Wake Forest University London: Literature of the Witch (Summer)
Discover London: Literature of the Witch
Examine wide-ranging works of English literature-mostly by women writers--that portray the lives of rebellious women, and particularly those who seek uncommon or magical means for personal empowerment, and in so doing, confront cultures that persecute or alienate those who defy patriarchal ideals of passive femininity. Attend theatrical productions and see the sites you will read about firsthand and observe how countries, and counties, narrate / memorialize the history of witch trials and executions. Moreover, you will write fiction in response to your experiences, participating in the tradition of writers who walk to write (e.g. Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf) and developing your skills as a creative observer.Dates and Deadlines
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Program Description
Need Help? Get an advisor at 1-336-758-5938
Examine wide-ranging works of English literature-mostly by women writers--that portray the lives of rebellious women, and particularly those who seek uncommon or magical means for personal empowerment, and in so doing, confront cultures that persecute or alienate those who defy patriarchal ideals of passive femininity. Attend theatrical productions and see the sites you will read about firsthand and observe how countries, and counties, narrate / memorialize the history of witch trials and executions. Moreover, you will write fiction in response to your experiences, participating in the tradition of writers who walk to write (e.g. Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf) and developing your skills as a creative observer.
London is one of Europe's largest and most cosmopolitan cities. Its famous sites include Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, and Westminster Abbey. With a multitude of art galleries, museums, and pubs, London is endlessly interesting. The underground rail "tube" system provides easy access to all parts of the city. Students may conveniently visit Canterbury, Oxford, Bath, Dover, and other destinations (Scotland and Wales) via the excellent British railway system.
ENG 302/CRW 286/ WGS 377
This co-taught 3-credit course will introduce you to wide-ranging works of English literature-mostly by women writers--that portray the lives of rebellious women, and particularly those who seek uncommon or magical means for personal empowerment, and in so doing, confront cultures that persecute or alienate those who defy patriarchal ideals of passive femininity. In reading works that span the centuries between the medieval and the contemporary, we’ll be discussing how and why the witch came to be a central feminist archetype. At the same time, the course will be a writing-intensive experience that bridges critical-creative divides, in asking you to write reading responses and to compose and workshop your own short story on the figure of the witch. This framework draws upon Dr. Joanna Ruocco’s training in fiction and her accomplishments as a novelist and experimental writer, and Dr. Sarah Hogan’s expertise as a scholar of British Renaissance literature.
You will be challenged to track a powerful, mutable female archetype across centuries and genres, and to consider the literary and social construction of identity through focus on the witch as a marginal and maligned figure and also as a figure of resistance. You will do this outside of your home contexts; this defamiliarization will help you build knowledge in exciting new ways. Traveling to the UK will enrich your understanding of textual materials. We'll attend theatrical productions, and see the sites you read about firsthand and observe how countries, and counties, narrate / memorialize the history of witch trials and executions. Moreover, you will write fiction in response to your experiences, participating in the tradition of writers who walk to write (e.g. Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf) and develop your skills as a creative observer.
This course will count toward the English major, the WGS major, the Creative Writing minor, or as Division II credit.
This co-taught 3-credit course will introduce you to wide-ranging works of English literature-mostly by women writers--that portray the lives of rebellious women, and particularly those who seek uncommon or magical means for personal empowerment, and in so doing, confront cultures that persecute or alienate those who defy patriarchal ideals of passive femininity. In reading works that span the centuries between the medieval and the contemporary, we’ll be discussing how and why the witch came to be a central feminist archetype. At the same time, the course will be a writing-intensive experience that bridges critical-creative divides, in asking you to write reading responses and to compose and workshop your own short story on the figure of the witch. This framework draws upon Dr. Joanna Ruocco’s training in fiction and her accomplishments as a novelist and experimental writer, and Dr. Sarah Hogan’s expertise as a scholar of British Renaissance literature.
