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This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to continue our study of Japanese. We will continue using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, and covering grammatical structures. Through use of conversational Japanese, we will continue to explore how the language is used in anime, manga, and music.

Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people.

What makes a poem sing, or whisper, or chant, or curse—that is, make memorable speech? How do you craft that echo when one sound calls another to the surface—stress to stress, line to line? Sometimes the smallest beat, breath, or break can turn a poem’s ordinary sense into what Seamus Heaney called “the music of what happens.”

Through the pulse of stress, or the line that ends at rest or breaks in tension, poetry, as James Longenbach writes in The Art of the Poetic Line, “is the sound of language organized in lines.” The poetic line and its sonics are inextricably linked—to each other and to the other elements of the poem with which they are bound up.

In this workshop, we’ll tune our ears to poetry’s music through a weekly craft focus, generative prompts, and a supportive workshop. We’ll read short excerpts from Robert Pinsky (The Sound of Poetry), James Longenbach (The Art of the Poetic Line), and Denise Levertov (“On the Function of the Line”). Together we’ll explore sonic patterns that stir and surprise; we’ll write poems that make sense through the senses.

This course is for poets at all stages who want to deepen their craft in community. You’ll leave with new drafts, sharper ears, and a keener attention to the key quality that singles poetry out from prose: its complex of lines.

Whether The Silmarillion is your favorite Tolkien book or one you’ve struggled to get through, this course is here to make it feel more engaging, fun, and relatable. In this first of a two-part series, KnewBettaDoBetta breaks down Tolkien’s vast mythology in a clear and conversational way—focusing on the epic beginnings of Arda and the First Age.

Through vivid storytelling and grounded analysis, KnewBetta will guide you through the early lore, key characters, and dramatic turning points that shape Middle-earth’s ancient history. Expect accessible explanations, engaging discussion, and fresh insights for both newcomers and long-time Tolkien fans.

Lecture Topic Outline:

• Lecture 1 – The Creation: Exploring the Music of the Ainur and the shaping of the world.
• Lecture 2 – The Awakening of the Elves: The coming of the Firstborn and their significance.
• Lecture 3 – The Silmarils and The Flight of the Noldor: Feanor’s legacy, rebellion, and exile.
• Lecture 4– The Fall of Beleriand / The 4th Battle: The rise of shadow and war in Middle-earth.

Join us as we trace the unfolding of Tolkien’s epic from the very beginning—and start to see The Silmarillion in a whole new light.

Continuing the journey through Tolkien’s rich mythology, this second part of our two-part series takes you into the drama, heroism, and tragedy that define the later events of the First Age and the rise and fall of Númenor. KnewBettaDoBetta makes these legendary tales accessible, engaging, and deeply human.

Through captivating storytelling and thoughtful analysis, KnewBetta will guide you through the most iconic heroes, their epic struggles, and the pivotal moments that shape Middle-earth’s history. Expect lively discussion, clear explanations, and fresh perspectives for both newcomers and seasoned Tolkien enthusiasts.

Lecture Topic Outline:

• Lecture 1 – Of Beren and Lúthien: A timeless tale of love, courage, and the quest for the Silmaril.
• Lecture 2 – The Fifth Battle: Examining the climactic confrontations and their impact on the First Age.
• Lecture 3 – Of Túrin Turambar: Tragedy, fate, and the life of one of Middle-earth’s most complex heroes.
• Lecture 4 – Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor: The rise and fall of men, hubris, and the shaping of the world to come.

Join us as we explore the twilight of Arda’s heroes, witness their trials and triumphs, and gain a deeper appreciation for the sweeping epic of The Silmarillion.

In this series of modules, you will get familiarized with basic Japanese vocabulary and structures. Using a communicative approach, you’ll learn basic expressions, start to learn the hiragana script, and recognize katakana and kanji in a fun and interactive way. We will also explore Japanese culture in general. いっしょに日本語を学びましょう！

In this series we’ll study Japanese using different tools such as videos, games, and different exercises. We’ll explore different aspects of Japanese culture and work on more complex vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns. We’ll also watch lots of videos, play games, and read graded readers among other things.

Note: Japanese Through Culture is for students who already have a basic level of Japanese.

This course examines how J.R.R. Tolkien constructed his secondary world with the deliberate craft of a mythmaker and the precision of a master architect. Designed for participants already familiar with Tolkien's major works, the course delves into the rich philosophical, linguistic, and cultural foundations of Middle-earth.

Each discussion session analyses the building blocks of Tolkien's mythological framework: his theory of subcreation, cosmological blueprints, linguistic foundations, character archetypes, moral frameworks, environmental design, and how these elements combine to create an enduring fictional universe.

