English 399:
Syllabus & Texts, Winter 2000

List of Texts, in order of assignments; date of publication in parentheses:

• Lewis Thomas, selections from The Medusa and The Snail (1979) -- in packet
• Sawako Ariyoshi, The Doctor's Wife (1978)
• Richard Selzer, selections from Mortal Lessons (1987) -- on reserve
• Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1831)
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Rappacini's Daughter" (1844) -- on reserve
• H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)
• J. Bronowski, selections from Science and Human Values (1965) -- on reserve
• Friedrich Dürrenmatt, The Physicists (1962)
• The Andromeda Strain [film; viewed in class] (1970)
• Colin Bruce, selections from The Einstein Paradox (1997) -- in packet
• Lucretius, selections from On the Nature of Things (ca. 60 BCE) -- on reserve
• Galileo, "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" (1615) -- on reserve
• Bertolt Brecht, Galileo (1938; 1947)
• Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths" (1941) -- on reserve
• Don DeLillo, Ratner's Star (1976)

Syllabus, Winter 2000:

Schedule of Assignments -- Note that you must obtain copies of some items through the library reserve desk (or on your own). In most cases, but not all, book copies as well as photocopies are available.

Jan. 5 Course introduction
Jan. 7 Thomas [packet]

Jan. 10 Ariyoshi, Chapters 1-6
12 Ariyoshi, Chapters 7-10; Selzer [reserve]
14 Ariyoshi, finish

Jan. 17 [holiday]
19 Shelley, Chapters 1-17
21 Shelley, finish

Jan. 24 Hawthorne, "Rappacini's Daughter" [reserve]
26 Wells, Chapters 1-13
28 Wells, finish **Reading logs due

Jan. 31 Bronowski [reserve]
Feb. 2 Dürrenmatt, Act I
4 Dürrenmatt, Act II

Feb. 7 Andromeda Strain [film]
9 A.S.
11 A.S. **Project report #1 due

Feb. 14 Bruce [packet]
16 Lucretius [reserve]
18 Lucretius

Feb. 21 Galileo [reserve] **Reading logs due
23 Brecht, Scenes 1-7
25 Brecht, finish

Feb. 28 Borges, "Garden of Forking Paths" [reserve] **Report #2 due
Mar. 1 DeLillo, Chapters 1-5
3 DeLillo, Chapters 6-9

Mar. 6 DeLillo, Chapters 10-12
8 DeLillo, pp 279-360
10 DeLillo, finish **Reading logs due

Finals week:

• Monday -- Projects due before 3 p.m.
• Exam time - Weds. 10 am to noon -- Project presentations, w/summaries