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.
Managable if you do the readings, and easy for English majors. Fantastic professor and one of the best in the department. His lectures were very engaging!!! 2 exams and one research paper. Go to his office hours!!! TAs were lovely too; overall, a class that encouraged you to think and do serious research.
Professor Duffy regularly blew my mind with his lectures---incredible professor, amazing person. I wish I could take this class for the first time again! His form of analysis is just wonderful. Lecture attendance is pretty necessary because the slides lack much commentary, readings were manageable.
TAKE A CLASS WITH DUFFY! HE IS FANTASTIC!
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 great, he is very enthusiastic and cares a lot about his students. However if you are taking this course for a GE and do not absolutely LOVE literature then don't take it. This is a UD course in which the professor and the TAs expect you to be extremely passionate about Irish literature. Tons of analysis and reading.
Professor Duffy made me excited to be an English major. He is incredibly caring, and his lectures are hilarious. Take his honors section if you can. Duffy worships Ulysses, so beware, and also excited--- He is excellent at breaking down difficult concepts. Midterm, final, short presentation, & 7 page research paper with any topic on Irish culture.
Had Duffy for 150 & its honors seminar. He is a much better lecturer in a small class discussion format. I struggled to learn from his large lectures, as he is unorganized with no visual aids at times. Tests are half IDs, which was frustrating. Midterm+Final+7pg research paper. However, that being said, he is very caring and wants you to do well.
Duffy really tries to get to know everyone. Lectures can be a bit disorganized, just make sure to understand the main points and read the book. Come prepared for section, as he expects participation (discussion) from everyone in the class. The final project is really fun! If you don't mind some reading and writing I'd highly recommend.
I took Duffy's summer course, Detective Fiction, and it was amazing. You will have to read a bit but it is an english lit class so that's expected. He managed to make discussions interesting, and made a genuine effort to get to know every student. The exams were also pretty easy, and the final project was fun! Take him if you can!
I took this course Spring '22! It was not easy, but it was fun. For exams, I recommend going over the poems + readings and looking into the meaning behind each. Professor Duffy is kind, supportive, and funny. He offers extra cred for the memorization of poems or a performance. I highly recommend this course if you're interested in Irish literature!