This class will be a hybrid seminar and workshop. In the seminar, we will be pairing short literary texts with critical essays that respond to them. These will provide models for the work you will be pursuing in your capstone. Roughly one-half of the class meetings will be workshops. During the workshop, you will be actively revising a previously written essay, often expanding on the strengths of the earlier work, and cutting or rewriting entirely the weaker points. Additionally, all students are encouraged to meet with a professor who has expertise in your topic to discuss your topic and revisions at least twice during the quarter.Readings will be drawn from poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, drama and journalism, and each of these will be paired with a critical response. We will be looking at issues of narrative voice, as well as assessing what makes a great critical essay, noting especially protocols of scholarly research. Prior to the first class, each student must email me (pphelan@stanford.edu) a copy of the paper or project that will constitute the core of your capstone. This will assist me in selecting relevant readings.
3 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
This class will be a hybrid seminar and workshop. In the seminar, we will be pairing short literary texts with critical essays that respond to them. These will provide models for the work you will be pursuing in your capstone. Roughly one-half of the class meetings will be workshops. During the workshop, you will be actively revising a previously written essay, often expanding on the strengths of the earlier work, and cutting or rewriting entirely the weaker points. Additionally, all students are encouraged to meet with a professor who has expertise in your topic to discuss your topic and revisions at least twice during the quarter.Readings will be drawn from poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, drama and journalism, and each of these will be paired with a critical response. We will be looking at issues of narrative voice, as well as assessing what makes a great critical essay, noting especially protocols of scholarly research. Prior to the first class, each student must email me (pphelan@stanford.edu) a copy of the paper or project that will constitute the core of your capstone. This will assist me in selecting relevant readings.
Offered in Spring 2027 at Stanford University.