English and Writing Arts

Chair: Professor Black
Professors: Dougal
Associate Professors: Fodrey, LaRue, Shorr, Waller-Peterson
Assistant Professor of Practice: Crooke
Emeritus Faculty: Diamond, Hinnefeld, Reid, Wingard
Adjunct Faculty: Alu, Egging, Fillman, Harris, Joella, J. McClelland, Tedesco

Mission Statement      

The English & Writing Arts Department at Moravian University engages critically with literary, historical, creative, theoretical, and rhetorical traditions and practices in English Studies by providing students the opportunity to work both individually and collaboratively to pursue meaningful inquiry and creative endeavors that ask difficult questions rather than seeking easy answers. We do this through discursive engagement with texts, broadly conceived, guided by Moravian's liberal arts principles, which inform opportunities for research, reflection, community, and leadership development characterized by lifelong connections between coursework and professional goals.

The Major in English

The field of English studies is one of the cornerstones of a liberal arts education and also offers a variety of approaches to specialized study. At Moravian University, students are invited to explore the rich, multi-dimensional nature of English studies through their engagement with creative expression, professional writing, and the study of culture and history, linguistics, literature, rhetoric, theatre and performance, and multimodal writing arts.

The English major consists of ten courses: a five-course core, four major electives, and a capstone experience. Majors must take at least three courses at the 300-level.

Core (five courses):

• ENGL 225 (writing-intensive)
• ENGL 211, 212, or 217 for the required second English WI course
• Two literary period courses  (British/Transatlantic or American)
  • (British/Transatlantic: ENGL 240, 351, 352, 354, 355)
  • (American: ENGL 244, 340, 341, 342)
  • Or a special topics course approved by the major advisor
    Note: one of the two period courses must be pre-20th century (ENGL 340, 341, 351, 352, 355)
• One genre course:
  • Drama (ENGL 232, 233, 234)
  • Fiction (ENGL 343, 353)
  • Poetry (ENGL 320)
  • Or a special topics course approved by the major advisor
• Four electives, numbered at the 200 level or above; one of these may be fulfilled by any course from the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the 110 level or above. 
• Capstone experience: at least one of the following:
  • Senior Seminar (ENGL 371)
  • Student teaching in an education certification program

Teacher certification students follow modified versions of the requirements listed above. Refer to the Teacher Certification in English section below.

Notes on the Major in English

1. Students must take at least three courses at the 300 level.
2. In preparation for creating an English major portfolio in the Senior Seminar, students must save copies of their work in each course, including drafts with peer and instructor comments.
3. Students must complete a Hands-On-Learning Assignment (HLA).  See https://www.moravian.edu/english/programs/hands-on-learning for more information.
4. Internships (ENGL 288 and 386-388) and study abroad are strongly encouraged for all majors; an internship is required for all students completing the English major with Writing Arts Concentration. Students should consult with Professor Harris regarding internships and with the Center of International Studies regarding study-abroad opportunities.
5. WRIT 101-106, LINC 101-104, and the general literature courses (ENGL 101, 102, 104, and 105) may not be used to satisfy requirements for the major, minor, or interdepartmental major programs of the English Department. The general literature course restriction, however, does not apply to English majors pursuing early childhood, middle level, or secondary education certification programs.

English majors are encouraged to supplement required courses with elective courses in English, minors complementary to English Studies, independent studies, related courses from the Learning in Common curriculum, internships, and study abroad, as well as co-curricular involvement in theatre, The Manuscript, The Comenian, SOAR/undergraduate scholarship, and other relevant opportunities. Students are strongly advised to register for ENGL 225 early in their study.

The Minor in English

The minor in English consists of five courses: ENGL 225; ENGL 211, 212, or 217; one literature course (200- or 300 level); and two electives (200- or 300-level).

The Interdepartmental Major

The six courses in Set I of the interdepartmental major include ENGL 225, which should be taken in the year the student declares the major. The five other English courses, from the 200- and 300-level, and the six courses of Set II are selected by the student with the advisor’s approval.

English Major with Writing Arts Concentration

English majors who seek Writing Arts Concentration within the major must complete the following program:

I. English Major Core

• ENGL 225 WI: Introduction to English Studies
• ENGL 211, 212, or 217 for the required second English WI course*
• One literary genre requirement
• Two literary period requirements (one of which  must be pre-20th century: ENGL 340, 341, 351, 352, 355)

II. Internship Pre-Requisite

• ENGL 216, 218, 224 or another departmentally approved course in digital writing, professional writing, or journalism.

