Spring 2015 All Course Descriptions

7/26/2019 Spring 2015 All Course Descriptions

1/26

SPRING2015

CORE101:SYMBOLSANDCONCEPTUALSYSTEMS

ProfessorJohnBowlt,DepartmentofSlavicLiteraturesandLanguages

Lecture TTh 9:3010:50am 63500DDiscussion F 11am 63501D

F 12pm 63502DLab TBA 63511R

ModernRussianArt(RussianArtoftheLate19thand20thCenturies)

ThecurrentvogueforRussianartisaclearindicationthatthesubjectofRussianartisnolongerdistantandinaccessible,buthasbecomeanimportantpartofthepublicdomain. Currentconditions(e.g.,exhibition,publication,andmovieprojects)pointtoanincreasing,universalinterestintheRussianvisualartsandtoareevaluationofthempreciselywithinaninternationalandcomparativeframework.Whatwerethelinks

between

Russian

and

German

Romanticism?

What

did

Realism

mean

for

Russian,

French,

and

American

painters(andwriters)ofthelate19thcentury?WhathappenstoartwhenasociopoliticaltransformationoccursofthemagnitudeoftheBolshevikRevolution? HowdoweexplaintheparallelsbetweenStalin's,Hitler's,andMussolini'sRealisms? Isitfairtotalkofa"newwave"incontemporaryRussianart? Howhavemigrartistsandarchitectsaffectedourownartscene,righthereinLosAngeles? Thesearejustsomeofthemanyquestionsthatwillbeaddressedanddiscussedwithinthecontextof"SymbolsandConceptualSystems:ModernRussianArt"andthatwillconnectRussianart(whichhasoftenbeenregardedasthe"periphery")directlytoWesterndevelopments(the"mainstream").

Readings

Bowlt,John.

Moscow,

St.

Petersburg

1900

1920:

Russian

Art

and

Culture

in

the

Silver

Age.

Gray,Camilla.TheRussianExperimentinArt,18631922.Rzhevsky,Nicholas.TheCambridgeCompaniontoModernRussianCulture.


2/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorJosephDane,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture TTh 23:20pm 63512D

Lab

TBA

63511R

PoetryandIntelligibility

Poetrycannotbereadindependentlyofothersystems,whetherlinguistic,rhetorical,oraesthetic. Inthiscourse,wewillexaminevariouswaysunderwhichpoetryandotherliteratureis,orbecomes,intelligible.Wewillreadinsections.WhataretheconventionsandclichswithinwhichcourtpoemsbyElizabethanpoetsareconstructed,andwhatweresomeofthearbitrarysystemsthatwereappliedtotheminthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies? ForBaudelaireandStevens: whatisthedifferencebetweenviewingartintheLouvreandusingartasastudyin"imagination"? L=A=N=G=U=A=G=Epoets:whatistherelationbetweentheprocessbywhichsomepoetsofthisveryilldefinedschoolclaimtoproduceand

certainarbitrary

systems

ofmusic

inthe

mid

twentieth

century?

Readings

ReadingswillconsistofpoemsbyShakespeare,Donne,Baudelaire,ElizabethBarrettBrowning,Stevens,Eliot,andvariouscontemporarypoets,aswellascriticalessaysbyasmanyinthisgroupwhochosetowritethem.


3/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorAlisonRenteln,DepartmentofPoliticalScience

Lecture TTh 1112:20pm 63503DDiscussion F 9am 63504D

F

10am

63505D

Lab TBA 63511R

Law,Culture,andIdentity

Thisinterdisciplinarycourseexaminesthewaysinwhichindividualsandgroupsattempttocontrolsymbolicrepresentationsoftheiridentitiesthroughthelaw. Asafundamentalquestion,weaskwhetherthelawcanofferanymeaningfulwayofprotectingidentities. Asvariousbodiesoflawprovidemechanismsforsafeguardingtheimagesandsymbolsassociatedwithidentities,weconsidertopicsfromthefieldsofconstitutionallaw,employmentlaw,intellectuapropertylaw,andinternationalhumanrightslaw.

Individualshavechallengedtheuseoftheirimagesorthoseoftheirrelativesthroughrightofpublicity

lawsuits.They

also

seek

tocontrol

the

choice

oftheir

surnames

incourt;

this

has

been

an

issue

for

women

inmany

countrieswhoarerequired,uponmarriage,totakethenamesoftheirhusbands. Criminalstatutesonthegrowingproblemofidentitytheftserveasyetanotherillustrationoftheproblematicnatureofattemptingtoregulatetheuseofindividualidentitiesthroughthelaw.

Withrespecttothemaintenanceofgroupsidentities,weconsidercontroversiesoverdresscodes,Englishonlypolicies,foodways,Indianmascots,theculturaldefense,andsacredsites. Aspartofouranalysisoftheroleoflawininfluencingcollectiveidentities,wealsotakeuplawsdesignedtopreventordiscouragetheexistenceofextremistgroups. TheseincludeantimaskinglawsintendedtooutlawKuKluxKlanmarches,antisectstatutesdesignedtoprohibitcultsornewerareligions,andhatespeechregulationsdraftedtopreventtheadvocacyofracehatred.

Amongthemoreimportantdebatesweanalyzeisinterethnicconflictintheinternationalarena. Theextenttowhichgroupsarewillingtoresorttoviolencetomaintainliteralandfigurativebordersisatopicofcrucialimportanceinthemodernworld.Weconsidertheextenttowhichindividualsarewillingtorisktheirlivestoprotectnationalorethnicidentities. Inthefinalpartofthecoursewestudyrelevantinternationallegalinstruments.

Readingsforthecourseincludetheoriesofidentityforindividualsandgroups,jurisprudentialtexts,analyticessaysonvariouspolicydebates,andcourtcases.

Readings

Ashmore,Richard,LeeJussimandDavidWilder,Eds.SocialIdentity,IntergroupConflict,andConflictResolution.Barkan,ElazarandRonaldBush,Eds.ClaimingtheStones/NamingtheBones: CulturalPropertyandtheNegotiationof

NationalandEthnicIdentity.Barth,Frederik. EthnicGroupsandBoundaries.Caplan,JaneandJohnTorpey.Eds. DocumentingIndividualIdentity: theDevelopmentofStatePracticesintheModern

World.

Dundes,Alan. TheShabbatElevatorandOtherSabbathSubterfuges.Dupuis,Martin.SameSexMarriage,LegalMobilization,andthePoliticsofRights.Erikson,ErikH.IdentityandtheLifeCycle.King,RichardC.andCharlesFruehlingSpringwood,Eds.TeamSpirits:TheNativeAmericanMascotsControversy.Niec,Halina,Ed. CulturalRightsandWrongs.


4/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorVanessaSchwartz,DepartmentofHistory

Lecture TTh 23:20 pm 63506D

Discussion

F

9

am

63507D

Discussion F 10am 63508DLab TBA 63511R

Icons

MarilynMonroe,theEiffelTower,thePyramids,JohnWayne,andMickeyMouse. Fewwoulddisputethenotionthatthemassvisualmediahavetransformedthesepeople,places,andthingsintoicons.Althoughthesephenomenaexistapartfromtheirrepresentation,theirculturalsignificanceandimportanceisattachedtotheirstatusaspictorialrepresentationsthatarewidelydisseminated. Thetermiconinitiallyinvokedanobjectworthyofreligiousdevotion;thatoriginalmeaningnowdenotesanuncriticalandpopulardevotion.

Thiscourse

poses

the

question

What

becomes

alegend

most?

That

question,

made

famous

by

the

Blackglamafurads,conflatedbecominginthesenseofbeingvisuallypleasingwithbecomingalegend,amodernprocessfueledbyimagemaking.Wewillexaminebasicwaysofthinkingaboutvisualsymbolsbylearningaboutsemiotics,symbolicandculturalanthropology,andwhatarthistorianshavecallediconology.Thiscoursewilltracetheinterplaybetweenspecificiconsandthevisualculturethatmadethemiconic.Particularemphasiswillbeplacedontechnologiesofrepresentationsuchasphotographyandfilmandthevitalroletheyhaveplayedinthecultureofmodernicons. TherewillbeaclassfieldtriptoDisneyland(requiredSaturdayevent).

Readings

Berger,John.WaysofSeeing.Danto,Arthur.AndyWarhol.HarimanandLucaites.NoCaptionNeeded.Lukas,Scott. ThemePark.Kemp,Martin.ChristtoCoke:HowImagesBecomeIcons.Rojek,Chris. Celebrity.Sassoon,Donald.BecomingMonaLisa.Sontag,Susan. OnPhotography.


