Creative Writing
Courses
EN 011 Language & Literacy Support: 1 semester hour
This course offers instruction and practice in college-level reading, writing, and English proficiency. All on-campus undergraduate students can enroll in this course: first-year students, upper-class students, returning students, and transfer students. Work will be individualized (arranged meeting) and will support the student’s work in other courses. Repeatable.
EN 012 Elements of English: 3 semester hours
This is a “bridge” course between high school language arts and college writing courses. Objectives include learning to use college-level reading and writing strategies and developing academic confidence in literacy tasks. This course is geared toward both native- and non-native English-speaking students. Indications for placement include an ACT score below 15, a high school GPA below 2.5, committee admittance, and/or or a Duolingo score below 115 and/or any Duolingo subscore below 100 (or similar score in an equivalent assessment for English proficiency.).
EN 101 Writing And History: 4 semester hours
By examining a period of historical topic, students will have the opportunity to discover how history is relevant to contemporary life. The course will focus on a different topic each semester such as the Vietnam War, the Holocaust, or the American Frontier, using it as a focus for writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 106 Writing And The Environment: 4 semester hours
Our national culture is firmly rooted in the ways we treat the land and wildlife. Many writers have responded to our changing environment in a multitude of ways. This course will examine that literature in order to stimulate student writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 107 Writing And Popular Culture: 4 semester hours
This course will study how television, movies, and music influence our everyday lives and shape our values, showing how popular culture has increasingly been used in fiction and poetry. Assignments will allow students to examine different perspectives about popular culture. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 108 Writing and Issues of Health & Mortality: 4 semester hours
Frequently, the impulse behind writing comes from the awareness of our mortality and our desire to care for one another. Writers, including those who are doctors and nurses, know this and have created a rich trove of literature from all genres about these experiences. This course will examine that literature in order to stimulate students writing and research in writing.
EN 111 Writing And Film: 4 semester hours
This course will use cinema from around the world to stimulate student writing. Specific versions of the course might center around important American films, films of directors, films from a particular genre, or films dealing with a major theme. Students will explore different perspectives about how film can entertain, educate, and provoke an audience. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 112 Writing And Gender Studies: 4 semester hours
Gender is a concept that refers to the cultural sources of our identities as women and men. This writing course will explore gender in conjunction with socialization, stereotypes, intimacy, the media, the workplace, and the family. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 114 Writing And Social Issues: 4 semester hours
This course examines social issues such as racism, poverty, and crime. Students may participate in brief service projects. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 115 Writing And Other Cultures: 4 semester hours
This course includes reading and writing about people from diverse cultural positions, and focuses on understanding the various social, political, and economic factors that shape a culture. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 116 Writing And Life Stories: 4 semester hours
The course explores how students and published writers craft compelling stories out of life experiences. Assignments include personal essays, analytical papers, and a research project. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 117 Writing And Sports: 4 semester hours
Given the emphasis placed on sports in the life of a college student, as well as in our culture in general, this course will stress the fundamentals of college writing and research while using sports as a thematic focus. The course will examine such topics as participation in sports, historical developments of professional sports, individual versus team sports, and the broad area of sports literature. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 118 Writing And Place: 4 semester hours
An understanding and a belonging to a place can give us a sense of community and purpose. This class will explore issues connected with places both familiar and foreign while using them as a focus for writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 120 Grammar: 1 semester hour
A study of grammar with an emphasis on revising and editing.
EN 122 Grammar for Teaching English as a Second Language: 3 semester hours
This course covers aspects of modern English grammar important for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). The basic structure of words (morphology), sentences (syntax), and meanings (semantics), including basic rules of writing mechanics most problematic for English learners are also studied.
EN 123 Professional Writing: 4 semester hours
Designed to help students understand the basic resources and techniques of writing pertinent to their chosen professions. Writing assignments and discussions covering such areas as occupational letters, reports, and letters of job application are geared to the student's individual professional needs. Prerequisites: One course selected from the core curriculum writing courses and sophomore standing.
