The Blotter Fall Newsletter
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH DECEMBER 2014 THE BLOTTER FALL NEWSLETTER SPECIAL SPECIAL FALL 2014 UNDERGRAD ISSUE CLS NEWS ....................................................... 19 UNDER- HOW TO BECOME AN ENGLISH MAJOR ... 2, 3 ROBERT YOUNG ............................................ 20 BEING AN ENGLISH MAJOR .......................... 3, 4 GEOFFREY BENNINGTON ........................ 21 GRADUATE AFTER THE ENGLISH MAJOR ...................... 4, 5 MICHAEL TAUSSIG & HÉLÈNE BARIL .... 22 “REALLY OLD STUFF” ..................................... 6 DEPARTMENT NEWS ................................... 23 GETTING TO KNOW THE ENGLISH FACULTY ISSUE CHRISTOPHER CANNON ................. 7 MARTHA RUST .................................... 8 TRUJILLO AND NOEL ....................... 9 Are you an English major? Thinking of becoming one? WENDY LEE ........................................ 10 In this issue, you’ll find our easy-to-follow guides to be- THOMAS AUGST ................................. 11 coming a major and fulfilling requirements; read what CATHERINE ROBSON ...................... 12 professors in the department have to say about the ELAINE FREEDGOOD ...................... 13 courses they teach; discover our favorite places to eat, SONYA POSMENTIER ...................... 14 drink, and engage in literary pursuits, learn what recent CLUBS AND COFFEE ................................. 15, 16 alums have been doing, and more! ENGLISH MAJOR IN THE CITY ............. 17, 18 PAGE 1 CHOOSE REQUIRED COURSES HOW TO YOUR MAJOR There are 10 required courses to complete the English major, including BECOME AN four core courses–Literary Interpretation, British Literature I and II, and NYU offers a degree in both English and American Literature and American Literature I–that should ideally be completed within your first ENGLISH Dramatic Literature. The English major offers courses in literary two years. Literary Interpretation can be taken at the same time as any theory, history, and culture, while the Dramatic Literature major of the other three core courses. focuses on theater and drama and their relationship to the literary MAJOR field. Though the course requirements do vary between majors, (For interviews with a few of this semester’s Brit and Am Lit professors, many courses that satisfy requirements for both are cross-listed see page 7.) JAZMINE GOGUEN on Albert. Your first required course in the ma- British Literature I is a survey course British Literature II covers major works American Literature I provides a survey of Amer- 1 jor is Literary Interpretation, which 2 of literature beginning with the An- 3 of British literature from the Restoration 4 ican literature beginning in 17th century colo- serves as an introduction to the critical glo-Saxon epic poem, through Milton. (1660) to the early 20th century. You’ll likely nial America and ending in the late 19th century thinking and writing skills you will use Authors often include Chaucer, John be reading Daniel Defoe, George Eliot, Wil- around the Civil War era, featuring authors like throughout your time at NYU. Donne, and Shakespeare. liam Wordsworth, Virginia Woolf, and Sam- Harriet Beecher Stowe, Herman Melville, Walt uel Beckett. Whitman, and Emily Dickinson. You’ll also take a course in critical theory. Then there’s a senior seminar (course numbers A number of different class- Note that Creative Writing courses You have some options here, since you can in the 900s) typically taken in your junior or senior es also satisfy the required cannot be counted toward the En- satisfy this requirement with any one of sev- year because the four core courses are prerequi- course in literature before glish major or minor. However, the eral classes, like Major Texts in Critical The- sites for it. These courses generally vary widely in 1800, including Shakespeare department requirements do leave ory, Theory of Drama, Queer Literature, or topic, so there’s plenty of opportunity to tailor your I or II, Dante’s Divine Comedy, plenty of room to take a creative Theory in Deconstruction. Take a look at the studies to suit your particular interests. Past sem- Renaissance Drama, and the writing course alongside your En- course descriptions in the department Bulle- inars have included 20th Century Lit: Imagining 18th Century Novel. glish classes if it interests you! tin and pick the one that speaks to you. Post-War America and Medieval Women’s Writing. PAGE 2 The major you choose in college can become an important part of your identi- BEING ty: every major imparts a certain skill set, a particular perspective. So it means something to be an English major. You’re exposed to some of the greatest AN literary works in history through the careful study of the canon—and works “outside” it. Being an English major also means being able to read between the lines—a skill that isn’t necessarily limited to text. In short, the experience ENGLISH of majoring in English shouldn’t be limited to just fulfilling the requirements. Through the various programs that the