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  • Consult the table below for an additional description of topics listed above.
  • Note that course topics that end in “Now”  are part of our Boston Now initiative, which involves experiential learning and outside-the-classroom fieldwork.

WR 120 Topics (Spring 2027)

Topic Title Topic Description Instructor Class
Agency Across the Ages What shapes human action? In this seminar, we explore agency: the capacity to act, choose, resist, and take responsibility. We ask how people act under pressures they do not fully control, from fate and law to desire, memory, and technology. Reading ancient, modern, literary, and philosophical texts, we consider what makes an action truly one’s own, whether responsibility can exceed control, and how tools and environments shape who we are. The course invites us to connect ancient questions about freedom to contemporary questions about agency and decision-making in everyday life. Oser WR 120
Arab Culture Through Film This course introduces Arab culture with a focus on key historical and social issues through the lens of Arabic films, both as works of art and as cultural texts. We explore the diversity of Arab culture through this distinct art form that reflects, interprets, critiques, reshapes, and impacts culture. We analyze and critically examine films across a variety of genres, addressing such themes as national identity, colonialism, conflicts, trauma, religion, ethnic and linguistic diversity, and Western portrayal of Arabs/Arab culture in film. We identify and question racial bias to reflect upon the varied experiences of people around the Arab World. Slimane WR 120
Art and Social Change We explore the ways in which art can transform societal constrictions into new opportunities. Through this exploration, we examine various modes of artistic expression and reflect upon the changes they have enacted in society. We explore modes of writing and expression around this topic. Davidoff WR 120
Becoming White/Non-White This course examines how people become “white” and “non-white” through modern racial formations. We explore the historical formation of these categories in the nineteenth century and how they are reproduced as American racial categories disseminated globally through scholarship, media, medicine, and education. Treating race as a historical and relational process rather than a fixed identity, the course examines how racial categories are reproduced and made to appear natural through institutions, language, medical classifications, slurs, addiction discourse, and race-reductionist scholarship. Particular attention is given to how progressive frameworks can reproduce the very color line they seek to critique. Pasto WR 120
Bioethics and Identity This course explores the intersections of bioethics, race and gender. Such essential topics raise issues of discrimination, justice, oppression, critical race bioethics, and diverse feminist principles within the values, histories and practices of STEM fields. Who is included or excluded in accessing proper healthcare, along with the advancement of medical and biotechnology? Who or what is highlighted or erased? What are the lived experiences of women and minorities in STEM fields, both historically and today? We draw from social and biological sciences, public health, biotech, medicine and public policy to better examine and understand the racial and gender-specific concerns involved. Lynch WR 120
Boston Jazz Now We explore Jazz music, with a focus on Boston as a leading center for Jazz in the US. Topics include: the evolution and history of Jazz; its spread to different regions of the country; its major subgenres and styles; great Jazz musicians, bandleaders, and critics; connections between Jazz and other musical genres; and the development of Jazz in Boston, with special attention to Boston’s musicians, musical styles, schools, and clubs, both past and present. We attend live concerts in person at venues such as Berklee College of Music, the New England Conservatory, and BU’s College of Fine Arts. Oller WR 120
Boston Sports Now Why are so many Bostonians so utterly obsessed with sports? How does the viewing public identify with teams, players, and places? What are the lasting impacts of sports on Boston’s cityscape? Considering Boston sports culture and social history, we reflect on our own engagement with sports and Boston sports venues, teams, media, monuments, and fans. Identifying and experiencing real and imagined neighborhoods and communities, we visit sites of contemporary and historical significance, listen to sports talk radio, and attend BU sports games. White WR 120
Chronically Online This course explores the digital world and its impact on the social world. How does what happens online extend into the offline world? How ought we to treat one another online? Can real harms occur through digital means, and how ought we to address such harms? Throughout the course we look at ongoing and emerging issues, such as online echo chambers, deep fakes, radicalized communities, digital freedom, and so on. Drawing primarily on texts in social philosophy and feminist theory, we confront both practical and theoretical questions surrounding the collision of the online and offline world. Looijaard WR 120
Communicating Science Information changes and evolves as it is communicated to different audiences through different media. This course focuses on how scientific information is presented and interpreted by a general audience that does not have technical knowledge. By examining press releases, news articles, government guidelines, and social media, we explore how scientific information is disseminated to the public and uncover what it takes to be scientifically literate in a twenty-first-century world. Course texts include works by authors such as Michael Pollen and Mariam Nestle and a variety of traditional and multimodal sources, such as blogs, podcasts, and even pop songs. Calandra WR 120
Ecology of Global Englishes We use language every day, but how often do we stop to think about what exactly language is? Yes, we produce sounds and/or signs and movements which come together to create sequences which carry meaning. Similarly, we write—putting together letters, words, and sentences. But how is meaning attached to sounds, signs, and letters? How does a language come to be in the first place? And what ideologies are placed onto language and language users? In this class, we will explore these questions by examining the history of and relationship between power and language with a specific focus on Englishes. Sun Han Chang WR 120
Fiber Arts and Culture We consider (and may experiment with) weaving, embroidery, knitting, crochet, and more, analyzing them through North American cultural history and questions of race, class, and gender. Are these “granny hobbies,” sites of creativity and innovation, tactile representations of advanced mathematics, or something more? We may discuss topics as varied as the Lowell mill girls, the AIDS memorial quilt, tradwife influencers, and the Etsy economy. Throughout the semester, we explore how yarn, fabric, and thread can tell powerful human stories while also intersecting with fine art, activism, and sustainability. Michaud WR 120
Flannery O’Connor’s Grotesque In this class, we look at the works of Flannery O’Connor, through her short stories, novel, essays, prayers, and private writings. Our examination will reveal, in her words, a “tainted” series of influences and events hidden within the material, such as the impact of the Civil Rights Movement, the dying of the Post Reconstruction South, the rise of Evangelical Christianity, and the influence of Black Americans on Southern food and music. O’Connor uses her deep understanding of Catholic theology and existential philosophy to view her home and the changing times through her “tainted” lens. Morazzini WR 120
Food and Cultural Identity The course will examine the connection between cultural identity with food and how it is part of what defines a community and an individual.  The materials presented will cover the influence of history, colonization,immigration and climate change as forces that shape what we eat and ultimately how we define ourselves. Drepanos WR 120
