

The UC Davis English Department is located in Voorhies Hall.  Their major program consists of  three different emphases: a General Emphasis, a Teaching Emphasis, and a Creative Writing emphasis.

If you have interest in pursuing a major in English, then check out the http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/under_desc.htm#major Undergraduate Program requirements (or check the General Catalog).  For a full list of courses in the department, please consult the General Catalog.

Some people think that http://www.californiaaggie.com/media/paper981/news/2005/02/18/Features/Change.Your.Major1319638.shtml English is the best major at Davis. Some people think it will leave you unable to get a Employment job.  Regardless of your opinion, it is nice to have some Poetry pretty words in your life.

Yiyun Li, a member of the Department since 2008, was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Foundation fellowship in 2010.

 Advising 
Staff Advisor: Lynda Jones
Office Hours: MF 812, 15
Office: Voorhies 177
Email: lmjones@ucdavis.edu

Peer Advisor: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Office: Voorhies 112
Email: TBA

 Courses 
Courses are divided between the English Departments http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/coursched.htm literature and creative writing classes, for those interested in literature, and the http://writingprogram.ucdavis.edu/Expandedcoursedescription.htm composition courses that are taught as part of the University Writing Program which states on http://writingprogram.ucdavis.edu/ its official website that under the guidance of the Undergraduate Council of the U.C. Davis Academic Senate, the Writing Program has become an independent entity, separate from the English Department, but I believe most of the writing instructors are also part of the English department, though perhaps not all are.

English 180 (Childrens Literature)
    usually a very popular class with nonmajors, typical course reading lists will include books from fairy tales to Little Women to Harry Potter
    I took this class with Prof. Stenzel and would not recommend it. The course in general was unfocused, and Stenzel tries to fit too many texts into one quarter. Sometimes we would discuss a work for only half a class session or sometimes not at all. If you take this course, I would avoid Stenzel. Users/EyadDarras

English 101 (part of the Writing Program)
    I took it with Kerry Hanlon.  When I took the course it focused on creative writing assignments.  Our homework consisted of reading essays (taken from magazines like the New Yorker) and then answering questions on them.  Our assigned essays were to be modeled directly after one of the essays styles.  The essays we read were all gimmicky and focused on small stuff (but very well written and enjoyable to read)  the kind of things youd expect to read in a popular magazine.  Most unfortunately, the classroom I was in had laptops in it (which was surely seen as a positive, but I felt it was a distraction).  Additionally, I did not like the format my professor chose to take with the class.  Our __entire class discussion__ focused on answering the questions we were assigned for homework  questions we had already answered at home.  The discussions were not enlightening or meaningful, in my opinion.  There was also forced participation (10% of the grade) during class which I found to be childish and also, well, degrading to my course grade as I am very shy in class  especially when repeating material we had all already answered at home.

    I had very high hopes for this course.  As a Mathematics major I do not often get the opportunity to express myself creatively in essay form.  Unfortunately, I did not find the course to be stimulating.  I would recommend you take the competency test unless you can nab an awesome professor who will challenge you.  Users/PhilipNeustrom
    The composition courses are geared more towards making sure students grasp the mechanics of good writing, and while they do try to be as engaging and creative as possible, creative expression is not the main goal of the composition classes.  I would suggest the actual Creative Writing courses in Fiction, Poetry, and Drama from the English department. Users/IrenePark

    It also depends on the instructor. I took this course circa 2001 and it was fantastic.  Unfortunately, I am completely blanking on the instructors name right now, but she was not only engaging, but an effective teacher.  She also seemed to really care about us developing our writing style and finding our own voice.  We had a variety of writing assignments and she provided us with plenty of support and constructive feedback.  She didnt just give you a grade; she included plenty of specific comments.  The best part was that it was a tiny class.  I enjoyed it so much that I got hooked.  It was the impetus that I needed to double major and pursue an English degree.  I think this department is one of the best kept secrets at UC Davis.  I dont know whether people are aware of this wonderful program.  And, also keep in mind:  English professors often are the ones who write the best letters of recommendation.  This is something to consider if you are applying to a graduate or professional program.  Admissions committees want to know that their students write clearly and effectively.   Users/Curlygirl26

 Recommended Teachers 
   http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/clover/index.html Joshua Clover:  An Associate professor without a PhD, Clover writes for various magazines, mostly music, under a pseudonym while often teaching classes that involve poetry.  Hes the author of several poems published in the Best American Poetry collection, as well as a book entitled The Matrix, which analyzes the film as an allegory for turnofthemillennium American life and labor. Clover is an incredibly challenging professor, but its definitely worth it to take his classes if youre genuinely interested in expanding your knowledge in English and poetry.

