capstone. 3.00 Credits.

Required for certain SPS students in consultation with advisor. The course will examine the relationships between humanities, social sciences and other disciplines through literature and writing, and will culminate in a thesis. Course Type(s): Capstone.

EL-499. Special Topics. 3.00 Credits.

(Group 4) Prerequisites: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 EL-208; Course Type(s): Writing Intensive, Pluralism, Interdisciplinary.