III. English Internship (at least one; a second internship may count as one of the Writing Electives [section IV below])

• ENGL 288 and/or ENGL 386 (at least one): English Internship**

IV. Writing Electives

Four writing courses (chosen from the following list of current English catalog and special topics courses), at least two of which must be at the 300 level. Note that students may complete an additional internship (386), following on the required internship listed under part III above, as one of these four required writing courses.

• ENGL 211 WI*: Creative Nonfiction
• ENGL 212 WI*: Introduction to Creative Writing
• ENGL 213.2: Working with Student Writers
• ENGL 214.2: Writing Studies Research Seminar
• ENGL 216: Professional Communication 
• ENGL 217 WI*: Introduction to Writing Arts
• ENGL 218: Digital Rhetoric and Writing
• ENGL 224: News and Feature Writing
• ENGL 230: Public Speaking
• ENGL 242: Environmental Writing
• ENGL 263: Writing as Activism
• ENGL 311: Fiction Writing
• ENGL 312: News and Feature Writing in the Digital Age
• ENGL 313: Poetry Writing
• ENGL 316: Rhetorics of Everyday Life
• ENGL 386: Internship
• Other special topics courses may be used to fulfill this requirement. Please consult with an English advisor.

V. Capstone Experience

• ENGL 371: Senior Seminar

*Note that Writing Arts certification students may NOT “double-dip” with their chosen WI course (that is, a course taken as the core WI course may not also be included as one of the four required writing courses).

**English majors seeking certification in Writing Arts will be required to have a cumulative QPA of 2.7 or higher before enrolling in the English Internship (in keeping with the University-wide policy for internships).

Teacher Certification in English

Students seeking a major in English and certification in early childhood education (pre-K-grade 4) follow a modified version of the major that requires ENGL 225, two period courses (one of which must be pre-20th century), a genre course, a writing course (one of the 200-level writing courses that are designated as options for the required second English WI course; ENGL 217 is preferred, as it addresses literacy development and the teaching of writing), the capstone experience (for certification students, student teaching serves as the capstone), and four courses selected in consultation with the advisor.

Students seeking a major in English and certification in middle level education (grades 4-8) follow a modified version of the major that requires ENGL 221, 225, two period courses (one British and one American, one of which must be pre-20th century), a genre course, a writing course (one of the 200-level writing courses that are designated as options for the required second English WI course; ENGL 217 is preferred, as it addresses literacy development and the teaching of writing), the capstone experience (for certification students, student teaching serves as the capstone), and three courses selected in consultation with the advisor.

Students seeking a major in English and certification in secondary education (grades 7-12) follow a modified version of the major that requires ENGL 221, 225, and 230; 330 or 350 or another Major Author course as approved by the Dept.; two period courses (one British and one American, one of which must be pre-20th century); a genre course; a writing course (one of the 200-level writing courses that are designated as options for the required second English WI course; ENGL 217 is preferred, as it addresses literacy development and the teaching of writing); the capstone experience (for certification students, student teaching serves as the capstone); and one course selected in consultation with the advisor.

The advisors for teacher certification in English are John Black (early childhood and middle level) and Theresa Dougal (secondary). Students who intend to pursue teacher certification are strongly urged to contact the Education Department during their first year at Moravian.

Courses in English

Note: LINC 101, LINC 102, WRIT 106 or equivalent is a prerequisite for all courses in the English Department numbered 200 or above. ENGL 100-level courses meet the LinC M2 requirement and provide solid preparation for ENGL courses at the 200- and 300-levels, but do not fulfill ENGL major/minor requirements.

ENGL 101. American Literature. Introduction to the development of the American literary heritage, with emphasis on analytical, written, and oral skills. (M2)           

ENGL 102. British Literature. Introduction to distinctive British works, emphasizing analytical and communication skills. (M2)   

ENGL 104. The Experience of Literature. Introduction to major literary genres—fiction, poetry, and texture drama—from a variety of times and cultures, emphasizing analytical and communication skills through written and oral projects. (M2)           

ENGL 105. African-American Literature. African-American Literature. Introduction to the poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and drama of the African-American tradition in literature from the beginnings of the Colonial period to the present day, emphasizing analytical and communication skills through written and oral projects. (M2)    

ENGL 210.2. Business Writing. Introduction to writing for the business sector (correspondence, reports, proposals, presentations, other forms of business writing). Prerequisite: LinC 101 or equivalent. 