Hollywood Contradicts Itself In 1915, Hollywood produced the massively popular white supremacist film The Birth of a Nation. A century later, Hollywood produced the massively popular Black Panther (2018). What factors motivated this supposedly radical change? How and why are these films different, artistically or politically? What makes them similar? Moreover, what do we even mean when we say “Hollywood,” given that it has gone through so many artistic, technological, political, and institutional changes that have resulted in films that look, sound, and mean different. Our task in this course is to explore several possible understandings of what Hollywood is by accounting for the contradictions that animate it. By looking at movies as diverse as A Star is Born (2018 ), Jaws (1975), and Black Panther, we can see Hollywood as a space of competing tensions, including but not limited to: Art versus entertainment, inclusion v. exclusion, innovation v. stasis, conservative anxieties v. liberal affirmations, and the national v. the international. Vanaria WR 120
Memoir As Art Form This course offers an engaging exploration into the art of memoir writing, guiding us through the process of crafting our own life stories. Through the study of acclaimed memoirs, we will gain insights into various narrative techniques and thematic elements. We will also participate in writing short memoirs, allowing us to practice and refine our storytelling skills. The course also includes two analytical papers, where we will critically examine the memoirs studied, and a presentation to develop your public speaking and interpretive skills. Additionally, an alternative assignment will challenge us to compose our own memoirs, providing a comprehensive understanding of the memoir genre. By the end of the course, we will have a deeper appreciation for the memoir as a literary form and we will have developed our own unique voice and style in writing personal narratives. Westhues WR 120
Metaphor & Advertising This course explores the powerful role of visual metaphor in shaping consumer perception and behavior, examining how advertisers deploy imagery, language, and design to craft compelling messages that shape consumer desire and drive purchasing decisions. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we analyze contemporary advertisements to understand how marketers align visual and verbal metaphors with fundamental human desires for security, connection, achievement, and fulfillment. Through close reading, research, and argumentative writing, we develop the critical tools to decode visual rhetoric in mass media, identify the psychological strategies behind advertising, and evaluate the ethics of persuasion O’Mara WR 120
Migration Culture How does the phenomenon of human migration affect culture, and what new cultures are created as people are displaced and migrate? In this course, we will study how migration–and, in particular, forced displacement—is represented in culture, both globally and locally: in what we read and watch, in the ways we communicate, in how we think about space and place, and in the art and music we create and consume. You’ll delve into the culture of migration with your own research and explorations outside the classroom, working in academic and multimedia genres, and connecting with migration culture here in Boston through museum exhibits, public art, and local events. Kordonowy WR 120
Optimizing Personal Wellness What happens to the mind and body when exposed to different stressors? What techniques have humans developed over centuries to mitigate the negative effects of stress and maintain a healthy balance? In this course, we examine how a range of mindfulness practices, including yoga and meditation, can combine with healthy eating practices to optimize personal wellness. Fincke WR 120
Science Communication This course examines the kinds of writing involved in scientific discoveries from grant proposals, through research notes, to publication, and finally public dissemination. We look at a few high-profile studies such as the research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in NFL players and the public discourse on these findings. Students write about the differing presentations of information for different audiences and purposes. We also explore how error and misunderstanding regarding scientific discovery can develop. Kinraide WR 120
Time Travel in Fiction Would you—and should you—travel through time? Physics may limit us, but fiction sets us free. In this course, we examine time travel as a narrative tool, analyzing stories, film, and TV shows to uncover the paradoxes, possibilities, and ethical stakes embedded in the genre. From time loops to alternate histories, we interrogate what travel to the past and future reveals about the present. The course culminates in a final project: a trailer for an original time-travel film, set in Boston during a historical event of the students’ choice. Mazur-Jeffries WR 120
Translation and Adaptation Which was better – the film or the book? What do hygge and treppenwitz mean anyway? In this course we explore what happens when we convert an original source into another language or genre, through translation or adaptation. What’s lost? What’s gained? Does a successful transformation require literal fidelity or a more nuanced touch? Students investigate these questions across various genres and linguistic experiences. After establishing some theoretical groundwork, we critique several adaptations and translations of texts and students have the opportunity to create their own as well. Hanselman WR 120
Twenty-First Century Terrors In the 60s and 70s, Vietnam and civil unrest gave birth to a golden age of horror movies. In our new century, we have been forced to confront tragedy on an even greater level. This course examines the horror genre in both film and television as a powerful meditation on the fears of a new and uncertain century, including terrorism, chemical and biological warfare, pandemic, authoritarianism, and nuclear Armageddon. Attention is given to works made in the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia to consider the genre in a global, cross-cultural context. Vahamikos WR 120
Who Owns the Past Now? Museums, historical sites, and universities collect, preserve, and present objects and places to tell the story of our past and present. What these institutions choose to collect and how they interpret them constructs and transmits human history, culture, and memory. In this course, we explore how items are collected, the ethics of curation, and the power within being able to create and tell the stories of humanity’s past and present. Site visits, multimedia analysis, and personal reflection provide groundwork for us to ask: which stories are being told, and which stories may be altered, misrepresented, or ignored? Backs WR 120
Writing Environmental Justice What makes people vulnerable to environmental harm, including the harms of global heating? How can it be mitigated? Literature raises these critical questions and offers thoughtful answers. It also provides much-needed vision and hope. In this course, we closeread written and film texts to ground our thinking about environmental abuses and the people they impact most. We examine how contemporary texts illuminate environmental racism and consumption. We also ask: How can each of us participate as change agents in enacting environmental justice? The authors guiding our investigation may include Octavia Butler, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Robert Bullard, and Janice Mirikitani. Tall WR 120

WR 151, WR 152, and WR 153 Topics (Spring 2027)

Topic Title Topic Description Instructor Class
1968-1969: Hope and Horror This course examines the social and political upheavals that rocked American society in 1968-1969: protests against the Vietnam War, struggles for gender equality and sexual freedom, and powerful movements for racial justice, framed by the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. in March 1968 and Fred Hampton in December 1969. The first half of the course immerses you in the role of a delegate, protestor, or journalist at the Chicago Democratic National Convention in August 1968. In the second half of our course, we shift our gaze westward and to 1969, tracing the countercultural revolution in California. McDonough WR 151
