Dear Students,
please access and navigate this course from the WSU Canvas page. While all of my courses are listed and detailed on this homepage, the most current information regarding the time & semester, and the readings & assignments, for our class is visible only on Canvas. The actual WebPals, by contrast, are accessible only from this site and should be used to complement your assignments and readings, if appropriate. Thank you.
Course Description
Why are you here? Perhaps because ENG 2220 allows you to fulfill one of your Gen. Ed. requirements at a time convenient to you. If that's the case, well, that's good--make the most of it! I'd also like to believe, however, that some of you are here because you like to read and talk about books and films. If so, again, you've made the right decision. Our course, in fact, is intended to provide you with some of the fundamentals of critical reading and interpretation by introducing you to some (what I hope will be) interesting samples of 20th- and 21st-century fiction and film. You will be exposed to a small but impressive array of well known and lesser known writers. Welcome!
Beyond that, our class is also intended to give you the opportunity to express your ideas and thoughts on the readings through class discussions, group work and group presentations, as well as written take-home assignments. The relaxed teaching format of the class should allow you to speak freely. We will emphasize from the very beginning the value of (frequently conflicting) readings which a particular text (or film) may invite. Just as there is no absolute right or wrong, in most cases, there is also no absolute right or wrong reading of a text. Such an "open" approach toward reading should make it possible for you to speak freely in class. Regular attendance and participation in class discussion, in fact, is expected of you. The more you contribute, the better: for your personal growth, for the intellectual climate of the classroom, and—last but not least—for your grade. Bottom line: Be there in body and mind!
Useful Links:
- Please check CAL PAL (Contemporary American Literature PAL), from the navigation menu above, regularly for useful links, as you prepare for class and research your interests. Many of these sites contain numerous other links. As you find additional useful sites, please let us know!