ENGL 211. Creative Nonfiction. Guided practice in public and personal essay writing. Workshop setting. Prerequisite: LinC 101 or equivalent.  (M6)

ENGL 212. Introduction to Creative Writing. Guided practice in the writing of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.  Prerequisite: LinC 101 or equivalent. (M6) 

ENGL 213.2. Working with Student Writers: Theory and Praxis. This course offers a broad overview of composition and writing tutoring pedagogy and covers best practices for working with student writers. Students will gain practical teaching, presentation, and leadership skills through extensive practice with student writing samples and a range of reflective and research-based assignments. We will also address considerations broadly related to student success and academic readiness. This course is designed to support students who wish to become Writing Fellows or Writing Center Tutors. Prerequisites: LinC F1 and permission of instructor. 

ENGL 214.2. Writing Studies Research Seminar. This course builds upon concepts covered in ENGL 213.2 and provides guided instruction in composition and writing tutoring research. Students identify a topic of interest, then develop and carry out a small-scale research project. Students are expected to present or publish their research for a wider audience in a venue appropriate to the purpose and context of the project. Prerequisites: ENGL 213.2, cGPA of 3.00, or permission of instructor.    

ENGL 216. Professional Communication. Introduction to business and technical composing practices and genres with an emphasis on audience awareness, document design, and project development and management. Includes critical rhetorical study and creation of job and grant application materials, manuals, proposals, print and digital marketing materials, and other deliverables requested as part of the class’s service learning collaboration with local nonprofit organizations.

ENGL 217. Introduction to Writing Arts. Students explore foundational concepts in writing studies in order to understand writing as both a subject of study and a significant symbolic activity in our everyday lives. (WI)

ENGL 218. Digital Rhetoric and Writing. Students rhetorically analyze established and emerging digital genres in order to gain the theoretical and practical background necessary to approach the production of writing for digital platforms. Prerequisite: successful completion of F1.

ENGL 221. The English Language. Introduction to phonology, grammar, lexicon, and other aspects of English from its beginning to the present, with an emphasis on current language issues.     

ENGL 224. Introduction to Journalism. An integrative journalism course in which students will learn how to report, write, edit and pitch news and features for a variety of media outlets; taught by an active media professional, with assistance and resources from Moravian's Zinczenko Center for Integrative Media. 

ENGL 225. Introduction to English Studies. Introduction to various aspects of the discipline, including analysis of literature, bibliographic and research techniques, critical thinking and writing, various literary approaches, literary theory, and history of the field. Writing intensive. Strongly encouraged as a prerequisite for upper-level English courses. 

ENGL 230. Public Speaking. Basic theory of public speaking with emphasis on developing skills essential to effective interpersonal communication in industrial, business, and academic settings.   

ENGL 232. Art of the Theater. Aesthetic, historical, and production aspects of theater. Practical experience in production. (M6)

ENGL 233. Modern Drama and Theater. Development of dramatic literature and theatrical practice in the 20th century.   

ENGL 234. American Drama and Theater. Development of dramatic literature and theatrical practice in America, 1665 to the present.        

ENGL 235. Shakespeare with Swords. Shakespeare with Swords offers a semester-long study in performing some of the most famous dramatic texts in Western literature. Students will learn how to “unpack” the dense language, find the music of the text, and bring centuries-old words to life on stage. Students will also be introduced to stage combat techniques (single sword) common in performance of Shakespeare, to the vocal and physical work required to perform on stage.  Prerequisite: THEA 135 OR THEA 232/ ENGL 232. (M6)

ENGL 240. Post-Colonial Literature. Introduction to literature produced by 20th-century African, Asian, and Caribbean writers from former colonies of Western European empires, especially Britain. (M5) 

ENGL 241. Modern African Literature. This course offers an introduction to the body of literature that has come to be defined as African literature. With a particular interest in the (re)establishment and/or (re)positioning of images of Africa, we will read and analyze the works of several writers who paved the way for contemporary African writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Teju Cole, Taiye Selasi, and A. Igoni Barrett, as well as works by some of these authors. Though it should go without saying, an interrogation and contextualization of issues of gender, sexuality, race/racism, ethnicity, and nationality will be crucial in fully making sense of the texts and their narratives. (M5)