2008 Financial Crisis This class covers the social, economic and political causes and consequences of the 2008 financial crisis. Benke WR 152
Addiction in Horror Media Though the lived experience of addiction can be horrifying in its own right, artists have often used gothic tropes like vampires, zombies, and demonic possessions to explore the compulsions and obsessions of addicted people. In this course, we will examine these metaphorical addicts alongside more literal treatments of chemical and behavioral addiction in horror media. We will ask: how have horror tropes and storylines shaped public perceptions of addiction? How do categories of gender, race, and sexuality inform representations of uncontrollable consumption? And in what ways do horror texts engender compassion for addicted people and not just fear of them? Bjornson WR 152
African American Art History Since the eighteenth century, African American and Black artists have explored themes of identity, beauty, and justice through both personal and societal lenses, utilizing a variety of mediums from painting and photography to sculpture and ceramics. Considering shifts in representations of race and gender across American history, we research how and why artists of marginalized identities have responded to their lived experiences and greater cultural shifts brought by Emancipation, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, Second Wave Feminism, and contemporary identity politics. Students of all backgrounds are welcome in this course. Bewley WR 152
AI and the Environment This interdisciplinary course provides an introduction to the benefits and costs of generative AI (gAI), focusing especially on its environmental impact. We will begin with an overview of gAI’s key terms and functions, including the training of large-language models (LLMs). We will critically analyze examples of applications of AI that may contribute to solutions for environmental issues while also considering negative impacts such as energy consumption, threats to vulnerable landscapes, data ethics, and societal inequalities. From the big picture to the personal, we will also analyze frameworks for environmentally responsible uses of gAI to develop ethical approaches for individual use. Breen WR 152
AI Philosophy and Ethics Given recent advances in generative AI LLMs and machine learning algorithms embedded in medical, financial, and media ecosystems, this course will consider the philosophical and ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence. How will AI change the nature of information and the potential to spread or mitigate disinformation? How will AI reshape social attitudes about love, relationships, and free will? How will AI disrupt or change the global economy? How will AI challenge us to redefine what it means to be human, or is the “human” an obsolete category? Finally, what are the ethical implications of AI, and what new ethical dilemmas await us as AI develops further? Students will pursue an independent research project to explore the implications of AI for their intended field or major. McVey WR 152
AI-Infused Creations In this course, we examine the historical context, technical foundations, and ethical issues surrounding AI in content creation. Through research and hands-on projects, we use AI tools and Adobe products to create digital content. Key topics include the evolution and future implications of generative AI, providing essential skills for navigating the digital landscape. Fassihi WR 152
All Poetry Is Political Poet Amanda Gorman asserts that “all art is political.” It might be argued that the content of a poem is also political, whether that poem is about nature or war. This course explores the work of contemporary poets who directly engage the current moment and draw attention to such issues as citizenship, gender inequality, gun violence, mass incarceration, and racial injustice. Students learn and practice strategies for creativity, explore and analyze a variety of sources and models, and develop a substantial research-based poetry project about a social or political issue of their choice. Bozek WR 153
America’s True Crime Obsession From documentaries such as American Murder: Gabby Petito to podcasts like Serial and My Favorite Murder, Americans have spent the past decade investigating and relitigating the crimes of others in public. How are these true events and real people transformed into consumable narratives and compelling characters? What is lost and gained in the process? When do audiences change from simple bystanders watching history to sleuths hunting down hidden truths? In this seminar, we will explore the psychological, cultural, and commercial value of truth and identity within the world of popular crime media. Burg WR 152
American Environmental History “American Environmental History” examines the exciting and complex relationships between nature and culture over the past 400 years of North American History. This interdisciplinary course draws on literature, history, ethics, and contemporary environmental challenges to assess the impact of the reciprocal relationship between people and the environment around them. Fitts WR 152
American Jews and Israel This course explores the complex relationship between American Jews and Israel, from before 1948 to today. Nothing about American Jews, Judaism, or Jewishness is monolithic–including their feelings about Israel. We examine phenomena that inform an American Jew’s understanding of the role of modern Israel in Jewish life–such as race, ethnicity, religious denomination, and political affiliation. Studying the diversity within American Jewish communities and their varied relationships to Israel will provide students with a nuanced understanding of American Jewish relations with Israel—and how these relationships have changed in recent years. Anderson WR 151
American Misfits Do you consider yourself a misfit? Someone who falls outside the mainstream of American culture? If so, this may be the class for you. Over the centuries, some of our most important literary figures and social philosophers have focused their stories on those Americans who challenge conventional norms or push beyond traditional categories. This interdisciplinary seminar engages a variety of media to explore such figures who have rejected more traditional ways of thinking or who were somehow out of step with their times. Hodin WR 151
American Sports and Society What can American sports teach us about America, its values, and the people who live there? How do college athletics influence campus life? How do athletes and fans create communities? Beginning with personal reflection and then reading across a range of academic and popular genres, we consider these questions and others that invite reflection on and prompt analysis of cultures and communities within and around American sports. Throughout the semester, we participate in experiential learning activities including field trips to local sports sites and attending BU sporting events. White WR 151
Analog Adolescence What can we learn from pre-internet adolescence and young adulthood that can inform and enrich our lives today? We look at fictional and nonfictional narratives of analog youth experiences from the 20th century and study adolescence and young adulthood from a psychological, media, and child development perspective. We link that research with our own “coming of age” stories, with a focus on the role that interactions with technology have played; we then write our own narrative nonfiction pieces incorporating this and other research. Myers WR 153
