AP English is a yearlong, college-level literature course offered to VIth form students who have been recommended by their Vth form English teachers. While the course prepares students for taking the skills-oriented Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition, its fundamental goal is to help students develop the capacity for independent thought, honest reflection, and intellectual risk-taking, by means of comprehensive reading, engaged discussion, and polished written expression. The first semester studies British literature from the Elizabethan era to the Romantic era. Among the major works covered are Hamlet, King Lear, Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” and major poems by Wordsworth, Keats, and Shelley, placed in conversation with modern and contemporary works. In the longer second semester, students focus on the Regency and Victorian eras through Pride and Prejudice and The Importance of Being Earnest, before moving on to modern and post-colonial world literature, examining such works as The Metamorphosis, The Stranger, Mrs. Dalloway, Ceremony, as well as essays by Woolf, Achebe, and Thiong’o. Admission to AP English is by invitation of the department.  AP English students may elect to take additional ENGL V/VI courses in either or both semesters.

This course is a workshop class devoted to the production of original student fiction. Advanced fiction writing students will be responsible for maintaining a rigorous and engaging critical workshop. Students will read their peers’ story drafts weekly, provide critical and constructive feedback, all while composing and revising their own work. Supplementing this practice, the class will study a range of contemporary short story authors. Culminating work will include a revised fiction portfolio, and the production of either the Unessay (fall) or English Culminating Essay (spring) depending on the semester the class is offered. Required prerequisite: Elements of Fiction Writing or permission of the instructor.

This course is a workshop class devoted to the production of original student poetry. Advanced poetry students will be responsible for maintaining a rigorous and engaging critical workshop. Students will read their peers’ poetry weekly, provide critical and constructive feedback, all while composing and revising their own poems. Supplementing this practice, the class will study two to three contemporary collections of poems. Culminating work will include a revised portfolio of poems, and the production of either the Unessay (fall) or English Culminating Essay (spring) depending on the semester the class is offered. Required prerequisite: Elements of Poetry Writing or permission of the instructor.

An introductory fiction writing course, this class invites those new to short fiction writing to explore and experiment across genres and more experienced creative writers to further develop their skills and voices. Students will read and study various modes and approaches to composing short fiction while practicing their own craft. The primary focus of this course will be to develop a well-rounded portfolio of original work, a prerequisite for the Advanced Fiction Workshop. Class work will alternate weekly between reading, critical discussion, and analytical writing on published authors and a studio-based class where students will generate, share, and critique their own work. Students will culminate their work in the class with either the production of the Unessay (fall) or English Culminating Essay (spring) depending on the semester the class is offered. 

An introductory poetry writing course, this class invites those new to poetry writing to explore and experiment across forms and more experienced creative writers to further develop their skills and voices. Students will read and study various modes and approaches to composing poetry while practicing their own craft. The primary focus of this course will be to develop a well-rounded portfolio of original work, a prerequisite for the Advanced Poetry Workshop. Class work will alternate weekly between reading, critical discussion, and analytical writing on published poets and a studio-based class where students will generate, share, and critique their own work. Students will culminate their work in the class with either the production of the Unessay (fall) or English Culminating Essay (spring) depending on the semester the class is offered.

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and, seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realisation of Utopias.” – Oscar Wilde

“Space…To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” – Star Trek

“Mars is there, waiting to be reached. By exploring and understanding Mars, we may gain key insights into the past and future of our own world.” – Buzz Aldrin

 

This course weaves together two literary genres, utopian literature and science fiction, both of which explore what it means to be human. Utopia is a term first used by Sir Thomas More in 1516. More combined the Greek words meaning “no” and “place,” implying that such places cannot exist, yet the idea of a Utopia as a place of societal perfection is found in literature around the world. Science fiction draws on scientific concepts to depict new and different societies. In particular, Mars, the Red Planet, has long held a place of special fascination in both “science fiction” and “science fact” of Earthlings. We will use prose, poetry, art, and science to explore strange new worlds. Texts include Station 11, Brave New World, The Dispossessed, and The Sirens of Titan.

"By the pricking of my thumbs,/Something wicked this way comes…."– William Shakespeare

“This is a sharp time, now, a precise time– we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world.” –Arthur Miller

 From Circe in The Odyssey and the three weird sisters in Macbeth to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and Hermione in the Harry Potter series, witches and witchcraft have been a source of fascination in literature. This course will explore witchcraft’s role in society in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Maryse Condé’s I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and a selection of essays, short stories, and poems.

