ENGL 3770 - American Literature in Historical Perspective
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43970,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Laura Beadling
Email: llbeadling@ysu.edu
Course Description
ENGL 3770. American Literature in Historical Perspective. Poetry, prose, drama, and other forms of literary expression examined within the context of a specific aspect of American social, intellectual, and cultural history. May be repeated once with different topic.
NOTE: Course may be contracted for honors credit. See us to discuss options.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | More Weight | Ben Wickey | 9781603095600 |
| Required | Tales from the Haunted South | Tiya Miles | 9781469636146 |
| Required | In Cold Blood | Truman Capote | 9780141182575 |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 8/25 | Introduction | ||
| Thu | 8/27 | What is Dark Tourism? | ||
| Tue | 9/1 | Wickey, Chp. 1-7 | Tragedy Tourism | |
| Thu | 9/3 | Wickey, Chp. 8-13 | How to read a graphic novel | QUIZ 1 |
| Tue | 9/8 | Wickey, Chp. 14-19 | Salem Witch Crisis | |
| Thu | 9/10 | Wickey, Chp. 20-22 | Salem in Memory | QUIZ 2 FRI 9/11: Mansfield Field Trip |
| Tue | 9/15 | Wickey, Chp. 23-24 | Salem Roundtable | TRIP NOTES 1 |
| Thu | 9/17 | Wickey, Outro | Tragedy Tourism Wrap-up | |
| Tue | 9/22 | EXAM 1 | ||
| Thu | 9/24 | Battlefield Tourism | ||
| Tue | 9/29 | Battlefield Preservation | ||
| Thu | 10/1 | Indigenous Perspectives | ||
| Tue | 10/6 | Disaster Tourism | ||
| Thu | 10/8 | Willey House | SUN 10/11: USHMM Trip (optional) | |
| Tue | 10/13 | 9/11 | ||
| Thu | 10/15 | Oceangate | FRI 10/16: Warren Ghost Walk | |
| Tue | 10/20 | EXAM 2 | ||
| Thu | 10/22 | Miles, p. 1-47 | Thanatourism | FRI 10/23: Warren Ghost Walk |
| Tue | 10/27 | Miles, p. 48-79 | Plantation Tourism | QUIZ 3 |
| Thu | 10/29 | Miles, p. 80-114 | Ghost Tourism - Trum Co | DARK TOURISM BROCHURE |
| Tue | 11/3 | Miles, p. 115-132 | Ghost Tourism, con't | QUIZ 4 |
| Thu | 11/5 | EXAM 3 | ||
| Tue | 11/10 | Capote, Book 1 | Macabre Tourism | |
| Thu | 11/12 | Capote, Book 2 | Emergence of True Crime as a genre | SAT 11/14: Titanic Exhibit Trip |
| Tue | 11/17 | Capote, Book 3 | New Journalism | TRIP NOTES 3 |
| Thu | 11/19 | Capote, Book 3 con't | Capote (1967) | QUIZ 5 |
| Tue | 11/24 | Capote, Book 4 | Capote (1967) | |
| Thu | 11/26 | No Class | ||
| Tue | 12/1 | Capote, Book 4 con't | Dahmer Tourism | QUIZ 6 |
| Thu | 12/3 | EXAM 4 | ||
| Tue | 12/8 | No Class | ||
| Thu | 12/10 | Fri 12/11 15:15-17:15 | MULTIMEDIA PROJECT & PRESENTATION |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.