Anthropology Through SF Anthropology is the study of human beings from a cross-cultural perspective; science fiction is a genre that explores human behavior in imagined worlds. Both encourage us to better understand ourselves by examining what is unfamiliar. This shared perspective makes anthropology and science fiction an ideal pairing for exploring topics such as politics, religion, culture, socialization, identity, gender, war, government, technology, and dreams. Through a selection of stories, essays, ethnographies, and films, this course examines how both disciplines use the strange and unfamiliar to illuminate the human condition. Pasto WR 152
Attention, Please Why is it so hard to pay attention? How can we reclaim our focus in a society that is constantly distracting us—and what should we focus on? In this class, we start by studying sources of our distraction and their effects on us. We then reengage our attention toward works of art, the physical world, and our fellow humans, culminating in an independent research project. Exercises include practices in cultivating close attention. Bozek WR 151
Attention, Please Why is it so hard to pay attention? How can we reclaim our focus in a society that is constantly distracting us—and what should we focus on? In this class, we start by studying sources of our distraction and their effects on us. We then reengage our attention toward works of art, the physical world, and our fellow humans, culminating in an independent research project. Exercises include practices in cultivating close attention. Milanese WR 151
Boston Neighborhood Art Neighborhood-specific art, and specifically street art, has a long history of engaging with social issues through its universal, image-based language. We will take a rigorous look at key historical and contemporary social issues and how art pushes back against them. Together, we develop a framework to research, understand, and evaluate local neighborhoods from the perspective of artists, activists, and organizations within the greater Boston area. In student-designed projects, we research the sociopolitical climates of those neighborhoods and converse with the artists and activists there. Finally, we collaborate on multimodal projects designed to reflect our experiences in those communities. DiPaolo WR 152
Boston’s Natural History Now This course explores Boston’s greener places, where we can read the evidence of its emergence from the hills and marshes of the past and witness the conversation it maintains between human inhabitants and nature. How do the built and natural environments interact? Does wilderness still exist within the cityscape? Along with addressing these questions, we engage with Boston’s landscape with outside-the-classroom adventures on campus and beyond. Blyler WR 152
Boston’s Public Art Now In this course we explore the dynamic role of art in many of Boston’s shared spaces like public parks, squares, streets, building lobbies, and college campuses. In these sites, we consider how our embodied presence and collective engagement contributes to larger conversations about identity, access, and representation. Reflecting on both prolonged visits and quick everyday encounters, we examine how art interacts with the built and natural environment and how it transforms our understanding of different social issues. Through researching and examining local monuments, murals, linguistically diverse graffiti, and participatory projects, we consider public art’s relationship with power and access. Dalton WR 151
Breaking the Class Ceiling This course is a study of multimedia texts that (re)define class consciousness. We will generate intersectional questions about race, gender, region, and sexuality to study how these subject positions collide with and complicate notions of class hierarchies. Studying various scholarly agendas will aid in the design and execution of individual research projects that elucidate some aspect of class identity or class culture, with the goal of producing informed, ethical, anti-classist research. Research projects will offer new insights into contemporary notions of class cohesion and division using various digital multi-modal/non-linguistic forms (e.g., podcasts, short films, social media content). Miller WR 152
BU and the Culture of College Colleges and universities have been crucial to the development of nations. Recently, however, higher education has been in crisis, as stakeholders from parents to politicians have questioned the goals, strategies, and value of a traditional four-year experience. This course invites you, the principal stakeholder, to learn more about this system and to conduct original social science research on any aspect that interests you, from how you study, to who your friends are, to what you eat. Readings will include journalism and research articles. Methods will include online and library searches, as well as your own original surveys, interviews, and observations. Prentice WR 151
BU People and Places This course invites students to explore Boston University through the lens of stories about students, faculty, and staff. We draw on oral history practices and ethics alongside archival research methods to examine our institution’s history and culture. Through hands-on work with documents, images, and interviews, we create meaningful research-based stories that illuminate BU as a place of learning. Students gain skills in critical analysis, ethical storytelling, and community-engaged scholarship. Breen WR 153
Case Studies in Fairy Tales We study the history and scholarship of fairy tales, reading world folktales, short stories, and poetry along with multimedia retellings and scholarly criticism from diverse viewpoints. What is the significance of the continual, multimodal revisioning of familiar tales and motifs? You research and write an in-depth case study of a tale of your choice, and create a multimedia podcast project that combines research, creative interpretation, and critical analysis. You focus on the fundamentals of writing clear, persuasive prose, developing awareness of the conventions of multiple genres and their overlap. Authors include Perrault, the Grimms, Nalo Hopkinson, and Angela Carter. Bennett-Zendzian WR 152
Classed Codes In this course, we learn how to conduct sociological research with a focus on social class.  Though often taken for granted or treated as inconsequential, the social class cues, or “codes,” that individuals express via behavior, style of dress, body language, and ways of speaking, intersect with other identities (gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.) to powerfully shape access to opportunities.  We learn how to “de-code” our own and others’ social class signals by conducting qualitative methods such as observation and interviewing.  We explore how societal structures and individual identities intersect to shape our varied code-switching experiences. Bowman WR 151
Composing the Self The topic of this course is the art of memoir and draws from author Brenda Euland’s assertion that ‘Everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say.’ Unlike a novelist, the writer of memoir casts herself as both character and narrator, finding in her own life situations, stories that express common and uncommon truths about human experience. We read with an eye to the situations that launch authors’ stories and the wisdom they mine from their own lives. Our reading inspires a personal essay—a mini-memoir—conveying an authentic and compelling story that can be told by you alone. Smith WR 153
Controversial Shakespeare Shakespeare’s enduring popularity has occasionally tended to sanitize discomforting and divisive issues in his plays. This seminar explores the complexities of Shakespearean language and stagecraft while attending to representations of controversial topics such as class conflict, religious intolerance, political oppression, and Renaissance debates about race, gender, and sexuality. Likely readings include The Tempest, Measure for Measure, and Coriolanus. Our goal is to contextualize the plays in their original historical moment in order to understand their social impacts, so we also research other primary texts from the English Renaissance—anything from sermons to songs, pamphlets to paintings, depending on your interests. Meyer WR 151
