ENG 381 Periodical Studies

“The whole tendency of the age is Magazine-ward,” wrote Edgar Allan Poe in 1846, and from Poe’s time through our own, magazines and other periodicals, whether print or digital, have been crucial to the careers of particular writers and to the development of whole literary genres and movements. This course critically examines the periodical as a major force in the history of modern literature and as a media form in its own right. Topics may include the role of the magazine in the history of the novel and the short story; evolving conceptions of copyright and authorship; serial fiction; the relation of periodical texts to paratexts, including advertisements; and editorial practice. Students will do research in digital archives and may produce their own digital humanities projects.  This course may be taken more than once, provided it addresses a different topic when taken again. Fulfills writing-intensive requirement. Prerequisites: ENG 112 or ENG 114 and two literature courses at the 200-level.

Credits

4