Fall 2013 Course Offerings

ENGL 1001: Introduction to Literature

ENGL 2071: Topics in Fiction, Literature and the Enviornment

ENGL 2071: Topics in Fiction, Family Matters

ENGL 2071: Topics in Fiction, Global Short Stories

ENGL 2101: Proseminar--English Studies

CAMS 2111: Layout and Design

ENGL 2131: British Literature I

ENGL 2901: Special Topics: Business Writing

ENGL 2121: Children's and Young Adult Literature

ENGL 2511: Magazine Publishing Practicum

ENGL 2531: Web Publishing Practicum

ENGL 2541: Screenwriting Workshop

ENGL 2557: Creative Writing Workshop

ENGL 3141: Photojournalism

ENGL 3401: Intermediate Poetry Writing

ENGL 3651: American Novel

ENGL 4231: British Literature: Restoration through the Romantic Period

ENGL 1001:Introduction to Literature--Dr. Dowland

MWF     1:00pm-1:50pm            Dukes 152

MWF     3:00pm-3:50pm            Dukes 230

Course Description

This course is a broad introduction to literature and its study. Our focus will be on the analysis and interpretation of classic and contemporary examples of common literary forms—short fiction, poetry, and drama—to develop a vocabulary for describing literary structures and their effects. We will examine how literature is produced by authors as a response to cultural and historical influences. We will occasionally focus on literary criticism as a tool that helps us articulate our understanding of literature and sharpens our abilities to respond to literature in critical and analytical ways. As a course that emphasizes critical thinking and analytical rigor, your ability to understand and respond to literature—through careful reading and effective writing—will benefit you in diverse academic, social, and professional environments.

Required Texts

Kelly J. Mays, ed., The Norton Introduction to Literature (Shorter Eleventh Edition)

General Education Outcomes

#1: Effective Communication Writing

#7: Informed Responses to Aesthetics

ENGL 2071: Topics in Fiction, Family Matters--Dr. Scott

MWF     9:00am-9:50am            Dukes 112

This course, "Family Matters," will examine the ways in which the family unit--both nuclear and extended--is depicted in nine novels. In particular, we will look closely at the ways in which families from a variety of backgrounds (African-American, Jewish-American, Native-American, Asian-American, and Indian-American) deal with such issues as courtship, marriage, and parenting. Among the questions we will consider: What role does the past play in shaping family structures? How do such factors as race and class affect family dynamics? What are the primary sources of tension inherent in the family unit, regardless of background?

Written work will include two critical essays. In addition to these essays, you will also take a midterm and final examination.

ENGL 2071: Topics in Fiction, Global Short Stories--Dr. Cullen

MWF     9:00am-9:50am            Dukes 112

You are invited to take a journey of human experience through reading, discussing, and writing about a variety of short stories drawn from all over the non-Western World. We will be using two anthologies of short stories: The Art of the Story edited by Daniel Halpern and One World edited by a group of people, including Ovo Adagha and Molara Wood.

The texts’ prefaces offer insight into the nature of the stories we will read.

From The Art of the Story:

                                The fiction you are about to read in these pages configures the extremes of human nature.  The stories are narratives well told:  documents of our

                                condition, seemingly limitless in their array of setting, tone, dialogue, and method of storytelling.  It is via this ancient genre that the human spirit

                                finds voice in many tongues.

From One World:

                                We invite the reader on a personal journey across continents, countries, cultures and landscapes, to reflect on these beautiful, at times chaotic,

                                renditions on the human experience.  We hope the reach of this path will transcend the borders of each story, and perhaps function as an agent of

                                change.  Welcome to our world.

This course is tagged for Outcome #2 Critical and creative thinking (#2) and

 Outcome #4 An understanding of diverse cultures and their effects on human interaction (#4)

ENGL 2101: Proseminar: English Studies--Dr. Dowland

MWF     11:00am-11:50am            Dukes 150

Course Description

The goal of English Studies is to create the awareness that in anything we read—from words on the page to the world around us—we read with methods that invest what we read with meaning. To encourage this awareness, we will survey the various schools of theory to get a sense of what those schools find to be important ways of reading, why they do so, and perhaps most important, the presumptions and methods they use to create their distinct ways of reading.

