University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mark Canada Greenlaw 505 Office Hours: 1-2 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-12 Wednesdays E-mail address: canada@sassette.uncp.edu World Wide Web site: www.uncp.edu/home/canada
Poe, Edgar Allan. Selected Poetry and Prose of Poe. Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass and Selected Prose. Dickinson, Emily. Final Harvest. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems. O'Neill, Eugene. Long Day's Journey Into Night. Kingston, Maxine. The Woman Warrior.
A course that combines depth with breadth, "English 28: Major American Authors" will help you to explore the works of seven important writers from various periods in American literature. While we will not be able to study every major writer or even every major movement, the selection of authors is designed to expose you to the richness of the American literary imagination, which has drawn on a multitude of experiences and perspectives--male, female, European, African, Asian, Northern, Southern, Western--and flowered in a variety of forms--poetry, fiction, drama, Romantic, Realist, Naturalist, Modernist. As we study each of our seven writers in his or her context, however, we also will try to appreciate each's individual style, viewpoint, artistry, and contribution to American and human culture. Finally, we will strive to live up to our own responsibility as readers of this literature by responding to it in class discussions, group presentations, reading journals, and papers.
Because the class emphasizes the role of readers, your active participation is crucial. Nearly every class will begin with a 5-minute quiz, which we will use to launch the day's discussion. Most classes also will feature a 15-minute presentation by groups of students on background material. These quizzes and presentations will account for 20 of the total 100 points available in the course. Another 20 points will come from weekly reading journals, in which we will respond to the works we read. You also will address an issue in one or two of the works in an 8-10 page paper, which will be worth 20 points of your grade. Finally, we will have a midterm exam and a final exam, each of which is worth 20 points. Late assignments will not be accepted unless you obtain permission from me in advance. I will grant such permission only if you are seriously ill or must attend to urgent family business.
When you invest a large portion of your time and energy in a class for 15 weeks, you should expect something more than a grade in return. If you work hard in this course, you will receive a good grade, but you also will receive several other, more lasting and important benefits. First, you will have produced a Major American Authors Notebook. More than a place where you store your notes and papers, this notebook will prove to be, I hope, a resource and inspiration to you for years to come. Second, you will have a chance to contribute to Canada's America, an electronic publication on the World Wide Web. Your name will appear along with every fact and insight you provide, and you may cite these "publications" when you build your resume and talk to employers. Third, your classmates and I will help you develop a foundation of insights, skills, and study strategies that will help you become the strong writer and well-rounded person that many employers and graduate schools seek. Finally, I hope that reading and discussing the works of some of America's great writers will help you to develop a richer appreciation of life and language.
In addition to the required texts listed above, you will need a 3-ring binder with five dividers to store your notes and handouts, journal entries, quizzes, exams, and papers. Finally, you must bring to every class a curious, open, and active mind. Armed with these few items, we are ready to launch, like Poe's Arthur Gordon Pym, "boldly out to sea"--and boldly out to see.