ENGL V/IV - Creative Writing: Elements of Fiction (Sem 1)
An introductory fiction writing course, this class invites those new to short fiction writing to explore and experiment across genres and more experienced creative writers to further develop their skills and voices. Students will read and study various modes and approaches to composing short fiction while practicing their own craft. The primary focus of this course will be to develop a well-rounded portfolio of original work, a prerequisite for the Fiction Workshop. Classwork will alternate weekly between reading, critical discussion, and analytical writing on published authors and a studio-based class where students will generate, share, and critique their own stories. Students will culminate their work in the class with a portfolio, formal reading, and an original work of literary criticism.

ENGL V/IV - Creative Writing: Elements of Fiction (Sem 1)
An introductory fiction writing course, this class invites those new to short fiction writing to explore and experiment across genres and more experienced creative writers to further develop their skills and voices. Students will read and study various modes and approaches to composing short fiction while practicing their own craft. The primary focus of this course will be to develop a well-rounded portfolio of original work, a prerequisite for the Fiction Workshop. Classwork will alternate weekly between reading, critical discussion, and analytical writing on published authors and a studio-based class where students will generate, share, and critique their own stories. Students will culminate their work in the class with a portfolio, formal reading, and an original work of literary criticism.

ENGL V/IV - Literature of Activism (Sem 2)

How does social change happen? What motivates people to risk fighting for it, and what sustains them in the face of seemingly impossible odds? How far will humans go to make their voices heard, and what ethical choices will they need to make along the way? And can any of this really make a difference?  In this course, we will study literature, non-fiction, and film in which people become activists in response to what they see as injustice, immorality, or existential threat.  We’ll think and write about our own beliefs and ethics, and we’ll hear from a few local activists along the way. While this subject is as serious as it gets, be prepared for humor, irreverence, adventure, speculation, and joy.

ENGL V/IV - Magic and Witchcraft in Literature (Sem 1)

From Circe in The Odyssey and the three weird sisters in Macbeth to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and Hermione in the Harry Potter series, witches and witchcraft have been a source of fascination in literature. This course will explore witchcraft’s role in society in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Maryse Condé’s I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and a selection of essays, short stories, and poems. (Not offered 2025-2026.)

ENGL V/VI - Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop (Sem 2)
This course is a workshop class devoted to the production of original student fiction. Advanced fiction writing students will be responsible for maintaining a rigorous and engaging critical workshop. Students will read their peers’ story drafts weekly, provide critical and constructive feedback, all while composing and revising their own work. Supplementing this practice, the class will study a range of contemporary short story authors. Culminating work will include a revised fiction portfolio, and the production of a comparative analysis essay. Prerequisite: Elements of Fiction, Elements of Poetry, or permission per the Instructor.

ENGL V/VI - Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop (Sem 2)
This course is a workshop class devoted to the production of original student poetry. Advanced poetry students will be responsible for maintaining a rigorous and engaging critical workshop. Students will read their peers’ poetry weekly, provide critical and constructive feedback, all while composing and revising their own poems. Supplementing this practice, the class will study two to three contemporary collections of poems. Culminating work will include a revised portfolio of poems, and the production of a comparative analysis essay. Prerequisite: Elements of Poetry, Elements of Fiction, or permission per the Instructor.

ENGL V/VI - Literature of the Ocean, or Where the Ocean Meets Land (Sem 2)
In his Maximus Poems Charles Olson writes, “To the left the land fell to the city, / to the right, it fell to the sea.” What is the importance of this space between city and sea? Why have Olson and many other poets and writers located their work in this liminal environment—a site of both disambiguation and constant change? Disaster, massacre, migration, hope, and triumph: how does the ocean imprint who we are? Students will read novels, short fiction, and poetry that explore these questions while developing and posing others. Potential authors, in addition to Charles Olson, will include Jesmyn Ward, Virginia Woolf, Derek Walcott, Italo Calvino, Jorie Graham, and M. NourbeSe Philip among others.

ENGL V/VI - Memoir and the Personal Essay: The Story of a Mind Thinking (Sem 2)

What comes to mind when you think of the word essay? Do you think of the essay, as Michel de Montaigne did, as a means of exploring one’s thoughts and feelings? Or maybe you take Sir Francis Bacon’s approach and imagine the essay as a way to find and test the truth. Perhaps you think of the essay as a collection of perfect paragraphs. Whatever your initial assumptions, over the course of this elective you will deepen your understanding of this genre and that of memoir as richly creative – even experimental – forms. This course will focus on the robust generic traditions of personal essay and memoir through contact with works from authors spanning race, gender, time, place, and, of course, experience.