Participants will engage with primary texts alongside Tolkien's essays, letters, and posthumously published materials to gain deeper appreciation of how his scholarly background in philology and medieval literature informed his creative vision—illuminating how Tolkien constructed one of literature's most enduring secondary worlds.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure and Reading List by Session	Readings List
Week 1	Session 1: The Mythmaker’s Vision	Session 1 Reading list: - "On Fairy Stories" (essay): Focus on concepts of "subcreation," "recovery," "escape," and "consolation" - "Mythopoeia" (poem) - Complete - Letter #131 to Milton Waldman - Selected paragraphs on Tolkien's passion for myth and fairy-story
	Session 2: Creation Myths and Cosmology	Session 2 Reading List: - "Ainulindalë" and "Valaquenta" from The Silmarillion - Complete - "The Music of the Ainur" from The Book of Lost Tales, Part One - Focusing on differences from the published Silmarillion version - Selected passages from Morgoth's Ring - "Myths Transformed" essays I and II
Week 2	Session 3: Languages as Cultural Foundation	Session 3 Reading List: - Appendix F from The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age" - "The Lhammas" from The Lost Road and Other Writings - Introduction and sections on Elvish languages - Elvish poems with translations: "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" - Complete texts with pronunciation guides
	Session 4: The Hero’s Journey Through Ages	Session 4 Reading List: - "Of Túrin Turambar" from The Silmarillion - Sections describing Túrin's character and major confrontations - From The Hobbit: "Riddles in the Dark" and "The Last Stage" - Complete chapters - From The Lord of the Rings: "The Shadow of the Past" and "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm" - Complete chapters
Week 3	Session 5: Power and Corruption	Session 5 Reading List: - "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" from The Silmarillion - "The Council of Elrond" from The Fellowship of the Ring - Discussions of the Ring's history and power - "The Mirror of Galadriel" and "The Breaking of the Fellowship" from The Fellowship of the Ring
	Session 6: Death, Immortality and Time	Session 6 Reading List: - "Akallabêth" from The Silmarillion - Sections about the Númenóreans' growing fear of death - "Leaf by Niggle" - Letter #153 - Sections discussing the "doom and gift" of mortality
Week 4	Session 7: Nature, Technology and Modernity	Session 7 Reading List: - "Treebeard" and "The Voice of Saruman" from The Two Towers - "The Scouring of the Shire" from The Return of the King - Tolkien's foreword to the second edition of The Lord of the Rings - Letter #178 - Sections discussing industrialization
	Session 8: Legacy and Influence	Session 8 Reading List: - "The Quest of Erebor" from Unfinished Tales - "The Notion Club Papers" from Sauron Defeated - Frame narrative and discussions of time and memory - "Epilogue" from The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth - Selections from The Road to Middle-earth by Tom Shippey - Chapter 1 "Lit. and Lang."

"I have lived through many ages, through the eyes of salmon, deer, and wolf. I have seen the Northmen invading Ireland, destroying all in search of gold. I've seen suffering in the darkness. Yet I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places. I have seen the book. The book that turned darkness into light."

Thus begins Cartoon Saloon's The Secret of Kells (2010). This animated film retells the origins of the Book of Kells through the perspective of Brendan, a young boy whose cloistered life suddenly expands when he is tasked to venture from his isolated outpost to gather resources for the Book's final pages. Against a backdrop of encroaching Viking raids and magical beasts, Brendan's quest weaves a tale of imagination, courage, and what it means to foster beauty in the face of horrific uncertainty.

In this module, we will watch The Secret of Kells and discuss topics related to the film, including Irish folklore, manuscript culture, and the story of Pangur Bán using Jo Ellen Bogart's picture book The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem Pangur Bán (2016).

Join us as we continue learning (advanced) basic Japanese, focusing on the areas of reading and listening comprehension, with some attention to speaking and writing. Over the course of this module series we will work our way through the Genki II textbook, building upon the foundation built from the Genki I text. 一緒に日本語を勉強しませんか

Recorded Series: All sessions of this series are being recorded and provided afterwards to enrolled students in order to support the learning of the group.

What did the creators of Middle-earth, Narnia, a philosophy of consciousness, and spiritual shockers have in common? Answer: they were all part of a group called The Inklings who met in Oxford between the 1930s and 60s to discuss their ideas and work.

We will spend a week on each of the four main members of The Inklings, discussing samples of their work and the ways their imaginations and ideas overlapped. By the end of the course, we will understand how this group of writers influenced each other and helped create the genre of fantasy literature.