Literature (LITR)

This course surveys the voices of North America up to and beyond the Civil War. It covers Indians, explorers, slaves and pioneers. Students are introduced to philosophical and political pondering, the birth of the short story, and the forging of the North American character. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Step into a time machine and witness the unfolding of Modern America, from the 1870’s to the 1970’s and beyond. This course surveys the writers who influenced and echoed the culture that shapes our times. Meet immigrants, flappers, beatniks and more, in poems, stories, etc. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), spring semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

This survey course brings to life monsters, dragons, knights, poets, angels and actors from English literature and culture of the eighth through eighteenth centuries. Watch Beowulf fight Grendel, take a journey to Canterbury with Chaucer’s pilgrims, see a Shakespearean play at the Globe Theatre, gasp as Milton’s angels fall from heaven, visit exotic lands with Gulliver, and more. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Murderers, monsters, lovers and lunatics stalk the pages of British literature since the eighteenth century. This survey starts with the revolutionary ideas of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and other Romantics. The Victorian period that follows reveals surprising contrasts such as Tennyson’s practical analysis of issues and Morris’s artistic rejection of meaning. Finally, the survey shows how modern authors such as Yeats and Pinter build upon or reject the heritage of the past. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), spring semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

This is a Western literature course which examines literature in translation from South, Central and North America, as well as the Caribbean and from Africa and Europe. Students will research, read, discuss, and write about early and modern texts from countries within the western bioregion, such as Italy, France, Russia, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and others. Students will be introduced to a broad survey of literature that will provide a window on the culture, history, and geography of the regions in their texts. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

This is a world literature survey course that examines literature in translation from the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the Eastern Pacific Basin. Students will read, discuss, and write about early, middle period, and modern text selections from regions including Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, India, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa. Students will be introduced to a broad survey of literature that will provide a window on the culture, history, and geography of the regions in the texts. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), spring semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities and Other World Civilization and World History & Global Awareness.

Chronological survey of the contribution of the Black American writer from the days of slavery to the present. Slave narratives, novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Reading, discussion, and written analysis of literature emphasizing the significance of changing gender roles portrayed in various genres, in different cultures and in different eras. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), offered on a rotating basis This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Reading, discussion, and written analysis of 20th century novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and nonfiction with a multicultural emphasis. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), offered on a rotating basis This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Reading and discussion of novels which have had an impact in American literature, of their authors, and of the changes in American literature as evidenced through these novels. Concepts of the novel explored through criticism and explication. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), offered on a rotating basis This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

A chronological survey of North American writers on the environment from the Colonial period to the present. Special attention is paid to H.D. Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, Barry Lopez, and others. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), spring semester This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Reading, discussion, and writing about fiction, drama, poetry, and nonfiction produced since World War II. Emphasis on developments in literary genres and criticism, as well as on social and cultural developments as reflected in the texts. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), offered on a rotating basis This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Explore a topic within the dynamic field of diversity and humanities. Students will read a variety of texts, including films, music, and/or the arts and discuss what impact the work has on our lives and the world around us. In order to know the specific topic, please see the subtitle and unique course description available on the college website's course listings page and in the scheduling tools. These will be available prior to registration. Course is repeatable for credit up to 3 times when content is unique. This course is cross-listed with LITR 341. Students can choose to take the course at the 200 level or 300 level; different work will be required and expected for each level. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education requirement for Humanities, the SUNY General Education requirement for Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, and the SUNY Core Competency requirement for Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Pre- or Co-requisite: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours). Fall or Spring.

This course explores topics in the biological sciences trough their use as themes in literature. Students will examine major themes in literature by applying their understanding of the Scientific Method and current biology and technology topics. Through writing and discussion they will analyze the influence of the biological sciences on literature, culture and the world. This course is primarily for non-science majors and topics change each semester. Not repeatable for credit. Prerequisite: COMP 101. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Explore mythology as a principal form of artistic expression, examining how ancient, classical, and world myths have shaped literature and cultural identity across time. Through major repeating patterns, motifs, archetypes, and themes—such as Creation, the Flood, the Classical Hero, the Heroine, and the Trickster—students will investigate how myths embody creative responses to questions of divinity, humanity, nature, civilization, war, gender, passion, rebellion, and social justice. Emphasis will be placed on the creative processes by which these stories were formed, transmitted, adapted, and reimagined across cultures and into the modern world. Co-requisite for 270: COMP 101 or COMM 105. Pre-requisite for 370: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities and The Arts.

