Fantasy and Romance

M 08-29

First Day

W 08-31

Start Beowulf: pp. 3-22 (to Celebration at Heorot); + intro pages: “Old English Language and Poetics” pp. xv-xxii, part of Translator’s Introduction: “About This Translation” pp. xxxii-xxxviii.

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M 09-05

Labor Day Holiday: No classes.

W 09-07

Finish Beowulf; In the Beowulf text, read “Grettir the Strong and the Troll Woman,” pp. 86-89, plus, excerpt from Tolkien’s “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” pp. 124-130 (starting with “Beowulf is not an actual picture. . .”)

The Scop's Way: Discussion Board Exercise on Courseweb

M 09-12

Tolkien, LoTR Part 1: The Fellowship of the Ring, Prologue, pp. 1-16; Book 1 Chs. 1-3, pp. 21-85.

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W 09-14

LoTR: Fellowship, Book 1 Chs.4-7, pp. 86-134

Short response paper due via CourseWeb.. (See CourseWeb for assignment.)

M 09-19

LoTR: Fellowship, Finish Book 1 (Chs. 8-12), pp. 135-215

• First, create a free account with The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) by following this link, and choose a username and a password to log in. (Write down your username and password somewhere safe and convenient: you will need it for the next few weeks.)
• Go to Cassell Hall 210, and locate The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) installed on the computers there, and/or download and install The Lord of the Rings Online on your own PC or Mac computer. (If you install this on a laptop computer, bring your laptop to class with you this week and next.) Note: the download and installation process takes some time: it can be running in the background for a few hours while you do other things.
• Open the game, and when prompted to choose an Available World, choose Landroval, so that all of us will be developing characters and exploring together on the same game server.
• Create a character (of any kind) and complete the necessary introductory quests that allow you to enter Middle Earth.
• By class time on Monday, be prepared to add your character's name to a list. (I will create a place to record this.) Your characters will receive invitations after next week to join a fellowship together with faculty-generated characters, so that we can travel safely together and tour the game environment.

W 09-21

LoTR: Fellowship, through Book 2 Ch. 4; pp. 219-320 entrance to the mines of Moria

LOTRO: CourseWeb: Character List and Discussion Forum Assignment(discussing intro quests)

M 09-26

LOTRO Event Part 1: Meet in computer lab classroom, Cassell Hall 210 TEI Conference

W 09-28

• LoTR: Finish Fellowship + first chapter of The Two Towers, Book 2 Chs. 5-10 through Book 3 Chapter 1, pp. 321-420
• LOTRO Event Part 2: Meet in computer lab classroom, Cassell Hall 210

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M 10-03

LoTR: The Two Towers, Book 3 Chapters 2-7 (pp. 421-542)

W 10-05

Tolkien Reader: Tree and Leaf: “On Fairy Stories”, pp. 31-99.

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M 10-10

In Tolkien Reader: “Leaf by Niggle” (pp. 100-120)

Tolkien assignment due

W 10-12

Sir Gawain / Pearl / Sir Orfeo: “Sir Orfeo” (Tolkien's translation), pp. 169-190.

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M 10-17

Fall Break: Monday classes meet on Tuesday this week.

T 10-18

Review for Midterm>

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W 10-19

Midterm Exam

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M 10-24

The Saga of the Volsungs, pp. 35-73

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W 10-26

Finish The Saga of the Volsungs (to p. 109)

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M 10-31

start Ursula Le Guin, Tehanu pp. 1-54

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W 11-02

Tehanu to p. 160

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M 11-07

Finish Tehanu

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W 11-09

Catherynne Valente, In the Night Garden (The Book of the Steppe): pp. 1-60

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M 11-14

In the Night Garden, pp. 61- 145

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W 11-16

In the Night Garden, pp. 146-225 (end of The Book of the Steppe)

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M 11-21

start Linda Nagata, Memory Chs. 1-8 (pp. 9-107)

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W 11-23

Thanksgiving Recess: No Classes.

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M 11-28

Memory through Ch 16

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W 11-30

Memory through Ch 24 (to p. 273)

Research Project due

M 12-05

Finish Memory

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W 12-07

Last day: Catch-up/Review

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Final Exam Date: Thursday 12/15

Final Examination: 1 PM in our classroom, 118 Powers Hall