These methods will prove useful to know as you progress through the major. Understanding these methods will strengthen your reading skills, as the exposure to new methods of reading inevitably impact and broaden our own. And understanding them will help you write more effective papers, as the articulation of one’s method makes the writing process more efficient and leads to the construction of more cogent analyses.

The course benefits students as an introductory survey of theory, but also as an introductory overview of the English department, its distinct culture, and your role as students within it. We will periodically reflect on the nuts-and-bolts processes of the English major, how theory appears in the assignments you may be asked to write, and how theory appears—in its unique ways—within the department’s tracks. And we will focus on how theory works for you, in terms of articulating a personal theoretical identity with practical and professional merits.

Required Texts

Robert Dale Parker; How to Read Literature (Second Edition, Oxford University Press)

Michael Ryan; An Introduction to Criticism (Wiley-Blackwell)

CAMS 2111: Layout and Design--Dr. Bauer

TBA     TBA            TBA

Course Objectives:

This course is a hands-on introduction to design principles used in the printing industry and on the web, as well as coverage of basic headline and cutline writing skills. Students will be introduced to three of the most widely used pagination and image manipulation software packages in publishing today: InDesignCS5, PhotoshopCS5, and Dreamweaver.  This is a familiarization class during which the student will have the opportunity to work in a self-paced mode and receive individualized instruction and assistance. 

Course Format:

The course will begin with an introduction to photography.  Each student will be provided with a SLR camera.  We will also cover layout and design and then move into a series of design projects that will be done concurrently with Photoshop and InDesign training.  There will also be periodic quizzes and mini-assignments that make up 20 percent of your grade.

University Learning Outcomes

This course fulfills the following ONU General Learning Outcome:

#1--Effective communication—non-writing

ENGL 2131: British Literature I--Dr. Robeson

MWF     2:00pm-2:50pm            Dukes 153

This course explores literary works from Britain as diverse as Beowulf, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and 18th century comedy. The focus is on how literary works reflect their culture but also lead forward in new directions.

Tags: Aesthetics; Diversity - Human Interaction

ENGL  2901: Special Topics: Business Writing--Dr. Rogers

MW           6:30pm-7:45pm                 Dukes 152

This course offers students an introduction to the goals and strategies of writing in business environments. We will adopt a rhetorical approach to business communication focused on evaluating audience, purpose and genre in any given situation. Students in this class can expect to gain practical experience individually and collaboratively drafting, revising and presenting formal documents. To make things more interesting, our class will be modeled on an actual workplace. Students will begin the course “unemployed,” become hired into one of four working groups (each with a distinct client and project), and make significant contributions to the work being done by that group. There will be individual and team assessments. Students in this course can expect to learn how to read, evaluate and produce the following materials: Resume, Cover Letter, Email, Memo, Proposal, Report, Presentation, and Promotional Video.

Course Tags:

#1 Effective Communication—Non-writing;

#2 Creative, Critical Thinking.

ENGL 2251: Children's and Young Adult Literature, "Fact and Fantasy" --Dr. Kanwit

MWF     3:00pm-3:50pm            Dukes 153

Using methods of literary analysis, this course will focus on two intersecting genres: historical fiction and the fairy tale adventure. In doing so, we will ask why certain fairy-tale patterns have remained so pervasive in modern fiction and films. In considering historical fiction, we will pay particular attention to the Jewish Holocaust and to Slavery, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to classic fairy tales, texts may include: Dicamillo, The Tale of Despereaux; Collins, The Hunger Games; Wiesel, Night; Spiegelman, Maus; Lowry, Number the Stars and The Willoughbys; Giovanni, Rosa; Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Lester, From Slave Ship to Freedom Road; Horvath, My 100 Adventures; Pearsall, All of the Above; White, Charlotte’s Web; and Stead, When You Reach Me. Course requirements will include two analytical essays, a mid-term and a final exam, active participation in all discussions, and one group presentation.

