English: Creative Writing: Poetry One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None This course invites students to explore and practice writing poetry and is designed to serve both accomplished students looking for the time and motivation to focus exclusively on their writing and novices wishing to improve their level of comfort with the rudiments of poetic expression. In addition to reading a book on the craft of writing poetry, students will study many shorter professional poems, explicating, analyzing, and mimicking as they develop a unique poetic voice. At its core, the class is about observing the world, brainstorming and sharing ideas, and revising one’s written work to develop voice and style. Text: Poemcrazy
language and themes of the text. Special guests to the class may include professional actors, directors, and playwrights. Seniors who opt to complete all three parts of the Liggett Shakespeare Project (Dramaturgy, Stagecraft, and Production) in a single year may be approved to waive enrollment in ARP 12. Text: TBD (the play changes annually) English: Literary History and Movements: The Great Depression One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None This course explores the literature of the Great Depression, a period of devastating economic hardship and political and social change. Through novels, essays, and film, we will explore how writers searched for meaning, connection, and hope through a time of despair. Texts include The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (as well as John Ford’s film adaptation) and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Texts: The Grapes of Wrath and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter English: Literature of Protest One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None Scholar Howard Zinn defines protest literature as “any form of communication that engages social consciousness and may move someone to action.” From our founding fathers who penned the Declaration of Independence to 17-year-old Darnella Frazier who posted bystander footage on Facebook of George Floyd telling police he can’t breathe, we know that protest literature can occur in many forms, revealing the best and worst of the human condition. In this course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the transformative movements that define a nation: civil rights, gender rights, labor, and environmentalism, through the people who give voice to them, as well as the tremendous weight of bearing witness to the historical significance it continues to carry within society Texts: Sand Opera, Detroit ‘67, Space Invaders: A Novel
English: Creative Writing: Prose One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
This course invites students to explore and practice creative prose writing and is designed to serve both accomplished students looking for the time and motivation to focus exclusively on their writing and novices wishing to improve their level of comfort with the rudiments of reading and writing creative prose. In addition to reading a book on the craft of writing prose, students will study many shorter professional prose texts, explicating, analyzing, and mimicking as they develop a unique voice within the specific genres. At its core, the class is about observing the world, brainstorming/sharing ideas, and revising one’s written work to develop voice and style. Text: Coursepack
English: Dramaturgy One Semester (Offered Second Semester) Prerequisites: None
Dramaturgy is the study of theater and the onstage representation of dramatic art. In this course, we will intensively study a single major work by Shakespeare, reading it twice—first for comprehension, plot, and character; second for language, historical context, and interpretation. Each English student will present a research paper on literary interpretations of the play. Each social studies student will present a research paper on the play’s performance history. As this course is part of the Liggett Shakespeare Project, students will collaborate with classmates in the Stagecraft course and the Liggett Players. Students in Dramaturgy will be responsible for forming a cohesive interpretation of the text, creating an abridged playscript based on their analysis, researching the historical background and context of the text, and aiding the actors and designers in understanding the
English: Missing Pieces of the Canon One Semester (Offered First Semester) Prerequisites: None
Some literary works are very entertaining, while some are intellectually important, but some works fit into both categories, perhaps making them truly “great.” The purpose of this class is to study some of the great texts not currently represented in Liggett English classes. Given this criterion, the texts are not chosen due to a shared theme, topic, era, or geographical area—they are simply “great” works that enrich one’s
2026-2027 ULS Curriculum Guide
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