ENG 4934 - Fall 2025 - Eckert

This course explores the complex dynamics between literary form and material form. We will consider how authors and artists seek to make meaning not only through words but also through the physical forms and formats that their words take. From evaluating paperbacks like Steven Hall’s experimental novel The Raw Shark Texts to unbound works like Anne Carson’s poem Nox to artists’ books that often don’t look like traditional books at all, this course asks students to consider how texts make meaning beyond just language itself. Throughout the semester we will draw on FSU Special Collection’s strong holdings of artists’ books and also experiment with bookmaking techniques ourselves. For their final project students will have the option to create an artist’s book alongside a research-based, critical reflection of their own creative process. In addition to the required texts, students should be prepared to spend roughly $35 on materials. This course meets the Literature Capstone Requirement.