ENGL 242. Environmental Writing. This writing course will survey a broad spectrum of environmental literature, from Thoreau’s Walden to Cheryl Strayed’s recent bestseller Wild, as well as images, music, and cinema that address environmental themes. Through writing, class discussion, and other assignments, students will reflect on our changing relationship with the natural world and consider what the engagement has meant for both the planet and its human inhabitants. The course follows a workshop format, so reading and critiquing other students’ writing is required. (M6)

ENGL 244.  Contemporary Native American Literature.  This course will provide students with an opportunity to closely read poetry, fiction, drama, and essays written by and about Native Americans.  To truly understand these literary texts, we will need to learn about native peoples’ history, cultural contexts, oral traditions, and identity. Developing and interrogating questions regarding Native American identity will complicate our understanding of fixed literary genres and the power relations they encode.  Our readings, discussions, and writing assignments will offer the opportunity to develop questions at issue for our discourse community. Writing especially will provide the chance to develop your own line of inquiry regarding specific texts. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.  

ENGL 252.  Literature & Medical Humanities.  (Also HLTP 252) Lucille Clifton states, “I don’t write because I have a mission to heal the world. My mission is to heal Lucille if I can, as much as I can.” Writing offers Clifton a medium through which she can enact a form of healing and self-preservation. Similarly, illness narratives communicate the embodied and disembodied experiences of people living with sickness, disease, and illness in an effort to make sense of their changing bodies, lives, and identities. This reading intensive course explores health, wellness, and illness narratives through a sustained engagement with non-fiction and imaginary literature.  Prerequisite: LinC 101 or equivalent plus junior or senior class standing.  (U1)

ENGL 262. Literature and the Way We Live. (Also IDIS 262) This course considers such moral issues as the environment; identity, duties to kin; love, marriage and sex; racism and sexism; as posed within a variety of world literature that includes short stories, novels, poetry, and drama, ranging from the era of Sophocles' Antigone to the present. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. (U2)       

ENGL 263/363. Writing as Activism.  To what extent can, or should, writing (and also reading) function as a kind of activism? Can written work change minds and hearts? Should it be designed to do so? Can writing be more than a hobby--but also more than a vocation? That is, can the acts of writing and reading be seen as moral acts, as part of living a fully engaged life? In this course we will examine these and other questions as we read, view, discuss, and emulate both factual/documentary and imaginative works (ranging from op-ed pieces and documentaries to poems and short stories). Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. (U2) 

ENGL 264. Dying to Go Green: The Green Burial Movement. This writing course will consider the emerging movement in “natural” – or “green” – burials, both in this country and abroad. Our primary text will be Grave Matters, which tells the stories of families who stepped outside the doors of their local funeral parlors and laid their loved ones to rest in natural cemeteries, backyard grave sites, memorial reefs, and at sea. You’ll also read about cremation, home funerals, and “eco-coffins,” as well the history of American burial and the benefits of going out green. By way of contrast, you will learn about the embalming process and the ecological consequences of our modern funeral practices. 

ENGL 311. Fiction Writing. Focused study of contemporary fiction, writing of several complete fictional works. Workshop setting. Prerequisites: English 212 or permission of instructor. (M6)       

ENGL 312. News and Feature Writing in the Digital Age. Building on the foundation of Introduction to Journalism (English 224), this course combines advanced hard news reporting skills with creative storytelling techniques of feature writing. Students will write and edit story packages for print, online, and mobile media, incorporate photos and video, and use the fundamentals of SEO and social media to promote the content they create. Prerequisites: ENGL 224 (Introduction to Journalism) or another 200-level English writing course approved by the English Department Chair. 

ENGL 313. Poetry Writing. Focused study of contemporary poetry, writing of a range of complete poetic works. Workshop setting. Prerequisites: English 212 or permission of instructor.  (M6)         

ENGL 316. Rhetorics of Everyday Life. Students analyze contemporary everyday discourses through rhetorical lenses, focusing on the ways language and other symbols function to persuade and/or to promote or prohibit understanding across differences. Students study theories of rhetorical analysis and practice those theories by analyzing self-selected contemporary discursive artifacts from pop culture, politics, and other aspects of everyday life. Students learn methods for critiquing the relative effectiveness of discourses within certain contexts as well as how to use that knowledge to better assess the effectiveness of their own writing.

