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Book Club: A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro or A Study of Memory
In his debut short novel, Kazuo Ishiguro (2017 Nobel Prize winner) explores topics such as the reliability of memory, womanhood, and the relationships between men. Set in both Britain and Nagasaki, Ishiguro takes the reader into the world of Etsuko a Japanese woman struggling to fulfill the expectations of women after the war. We will discuss the themes, language, imagery, and character development in a relaxed and dynamic way.
Precepted by
Pilar Barrera
Exploring Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book 枕草子
Sei Shōnagon 清少納言 is a major writer of the Heian period (794-1185) whose Makura no Sōshi 枕草子 (The Pillow Book) has intrigued and delighted reading audiences for centuries. Colorful, witty, incisive, charming, thoughtful, melancholy, poetic---these qualities and more characterize this diary of the famous lady of the court. Join us as we read this text in-depth and place it within the frame of the flow of Japanese culture and history.
Precepted by
Dr. Robert Steed
Haunting Tales Non-Sequential Series
This is the Landing Page for Dr. Amy H. Sturgis's Haunting Tales series:
Module 1 explores the context and inspirations of the Gothic horror classic, The Haunting of Hill House (1959), by Shirley Jackson. We will consider its popular and critical receptions, its place in Shirley Jackson’s larger body of work, and its impact on contemporary readers.
Module 2 explore the challenges of the sequel or “inspired-by” work, A Haunting on the Hill (2023), by author Elizabeth Hand, both in its context as a response to The Haunting of Hill House and on its own merits. We will also consider how the novel fits into Elizabeth Hand’s larger body of writings and the ongoing relevance of the Gothic to 21st-century readers.
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Note: Students can jump in at any month/part of the Series. There are no prerequisites.
Module 1 explores the context and inspirations of the Gothic horror classic, The Haunting of Hill House (1959), by Shirley Jackson. We will consider its popular and critical receptions, its place in Shirley Jackson’s larger body of work, and its impact on contemporary readers.
Module 2 explore the challenges of the sequel or “inspired-by” work, A Haunting on the Hill (2023), by author Elizabeth Hand, both in its context as a response to The Haunting of Hill House and on its own merits. We will also consider how the novel fits into Elizabeth Hand’s larger body of writings and the ongoing relevance of the Gothic to 21st-century readers.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Note: Students can jump in at any month/part of the Series. There are no prerequisites.
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
Haunting Tales: A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
For the very first time, Shirley Jackson’s estate has authorized a book inspired by Shirley Jackson’s work. The 2023 novel A Haunting on the Hill by author Elizabeth Hand (a three-time Shirley Jackson, World Fantasy, and Nebula Award winner) is a direct response to Shirley Jackson’s 1959 classic story The Haunting of Hill House. How does Elizabeth Hand challenge, update, and/or expand on the ideas of Shirley Jackson? How well does A Haunting on the Hill continue the tale of The Haunting of Hill House and/or stand on its own as a work of Gothic horror?
In this module, we will consider the challenges of the sequel or “inspired-by” work, discuss A Haunting on the Hill both in its context and on its own merits, note how the novel fits into Elizabeth Hand’s larger body of writings, and explore the ongoing relevance of the Gothic to 21st-century readers.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
In this module, we will consider the challenges of the sequel or “inspired-by” work, discuss A Haunting on the Hill both in its context and on its own merits, note how the novel fits into Elizabeth Hand’s larger body of writings, and explore the ongoing relevance of the Gothic to 21st-century readers.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Elizabeth Hand |
| Discussion 1: Chapters 1-30 | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: The Witch of Edmonton and Other Inspirations |
| Discussion 2: Chapters 31-62 | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Murder Ballads and Other Inspirations |
| Discussion 3: Chapters 63-Epilogue | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Critical Receptions |
| Discussion 4: Themes and Takeaways |
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
Haunting Tales: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson is a classic of Gothic horror, a haunted house tale lauded by critics, loved by readers, and repeatedly adapted for stage and screen for more than half a century. What makes this novel a successful example of its genre? Why has it spoken to generations of readers? How does its messages represent and/or transcend its time? In this module we will explore the context and inspirations for The Haunting of Hill House, its popular and critical receptions, its place in Shirley Jackson’s larger body of work, and its impact on contemporary readers.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Shirley Jackson and Genre |
| Discussion 1: Chapters 1-3 | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Haunted Spaces |
| Discussion 2: Chapters 4-5 | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Ancestor Texts |
| Discussion 3: Chapters 6-9 | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Critical Receptions and Descendant Texts |
| Discussion 4: Themes and Takeaways |
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
His Dark Materials in Context Non-Sequential Series
Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array of literary, philosophical, and theological ideas.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works.
Note: Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works.
Note: Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
and
Dr. Gabriel Schenk
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson: Exploring a Gothic Campus Mystery
Shirley Jackson is rightly celebrated as a master of Gothic storytelling thanks to her most well-known novels such as The Haunting of Hill House (1959) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962). In recent years, however, her earlier novel Hangsaman (1951) has received new attention and critical appreciation from fans and scholars alike.