5/26

SPRING2015

CORE103:THEPROCESSOFCHANGEINSCIENCE

ProfessorJimHaw,EnvironmentalStudiesProgram

Lecture MW 23:20 pm 63516D

Lab

TBA

63524R

TheScienceoftheWaterEnergyNexusinSouthernCalifornia

Mostscientistswouldbetemptedtosaythatwaterandenergyarewellunderstood. YetthefirstoftheseisanundeniablyurgentcrisisforCalifornia,reflectedinpartbytherecentandnearlyunanimouspassageofthewaterbondbythestatelegislature,thesecondiswidelyifnotunanimouslyregardedasanurgentcrisis,andtheintersectionofthetwoisacomplexproblemthatgoeswellbeyondtheobviousimpactoffossilfueluseonclimateandprecipitation. ThiscourseusesscientificandquantitativeapproachestoinvestigatethewaterenergynexusinthespatialandsocialcontextofSouthernCaliforniadesertcommunities.Clearlywaterisbothamoleculeandthewellspringofendlessconflict,andwhileenergycanbe

formallydescribed

by

physics

toan

arbitrary

level

ofprecision,

this

precision

lacks

allofthe

geographic

and

socialcontextthatdriveourusesofit.Thiscoursewilllargelybedeliveredinatraditionalclassroomsetting,butitisplannedthattherewill

betwoweekendlengthfieldtripstoBorregoSprings,aruralCaliforniatownthatdependsexclusivelyongroundwater,andispumpingthiswaterataratevastlyinexcessofreplenishment.Ithasbeenestimatedthatifpresentwaterusepracticescontinuetherewillbenopotablewaterwithin50years. BorregoSpringsiscompletelysurroundedbytheAnzaBorregoStatePark,thelargestdesertparkinthecountry.StudentswillstayattheUCDesertResearchStationwhichhasrecentlyopenedwithverybasicdormitoryrooms. OnenightwillbespentinthedesertonahostedexpeditionguidedbyCaliforniaOverlandDesertExcursions. Therewillalsobemorninghikestofamousdesertoasiswatershedswhereencounterswith

BighornSheep

and

other

charismatic

desert

fauna

are

common.

TherewillbetwotraditionaltextbooksplusotherreadingssuppliedfromtheinstructorincludingveryrecentmaterialsfromtheBorregoSpringsWaterCoalitionorsimilaragenciesworkingtodevelopamoresustainablewatersupply.

Readings

Hanak,Ellen,etal.ManagingCalifornia'sWater:FromConflicttoReconciliation.Wolfson,Richard.Energy,Environment,andClimate,2ndEd.


6/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorJasonGlenn,DepartmentofHistory

Lecture TTh 1011:50am 63513DDiscussion F 11am 63514DDiscussion F 12pm 63515DLab TBA 63524R

AConsilientApproachtotheStudyofthePast

CaseStudy:AngloSaxonEngland,c.400to1066

Thiscoursehasthreeprincipalaims:(1)tointroducestudentstothebasicskillsandapproachesofthehistorian;(2)toexplorearangeofdevelopmentsinthenaturalsciencesthatwillchangeand,indeed,havealreadybeguntochangethewaysinwhichwestudythepast;and(3)toprovidestudentswithabasicunderstandingofthescientificprinciplesthatunderlietheserecentdevelopments.

Toachievethesegoals,weshallfocusourstudyprincipallyonaparticularplace(England)andtime(theAnglo

Saxonperiod,

c.400

to1066).

We

shall

therefore

begin

by

studying

one

ofthe

great

textual

monuments

ofthe

period

andreflectonwhatwecanlearnaboutthesocial,political,religious,andintellectuallandscapeinwhichitsauthor,amonknamedBede(c.673 735),wrote. Thistext,TheEcclesiasticalHistoryoftheEnglishPeople,shallbecomethetouchstoneformuchofourstudyinthiscourseaswerangeforwardandbackwardsintime.

AfterstudyingBedesworldforafewweeks,weshallfocusourattentionononeofthehistoriographicalissuesithasraised,thatis,howtheislandwastransformedfromthefourththroughthesixthcenturieswhentheRomanarmywithdrewfromBritainand,subsequently,peoplesmigratedtoitfromlandstotheeast(whatisnowlowerScandinavia,theNetherlands,andGermany).Weshallconsiderhowhistorianshave,untilrecently,understoodthisperiodandhowdevelopmentsinthenaturalscienceshavecreatednewdatathathelpsustorevisitoldhistoriographicalquestionssuchasthisand,indeed,todevelopnewones.Weshallthenexpandourhorizonstostudyvarietyofwaysinwhichworkinneuroscience,genetics,paleoanthropology,andvarioussubdisciplinesofarchaeology(namely,bio,paleo,andosteo

archaeology)

now

permit

us

to

explore

the

past

in

new

and

exciting

ways.

A

number

of

case

studies

drawn

from

a

range

ofplacesinthenearanddistant(evenprehistoric)pastwillpermitustoreflectonthemethodologicalandtheoreticalimplicationsofsuchworkbothwithintheparticulardisciplinesinwhichitisdoneandforinterdisciplinaryworkwithhumanistsandsocialscientists.Andthisworkwillsuggestchallengesthatscholarsinterestedinthepastmustnowconfrontasweconsidernewpossibilitiesforitsexploration.Allthewhile,weshallcontinuetoexplorethetextsandimagesfromtheAngloSaxonperiodthathavebeenwellknowntohistoriansforgenerationsinordertodevelopamorerichandtexturedunderstandingoftheperiod.

Readings

Asser,John.AlfredtheGreat.Bede. TheEcclesiasticalHistoryoftheEnglishPeople.

Campbell,James,

ed.

The

Anglo

Saxons.

Fleming,Robin. BritainafterRome: TheFallandRise,400to1070.Hieatt,ConstanceB.,trans.BeowulfandOtherOldEnglishPoems.Hills,Catherine. OriginsofEnglish.Swanton,M.J.,ed.AnAngloSaxonChronicle.Sykes,Bryan.Saxons,Vikings,andCelts:TheGeneticRootsofBritainandIreland.Tacitus.AgricolaandGermania.Wells,Spencer. TheJourneyofMan:AGeneticOdyssey.


7/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorKennethNealson,DepartmentofEarthSciences

Lecture TTh 121:50pm 63519DDiscussion F 9am 63520DDiscussion F 10am 63521DLab TBA 63524R

SearchingforLifeintheUniverse: MarsandBeyond

Thiscoursewillfocusonthescienceoflifedetection,andhowthisisdonebyscientistsinthelab,inthefield,andremotely,onMars. ThemajorfocuswillbeontheongoingMarsexplorationoftheCuriosityrover.Wewilldiscusstopicssuchaswhatislife,howcanitbedefined,howdoesonesearchforit,theenergeticsoflife,thediversityoflife,thetoughnessoflife,andotheraspects.Wewillhaveanumberofvisitinglecturesdealingwithvariousaspectsoflife,rangingfromtheoriginoflife,totheevolutionoflife,toethicalissuessurroundingthesearchforlife,andmanyothers.WewillhaveonefieldtriptoNASAsJetPropulsionLab(JPL)onaFridayafternoonTBA.

Readings

Therearenorequiredtextbooks. Thecoursewillbetaughtfromarticlesthatareassigned. ThesewillincludeoriginalscientificpublicationsandNASAinternalpublicationsdealingwithplanetaryscience. Afewexamplesofsuchpublicationsfollow(theseareonlyexamplesmanypapersthatIhavepublishedbuttheysetthestageforwhatwewillbereadingandtalkingabout):

Bakermans,C., A.I.Tsapin,V.SouzaEgipsy,D.A.Gilichinsky, andK.H.Nealson. Reproductionandmetabolismat10oCofbacteriaisolatedfromSiberianpermafrost.

Conrad,P.G.,andK.H.Nealson.Anonearthcentricapproachtolifedetection.

Dorn,

E.

E.,

G.

D.McDonald,

M.

C.

Storrie

Lombardi,

and

K.

H.

Nealson.

Principal

component

analysis

and

neural

networksfordetectionofaminoacidbiosignatures.Gaidos,E.J.,K.H.Nealson,andJ.L.Kirschvink.Lifeinicecoveredoceans.Jakosky,B.M.,K.H.Nealson,l.C.Bakermans,R.E.Ley,andM.T.Mellon. Subfreezingactivityofmicroorganismsand

thepotentialhabitabilityofMarspolarregions.Nealson,K.H.andP.GConrad.Life:past,presentandfuture.Nealson,K.H.,andW.A.Ghiorse.Geobiology:exploringtheinterfacebetweenthebiosphereandthegeosphere.Nealson,K.H.Searchingforlifeintheuniverse:LessonsfromtheEarth.Nealson,K.H.andB.LeaCox. MicrobialmetalionreductionandMars:extraterrestrialexpectations?Nealson,K.H.andW.Berelson. Layeredmicrobialcommunitiesandthesearchforlifeintheuniverse.Tsapin,A.I.,M.G.Goldfeld,G.D.McDonald,andK.H.Nealson.Iron(VI):hypotheticalcandidateforthemartian

oxidant.