Debating Hollywood In 1915, Hollywood produced the massively popular white supremacist film The Birth of a Nation. A century later, Hollywood produced the massively popular Black Panther (2018). What factors motivated this supposedly radical change? How and why are these films different, artistically or politically? What makes them similar? Moreover, what do we even mean when we say “Hollywood,” given that it has gone through so many artistic, technological, political, and institutional changes? We will examine these concerns and more by studying the conversations film scholars have had about Hollywood, and by conducting research of our own to understand how Hollywood is animated by competing tensions, including but not limited to: Art versus entertainment, inclusion v. exclusion, innovation v. stasis, conservative anxieties v. liberal affirmations, and the national v. the international. Some of the films that will inform our conversations are: The Jazz Singer (1927), Dirty Dancing (1987), and The Shape of Water (2017). Vanaria WR 151
Demystify Disciplinary Writing As an advanced undergraduate student, have you ever felt anxious when you were asked to complete a wide variety of writing tasks in your major discipline, especially when the tasks became progressively more demanding? This course is designed to help undergraduate students debunk the myths of discipline-specific writing. We examine writing in the social sciences, the humanities, and STEM and explore how effective writing in these disciplines is achieved. We interview experienced writers (e.g., a more advanced undergraduate student or a faculty member) in our academic discourse communities, we identify and research one common task/issue/problem in our chosen disciplines, and we share our research findings with our peers. Zhao WR 151
Design Justice in Boston Wandering around Boston, we might feel inconvenienced, frustrated, or even pained by the city’s infrastructures. Cramped spaces, hostile benches, polluted roads, and disappearing commons can make us wonder whose cities—whose imaginations—we inhabit. Reading anthropologists and critical theorists, we unpack the design injustices we notice around us. Design shapes the way we inhabit, move through, and experience a space. To create better, more just designs we use experiential methods of research, like urban walks and sensorial ethnography, as well as visits to relevant city archives. The class culminates in one ten-page research paper and one creative project. Krishnan WR 153
Dickinson, Bishop, and Plath Dickinson, Bishop, and Plath: Massachusetts Poets on Film we will consider and reconsider the works of three of American poetry’s most anthologized poets, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop, and Sylvia Plath. Known for their form and originality, the poems of these Massachusetts poets are frequently read but often misread. Many of Dickinson and Plath’s poems were altered and published without the poets’ knowledge after their deaths. Their lives are compelling enough to have spurred hundreds of books and representations in art, film, and television. But how accurate are our imaginings of these poets? How have their legacies endured and will they last through the ages? Through our research and writing, we will come to our own understanding of who these poets were and what their work means. Barents, B WR 153
Discovering Boston Now From iconic sites that draw visitors from across the globe to lesser-known locations loved by local communities, we visit some of Boston’s fascinating places. In this course you explore a Boston site of your choice beyond our campus, not just by assembling existing research but by making multiple visits to that site. The research projects you create sparked by your site will enable you to connect to other global cities, to engage with local communities, and to discover diverse creative possibilities for reaching different audiences by experimenting with different approaches for combining data you gathered directly with existing datasets. Schaaf WR 153
Diverse Voices: Poetry Now This seminar will examine the ways diverse contemporary poets engage with the world through poetry. How do poets use the real world as their raw material to investigate social and political issues? We will examine the thematic, linguistic, and formal intentions of published poets to appraise the varied ways they depict the complexities of existence. Joy Harjo believes that through writing “we confirm that we are human beings, that we are alive and making and breathing culture.” Through a semester-long poetry project, we will use our original research and creative writing to explore what it means to be alive. Bennett WR 153
Drama on the Boston Common In this course, we play historical games to learn about the Boston Common as a site of controversy, punishment and protest and thus gain insight into the political culture of the city and state we live in. Game topics may include the 1721 smallpox epidemic, the Boston Tea Party, the 1915 women’s suffrage parade, and the ramifications of the 1921 capital trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, among others. The class is highly participatory as we research deeply, write in a variety of genres corresponding to the occasions demanded by the games chosen, and argue both passionately and with scholarly detachment. Gapotchenko WR 151
Drugs, Sex & the Supreme Court How has the Supreme Court shaped the boundaries of privacy, sexuality and personal freedom in the United States? Through landmark cases involving birth control, abortion, homosexuality, medical marijuana, government surveillance and free speech, students will examine the Court as both a legal institution and a cultural force. Designed for students from all majors, this course emphasizes critical inquiry rather than legal training. We develop evidence-based arguments through analytical writing, a literature review, a research paper, and oral presentations while exploring how constitutional interpretation continues to influence contemporary debates about individual liberty and public policy. Robertson WR 153
Family Snaps and Stories Students learn to analyze and research photographs of families and explore related topics that interest them. Family portrait conventions, often taken for granted when we use a camera, have a history related to portrait painting, studio photography, and photojournalism, contexts that posit various ideals of the family. This course investigates the kinds of stories, assumptions, and expectations that we bring to family photographs and offers the opportunity to create a research project involving public and/or personal photographic archives. We will learn to present our research to a new audience in a digital photo-essay and share this work-in-progress in a small group presentation. Martinez WR 152
Fiercely Queer Movies n some ways, LGBTQIA+ political life in the 20th and 21st centuries has been a struggle between the impulse to be accepted as “normal” and the belief that, in the face of homophobia, LGBTQIA+ people have figured out a better way of living and should reject the standards of the straight world. Starting in the 90s, filmmakers started making movies reflecting this confrontational version of queer politics. They have continued to do so. In this course, we will view, analyze, and conduct research on films that reflect a fierce, anti-“normal” queer viewpoint. Desilets WR 152
Film Odysseys We examine how Homer’s epic poem, written roughly 2700 years ago, has inspired literature and art in the millennia after it was created, focusing especially on film adaptations like The Return and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Creative work will include conceiving of an original film inspired by the poem. Barents, K WR 153
Frankenstein’s Adaptations Everyone “knows” Frankenstein – the 8ft creature created out of mismatched body parts that stumbles along with outstretched arms, terrorizing innocent villagers. But Frankenstein wasn’t the creature, he was Dr. Frankenstein, the creator, and that’s one of the myths about this iconic story we examine. In this course we explore various adaptations of the story, from Mary Shelley’s original text through its retellings in various formats, to explore how it has permeated cultures around the world. Students have the opportunity to create their own interpretations of the novel to conclude the semester. Hanselman WR 153