Far ahead of its time when it was published, Jackson’s deeply personal Hangsaman is many things: a psychological study of a young woman’s coming of age; a haunting Gothic mystery; a pointed critique of gender roles, family dynamics, and higher education; a meditation on trauma and mental illness; and an ancestor of today’s dark academia storytelling. Shirley Jackson drew inspiration from a variety of sources to craft this remarkable campus novel, from folk ballads and the Tarot, myth and ritual, to a real college campus and an unsolved New England cold case of a missing sophomore student.
In this module, we will unpack this gem of a Gothic story, following freshman Natalie Waite as she searches for her “essential self” and discussing why Hangsaman feels freshly relevant and important to many readers today.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Far ahead of its time when it was published, Jackson’s deeply personal Hangsaman is many things: a psychological study of a young woman’s coming of age; a haunting Gothic mystery; a pointed critique of gender roles, family dynamics, and higher education; a meditation on trauma and mental illness; and an ancestor of today’s dark academia storytelling. Shirley Jackson drew inspiration from a variety of sources to craft this remarkable campus novel, from folk ballads and the Tarot, myth and ritual, to a real college campus and an unsolved New England cold case of a missing sophomore student.
In this module, we will unpack this gem of a Gothic story, following freshman Natalie Waite as she searches for her “essential self” and discussing why Hangsaman feels freshly relevant and important to many readers today.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Shirley Jackson and the Gothic |
| Discussion 1: Part 1 of Hangsaman | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Dark Academia and the Missing Student |
| Discussion 2: Part 2 of Hangsaman | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Transformation and the "Essential Self" |
| Discussion 3: Part 3 of Hangsaman | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: The Influence and Legacy of Hangsaman |
| Discussion 4: Themes and Takeaways |
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass
Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array of literary, philosophical, and theological ideas.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
• Module 1: His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) (October 2023)
• Module 2: His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife (December 2023)
• Module 3: His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass (January 2023)
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
• Module 1: His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) (October 2023)
• Module 2: His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife (December 2023)
• Module 3: His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass (January 2023)
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
and
Dr. Gabriel Schenk
His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass
Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array of literary, philosophical, and theological ideas.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
and
Dr. Gabriel Schenk
His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife
Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array of literary, philosophical, and theological ideas.
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
• Module 1: His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) (October 2023)
• Module 2: His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife (December 2023)
• Module 3: His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass (January 2023)
In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.
• Module 1: His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) (October 2023)
• Module 2: His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife (December 2023)
• Module 3: His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass (January 2023)
Precepted by
Dr. Faith Acker
and
Dr. Gabriel Schenk
Imagination Unhinged at the End of the World Non-Sequential Series
This is the Landing Page for Dr. Koke Saavedra's two-module series, Imagination Unhinged at the End of the World:
Module 1 explores the rich Chilean Gothic, where, amidst sublime, disquieting and disjointed physical and cultural landscapes, Poe and Lovecraft continue exerting much influence. Famous works, like The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal, coexist with many unknown jewels. Given Chile’s extreme and vast geography, and persistent ‘frontier culture’, fantastic ‘lost cities’ and ‘lost worlds’ adventures have abounded here. We will look at local classics of this fun, gripping subgenre.
Module 2 explores how, under dictatorship, Chilean SFF creation mainly moved abroad, together with its exiled creators, such as Isabel Allende, and her The House of Spirits.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Note: Students can jump in at any month/part of the Series. There are no prerequisites.
Module 1 explores the rich Chilean Gothic, where, amidst sublime, disquieting and disjointed physical and cultural landscapes, Poe and Lovecraft continue exerting much influence. Famous works, like The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal, coexist with many unknown jewels. Given Chile’s extreme and vast geography, and persistent ‘frontier culture’, fantastic ‘lost cities’ and ‘lost worlds’ adventures have abounded here. We will look at local classics of this fun, gripping subgenre.
Module 2 explores how, under dictatorship, Chilean SFF creation mainly moved abroad, together with its exiled creators, such as Isabel Allende, and her The House of Spirits.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Note: Students can jump in at any month/part of the Series. There are no prerequisites.
Precepted by
Dr. Koke Saavedra
Imagination Unhinged at the End of the World: Chile’s Extraordinary Science Fiction and Fantasy I
Note:
Although this is a two-part series, each module stands on its own. Students are welcome to join in for any module of the series.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Surely life at the world's end will unhinge your imagination! See by yourself by exploring the extraordinary, diverse science fiction and fantasy (SFF) of Chile, a remote land barely hanging at the edge of our planet. Boasting a grand literary tradition, and literally zero interest in hard science, Chilean SFF is different, opening unusual vistas into the imaginative landscape.
