Post by Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on Jan 22, 2012 15:58:15 GMT -6
I felt that my previous class on Hemingway was a success, and have been interested in another lecture series. There has been some interest in Kafka, but this seems to be a good way to sort through the options. I have significant expertise in a few topics that I'd like to discuss. Please only vote if you intend to enroll.
With all classes, students will be expected to complete their required reading and coursework each week. Typical assignments will include a short story or a section of a book, as well as a short written or recorded lecture.
I will greatly enjoy seeing which topic interests people the most, if any.
With all classes, students will be expected to complete their required reading and coursework each week. Typical assignments will include a short story or a section of a book, as well as a short written or recorded lecture.
- Kafka - Franz Kafka wrote grim stories in German about frustration, despair, and horror. We would be studying some of his works in translation (I have no German), with especial focus on "The Metamorphosis," The Trial, "In the Penal Colony," "A Hunger Artist," and his letter to his father.
- Hemingway - The last Hemingway class went well, and I could teach an updated version of the class. I would revise my lectures from last time, and probably change the required reading somewhat. This would be for students who were not enrolled last time, and want to learn about one of America's greatest writers.
- Nabokov - Vladimir Nabokov, the Russian emigre, wrote beautiful stories and books of astonishing complexity. He is most famous for his novel Lolita, which in academia is generally considered one of the greatest books ever written in English. This class would concentrate on his Lolita, with additional short selections from his autobiography Speak, Memory and his other work.
- Close Reading - Rather than a focus on an author, this class would take selections from the three writers above as well as four or five others in order to learn the art of "close reading": reading beyond the surface in order to delve into the hidden meaning and patterns of literature. Often derisively held to be the high-school pursuit of "finding symbols," this is actually a way to enrich your reading experience.
I will greatly enjoy seeing which topic interests people the most, if any.