Tsapin.A.I.,M.

Storrie

Lombardi,

G.D.

McDonald,

and

K.H.

Nealson.

Application

ofcomputer

tomography

(CT)

for

searchforlifeinextremeenvironments.


8/26

SPRING2015

CORE104:CHANGEANDTHEFUTURE

ProfessorPaulLerner,DepartmentofHistory

Lecture TTh 9:3010:50am 63528DDiscussion F 11am 63529DDiscussion

F

12pm

63530D

Lab TBA 63534R

HistoricalPerspectivesonConsumerCulture

Whatisaconsumersociety?Whatroledoactsofconsumptionplayinshapingorexpressingouridentities?Whatarethebroaderconsequencesofconsumptionandconsumerismonourpoliticalsystem,ourculture,ourenvironment? Doesconsumptionhaveahistory? Howhaveconsumption,taste,andstylebeenaffectedbydifferentideologies,regimes,andpoliticalsystems?

Theseareamongthequestionsthatthisclasswillexplore. Consumption,ofcourse,isanageoldphenomenon,buttheradicaltransformationsofthenineteenthcenturyindustrialization,urbanization,etc.andthedevelopment

ofnew

forms

ofretailabove

all,

the

department

storedramatically

changed

the

ways

goods

were

sold,

bought,

and

usedinthemodernperiod. Thesechangesgeneratedakindofculturalanxiety: whilecertainauthorscelebrateddepartmentstoresformakingluxuryandsplendorwidelyavailableandlevelingsocialdistinctions,othersfearedtheerosionoftraditionalwaysoflifeandthetemptationsofadvertisinganddepartmentstoredisplays. Bytheendofthecentury,withthedevelopmentofthemassillustratedpressandthecinema,somecriticsobservedthatcultureitselfwasbecomingacommodity,athingthatwasmassproducedandconsumed,andthatthelinebetweenartandcommercewasbecomingtooblurry. Theseconcernsonlyintensifiedwiththearrivalofradio,recordedmusic,andtelevisioninthetwentiethcentury.Mid tolatetwentiethcenturythinkerscontinuedtodevoteconsiderableattentiontothisprocessofcommodificationanditsimpactonsociety,genderroles,andthebody,whileotherscholarsbegantopointtotheliberatingpossibilitiesofconsumption,thewaysinwhichstylesofconsumingcanhelpusreshapeouridentitiesandtranscendourlimitationsandmaterialconditions.

Fromtheeighteenthcenturysconsumerrevolutionthroughtodayscontroversiesaroundboxretailersandfastfood,fromearlyFrenchdepartmentstorestothemallificationofAmerica,consumptionanditsroleinformingourethnic,genderedandpoliticalidentitieshasbeenaflashpointforbroaderconcernsaboutmodernandpostmodernsocietyandculture.

ThiscoursetracesourculturalengagementwithconsumptionfromeighteenthcenturyBritishsourcestoKarlMarxsnotionofthecommodityfetishandthroughcurrentwritingsonshopping,style,andidentityformation. Oursourceswillcomefromavarietyofperspectives,genresanddisciplines,includingliterature,film,sociology,economics,andhistory. Throughoutwewillbeconcernedwiththegendereddimensionsofconsumption,theidea(andcritique)ofmassculture,theputativepathologiesofconsumerism,andtheplaceofcontemporaryAmericainthecontextofglobalconsumption.

Readings

Clark,DavidB.,MarcusDoelandKateM.L.Housiaux,eds. TheConsumptionReader.DeLillo,Don.WhiteNoise.Marx,Karl. Capital,Vol.1.Poster,Mark,ed.JeanBaudrillard:SelectedWritings.Zola,mile. TheLadiesParadise.


9/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorEdwinMcCann,DepartmentofPhilosophy

Lecture TTh 3:304:50pm 63531DDiscussion F 10am 63532D

F

11am

63533D

Lab TBA 63535R

Authority,Liberty,Allegiance: ThemesinPoliticalPhilosophy

Humanbeingsneedtolivetogetheringroups,associations,localcommunities, nationstates,andtransnationalorganizations. Itsnotjustamatterofgettingalongtogether(i.e.ofbeingfreeofthethreatofviolencefromothersaroundus);wehavetoengageinawidevarietyofcooperativeventureswithothers,andtodosowemustreasonablyexpectthatallwillhaveafairshareinthefruitsoftheventure.Onwhatbasiscanwecoordinateouractionsandexpectationswiththoseofthepeoplewithwhomwewouldcooperate,sothatweandtheycanbesatisfiedthatwearecooperatingontermsthatarefairandjust? Thatisthebasicquestionofpoliticalphilosophy.

Politicalphilosophyhasalonghistory.WellbeginwithPlatosclassicdialogueTheRepublic,inwhichhetriestoanswerthe

questionWhat

isjustice?

by

paralleling

justice

inthe

state

and

justice

inthe

individual

soul,

ending

up

with

an

insistence

that

the

beststatewouldberuledbyphilosophers,theonlyoneswhohaveknowledgeoftheGood.WellthenjumpaheadtotheRenaissance,tothepoliticalphilosophyofMachiavelli.

Intheearlymodernperiodthepersonalauthoritarianismthatwasimplicitorexplicitinpreviouspoliticalphilosophywaschallenged,andanewemphasisontheconsentofthegovernedasthebasisoflegitimatepoliticalauthoritycametothefore.Wewillstudykeyworksbythreesocialcontracttheorists:ThomasHobbessLeviathan,JohnLockesTwoTreatisesofGovernment,andJeanJacquesRousseausOftheSocialContractandDiscourseonInequality.Wewillfindthatthethreetheoristsgiveverydifferentaccountsofthebasisandimplicationsofthesocialcontract.

Inthenextpartofthecourseweconsidertwonineteenthcenturyreconceptualizationsofpoliticalphilosophy. TheveryinfluentialworkofKarlMarxandFriedrichEngelsrejectedpoliticalphilosophyastraditionallyconceivedandreplaceditwitheconomicanalysis,focusingparticularlyonclassrelationsaskeytopoliticalconsciousness. JohnStuartMilldevelopedJeremyBenthamstheoryofmorality,utilitarianism,andpaireditwithaliberaltheoryofpoliticalfreedomsinhisworksOnLibertyandThe

Subjection

of

Women.

The20thcenturysawarevivalandreconceptualizationofthesocialcontracttheory. JohnRawlsarguesforatheoryofjusticewhichsupportsaliberaldemocraticwelfarestate,withapluralisticaccommodationofdiversereligiouscommitmentsandoverallconceptionsofvalue. RobertNozick,ontheotherhand,fashionsanargumentforalibertarianpoliticalphilosophylegitimatingonlyaminimalanightwatchmanstate,thefunctionsofwhicharetoprotectitscitizensfromcrimeandexternalthreatsandtoenforcecontracts.Giventhelibertarianemphasisonthemarketasalocusofliberty,itwillbeappropriatetoendthecoursewithaveryrecentphilosophicalworkbyDebraSatz,inwhichsheprovidesathoroughanalysisofwhatshecallsthemorallimitstomarkets.Shediscussessuchproblematicmarketsasthoseinhumanorgans(kidneys),voluntaryslavery,womensreproductivelaborandwomenssexuallabor,andconsiderswhetherthemoralproblemssuchmarketsraiseextendtomarketsofotherkinds.

Readings

Hobbes,Thomas.

Leviathan.

Locke,John.PoliticalWritings.Machiavelli,Niccolo.ThePrince.Marx,Karl.SelectedWritings.Mill,JohnStuart.TheSubjectionofWomen.Nozick,Robert.Anarchy,StateandUtopia.Plato,Republic.Rawls,John.JusticeasFairness:ARestatement.Rousseau,JeanJacques.TheBasicPoliticalWritings.Satz,Debra.WhySomeThingsShouldNotBeForSale: TheMoralLimitsofMarkets.Troyer,John,ed.TheClassicalUtilitarians: BenthamandMill.


10/26

SPRING2015


ProfessorNataniaMeeker,DepartmentsofFrenchandItalianandComparativeLiterature

Lecture MW 23:20pm 63525DDiscussion F 12pm 63526DDiscussion F 1pm 63527DLab TBA 63534R

RevolutionsinTime

TimeandSpacediedyesterday.

