Daniel Brayton

I am not a literature person, but I Thoreau-ly enjoyed Contested Grounds with Professor Brayton. His lectures are very engaging, and I loved the class. There were 3 papers: 2 in-class, and they were weighted heavily (30% for the final paper), which was a little intense, but Prof B is a fair grader! I will say that the large class size sometimes made it hard to feel comfortable in discussions.

I am not a literature person, but I Thoreau-ly enjoyed Contested Grounds with Professor Brayton. His lectures are very engaging, and I loved the class. There were 3 papers: 2 in-class, and they were weighted heavily (30% for the final paper), which was a little intense, but Prof B is a fair grader! I will say that the large class siz …Read more

I took Contested Grounds in Fall 2025 with Professor Brayton, and I loved the class. I spent about 2 hours outside of class on readings, and 3-4 hours on weeks when there was a paper due. But I found writing for Professor Brayton more enjoyable than your typical college paper. He once said in class that he didn't want to receive heaps of papers from students who were just asked to regurgitate information for a grade like robots, and I saw this in his teaching and throughout the class. He would much rather hear from you and what you think, which made it easy to do well. Similarly, discussions also play a big role. I enjoyed the class mostly because of Professor Brayton; he is so passionate.

I took Contested Grounds in Fall 2025 with Professor Brayton, and I loved the class. I spent about 2 hours outside of class on readings, and 3-4 hours on weeks when there was a paper due. But I found writing for Professor Brayton more enjoyable than your typical college paper. He once said in class that he didn't want to receive heap …Read more

Didn't love Brayton. He was very intelligent but uncompromising in his views - I do not appreciate professors who teach without an open mind. He was very accommodating about paper deadlines. Bummer it's a core requirement.