Fall 2023
English 104: Introduction to Creative Writing
This course teaches fundamental techniques and strategies of creative writing in three major genres, such as poetry, fiction, drama, or creative non-fiction. Students practice writing in these genres and learn to critique writing in a cooperative workshop setting.
- MW 1300 -1420
- TR 1000 - 1120
- MW 1000 –1120
English 105: Academic Writing (many times and instructors)
This course helps you understand and develop university-level writing and reading practices which will serve you in any academic discipline. You will analyze writing and writing situations, critically think about writing, and develop and present ideas in essays.
English 108: Introduction to Literature (many times and instructors)
Students explore the power and possibilities of literature as they read diverse texts and gain critical tools. This course will provide students with a critical vocabulary for analyzing and interpreting works of literature.
English 170: Topics in Literature
Students will study literature and related texts and media, in the context of a theme, issue, or topic that will vary with the instructor.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs. The following ENGL 170 courses have different themes this fall:
- ENGL 170 C Understanding Comics TR 1300-1420
- ENGL 170D Indigenous Canadian Writing MW 1130-1250
- ENGL 170I Weird Fiction TR 1000-1120
English 200: Introduction to Literary Critical Methods
This course will focus on strategies for reading literature and writing literary critical essays. The course will include instruction in the conventions of the literary essay, and students will be guided in reading and writing about the three major genres: fiction, poetry, and drama.
- MW 1430-1550
- TR 1130-1250
English 201: British Literature 700-1700
A survey of major works and trends in British literature to 1700. Students will study major authors and literary movements and gain a broad understanding of different genres in their historical contexts.
Note: Students with credit for ENGL 204 or ENGL 205 cannot take this course for further credit.
English 202: British Literature 1700-1930
A survey of major trends in British literature from 1700 to 1930. Students will study major authors and literary movements and gain a broad understanding of different genres in their historical contexts, especially those of colonization, industrialization, gender relations, and modernity.
Note: Students with credit for ENGL 206 or ENGL 207 cannot take this course for further credit.
English 213: Creative Writing: Poetry
In this writing-intensive introduction to the creative process and techniques of poetry writing, students study works by established writers as models. Students produce their own writing which is then critiqued by the instructor and classmates in classroom discussion.
English 240: An Introduction to Canadian Literature
This course introduces students to the rich variety of Canadian literature in English. From narratives by early European explorers to contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry, the course examines how the experiences and values of Canadians have evolved. Students will consider the role of Indigenous peoples in the shaping of Canada.
English 253: Intro to Storytelling
This course introduces students to storytelling by exploring the relationship between community, (auto)biography, and performance. Students will learn protocols, creative processes, and storytelling techniques. The course includes an introduction to Stó:lō stories. Students will create and perform their own stories.
Note: THEA 250 may include a fieldtrip.
Note: This course is offered as THEA 250 and ENGL 253. Students may take only one of these for credit.
English 270: Topics in Popular Fiction
Students study selected genres of fiction by diverse writers popularized between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different genres. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs, but may not take it more than twice to meet English major, minor, or extended minor requirements.
- ENGL 270D: Gothic Fiction TR 1300 – 1420
English 271 Topics in Contemporary Rhetoric
Students will be introduced to basic concepts and terms from the field of rhetoric, and apply them to the analysis of a particular contemporary cultural context (e.g. Canadian political debate; Indigenous rights claims; social media; environmental debate; stand-up comedy).
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs.
- ENGL 271D: Rhetoric of inclusion & Access TR 1600-1720
English306: Chaucer Today
Students consider Chaucer’s work in the context of medieval and modern social justice movements. Students also learn to read Chaucer in the original Middle English.
English 316: Milton
Students examine the poetry and prose of John Milton in their literary and cultural contexts.
English 331: Victorian Poetry and Poetic Theory
This course will examine the poetry and poetic theory of the Victorian era, 1830-1900. Representative works by Tennyson, Arnold, the Brownings, the Rossettis, and Hopkins will be studied in relation to the aesthetics of Mill, Arnold, Ruskin, Pater, Buchanan, and Symons.
English 339: British and Irish Fiction Since 1930
Explores new developments (postmodernism, postcolonialism, devolution) and continuities (realism, social comedy, historical fiction) in British and Irish fiction since modernism.
English 344: American Literature 1620-1860
This course is a survey of major American authors from the Colonial era to the eve of the Civil War. Authors covered may include Edward Taylor, Mary Rowlandson, Benjamin Franklin, Washington Irving, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Frederick Douglas, Edgar Allen Poe and Walt Whitman. Topics covered may include the Puritan influence on American culture; race and slavery; the American Gothic; and Transcendentalism.
