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Core Curriculum – Literature & Writing

Everyone here who gets a bachelor’s degree has to first get through the core curriculum.  Think of it as spinach.  Remember how as a child you hated spinach but your mom said you had to eat it cuz it’s good for you?  And now as an adult you willingly eat spinach.  Well, when you’re sitting through that class that you had to take cuz it fulfills your core curriculum requirement, just remember that it’s good for you.  And that down the road you’ll appreciate it.  UST is just like your mom.  It wants what’s best for you – and in this case, it’s taking a few courses that will make you a well-rounded, educated individual.  Trust me, it’s good for you.

That said, I’m going to offer up a few blog posts devoted to helping you through those core classes.  I know not everyone forced to take biology is interested in it (trust me, I remember linguistics.  No. Interest. Whatsoever).   So for the next few posts I’ll give some short-cuts to resources in each of the core curriculum requirement starting with Literature & Writing.

For most of your literature needs, you can use Literature Resource Center.  It offers

  • overviews of works (in case you’re not sure what you just read or prefer spoilers before you start)
  • topic overviews (which are themes across several works – i.e. racism in literature, motherhood in 19th century literature)
  • literary criticism (which are articles written by other people about a work that will lend ideas or weight to your paper)
  • author biographies

Blackwell Literature is a collection of hundreds of encyclopedias, both broad and specific, about all things literature: fiction, poetry, literary criticism, theater, theory,short stories, novels, it goes on and on.  This is for background info – gives you idea of what to expect on a topic.

If it’s just articles you want – and you didn’t find them in Literature Resource Center, use MLA.

We have many, many more resources used for all English and writing classes.  Or check out the research guides.

News & Events

English Department’s Common Context: “Hunger” Events

Excerpted from UST News Service. For more information see Bulletin Today 9/21/2011 and the English Department’s Common Context page.

begging-for-foodresi4The first event for the English Department’s 2011-12 Common Context, “Hunger,” is tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 22. Students, faculty and staff are invited to join colleagues over the convocation hour at the UST Stewardship Garden behind Brady Educational Center. Participants will learn about urban gardening and food sustainability on campus. Student gardeners also will demonstrate how to make salsa from fresh tomatoes.

This year’s events are focused on numerous aspects of hunger and scarcity on a global and local scale, but they also are designed to inspire the consideration of related dimensions of hunger including desire, longing and the struggle for justice. All students in ENGL 121 Critical Thinking: Literature and Writing will examine at least one text that focuses on this theme of hunger.

Fall Common Context events:

  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Film: “We Feed the World,” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 – Film: “A Screaming Man” (Une Homme qui crie), co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Film: “Our Daily Bread,” co-sponsored by American Culture and Difference and UST Libraries.  The film will be followed by a Q-and-A session with Dr. Kanishka Chowdhury of the English Department. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • Noon Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Presentation: “Geography of Hunger in the Twin Cities: Exploring the Food Desert.”  Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
  • Noon Tuesday, Nov. 8 – Food Issues panel discussion moderated by Todd Lawrence. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer of Justice and Peace Studies, Simon Emms from Biology and student Aaron Hays discuss important issues related to food, hunger and justice. Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Film: “Hunger” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Dec. 23: “Food for Fines” food drive with UST Libraries for Francis Basket Food Shelf. Drop-off sites for nonperishable items: Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library and O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.

Common Context events are offered with assistance from UST Libraries, the American Culture and Difference program, the Geography Department, Justice and Peace Studies, the Biology Department, and Environmental Studies.