At the beginning of the upcoming school year, a new English class will be available: British and American Literature. The class is an upperclassmen English elective, and it will be taught by Brady VanMalsen. Hence the name, this class will be dedicated to introducing students to new texts from many great literature eras and movements of the past, from both American and British authors.

Books from many different time periods are introduced to students in this course. Dating back to medieval Britain, students will begin with poems like Beowulf, as well as some Shakespeare pieces. Then the focus will switch to Romantic poetry, including pieces from authors like Keats and Shelley. Some Victorian era writers like Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde will also make an appearance, followed by transcendentalist writers like Emerson and Thoreau. Lastly, Harlem Renaissance poetry and modern American texts from authors like Hurston, Hughes, and Angelou will also be explored. “I think this one is for the students who are curious to know why the classics are the classics. Who are these authors and what are these books that everyone keeps telling me to read, that I know I probably should read. What’s so special about them?” commented VanMalsen.

Now, this class is not all about just reading. It also focuses on taking a deep dive into the literature itself, by building skills in textual interpretation, analyzing the text, and pulling applicable meaning from it. “Literature is about us. It’s about being a good human. So this particular course is learning about that human experience from a British and American perspective, going all the way back to medieval times, working our way forward through major historical events (like the Victorian era or the Civil Rights movement), all the way to today,” said VanMalsen.

For students who are interested in humanity and how it’s expressed through writing, this class would be ideal. “[students should take this class] to learn from the best! To learn about our humanity. To know where we came from to understand where we are now and where we can go in the future. It’s about gaining wisdom to live a richer, more beautiful life,” said VanMalsen. Digging into the depths of these texts to better understand the world around us is what this class is all about. “Freedom, beauty, truth, love, adventure--the ideals that are at the foundation of liberal society today” are the main lessons that this class will focus on teaching to the students.