US Writers to 1865 course

[Karla Armbruster <armbruka@webster.edu>]

Dear ASLE Friends,

We have just split our 1-semester US writers survey into two courses  
(a long overdue change).  I am designing the new US Writers I course,  
which goes up to 1865.  I have a pretty good idea of what I want to  
do but thought it might be interesting to find out what some of you  
do in courses like this.  My main concerns are

1) Which longer works (novels, etc.) to include.  (I know I want to  
use _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ but probably need something more  
traditionally canonical as well)

2) How to make it student-centered and fun (let's face it, the  
Puritans don't usually automatically create the kind of excitement  
that actually happens sometimes with some of the 20th-century writers).

3) What resources I can provide to help students understand the  
historical and cultural contexts of the readings.

(We're using the Norton.)

Thanks for any suggestions!  I suspect this topic will not be  
terribly fascinating to most people on the list, so please write me  
directly at armbruka@webster.edu

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Karla Armbruster, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English
Co-Chair, Environmental Studies
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
314-246-7577
FAX: 314-968-7173