ENLT 2100

Professor Luftig is a very knowledgeable professor who really makes an effort to get to know his students. I took this class to fulfill my second writing requirement, and we ended up writing 3 papers during the semester with a final exam at the end. The essay topics were very broad and gave us the flexibility to explore poems and plays that we found interesting. We were required to email him our paper ideas for approval before we began each essay in order to make sure we were on track for a good grade. I found this process extremely frustrating as it was hard to guess exactly what he wanted us to write. I often spent hours just trying to come up with a good outline for the papers, but felt that I wasn't heading in the right direction no matter how many changes I made. However, Professor Luftig goes to great lengths to provide personal feedback for every student which is something I had not experienced in a class before. He really urged students to keep in touch while writing their papers and did offer very lengthy, detailed responses to our questions which I appreciated. I ended up using his feedback while writing my essays which is how I was able to do pretty well on them. The unusual thing about the class is the lack of the grading scale. I think he decides your grade based on how your essays have improved and your contributions in class. The best thing about this class were the poetry readings/plays we had to attend. He had us read the works of poets who visited at UVA during the semester and urged us to go to their readings. This was very cool because I would not have found out about these events otherwise (I am not an English major and do not keep up with the events of the department). I do think that this course was difficult and challenging, but it was extremely worthwhile and I DO RECOMMEND IT. Though I am not considering an English major like the majority of students who take this course, I never felt out of place or at a disadvantage which I was worried about when I first signed up.

Despite the misleading information presented on course forum, this was a miserable class. The beginning of the semester is marked by light reading and discussion that seems, at first, acceptable. Professor Luftig even goes as far as discussing the syllabus' flexibility if students think reading is too heavy. However, the first paper prompt is nearly incomprehensible and impossible to successfully write unless you're under the influence of some higher power or illegal substances. From there, the class only goes downhill. You will spend an hour and fifteen minutes discussing the meaning behind a comma or the lack thereof in poetry. You'll also waste a lot of time discussing the importance of vowel sounds in conveying some "deep" underlying message in literature. In fact, the whole time you'll have a strong urge to frantically scream out, "It ain't that deep." For the next two papers, Professor Luftig will tell you that you must convince him of something regarding the literature you've been working with. However, if you don't argue using the literary elements he personally would choose then your paper will be dismissed as poor writing. The most frustrating part of the class is Professor Luftig's lack of a grading system. He will tell you that the first paper isn't important to your grade if you prove that you understand the course material in the rest of your work. That being said, you can read all of the texts and write a paper that answers his prompt, but if the information doesn't align with his own perception of a perfect argument for your topic your the paper will flop. Your grade will rely on your ability to write a paper that Professor Luftig agrees with. After taking this course, I lost all interest in pursuing a degree in English. If you value your interest in English and hope to cultivate that throughout your time at UVA, I don't recommend taking this course with Professor Luftig.