Concentration requirements are intended to balance creative and critical concerns.
By the time they graduate, concentrators should possess critical acumen, attain fluency in writing in general and within one or more genres as well. The department also wants our concentrators to learn something about an art: to gain a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in developing their craft and sensibility as artists.
Concentrators must take four workshop courses from among LITR 100, 110, 210, 310, 610, 1010, 1110, 1150, 1310 and 1510. At the discretion of the concentration advisor, workshop credit may also be given for Playwriting workshops given by the departments of Africana Studies and Theatre and Performance Studies; credit may also be given for 1000-level writing courses given through the English Department.
For those declaring on or before 31 May 2023:
Concentrators must also take six literature courses*, including: a course in literary theory or history of literary criticism; two courses that cover reading and research in literary arts created before the 20th century (these must cover two distinct time periods); and one course that covers literary arts created after the 19th century.
For those declaring on or after 1 June 2023:
Concentrators must also take six literature courses*, including: a course in literary theory or history of literary criticism; a literature course designated in Banner as focused on race, power and privilege; and two courses that cover reading and research in literary arts created before the 20th century (these must cover two distinct time periods).
*By literature courses, the department means courses where the primary readings for the course are works of literature.
To establish your Literary Arts concentration, you'll need to visit the Registrars website, where you can complete the concentration filing process online.
To learn more about the concentration and before you file your concentration forms online, we recommend that you make an appointment by email with Gale Nelson.
Literary Arts concentrators who wish to complete their concentration with Honors in Creative Writing or in Literary Arts Production must include two 1000-level workshops or independent studies among their courses and must, in addition, complete a thesis, or for the production track, a project. The thesis (or project is a substantial body of work that reflects the student’s achievement during his/her years in the Department: a collection of stories or poems, a novel, a play, screenplay, a literary translation, a film, a cross-disciplinary project or an extended electronic/mixed media project. Students may complete a thesis or project by taking either LITR 1510 (an independent study) or by taking LITR 1410 (the Honors workshop).
Students wishing to complete Honors in Cross-Disciplinary writing must take either two special topics workshops, one special topics plus one genre workshop, or one workshop in each of two different genres.
Applications to the Honors Program are due between the first day of the fall semester and 20 September (or the first Monday thereafter if the 20th falls on a weekend). Applications are considered annually. In order to apply, candidates must have taken OR be taking a workshop in the respective genre at the 1000-level (the workshop may be LITR 1010, 1110 or 1150; LITR 1310 also makes one eligible). Candidates may apply in more than one genre (if eligible), but will do ONE thesis (with the thesis advisor’s consent, a thesis may cross the boundaries of genre).
Theses and projects are typically completed in the senior year, and are due in the fall on 15 December (or the Monday thereafter if the 15th falls on a weekend) and on 13 April or the Monday thereafter when the 13th falls on a weekend). Most students complete the thesis through an honors independent study or through an honors workshop.
No; but you must complete a thesis to be considered for honors.
All concentrators must complete at least one course through the Literary Arts program in the senior year. In many cases, this will be a literature seminar or a workshop. This course constitutes the capstone experience in Literary Arts.
We’ve found that about a third of the Literary Arts concentrators complete two concentrations. The “other” concentrations have been spread widely throughout the college – there’s no particular pattern to this. If you have two strong interests, and feel that you can comfortably undertake two concentrations while also having a rich and diverse educational experience, we recommend that you consider this.
During the registration period, we make ten slots available to concentrators in LITR 210 sections. By registering during that period, concentrators are thereby not required to submit writing samples for these intermediate writing sections. Certain literature courses offered though Literary Arts may also allow concentrators to register without instructor permission (override) during the registration period.
The undergraduate program in Literary Arts at Brown is designed to allow student writers to
develop their skills in one or more genres, while deepening their understanding of the craft of
writing. Concentration requirements are intended to balance creative and critical concerns.