This course will draw material from 19th, 20th, and 21st-century texts, primarily poetry and
fiction. The texts will range from more traditional to more experimental. Classwork will address approaches to close reading and criticism. With the poems, we will look at different poetic forms and their effects. With the fiction, we will examine diversity in narrative form - in other words, how stories are told, and why. Possible authors include Dickinson, Rimbaud, Platonov, Beckett, Marquez, Lowry, and Bernadette Mayer.

The course satisfies the university's W requirement. Students will write one final, 10-12 page paper, which they will have an opportunity to revise in consultation with the instructor.