Honors Colloquium

This colloquium will provide a forum in which participants in the English Department's Honors Program can discuss their honors essays at several stages of design. We'll also examine some methods and theories relevant to the study of literature and culture and some conventions about and formats for written literary and cultural interpretation, and we'll talk about the process, and endeavor, of planning and writing an honors essay.

I've invited several members of the English Department to talk about their methods and the kinds of questions they address in their work. All guests will assign readings for discussion with them.

We'll also look at some honors essays written by Department of English honors students in past years and have a session in the library on resources and research and research strategies. An examination of some of the (voluminous) theoretical and critical work which has flourished around Edgar Allan Poe's "The Purloined Letter" will allow us to assess, and compare, some currently and recently fashionable approaches. The semester will conclude with discussion of your final prospectuses/plans for your honors essays.

Key: R = On Reserve; H-O = hand-out

Required text: Eviatar Zerubavel, THE CLOCKWORK MUSE [available in Coop Bookstore]

SCHEDULE (subject to change as needed)

Sept. 7	First meeting
Sept. 14, 21, 29	Participants'/ presentations of prospectuses/projects [H-O]. Discussion of THE CLOCKWORK MUSE
Oct. 5	Theresa Giron, "Reading Madness" (Honors essay, 1996) [R]; Colloquium Guest: David Young [readings tba]
Oct. 12	NO CLASS
Oct. 14-22	****FALL BREAK****
Oct. 26	Library session with reference librarian Haipeng Li
Nov. 2	Rob Lehman, "The World Made New" (Honors essay, 1999) [R]; Colloquium guest: Gillian Johns [readings tba]
Nov. 9	Jeremiah Dyehouse, "Science Fiction: Rhetoric, Textuality and the Museum of Jurassic Technology" (Honors essay, 1997) (R) Colloquium Guest: Pat Day [readings tba]
Nov. 16	Poe, "The Purloined Letter," Jacques Lacan, "Seminar on 'The Purloined Letter," Jacques Derrida, "The Purveyor of Truth," (all in John P. Muller and William J. Richardson, eds., The Purloined Poe [R]
Nov. 23	Continue discussion of Poe/Lacan/Derrida with Barbara Johnson, "The Frame of Reference: Poe, Lacan, Derrida" (in The Purloined Poe [R]; David Leverenz, "Poe and Gentry Virginia" and Meredith McGill, "Poe, Literary Nationalism, and Authorial Identity," both in Rosenheim and Rachman, The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe [R]
NOVEMBER 29	FINAL PROSPECTUSES DUE
Dec. 7, 14	Final presentations of project/prospectus

You'll all be asked to write comments on the readings, which will give a basis for discussion (and will be turned in), and to give each other written comments on prospectuses. You'll also be pairing up to lead discussions of readings we do.

The Colloquium is graded on a Cr/NE basis. To receive credit you must do all reading and written work and attend/participate in the colloquium. Absences are discouraged; more than two will result in a grade of NE for the colloquium.

To make up for Oct. 9, I'll arrange for a time when department members who are currently in graduate school or have recently completed the PhD to come and talk with us about graduate school.