EN 125 Introduction To Language: 3 semester hours
An introduction to the principles and basic structure of the English language with an emphasis on grammar, the history of English, and sociolinguistics.
EN 133 Introduction to American Multicultural Literature: 3 semester hours
This course surveys literature that reflects America’s racial and ethnic diversity. Students will examine texts by African Americans, Native Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and Muslim Americans. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 134 Introduction to U.S. Latino Literature: 3 semester hours
Stories are powerful transmitters of culture. In this course we will look at stories from contemporary Latino writers in the United States to help us discover, appreciate, and understand the Latino part of our multicultural heritage. As we study representations of Latino culture in different genres, we will grapple with the gifts and challenges of a bi-cultural identity. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 135 Introduction to African American Literature: 3 semester hours
This course considers the breadth, depth, and significance of the African American literary tradition, ranging from the eighteenth century through the present era. We will study slave narratives, speeches, poetry, drama, and fiction to explore the complex relationship between race and writing and to discover how African American literature both responds to and helps shape American history and culture. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 140 Introduction to Diversity Studies: 3 semester hours
This course introduces Diversity Studies, an interdisciplinary program of study that enables students to develop a broad understanding of the intersecting components of diversity in society, namely: race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexuality, social class, religion, language, aging, and disability. By the end of the semester, students will develop an understanding of and sensitivity to diverse cultures and lifestyles and the contributions of historically-underrepresented communities to art, literature, history, culture, and society. Ultimately, the course equips students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential to civic participation, career development, and the promotion of a just and an equitable society.
EN 150 Introduction to Film Adaptation: 3 semester hours
This course will study the common practice of creating film adaptations of all kinds: form literature, graphic novels, musicals, television scripts, history, etc. - for instance, adapting works such as Pride and Prejudice, No Country for Old Men, the short story "Million Dollar Baby", the musical Chicago, the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the graphic novel Persepolis, the comic book series of Batman. This writing intensive class fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain.
EN 154 Introduction to World Literature: 3 semester hours
This course introduces the basics of literary analysis while examining works of poetry and prose by major writers from around the world. This writing-intensive course fulfils the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: completion of the writing competency course.
EN 170 Introduction To Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will provide an introduction to poetry, fiction and drama, emphasizing reading, analysis, and interpretation. Students will be asked to read a variety of literature that reflects both the history and the diversity of the genres and to respond orally and in writing. Fulfills the core curriculum requirement in literature. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 175 American Drama: 3 semester hours
Selected dramas from 1920 to the present ranging from classic American plays by Williams and Miller to more offbeat, contemporary works. Students may be required to attend productions outside class. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 176 American Literature Survey: Colonial to 1914: 3 semester hours
This survey course will examine the major topics/trends/movements in American literature from our nation's beginnings to World War I through reading a variety of genres: poetry, short fiction, autobiography, and the novel. Topics will include American Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 178 Major American Writers: 3 semester hours
This course will examine works (fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction) from important American writers. Some of the writers that may be included: Franklin, Hawthorne, Douglass, Thoreau, Dickinson, Whitman, Twain, Chopin, Hemingway, O'Neill, Faulkner, Frost, Morrison, Miller, A. Wilson, O'Connor, Wright, Kingston, Erdrich, Tan, and Cisneros. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 180 Introduction to Literature and Gender: 3 semester hours
This course examines the ways in which poets, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and memoirists create, explore, and challenge social constructions of gender. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 181 Introduction to LGBTQ Literature: 3 semester hours
Students will explore literature that depicts the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. This course will emphasize literature by LGBTQ authors themselves, primarily American and British authors from the late nineteenth century to the present. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 190 British Literature and Culture: 3 semester hours
