literature classes

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gettingby

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For those of you who went to school for writing or English, how did you decide which literature to take? Are there some that will help you more as a writer than others? Were they hard at a Master's level?
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

My mother got an MA in English. It wasn't so hard for her, except the summer she took 2 graduate seminars...and all the people she'd invited to visit decided that was the summer to do so. Her interest was primarily teaching and in the history of English literature.

I took a lot of English classes for one year in college while pursuing an independent major in folklore. Obviously, the ones I picked were the ones I thought would be of most use for a budding folklorist. The main problem frankly was the commute. I was a new wife, and had just transferred from a college where I lived on campus.

What helps you as a writer will depend on what you want to write. Also on those intangible factors--like how good the teacher is.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

Jamesaritchie

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I just took English Lit., and didn't go far enough for a Master's. I did take some individual classes on world lit, but that was it. I think studying literature, actually dissecting it, in a classroom environment always helps a writer, even though there comes a time for most, I think, when you need to start reading for simple pleasure once again.
 

sunandshadow

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The survey courses were generally easier (for me) than the specialty/concentration courses, but I didn't take any at the master's level so I don't know if they are different. Survey courses require a lot of reading but not usually much in the way of persuasive essaies/papers. Specialty/concentration courses may require a big paper with citations and crap, worth 10-20% of the grade.
 

DancingMaenid

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Hmm. Good question. I haven't taken any literature courses at an MA level, though I did take one literature course that was a hybrid BA/MA course and had both undergraduate and graduate students in it.

To be honest, most of my course choices were motivated by what I needed to take and what would fit in my schedule. There were a few classes I took that weren't my first choice, but were the most practical choice. Sometimes, those unexpected classes ended up being the most interesting ones, because they introduced me to topics that I might not have pursued on my own. I took a few classes on authors or literary periods that I already loved and was familiar with, and they were rewarding, but I don't think I got quite as much out of them, to be honest. Though, I'm glad I took those classes while I had the chance. I got to study one of my favorite authors with a professor who was an expert on him. How often do you get a chance like that?

In terms of what literature classes I found helpful as a writer, that depends on what you mean. Academically, I found that most of the higher level classes were good for pushing me to write longer, more original, and more narrowly-focused papers. I imagine it's even more like that in grad school. In terms of the readings themselves enriching me as a writer, I don't know. I think reading great books is always valuable for a writer. But some of the classes I found the most valuable didn't directly contribute to my writing much. For example, I loved studying Chaucer, but I don't find medieval literature that inspiring for writing. I found I was most inspired by the classes where I read some more contemporary writers, because their styles and the content of their stories were more likely to be close to what I aspire to as a writer, if that makes any sense. For example, taking a science fiction class revived my interest in trying to write my own science fiction.
 

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If you're taking classes as part of a degree, you will have specific M.A. requirements to fulfill, and you may not be able to take classes that are only offered every other year.

If you're taking M.A. classes in lit because you want to, find out what the profs are like, and look at the syllabus and readings (usually online systems these days will at least list the required books if not the actual syllabi) and ask current students what classes/profs they really value/enjoy.

If you haven't had an undergraduate forced march through English and American lit survey courses (these usually use the Oxford, Norton or Longmans anthologies and cover lit chronologically, think about taking those first. Grad classes will assume a great deal of basic familiarity.
 

nkkingston

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No matter what class you take, I can guarantee that at least one book assigned will be out of print, with only one copy available in the library, and the lecturer will be blindly unaware of this fact!

I did a Literature degree (In the UK you pick a subject before you apply to uni). Broad spread of historical periods, a couple of genres, and some slightly random ones. The historical periods were the most useful to me, since you pick up a lot of social history around the literature and it gives you the building blocks to see how writing has changed. We also had a class about books as physical objects, looking at things like Shakespeare First Folios and how we value writing. Shame kindles weren't a thing then; could have been really interesting.

To be completely honest, if I could go back in time I wouldn't take English at all. It didn't play to my strengths (I'm better at exams than essays) and the skills it gave me were too broad to be really marketable. It also stopped me reading for pleasure during the degree and even for a while after. It didn't stop me writing, but it did nothing to make me a better writer either.

Though it did make me good at tracking down out of print books!
 

gothicangel

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I have a degree in English and Scottish Literature. In my option modules I tended to opt to my own interests. So, I took Gothic Lit, Medieval, Tragedy, Victorian, Robert Louis Stevenson, and some Linguistic classes.

