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In the introduction to a recent collection of spiritual writing, Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate, writes: "I came to sense that a spiritual realm could be accessed, not through the recommended roads of religion leading to portals guarded by priests, rabbis, imams, and religious leaders of other stripes, but instead, directly through actual daily experience." In this class, we will read works from a variety of faith traditions, using selections from either the Best Spiritual Writing series published yearly by Penguin Books or works from the Best American Spiritual Writing series put out annually by Mariner Books. Our goal will be to examine works by 21st century authors who explore the mysteries of the soul and the soul's relationship with the universe, as well as how these works reflect the spiritual discipline of the writers. Note: this course will have a Service Learning component. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. Prerequisite: ENGL 121.
Students will read and write about literary texts critically and closely. The course emphasizes recursive reading and writing processes that encourage students to discover, explain, question and clarify ideas. To this end, students will study a variety of genres as well as terms and concepts helpful to close analysis of those genres. They will practice various forms of writing for specific audiences and purposes. Students will reflect on and develop critical awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as readers and writers. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 12 pages of formal revised writing.