English 358: Modern Canadian Poetry
This course examines selected works of Canadian poetry. The course readings range from the work of early twentieth-century poets such as EJ Pratt and FR Scott up to contemporary poetry by writers such as Don McKay and Anne Carson.
English 366: Perspectives on Literary Texts
This course surveys major trends in twentieth century and contemporary literary theory. Areas of concentration may be selected from psychoanalytical theory, Marxism, feminism, structuralism and poststructuralism, postcolonial theory, new historicism, reader response theory, or indigenous writings on decolonization.
English 367: Culture and Theory of Diaspora
This seminar course investigates the phenomenon of diaspora in modern, postcolonial, and global contexts. Examining an interdisciplinary literature from the social sciences and humanities, students will become familiar with the social features of diaspora and the cultural expression of the diasporic condition through a consideration of theoretical, literary, and ethnographic texts. Particular attention will be given to the local nuances of diaspora in Canada and Europe.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 367 and ENGL 367. Students may take only one of these for credit.
- Blended, In-person on F 1000-1250, and Online
English 368: Topics in Drama
This course examines selected dramatic works which are organized around a single topic. The topic might be a theme such as theatre of social protest, a form or genre such as theatre of the absurd, a region such as Anglo-Irish drama, or a critical approach such as performance theory. Attendance at a live performance may be required.
English 373: Advanced Creative Non-fiction
In this advanced writing-intensive course, students study and write creative non-fiction. This interdisciplinary, often first-person, style of reportage can be usefully applied in books, journal articles, scripts, and online media.
Note: This course is offered as ENGL 373 and JRNL 373. Students may take only one of these for credit.
English 376: Rhetoric: An Historical Survey
Focusing on the development of rhetoric from classical times to the present, and examining primary source documents in the context of present-day concerns, students trace a rhetorical tradition that continues to contribute to language, educations, and cultural awareness.
English 390: Creative Writing: Special Topics
An exploration of a specific literary genre of the instructor’s choice, at an advanced level. Students will produce original creative work which will be workshopped and revised. Students will study examples of the genre by professional authors. By the end of the term, students will have produced a substantial portfolio.
English 490: Directed Studies in English
This independent study course is designed for upper-level students who wish to pursue in-depth study of an author, genre, period, or topic not otherwise offered.
English 491: Honours Directed Reading
The first of two courses specific to the English Honours program, this course prepares students to write the research paper or creative writing project through instruction in research techniques and intensive reading in an area of interest to be defined by agreement between students and instructors.
English 492: Honours Directed Essay
The second of two courses specific to the English Honours program, this course will be devoted to the writing of an extended research paper or substantial creative writing project for the student’s BA degree in English Honours.
Winter 2024
English 104: Introduction to Creative Writing
This course teaches fundamental techniques and strategies of creative writing in three major genres, such as poetry, fiction, drama, or creative non-fiction. Students practice writing in these genres and learn to critique writing in a cooperative workshop setting.
- TR 1000-1120
- MW 1000-1120
- T 1430-1720
English 105: Academic Writing (many times and instructors)
Students learn the theory and practice of academic writing by designing and carrying out a structured research project. Reflective writing helps students develop transferable knowledge of writing processes and situations. Academic conventions are contextualized by subject matters such as storytelling and Indigenous ways of knowing, language variation, and genre theory across contexts.
English 108: Introduction to Literature (many times and instructors)
Students explore the power and possibilities of literature as they read diverse texts and gain critical tools. This course will provide students with a critical vocabulary for analyzing and interpreting works of literature.
English 170: Topics in Literature
Students will study literature and related texts and media, in the context of a theme, issue, or topic that will vary with the instructor.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g., C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs. ENGL 170 themes for this winter are:
- ENGL 170C: Understanding Comics MW 1300-1420
- ENGL 170D: Indigenous Canadian Writing Asynchronous Online
- ENGL 170G: Contemporary Science Fiction TR 1300-1420
English 200: Intro to Literary Critical Methods
This course will focus on strategies for reading literature and writing literary critical essays. The course will include instruction in the conventions of the literary essay, and students will be guided in reading and writing about the three major genres: fiction, poetry, and drama.
English 201: British Literature 700-1700
A survey of major works and trends in British literature to 1700. Students will study major authors and literary movements and gain a broad understanding of different genres in their historical contexts.
