Dear English or Comparative Literature Major, or,
better put, cheers! as they say in the UK,

This coming Fall 2001, San Diego State is renewing its commitment to "The London Semester," a program in which SDSU students spend a semester living and studying in London with other students and faculty from the CSU system. Professor Carole Putko of the History Department is administering the program, while I, the somewhat infamous Professor William "Memo" Nericcio of the English Department, will be holding down the fort in London. Together we hope to offer you an exciting and stimulating International educational experience. Along with Professor Marilyn Borges from the Psychology Department here at SDSU and Professor Ed Trotter from Communications and Political Science at Cal State Fullerton,we expect to provide a range of courses specifically designed to maximize your intellectual and cultural experience of being in London. For English majors particularly, this is a rare educational opportunity to broaden and deepen your understanding of the language and literature you are studying.

Here are two courses that I will be offering in London?both feature a wide range of extra-curricular activities: seeing the gorgeous sites; visiting mainstream and independent galleries and movie-sets; nosing about writer-hangouts; and checking out notorious aesthetic landmarks in and around London.
 

1. E301 or E547: A UK Literary Primer: Mad, Neurotic & Sexy (3 unit)
This hybrid class folds together a course on the psychological novel with a survey of British literary shenanigans from just after the first World War up through the 1950s. While in London, we will try to take advantage of our locale with field trips to sites mentioned in the novels and seen in the films. The course is open to ALL majors, and no expertise in madness, neuroses, sexiness or literature is expected!
 

Books include James Joyce Dubliners Virginia Woolf London Scene: Five Essays D. H. Lawrence Lady Chatterley's Lover  Aldous Huxley Brave New World  George Orwell 1984 Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot  John Osborne Look Back in Anger	Films include Alfred Hitchcock Rope Tony Richardson Look Back in Anger
PLEASE NOTE: This course is cross-listed. Students may sign up for and receive credit for this course either as: English 301: The Psychological Novel; English 547:British Literature 1918-1950; or English 499/Comparative Literature 499 Special Study depending on their needs and consultation with their deparmental undergraduate adviser.

2. E493 or E549 or CL595: Lights Camera London: Versions of England in Fiction & Film (3 units)

This multimedia class will take advantage of the dynamic and lively film and arts scene in London. Both the Hollywood and New York City of Europe, London is a center for both film and publishing and we will do our best to swim in its many diverse offerings. From the amusing and innovative ramblings of Mrs. Dalloway across the span of London to the hilarious and provocative chronicle of London neighborhoods in The Buddha of Suburbia to the chilling and expert vision of cinematic London in Peeping Tom, our roster of works promises to teach us a great deal about the city of London.
 

Books include Virginia Woolf Mrs. Dalloway JG Ballard Crash Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange Nick Hornsby High Fidelity  Helen Fielding Bridget Jones's Diary : A Novel  Hanif Kureishi The Buddha of Suburbia	Films include  Michael Powell Peeping Tom  Stanley Kubrick A Clockwork Orange
PLEASE NOTE: This course is crosslisted. Students may sign up for and receive 3 units for this course either as English 493: Literature and Film; English 549: Topics in English Literature; Comparative Literature 595 Literature and Aesthetics; or English/Comparative Literature 499 Special Study depending on their needs and consultation with their deparmental undergraduate adviser.

In addition to lively classes in an exotic locale, one of the most remarkable aspects of this program is that students can participate in professional internships coordinated by the Foundation for International Education, the umbrella institution this semester for the SDSU London Program. Professional 6-week internships are available in Art, Law, Marketing, Public Relations, Teaching, Third World Agencies, Public Policy and many others. English or Comparative Literature majors used to hearing the familiar chorus of "what are you going to with THAT major" understand that an International Professional Internship can only be of benefit when they find themselves faced with applying for employment, graduate school, or law school.

All this and you can leave the sunny shores of San Diego for little more than it costs to spend a semester living in an apartment near SDSU. Here is a comparative example of the relative costs of both:

London Semester Program: $8800 more or less
Living off campus at SDSU: $7300 more or less

That’s right?it is like financing a 4-month trip to Europe for under $2000 and getting an education and memories that will last a lifetime. While London is not an inexpensive city, and costs will naturally vary depending on individual needs and wants, students who have experienced the London Semester in the past generally regard it as the high point of their university career. We will be presenting an Introduction to the London Semester on Friday, April 20th 2001 from 11am to 1pm in the Adams Humanities Seminar Room, room 4157 on the top floor of the building. Please RSVP me at 619.594.1524 or memo@sdsu.edu if you plan to attend. British refreshments (sans Mad Cow Disease) will be served and students and faculty who have previously participated in the program will be present to answer questions. In addition, we will be happy to discuss some of the specific features of this coming Fall’s program. We hope you'll make the time to attend this program.

Sincerely yours, soon to be riding a double-decker bus,
 

William A. Nericcio Associate Professor of English & Comparative Literature