Fall 2024 - ENGL 111W D100
Literary Classics in English (3)
Class Number: 4512
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Leith Davis
leith@sfu.ca
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Examines literary “classics”, variously defined, apprehending them both on their own terms and within larger critical conversations. May incorporate the comparative study of work in related artistic fields and engage relevant media trends. Includes attention to writing skills. Students with credit for ENGL 101W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
Trying Forms: The Secret History and Possible Futures of The Essay
Essays. We all know and either love or hate them. But have you ever stopped to think about the history of the form (which literally means "to try") and how it got to be so pervasive, especially in educational institutions like the one you are currently attending? And are you beginning to wonder about their future in this world of AI-generated writing? This course answers all. We start by going back to the writer who might be considered the originator of the essay, Michel de Montaigne, as we consider how, isolated and surrounded by books in his private tower, he came to "invent" this radical form of prose. We follow the course of the essay through the exploding marketplace for print and the corresponding increase in literacy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and we consider its position as a format for mass communication and education in the twentieth century. One of the key themes we will return to in the course is the connection between form and content (material and ideas). So we'll end by considering current forms that seem to provide the same informational hit as the essay: podcasts, anyone? And we'll dabble in the speculative as we contemplate the possible futures of the essay (or lack thereof).You'll encounter a whole range of ideas in this course as we examine a selection of effective and important essays that address issues such as language and identity, science and society, race and gender, technology and creativity. You may not agree with all the writers (in fact, guaranteed that you won't). But you'll learn to appreciate how they say their piece, as, over the semester, we will develop a toolbox of critical skills that you can use to analyze the works we are studying.
You will be doing a lot of writing yourself in this course as you put what you learn into practice. You will do informal weekly writing exercises that you then revise and develop for the in-class essay and essay project.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
1. understand the history of the essay form
2. understand the relationship between material form and the communciation of ideas
3. evaluate, practice and demonstrate techniques of effective written and oral communication
Grading
- in-class essay (using materials workshopped in tutorials) 30%
- essay project (including draft and feedback) 25%
- final exam 30%
- informal writing exercises, preparation and tutorial attendance and participation 15%
NOTES:
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO HAVE THE TEXTBOOKS BY THE FIRST WEEK OF THE COURSE.
REQUIREMENTS:
To receive credit for this course, students must complete all of the assignment requirements, including attendance and participation.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose – Third Canadian Edition. Edited by Laura Buzzard, Don LePan, Nora Ruddock and Alexandria Stuart. 2017.
ISBN: ISBN: 9781554813469
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Department Undergraduate Notes:
IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.
For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.