You will be challenged to track a powerful, mutable female archetype across centuries and genres, and to consider the literary and social construction of identity through focus on the witch as a marginal and maligned figure and also as a figure of resistance. You will do this outside of your home contexts; this defamiliarization will help you build knowledge in exciting new ways. Traveling to the UK will enrich your understanding of textual materials. We'll attend theatrical productions, and see the sites you read about firsthand and observe how countries, and counties, narrate / memorialize the history of witch trials and executions. Moreover, you will write fiction in response to your experiences, participating in the tradition of writers who walk to write (e.g. Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf) and develop your skills as a creative observer.
This course will count toward the English major, the WGS major, the Creative Writing minor, or as Division II credit.
Dr. Sarah Hogan
Assistant Professor of English
336-758-5383
hogansa@wfu.edu
Dr. Joanna Ruocco
Assistant Professor English
336-758-5383
ruoccoj@wfu.edu
Assistant Professor of English
336-758-5383
hogansa@wfu.edu
Dr. Joanna Ruocco
Assistant Professor English
336-758-5383
ruoccoj@wfu.edu
We’ll be based in London and many of our activities will take place there. We will see productions of two important plays on witches (ideally, one by Shakespeare and one by Caryl Churchill). Our stay in London will also include a tour of the Globe Theatre and a visit to the British Library to view Renaissance broadsides on witchcraft. Additionally, we plan to lead a “nightwalk” through London when we read Matthew Beaumont’s cultural history of the practice.
We also plan to visit important sites in the history of witchcraft trials (like Essex) that are the settings for some of the works of literature we’ll be reading. These visits will involve museum trips but will center on two toured walks -- one through the Chilterns (the setting of Lolley Willows), and one through Manningtree and Mistley (the setting of The Witchfinder’s Sister) -- since walking and mobility (in these regions and ways) feature as prominent tropes in literature on the witch and will give students experiential fodder for their creative writing projects.We will also travel to coastal Cornwall to view the sites of Arthurian legend and here students will also write about the objects, art, and ideas we encounter in the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft.
We also plan to visit important sites in the history of witchcraft trials (like Essex) that are the settings for some of the works of literature we’ll be reading. These visits will involve museum trips but will center on two toured walks -- one through the Chilterns (the setting of Lolley Willows), and one through Manningtree and Mistley (the setting of The Witchfinder’s Sister) -- since walking and mobility (in these regions and ways) feature as prominent tropes in literature on the witch and will give students experiential fodder for their creative writing projects.We will also travel to coastal Cornwall to view the sites of Arthurian legend and here students will also write about the objects, art, and ideas we encounter in the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft.
Good academic standing
Interest in the subject matter
Maturity
Interest in the subject matter
Maturity
The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories:
Program Fee - Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Tuition – Students on WFU summer programs pay WFU summer school tuition per credit hour. The 2021 summer rate was $900/per credit hour. Expect a small increase for Summer 2022.
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare unless otherwise noted.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students' spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.
Program Fee - $5,893
Tuition (3 hrs) - $2,850
Airfare (estimated) - $1,500
Personal Expenses (estimated) - $1,000
Estimated total cost - $11,200
Program Fee - Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Tuition – Students on WFU summer programs pay WFU summer school tuition per credit hour. The 2021 summer rate was $900/per credit hour. Expect a small increase for Summer 2022.
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare unless otherwise noted.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students' spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.
Program Fee - $5,893
Tuition (3 hrs) - $2,850
Airfare (estimated) - $1,500
Personal Expenses (estimated) - $1,000
Estimated total cost - $11,200
Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.
Dr. Sarah Hogan
Assistant Professor of English
336-758-5383
hogansa@wfu.edu
Dr. Joanna Ruocco
Assistant Professor English
336-758-5383
ruoccoj@wfu.edu
Tyler Favale
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
336-758-4072
favalet@wfu.edu
Assistant Professor of English
336-758-5383
hogansa@wfu.edu
Dr. Joanna Ruocco
Assistant Professor English
336-758-5383
ruoccoj@wfu.edu
Tyler Favale
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
336-758-4072
favalet@wfu.edu