This course will meet the following two outcomes under the University General Education Program:

1.  An understanding of diverse cultures and their effects on human interaction (#4)

2.  Informed responses to aesthetics in art or nature (#7)

ENGL 2511: Magazine Publishing Practicum, Polaris--Dr. Moore

T           12:00pm-1:15pm              Dukes 151

This one-credit course is for students who are interested in engaging in publication activities for ONU’s student-run literary journal, Polaris. Weekly meetings will involve reading and reviewing submissions of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and art, planning for upcoming events, and attending to the duties of maintaining and promoting the visibility and vitality of Polaris through various media and social outlets. Students will work collaboratively to solicit creative work, develop promotional materials, and learn how to design a production schedule, all with an eye toward publication in the Spring semester.

ENGL 2531: Web Publishing Practicum, Re:Media--Dr. Rogers

R             7:00pm-7:50pm               Dukes 151

Re:Mediais Ohio Northern University's new all digital, web-based publication for critical and creative new media writing. Starting in the Spring of 2013, Re:Media will publish undergraduate student work from ONU and other area universities. Students in this practicum will have two opportunities: first, they will learn the basics of shooting and editing video, recording and editing audio, and composing web-based critical arguments; second, they will participate in the design and maintenance of a web-based publication. A wide range of digital tools and technologies will be available for creating projects. All students will participate in editorial review. No experience with technology is required to join Re:Media, but you must be willing to learn! 

ENGL 2541: Screenwriting Workshop—Dr. Cullen

R            12:00pm-1:15pm                                Heterick Library

Every week ONU students gather in Heterick Library to enjoy a stimulating group experience, exploring both the art and skill of creating screenplays of various kinds. As part of our exploration, we examine the intersections of this art with other genres of writing such as stage plays, fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. We also collaborate with the actors of the university’s theater department who do periodic readings of our scripts. In addition we make connections between screenplays/film/video and other artistic forms such as music and visual arts.  Some members of the workshop collaborate in creating short videos of the workshop material. Complementing these creative activities, we also examine some of the business aspects of the craft, such as marketing, copyright protection of scripts, and effective networking.

ENGL 2551: Creative Writing Workshop--Dr. Moore

R            3:00pm-4:15pm              Dukes 151

This one-credit workshop is primarily intended to give creative writers of all genres and levels a space in which to actively experiment with different forms and ideas through various writing prompts, to engage with one another in a workshop atmosphere, and to produce a handful of pieces as a result of these activities. Requirements include but are not limited to participation in weekly writing activities, thoughtful commentary on peers’ work, and the composition and revision of a few pieces over the course of the term, all of which are in the service of a central goal: to become familiar with current publication practices, and to submit work to magazines and journals.

ENGL 3141: Photojournalism--Dr. Bauer

TBA            TBA              TBA

Course Description:

This course will focus on the “art” of news photography, and cover basic instruction in the types of photography found in the news, as well as in magazines and journals--specifically sports coverage, feature shots, straight news, and advertising photos.  We will begin with the basics.  You do not need a camera—we provide it.  No previous photography experience is required and you do not need to be a journalism major—just interested in enhancing your work with photography. Students will learn photography skills such as how to adjust for aperture and speed, then we will branch out and explore how to capture the “heart” of a scene, person, or moment.  Shooting with identical Sony digital cameras, photographers will explore their camera’s full potential, learning how to approach a subject from a variety of angles, work with lighting, choose the right perspective, blur a background (intentionally), and freeze a moment in time. 

Class participants will be going to the scene of the action.  You will find us at athletic events, in a graveyard, exploring beautiful scenery, and setting up promotional shots for area businesses. 

Photographers will then take their shots into a lab and work with Adobe PhotoShop.  We will cover PhotoShop basics, such as cropping and color and tonal adjustments, then we will apply these skills to our photos. 

