There is a wealth of novels that might have constituted this course's reading list. Our selection is hardly perfect because it necessarily leaves out many important texts. We will do our best to bear that in mind and to address the question of canonicity. That is, why do some books get taught in literature courses, while others are reserved for the beach? Better yet, why do these eight books appear on this syllabus, while another version of the same class might include an entirely different set of novels?

• Read. Most of your class preparation will be spent reading and developing responses to novels. I will give specific guidelines for what reading is due each class day (i.e., you will not be expected to finish novels by the first meeting devoted to them; I will give you pages or sections to complete). It is absolutely necessary that you read on time. If there are works on the syllabus with which you are already familiar, re-read them. The best responses to literature are always the product of multiple readings.
• Participate. Good class participation means thoughtful discussion (which should also stimulate strong ideas for your written work), so please devote some time to identifying issues that you think deserve attention in class. Do not hesitate to respond to my questions or your peers' comments, and do not be afraid to ask questions of your own.
• I encourage you to take advantage of my office hours and to send along questions via email. Please understand that the moments immediately before and after class are among the worst to have a conversation with me. If you have an important question or something you need to let me know about (an impending absence, concerns about an assignment, etc.) please pass that along in writing or during office hours.
• Attend. You are expected to be present for our meetings. Class participation cannot be "made up" with other assignments, and our discussions will be impossible to reproduce. If you do miss a class meeting, you are responsible for contacting a peer in order to determine what you've missed. You are also expected to arrive on time.
• Turn off your phones. Don't talk while others are speaking. Respect your colleagues.

There will be a midterm on October 24.

There will be a final examination on December 17.

I will also assign approximately 10 short response assignments. These will take the form of 2-3 paragraph responses to discussion questions distributed in class. Generally, they will be distributed at the end of a class meeting, written outside of class, and turned in at the beginning of the next class meeting. However, I may ask you to do a few during the first minutes of class. If you fail to submit one of these when it is due, you will receive no credit on that assignment. At the end of the semester, I will drop the lowest score.

All written assignments should include the university's Honor Pledge, handwritten and accompanied by your signature. The pledge is as follows: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized (or unacknowledged) assistance on this assignment/examination."