F.T.Marinetti,TheFuturistManifesto

Wecanalreadyrecognizethattodaytimeissplitbetweenapresentthatisalreadydead

andafuturethatisalreadylivingandtheyawningabyssbetweenthemisbecoming

enormous. Intime,aneventwillthrustuslikeanarrowintothatlivingfuture.

MichaelHardt

and

Antonio

Negri,

Multitude

Thetermrevolutionhascometosuggestpoliticalupheavalofatransformativeandindeedirreversiblenatureashocktothesocialsystem. Butthefirstmodernrevolutionmayhavebeenscientific,ratherthanpoliticalandtheearliestrevolutionsdesignatednotradicalchange,butitsopposite: theperiodicreturnofnaturalcycles,andtheebbandflowofanonlineartemporalityorganizedaroundaprincipleofrepetition. Inthisclasswewillposethequestion: howdothecyclicalrevolutionsoftheancientstheturnsofthewheeloffortunebecomethepoliticalrevolutionsofourtime?Whatdoesthetransformationinthewaywethinkaboutrevolutiontellusabouthowourexperienceoftimeitselfhaschanged?Where,wewillask,mighttherevolutionsoftomorrowcomefrom?

Togetherwewillstudytheriseofthemodernrevolutionanditsdepictioninliteratureandartwhileremainingattentivetotheoriginsoftheconceptinpremoderntheoriesoftemporality. Ourreadingswilltakeusfrom

ancient

Greece

and

Rome

through

a

series

of

modern

revolutionary

moments

that

continue

to

shape

our

collective

relationshiptopoliticsandthesocialorder. BeginningwithwhathasbeencalledthefirstmodernrevolutiontheScientificRevolutionourstudyofrepresentationsofrevolutioninthemodernerawilltakeusthroughtheFrench,American,andHaitianRevolutionsofthelateeighteenthcentury,andintotheIndustrialRevolutionofthenineteenth.Inthefinalsectionofthecourse,wewillturntowardtheproblemofrevolutionarychangeinourownlifetimesincludinganinvestigationoffeministrevolutionsandrevolutioninglobalcontexts. Throughouttheclass,ourfocuswillbeonrevolutionasitisreflectedthroughliteraryandartisticrepresentation,ontheonehand,and,ontheother,asitservesasitsownreflectionofchangingnotionsoftemporality. Ourreadingswillinclude,butnotbelimitedto,worksbythefollowingauthors: HannahArendt,Aristotle,FrancisBacon,SimonedeBeauvoir,FrantzFanon,KarlMarx,ThomasPaine,Plato,WilliamShakespeare,MoniqueWittig,andmileZola.

Readings

Arendt,Hannah. OnRevolution.deBeauvoir,Simone. TheSecondSex.Fanon,Frantz. TheWretchedoftheEarth.Marx,KarlandFriedrichEngels.TheCommunistManifesto:AModernEdition.Paine,Thomas. CollectedWritings:CommonSense.Plato. Timaeus.Shakespeare. Coriolanus.Wittig,Monique.LesGurillres.Zola,mile. Germinal.


11/26

SPRING2015

CORE112:WRITINGSEMINARII

AnthonyAbboreno,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture TTh 3:304:50pm 63560D

HowtoMakeaMonster:Outsiders,Institutions,andOgres

Weneverseeotherpeopleanyway,onlythemonsterswemakeofthem.

ColsonWhitehead

Everyonecarriesaroundhisownmonsters.

RichardPryor

Everybodylovesamonster.Orelse,theylovetohatemonsters.Wegotoseemonstermovies,forfun,andthenrushtocondemnthoseweperceiveascriminal,cruel,ormonstrous.Ourculturescurrentinterest

inmonstersboth

human

and

otherwiseis

expressed

ineverything

from

horror

fiction,

toretellings

of

mythsandfairytales,totruecrimestories.Butwait:ifmonsterscanbesomanydifferentthings,howdowediscoverandidentifythem?They

cantjustbeeverywhereCanthey?Shouldwelookinthewilderness,inadungeon,orinthehousenextdoor?Dowegotoplacesthatmonstersaredrawnto?Orplaceswherewethinkitwouldbeeasytobecomemonstrous?Arethemonsterswefindmadebytheirsurroundings,oraretheymadebyourowndefinitionofwhatamonsteris?

Thiscoursewilllookatthedifferentwaysourculturemakesmonsters,bothhumanandotherwise.WewillbeginwithtwotextsaboutmonstersthathavebeenbanishedtothemarginsGrendelandBrideofFrankensteinandconsiderwhatitisaboutexistenceoutsideofthenormalcultureeitherbychoice,orby

necessitythatmakes

something

seem

monstrous.

We

will

then

examine

two

texts

that

deal

with

our

own

institutions,thedungeonsinwhichweconfinemonstersIntheBellyoftheBeast,andTheDevilinSilverandconsidertowhatdegreethethingsthatprotectusfrommonstersmayalsocreatethem.Finally,wewilllookattwotextsfeaturinghumancharacterswhoseactionsseemmonstrousbyalmostanydefinitionZombieandMonsterandquestionthelimitsofoursympathyforandresponsibilitytothemonstrous.

Readings

Abbot,JackHenry.IntheBellyoftheBeast.Gardner,John.Grendel.LaValle,Victor.TheDevilinSilver.Oates,JoyceCarol.Zombie.

Films

Monster.Dir.PattyJenkins(2003).BrideofFrankenstein.Dir.JamesWhale(1931).TexasChainsawMassacre.Dir.TobeHooper(1974).


12/26

SPRING2015


MichelleBrittan,DepartmentofEnglish


EscapeArtists

ThegreatestescapeIevermadewasfromAppleton,Wisconsin.

HarryHoudini

[M]omentsofescapearenottobedespised.Theycometooseldom.

VirginiaWoolf

Thiscourseexaminesliteraryfigureswhofittheroleofescapeartist:someonewhobreaksfreefromrestraints. ThemagicianHarryHoudiniescapedfromlockedtrunksandstraightjackets,butwhatdoesescape

looklike

for

the

everyday

person?

What

means

ofescape

are

available

tothe

war

veteran,

the

housewife,

the

exile,thewidow? Thisclasswillexploretheseescapeartists,andthesocialnormsthatrestraintheirlives.WebeginwiththetwoprimarycharactersinVirginiaWoolfsMrs.Dalloway:Septimusseeksfreedom

fromhismemoriesofwar,whileClarissalosesherselfintheobligationsofhighsociety. OtherescapeartistswellmeetincludethewidowedLaureninDonDeLillosnovellaTheBodyArtist,whousesarttoescapepain.TheprotagonistofToniMorrisonsSulaisdeterminedtofleeherimpoverishedcommunity,calledTheBottom,inordertomakeittothetop. David,whoescapestoParisinGiovanni'sRoombyJamesBaldwin,mustconcealaforbiddenrelationshipwithinhislover'sbedroom.

FilmsincludeThePrestige,aboutanaccidentaldeaththatsetsoffalifelongrivalrybetweentwomagicians,andPansLabyrinth,inwhichyoungOfeliaevadestheviolenceoftheSpanishCivilWarbyescaping

toaparallel

world

offairy

tales

and

monsters.

Bywhatmeansdothesediversecharacterssuccessfullyescape? Doestheirfreedomcomeatacost?WewillconsulttheworkofCarlJunginoursearchforanswers.

Readings

Baldwin,James.Giovanni'sRoom.DeLillo,Don.TheBodyArtist.Morrison,Toni.Sula.Woolf,Virginia.Mrs.Dalloway.

Films

ThePrestige.Dir.ChristopherNolan(2006).PansLabyrinth.Dir.GuillermodelToro(2006).


13/26

SPRING2015


MeganHerrold,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture MW 3:304:50pm 63544D

SuccessandItsExcesses

Thekeytosuccessistotakemassivedeterminedaction.

TonyRobbins

MyonlyfaultisthatIdontrealizehowgreatIreallyam.

MuhammadAli

Whatdrivessuccess?Dosuccessfulpeoplesimplyhavemoretalent,moregumption,andmorewillpowerthantherestofus?Ordoestheirabilitytoachieveatthetopoftheirgamebelieadarkerdrivea

compulsion,avision

ofgrandeur,

oran

eagerness

tosubdue

others?

Inthis

course,

we

will

consider

the

dark

sideofsuccessstoriesalongsidewhatmakesthemsoinspiring.Thecharacterswemeetnotonlydesiretosucceedatallcosts,buttoremaketheworldintheirownimage.Thiscoursewillurgeustoquestionwhywerootforthesecharactersandtheirexcessesevenaswerepudiatethem.

