Introductory English Courses Spring 2027
ENGL 105: Honors Introduction to English -
Instructor: Sean Kamperman
54452 | TuTh 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4021
In this course, we will use the lens of food and food studies to practice critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and to meet the KU Core34 Goals of exploring your own experiences and utilizing research to communicate ideas in writing and across varied contexts and mediums. We will begin with overviews of how the metaphor of “cooking” is used to discuss writing processes, drawing comparisons between cooking and writing as generative action and interaction and as activities that are both active and reflective. We will then explore the connection between food, memory, and cultural identity as we read and write food memoirs. Moving from personal to academic writing, we will research and explore food-related issues relevant to our disciplines, with a focus on how food serves as a lens for exploring social/cultural issues (such as the environment/sustainability, health/nutrition, human-animal relationships, labor conditions, food insecurity, food safety, etc.). For the final project, we will turn to the history of cookbooks (with a visit to Spencer Research Library to examine cookbooks in the archives) and will explore the rhetoric of cookbooks and the genre of recipes as we create multimodal projects that contribute to a final collaborative class project: a digital cookbook/website/blog.
ENGL 209: Introduction to Fiction
Instructor: Brian Daldorph
53084 | MWF 10:00-10:50 AM | Wescoe 4019
54280 | MWF 11:00-11:50 AM | Wescoe 4019
PREVIOUS Description:
The purpose of ENGL 209 is to introduce studies to the elements of prose fiction storytelling and the key methodologies of studying the genre. In this class, students will read, critically analyze, and write about various short stories and novels. In this class we will focus on methods of interpreting and analyzing stories, discussing the nature of the prose fiction form(s), and exploring the purpose of both analyzing stories and storytelling more broadly. Required texts may include Nella Larsen’s Passing, Yoss’s A Planet for Rent (trans. David Fyre), N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, and various short stories from the literary to the speculative.
ENGL 210: Introduction to Poetry
Instructor: Beth Plank
60398 | MWF 12:00-12:50 PM | Wescoe 4019
60399 | MWF 1:00-1:50 PM | Wescoe 4019
In-depth reading of and writing about poetry with emphasis on critical analysis of a variety of forms and techniques used in poems from different historical periods. Prerequisite: Completion of ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, or their equivalent.
ENGL 220: Introduction to Creative Writing
Instructor: Kevin Mulligan
59324 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Fraser 207
60393 | TuTh 2:00-3:15 PM | Fraser 207
In this course, students will study and engage in the practice of creative writing in four genres: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Through reading (of both creative work and critical texts on creative writing craft), discussion, and creative experimentation, students will gain a strong understanding of each genre’s conventions, strategies, and contexts. Writing assignments will scaffold the creative process, from generating original ideas to developing drafts. At the end of each unit, students will participate in creative writing workshops, where they will practice giving and receiving detailed, constructive feedback in a supportive environment. In lieu of a final exam, students will submit a revision of one of their creative works, along with a short reflection.
Instructor: Whit Knapp
60400 | MWF 11:00-11:50 AM | Fraser 113
60401 | MWF 12:00-12:50 PM | Fraser 113
Introduction to Creative Writing poses the following questions: What is a good story? What are the fundamentals of crafting compelling images, scenes, and characters? How can creative writing skills be transferred to other fields and professions? What pathways are available for students who aspire to be authors? To answer these questions, students will analyze texts, learn literary techniques, produce original work, and explore avenues toward publication. Each of the three major units concentrates on one genre, first poetry, then screenwriting, and lastly, short fiction. Throughout each unit, students will read, discuss, and critique a rich collection of texts written by various authors, including Tracey K. Smith, Aaron Sorkin, Flannery O’ Connor, and others. These readings will help students understand how masters of craft wield verse and prose to create visceral details, dialogue, and plot. At the end of each unit, students must submit a creative work with reflection for a grade. Submissions will not be graded on the instructor’s subjectivity but on the student’s originality and application of concepts studied in class. Any use of generative AI is not permitted at any stage of the creative writing process, which includes brainstorming, drafting, and revising. Students will also expand their knowledge of Creative Writing as a field of study, researching its history, influence, and discourse.
ENGL 300: Introduction to English Studies
Instructor: Colleen Morrissey
57651 | MW 3:30-4:45 PM | Wescoe 4076
58315 | By appointment | Online
What do we mean when we say we “study English” in the 21st century? How is it possible that the same academic field includes the study of Shakespeare’s plays, Toni Morrison’s novels, Kendrick Lamar’s song lyrics, politicians’ social media posts, business memos, and the crafting of an original poem? What do you actually get out of an English major or minor? In this course, students will learn the histories, approaches, and intersections of the three major areas of English: Literary Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, and Creative Writing. Together, we will examine and enact the core techniques that make up the study of English, including literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, cultural criticism, craft analysis and creative composition. Students will hone the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are the backbone of English studies by analyzing texts of all kinds—literary, professional, political, just to name a few—and practicing those techniques in their own original projects. Ultimately, students will leave this course with a firm grasp of the different branches of English studies, the place of English studies in academia and the broader world, and a sense of their own future potential pathways as students and thinkers.
