Decisions, Decisions

At the very end of last week, I got the official English MSt course details booklet for 2013-14. That means, once again, it's time to pick my classes. Here's a quick overview of the structure of the MSt program:

Oxford has three terms: Michaelmas (fall), Hilary (winter), and Trinity (spring). Yes, I still get those names mixed up, and catch myself saying fall quarter, winter quarter, spring quarter. What the heck. Each term is eight weeks long, followed by a six-week break. (However, the reading for the courses is so extensive that it's virtually a must to keep reading, if at a lighter pace, during the "holidays." I'm visualizing myself reading on the beach in Spain somewhere!) Summer runs from late June through mid-October.

For the English MSt, Michaelmas and Hilary terms consist of taking classes, most of which are related to your period "strand." Trinity is entirely dedicated toward writing an 11,000 word dissertation. The courses include: the A course (the core course on literature, backgrounds, critical approaches for each period strand), the B course (research skills; optional but highly recommended for those continuing to a DPhil or advanced study), and the C course (special options and specific topics within English lit; can select from a lengthy list). My strand focuses on the period from 1900-present, but others break up literary history into different temporal segments: pre-1550, 1550-1700, 1700-1830, 1830-1914, etc.

I'm currently debating whether or not to take the B course on research methods -- the post-1800 section of that course does look juicy, with class sessions on illustrated editions and textual bibliography and the history of the book... but I'm still not definite about plans to continue to a DPhil or not, and the C course options look pretty juicy too. Current course options range from Philip Roth and Joseph Conrad and Henry James, to life writing and contemporary fiction and modernist poetry. And, since for the C course I'm allowed to stray from my period strand, I could even take courses on "The Anglo-Saxon Riddle Tradition" or "Religious Satire" or "Ancient Rome and Shakespearean Drama" if I wanted. The list goes on... it truly is like wandering through a candy store and being told I can only pick one of the chocolates.

One last thing: I keep seeing names of former Stanford professors arising in the secondary reading/critical background lists. Shout-out to Stanford English!