How to Judge a Book By its Cover

Three credits · Undergraduate

In this course, we will “read” the material contexts and paratexts of literature that influence how we think about the books and texts we read. We will discuss book history, anthologies, and the literary canon. This course offers a broad overview of the importance of paratexts—from advertisements to indices—from the Middle Ages to the present. Students will analyze texts from a book historical perspective, considering how presentation affects reception and meaning. Credit will be granted for only one of ENGL 316 or ENGL 397(offered 2019). Prerequisite: 9 credits ENGL. Three credits.