Courses Taught Through Correspondence Study
05/08/2011

English 2123 (The Literature of Horror) This course is meant to give students a better appreciation of the horror genre, from its roots in gothic works such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to modern interpretations of the genre. Texts include Carrie, Stephen King; The Store, Bentley Little; Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson; Dracula, Bram Stoker; The Incredible Shrinking Man, Richard Matheson and Waking the Moon, Elizabeth Hand.  Films viewed include Nightmare on Elm Street, Tales from the Hood, and Candyman. The course consists of 16 Lessons, a midterm and final exam.

English 2175 (Literature of the Civil War) The Civil War ended over 130 years ago, but the conflict still continues. The Civil War is one of the most popular genres of American fiction. Stroll through most any bookstore and you'll find a section devoted entirely to this conflict. See for yourself why the war isn't really over. Texts studied include Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, Margaret Walker's Jubilee, Harry Turtledove's Guns of the South, Allen Gurganus' Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, and Gore Vidal's Lincoln. Films viewed include Glory and Gettysburg. The course consists of 17 Lessons, a midterm and final exam.

English 2029 (Introduction to Drama)  English 2029 is meant to give students an appreciation of the breadth of drama, from its Classical roots to Medieval morality plays to the Renaissance to more modern dramatic realism and dramatic expressionism. Plays studied include Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, The Glass Menagerie, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Hamlet, Trifles, The Rover, Lysistrata, Death of a Salesman, A Raisin in the Sun, How I Learned to Drive and Desire Under the Elms. The course consists of 15 lessons, a midterm and final exam.

English 3223 (Adolescent Literature) Adolescent Literature, otherwise known as Young Adult Literature, has various definitions ranging from what publishers market to this demographic to what teens themselves choose to read. It also suffers from an undeserved reputation as a genre of formulaic and uninteresting pieces that are only suitable for use in the classroom with "reluctant readers," those students whose reading skills need remediation.  We will examine various examples of the genre in English 3223 so as to lay to rest the myth that YA fiction is not well-written and important in its own right, as well as develop a deeper appreciation for the breadth of the genre. Texts include The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier; Annie on My Mind, Nancy Garden, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J. K. Rowling; Feed, M. T. Anderson; A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich, Alice Childress; Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson; Places I Never Meant to Be, Judy Blume; Girl Goddess #9, Francesca Lia Block; Godless, Pete Hautmann, Monster, Walter Dean Myers; Luna, Julie Anne Peters; Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind, Suzanne Fisher Staples; and The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton. We will also consider how films such as Mean Girls, Real Women Have Curves and Nightmare on Elm Street can also be considered works of YA fiction. The course consists of 16 Lessons, a midterm and final exam.

For more information about correspondence study at LSU contact The Office Independent and Distance Learning