Free Expression in the Academy What forms of expression should colleges and universities foster, where should limits lie, and what distinctive role should the academy play in society? This course examines the history and principles of academic freedom and free expression in American higher education. It traces the evolution of these concepts over the past century through landmark documents, court decisions, and campus movements, exploring such issues as faculty independence, student speech and protest, invited speakers, governmental involvement, and institutional neutrality. Students then pursue research and writing projects focused on recent cases and controversies of their choosing, possibly including some at Boston University. Bizup WR 151
Future of Video Game Studies Since the invention of Pong in 1972, video games have become one of the world’s most popular forms of entertainment. In recent years, the emerging academic discipline of video game studies has flourished, with peer-reviewed journals examining video games through various critical lenses like cultural studies, psychology, business, and education. After surveying the landscape of video game studies (from peer-reviewed journals like Games and Culture to video essays in Vox Media), our class will explore the conflicts and challenges involved in making video games, using case studies of Boston-based developers Irrational Games and industry giants like Nintendo and Sega. The coursework will consist of two major projects, which will collectively explore one intriguing research question about the future of gaming, the future of video game studies, or the future of virtual/augmented reality. After constructing a journal article presenting this research, we will then translate our findings into the format of a PowerPoint “Talk at Google” as we practice the kind of business rhetoric that will determine the future of gaming. Stevens WR 152
Gender, Sex, & Gothic Lit For centuries, Gothic tales have terrified and intrigued readers. In this course, we read classic Gothic texts that center on questions of gender and power. Through stories of madwomen locked in haunted rooms and imperiled heroines outwitting lascivious villains, we investigate how the Gothic can both imprison and empower women. We also explore Gothic texts that give voice to queer sexualities and identities in the years before these experiences could be depicted explicitly. With this knowledge, we then consider how classic Gothic motifs creep into contemporary media, and how historical anxieties around gender and sexuality continue to haunt our present. Barrett WR 151
Global Literature As with any art form, literature is as varied as the people who create it. In this course, we will read works, largely in English translation, from around the globe. We will learn to read like writers—getting inside the literature to consider how the authors made their art—and explore what kinds of artistic and thematic connections we might make “across borders.” You will research one of our authors and create a fiction portfolio of your own. Mattingly WR 153
Hip Hop, Race & Social Justice The grassroots of Hip-Hop and Rap music is an accessible form of self-expression, originally against crime and drugs; a conscious voice exploring themes of race, identity, social justice, and politics. Over decades, Hip-Hop and Rap music consistently evolved, taking roots in different pockets around the world. In this class we will examine these pockets and ask: Given the racial injustice and the current challenges society faces today, why isn’t Hip Hop and Rap Music taken more seriously? What are the roots of the flawed perceptions? Do Hip-Hop and Rap artists have a responsibility in exploring themes of race, identity and social injustice? What role is the feminist movement playing in the evolution of Hip Hop and Rap ? Shuckra WR 152
How We Write Toni Morrison said, “Your life is already artful—waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art.” But how do we begin and what are the benefits to such work? In this class, we delve into the science of creativity—how the brain generates ideas, how daily writing practices shape cognitive skills, and how generative AI alters the creative process. We also investigate how established writers start and stay motivated. We research these questions as we practice what we learn by beginning our own creative projects, workshopping our writing, and sharing our work at a reading at the semester’s end. Barents, B WR 153
I Want to Believe In America, belief in UFOs and Bigfoot often assumes a religious vigor, an obsession that overtakes lives. What are the ancient urges that underpin such fantastical belief? What purposes do these beliefs serve in the lives of devotees? We closely study the mythologies and research, discuss the possibilities, and analyze why many among us believe passionately in what many scientists claim is either unlikely or impossible. We closely study the mythologies and the research about them across disciplines, including religious, historical, anthropological, scientific, and cultural texts, as well as contemporary journalism in prominent publications (newspapers, magazines, legitimate websites). Giraldi WR 151
Images of Jewish Masculinity This course examines diverse representations of Jewish masculinity from the Biblical period to the modern era. In the Western world, few representations are as familiar to us as those of the Jewish man.  Images of Moses, Jesus, Judas, Shylock, Albert Einstein, Woody Allen, Sandy Koufax, or a nameless Israeli Defense Force soldier connote both positive and negative power and may signify aspects of our culture that we have left largely unexplored.  Speculating about how and why images of the masculinity of a minority group change with the times allows us to examine overall constructs of masculinity in our world. Anderson WR 151
Italian Americans How have Italian Americans experienced race, civil rights, family, personal, and social struggle? Through memoir, history, and neighborhood narrative, this course explores the experiences of Italian Americans in the twentieth century. Students read Kym Ragusa’s account of embracing both her Black and Italian identities beyond the color line, the struggle against anti-Italian prejudice through the rivalry between community activist Mary Sansone and Mafia boss Joe Colombo, and Ralph Indrisano’s powerful account of family life, addiction, neighborhood violence, and working-class culture in Boston’s North End. Together, these readings challenge familiar stereotypes and reveal the complexity and diversity of Italian American experience. Pasto WR 152
Literature of the Occult In this course we will look at the influence of the Western Esoteric Tradition, often called “the Occult,” on Horror Literature. The genre of Horror is filled with vivid examples of the Occult, but how serious authors are about the subject, is rarely considered. Our class will inquire as to why “Occult” practices appear so prominently in many works of Horror, how these dense symbol systems and arcane practices speak to the fear of technology and science. The Occult continues to be a driving force in Literature, Movies, Video Games, as well as Alternative Religions, Spirituality, and Politics. Morazzini WR 151
Loneliness across Disciplines Concepts of loneliness can be discussed in any number of fields and disciplines within the hard or social sciences, humanities, communications, and business. Therefore, in this course, students will explore ideas and depictions of loneliness in three very different disciplines in order to not only study the complexity of loneliness, but also to examine and explore the demands and expectations of three distinct and diverse disciplines. Panszczyk WR 153
Marijuana in American History In this course, we write about marijuana’s polarizing influence in recent American history. We question the role of race, science and morality in the ever-shifting cannabis culture and policies during three periods: the ‘War on Drugs’ era after the 1950s; the marijuana legalization era that followed the 1980s; and the Cannabis 2.0 controversies surrounding the topic today. Blumenthal WR 153
