Mystery, Madness, and Lies

This course will examine the importance of narrators to fiction. Do they lie? Do they omit or distort information? We will consider the function of

American Ghost Stories

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” the writer Edith Wharton once asserted, “but I am afraid of them.” In this course, we will meet some unforgettable

Lyrics as Poetry

Lyrics as Poetry: From Old Bops to Hip Hop. Since Bob Dylan’s recent award of the Nobel Prize in Literature, songwriters and lyricists have gained

Writer’s Craft

This one-term course offers students an opportunity for focused writing practice. Honing and developing their skills in grammar, organization, use of evidence, and argument, students

In the American Grain

Writing what’s new is inextricably linked to reading what’s come before. With that in mind, this three-genre writing workshop offers a survey of American literature

American Dreams

“The American Dream” is a familiar phrase, but what does it mean? Whose dream is it? Is there just one dream for all Americans? How

Defining Literary Traditions

Tenth-grade English emphasizes critical reading, focused discussions and a variety of writing assignments connected to the study of literature derived from the British tradition. These

The Art of Detection

The modern detective story is said to have its beginnings in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841). Poe may have given

NY Stories: Finding Home

For centuries, aspiring artists, writers, and performers, immigrants from across the globe, and newcomers from every corner of the country seekingfame or fortune have hoped

The Worlds We Build

The Worlds We Build: Writing Original Fiction In this course students will read and discuss extant works of short fiction, then compose original material of

Inside Out

Inside Out: Coming to Terms With Climate Change.This course will use non-fiction, fiction, poetry and documentary film to establish an understanding of the origins and

Shakespeare: Forsaken Friends

Even the strongest friendships in Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies grow fragile within the romantic, familial, or political disruptions. Without losing sight of those larger forces,