Nice guy and fun class. He's similar to Professor Ngai in that he is young and lively and very enthusiastic about the material. He kind of reminds me of Chandler Bing. Structure of the class is pretty manageable. There are a lot of readings, but only one midterm, paper and a final. All were pretty easy. The most important thing is the paper, and he encourages you to be creative with that. Attendance is mandatory. He's definitely knowledgeable and exceedingly talented, but his undergraduate lectures aren't that brilliant to me. It's all stuff I've heard many times before in English, but I'd still recommend it if you don't care whether or not you're being "challenged."

Professor McGurl is a professor who seems to understand students well; therefore, his lectures are guided by that knowledge of students, and are easy to follow. The reading is high in volume but is manageable by all means. He is a different kind of English professor than the others at UCLA. He does not create a hierarchy between the professor and the student, which makes learning an enjoyable process. I agree with the preceding posts--if you have a chance, take McGurl.