English 200A, which fulfills both VLPA and W requirements, is designed to introduce students to techniques and practices for reading and enjoying literature.

The course texts -- three very readable, engaging recent novels set in Seattle -- will allow us to witness the shift from the nuclear age to the information age as the city transformed itself from a regional backwater to what one character calls “a true metropolis.” From the depths of the Cold War to the height of the tech bubble, these novels trace how the forces of globalization changed the city’s self-image, and the way those who live in Seattle experienced it.

There will be class discussions, short essays, and opportunities to venture beyond the page and off campus as some assignment options take place in the city itself.


Course texts:
Truth Like the Sun by Jim Lynch
Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta
Waxwings by Jonathan Raban

Questions? Contact the instructor, John O’Neill: joneill@uw.edu