I've taken almost all of the classes taught be Prof. Duffy and become an English major because of him. He captures the strangest and wittiest sides of literature. I highly recommend taking 124 and 193 in summer. They are well-structured online courses. 150 and 187 are not as organised, but fascinating because of his way of interacting.

Prof. Duffy is pretty chill. Lecture was more like a loose discussion forum/seminar where any opinion on the texts is welcome if you can back it up. Disorganized though, w/ no slides, so you have to attend class. 1 creative project/final research paper & 2 exams w/ passage IDs that aren't hard if you've read the books and 1 essay in the final.

Professor Duffy is a really kind person but if you are the type of person who likes organization I would NOT recommend taking this course. His lecture style is disorganized and tangential which made the class really difficult to enjoy.

Extremely passionate about English, makes lectures enjoyable/interesting. Does a great job of clarifying the readings. Grades are based on section participation, a creative 8-pg paper, 1 midterm, & 1 final. Exams include quote ID's, short ID's, & essays. Most quotes are from lecture, & he covers a lot of passages, so attend class & pay attention!

This was a fantastic class. he really encourages creativity, makes you come up with original responses to things and challenge yourself. If you don't like doing that, probably not the class for you. Reading was dull at times, but the perspective he puts out during lectures makes it interesting. I always felt totally inspired after lectures.

Professor Duffy is among the best professors at UCSB. He is intelligent, genuine, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. However, most of this will mean nothing to you if you don't share his passion and interest. Getting an A is really just about reading and paying attention. An essential experience for UCSB students who love literature.