Meaning and the Modern Self In this seminar, we explore how existential writers, thinkers, and artists have grappled with enduring questions about meaning, purpose, and identity. Through literature, drama, film, and philosophy, we investigate freedom, responsibility, authenticity, and belonging, and consider how individuals create meaning in an uncertain world. We connect these questions to contemporary issues and examine how existential ideas continue to influence culture, relationships, work, ethics, and public life. Tandon WR 153
Medical Debates Medical advances and increased public health have often come at the price of deliberately inflicting harm. In this class, we examine some of the historical debates about when and whether intentional harm to animals, individuals, or groups outweighs the benefits of medical progress. Vivisection exposes the issue of cruelty versus advances in medical research; vaccination weighs the relative risks and benefits of dangerous medical procedures to a particular individual; and the case of Typhoid Mary is representative of the problem of personal liberty versus public health. Kinraide WR 152
Migration Culture How does the phenomenon of human migration affect culture, and what new cultures are created as people are displaced and migrate? In this course, we will study how migration–and, in particular, forced displacement—is represented in culture, both globally and locally: in what we read and watch, in the ways we communicate, in how we think about space and place, and in the art and music we create and consume. You’ll delve into the culture of migration with your own research and explorations outside the classroom, working in academic and multimedia genres, and connecting with migration culture here in Boston through museum exhibits, public art, and local events. Kordonowy WR 152
Multispecies Minds Now Join us on adventures across continents and into what can seem other worlds—the minds of non-human species. Current scientific research shows that diverse species share with us complex problem-solving abilities, memories, and emotions; recent studies also reveal that

non-human animals have minds shaped by abilities we lack. How can comparing minds reveal contrasts between individuals within single species, differences and similarities across species, and unexpected cross-species collaborations? We use scientific data to creatively imagine the thinking of species that fascinate us and observe wildlife on visits to Boston greenspaces to

pitch innovative approaches for exploring multispecies minds.

 Schaaf WR 153
Narrative Medicine Narrative medicine is the practice of integrating storytelling and active listening into all aspects of healthcare to promote healing. In this course, we apply that concept to a wide variety of relationships with power dynamics at play such as doctor/patient, teacher/student, business/customer, etc., and research how personal narratives can be used to foster empathy, wellbeing, and community. Together, we learn to consider the person first by telling our own stories, hearing the stories of others through a series of guest speakers, and ultimately interviewing and sharing the stories of those who are important in our lives. Calandra WR 151
Natural History Museums Natural history museums educate and entertain audiences thanks to their dinosaurs, fossils, and taxidermied animals. They operate as repositories of taxonomic information, documenting the world’s evolution, ecologies, and biodiversity. This course examines the development and functions of the natural history museum. Using examples such as New York’s American Museum of Natural History and Chicago’s Field Museum, we study how these institutions connect to the histories of scientific development, colonialism, and nationalism. We also investigate natural history museums’ changing ethical practices regarding human remains, wildlife conservation, and cultural representation. Laceste WR 151
Oratory in America In difficult, confusing times, we expect speakers to offer inspiration and hope.  In this course, historical speeches from America’s past provide models of how leaders worked to unify audiences, to propel movements for equality and freedom, and to confront injustice. We also examine contemporary modes of public speaking (TedTalks, podcasts, protest rallies, debates, etc.) to investigate how language unites and, at times, divides us. To demonstrate the power of rhetoric, students create podcasts based on their research projects. Shawn WR 151
Philosophy and Horror In this course, we study disturbing stories and ask why they speak to us. Why are “rough” or immoral heroes so compelling? What makes “immoral” stories, where bad things happen to good people, so gripping? Throughout the course, we study controversial topics in the philosophy of art such as catharsis, censorship, the meaning of beauty, and the value of art both in our personal lives and in our society today. As we investigate these topics, we independently research disturbing stories in any genre or artform that interests us, such as film, literature, comedy, and drama. Snyder WR 151
Power of Scientific Discovery While recent decades produced new therapies for AIDS and COVID-19, adequate treatments for dementia and depression remain out of reach. In our class, we ask how scientists discover new treatments for diseases. We analyze the language of published papers like the those found in the journal Nature alongside scientific journalism about medical discoveries. As case studies, we examine the hurdles in Alzheimer’s drug development and the importance of questioning implicit assumptions like the serotonin theory of depression. Our projects explore a medical topic of particular interest to each student—to suggest new ways to think about health and disease. Stevens WR 152
Queer Little Love: Gay Stories What makes a story gay? Unlike older queer novels, the gay short story does not have time to be suggestive; instead, it must come out quickly, focusing on gay characters boldly and openly. Since Allan Gurganus’s “Minor Heroism” in 1973, when the first gay character entered the New Yorker fiction section, the short story has only gotten gayer. We look at some of first popular gay stories ever published as case studies of the changing attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ people over time. How does such a short form capture the unique lives of characters far removed from our heteronormative world? Culler WR 153
Queers on Campus!: Gay Stories This class looks at LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age stories at universities and private schools since 1970. Culler WR 153
Research Like an Engineer In this course, we examine how knowledge is produced, tested, and communicated in engineering spaces. We learn to write academically by working with real engineering and design questions: how problems are defined, what counts as evidence, and how solutions are generated and communicated. We read and analyze engineering research, case studies, and technical arguments; we then practice turning complex ideas into clear academic writing. Across the semester, we identify an engineering or design problem and investigate its context, limitations, and end users. We conduct research, draft proposals, and produce reports that we can then submit to interested companies. Redington WR 153
Searching for Utopia From the earliest times of creation stories, culminating in the term “Utopia” in Thomas More’s seminal work in 1516, there have been numerous attempts to create Utopian or improved societies in both actuality and imaginary works.  We will examine what elements these communities share and investigate why so many have failed.  As a final project, students will propose an imagined utopia. Steinberg WR 151
