LOVE HIM. Gallagher is an amazing professor who genuinely cares about his students and is passionate about his work. I took Eng 169A (Spenser's Faerie Queen) with him and his enthusiasm for FQ was contagious. The reading is heavy (I began reading everything, but stopped within 2 weeks). It's ok to skim readings though if you go to lecture. He notices if you are missing and participation is highly encouraged. Only one short 3 page midterm and a longer 12 page final paper. Everything is subjective. He's one of those professors who can see any meaning you draw from the text as long as you can support it. Overall, one of the best professors in the department. TAKE HIM!

To be frank with the people this class on the Faerie Queene is worth the taking somehow more for literary purposes than what I consider a better professor. Not to knock him or anything, but the poem itself is just incredible and quixotic on so many levels. Now I kind of had a problem with Gallagher and this may seem odd coming from an English major, but he'd always say "well this is that" and "that is this" and that it's all symbolic literature. Now my point here is that IF there was nothing "symbolic" about it than we wouldn't have this class so really you're just wasting your time although I don't think that's always the case. A few prep courses are good for this class especially a backround knowledge of Shakespeare, Ireland, and most of all a pretty good background on Classical literature. Aside from the bad what I like about him is his acceptance to let you build your own paper and argument and by letting there be one long essay or two shorter essays or now in my case a 6 page poem and essay. It doesn't get any cooler than that and it's something I truly admire about this guy and he's a very nice guy and I'll be glad to take him again this summer.

I love Professor Gallagher. His lectures really are interesting, I mean he made The Faerie Queene honestly enjoyable. I would feel bad when I was behind on the reading because he really did love what he was lecturing about and wanted us to enjoy it too. Granted sometimes he goes off topic about growing up on a farm, or gets a little abstract but if you're an English major, abstract should be no biggie.