WewillbeginourinvestigationwithSammyGlickinWhatMakesSammyRun?,thestoryofaHollywoodscreenwriterwhodeceivesandmanipulateshiswayfromragstoriches.InThereWillBeBlood,welltrackthedeterminationandruthlessnessofrobberbaronDanielPlainviewasheconquerstheoilmarketintheAmericanWest.Electionshowsuswhathappenswhentheconflictingambitionsandcompulsionsofbothhighschoolstudentsandtheirteacherscollideinthefervortoelectastudentcouncilpresident.PatrickBatemanofBretEastonEllisAmericanPsychosucceedsonWallStreetbydayandbarhopsandmurdersby

night.The

film

The

Devil

Wears

Prada

offers

usaglimpse

into

the

heights

and

horrors

ofmaking

itinthe

fashionworld,whichispresidedoverbythehaughtyandoverbearingeditorofRunway,MirandaPriestly.WellendthecoursebyconsideringtheclassiclamentforthefailedpursuitofsuccessinTheGreatGatsby.

Throughthesetexts,wewillexploretherewardsandpotentialperilsofsuccess,thepoliticalandpsychologicalissuesatstakeinthepursuitandadmirationofambition,andtheconflictingdefinitionsofsuccessandfailureofferedtous.Tostructureourdiscussions,wewillconsultexcerptsfromNietzscheandFreud.

Readings

Ellis,BretEaston.AmericanPsycho.Fitzgerald,F.Scott.TheGreatGatsby.Maynard,Joyce.ToDieFor.Schulberg,Budd.WhatMakesSammyRun?

Films

TheDevilWearsPrada.Dir.DavidFrankel(2006).Election.Dir.AlexanderPayne(1999).ThereWillBeBlood.Dir.PaulThomasAnderson(2007).


14/26

SPRING2015


AshleyKramer,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture MW 56:20pm 63548D

TheDetectives

Understandthis,Imeantoarriveatthetruth.Thetruth,

howeveruglyinitself,isalwayscuriousandbeautifultoseekersafterit.

AgathaChristie

Whatthedetectivestoryisaboutisnotmurderbuttherestorationoforder.

P.D.James

Weareacultureobsessedwithdetectivestories.Butwhoisthedetectiveoftoday?WhathappenstotheclassicalfigureofSherlockHolmeswhenhesgivenaDNAlabandtheInternet?Thiscoursewilllookathowtodaysdetectives

build

on

Holmes

deductive

interpretations

by

using

ablend

oftechnology

and

raw

instinct,

particularly

how

theinternetallowsforthecrowdsourcingofamateurdetectives.Wewillattempttolocatethedetectivesmoralityinthemurkyboundarybetweeneffectivemethodsandlegallimits.Howdoesobsessiondrivethedetectivetokeepdiggingwheneveryoneelseseemsmoreinterestedinmaintainingthestatusquothaninprovidingjustice?

WewillbeginthecoursebybrieflylookingathowrepresentationsofthemosticonicdetectivefigureSherlockHolmeshavebroughtustothewildlypopulartelevisionseriesSherlock.WellcontinuewithTheFinalSolution,whichimaginesanelderlyHolmes,andTheCuriousIncidentoftheDogintheNightTime,whichpresentsanautisticfifteenyearolddetectivewhoisobsessedwithHolmes.FromrefinedHolmestotoughguydetectives,wellmoveontowatchtheneonoirfilmBrick,whosecentraldetectiveisahighschoolstudentonthesocialfringes.TheLongFallwillgiveusadetectivewhoseownpastlieswiththemob,whileBrokenMonstersoffersafemaledetectiveontheDetroitpoliceforcetaskedwithfindingaserialkiller.WellalsowatchPolice,Adjective,afilmaboutaRomanianpoliceofficerwhoisfaced

withan

ethical

dilemma

when

the

case

he

solves

will

result

inan

arrest

he

thinks

isunfair.

Gone

Girl

and

This

American

Lifewillshowushowaveragepeoplearedrawnintosolvingmysteries.Throughthesestories,wellconsiderhowthedetectivesidentitiesaffecthowtheyapproachtheirmysteries

fromthemundanetotheviolent.Alongtheway,wellexpandourcontextbyreadingshortstoriesbyRobertoBolaoandHarukiMurakami,aswellasconsiderthetheoriesofinterpretationandcontrolposedbySigmundFreud,MichelFoucault,RobertCaillois,andRolandBarthes.

Readings

Chabon,Michael.TheFinalSolution:AStoryofDetection(P.S).Haddon,Mark.TheCuriousIncidentoftheDogintheNightTime.

Mosely,

Walter.

The

Long

Fall.

Beukes,Lauren.BrokenMonsters.

Media

Brick.Dir.RianJohnson(2006).Police,Adjective.Dir.CorneliuPorumboiu(2009).GoneGirl.Dir.DavidFincher(2014).SelectionsfromSherlock(2010).ThisAmericanLife:TheIncredibleCaseofthePIMoms.Dir.IraGlass(2011).


15/26

SPRING2015


LisaLee,DepartmentofEnglish


GhostStories

NowIknowwhataghostis. Unfinishedbusiness,thatswhat.

SalmanRushdie,TheSatanicVerses

Noteveryonecancomebackasaghost.

NearlyHeadlessNick,HarryPotter

Doyoubelieveinghosts? Thisclassexploresthewaysinwhichaspectsofpersonalandpublichistoriesthathavebeenhiddenorignoredreturnintheformofhaunting. Fromhauntedhousestocampfirestoriesto

worksofliterature

and

film,

we

will

explore

the

function

ofthe

ghost

inAmerican

culture.

Some

ghosts

haunt

buildingsorsitesoftraumacemeteries,battlefields,crimescenes. Othersarenotphysicalmanifestations,but,rather,psychologicalhauntings,existingonlyinourmindsorinthestoriesthatwetell. Inallthesecases,ghostsserveasawaytorecoverlostandhiddenpiecesofourindividualandculturalnarratives.

Theghoststhatweencounterwillincludethatofamurderedchildwhoreturnstoforcehermothertoconfrontthepast(Beloved),andadepartedfatherwhooffershislivingdaughterunderstandingandadvice(DreaminginCuban).WewillalsomeetagirlfromcolonialSouthAmericawhoissenttoaconventandisconsumedbythereligiousandromanticpassionofthepeoplewhosurroundher(OfLoveandOtherDemons).Thosewhocareforherarehauntednotbyphysicalghostlymanifestations,butbypsychologicaldemonsideasofsuperstition,sanctity,andreligionwhichinfluencetheiractionstowardher. Finally,inTracks,wewillencounterghostsofadifferentkind:ancientspiritswhoseroleisbothtoprotectand,attimes,toavenge.

Inadditiontothesetexts,wewillvisitRingu,aJapanesehorrorfilminwhichawomantriestoappeaseavengefulspirit,andTheOthers,aretellingofHenryJamesghoststorynovella,TheTurnoftheScrew. Tostructureourdiscussions,wewillreadexcerptsfromFreud,Jung,andGraceCho.

Readings

Erdrich,Louise. Tracks.Garca,Cristina. DreaminginCuban.GarcaMrquez,Gabriel. OfLoveandOtherDemons.Morrison,Toni. Beloved.

Films

Ringu. Dir.HideoNakata(1998).TheOthers. Dir.AlejandroAmenbar(2001).


16/26

SPRING2015


AlisonPearl,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture MW 1011:20am 63540D

BloodandSand

Thelife,too,onthedesertisparticularlysavage.ItisashowofteethinbushandbeastandreptileEverything

isatwarwithitsneighbor,andtheconflictisunceasing.

JohnC.VanDyke,TheDesert

Thedesert,vastandinfertile,hasnotoriouslyhousedoutlaws,criminals,andthesocialwastethatcantfindsuitablelivesinthecommunitiesofferedbymoredenselypopulatedareasofthecountry.Butwhatisitaboutthisplacethatattractspeoplewhocommitactsofunspeakableviolence?Aretheinhabitantsofthedesertsimplybloodthirstymonsters,oristheresomethingmoretotheircharactersthatmightofferusinsight

intotheir

destructive

natures?

ThiscoursebeginswithCormacMcCarthysBloodMeridian,inwhichabandofviciousmensetouttoannihilateallotherhumanbeingsinsight,leavingbehindatrailofbloodthatspanshundredsofmiles.AmongthesandandscrubofNevada,thecharactersinClaireVayeWatkinsBattlebornfacedomesticviolence,rape,physicalassault,andsuicideaspartoftheirdailylives.WellreadMichaelOndaatjesTheCollectedWorksofBillytheKid,whichrecallsthenotoriousreallifeoutlawwhoisatonceakillerandalovesickchild.