Second Wave Feminism to Now The specific topic of this section is Second Wave Feminism to Now: Topic-based seminar in critical reading, research, writing, and oral communication. Practice in sustained inquiry, including scholarly research and communication of findings to different audiences. Attention to argumentation, public speaking, prose style, and revision, informed by reflection and feedback, including conferences. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing, Research, and Inquiry, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy. Simpson WR 151
Speaking Out for Change In our fast-growing world, a lot of voices are being drowned and so many injustices are taking place. In this course, we discuss themes such as community building, social justice, civic empowerment, and antiracism and respect for difference. We explore how language can be used as a tool for problem solving. As individuals and members of collaborative writing teams, we identify problems in our communities and take steps to resolve them through research, writing, and oral presentation. Through research-based oral presentations, we compose artefacts such as oral briefings, needs assessments, progress reports, and formal proposals. Issah WR 151
Telling Stories with Science Who doesn’t love science? It allows us to take the world apart into cells, atoms, geometric angles and make sense of our place in the universe. But science is often written in jargon-heavy language that only specialists can understand. In this class, we break this mold. We learn to write the science we love for a wide audience, helping everyone understand the curious worlds we investigate. We also look at science critically, asking how scientific discoveries become entangled in politics, leading to detrimental creations from atomic bombs to AI-based surveillance systems. Students taking this class need not be STEM majors. Krishnan WR 152
The Ethical Imagination The Ethical Imagination is a historical survey of the development of world ethics. While its main focus is on Western Philosophy, it includes comparative studies of Middle and Far-Eastern ethical theories. The contemporary short stories and essays we read emphasize the role the imagination plays in determining the moral compass of the world; and ultimately, the role art plays in raising questions about equity, freedom, diversity, justice, love, war, hatred, abuse, and intolerance. Writing assignments, whether non-fiction or fiction, focus on both analytical and creative skills. Allenberg WR 153
The Graphic Memoir Graphic memoirs are nonfiction graphic narratives that tell the true stories of their author’s lives through a combination of text and image. In styles ranging from cartoons to fine art, graphic memoirs tackle a wide range of serious subjects. We will ask questions about how memoirists grapple with time and memory, how visual and linguistic styles affect meaning, and what the graphic genre can teach us about academic writing. We each choose one or more graphic memoirs to study in an extended research project, and then we showcase all we’ve learned by creating graphic memoirs of our own. Kent WR 153
The Journey Explore great journies in literature and film. Degener WR 152
The Theater Now We read, write, and talk about topics related to live theatrical productions that we attend as a class, applying individual research to both scholarly and creative projects. This course is unique each spring. Recent semesters have focused on dystopian environmental parables, on jukebox musicals and civil rights, and on adaptations of The Odyssey. Barents, K WR 153
The Theater Now We read, write, and talk about topics related to live theatrical productions that we attend as a class, applying individual research to both scholarly and creative projects. This course is unique each spring. Recent semesters have focused on dystopian environmental parables, on jukebox musicals and civil rights, and on adaptations of The Odyssey. Morazzini WR 153
The Theater Now We read, write, and talk about topics related to live theatrical productions that we attend as a class, applying individual research to both scholarly and creative projects. This course is unique each spring. Recent semesters have focused on dystopian environmental parables, on jukebox musicals and civil rights, and on multi-generational family dramas. Tall WR 153
Thick: Intro to Fat Studies In this course, we explore ongoing debates about the meaning, health, and rights of fat bodies by looking at American history, medical discourse, fat liberation movements, trends in diet and wellness, and representations of the body in the arts and on social media. Using fat studies scholarship as both springboard and model, we practice qualitative research methods to examine our own lived experiences on this campus and beyond, gathering new data to inform our arguments. Finally, we remix formal research projects into podcasts to share our research with a public audience. Kent WR 152
Transformative Visual Media From the printing press to social media reels, we explore how innovative technology disrupts mass media. As we now live in a time when images can be modified more and more convincingly, this course considers the ethical and social consequences of manipulated media, and ultimately, its power as a narrative tool. Sarkisian WR 152
Visualizing the Self in Comics It’s one thing when a person tells us who they are; it’s quite another when they show us, over and over again. This seminar explores visual storytelling through autobiographical comics, with a particular focus on memoir. In other words, the author is both writer and artist/creator of their past experience, offering us an opportunity to analyze their combinations of words and images as they share their personal (and often traumatic) stories with us. We explore diverse visual strategies of self-reflection, self-construction, and self-representation and what they communicate to readers about their evolving Self. Yoder WR 152
Witches, Wizards and Magic This course will explore the figures of the witch and wizard, as well as the theme of magic, in history, literature and film. We will discuss representations of witches and wizards from the Shakespearean period and the Salem Witch trials, through The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter to current works such as Need Okorafor’s Akata Witch, as well as representations of contemporary magical practitioners. Hansen WR 153
Women of Color Heal Women of Color Heal is a course that focuses on the narratives of the Global Majority, women of color.  Together, we unpack the structural policies and interpersonal systems that position women’s bodies to become property as we take a 100 day journey of writing, creativity, and research.  We learn a framework on creativity that positions resistance and restoration as human rights.  Together we do a 20-minute embodied practice/writing for 100 days; explore essays, films, and shows; and complete an original embodied research project, culminating in an embodied performance. Rani WR 153

WR 320 Topics (Spring 2027)

Topic Title Topic Description Instructor Class
Community: Children’s Center How do the stories we tell about childhood shape how children see themselves and their place in the world? This experiential learning seminar explores how storytelling, creative writing, and community collaboration can foster inclusive representations of childhood identity and belonging. In partnership with the BU Children’s Center (BUCC), students will work directly alongside preschoolers (ages 2–5), recognizing children as active storytellers and collaborators. Through critical readings, media studies, creative writing, and collaborative projects, students will experience intergenerational writing as a form of social justice, culminating in an original multimedia project that celebrates diverse childhood experiences. Miller WR 320
Community: Senior Center In this experiential learning seminar, we will form a writing partnership with the Brookline Senior Center as a form of community building and social action. Through creative and collaborative writing, we will explore concepts of community, belonging, and creativity, as well as gain insight into various voices and perspectives we might not otherwise encounter. We will have the opportunity to work as leaders by facilitating experiences, including writing groups, sharing circles, revision workshops, and a public performance. Shetty WR 320