Ghosts and Their Rhetoric

Do ghosts have a voice? Do they speak to their audience and if they do, how?

From New Mexico's own La Llorona to the beloved cartoon character Casper, ghosts play a part in every culture. New Mexico and the University itself have their own history of ghosts. Using a collection of local ghost stories we will explore how the writers of the many folklore and ghost stories provide a voice for the ghosts and how we hear them. The class will visit some of the hot spots on campus that has experienced ghostly encounters. Assignments will include a weekly reading journal, three 4 - 5 page papers and one longer paper.

Texts: A reader comprised of local ghost stories and folklore.

Outcomes:

In addition to the expected skills learned in English 101 and 102 the students will include the following skills.

• Use a less formal text to integrate with some theory to write a formal paper.
• Integrate experiences that include visitations and interviews in the student writing.
• Expand research capabilities and library skills.