This travel course examines selected works of British literature in conjunction with the art, history, cityscapes, and political and economic realities that helped produce them. The course includes a 7-10 day trip to London, Canterbury, Bath, and Oxford. This writing-intensive course fulfills either the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain or the Global Awareness Domain. Students must specify to which Domain they wish this course to be applied. Prerequisites: payment of travel deposit and one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 192 The Lost Generation: Expatriates in Paris: 3 semester hours
This travel course treats literature created by the expatriate “Lost Generation” in Paris in the 1920s. Enrolled students will learn experientially how the city and culture of 1920s Paris shaped the literature of the Lost Generation and how expatriate writers in the 1920s helped inform Parisian culture and climate. The course includes a one- to two-week trip to Paris. This writing-intensive course fulfills either the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain or the requirement in the Global Awareness Domain. Students must specify to which Domain they wish this course to be applied. Prerequisites: payment of travel deposit and one course completed from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 195 Irish Literature & Culture: 3 semester hours
This travel course examines selected works of Irish literature in conjunction with art, history, cityscapes, and political and economic realities that helped produce them. The course includes a 1-2 week trip to Dublin, Belfast, and Derry. The writing-intensive course fulfills either the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain or the requirement in the Global Awareness Domain. Students must specify to which Domain they wish this course to be applied. Prerequisites: payment of travel deposit and one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 203 Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
This multi-genre course introduces students to the writing of short stories, poems, and creative nonfiction. Students will participate in small-group workshops, revise, and create a final portfolio of their work, including a reflection on their writing process. Guided writing activities and model texts will provide a wealth of inspiration and ideas, alongside students’ own writing goals and interests. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 204 Writing Creative Nonfiction: 3 semester hours
Students will study and create several types of creative nonfiction with an emphasis on the personal essay. Drawing upon writing tools used by both fiction writers and poets, students will compose original essays, participate in peer workshops, revise, and create a final portfolio of their work, including a reflection on their writing process. Guided writing activities and model texts will provide a wealth of inspiration and ideas, alongside students’ own writing goals and interests. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses.
EN 205 Writing Poetry: 3 semester hours
This workshop allows students to explore together the fundamentals of the craft of poetry. Students will identify the attributes that make poetry a unique and expressive art form, and will become familiar with diverse forms, subject matter, and styles by reading the work of established and emerging poets. Students will compose original poems, participate in peer workshops, and create a final portfolio of their work. This course will enable students to be more aware of their own writing processes and to access a breadth of strategies for composition, collaboration, and revision journeys. Guided writing activities and model texts will provide a wealth of inspiration and ideas, alongside students’ own writing goals and interests. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 206 Writing Fiction: 3 semester hours
Students will study and create several types of short stories. They will participate in peer workshops, revise, and assemble a final portfolio of their work, including a reflection on their writing process. Guided writing activities and model texts will provide a wealth of inspiration and ideas, alongside students’ own writing goals and interests. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 210 Writing And Analysis Of Literature: 4 semester hours
An intensive writing course required of English majors and minors. Also covers the critical analysis of the major genres and the study of various theoretical approaches. Must be taken at Mount Mercy before the senior year. The CLEP exam does not apply. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 215 Major English Writers: 3 semester hours
This course focuses on selected writings from such authors as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Charlotte Bronte, Keats, Browning, and Joyce. English majors must take this course before their senior year. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 225 Chaucer And The Middle Ages: 3 semester hours
This course is an introduction to the Middle English literature with a concentration on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 234 Shakespeare: 3 semester hours
Learn about theatre through the works of Shakespeare. Consider how actors, directors, other artists, and critics have interpreted Shakespeare’s major plays. Students will view some film adaptations and, if possible, live performances. This course satisfies the Expressive Arts - Fine Arts Core Curriculum Domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 236 Milton and the 17th Century: 3 semester hours
This course will place an emphasis on Milton's verse and prose; also selected works of the Cavalier and metaphysical poets, especially Donne. Prerequisite: One lower division course or permission of the instructor.