ThesemesterwillendwithTheFlamethrowersfollowingRenoassheraceshermotorcyclethroughthedesertandtriestoescape.Wewillexplorethisthemeofdesertviolencethroughthelensofavarietyoffictionalandnonfictionaltexts,episodesofBreakingBad,afilmaboutthedisastrousSaltonSeaintheheartoftheImperialValley,andexcerptsfromavarietyofkeyculturaltextsthataddressthisparticularlystrange,

beautiful,confusing

area

ofthe

world.

Readings

Didion,Joan.SlouchingTowardsBethlehem.Kushner,Rachel.TheFlamethrowers.McCarthy,Cormac.BloodMeridian.Ondaatje,Michael.TheCollectedWorksofBillytheKid.Watkins,ClaireVaye.Battleborn.

Films

BombayBeach.Dir.AlmaHarel(2011).SelectedepisodesofBreakingBad.Prod.VinceGilligan(20082013).


17/26

SPRING2015


NathanPogar,DepartmentofEnglish


BodilyTransformation:ChangingIdentities

ButIwasnolongermeontheoutside.

LeslieFeinberg,StoneButchBlues

Thecharacterswewillencounterinthisclassundergoaradicalchangeintheiridentityastheyreinventthemselvesandseekoutacommunitythatwillacceptthemfortheirdifferences.Ourcharactersexperienceatransformationofsortsthatwillleadthemtoembrace(orreject)thatnewidentity.

WewillbeginwithTheAutobiographyofanExColoredMan,whichpresentsuswithabiracialmanwhomustfiercelyguardhissecretashepassesforwhiteandmovesthrougharacistsociety.InGiovannisRoom,

David

flees

toParis

and

becomes

engaged

toawoman

only

tofind

that

his

homoerotic

desires

have

followedhim.HefallsinlovewithGiovanni,leadingtoafatalromance.JessGoldberginStoneButchBluesfailstofitinandmustcarveoutanew,morefluididentitywhilesearchingforanacceptingcommunity.WrittenontheBodyisnarratedbyacharacterwhohasapassionate,allconsumingloveaffairwithawoman,andtheireroticlifequestionsthereadersassumptionsaboutloveanddesire.Theirlovestorygivesusawonderfulnewformfortheromance.

TheAdventuresofPriscilla,QueenoftheDesertisafilmthatfollowsatroupeoftwodragqueensandatransgenderwomanastheytravelacrossAustraliaintheirtourbusperformingatvariouslocalvenues.ThefilmBoysDontCryisaboutthefinaldaysofBrandonTeena,atransgendermanwhofallsinloveandtriestoliveinruralNebraska.Whatarethestakesinchangingonesracial,gender,orsexualidentity?Wewillbe

readingtheorists

like

Michel

Foucault

and

Judith

Butler

who

provide

compelling

ways

ofthinking

about

the

natureoftransformationandbodilychange.

Readings

Johnson,JamesWeldon.TheAutobiographyofanExColoredMan.Baldwin,James.GiovannisRoom.Winterson,Jeanette.WrittenontheBody.Feinberg,Leslie.StoneButchBlues.

Films

ParisIsBurning.Dir.JennieLivingston(1990).TheAdventuresofPriscilla,QueenoftheDesert.Dir.StephanElliott(1994).BoysDontCry.Dir.KimberlyPeirce(1999).


18/26

SPRING2015


Dr.RyanShoemaker,ThematicOptionHonorsProgram

Lecture MW 8:309:50am 63538D

TheBurbs:BreakinginandBreakingout

[Inthesuburbs],wearealllockedinourTowerofBabel

PeterRowe,MakingtheMiddleLandscape

MyGod,thesuburbs!Theyencircledthecitysboundarieslikeenemyterritory

JohnCheever,MovingOut

Depressed,potsmokingteenagers.Alcoholics.Thieves.Pedophiles.Virginsuicides.Suchisthetypicalcastofcharacterswelldiscoverbehindthefaadeofsuburbandecorum.

Formany

Americans,

suburbias

where

we

situate

our

ambitions

for

upward

mobility

and

economic

security,ouridealsoffreedom,andourlongingsforsocialharmonyandspiritualuplift.However,therealityoftheburbsisoftenquitedifferent:cookiecutterhouses,despotichomeownersassociations,keepingupwiththeJoneses,backbreakingmortgages,andxenophobia.Sadly,thepromisesanddreamsofsuburbiaareoftenillusiveandunrealized.

ExploringrepresentationsoftheAmericansuburbsfrom1945tothepresent,wellaskanumberoftoughquestions:Issuburbiareallyaclasslessplace?Aretheredifferenttypesofsuburbs?Whosallowedintothesuburbsandwhoskeptout?Engagingnovels,shortstories,anddrama,aswellasliterarycriticismandselectedhistoricalandsociologicalstudies,wellattempttoanswerthesequestionsbyexaminingadiverserangeofsuburbanandurbanspaces,fromthefragile,whitecollarsuburbsofJohnCheeversTheCountry

Husband,tothe

impoverished,

cramped

housing

on

Chicagos

South

Side

inLorraine

Hansberrys

A

Raisin

in

theSun,tothefinalglowingyearsoftheplacidDetroitsuburbsinJeffreyEugenidessTheVirginSuicides,tothealcoholdrenched,smokehazedbluecollarsuburbsofRaymondCarversWillYouPleasebeQuiet,Please?.

Readings

Cheever,John.TheStoriesofJohnCheever.Hansberry,Lorraine.ARaisinintheSun.Carver,Raymond.WillYouPleasebeQuiet,Please.Eugenides,Jeffrey.TheVirginSuicides.Jen,Gish.MonainthePromisedLand.

Films

RevolutionaryRoad.Dir.SamMendes(2008).AmericanBeauty.Dir.SamMendes(1999).TheBurbs.Dir.JoeDante(1989).


19/26

SPRING2015


Dr.TrishaTucker,ThematicOptionHonorsProgram

Lecture TTh 9:3010:50am 63552D

SurvivalSkills

Thereisanhour,aminuteyouwillrememberitforeverwhenyouknowinstinctivelyonthebasisofthe

mostinconsequentialevidence,thatsomethingiswrong.Youdon'tknowcan'tknowthatitisthefirstofa

seriesofwrongfuleventsthatwillculminateintheutterdevastationofyourlifeasyouhaveknownit.

JoyceCarolOates

Thenotionthatonewillnotsurviveaparticularcatastropheis,ingeneralterms,acomfortsinceitisequivalen

toabolishingthecatastrophe.

IrisMurdoch

Itslikesomethingoutofyourworstnightmaresalightningboltthatcareensfromthesky,spellingtheendofeverythingyouknowandthrustingyouintoanewandunfamiliarworld.Whetherhitbyanunexpectedillness,asuddendeath,afreakaccident,ortherevelationofaterriblesecret,youreleftwithonepressingquestion:howdoesonesurvivetheseeminglyunsurvivable?

Thisclasswillintroduceustoavarietyofpeopleattemptingtoanswerthatveryquestion.Some,likethenewlywidowedprotagonistinTheYearofMagicalThinking,findcomfortindenial.Others,likeMementosLennywholosesbothhiswifeandhismemorytoaviolentattackturntorevenge.Butitsnotalldoomandgloom:inTheLifeofPi,ayoungboyspinsatragicshipwreckintoataleofmiraculousbeauty,whilestandupcomedienneTigNotarousesherrecentcancerdiagnosisasfodderforoneofthemost

celebratedstand

up

sets

ofthe

decade.

As

we

work

our

way

through

these

captivating

texts,

well

investigate

therolesthatmemory,imagination,community,andhumorplayingettingusthroughthetoughestoftimes.

Readings

Didion,Joan.TheYearofMagicalThinking.Hemmings,KauiHart.TheDescendants.OBrien,Tim.TheThingsTheyCarried.Roy,Arundhati.TheGodofSmallThings.Wiesel,Elie.Night.

Films

Atonement.Dir.JoeWright(2007).LifeofPi.Dir.AngLee(2012).Memento.Dir.ChristopherNolan(2000).


20/26

SPRING2015




BoysandGirlsGoneWild

Likefruit,childrenaresweetestjustbeforetheyturnbad.

DenaGroquet

Allthingstrulywickedstartfrominnocence.

ErnestHemmingway

Weallknowthatchildrenarenaturallyinnocent;thatswhywesetuplawstoprotectthemfromeviladults.Butifkidsareasinnocentasweseemtobelieve,whydowekeepencounteringstoriesofchildren

doingstrange

and

terrible

things?

