English Biography and Autobiography
in the Eighteenth Century

English 318, Spring 2010

Jack Lynch

Course Description

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January — February — March — April

Office: (973) 353-5204; 516 Hill Hall.

Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 2:30–4:00, and by appointment (appointments are best).

Home: (609) 882-4642 (before 10:00 p.m.!).

E–mail: jlynch@andromeda.rutgers.edu (the best way to reach me).

Listserv: Biography @ andromeda.rutgers.edu (for the whole class).

Course Requirements

Written Assignments: There will be one argumentative paper of around 2,500 words (ten pages). There are also several short exercises, which will be explained as they get closer. There will be a short final exam.
Attendance: Almost any excuse, given in advance (in person, by phone, or by E-mail), will receive my blessing. Absences not excused in advance will be frowned upon, and your final grade will be lowered by half a grade for each unexcused absence. The same policy applies to late papers: I'll grant extensions, but only if you talk to me before the due date.
Computing: Some essential information will be available only electronically. All students therefore must have an E-mail account by the end of the first week of classes, and must be able to use the World Wide Web.
Plagiarism: It should go without saying, but all work in this class must be your own. Handing in someone else's work as your own will result in an F for the course with no second chance, and may result in disciplinary action. I encourage you to use outside sources, but you have to cite anything you didn't write yourself. If you have even an inkling of a doubt about what's legitimate or how to cite something, see me before handing in the paper.
Readings: The following books are available from New Jersey Books (not the Rutgers Bookstore):
- James Boswell, Boswell's London Journal, Yale, ISBN: 0300093012. $18.
- James Boswell, The Life of Johnson, ed. Chapman, Oxford, ISBN: 0192835319. $19.
- John Bunyan, Grace Abounding with Other Spiritual Autobiographies, ed. Stachniewski and Pacheco, Oxford, ISBN: 0192821326. $10.
- Frances Burney, A Known Scribbler, ed. Crump, Broadview, ISBN: 014044033X. $15.
- Olaudah Equiano, The Life of Olaudah Equiano, Dover, ISBN: 048640661X. $2.50.
- Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, ed. Masur, Bedford, ISBN: 0312404158. $15.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Confessions, ed. Cohen, Penguin, ISBN: 014044033X. $13.
As always, I've worked hard to find the cheapest reliable editions in print. I give the approximate list prices; secondhand copies and discount vendors should let you cut your expenses substantially. Many readings will also be available on-line; a few will be available only on-line.

Schedule of Class Meetings