English

Drawing from the major genres of literature--fiction, drama, and poetry--students examine the human search for truth, justice, and duty, while considering how community frames that quest. Students will write extensively in a variety of modes, from personal, reflective journaling to critical analysis. Socratic discussions both large and small, as well as group and individual projects, provide variety to the daily learning process. Along with intensive writing instruction and practice, the course demands that students demonstrate mastery in basic grammar skills, understand and identify major literary concepts, and compose questions that lead to deliberative conversations. Full year course. Grade: 9. Prerequisites: None.

Responding to Literature (Core) is an introduction to the study of literature in the Upper School at McCallie. The course is designed to prepare its students for the routine and rigor of McCallie’s World and American Literature courses through engaging in-class discussions and activities based on out-of-class reading. Students will explore multiple works of literature covering genres such as fiction, memoir, poetry, film, and drama. Students will also work toward confidence and comfort in the writing process and practice crafting essays of various types, personal narratives or journal entries, and oratory defense of written academic work. This course is intended for students who may not have much background in closer reading or analytical writing. Full year course. Grade: 9. Prerequisites: None.

Responding to Literature Honors is a foundation-focused course focused on reading great literature and responding thoughtfully in discussion, essays, and creative writing. Essential questions that we wrestle with throughout the year include What does it mean to be a man? What are the responsibilities of a good man? What are the essential characteristics of a life of Honor, Truth, and Duty? First semester, we focus more on the role of men in society as we read selections like Lord of the Flies, Night, Everything Sad is Untrue, and The Hate U Give. Second semester, we focus on the role of a boy’s circumstances on his development into a healthy man as we read texts like The Odyssey, Catcher in the Rye, Old School, and The Road. Although there are some creative writing assignments along the way, the primary objective of the writing is to teach an evidence-focused essay structure in which students learn to support a thesis by analyzing and explaining passages from the text. Along with the writing focus, there are weekly grammar assignments as well as an ongoing discussion of MLA formatting and conventions to prepare students to excel in their time at McCallie and beyond. Full-year course. Grade: 9. Prerequisites: Strong placement testing. 

With its emphasis on literature from Europe, South Africa and the East, sophomore English explores literature's universal themes of family and mentors, internal and external conflicts, and initiation and self-definition. Major writing units cover a range of rhetorical patterns, such as comparison/contrast, analysis, cause and effect, argumentation and reasoning. Study of grammar and vocabulary, as well as effective elements of oral presentation, builds upon the student's knowledge from freshman year. Full-year course. Grade: 10. Prerequisites: None

"Is anyone in class a Danish prince whose uncle murdered your father and then married your mom?" No? Nobody? Our World Literature course asks our boys to see a world larger than the one they inhabit as sophomores at McCallie. We consider texts from different times, places, cultures, and experiences, as a way to practice empathy. What are those elements of humanity that unite us all? How can we recognize those in others so that we're better equipped to enter a world that is more and more global? What is our place in this world? The course involves extensive reading and writing, both analytical and personal. Full year course. Grade: 10. Prerequisites: Excellence in 9th grade English. See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

American Literature is a cultural study of America through its literature. Students in this course will encounter many of the ideas that shaped our country’s vision and development: freedom, individuality, nonconformity, the American Dream, etc. The course’s primary focus is to put students in a position to identify, examine, and understand the ideas that shape American culture. Students will access a wide variety of traditional American texts in concordance with contemporary works in order to reinforce genre study. Students should expect to experience the writing process regularly in a way that will advance their stylistic palette and enhance their revision skills. Students will practice alternative forms of communication of understanding; projects and presentations will offer an opportunity to expand their skill set in approaching required texts with research and creativity. Students will use McCallie’s many on-campus resources including but not limited to the Lebovitz Innovation Lab, Caldwell Writing Center, and the C.A.V.E. Full year course. Grade: 11. Prerequisites: None

AP English Literature and Composition is an introductory college-level literary analysis course. Students cultivate their understanding of literature through reading and analyzing texts as they explore concepts like character, setting, structure, perspective, figurative language, and literary analysis in the context of literary works. The course prepares students to take the AP exam, through instruction in reading and writing and goes well beyond AP rubrics and outlines. A student should expect challenging texts, deep analysis, and wide-ranging topics of conversation that will require both intellectual and personal engagement. Full year course. Grade: 11. Prerequisites: Excellence in World Literature. See AP/Honors Course Prerequisites

Poetry is almost always our first exposure to language. Dr. Seuss; the ABCs; We may not know what a tuffet is, but we know Little Miss Muffet sat on one. And then we go to school...and what began as an exercise in playful language and rhythm becomes a crash course in confusion and obscurity. This class will seek to undo that trauma. We will spend our time reading poetry (canonical masters, styles, genres, topics, etc.) and writing poetry (primarily imitation) as a way to revisit our initial love of language. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