What

are

we

tomake

ofbaby

faced

criminals

and

hyper

sexual

tots?

And

whydowefindstoriesaboutsuchkidswhetheronthenightlynewsoratthelocalmovietheaterorbookstoresofascinating?

Thiscoursewillintroduceustoagroupofliterarychildrenwhobendandsometimesbreak,quitespectacularlytheinnocentchildmold.Thesearedangerouscharacters;theirfailuretobetheharmless,helplesschildrensocietyexpectsthemtobeputsthemandeveryonearoundtheminperil.Wellseehowoneyounggirlsquestforrevengerips17thcenturySalem,Massachusetts,toshredsinTheCrucible. Lolitaasksustoconsiderwhether,inanadultchildsexualrelationship,theadultmightbetheinnocentvictimandthechildthetransgressor,whileLordoftheFliesrevealsthesavageheartthatlieshiddeninsideallsupposedlycivilizedboys.Tohelpusmakesenseofthesemonstrouschildrenandinvestigatejustwhysocietyfindstheir

transgressionofinnocence

sofascinating,

well

turn

totheory

by

Sigmund

Freud,

James

Kincaid,

and

Lee

Edelman.Together,ourclasswillexplorewhataculturesoinvestedinchildhoodinnocencecandowhenconfrontedwiththetransgressionofthatsupposedinnocence,andaskhowwecanrestoreequilibriumwhenchildrenactindecidedlyunchildlikeways.

Readings

Cullen,Dave.Columbine.Eugenides,Jeffrey.TheVirginSuicides.Golding,William.LordoftheFlies.James,Henry.TurnoftheScrew.Nabokov,Vladimir.Lolita.

Films

TheBadSeed.Dir.MervynLeRoy(1956).TheCrucible.Dir.NicholasHytner(1996).HeavenlyCreatures.Dir.PeterJackson(1994).


21/26

SPRING2015


DagmarVanEngen,DepartmentofEnglish

Lecture MW 6:307:50pm 63550D

FirstContact:AlienEncountersinScienceFiction

Thefutureofourearthmaydependupontheabilityofallwomentoidentifyanddevelopnew

definitionsofpowerandnewpatternsofrelatingacrossdifference.Theolddefinitionshavenotservedus.AudreLorde

Whenthespaceshiplands,thealienwhodisembarksconfrontsuswithdifferentvaluesystemsandwaysofunderstandingtheworld.Eyestalks,bluescales,telepathy,exoskeletons:storiesoffirstcontacthavealottoteachusinamodernworldwherewehavesupposedlyovercomeourdifferencesevenastheycontinuetoshapeus.Inthisclasswewillencountercharacterswhomeetaliensfromplanetswithdifferentracial,

sexual,and

gender

systems.

Our

heroines

grapple

with

moments

offirst

contact

and

their

aftershocks,

learningnewwaysofrelatingtoothersalongtheway.WewillbeginwithanepisodefromStarTrekwhereCaptainPicardfindscommongroundwithpeople

intheEladrelsystem,whospeakthroughmetaphorandmyth.InLeGuinsTheLeftHandofDarkness,Genlylearnstointeractwithalienswhoareneithermalenorfemaleonanandrogynousplanet.InMidnightRobber,TanTanencounterspeoplefromcompetingsettlementsontheplanetNewHalfwayTreeuntilshetakesrefugewiththeindigenousDouencommunity.AfteranucleardisasterinButlersDawn,LilithmeetstheOankaliracethathasrescuedher,butlearnshumansmustinterbreedwiththeminordertosurvive.WewillendbyfollowingNeosmeetingswithfreehumansandvirtualagentsthroughTheMatrixashelearnsthatearthisactuallyanalienuniverse.Wewillconsultworksofgender,criticalrace,andsciencefictiontheory.

Reading

LeGuin,Ursula.TheLeftHandofDarkness.Wells.H.G.TheWaroftheWorlds.Hopkinson,Nalo.MidnightRobber.Butler,Octavia.Dawn.Snchez,RosauraandBeatricePita.LunarBraceros21252148.

Media

TheMatrix.Dir.AndyandLanaWachowski(1999).SelectedepisodesfromStarTrek:TheNextGeneration.(19871994).


22/26

SPRING2015


MarciVogel,DepartmentofEnglish


StrangeDays

IusedtothinkIwasthestrangestpersonintheworldbutthenIthoughttherearesomanypeopleintheworld,there

mustbesomeonejustlikemewhofeelsbizarreandflawedinthesamewaysIdo.

FridaKahlo

AsGregorSamsaawokeonemorningfromuneasydreams,hefoundhimself

transformedinhisbedintoagiganticinsect.

FranzKafka,TheMetamorphosis

Fromtheslightlyoffkiltertothekeenlyconfounding,therearedayswhenlifeextendsbeyondtheperplexing

andinto

the

realm

ofthe

utterly

strange.

How

do

we

navigate

encounters

with

unfamiliar

parameters?

Why

are

we

both

drawntoanddisquietedbythatwhichisdifferent,unusual,bizarre,mysterious?Whathiddenworldsmightweaccesswhenordinaryexperiencetransformstothewhimsicalandpeculiar,theweirdandfantastical?

Thiscoursewilloffersojournsintostrangenessthroughliteratureandfilm.OurtouchstoneauthorwillbeKafka,masterinventorofstrangedaysandnights.We'llfollowthecuriouswanderingsofdreamersandsleepwalkersinthefictionofLydiaDavisandBananaYoshimoto.We'llaccompanySarahRuhl'selevatorridingEurydiceandAmyBender'sGirlintheFlammableSkirt.We'llbeadmittedintotheodd,volcaniclandscapeofGeryon,ayoungboywhoisalsoawingedredmonsterinAnneCarson'sAutobiographyofRed.Finally,we'llreadMaxineHongKingston'siconicmemoirofgrowingupChineseAmericaninNorthernCalifornia.HowdoestheimaginationinTheWomanWarriorhelpnavigatestrangenessattheborderbetweentwocultures?

Ourfilmsaskustoexaminehowstrangenessaffectsourbondswitheachother,whetherwebehuman,beast,

orimmortal.

Wings

of

Desire

tells

the

story

ofan

angel

who

longs

tobe

mortal

after

he

falls

inlove

with

atrapeze

artist.

AndthedesiretofindtheownerofamysteriousboxoftoysimpelstheintenselyshyAmliePoulinontoawondrousnewcourse.Whatwilltheseventuresintostrangenessrevealaboutourselves,aboutothers,andabouthowstrangenessmighthelpustosaywhatotherwisecannotbesaid?

Readings

Bender,Aimee.TheGirlintheFlammableSkirt.Carson,Anne.AutobiographyofRed.Davis,Lydia.Can'tandWon't.Kafka,Franz.TheCompleteStories.Kingston,MaxineHong.TheWomanWarrior: MemoirsofaGirlhoodAmongGhosts.Ruhl,Sarah.Eurydice.Yosimoto,Banana.Asleep.

Films

LeFabuleuxDestindAmliePoulin.Dir.JeanPierreJeunet(2001).WingsofDesire.Dir.WimWenders(1987).


23/26

SPRING2015


TerryWinningham,DepartmentofEnglish


BadCitizens

Weoughttobebadcitizens.Weoughtto,inthesensethatwerewritingagainstwhatpowerrepresents,and

oftenwhatgovernmentrepresents,andwhatthecorporationdictates,andwhatconsumerconsciousnesshas

cometomean.Inthatsense,ifwerebadcitizens,weredoingourjob.

DonDeLillo

Everygoodcitizenaddstothestrengthofanation.

GordonB.Hinckley

Citizenshipisabirthright

for

many,

an

aspiration

for

some,

and

an

obligation

for

others.

More

than

castingavoteeveryfourthNovember,whatareourresponsibilitiestotheState,toeachother,toourselves?Wemightserveinthemilitaryorholdpublicoffice;conversely,wemightengageinprotests,boycotts,orotherformsofcivildisobedience.Theselatterwouldbecalledbadcitizenshipbysome,butaccordingtoDonDeLilloaresimplydoingourjob.Ourclasswillfocusonthiscontradiction,andthecompetingdemandssocietyplacesonus.

BobJones,theAfricanAmericanprotagonistofIfHeHollersLetHimGo,askshowamancanserveacountrythatseeshimasasecondclasscitizen,asJonesfacesbothracismandpoliticalpropagandistswhilesupporting the nationalwar effort in a LosAngeles shipyard. InAmericana,David Bell leaves aNew YorkadvertisingagencytosearchforthemeaningofAmerica,andhisownsuburbanupbringing,inthesprawling

plainsofthe

Midwest.

