This course covers romances of the eighteenth to the twenty-first century, ranging from the amatory (stories about love, longing, and desire) to the fantastic (the supernatural and fantasy). Students will consider issues of canonization, popularity, the text-author-reader relationship, definitions of high and low art, ideas about good and bad writing, and eroticism and desire. Texts may include Harlequin romances, paranormal romance, and works by Jane Austen, the Brontes, Daphne du Maurier, Stephenie Meyer, Nicholas Sparks, Sarah Waters, and E. L. James.
Open to students who have successfully completed at least 4.0 full credits. Students who do not meet the prerequisite but are enrolled in any 100-level ENG or DRE course (except ENG100H5) may petition the department in writing for approval to take the course. See the guidelines for written petitions on the department website.