   http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/Freeman/Freeman.htm Elizabeth Freeman: Insanely intelligent and eloquent with her speech, Freeman is most notable for her inventive teaching methods, which really drill lessons into students heads.  A great distinguishing characteristic is that Freeman is a techieshe knows how to use her computer, unlike most English profs, and she incorporates her skill into teaching. She offers really clear and detailed lecture slides and even sets up a Jeopardy game for a final review session.

   http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/hicks/hicks.htm Jack Hicks: A sophisticated and hilarious man, Hicks, too, has had a working history with publications including TV Guide and Rolling Stone.  He often teaches ENL 182  California Literature. Unlike Clover, Hicks is a pretty laidback man who realizes college is just something you have to put up with to get somewhere in life, so he isnt too hard on grading.

   http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/vanleer/vanleer.htm David Van Leer: looking just a tad bit like the comedic writer Bruce Vilanch (and just as funny and gay), Van Leer has a wide array of talents and interests, ranging from early American literature (read: Puritan lit) to alt. sexualities in film. His film studies class (if its available) has one of the best selection of obscure, independent films ever; and only in his early American literature class will you realize that even in a truly Puritan environment, you really cant wipe out individuality and nonconventional sexualities. David (never Professor Van Leer) left UCDavis after fall quarter 2009.

 http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/zender/default.htm Karl Zender (Retired): If youre into Faulkner, take his 177 course. This man knows more about Faulkner than I ever thought possible. He is sweet and personable and a fair grader and knows so much about Faulkner that even if you dont read a single page of the novels assigned (which you should!), you will come away feeling that you have learned something.

 Teachers to Avoid 
  http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/corin/default.htm Lucy Corin: For literature & ShortStory classes: lessons usually unorganized; grading generally arbitrary; very difficult to come out of the class being sure one has learned a thing. Next: ENL 100F (creative writing) is a class that you must petition to join by including a portfolio of your writing. This class is cherished by many English majors, begging the questions why a number of students (including wiki users) have dropped the class after a few weeks when taught by Lucy Corin. Rumor has it one girl left crying. It should be noted that Lucy Corin is a very smart and friendly person. She will likely be an incredible teacher in a few years, once shes gotten a grasp of her clearlydifficult job. For now, its a good idea to avoid. In the future, I recommend checking the various professor rating sites to see if things have improved.
     Rumor control: the girl left crying due to another student; Lucy was not the cause. Also, Ive taken 100F with Lucy twice and highly enjoyed it both quarters.
  http://wwwenglish.ucdavis.edu/faculty/schleiner/schleiner.htm Schleiner: If Shakespeare could be any worse than it is already, Schleiner is the one to make it happen. Led a pretty easy class, but incredibly boring; His text interpretations are also iffy, as are his acting skills.
     Rumor control: The above comment was obviously made by someone who doesnt like Shakespeare. That persons attitude toward the material may have more to do with their opinion of the course than the Professor.  Users/EyadDarras
  Waddington:  Now retired, but forever infamous for student hating. The man would get distracted and or irritated extremely easily by students, and would stop his lecture to glare at them silently with wrathful vengeance. If a student came in late, or a cell phone went off, or a student was laughing because he looks like an old rabbit (good thing he didnt see my doodling), he would throw a fit, shake all over and stare at them with desperate hatred. On second thought, I liked him. I just didnt like his grading scale.

 Senate Faculty 

  http://www.english.ucdavis.edu/faculty/faculty.html Faculty Website

  Don Abbot
  http://english.ucdavis.edu/people/directory/gbloom Gina Bloom
  Nathan Brown
  Seeta Chaganti
  Joshua Clover
  Lucy Corin
  Joanne Feit Diehl
  Greg Dobbins
  Frances E. Dolan
  Margaret Ferguson
  http://english.ucdavis.edu/people/directory/ksfreder Kathleen Frederickson
  Lynn Freed Lynn R. Freed
  Users/BethFreeman Elizabeth Freeman
  http://english.ucdavis.edu/people/directory/dheard Danielle Heard
  Jack Hicks
  Pam Houston
  http://english.ucdavis.edu/people/directory/hlhsu Hsuan Hsu
  http://english.ucdavis.edu/people/directory/mjerng Mark Jerng
  Alessa Johns
  Richard A. Levin
  Desirée Martín
  Timothy Morton
  Marijane Osborn
  David Robertson (Retired)
  Catherine Robson
  Winfried Schleiner
  Scott C. Shershow
  Scott Simmon
  David Simpson
  Matthew Stratton
  Claire Waters
  Evan Watkins
  Joe Wenderoth
  Alan Williamson Alan B. Williamson
  Michael Ziser