ENGL V/VI - Poetry: Contemporary Epics (Sem 1)
The first poems were long poems. And while the poets you’ll read in this course are indebted to the ancient bards, they use the book length form to sing about today. We’ll explore notions of voice, place, narrative, and (of course!) form. This class considers the poet as a social, political, and ecological actor—an empathetic citizen in search of community and clarity amid a world rife with contradiction and polarization. This is not a creative writing class. However, in order to read, write, and talk about poetry well, you’ll need to have some skin in the game. Students will culminate their work in the class with either the production of the Unessay (fall) or English Culminating Essay (spring) depending on the semester the class is offered. Potential poets include Emmalea Russo, Claudia Rankine, Tommy Pico, Adrian Matejka, and C.D Wright among others.

ENGL V/VI - Speculative Fiction: Life on Mars (Sem 2)

This course weaves together two literary genres, utopian literature and science fiction, both of which explore what it means to be human. Utopia is a term first used by Sir Thomas More in 1516. More combined the Greek words meaning “no” and “place,” implying that such places cannot exist, yet the idea of a Utopia as a place of societal perfection is found in literature around the world. Science fiction draws on scientific concepts to depict new and different societies. In particular, Mars, the Red Planet, has long held a place of special fascination in both “science fiction” and “science fact” of Earthlings. We will use prose, poetry, art, and science to explore strange new worlds. Texts may include Station 11, Brave New World, The Dispossessed, and The Sirens of Titan. (Not offered 2025-2026.)

ENGL V/VI - Sports, Storytelling, and American Identity (Sem 1)

This course explores how sports literature—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and journalism—reflects and shapes American identity, justice, and cultural values. Through the lens of sports, students will examine themes of race, gender, ambition, power, and historical change, engaging with texts that illuminate the American experience. Rather than treating sports as a monolithic subject, this course views athletics as a powerful narrative force, interwoven with history, society, and personal identity. Course texts may include The Natural by Bernard Malamud, King of the World by David Remnick, Strong Inside by Perry Wallace with additional readings by Maya Angelou, Kwame Alexander, Claudia Rankine, and John Updike.

ENGL V/VI - The Underdog in Literature (Sem 1)

What makes an underdog story so compelling? In this course, we will study characters and real-life figures who rise above adversity, defy expectations, and challenge the odds. From classic literature to contemporary nonfiction, students will analyze how themes of perseverance, injustice, and social change shape powerful narratives and will examine the struggles of marginalized individuals and communities across different cultures and time periods. Discussions, creative projects, and analytical essays will deepen our understanding of how underdogs inspire and reshape the world around them. By the end of this course, students will not only appreciate the power of the underdog story but also reflect on how these narratives relate to their own lives and society as a whole.

ENGL V/VI - 20th Century American Literature (Sem 2)

This course will immerse students in the shifting landscapes of 20th-century American literature, where writers, grappling with the promises and failures of modernity, served as both witness and architect. Through fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction, we will encounter voices that challenged the American Dream, reckoned with power and identity, and reimagined what storytelling could be. From the fractured narratives of modernism to the defiant rhythms of the Harlem Renaissance and the unsettling visions of postmodernism, students will trace the literary movements that shaped—and were shaped by—a century of upheaval. Authors may include Toni Morrison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lorraine Hansberry, Audre Lorde, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Sylvia Plath, and Joan Didion.

ENGL V/VI - American Ecoliterature: Language, Place, and Power (Sem 1)

How do the spaces we inhabit shape who we are? When does setting become the story? In this course, we will explore the ways language constructs place and how narratives of land, wilderness, and environment have shaped American identity. We will examine the language used by European settlers to write a place called America into being—and the language of peoples they attempted to write out. Through fiction, poetry, and literary criticism, we will trace shifting narratives of the land from early colonial texts to contemporary literature, considering how language can define, co-opt, and control space. By studying the rhetoric of wilderness, landscape, and belonging, we will interrogate the power of words to shape both our perception of place and our relationship to the land we inhabit.

