Amanda Claybaugh

all around great lady and an awesome professor. she was very clear about what needed to be done for the class. she was very detailed and prepared - every class she brought handouts of an outline for the lecture that made her thoughts easy to follow, which was definitely necessary for the amount of information she was throwing at us. yes, she sometimes talks very fast and covers A LOT of material, but the information is brilliant and the product of original thinking! she makes these novels come to life. in my section we often discussed how effectively she shed light on things we otherwise wouldn't have thought of. if this class or some incarnation of it is offered again, by all means take it! you'll want to do the work and if you do you'll get a good grade!

Amanda Claybaugh is in love with the sound of her own voice. I imagine this is useful if you're lecturing several times a week but I found her fairly insufferable. She lectures so breathlessly fast that keeping up longhand is nearly impossible. A laptop is de rigeur. On more than one occasion, she was snide and condescending when a student asked a question that she deemed unworthy. In response to one poor fellow, she actually rolled her eyes and said, "I can't believe you're asking me that!"— I couldn't believe her rudeness. Her most common tactic, in dealing with questions from the class, was to interrupt before the questioner finished and then complete what she imagined the question was herself. She did this to me once and her response to my unfinished question had little to do with what I was actually aiming at. The overall impression was that she already knew where the question was going (although she often didn't) and that it probably wasn't that important anyway, such was her rush to get back to her priceless analysis. All of this was annoying but the mid-term and final were absolutely infuriating. In the exam instructions there was a Strict Injunction against parroting her interpretations of the texts when giving your answers. Then, in lieu of returning exams with comments (which I think is the least one can expect at Columbia), the TAs instead handed out a compendium o…

Amazing! I loved this professor.She can convert whatver dumb comments you make into insightful observations on the fly.She helps you analyze books on your own.You will be amazed by her indepth lectures.

There are no other words to describe Prof. Claybaugh than brilliant. I'm not sure what it is about her, but everyone in my seminar was simply awestruck by how intelligent she is. It's as if she is superhuman and her superpower is clear-thinking. Claybaugh is able to grasp complex concepts very quickly and articulate them incredibly clearly. I have never seen any professor be so on-the-ball all the freaking time. Having said that, her seminar was absolutely wonderful. The material was good, the discussions were good, and the homework assignments helped tremendously. The only tough part about her class was the she demanded so much out of her students in terms of thinking and writing. I don't think I've ever had a professor expect such logical and well thought-out papers. In the end, though, you'll appreciate the difficulty. Take any class this woman offers. You won't regret it.

Prof. Claybaugh singlehandedly validates the study of literature. She is, quite simply, astoundingly brilliant, and made our seminar into the most intensive and rewarding lit class I've taken here. Any professor who can make Nathaniel Hawthorne seem new and exciting is doing something really amazing. As a seminar she completely managed to provide her own insights and encourage student discussion - I never felt like anyone was monopolizing class time, although I could definitely watch her draw character diagrams on the chalkboard for hours. She has an endearing sense of humor and a very warm personality. I don't agree with reviewers who called her "pedantic" or "pretentious", although she definitely does not stand for wasting time or intellectual laziness. This class pushed me more than any other in terms of making connections and observations, and Prof. Claybaugh really nurtured an open environment of intellectualism. I'm in awe of her brilliant insights and her desire to encourage her students' intellectual development, as well as her dedication to her classes. I could go on, but any English major who doesn't take a class with Prof. Claybaugh is doing themselves a disservice. If you're willing to do the mental work necessary for her classes, the rewards are quite worth it. She completely deserves the awards that she's won, and hopefully she'll stay at CU for many years.

There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe Prof. Claybaugh -- she is truly one of the finest professors at Columbia. Her classes are insightful and entertaining, and while she may seem "intimidating" at first, she warms up quickly and you will soon feel comfortable talking about anything with her. She will encourage you to analyze texts to a much greater degree than ever before, and she will point out aspects of the formal structure that are quite intriguing and fascinating. You will come out of her classes a better student, a better reader, a (much, much, much) better writer, and generally, a better person. Seek her out during office hours and get to know the real Prof. Claybaugh -- she's wonderful!

THE ABSOLUTE BEST CLASS I'VE EVER TAKEN!!! In my opinion, this class is a must for anyone who enjoys great literature and a great professor (a definite for English majors). Claybaugh is enlightening...I just can't say enough good things about this woman. Her lectures are riveting and I never missed a single one...ever. Her lecture style is captivating and she always makes the most fascinating points concerning the texts. I particularly enjoyed her contextualization of the novels. It's also nice to be taught by a professor who has true passion for the material. Claybaugh's personal attachment to these texts is apparent and really helped me to engage in the books. As my fellow reviewers have noted...this class comes with a very heavy workload. Each of the 7 texts are remarkable, however. Well worth the time put in. In the middle of the semester, we read two EXTREMELY LONG (1000 pages each) and dense texts (Bleak House, Dickens and Middlemarch, Eliot). Reading assignments were heavy, but reasonable. You can catch up on a week's worth of reading during the weekend, but DO NOT make this a regular practice...DO NOT let your readings slip!!! You will feel guilty about it and the lectures will frustrate you (because they're wonderful and you won't know what the hell everyone's talking about). Of course, you'll be screwed in the end if you've let more than one book slide, cause the fin…

heavy reading, but the reading is novels so it's not brutal by any means. option of section or midterm (awesome choice to have) a final for everyone and a 7-8 page paper. Hiia the TA was very nice and graded appropriately

Claybaugh is one of Columbia's treasures. She's brilliant, funny, engaging and everything a professor should be. She is passionate about what she teaches and makes the sometimes obscure readings accessible and immediately relevant. With her acerbic wit and dry humor she kept me on my toes all semester, and made me wish I wasn't graduating so I could spend more time milking her for all she has to offer. Don't miss a class with Claybaugh. . . even a lecture class. She is simply too good to pass up!

Enjoyable readings.One essay.Exams are great.At most 5 paragraphs to a question.