Joan

Didions

essays

explore

the

social

upheaval

ofthe

1960s

and

itsaftermath,

and

David

FosterWallaceconsidersthenecessityofademocraticspiritinessaysrangingfromlanguageusage,topost9/11smalltownAmerica, to JohnMcCains failedpresidentialcampaignat the turnof themillennium.AndacrosstheAtlantic,StephenDedaluswrestleswiththetensionbetweenfidelitytoIrelandandtohimselfinAPortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan.Together,thesetextsraisethequestionofwhatitmeanstobeabadcitizeninamoderndemocracy,orinfactanykindofcitizenatall.

Readings

DeLillo,Don.Americana.Didion,Joan.TheWhiteAlbum.imes,Chester.IfHeHollersLetHimGo.Joyce,James.APortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan.Wallace,DavidFoster.ConsidertheLobster.

Films

Batman:TheDarkKnight.Dir.ChristopherNolan(2008).Network.Dir.SidneyLumet(1976).


24/26

SPRING2015


KatharineZimolzak,DepartmentofEnglish


ControlFreaks

Thegreaterthepower,themoredangeroustheabuse.

EdmundBurke

Ifyoucan'tcontrolyourpeanutbutter,youcan'texpecttocontrolyourlife.

BillWatterson,Calvin&Hobbes

Inthisclass,wewillexplorewhatitmeanstohaveorcravecontrol,andwhatitmeanstorelinquishcontrol.

Doespowerlieinactionorinideas?Whatdoweseektocontrol?Theobviousanswersourmoney,ourbodies,our

minds

give

way

to

more

sinister

possibilities:

if

we

control

our

self

image,

and

we

control

the

way

others

see

us,

does

thatmeanwecancontrolothers'thoughts?Moreover,whocontrolsthemedia?Whocontrolsthegovernment?Cananyonepersonorgroupofpeoplegainincontestablecontrol?Ourcoursewillexplorecharacterswhostrugglewithhavingtoomuchortoolittlecontrol,andwhocontrolthemselvesandothersphysically,mentally,andemotionally.

InBraveNewWorld,aclassictaleofgovernmentcontrol,LeninaandBernardliveinasocietywhere"everyonebelongstoeveryoneelse"sexually.Wewillmeetpuppetmasterswhogatherinfluencebypullingatthestringsofsocialinteraction,likeCherinClueless,andatthestringsofliteralpuppets,likeCraiginBeingJohnMalkovich.SiblingsJackandJulie(TheCementGarden)wrestlewiththeincestuousimplicationsofplayinghouse,whichtheydoinordertocontroltheirfuturesaftertheirparentshavedied.June(TelltheWolvesImHome)andAlison(FunHome)useliteralportraitstonegotiateandmanipulatetheirunderstandingsofthepast.

Withthesetexts,wewillexplorethebenefitsanddetrimentsofcontrol.Wewillexaminetheconflictsthatarisewhennewregimescometopower.Wewillaugmentthereadingslistedwithselectedshorterworks,secondarysources,

andsocial/cultural

critiques.

Readings

Bechdel,Alison.FunHome.Brunt,CarolRifka.TelltheWolvesImHome.Huxley,Aldous.BraveNewWorld.McEwan,Ian.TheCementGarden.

Films

TheSocial

Network.

Dir.

David

Fincher

(2010).

Clueless.Dir.AmyHeckerling(1995).BeingJohnMalkovich.Dir.SpikeJonze(1999).


25/26

SPRING2015

CORE200:LIBERALARTSREADINGSALON


Lecture W 121:50pm 63568D

Mad,Bad,andDangeroustoKnow:

ReadingBannedBooks

WhatdoHarryPotter,TheGreatGatsby,CaptainUnderpants,andSlaughterhouseFiveallhaveincommon?Believeitornot,theyreeachamongthemostbannedbooksofthetwentyfirstcentury.Infact,manyofthebooksyoucherishedasachildorlovedinAPLithavebeenbannedfromclassroomsandlibrariesacrossthecountry.Somecallsucheffortscensorship,butothersfeelitsimperativetoprotectyoungmindsfromworkstheycallprofane,vulgar,indecent,andpornographic.

Whatmakesthesebookssodangerous,wemightask?HowcanatextlikeToKillaMockingbirdbelabeledbothafilthy,trashynovel(NYSchoolDistrict)andanovelofgreatsweetness,humor,[and]

compassion(Harpers)?

And

have

parents

and

school

boards

ever

considered

that

branding

something

forbiddenmightmakeittwiceasdesirabletoyoungreaders?ThisReadingSalonwillexplorethesedarkestandmostdangerousofworks.Aftersurveyingaselection

ofnovelsthathavebeenbannedonpolitical,religious,andmoralgroundsinthefirsthalfofthesemester,theclasswillcollectivelycreateareadinglistforthesecondhalfofthecourse.Togetherwewillrevelinreadingbooksthathavebeenbrandedtooobsceneforthemasses,askingwhatsuchlabelscanteachusaboutthetextsthemselvesandaboutthesocietiesthathavebannedthem.

Readings

Alexie,Sherman.

The

Absolutely

True

Diary

of

aPart

Time

Indian.

Angelou,Maya.IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings.Blume,Judy.Forever.Orwell,George.1984.Pullman,Philip.TheGoldenCompass.


26/26

SPRING2015

CORE301:MODESOFINQUIRY

ProfessorJamesCollins,DepartmentofClassics


PerformingWisdom

FundamentaltoGreekandRomanphilosophyistheconceptoftheartofliving(htechntoubiou,arsvivendi)whichmaintains that livingagood life isatheartapublicperformance,and thusentailsparticularmodesofactionengagement,andselfpresentationandstylization. Bothphilosophicaltheoryandpractice,boththoughtsanddeedswhatonebelievesandhowonelivesasaresultofholdingthosebeliefsareinextricablybound,andtogethercontributetothephilosophicalartofconstructing,performing,andbecoming therightsortofcharacter. Inaddition to readingphilosophywithaneyetohowtheancientsvariouslyembodiedandperformedtheirwisdom,wewillexploretechniquesdrawn from contemporary performance theory in highly performative, experimental, and collaborative learningenvironments inordertodevelopanappreciationforthisparticularsortofphilosophicalactivity. Weaimprimarilyatdevelopingthiscraftforourowneffortsatselfexaminationandpresentation.

WhileTuesdays

are

devoted

primarily

toclose

readings

oftexts

which

comprise

the

foundation

ofWestern

thought,wewillbe lookingcloselyatevidencethatsagesandphilosophersperformedtheir thoughtsor intentions indramaticandcompelling,sometimesevenirrationalandcoerciveways,perhapswithoutevensayingaword. Thursdaysarethengiventorenderingourdiscoveries intophilosophicalaction. WewilldrawontheStanislavskisystem,textbound characterization (Mamet), improvisational techniques (Johnstone), and the gamesercises of radical populatheater(Boal)asweexploretheconnectionsbetween,ontheonehand,ourlanguage,intentions,andthoughtsand,ontheother,howwebehaveand interactwithoneanother. Thesedramatic techniquesmakeexplicit thenotionsofacharactersobjectiveswhatshewantstogetothercharacterstodoandacharactersactionshowshegoesaboutworkingonanothercharactersemotionstogetwhatshewants. Theartoflivingrequirescertainkindsofaudienceaswell,soourdramaticworkwilltrainustobecomegoodwatchersaswellasperformers.

The semester isdivided into fourunits:BecomingWise (Sages,Presocratics),BecomingSocratic (PhaedoEuthydemus),BecomingStoic(Epictetus,MarcusAurelius),andBecomingEloquent(Sophists,declamation,Cicero)However inimitable Socrates seems, we devote considerable energy to exploring, rehearsing, and refashioning hisphilosophicalcharacter. Nopreviousdramaticorformalphilosophicalexperience isrequired;onlyawillingnesstotrynewthingsonyourfeetwhilecultivatingbothasupportiveenvironmentandoneself.

Readings

Boal,Augusto. GamesforActorsandNonActors.Cicero.Cicero:OntheIdealOrator.Epictetus. HandbookofEpictetus.Johnstone,Keith.Impro:ImprovisationandtheTheatre.Mamet,David.TrueandFalse:HeresyandCommonSensefortheActor.

MarcusAurelius.

The

Meditations.

Plato.Euthydemus.Plato.PhaedoinPlato:FiveDialogues.Stanislavsky,Constantin.BuildingaCharacter.Stanislavsky,Constantin.CreatingaRole.CoursereaderwithselectionsfromthearchaicSages,thePresocratics,theSophists,anddeclamation.

Spring 2015 All Course Descriptions

Documents

Transcript of Spring 2015 All Course Descriptions