English 160/01 Introduction to Literature:  Poetry and Drama  Winter 2012 Monday & Wednesday 11:00 - 12:25 pm LA 370
Maryam Barrie  734-973-3737 Office: LA 300 D Office Hours: Mon 9- 10am, 2-3pm/ Tue 9 – 10/Wed 2 – 3pm, Thur 12:3- 1:30 pm and by appointment Email - mbarrie@wccnet.edu Web Address - http://courses.wccnet.edu/~mbarrie We will be using Blackboard regularly
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This course will present a variety of canonical and contemporary poetry and drama, and we will be using the critical skills of analysis, understanding and imagination through discussion and writing assignments. As the course is a survey, we will not be focusing on a particular time period, but will cover a wide variety of poetry and drama. You will have the opportunity to discover what sort of works you as a reader find particularly compelling, challenging and interesting. Since literature is not a science with right and wrong answers, we will be working on developing your ability to verbalize and articulate why your response to given works is what it is. You won't be required to like everything we cover, but you will be encouraged, prompted and nagged into expressing how you evaluate the work, and why.
Required Texts: Gardner, Janet. ed. 12 Plays: A Portable Anthology. Boston:  Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. Schakel, Peter and Jack Ridl, eds. 250 Poems. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Optional Texts (for final project) Reza, Yasmina. God of Carnage. Trans. Christopher Hampton. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2008. Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1994.
Our work will largely involve discussion of the materials read for each class period, but there will also be 10 weekly writing assignments (one to two page Reader responses), quizzes and exams, in- class presentations on the areas under discussion (these will involve outside sources reflecting your research), an analytic literary paper on a poem of your choice from Literature and Its Writers, and a final project involving one of several plays (we will discuss options later in the term). In addition to the readings from the anthology, some of your assigned readings will be handouts on the Blackboard server. Part of your responsibility in the course will be to print out the handouts in addition to reading them, so that you will have them in class for our discussions [not having copies of the handouts with you in class will put you at a serious disadvantage for the inclass quizzes]. Having a laptop in class in order to have access to the handouts is acceptable, though using your laptop for entertainment during class is not. Accessing the handouts at Blackboard will be demonstrated in class. If you have particular difficulties accessing Blackboard, or printing out the handouts, please contact me outside of class so that we can make special arrangements before the reading assignments are due.
Guidelines for Classroom Conduct In order to establish a respectful and committed classroom, we will discuss and negotiate a set of guidelines for classroom conduct. My expectation is that each of us will be treated with respect, and that each of us will be thoughtful and honest throughout the class. In order to be clear, my assumption of basic classroom etiquette includes that we will: Arrive on time for class Stay in the classroom during class Eat mostly quiet foods, discreetly Take turns talking during discussions Practice active listening with one another Be willing from time to time to read aloud from the text Turn off cell phones during class, (unless you have special circumstances that you communicate to me beforehand) NO text messaging during class Don’t use your computer for entertainment during classtime. (again, if there are special circumstances, please let me know) Stay awake during class Try to not interrupt when others are speaking Keep our attention in the classroom (and not in private conversation with our neighbors, on homework for other classes, or any othr electronic diversions) Decide together what any other guidelines will be should problems arise. If you know you will be absent, please communicate with me beforehand. When you are able to return to class, please be sure to connect with me either before or after class. (Asking what you may have missed at the beginning of class is not a good use of the whole classroom's time It is your responsibility to be up to date with assignments, whether or not you have been attending class) If you must arrive to class late, or must leave early, please communicate your circumstances to me before or after class.
Poetry Links Poetry Foundation –excellent web archival resource also contains much of the montly magazine content The Academy of American Poets  - some good information, a few poems and several good projects and links The Rainer Maria Rilke Archive - Yes! a lovely collection of this poet. The Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive - a lovely, ongoing project The William Blake Page - text, art, commentary Poetry Society of Britain - a similar UK site Modern and Contemporary American Poetry - a great site from the University of Pennsylvania's A. Filreais Favorite Poem Site - inspired by poet laureate Robert Pinsky's 1999 project Drama Links The Purple Rose Theater – Chelsea theater, original productions Performance Network Theater – Ann Arbor mainstay, year long season Theater at Eastern Michigan University- student productions Ann Arbor Civic Theater – long term community theater University Musical Society – not just music, also traveling national/international companies University of Michigan School of Music, Dance and Theater – student productions AnnArbor. Com Theater Schedule Shakespeare Links The University Musical Society -in Ann Arbor Mr. Shakespeare and the Internet Surfing With the Bard - an excellent source on Shakespeare on the Internet Interactive Shakespeare - quizzes, games (even hangman!) Complete Works of Shakespeare online - searchable - hosted by MIT Related Links The Carnegie Mellon English Server Literary Research Tools on the Net Voice of the Shuttle - a very thorough Humanities Web Resource Internet Public Library - U of M School of Information site - good critical sources Medical Humanities - Literature, Arts and Medicine Database - from the NYU School of Medicine n questions that could be interesting beginning places for research and analysis. Law, Literature and Medicine - This colates some material done recently in these intertwining fields. In addition, there are  literature links and general links pages at the site
If you think you may have a documented disability please let me know. There is plenty of support for you here at Learning Support Services, which you can reach at 734-973-3342.
Please note: I follow WCC policies and procedures regarding academic dishonesty. This means that I routinely check all student work for plagarism, and will follow the sequence of consequences outlined in the student handbook should the need arise.
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©2012 Maryam Barrie