Sophomore Seminar

Sophomores will be given preference in registration for this seminar, but first-year students may enroll as well. What does literary study do beyond university classrooms? How do practitioners in the arts employ humanistic thinking in their work? Through collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary projects that support the work of community partners within and beyond the St. Louis community, this course will enable us to begin seeing the various ways in which individuals use literature and literary study in the world. This course will function as both a seminar and a community-engaged lab. We will read and discuss texts that highlight how literary scholars and creative writers talk and write about contemporary issues and culture, such as Toni Morrison, Anne Trubek, Joseph Oduro-Frimpong, and Michelle Chihara. We will also have a series of guest speakers who will talk to us about how they've utilized their training as literary scholars and humanists in their careers. Throughout the semester, we will also work with community partners on projects they are developing that center skills used in literary and cultural analysis. We will partner with technology companies, literacy advocacy non-profits, and arts organizations. These semester-long engagements will culminate in a portfolio of reflections, a presentation of the work project teams completed with their community partner, and a final essay that speaks to the role of literature in the world.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM; EL TC

Sophomore Seminar

ENGLISH LITERATURE 250

Section 01