Teaching strategy:

This will be a very hands-on approach to teaching, with short lectures, followed by working with the students as they shoot.  We will travel to locations, whether that be a sporting event or a photo shoot for an advertisement.  Instruction will also include guest lectures from experts in the field of photography. 

Assignments:

Each student will compile a hardcover portfolio of their work. Each portfolio will be critiqued in writing, which will include suggestions on areas that need to be further developed.  

There is a lab fee associated with this class that covers printer ink, memory cards, and photo paper.  Students will be responsible for purchasing one textbook and an expandable portfolio for their photos.  Class size: 15 max.

Prerequisites:  NONE.

TAGS: #1--Effective Communication—visual

 #7--Informed responses to aesthetics in art or nature

English 3401: Intermediate Poetry Writing--Dr. Moore

MWF     9:00am-9:50am         Dukes 150

“What makes a verbal message a work of art?” Roman Jakobson asks in “Linguistics and Poetics” (1958), and it’s this question we will consider both broadly and specifically over the course of the semester, with a particular focus on two elements: line and image. In addition to composing and workshopping original pieces of poetry, students will be asked to consider their own aesthetic stance and the choices that inform that stance. To that end, we’ll develop poetics statements which will accompany revised poems submitted at the end of the term, along with a rationale regarding revision strategies. Course texts include but are not limited to James Longenbach’s The Art of the Poetic Line, Mary Ruefle’s Madness, Rack, and Honey, Ezra Pound’s “A Retrospect,” and poetry by Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and various other poets.

Tags: Effective Communication—Writing (#1)

ENGL 3651: American Novel--Dr. Scott

MWF     8:00am-8:50am            Dukes 112

This course, "Growing Pains," will examine the ways in which the coming of age process is depicted in nine American novels. In particular, we will look closely at the tensions inherent in this literary genre, namely between youth and experience, self and society, and innocence and awareness. In addition, we will also consider the following questions: How do the coming of age experiences of male protagonists differ from those of female protagonists? How do such factors as race and class affect the maturation process? Why is mental instability a frequent component in these novels?

Written work will include two critical essays and a final examination. In addition to the essays and exam, you will also be responsible for an oral presentation.

ENGL 4231: British Literature: Restoration through the Romantic Period--Dr. Bauer

MWF     1:00pm-1:50pm            Dukes 150

Course Description:

We will be reading poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction that is distinctly 18^th and early 19^th century British literature.  Changes were occurring…changes in attitudes, philosophy, poetry, the theater (women were now allowed to perform on stage), science became an organized “science” instead of a guessing game, and the “novel” was created.  We also have poets roaming the graveyards focusing on death and decay, and one of our first feminists, Mary Wollstonecraft, waves a flag for equal rights.  We also see the development of the gothic novel, the horror story, the sentimental romance, and the riveting Byronic hero.  It was a busy time period.

Students will be given three exams and write a research paper.

Texts: (see class for which editions to use)

• Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton—much of our literature refers to Satan and the fall of man.  We will read selections from Milton’s epic
• Selections of satireby Jonathan Swift (“A Modest Proposal” and various poems) and Addison and Steele (journalists)—satire was at its height during the 18^th century and these are the best examples of fine satirical writing.
• The Belle’s Strategem (1776) by Hannah Cowley—this play demonstrates the concepts of sensibility but also covers the emerging women’s rights movement.
• Selections from  A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft—a reply to Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man, Wollstonecraft argues that women also deserve equality and can achieve it through education.
• The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.  A true gothic classic—complete with ghosts, gigantic helmets that kill, secret passageways, and a sinister villain.  We see our gothic hero again later in the Byronic hero of poetry.
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  What happens when you create a monster?  Chaos…horror…and tons of good reading.
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.  A classic Austen tale, complete with a dashing gentleman named “Dashwood” who rescues a damsel on a white horse…sigh…
• Selections of poetry from our finest Romantic poets.
• Handouts will include non-fiction pieces like The Rights of Man.

University Learning Outcomes

This course fulfills the following ONU General Learning Outcome:

#1--Effective communication—writing