Adventure into the connections between contemporary art and literature and the ancient stories of myth, legend, fairy tale, folklore, and religious texts. This course examines how modern narratives are inspired by the artistic and cultural power of traditional myths, exploring how shared patterns, motifs, archetypes, and themes are creatively reimagined in today’s storytelling. Through examples such as Disney films, Star Wars, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter, and A Game of Thrones, students will analyze how contemporary works not only draw from mythic traditions but also contribute to the formation of modern mythologies. Emphasis will be placed on understanding mythology as a principal form of artistic expression and its role in inspiring the creative process of producing new artistic works. Co-requisite for 271: COMP 101 or COMM 105. Pre-requisite for 371: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities and The Arts.

Explore how writers for ages have used the stories of myth to advocate for the marginalized, the outsider, and the less fortunate in society through their art, evoking the sympathy of audiences and often being the vehicle for social change. Take for example, The Iliad, a poem that sings the glory of war, but also evokes the empathy of the audience by presenting very human characters and struggles on both sides of the conflict. In this course, participants will consider the ways that stories of myth- both past & present- teach us valuable lessons of empathy, diversity, and social justice. This course fulfills the General Education requirement for Humanities & Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice. Co-requisite: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring.

Explore a topic within the dynamic field of diversity and literature. Students will read a variety of fiction, poetry, non-fiction and/or other forms of the literature and discuss what impact the work has on our lives and the world around us. In order to know the specific topic, please see the subtitle and unique course description available on the college website's course listings page and in the scheduling tools. These will be available prior to registration. Course is repeatable for credit up to 3 times when content is unique. This course is cross-listed with LITR 241. Students can choose to take the course as a 200 level or 300 level course: different work will be required and expected for each level. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education requirement for Humanities and Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, as well as the SUNY General Education Core Competency requirement for Critical Thinking and Reasoning and Information Literacy. Prerequisite: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring.

This course will cover the scope and definition of a huge genre relating to many aspects of current life and interest. Topics will cover all levels of the area from horror to time and space literature. Emphasis will be on the rich and classis history which includes movement from books to television and movies. The literary elements and rationale for such writing will also be discussed along with an opportunity to begin understanding of the many choices and future of this writing. Prerequisite: COMP 101 or COMM 105; COMP 102 recommended. 3 credits (3 lecture hours). This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities.

Explore mythology as a principal form of artistic expression, examining how ancient, classical, and world myths have shaped literature and cultural identity across time. Through major repeating patterns, motifs, archetypes, and themes—such as Creation, the Flood, the Classical Hero, the Heroine, and the Trickster—students will investigate how myths embody creative responses to questions of divinity, humanity, nature, civilization, war, gender, passion, rebellion, and social justice. Emphasis will be placed on the creative processes by which these stories were formed, transmitted, adapted, and reimagined across cultures and into the modern world. Co-requisite for 270: COMP 101 or COMM 105. Pre-requisite for 370: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities and The Arts.

Adventure into the connections between contemporary art and literature and the ancient stories of myth, legend, fairy tale, folklore, and religious texts. This course examines how modern narratives are inspired by the artistic and cultural power of traditional myths, exploring how shared patterns, motifs, archetypes, and themes are creatively reimagined in today’s storytelling. Through examples such as Disney films, Star Wars, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter, and A Game of Thrones, students will analyze how contemporary works not only draw from mythic traditions but also contribute to the formation of modern mythologies. Emphasis will be placed on understanding mythology as a principal form of artistic expression and its role in inspiring the creative process of producing new artistic works. Co-requisite for 271: COMP 101 or COMM 105. Pre-requisite for 371: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring. This course satisfies the Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement and the SUNY General Education Requirement for Humanities and The Arts.

Explore how writers for ages have used the stories of myth to advocate for the marginalized, the outsider, and the less fortunate in society through their art, evoking the sympathy of audiences and often being the vehicle for social change. Take for example, The Iliad, a poem that sings the glory of war, but also evokes the empathy of the audience by presenting very human characters and struggles on both sides of the conflict. In this course, participants will consider the ways that stories of myth- both past & present- teach us valuable lessons of empathy, diversity, and social justice. This course fulfills the General Education requirement for Humanities & Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice. Prerequisites: COMP 101 or COMM 105. 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring.