Duke University students can certainly unwind in a course called American Literature Unbound. English Professor Jane Tompkins's course description explains that "reading in this course will be kept to a minimum so that the texts we read can be absorbed naturally and acquire resonance in your life."

So "students will be encouraged to evolve as many avenues into the texts as possible." That means anything from "camping out on the seashore after reading Moby Dick to visiting a slave museum while reading Beloved to writing an essay for publication in a learned journal."

What's more, "I hope we can not only study the texts but also enjoy the literature and each other's company." Tompkins could not be reached. But an English Department secretary says the course description is "written in a California style. Even among the most open-minded we thought the description could be a little more formal."

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