ENGLISH 428      20th-Century American Literature
An intensive study of either selected major American writers in the 20th century or of 20th-century literary movements. Prerequisites: ENGLISH 321 or permission of instructor. This prerequisite applies only to undergraduates.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 429      Advanced Screenwriting
A course in advanced theory in narrative screenwriting, industry script analysis (called "coverage") and story editing. Students complete the first act of a feature screenplay and a detailed beat sheet for the whole film. In addition, students will write and revise a short-film screenplay to be produced in the advanced production class. Or they will write a television series bible with episode springboards and a pilot episode. Cross-listed with COMM-S 454 Advanced Screenwriting. Prerequisites: ENG 339/COMM-S 354 Introduction to Screenwriting or permission of instructor.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 430      Advanced Technical Writing
This course is designed for those who plan to do or teach professional, business, or technical writing. Beginning with a brief background in the history of technical writing, the course will deal with current theories and methods of teaching technical and professional writing, and will cover such areas as business usage; technical linguistic problems and theories; the language of contracts, specifications, and other binding documents; and computer-oriented problems. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the WEPT. Offered: Every Semester.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 431      18th-Century British Literature
British literature from the mid to late 18th century. Selected writers may include Blake, Burney, Collins, Equiano, Fielding, Gray, Johnson, Sheridan, and Wollstonecraft.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 432      Advanced Creative Writing Prose
A course for advanced students of fiction writing. Open to students who have taken ENGLISH 312 or its equivalent. The class will proceed through analysis of models, discussion of general principles, critique of student work. Students will simultaneously be encouraged to experiment and to refine the form and subjects best suited to their talents. Emphasis will remain on the short story, though there may be units in other forms--novella, film script, the non-fiction essay.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 433      Histories Of Writing, Reading, And Publishing
A study of selected topics concerning the material practices of writing, reading, and publishing within specific cultural and historical contexts. Issues examined may include authorship, education, information technologies, libraries, literacy, periodicals, popular literature, publishers, and communities of readers. Prerequisite: One appropriate introductory course at the 300 level. Offered: On Demand.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 434      Postcolonial Literature
An exploration of postcolonialism through the study of literary and theoretical texts created by or representing peoples whose historical experience has been decisively shaped by the experience or legacies of colonialism. Texts will be drawn from a variety of genres and from several countries. The course will consider several definitions of postcolonialism and related terms such as cosmopolitanism, hybridity, diaspora, and nationalism. Cross-listed with ENGLISH 5534. Offered: On demand.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 435      Advanced Creative Writing Poetry
An advanced poetry workshop that includes intensive reading of contemporary poetry and aims at each student creating a portfolio of publishable poems. The focus of the course will vary to address a variety of topics such as metaphor and closure; imitation and the line; form and voice. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: For Undergraduates Restrictions: ENGLISH 315 or equivalent. Offered: On demand.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 436      Poetic Forms
An advanced creative writing course that focuses on intensive study of and practice in metrics and traditional and nonce forms. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: For Undergraduates ; Restrictions: ENGLISH 315 or equivalent. Offered: On demand.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 437      Prose Forms
The making of a work of prose requires expertise with the structure of the chosen form, and an understanding of the relationship of form to content. This class teaches the techniques for planning and drafting major prose forms which could include the very-short story, the story, novella, novel, linked-story collection, episodic novel, essay novel, the play, the creative nonfiction book, and others. Students will learn how to create particular prose forms and how to use content as a guide to inventing new forms. We will examine some of the best examples of both traditional and newly invented forms by writers such as Anton Chekhov, Katherine Anne Porter, Tim O'Brien, and Sandra Cisneros. Prerequisite: ENGLISH 312. Offered: Each year.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 438      The ""New Letters"" Writing Conference
An intensive weekend conference for creative writers of varying genres and levels of experience, published and unpublished -- fiction, poetry, nonfiction, stage and screen. The conference includes creative and interdisciplinary sessions on writing and publishing, genre-specific workshops, socializing and networking opportunities, and private manuscript consultations. The course of study for two-and three-credit students includes selected reading and post-weekend tutorial time conducted by accomplished, working writers.
Credits: 1-3 hours
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ENGLISH 439      Shakespeare and Film
Grounded in the close analysis of texts, this course examines film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays across the range of dramatic genres (history plays, tragedy, comedy, and romance). This course is open to seniors and graduate student sonly. Graduate students will be responsible for supplemental critical readings.Prerequisite: Eng 323
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 440      American Culture
Texts that offer perspectives on key historical themes of American culture. Texts may be grouped around any culturally significant principle (e.g. region, race, gender, class, ethnicity, religion) or theme (e.g. the mythology of the frontier, marriage and domesticity, the American Dream). The course may be taken twice for credit, provided substantive changes in topic. Prerequisites: ENGLISH 311 and ENGLISH 321 or permission of the instructor. These prerequisites apply only to undergraduate students. Offered: On demand.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 441      Girls And Print Culture
This course deals with girls' relationships to the continually evolving print culture. Students will examine various literary representations of girlhood by adult writers, explore texts directed at girls (e.g., conduct books, periodicals, textbooks), and study the writing and reading practices of girls themselves.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 445      History And Principles Of Rhetoric
A study of selected writings of ancient, and modern rhetoricians illustrating key issues in the development of Western discourse theory and practice. Issues examined include the relationships between rhetoric and knowledge, orality and literacy, and rhetoric and poetics. Attention will also be given to the implications of rhetorical theory for modern language instruction. Prerequisites: None. Offered: on demand.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 447      Introduction To Literary Criticism
An introduction to major schools or methods of literary criticism. The first third of the course is an historical overview of criticism from Aristotle to Northrop Frye. The remainder of the semester is devoted to a study of genetic, formalist, mimetic, affective, intertextual, and deconstructionist approaches. Prerequisite: junior or senior status and six hours of literature.
Credits: 3 hours
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ENGLISH 448      External Internship
Students may complete an external internship involving writing and editing with a publishing company, trade magazine, literary or academic journal, other print or electronic media organization, or with advertising, public relations, or non-profit firms. Internships are granted on a competitive basis. Students will compile a portfolio of their work under the direction of the internship supervisor to be submitted for evaluation by their chosen faculty mentor. Students will work 5 hours per week per credit hour.
Credits: 1-3 hours
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ENGLISH 449      Publication Practicum
This course provides practical experience with New Letters magazine, New Letters on the Air, and BkMk Press in business analysis/reporting, copy-editing, manuscript evaluation, promotion/grant development, library research, market research, and other skills. The practicum is limited to three students per semester, to be chosen on the basis of demonstrated writing and organizational skills. References are required. May be taken for no more than three credit hours over a maximum of two semesters. Permission of the instructors required. Prerequisite: None.
Credits: hours
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ENGLISH 450      Special Readings
Intensive individual readings in a field, genre, or individual figure to be selected by a student or a group of students in consultation with an instructor willing to direct the project. Generally limited to graduating seniors who have completed the majority of the work for their major. Not open to students in their first semester at UMKC. May be repeated for credit. No more than six hours of independent study (exclusive of ENGLISH 499) may be used to fulfill the 33-hour requirement for the English major. Offered: Every semester. Arrangements must be made prior to registration.
Credits: 1-3 hours
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ENGLISH 451      Shakespeare Comedies And Histories
A study of Shakespeare's major comedies and history plays with special emphasis on his dramatic works before 1600. Prerequisites: ENGLISH 317 and ENGLISH 323 or permission of the instructor. These prerequisites apply only to undergraduate students.
Credits: 3 hours
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