Have you ever been on the Coursera website? They run Literature courses from some of the world's leading universities, free of charge. So far I've taken a class in Food Nutrition and currently in Archaeology, and found them quite challenging.

https://www.coursera.org/
 

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I have a BA in English Lit and took some graduate-level courses as well, back in the day. We had to choose a major author. I chose Gerard Manley Hopkins, which really helped my analysis skills for all the papers we had to write. :tongue. The school required us to take courses that specifically were out of our major author's era and genre, which was a great idea. for my electives, I remember taking French lit and Medieval lit at the graduate. The French lit was wicked hard, because the teacher expected a lot of us and even taught at least one class only in French. The Medieval lit class was easier for me, because I loved every minute of it.
 

JournoWriter

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The courses that helped me most as a writer were, by and large, not English or lit courses. History, poli sci and religious studies courses from professors who were themselves good writers were the best - you had to research, reflect, synthesize, organize and analyze. Writing and editing for the campus newspaper was by far the most valuable experience, however.
 

lorna_w

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In my experience, PhD lit courses were not appreciably harder than undergraduate courses. (Or you're as ready for one as for the other, so they feel equally as difficult/easy.) In general, reading helps a writer by providing good models. But reading for lit class (to analyze) is not like reading as a writer (for technique), so you could do as well on your own. I suppose there's some use in that lit classes forced me to read things I wouldn't have read on my own (Gertrude Stein, for instance). But no lit class required me to read the best sellers in my genre, which are important to read.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Honestly, the lit classes were wonderful for the wide range of reading I had to do, and for learning how to dissect fiction, but Journalism classes taught me how to write far more effectively than any other type of classes I had at any level.
 

Axordil

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Graduate seminars are helpful for learning how to critique and marshal arguments. The raw number of pages you produce for a graduate degree can be good for the clarity of one's prose writing--and get you used to producing work in volume on deadline.

And a little critical theory really isn't poisonous.
 

CrastersBabies

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I was a BA lit major and took a lot of lit courses in graduate school. I enjoy lit courses and am a big fan of critical theory. I just took literature courses that interested me. Medieval lit was a great one. I also took a class dedicated to Tolkien that rocked. I would honestly just follow your interests.
 

Shakesbear

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I studied English Literature and one of the units was on creative writing. I got a lot out of the unit and in many ways it was a fun and invigorating experience. There were a lot of different areas on offer and I went for those in my comfort zone - Shakespeare, Crime Writers as well as some out of my comfort zone Romantic Poetry, American Literature and, iirc, a unit called Gothic (Frankenstein, Jane Eyre). I started an MA, but it was a research one and I hated it so gave up. Some posters have mentioned checking out the people who will be teaching you - I would like to check out fellow students. Some of the ones on the MA course were dreadful!
 

CrastersBabies

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Some posters have mentioned checking out the people who will be teaching you - I would like to check out fellow students. Some of the ones on the MA course were dreadful!

This. This. 1000 times this!

I was lucky enough to have solid teachers (for the most part). I did get a 19th Century British Lit. professor that pissed me off wholly. She was the type of instructor who gave feminism a truly ugly name.

I wrote an essay about Jungian archetypes in a few different pieces. I used a quote from Jung himself about the animus/anima. It was something like, "The male shadow self blah blah is called the animus. The animus is blah blah. He blah blah."

She crossed out the "HE" above and wrote she/he in red sharpie then wrote an angry note about how I needed to always include BOTH GENDERS when I made critical points. She gave it back to me and told me again to my face that I should be more responsible.

When I told her that I was quoting Jung word-for-word, she told me that I was making excuses and trying to perpetuate the male agenda in academia. As a woman, I should be ashamed of myself.

Apparently, she did this to other students, especially male students. I only know about 2 males from my graduate group that received an A letter grade in her course. She gave most men an A-. Like that "minus" was a big "frack you" for having a penis.

I just kept my head down and made my papers a feminist as possible. That pleased her greatly and instead of actually learning from her, I ended up learning how to get an A from her. Fortunately, we read some interesting material in the course, so that was enough to keep me sane.

She is very poorly rated on the ratemyprofessor website (I think that's the name). I wish I had looked there first.

