001 Instructor: Andersen MWF 12:20 PM – 1:15 PM
002 Instructor: Hogeland TR 9:30 AM – 10:50 AM

This course explores ways of experiencing, analyzing, and making sense of literature. We will read a variety of literary works, with a focus on the short story, literary nonfiction, poetry, drama, and graphic narrative. Our emphasis will be on analyzing literature through sustained and collaborative acts of interpretation. What distinguishes literature from other forms of writing? How do literary genres differ? How do we construe meaning from literary texts, and how do literary texts guide us to construct meaning? How can research inform or enrich our interpretations? How can we distinguish between more and less compelling interpretations? What attitudes and practices characterize more highly skilled readers? These are some key questions we will seek to answer, in large part through in-class workshops where we analyze and discuss texts together.