This course will focus on major Irish works, authors, and themes from the mid-nineteenth century Irish literary renaissance, through the euphemistically titled “Troubles", to the present day. Poetry, plays, short stories, novels, and nonfiction writings from authors such as William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory, Flann O'Brien, Sean O’Casey, Frank O'Connor. Bernadette Devlin, and others will be used to help us explore the struggle for the construction of an Irish identity that is separate from the British and ultimately leads to the achievement of an independent (although divided) postcolonial Ireland. We will pay careful attention to the intersection of literature, culture, politics, history, and war to see how they form an interconnected web that also encompasses issues of race, gender, language and religion.  In addition to the readings we will make use of film, and music to enhance our understanding of the development of distinctively Irish literature into the 21st century. Special consideration will be given to the previously mentioned "Troubles" and An Gorta Mor ( more commonly called "The Potato Famine"). (Reno)

This course will focus on the development of the horror genre in literature. Starting with the very first example of the genre (Walpole’s Castle of Otranto) we will track the elements of and changes to this specific type of fiction from the mid 1700’s into the twenty-first century; paying particular attention to historic periods and how science, society, and culture have impacted, influenced, and made these works possible. Considerable time will also be spent exploring the nature of fear, and why we find books and movies of this type to be pleasurable. Texts may include, but are not limited to Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto, Mary Shelley: Frankenstein, Bram Stoker: Dracula H.P. Lovecraft: The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre and Stephen King: The Shining. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

This course will attempt to define the concept of “Tragedy” as we trace its conception, development, and continuing popularity, beginning with the Greeks (works may include Aristotle’s Poetics, The Oresteia of Aeschylus, or The Three Theban Plays of Sophocles), through the Romans (Seneca: Medea, Thyestes, and Oedipus, as well as others are all possible texts), and Elizabethan and Jacobean England (texts may include The White Devil, The Spanish Tragedy, Othello, and The Duchess of Malfi). If time permits we may entertain modern examples of this genre. We will examine the various types of tragedy, how they build upon each other and change over time to accommodate popular taste and evolving conceptions of what tragedy is. We will also make use of films and filmed performances in our exploration and discussion of these texts and themes. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

At its core existentialism is a search for meaning in our existence in a world fraught with inherent difficulties—a world that can be described as increasingly “absurd”. Interestingly, this subject is not as clearly defined as might be supposed, and is not as pessimistic as some may think. Through an examination and close reading of key texts we will gain an understanding of how we may make “sense” of ourselves and the world around us, including the concept of personal responsibility for not only who we are, but how we impact others and the world around us. Texts may include: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, “The Metamorphosis”, Notes from Underground, The Third Policeman, Catch 22, and Time’s Arrow. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

This course aims to look at African American literature by artists well known throughout the literary canon. This course celebrates African-American literary arts' historical and aesthetic development in the face of (often legalized) racial oppression. Students learn techniques for deep reading to explore literary issues related to culture, race, and social history. The aim is to examine works from authors such as Ralph Ellison, Ernest Gaines, Zora Neale Hurston, and Frederick Douglass. Students can observe how these authors used their mediums through the wording, allusion, etc., to influence and comment on pivotal moments in the fight for equality. Students will then use these readings to relate to the current day and themselves. The class will be heavily discussion-based, using questions that students create as homework to help drive conversation within the class to lead towards final papers that use the books' concepts applied to life and greater society.

What does it mean to be an American? This course will seek to explore that idea by considering the voices of those who, according to Jhumpa Lahiri, "struggle and come to terms with what it means to live [in America], to be brought up [in America], to belong and not belong [in America.]" We'll consider the impacts of having unusual names, of shifting understanding of freedom, of living within a society but not as a formal citizen. We will read both fiction and nonfiction as we try to seek out those voices that have always been here but haven't always been heard. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

This class surveys an assortment of Christian literary works by authors such as John Bunyan, Hannah Hunard, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R.Tolkien, Flannery O’Connor, and Walker Percy. The survey begins by reading and discussing Pilgrim’s Progress and Hinds Feet on High Places, followed by a selection from other authors. Beginning with Christ’s use of parables, the course will examine and analyze how and why particular persons chose to express aspects of the faith through different genres, e.g. allegory, myth, apocalyptic, or the modern novel. Students are challenged to read, wrestle with, and write about great works of literature, with a focus on how Biblical messages, art, technique, and history are infused into literature inspired by the Christian faith. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

Since 2010, Brandon Stanton has run a blog and social media entity called Humans of New York. He approaches people he sees in the streets of New York City and asks them to tell their stories.  Much has been made about the lack of empathy on social media, but Humans of New York shows how it can be used to foster our understanding of each other. For this elective, McCallie students will hone their skills in observation, conversation, writing, and documentation by running and building a blog and social media site called Humans of McCallie. This will be a writing and photography heavy course with some reading assignments as well. If you want to learn more about the power of stories to foster understanding and bring a community together, this is the course for you. Semester course. Grade: 12. Prerequisites: None.

