|
Creative Writing Position: Fiction Writer
|
Studying EnglishLiterature in the English language encompasses writings from the Middle Ages to the present day. Written by English, American, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish authors, English literature is also produced by writers from countries formerly colonized by the British Empire. Click on this link for a list of internet resources for the study of English. The Department of English offers a variety of courses in literature and writing for both general education (FDR FW, HA, and HL) and major credit. Creative writing courses (HA) and advanced expository writing courses are also taught regularly. Foundation Courses (FDR) The FDR composition courses (English 101, Expository Writing, and English 105, Composition and Literature) are taught by members of the English Department. The times, topics, and instructors of English 101 and 105 change annually; check with your advisor, the registrar, or the department in advance of registering for details. Your advisor has details about your placement, unless you have been exempted from the FDR FW requirement. After completing the composition requirement, students may use any 200- or 300-level literature course in English (to which they gain admission) to fulfill FDR HL distribution requirements. Upper-level literature courses (300 and above) are usually meant for English majors, but there are exceptions, especially in the spring. Please consult the professor directly to seek permission to enter a course to which you have not automatically been admitted. How to Major in English Students who major in English can pursue a variety of careers. If you are thinking of majoring in English, take one of the department's 200-level offerings (Shakespeare, one of the topical courses, or the Novel, Poetry, Southern American Literature, etc.). These courses also fulfill the FDR HL requirement. Students who are serious about the English major (having completed one 200-level literature course) should take English 299, the gateway seminar into upper-level work in the major. Topics, instructors, and times vary each term. At least one 299 seminar is offered in fall and winter terms. Next, get an advisor in the major. This person may be your freshman advisor, or one of your teachers, or another member of the department. That professor will guide you through the major. When you fill out the Registrar's declaration of major form, you will be asked to select an advisor in the major. You can get an advisor in English prior to declaring a major by using the same form: at the bottom, it allows you to change advisors. After taking English 299 and at least one other 200-level course, you will be ready to try upper-level work in English. Be advised that registered junior and senior majors are admitted automatically to the 300-level courses for which they register. Non-majors and sophomores will find it more difficult to gain admission to popular 300-level courses. Sophomores who have completed English 299 are eligible for 300-level courses: they should make their cases to the professor or to the department chair. Non-majors should contact individual instructors directly. A student who is serious about getting into a class always appears on the first day! English majors are required to distribute 9 of their 12 courses in three areas: earlier British Literature; later British Literature (including world literature written in English); and American literature. Student take at least three courses in each area, and one in each category may be a 200-level course. (See major requirements.) An English major requires completion of 36 credits, which allows for double-majoring and studying abroad, both of which are encouraged by the English Department. Students may also choose to pursue secondary school teaching certification, in the Teacher Education Program. See Lenna Ojure for details. Every year, the English Department hosts several special events for its students. In the fall, the annual Shannon-Clark lecture is delivered by a distinguished visitor, with whom majors discuss literature in a retreat, usually held at Skylark Farm. A series of festive gatherings mark the completion of senior theses and English 413 projects. Towards the end of spring term, departmental prizes are awarded at a ceremony for faculty and students. The Glasgow Endowment sponsors readings of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction throughout the year. Recently, Jamie O'Neill, Edward P. Jones, Rita Dove, Natasha Tretheway, Maxine Kumin, Mary O'Malley, Ha Jin, Nuala NiDhomhnaill, Derek Walcott, Barry Lopez, and Michael Chabon have read. In 2005, Washington and Lee hosted New Medicine: a Festival of Native Writing. Up-to-date information on events, lectures, and readings can be found at the What's Up With English link in the side bar menu. In the senior year, English majors complete their coursework and undertake their capstone writing project. Capstones take two forms, senior honors theses and capstone papers written for English 413. Some seniors write a thesis; preparation to do so begins in the winter and spring of the junior year. The two-term honors thesis is not a requirement for graduation, but an option for those who have the requisite GPA. Most majors find it rewarding to study in the department's regular seminars and courses and to take as a capstone writing project English 413, Senior Research and Writing, of which at least six sections are offered in fall and winter. (Independent reading courses can also be arranged in consultation with individual faculty members, though these do not fulfill the capstone requirement.) The combination of course distribution, and the capstone paper or the senior honors thesis makes the major an exceptional preparation for graduate study in English. Alphabetical List of Topics Capstone Writing Requirement for
Seniors
|