ENG 4815 Fall 2018 Howell

Another appropriate title for this class might be "What Can a Text Be?" We explore texts and textuality by creating a lot of texts ourselves. By experiencing texts as both intimately and at a distance, we gain a fuller understanding of what a text can be. We look at mediated communication very broadly, and we consider carefully the question of what is gained and what is lost when you consider other sort of media, in addition to the printed word, as texts.

The class is primarily a seminar-type, discussion-based class, so much of the knowledge and insight you will gain from the class will come from class discussions, hands-on activities, and your own attempts to make sense of the ideas and examples we explore through the semester, aided by similar attempts from your classmates and instructor. This is not a "just sit back and listen" class, though quiet people with active brains can do quite well in this format. Required coursework includes several smaller, 1-2 week projects, plus a longer, end-of-semester multi-week project.