This course will consider three very different takes, from three significantly divergent authors, on what it means to face a formidable challenge. With settings spanning the 1870s American West (True Grit--Charles Portis), 1960s South Carolina (The Lords of Discipline--Pat Conroy), and 1980s West Texas (No Country for Old Men--Cormac McCarthy), the stories and characters could not be more different. But the forces arrayed against the main characters are substantial, and success is anything but assured. This is a course for those who love to read highly engaging novels, and for those who want to truly enjoy reading for perhaps the first time. (Jamieson)

The Inklings were a literary group that met weekly to discuss the essence of literature and to share their own original ideas and writing. Members of the group included the authors C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and several other individuals. It was within the parameters of these discussions where the first pages of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and Space Trilogy, as well as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, were shared, complemented, and critiqued. The course will mirror the structure and collaborative manner of these meetings to survey the literary theory and writings of the Inklings (primarily Lewis and Tolkien), their contemporary, Dorothy L. Sayers, and the writers who influenced them, such as G.K. Chesterton and George MacDonald, as well as to engage in the writing and creation of fictional Worlds. (Speakman)

In many ways, the story of Appalachia is a reflection of America’s larger story. Why are people so connected to their homes? How do we make sense of beauty and pain when they seem to occur so close to each other? How do people make meaning from their lives? When it comes to our communities and families, what are we willing to fight for? Reading poetry, essays, short stories, and novels by contemporary authors such as Robert Gipe, Tony Earley, Ann Pancake, Ron Rash, and Barbara Kingsolver, students will explore those questions and raise their own about this part of the world we call home. (Tocknell)

Modernizing Shakespeare is an interdisciplinary, project-based course that invites students to explore Shakespeare’s stories through a contemporary lens. Students typically include a mix of creative thinkers, writers, designers, pop-culture enthusiasts, and students curious about storytelling, history, or adaptation. It has a theater base, but rather than focusing on performance alone, the course emphasizes interpretation, collaboration, and creative problem-solving as students examine how Shakespeare’s themes remain relevant across time, cultures, and genres. Throughout the course, students study a selected Shakespeare play(s) and reimagine it within a self-chosen framework such as a different historical period, a modern social issue, or a science fiction or fantasy world. Class activities include close reading, discussion, media analysis, creative brainstorming, and hands-on adaptation work. Students may encounter mini-lessons on story structure, character, theme, and design, alongside workshops focused on writing, visual storytelling, and presentation skills. Assessment centers on process as much as product, valuing critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and the ability to justify artistic and conceptual choices.(Padro)

This English course will focus on developing your own ideas for writing stories, poems, narrative essays, graphic novels, or screenplays. Using professional examples, each others’ work, and the text Imaginative Writing, students will produce their own writing across the genres. You will grow in your ability to create, structure, and, most importantly, express your own voice and bring to life the worlds in your own head. At the end of the semester, each student will produce a portfolio of their own writing suitable for publication. (Tocknell)

Some of the best true stories ever written are about the men and women who amaze us with their athletic feats. In this class, we will read stories and books about baseball players, track stars, racecar drivers, swimmers, hunters, and fishermen, to name just a few. We will come to understand what motivates them, what makes them remarkable, and what makes them just like us. We will also learn how the writers we study (Tom Wolfe, Claire Smith, Norman Maclean, and more) were able to capture these sports stars so well. At the end of the semester, students will write a sports story of their own, thereby bringing some of McCallie’s own athletes to life on the page. (Tocknell)

This course will consider how the concept of family has influenced American literature from World War II to the present. Family has played an outsized role in both literature and history since Biblical times. For much of history, humans lived in multi-generational homes, with each member playing key roles in the success or survival of the group. With the coming of American colonization, immigration, and the opening of the West, family structures began to change. Traditions, religious values, and simply the geographical vastness of the American continent dictated that families might begin to live differently from their ancestors. 

We will read two short novels--”The Human Comedy” by William Saroyan and “Tortilla Flat” by John Steinbeck-- and one significantly longer one--John Irving’s “The Cider House Rules”-- in our exploration of the changing nature of what constitutes a family. This course is for those who enjoy reading unconventional stories and losing themselves in the narrative talents of accomplished authors. (Jamieson)

This semester-long course traces the literary tradition of utopian and dystopian fiction from its twentieth-century roots through the contemporary moment. Through seven foundational texts (Yevgeny Zamyatin, We, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four,  Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower, and Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven--along with other short readings) students will examine how authors use imagined societies as a vehicle for critiquing the political, social, and technological conditions of their own time. The course emphasizes close reading, analytical writing, Socratic discussion, and independent research, preparing students for college-level literary study. (Reno)

This course will immerse students in the world of Geoffrey Chaucer, with a focus on his Canterbury Tales. Through close reading and rigorous literary analysis, we will examine the Tales not merely as a collection of medieval stories but as a sophisticated and layered work that uses the pilgrimage framework to probe the full spectrum of human experience — from the sacred to the scandalous. We will consider the art of character development, focusing on how Chaucer constructs figures like the Wife of Bath, the Knight, the Pardoner, and the antagonistic Reeve and Miller, to simultaneously embody and subvert the social and moral hierarchies of fourteenth-century England. We’ll also try to address his concept of fabliau justice in his tales, in which wit and cleverness often triumph over conventional morality. (Alston)