AMCS 250A, E Lit 250
Sophomore Seminar: Stranger Than Fiction: True Crime from In Cold Blood to I'll Be Gone in the Dark
The explosive popularity of true crime stories-a genre that crosses the boundaries of literature, film, podcasting, and journalism-forces us to contend with pressing questions of race, gender, and representation. How has true crime has changed (or not) in light of activism against police violence and violence against women? What are the political stakes of consuming true crime, and how does racial justice figure in? Can true crime be feminist, even as the genre has long been defined by the trope of the beautiful dead woman? What is the profile of true crime's reading community, and how does the race and gender of that community impact the evolution of the genre? Truman Capote's most famous work, In Cold Blood, will be our starting point, and we will end with Michelle McNamara's posthumous publication, I'll Be Gone in the Dark. In the intervening weeks, we will encounter other examples of the true crime genre: Errol Morris's film The Thin Blue Line, David Grann's book Killers of the Flower Moon, and Sarah Koenig's Serial podcast. Sophomores will be given preference in registration for this seminar, but first-year students may enroll as well.
Instructors
Reviews
She is an amazing teacher and really cares about her students! The class can be tough and she is a harsh grader, but I think it is worth it to learn from her!
4/25/2025
Beth is a great prof. I recommend her to anyone and everyone. Our class both learned and laughed a lot.
4/24/2025
Beth is one of my favorite professors I've had during my time at WashU. She's super nice and amazing at facilitating class discussions that feel impactful, and she gives amazing feedback on writing assignments. If you haven't taken a class with her yet then you should get on it ASAP, you will not regret it.
4/18/2025
Beth is absolutely amazing. This class has to be one of my favorites at WashU, and that's largely due to Beth. She genuinely cares so much about each and every student, and goes out of her way to make personal connections with everyone. Her teaching style is wonderful and she is hilarious. She truly wants all her students to succeed.
4/18/2025
This is hands-down, my favorite class I've taken! Beth is one of the kindest professors I've had and really cares about her students as learners and as individuals. My skills as a writer have improved so drastically in her class and taking this course has reignited a love of reading for me. If you do anything in college, take a class with Beth!
4/18/2025
She is the absolute sweetest! Participating, reading, and writing papers is a big part of the class and it can be challenging, but I think it is so worth it. She is an amazing teacher and really cares about her students' success!
4/18/2025