Note: Students with credit for ENGL 204 or ENGL 205 cannot take this course for further credit.
English 202: British Literature 1700-1930
A survey of major trends in British literature from 1700 to 1930. Students will study major authors and literary movements and gain a broad understanding of different genres in their historical contexts, especially those of colonization, industrialization, gender relations, and modernity.
Note: Students with credit for ENGL 206 or ENGL 207 cannot take this course for further credit.
English 208: Creative Writing: Screenwriting
In this introductory skills-based workshop in the fundamental techniques and principles of screenwriting in various styles (including dramatic, experimental, and documentary), students will work towards the completion of a short script.
English 212: Creative Writing (Short Fiction)
In this writing-intensive introduction to the creative process and techniques of short fiction writing, students study model works by established writers. Students produce their own short fiction, which is then critiqued by the instructor and classmates in classroom discussion.
English 214: Rhetoric for Contemporary Writers
Students learn classical and contemporary rhetoric, the study of what makes writing or speech persuasive, powerful, and effective. They apply rhetorical theory to their own writing and to the analysis of contemporary culture.
English 223: Literary and Narrative Traditions
Students will study influential early literatures and traditions. Versions of the course will focus on a specific tradition, such as Biblical, Greek and Roman, or South Asian.
Note: Students with credit for ENGL 225 cannot take ENGL 223D for further credit; students with credit for ENGL 250 cannot take ENGL 223E for further credit.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs.
- 223D: The Greek and Roman Tradition MW 1430-1550
English 228: Indigenous Literature
Students explore contemporary Canadian Indigenous literature from a range of genres and traditions, as well as several television series written by and about Indigenous communities in Canada. Students also explore Indigenous and postcolonial methodologies and examine the course texts in light of these methodologies.
English 245: Introduction to South Asian Literature
This course examines South Asian fiction, written in English, within its social and historical contexts. The emphasis will be on literature from the Indian subcontinent’s British, American, and particularly Canadian diasporas. Course materials may include influential works in non-fiction genres (e.g. autobiographies, essays, film).
English 280: Children’s Literature
This course introduces students to the major periods and genres of children’s literature from the folk and fairy tales to the present day. The course will focus on major authors and themes in children’s literature, including images of childhood.
English 301: Greek Epic and Drama in Translation
Students study classical Greek epic and drama in translation, including the works of Homer and Sophocles. They explore the social, political, and religious contexts of Greek literature, as well as the poetics of diverse oral traditions.
English 304: Topics in Medieval Literature
Students examine a significant theme or topic in medieval literature, such as the Heroic Age, medieval love, or Arthurian romance. Typically, course materials include works in a variety of genres.
English 313: Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry
Students write poetry that will be workshopped and redrafted. Students study examples of the genre by professional authors and give an oral presentation on a poetic collection. By the end of the term, students will have produced a substantial portfolio.
English 321: The Later Eighteenth-Century, 1750-1800
Examines the literary period of the later eighteenth century, which saw a shift from Neoclassical to Romantic attitudes towards nature, the imagination, and the self. As a historical period, 1750 to 1800 saw British territorial expansion and attendant encounters with global populations, including the Indigenous people of the Americas. These developments promoted a notion of “modern” identity that is reflected in the poems, essays, and works of fiction studied on the course.
English 338: Studies in Modernism
Students survey Anglophone modernism through literary texts of various genres drawn from the late 19th to mid-20th century, and explore major issues, key authors, and important themes in modernist literature and culture.
English 350: American Literature 1900-1945
This course will feature a selection of poetry, fiction, and drama from the American modernist period. Topics may include formal experiments of the avant garde, responses to historical events such as World War I and World War II, and/or social geographies like those of Indigenous and African American people.
English 360: Topics in Canadian Literature
This course examines a significant theme or topic in Canadian literature such as the North, World War I, urbanization, or social protest. Typically, course materials include works in a variety of genres.
English 369: World Literature
Students explore literature from three or more world regions, including but not limited to Africa and the Caribbean, East Asia, Latin and Indigenous America, South Asia, or the Middle East, in English or English translation. Course materials may include works in other media and genres such as essays, theatre, and film.
English 379: Rhetoric: Composition Teaching
Workshops, discussions, and readings teach students how trends in writing ideology and pedagogy, trends in curriculum design, and public attitudes toward composition affect the teaching of writing. This course is of value to prospective teachers.
Note: Students with credit for EDUC 379 cannot take this course for further credit.
