Forms and Genres

Faculty in Forms and Genres

This area of interest examines theories of form and genre, considering the complex histories of literary forms such as the essay, novel, and lyric, as well as the equally complex histories of theorizing those forms. This area considers forms and genres, not as fixed categories, but as ever evolving clusters of expectations. “Forms and Genres” thus emphasizes process, both the historical processes by which forms and genres evolve and the processes of literary creation. This area includes a focus on writerly craft and composition, reflecting departmental strengths in both Creative Writing and composition and pedagogy. Recent graduate courses in the “Form, Craft, Genre” area include “Contemporary Essays,” “Composition Theory and Pedagogy,” “Lyric Theory,” “Forms and Craft,” “Image Theory and Visual Narrative,” and other seminars in Creative Writing taught by Creative Writing faculty. Graduate students interested in this area also benefit from the many readings given by authors both within our department and without, hosted by the English department, ICE, and the Wilson Center.

Course work in this area may include, but is not limited to, the following courses:

ENGL 6250 Medieval Drama

ENGL 6332 Shakespeare and Media

ENGL 6640 Film as Literature

ENGL 6650 Modern Drama

ENGL 6800 Topics in Forms and Crafts

ENGL 6826 Style: Language, Genre, Cognition

ENGL 6837 Digital Storytelling

ENGL 6840 Folklore Studies

ENGL 6860 History of Rhetoric and Textuality

ENGL 6870 Rhetoric and Textual Practice

ENGL 6880 College Composition Theory and Pedagogy

ENGL 6892 Literature in the Archives

ENGL 8800 Seminar in Creative Writing

ENGL 8900 Current Issues in Rhetorical Theory

Exam areas could include but are not limited to:

Renaissance Drama, Renaissance excluding Drama, Cross-Genre, Rhetoric and Composition, Theories of the Lyric, and Literary Criticism and Theory.

Related Research Approaches

Creative Writing