But, as I said above, most of my other lit-instructors were super cool, awesome, and unique in their own ways. I learned a lot. The few bad seeds to make you cringe.
 

gettingby

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Thanks for the posts everyone. I got in touch with some people in my program to ask about teachers. It helps a little. None of the offered classes really jump of the page for me, but I have to pick one. I'm nervous about going back to school to start and was hoping to find something that would help be as a writer. I know all reading can help, but some of the classes seem like they come with such heavy workloads when it comes to just the number of books you are expected to read.
 

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Thanks for the posts everyone. I got in touch with some people in my program to ask about teachers. It helps a little. None of the offered classes really jump of the page for me, but I have to pick one. I'm nervous about going back to school to start and was hoping to find something that would help be as a writer. I know all reading can help, but some of the classes seem like they come with such heavy workloads when it comes to just the number of books you are expected to read.

I do sympathize (I worked full time while attending grad school for English, and taught as well for part of the time) but that's the nature of grad school, in any field.
 

Elias Graves

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The program I went through had about half the classes fixed. Surveys, Shakespeare, Chaucer and a few others. The other half was strictly up to the student. I focused on what I wanted to study, though by the time I was a senior, I branched out some because of the professor. I talked myself into the hardest damn advanced composition class because I had grown to respect the teacher so much. I'm glad I took it. He pushed us hard.
 

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The program I went through had about half the classes fixed. Surveys, Shakespeare, Chaucer and a few others. The other half was strictly up to the student. I focused on what I wanted to study, though by the time I was a senior, I branched out some because of the professor. I talked myself into the hardest damn advanced composition class because I had grown to respect the teacher so much. I'm glad I took it. He pushed us hard.

There are both more and fewer restrictions in grad school. They're going to assume you've got the greats under your belt; much of the English and American canon for the novel and poetry, and classes in Chaucer, Shakespeare and, at some schools, Milton. Spenser is almost never expected unless you're planning on specializing in Elizabethan lit.
 

shakeysix

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It seems like I have spent my whole life reading and taking Lit classes. I have taken masters level classes in Spanish, British and American Lit. I loved them all, although many were challenging. I've posted in AW about my frustration with Don Quixote, La Celestina, To the Lighthouse and Borges. Still, I am proud to have read them.

My all time favorite novel is Pepita Jimenez--just because I love the goofy ending. My next favorite is Cakes and Ale. Then O Pioneers by Cather--because it is so damned sad. Somerset Maugham is a hero of mine--I loved the Ashenden stories--most based on Maugham's experiences as a spy. I wouldn't have known that without the lecture. Maugham was one brave little guy. I try to copy his attention to detail. Another favorite is Wodehouse. He can always crack me up. So can Ricardo Palma, Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston and James Thurber. Dylan Thomas, Garcia Lorca and William Carlos Williams are my favorite poets --for the moment. I even took a master's level class on Louis L'Amour and other American Western authors.

I NEVER would have read those westerns without that course because I thought they were low brow and boring--not hardly! Some years ago I had to teach the tedious concepts of symbolism, foreshadowing, metaphor etc to a bunch of English hating cowboys. I just broke out "True Grit" and "How the West Was Won." Mainly I read to them, stopping just long enough to point out the scholastic stuff. They all passed the assessment. And then we popped a bunch of popcorn and watched the movies. Because if kids don't enjoy it, they don't learn it.

When we got to Macbeth they hardly even bitched. And when we read the duel scene between Macduff and Macbeth one of the cowboys shouted "Fill your hands you son of a bitch!" A line from True Grit! So they did learn something. The thing is, nobody makes me read this stuff. I like it and I want my students to like it too. --s6
 
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Susan Coffin

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I have a degree in English and Scottish Literature. In my option modules I tended to opt to my own interests. So, I took Gothic Lit, Medieval, Tragedy, Victorian, Robert Louis Stevenson, and some Linguistic classes.

Have you ever been on the Coursera website? They run Literature courses from some of the world's leading universities, free of charge. So far I've taken a class in Food Nutrition and currently in Archaeology, and found them quite challenging.

https://www.coursera.org/

Oh my goodness, this is the coolest site I've seen in awhile. I've signed up.
 

CrastersBabies

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The amount you read in grad school is always pretty large. But, without having to take all the undergrad bunk (science, math, stuff that rounds out a degree), you pretty much get to focus on the reading. In the MFA program, we had to take a certain number of lit courses and the reading loads were massive. But, most of the material was interesting and it went by faster than one might think. If you're an avid reader, I wouldn't let it worry you.
 
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