ENGL V/VI - American Gothic Fiction (Sem 2)

This course will explore the American literary tradition through gothic narratives in diverse historical contexts. Students will experience the haunting of a country across spacetime and examine the stories—both devastating and beautiful––we tell ourselves about race, class, gender, and sexuality. Through a selection of film, short stories, poems, and novels, we will indulge horror and understand its place and purpose in the American psyche. Emphasis on developing skills of literary interpretation and critical writing. Authors may include Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Octavia Butler.

ENGL V/VI: American Voices in Art & Literature: On Beauty (Sem 1)
This course will introduce major stylistic, thematic, cultural, and historical transformations in American art history from prehistoric times to the nineteenth century. Students will develop critical tools for the analysis and understanding of the meaning and function of art objects, architecture, and design artifacts within their original historical contexts, as well as deep visual fluency that will translate across art and text. Texts may include selections from Gardner’s Art Through the Ages and Framing America: A Social History of American Art. Authors may include Susan Sontag, Lucy Lippard, Sarah Michelson, Ralph Lemon, John Berger, Teju Cole, Gilbert Sorrentino.

ENGL V/ VI - Incarceration in American Literature (Sem 2)

Literature and Incarceration - This course offers a consideration of literary and cultural expression centered on the experience of being incarcerated. Through poetry, novels, memoir, and other stories of corrections, imprisonment, and confinement, we will trace the ways in which the American prison system has been shaped by race, class, and power, from slavery to the convict lease system to mass incarceration and explore questions of democracy, freedom, and citizenship. Our study will begin with Beloved by Toni Morrison and include works by Angela Davis, Bryan Stevenson, and others.

English III at Millbrook refreshes students’ skills in reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar and prepares them for the rigors of the English curriculum. Students work on writing reflective and creative pieces and, as their voices develop, begin to hone their analytical abilities through close textual readings and evidence-based writing. In the classroom, the emphasis is on developing the IIIrd form English student’s role as an active participant, peer editor, and self-advocate. Texts include The Fire Next Time, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Frankenstein, Ru, and selected short stories. The class is supplemented with in-house grammar and vocabulary that is derived from texts.

English IV introduces students to the major genres in literature: the novel, short story, poetry, and drama. Students also develop the vocabulary and the capacity for critical thinking and expression necessary to study each genre effectively. Central to both enterprises is an exploration of global literature, which includes a wide variety of classic and contemporary works. The course includes major works from authors including Trevor Noah, August Wilson, Patricia Smith, Adania Shibli, Marjane Satrapi, Yaa Gyasi, Laura Esquivel, Homer translated by Emily Wilson, and others. Students engage with the literature actively through both analytical and creative writing. In addition, the class is supplemented with in-house grammar and vocabulary that is derived from the texts.

 English IV Honors introduces students to the major genres in literature, but at a more ambitious pace. The course covers short stories, the novel, poetry, and drama. Students also develop the vocabulary and the capacity for critical thinking and expression necessary to study each genre effectively. Texts include works by Trevor Noah, Jericho Brown, August Wilson, Yaa Gyasi, Judith Butler, Adania Shibli, Ilya Kaminsky, Roberto Bolaño, Homer translated by Emily Wilson, and others. Students are expected to engage with the literature actively through analytical and creative writing and produce a significant portfolio that showcases their writing skills. In addition, the class uses an in-house grammar and vocabulary program. Admission to English IV Honors is by invitation of the department.

English V Honors is a full-year course focusing on the theme of the “American Dream” in literature and is distinguished by additional texts and accelerated writing assignments. An honors student takes the initiative during their IVth form year, proactively developing their writing and communication skills, in a way that demonstrates dedication to the study of literature. The course starts with literature from the 17th century and moves up to the present day, and there is a heavy emphasis on close reading and analytical writing. English VH asks students to support their arguments—both in their writing and in class discussion—with quotations from the reading. Recent texts include The Reluctant Fundamentalist, There There, The Scarlet Letter, Beloved, Ragtime, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, The Great Gatsby, A Raisin in the Sun, Fun Home, The Heidi Chronicles, and a selection of American poetry. Some students in English VH may elect to take the AP Examination in English Language. This course fulfills the American Voices requirement. Admission to English V Honors is by invitation of the department. English V Honors students may elect to take additional ENGL V/VI courses in either or both semesters.

From Circe in The Odyssey and the three weird sisters in Macbeth to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and Hermione in the Harry Potter series, witches and witchcraft have been source of fascination in literature. This course will explore witchcraft’s role in society in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and a selection of short stories from around the world.