I had Makdisi with Elizabeth as my TA. I loved this class. Makdisi's lectures were recorded but he put so much effort into them, and his passion for London shifted my opinion on what I had initially believed were boring texts.
We have a ton of readings each week but as long as you read a few and connect then you're solid. Our midterm was about making connections, and you were not required to cite, just show you knew what you were talking about. The final was a bit much. We had a map project, a 8-10 page research paper about the context of the historical places that aligned with our readings, and another test. Both Elizabeth and Makdisi were available to help. Poor guy would have office hours and rarely anyone would attend. He would send emails and post videos clarifying any concerns. For me, this kind of initiative demonstrated he cared.
I lucked out with my TA. Our discussions were always fun, enlightening, and everyone's voice was welcomed. Because of this approach, we learned from each other without feeling the need to compete. Really, this was the best class I've taken at UCLA so far.

I took "Literary London" online in Fall 2021 with Professor Makdisi. Overall, it was a great class. The grade consisted of section participation, a take-home midterm "quiz," a map project, a 8-10 page research paper, and a take-home final "quiz". For the upper-division English classes I've taken, I would say this class has an above average amount of reading. As long as you watch the lectures, the midterm and final are fairly straightforward. Everything else is pretty specific, so you can choose a few readings that interest you to spend time on. I'm not saying you don't have to do the readings, but I was very selective with what I read and I didn't feel like I was missing too much.

This was one of the more interesting classes I’ve taken at UCLA. It’s essentially a study of the urban development and geography of London through a literary lens. There is an online midterm, a group project, a final paper, and an in-class final. Professor Makdisi is amazing! If you are even slightly interested in the subject, I recommend taking this class.