Proseminar: Introduction to English Studies

This course provides an introduction to the field of English Studies for graduate students entering the Master’s and Doctoral programs. You will be introduced to a range of methods and genres that form the substance of work in the field of the profession of English, including close reading, distant reading, archival research methods, and genres including conference abstracts, conference talks, and journal articles. Each student will choose two key works: one literary/primary and one theoretical as the lens through which methods and assignments will be engaged. In our readings and discussions, we will consider both the history of English studies and current critical paradigms. The second half of the course will include visits from other professors in the department: these visits will enable us to see how active scholars engage with current paradigms and trends in the discipline.  In addition, we will explore how best to use the library, how to find sources, how to make use of both digital and print research tools, how to use archives, and how to craft scholarly writing. In doing so, we'll also be thinking critically about why to take a given approach to materials, how to determine the research methodologies of others and how to choose our own, and how to identify and enter critical conversations. Short writing assignments throughout the semester will enable students to engage in writing and research practices in relation to their chose key works. The semester’s work will culminate in a final project, shared with the seminar—a conference paper, a public humanities project, an annotated syllabus, or a grant proposal.