Dr. Chris Healy HLG 250 482-5476 healy@louisiana.edu | | Office Hours MWF 9:00-10:00 TR 9:30-11:00 and by appointment

Studies in
Chaucer
(ENGL 513-001)

Spring 2010 | MWF 10:00-10:50 | HLG 203

COURSE MATERIALS

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Ed. Larry D. Benson.  Boston: Houghton, 1987.

Other materials will be available either online or on reserve in the Edith Garland Dupré Library.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

To understand a literary work, we must read the text; however, every printed edition is to some extent a version of the work. For earlier texts, particularly those with variations in the extant manuscript witnesses, we rely heavily on the (all too frequently) silent decisions made by the editor. This course will look at Chaucer’s works as edited texts. The Canterbury Tales, which the poet left incomplete, is particularly revealing as to how the editorial history has shaped the modern understanding of that work.

As a large portion of the course activity, students will edit some of Chaucer’s works. That process will include transcribing and collating from several manuscripts, deciding on base-text/best-text, and  preparing editions with introductions, glossarial notes, textual notes, and explanatory notes. Making the types of decisions required for such work will not only produce a profound understanding of that particular text, but will also foster an awareness of how removed a printed edition may be from the author’s vision of the product. Thus, both literary and theoretical concerns will be part of the seminar.

OBJECTIVES

 	Familiarize students with Chaucer’s works
The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature, remain vital six centuries after his death, and we will explore those writings.

 	Ground students in Chaucer’s language
Since Chaucer chose to write using his vernacular, the dialect of Middle English that is the forerunner of standard Modern English, a familiarity with that language is vital to students hoping to read other Middle English dialects or to grasp the history of the English language.

 	Introduce students to textual scholarship
Because those in the field of English will deal with texts throughout their careers, an understanding of the process of editorial decisions is vital.

ASSIGNMENTS

20%	-	Edition 1
25%	-	Edition 2
25%	-	Edition 3
10%	-	Final

  3%	-	Recitation								
  3%	-	Oral Reading 1
  4%	-	Oral Reading 2
10%	-	Active Participation
Each edition is a project that involves comparing variant witnesses and making decisions about the text you choose to offer. Your editions will include introductions as well as glossarial, textual, and explanatory notes as appropriate.

The final is an out-of-class essay

For the recitation, you will memorize and recite the first eighteen lines of the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. Subsequently, you will be asked to read aloud, without prior knowledge of the passages, on two other occasions.

Active participation is rather self-explanatory, is it not? When we are having a discussion, I really want the participants to be we, as in all of us. To receive these points, equivalent to a letter grade, you must regularly attend class: attendance is required.

I reserve the right to add, change, or delete assignments, which can result in a change to percentage values.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have a cellular telephone or a pager, please turn it off before class.

With all e-mail, include your name. I will not respond to anonymous or vague e-mail messages. 

Visit the course Web site (http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~cah2547/chaucersemmain.html). The site has not only this current information, but also links to related supplemental pages.

I suggest that you join the CHAUCER List (http://listserv.uic.edu/htbin/wa?SUBED1=chaucer&A=1). The list is a valuable insight into what contemporary Chaucer scholars discuss. Be advised, however, that the list is quite active, so expect frequent bursts of e-mail.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION POLICY

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette makes accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have a documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 482-5252 or ssd@louisiana.edu during the first week of classes. ODS will assist you with an accommodation plan. The university also has a Supported Education Program (SEP), which provides free confidential help on campus for students with psychological disabilities (Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, etc.). Please contact Kim A. Warren, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW, Supported Education Advisor, at 482-5252 or kimawarren@louisiana.edu. Her office is located in the Conference Center, room 126. Also, if you have a disability or special needs, please let me know as soon as possible.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

•	University Police are the first responders for all emergencies on campus. Dial 911 or 482-6447 to report any emergency.
•	The Emergency Information Floor Plan is posted in the hallways for every building. This document includes evacuation routes and other important information. Please familiarize yourself with this document. Students who might need assistance should identify themselves to the teaching faculty.
•	In the event that the building fire alarm is sounded, please exit the building immediately and notify University Police. Do not use the building elevator—look for the illuminated Exit Signs to direct you to safety.
•	During times of emergency, information may be available on the University’s Emergency Hotline: 482-2222. This number is printed on the back of your ID card.
•	The university utilizes a text message service to notify its students and employees of campus wide emergencies. To subscribe to this service, log on to http://www.ul.mobilecampus.com.

•	If you have a disability, special needs, or a medical condition that might render you incapacitated during class, please make this known to your instructor as soon as possible, including any emergency contact information for your next of kin or similar person.