ENGL 320. The Art of Poetry. Designed to provide the student of literature with theories and techniques for understanding, appreciating, and evaluating poetry. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 330. Shakespeare. The major plays. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 340. American Literature 1800-1865. A study of the range of literary voices that constitute "American literature" from 1800-1865, including works by Native and African Americans, Hispanics, women, and a variety of ethnic and minority groups, as well as by the better-known writers of the era—Irving, Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, and Whitman. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 341. American Realism. Development of realism in American literature from its late 19th-century beginnings to its height in the early to mid-20th century. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 342. 20th Century American Literature. Nonfiction prose, fiction, poetry to 1950. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 343. American Fiction after World War II. Works since 1950, with emphasis on living authors. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL 349. 21st-Century Queer Minority Writing. This course takes the following question as its starting point: How do non-white members of the LGBTQ+ community experience their sexualities and identities in and apart from mainstream representations? Focusing on narratives from the 21st-century, we will work towards a better understanding of what it means to be queer and a racial minority. In so doing, we will work towards a better understanding of what it means to belong to this (Queer) Nation. (U2)

ENGL ​​​​​​​350. Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales and selected minor poems from the perspective of textual and source analysis, as well as feminist, psychological, and new historicist approaches. No previous study of Middle English required but English 221 recommended. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL ​​​​​​​351. British Renaissance and Neoclassicism. British poetry, non-Shakespearean drama, and prose, 1500-1800. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.   

ENGL ​​​​​​​352. British Literature 1780-1830. A study of literature by men and women of varying ethnicities and social classes, and of primary documents that reveal major historical conditions and social and cultural movements to which these writers responded. Some emphasis upon major Romantic poets. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.  

ENGL ​​​​​​​353. The British Novel. A study of the English novel from its beginnings in the 18th century to the 20th century. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL ​​​​​​​354. 20th-Century British Literature. British and Irish poets and novelists, with some emphasis on writers who have gained recognition since World War II. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor. 

ENGL ​​​​​​​355. Literature and Culture of Medieval Britain. Study of selected major and minor texts (mostly in translation) from Old English and Middle English literature, with corresponding interdisciplinary study of their cultural contexts. Examination of the evolution of literary genres, styles, and audiences. Exploration of the approaches and perspectives of contemporary scholarship to topics and issues in medieval studies, with a consideration of the links between contemporary and medieval cultures. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.        

ENGL ​​​​​​​362. Narrative and Film. (Also AFST/WGSS 362). Through close analyses of contemporary imaginative films, this course examines the relationship between narrative and cinema. Addressing the medium’s relationship with more traditional narrative forms (e.g., novels, short stories, etc.) and these forms’ contributions to the constructions of categories of race, gender, sexuality, class, and (inter)nationality, we will explore the questions, “How do films narrate? and “What do they narrate?” By the end of the course, we should have a more complex understanding of how narratives are constructed, how the medium of film challenges us to reimagine the shape and limits of what a text might be, and what the narratives offered tell us about the state of our societies and/or cultures.

ENGL 365. 20th-Century Black Women Writers.  (Also AFST/WGSS 365) This course explores the literature and critical writings of twentieth century Black women writers to analyze depictions of black womanhood, community, resistance and resilience. Possible writers include Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, Octavia Butler, Ann Petry, Ntozake Shange, and others. Prerequisite: F1 or equivalent and ENGL 225, or permission of instructor. (U2)  

ENGL ​​​​​​​370. Seminar. Detailed study of a single writer, school, genre, or theme in literature. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.

ENGL ​​​​​​​371. Senior Seminar. This course will synthesize and expand upon what students have learned throughout their major. Weekly meetings will consist of readings, discussion, and writing on topics within English Studies. Course requirements will include an extended written work in a student’s chosen genre, as well as a portfolio. Prerequisite: ENGL 225 or permission of instructor.                                                                  

ENGL ​​​​​​​190-199, 290-299, 390-399. Special Topics.
ENGL 286, 381-383. Independent Study.
ENGL 384. Independent Research.
ENGL ​​​​​​​288, 386-388. English Internship. Practical field experience in writing for mass media, business, industry, or nonprofits. Designed in consultation with director of internship program and field supervisor. By arrangement. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing; for 288: 200-level writing course approved by the English major advisor or English Dept. Chair; for 386-388: 288 and one 200-level writing course approved by the English major advisor or English Dept. Chair; plus one additional English course.
ENGL ​​​​​​​400-401. Honors.