English department has to offer, it’s MAJOR possible to find a real sense of community, to befriend like-minded individu- als, and to explore your literary interests in a way that goes far beyond ticking SMRITI BANSAL titles off a list of “great books.” THE ACCELERATED HONORS PROGRAM INTERNSHIP PROGRAM INDEPENDENT BA-MA PROGRAM STUDY Qualified third-year students are encour- What can one do with the English major? The aged to apply to the English Honors program, department’s internship program allows you The Accelerated Bachelor-Master Program which allows you the opportunity to pursue a Interested in conducting research in allows CAS students to start working on to intern for course credit; past and current a field that isn’t usually covered by year-long independent thesis project with the internships have included the Village Voice, their masters during their undergraduate help of a faculty advisor during your senior classes offered in the department? studies. This dual degree program enables Oxford University Press, and Random House, You can apply for an independent year. Your project is also guided by an honors to name a few. How do you go about finding an students to obtain their masters in a span colloquium that assists in developing your re- study by presenting a research pro- of five years—reducing the time and money internship, and how can you have a success- posal to the member of faculty that search and criticism skills. Admission to this ful internship experience? The accompanying usually spent on graduate programs. The program is competitive—students applying you’re interested in working with. program also offers generous scholarships. internship seminar deals with these questions Just make sure you approach the should have exemplary writing and research and provides useful information related to the English majors especially can choose to do skills, and should have performed well in professor well before the start of the the BA-MA Teacher Education program that different aspects of a interning, including how semester. their English classes. For more information, to network, office etiquette, and resume and would enable them to complete their BA visit the Honors Track website. and masters in teaching in just five years. cover letter tips. Click here for more information. PAGE 3 WORKING IN THE THE CONTEMPORARY THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT LITERATURE SERIES CHANNEL The English department often has openings One of the newer programs of the English department, the Contemporary Literature If you are ever curious about what’s going on in the for administrative positions—this is yet another Series brings contemporary writers into undergrad classrooms to share and discuss department, the English Channel is your best re- way to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs their work with students; the CLS also organizes public literary events. These events source (along with The Blotter, of course)—it’s an in- of the department, as well as some work expe- provide an excellent opportunity to interact with the authors as well as a setting teractive site that showcases the on-going activities rience—and cash—into the bargain. Check with where you can meet other English majors. The program is run by a group of under- of students and the faculty in the fields of research, department aide Shanna Williams for more in- graduate CLS Fellows; you can apply to be a fellow, or just volunteer to help organize teaching and community-building. Tune into the lat- formation. and/or blog for the events. More information can be found on the CLS website. See est department news here. page 19 for this semester’s CLS events. What happens when you graduate with a degree in English? Well, if you’re like Warren Adler, you’ll publish a bestselling novel, author a hit mystery series, and oversee the film production of several AFTER of your fictional works. Adler graduated with a B.A. in English from NYU in 1947, and afterwards attended the New School, where he studied creative writing. As an undergraduate, Adler studied THE English and creative writing under Professor Don Wolfe, who inspired him to pursue a career as a novelist. He was also deeply influenced by several courses he took while completing his bachelor’s, including a course on the European novel and another called “The Bible as Literature.” In 2009, ENGLISH Adler received the “Alumni of the Year” award from the College of Arts and Science. He published his bestselling novel, The War of the Roses, in 1981, and it has since been made into a popular MAJOR film (starring Danny DeVito, Michael Douglas, and Kathleen Turner) and an upcoming Broadway play (produced by Tony Award winners Jay and Cindy Gutterman). Adler’s Fiona Fitzgerald mystery JESSICA CHACE series is currently being made into a new television series called Capitol Crimes, and his latest thriller Treadmill hit the shelves earlier this year. Adler plans to oversee the production of the film sequel to The War of the Roses, entitled The War of the Roses: The Children, in the coming months.