EN 243 18th-Century Literature: 3 semester hours
Major works from 1660-1780, showing the development of poetry, drama, and the novel. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 254 The English Romantic Age: 3 semester hours
Prose and verse, 1780-1832, especially works by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Scott, Austen, Lamb. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 265 The Victorian Age: 3 semester hours
Poetry and fiction by such authors as Tennyson, Browning, Hopkins, Dickens, Eliot, Gaskell, and Hardy. Prerequisite: One lower division course or permission of the instructor.
EN 278 American Literature Survey: 1914 to Present: 3 semester hours
This course will examine the major topics/trends/movements in American Literature from World War I to the present through reading a variety of genres: poetry, short fiction, drama, and the novel. Topics will include Modernism, Postmodernism and Deconstruction, and Multiculturalism.
EN 300 Topics in Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will examine a specific topic in literature. Course content will vary. The course with different content may be repeated. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 303 Topics In American Literature: 3 semester hours
This course includes an examination of a specific topic in American literature. Course content will vary. The course with different content may be repeated. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 305 Anglophone Literature: 3 semester hours
After the demise of the British Empire in the 20th century, the English language remained in use all over the world in many of its former colonies and commonwealth states. As newly independent peoples began to define their national identity, their native writers adopted English as the medium for telling their stories. Appropriately called World Englishes, these offshoots of the language of Britain shaped themselves to the culture, geography, and circumstances of a whole new cadre of Anglophone writers. This course will explore world literature written in English from places such as India, Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, and the Caribbean in order to engage with the questions of identity that arise, both for nations and for individuals, in a post-colonial society in a global age.
EN 309 British Modernism: 3 semester hours
This course will focus on the major works and movements of British literature from 1900-1945, specifically focusing on Modernism. It will cover texts by such authors as Yeats, Auden, Conrad, Joyce, Woolf, Forster, Ford, Eliot, Lawrence, Mansfield, and Bowen.
EN 310 Contemporary British Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will examine the major works and movements in British literature from 1945 to the present. It will cover texts by such authors as Greene, Waugh, Lessing, Beckett, Heaney, Ishiguro, McEwan, Smith, and Barnes. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 314 Law and Literature: 3 semester hours
How do law and literature shape our ethics, identities, and understanding of the truth? Why do so many literary writers feature legal documents, crime, prisons, and trial scenes? Students explore all these questions as they study British, American, and world literature ranging from ancient Greek tragedy to novels by Nobel Prize winners to recent Oprah picks. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a service learning project at the Anamosa State Penitentiary.
EN 320 Intermediate Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
This is an advanced creative writing course focusing on the student portfolio, a collection of original poems, stories and creative nonfiction written for the class. Prerequisite: EN 203 or permission of the instructor.
EN 321 Topics In Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
Students will study and practice creative writing focused on a specific theme or sub-genre, such as health and healing, coming of age, or science fiction. Students may repeat the course when it features a different theme or sub-genre. Prerequisite: EN 203, EN 204, EN 205 or EN 206 or permission of the instructor.
EN 325 Seminar: Independent Research: 3 semester hours
This is a capstone seminar which asks that students demonstrate through independent research and in-class activities a proficiency in critical, verbal, and written skills. Since this class is process oriented the instructor and students will collaborate on selecting the theme(s) for the seminar. Students will also explore career development. Required of all English majors. Prerequisites: Senior English major status; one course selected from the core composition courses; and at least one upper-level English literature course at Mount Mercy.
EN 424 Internship: 3 semester hours
This class is a supervised work experience in various profit/non-profit organization. It is required of all English majors who have not had another internship experience through Mount Mercy University and who are not Education majors. It is open to English majors of junior or senior status. All students must receive the approval/consent of the English Program before participating in this internship. If students do not receive this approval, they will take EN 455, focusing on career preparation. To count toward the English major, the internship must be taken for three credits.
EN 445 Independent Study: 3 semester hours
Study topic will be arranged by the student and the English Department best able to direct the work. An independent study gives the English major the opportunity to pursue authors, genres, and literary periods not developed in regular courses.