The English courses at Phillips Exeter Academy (New Hampshire) are designed to challenge students in several areas: philosophy, linguistics, psychology, history, aesthetics, mythology, logic, and grammar. Although emphasis may vary from course to course, the goals in each remain the same: to teach reading and writing and the mental processes that underlie these basic skills--perception, cognition, and imaginative manipulation. Each course is arranged in a spiral of graduated complexity and sophistication in the works read and the writing expected. The classes, composed of approximately twelve students, are conducted around an oval table, and reading and discussion become sources of inspiration for student writing. The seminar discussions serve as a rehearsal for the writing, and the writing experience reciprocally deepens the students' appreciation of craftsmanship and the power of the word. There are three stages of emphasis for four-year students. Experiential writing dominates the first three semesters. During the middle semesters, emphasis is placed on moving students from participant-writer to observer-writer, from self awareness to audience awareness. In the latter half of eleventh grade and throughout the senior year, the emphasis in both reading and writing shifts to the intellectual. Students write longer analytical and interpretive papers. (JD)