Ira Sukrungruang

Each section of these first-year seminars approaches the study of literature through the exploration of a single theme in texts drawn from a variety of literary genres (such as tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, epic, novel, short story, film and autobiography) and historical periods. Classes are small, offering intensive discussion and close attention to each student's writing. Students in each section are asked to work intensively on composition as part of a rigorous introduction to reading, thinking, speaking and writing about literary texts. During the semester, instructors assign frequent essays and may also require oral presentations, quizzes, examinations and research projects. This course is not open to juniors and seniors without permission of the department chair. Offered every year.

Students in this workshop write imaginative nonfiction in any of its traditional forms: memoirs, reflections, polemics, chronicles, idylls, lampoons, monographs, pamphlets, profiles, reviews, prefaces, sketches, remarks, complaints — anything but the traditional college essay. As in other writing workshops, attention in class is paid above all to the writing itself, word by word, sentence by sentence. This counts toward the emphasis in creative writing and the creative practice requirement for the major. Admission is open, though students may not take this course in the first semester of their first year. Seats are reserved for students in each class year. Offered most years.

Students in this workshop write imaginative nonfiction in any of its many forms, and write and revise one or more pieces to produce 75-90 pages over the course of the semester. As with all writing workshops, classroom discussion requires an openness to giving and receiving criticism. Outside reading includes essays and at least one book-length work by acknowledged masters of the form. To better explore questions of craft, written responses to these readings are due each week. This counts toward the creative writing emphasis and the creative practice requirement for the major. Prerequisite: ENGL 200, 202, 205 (or an equivalent introductory workshop) and permission of instructor via application. Consult the department for information on the application process and deadlines.

Designed to take full advantage of the rich historical and cultural heritage of the British Isles, the Kenyon-Exeter Seminar focuses on two different themes: "plays in production" and "literature and landscape." "Plays in production" focuses on the drama, stagecraft, history and culture of British theater. Students see and study 15 to 20 plays ranging from works by Shakespeare and other Renaissance and classical dramatists to the most avant-garde of contemporary writers; from “original practices” at London’s Globe Theatre to “immersive theater” in London warehouses to cutting-edge productions staged by boundary-defying companies. The goal is to trace the actual process of production from play-text to cultural reception all across Britain's theatrical history, in the context of close classroom attention to the theory and practice of performance. "Literature and landscape" integrates analysis of literary texts with study of the distinctive geographic and social landscapes that inspired and shaped them. This part of the course balances literary study with travel throughout England and the British Isles. Subjects include the poetry and journals of William and Dorothy Wordsworth in the context of their surroundings in the Lake District and elsewhere; William Butler Yeats’ poetic reinvention of the Irish landscape; the country-house tradition of Chatsworth and Stourhead as it helped determine Jane Austen’s approach to questions of property and community; and the complex social and cultural history of London legible in the work of writers ranging from William Blake to Charles Dickens to Zadie Smith. This part of the course also centers on an extended sojourn across a broad region of Britain or Ireland — typically, one to two weeks in Scotland’s Highlands and cities or in the Republic of Ireland. Other sites include Dartmoor, Bath, Lyme Regis, Stonehenge, Tintagel and many more, all with a view toward immersion in the worlds of British literature. This course meets two half-units of any of the department’s distribution requirements, as confirmed by the course’s instructor. Only open to student participants in the Kenyon-Exeter Program.

Designed to take full advantage of the rich historical and cultural heritage of the British Isles, the Kenyon-Exeter Seminar focuses on two different themes: "plays in production" and "literature and landscape." "Plays in production" focuses on the drama, stagecraft, history and culture of British theater. Students see and study 15 to 20 plays ranging from works by Shakespeare and other Renaissance and classical dramatists to the most avant-garde of contemporary writers; from “original practices” at London’s Globe Theatre to “immersive theater” in London warehouses to cutting-edge productions staged by boundary-defying companies. The goal is to trace the actual process of production from play-text to cultural reception all across Britain's theatrical history, in the context of close classroom attention to the theory and practice of performance. "Literature and landscape" integrates analysis of literary texts with study of the distinctive geographic and social landscapes that inspired and shaped them. This part of the course balances literary study with travel throughout England and the British Isles. Subjects include the poetry and journals of William and Dorothy Wordsworth in the context of their surroundings in the Lake District and elsewhere; William Butler Yeats’ poetic reinvention of the Irish landscape; the country-house tradition of Chatsworth and Stourhead as it helped determine Jane Austen’s approach to questions of property and community; and the complex social and cultural history of London legible in the work of writers ranging from William Blake to Charles Dickens to Zadie Smith. This part of the course also centers on an extended sojourn across a broad region of Britain or Ireland — typically, one to two weeks in Scotland’s Highlands and cities or in the Republic of Ireland. Other sites include Dartmoor, Bath, Lyme Regis, Stonehenge, Tintagel and many more, all with a view toward immersion in the worlds of British literature. This course meets two half-units of any of the department’s distribution requirements, as confirmed by the course’s instructor. Open only to participants in the Kenyon-Exeter Program.

This seminar is required for English majors pursuing an emphasis in creative writing. The course involves critical work on a topic chosen by the instructor (such as "Reliable and Unreliable: Investigating Narrative Voice," "Beginnings and Endings," "The Little Magazine in America" and "Documentary Poetics") to provide context and structure for students' creative work. Students should check online listings for the specific focus of each section. Although not primarily a workshop, this seminar requires students to work on a substantial creative project (fiction, nonfiction or poetry). Senior English majors pursuing an emphasis in literature are required to take ENGL 410 instead. Students pursuing honors will take ENGL 497 rather than the senior seminar. Senior standing and English major.

Individual study in English is a privilege reserved for senior majors who want to pursue a course of reading or complete a writing project on a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum. Because individual study is one option in a rich and varied English curriculum, it is intended to supplement, not take the place of, coursework, and it cannot normally be used to fulfill requirements for the major. An IS earns the student 0.5 units of credit, although in special cases it may be designed to earn 0.25 units. To qualify to enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the English department willing to direct the project. In consultation with that faculty member, the student must write a one- to two-page proposal that the department chair must approve before the IS can go forward. The chair’s approval is required to ensure that no single faculty member becomes overburdened by directing too many IS courses. In the proposal, the student should provide a preliminary bibliography (and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks) for the course, outline a specific schedule of reading and/or writing assignments, and describe in some detail the methods of assessment (e.g., a short story to be submitted for evaluation biweekly; a 30-page research paper submitted at course’s end, with rough drafts due at given intervals). Students should also briefly describe any prior coursework that particularly qualifies them for their proposed individual studies. The department expects IS students to meet regularly with their instructors for at least one hour per week, or the equivalent, at the discretion of the instructor. The amount of work submitted for a grade in an IS should approximate at least that required, on average, in 400-level English courses. In the case of group individual studies, a single proposal may be submitted, assuming that all group members follow the same protocols. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of their proposed individual study well in advance, preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval.