English Description
The English curriculum is structured to foster intellectual growth by emphasizing the essential language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, along with a deep appreciation for literature. Students progress through a core three-year sequence that challenges them to read, write, and think critically through the study of both literary classics and contemporary texts that mirror the human condition.
This required course serves as an introduction to advanced literature and analytical writing, focusing on finding multiple levels of meaning and developing the multi-paragraph literary analysis essay.
A required course that equips students with critical tools to analyze literary and theoretical texts, examining the connections between Identity, Culture, and Power while developing their own emerging voices as writers.
This required, team-taught humanities course synthesizes literature and history using Harkness discussions and a competency-based approach to answer the essential question: "What makes America, America?"
An inquiry-based course that examines the self as an individual and as a construct of society, challenging your thinking through writing, projects, and dialogue to develop a personal, "living" question.
Apply advanced scholarly frameworks and critical theories to unpack the deep cultural and developmental meanings found in literature ranging from fairy tales to young adult novels.
This course examines characters who defy societal expectations to redefine power and identity. By analyzing works from classic authors like Kate Chopin to contemporary voices like Bonnie Garmus, students explore how storytelling critiques gender norms and resists oppression.
Explore the American and global short story, analyzing how masters from Edgar Allan Poe to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie use this concise form to illuminate the complexities of the human experience.
Use literature and cultural artifacts to explore the complexities of male socialization, the role of competition, and the problematic effects of stereotypical, patriarchal representations of masculinity.
This intensive course introduces the principles, techniques, and practice of the three primary genres of creative writing: fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
Delve into the literature and art that grappled with the disillusionment of the American Dream, examining how transformative political movements impacted artistic expression.
Examine science fiction texts to explore the relationship between the genre and political ideology, using hyperbolic scope to critique and question our own political systems.
A deep dive into Homer's epic The Odyssey and its modern adaptations (The Penelopiad, Circe), investigating how these ancient stories offer truths relevant to the contemporary world.
Develop an empathy-driven question about the world and future, exploring solutions, and initiating real-world action to make an impact through integrative inquiry and research.
Investigate our simultaneous fascination with and fear of haunted people, places, and things, analyzing how cultural anxieties are represented in supernatural fiction and film.
Dedicated to process, this course teaches students to write quickly, fluidly, and fearlessly by learning traditional theatrical approaches rooted in character and narrative structure.
Rediscover the love of reading by using reader-response theory to think critically about yourself as a reader, culminating in the creation of a personal chapbook based on reflections.
Examine the profound influence of music from the 20th century onward on American culture, studying how artists participate in social changes like the civil rights and anti-war movements.
