This required course for English majors provides instruction in the fundamentals of writing about literature, including literary research, interpretation, and criticism. The theme of our readings is “the city,” as we explore changing representations of city life in English and American fiction, poetry, and nonfiction over the last two centuries. Some authors we will discuss include Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Christina Rossetti, Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Richard Wright. A primary goal of the course is to familiarize you with a variety of critical and theoretical approaches that are used in the study of literature. We will practice these methods in online discussion posts and responses, and short writing assignments, building up through preliminary exercises to a research paper of 8-10 pages. Prerequisite: ENGL 1000 or equivalent, sophomore standing.