English 380: South Asian Literature
The focus of this course is South Asian literature from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and/or Sri Lanka. Students explore a broad range of relevant historical and sociocultural contexts, as well as such issues as empire, race, religion, caste, gender, nation, and class.
English 388: Topics in Children’s Literature
This course examines a significant genre, period, theme, author, or national tradition in children’s literature. For example, the course could focus on the animal story or the “problem novel”; on Victorian children’s literature or twenty-first-century bestsellers; on children’s literature about war or the Holocaust; on an individual writer such as Kit Pearson or Michael Morpurgo; or on Canadian or Australian children’s literature.
English 405: Seminar in Creative Writing
This course allows students to work on individual, advanced creative writing projects. Students engage in genre-based critical discourse, give a presentation on the work of a contemporary author, as well as produce a completed manuscript. Revision is an essential component with students significantly redrafting their work to produce the final project by the end of the course.
English 490: Directed Studies in English
This independent study course is designed for upper-level students who wish to pursue in-depth study of an author, genre, period, or topic not otherwise offered.
English 491: Honours Directed Reading
The first of two courses specific to the English Honours program, this course prepares students to write a research paper or creative writing project through instruction in research techniques and intensive reading in an area of interest to be defined by agreement between students and instructors.
English 492: Honours Directed Essay
The second of two courses specific to the English Honours program, this course will be devoted to the writing of an extended research paper or substantial creative writing project for the student’s BA degree in English Honours.
Summer 2023
English 104: Introduction to Creative Writing
Learn fundamental techniques and strategies of creative writing in three major genres (such as fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and drama). Practice writing in these genres and learn to critique writing in a cooperative workshop setting.
- Online (Michelle Superle)
English 105: Academic Writing (many times and instructors)
Understand and develop university-level writing and reading practices which will serve you in any academic discipline. You will analyze writing and writing situations, critically think about writing, and develop and present ideas in essays.
English 108: Introduction to Literature
Students explore the power and possibilities of literature as they read diverse texts and gain critical tools. This course will provide students with a critical vocabulary for analyzing and interpreting works of literature.
- TR 1430-1550 (Tim Herron)
- Online (Karen Selesky)
- Online (Helene Littmann)
English 170: Topics in Literature
Students will study literature and related texts and media, in the context of a theme, issue, or topic that will vary with the instructor. This summer the theme is ‘Understanding Comics’.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs.
- TR 1000-1250 (Ron Sweeney)
English 203: Literature and Film
Students will study literature in relation to film. Mutually illuminating analytical approaches to literature and film, and related vocabulary, will be explored, along with thematic and historical-contextual considerations.
Note: This course is offered as ENGL 203 and MACS 203. Students may take only one of these for credit.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs This summer the theme is ‘Canada Imagined in Film’.
- Online (Michelle La Flamme)
English 228: Indigenous Literature
Students explore contemporary Canadian Indigenous literature from a range of genres and traditions, as well as several television series written by and about Indigenous communities in Canada. Students also explore Indigenous and postcolonial methodologies and examine the course texts in light of these methodologies.
- TR 1300-1550 (Nicola Campbell)
English 312: Shakespeare
This course examines a representative sample of Shakespeare's plays selected from the "genres" of the works as they have been traditionally divided and performed.
- TR 10:40am-12:50pm (Tim Herron)
English 321: The Later Eighteenth Century, 1750-1800
Examines the literary period of the later eighteenth century, which saw a shift from Neoclassical to Romantic attitudes towards nature, the imagination, and the self. As a historical period, 1750 to 1800 saw British territorial expansion and attendant encounters with global populations, including the Indigenous people of the Americas. These developments promoted a notion of “modern” identity that is reflected in the poems, essays, and works of fiction studied on the course.
English 323: Special Topics in Romanticism
This course approaches the English Romantic period from a variety of perspectives that varies with the instructor. Studies might, for example, focus on the Romantic ode, madness and the Romantic imagination, the Politics of English Romanticism, or Romantic women.
- MW 1040-1250 (Hilary Turner)
English 392: Bulgakov, Pasternak, and Solzenitsyn
This course concentrates on the works, translated into English, of three courageous writers who dared to express ideas that were not acceptable to the Soviet regime. These works will be examined as examples of great literature within their social and historical context.
Note: This course is offered as RUSS 392 and ENGL 392. Students may only take one of these for credit. Students with credit for RUSS 352 cannot take this course for further credit.
- TR 1300-1450 (Alan Cameron)