In the first part of this two-module series, we will first explore the rich Chilean Gothic, where, amidst sublime, disquieting and disjointed physical and cultural landscapes, Poe and Lovecraft continue exerting much influence. Famous works, like The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal, coexist with many unknown jewels. Given Chile’s extreme and vast geography, and persistent ‘frontier culture’, fantastic ‘lost cities’ and ‘lost worlds’ adventures have abounded here. We will look at local classics of this fun, gripping subgenre.
After losing ourselves on remote places in search of treasure and immortality, we will explore the incisive ‘New Wave’ feminist SFF of the Chilean sixties—in particular Elena Aldunate and Ilda Cádiz Ávila, two remarkable authors whose influence grows every year as female voices are rediscovered and empowered. Perhaps a cautionary tale, Chilean proud 150-year-old democracy burned and crashed on 9/11/1973.
Chile has also produced remarkable SFF comics, creatively expressing (or repressing) changing local moods. We will explore exciting works, little known in the US, including the adventures of Mampato and the extraordinary Guardians of the South, a decolonizing comics depicting indigenous Mapuche as superheroes, precisely at a time of their political uprising.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Surely life at the world's end will unhinge your imagination! See by yourself by exploring the extraordinary, diverse science fiction and fantasy (SFF) of Chile, a remote land barely hanging at the edge of our planet. Boasting a grand literary tradition, and literally zero interest in hard science, Chilean SFF is different, opening unusual vistas into the imaginative landscape.
In the first part of this two-module series, we will first explore the rich Chilean Gothic, where, amidst sublime, disquieting and disjointed physical and cultural landscapes, Poe and Lovecraft continue exerting much influence. Famous works, like The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal, coexist with many unknown jewels. Given Chile’s extreme and vast geography, and persistent ‘frontier culture’, fantastic ‘lost cities’ and ‘lost worlds’ adventures have abounded here. We will look at local classics of this fun, gripping subgenre.
After losing ourselves on remote places in search of treasure and immortality, we will explore the incisive ‘New Wave’ feminist SFF of the Chilean sixties—in particular Elena Aldunate and Ilda Cádiz Ávila, two remarkable authors whose influence grows every year as female voices are rediscovered and empowered. Perhaps a cautionary tale, Chilean proud 150-year-old democracy burned and crashed on 9/11/1973.
Chile has also produced remarkable SFF comics, creatively expressing (or repressing) changing local moods. We will explore exciting works, little known in the US, including the adventures of Mampato and the extraordinary Guardians of the South, a decolonizing comics depicting indigenous Mapuche as superheroes, precisely at a time of their political uprising.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: y disquieting Gothic stuff. |
| Discussion 1: Class discussion on Lecture 1 material. | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Lost Worlds and Fantastic Cities Aplenty: Why not just grab some horses and go in search of eternal life and gold by the bucketfuls in the foreboding Andes and the forbidding Patagonian fiords? |
| Discussion 2: Class discussion on Lecture 2 material. | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Forget Neruda! The amazing feminist 'New Wave' sixties science fiction of Isabel Aldunate and Ilda Cádiz Ávila. |
| Discussion 3: Class discussion on Lecture 3 material. | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Top comics in the Andes: From time-traveling Mampato and Jodorowsky’s Incal to the decolonizing, native Mapuche superheroes, The Guardians of the South |
| Discussion 4: Class discussion on Lecture 4 material. |
Precepted by
Dr. Koke Saavedra
Imagination Unhinged at the End of the World: Chile’s Extraordinary Science Fiction and Fantasy II
Note:
Although this is a two-part series, each module stands on its own. Students are welcome to join in for any module of the series.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Surely life at the world's end will unhinge your imagination! See by yourself by exploring the extraordinary, diverse science fiction and fantasy (SFF) of Chile, a remote land barely hanging at the edge of our planet. Boasting a grand literary tradition, and literally zero interest in hard science, Chilean SFF is different, opening unusual vistas into the imaginative landscape.
In the second part of this two-module series, we will explore how, under dictatorship, Chilean SFF creation mainly moved abroad, together with its exiled creators, such as Isabel Allende, and her The House of Spirits.
Since the return to democracy in 1990, Chilean SFF has been shaped by profound, historically unresolved social conflicts, such as colonial and patriarchal legacies, an ambiguous relationship with technology, persisting ‘classism’ and socio-economic inequalities, and the lingering traumas of the military regime.
Post-humanist SF, Cyber- and Steam-Punk, have taken strong roots in Chile by addressing those old conflicts in impactful literary works, such as Alicia Fenieux’s Clone’s Love or Muñoz Valenzuela’s Flowers for a Cyborg. A decade of massive foreign immigration, of over 10% of the national population, compounded social tensions. And the optimism that followed redemocratization and lightning-fast economic growth ended abruptly in 2019 with a dramatic ‘social explosion’, where millions of people took to the streets after a minor rise in the cost of public transportation. Remarkably, SFF is thriving under these unsettling social conditions, as Chilean SFF authors alchemically transform the new anxieties into extraordinary imaginative creations.
A true Chilean Golden Age of SFF is being born as zombies and other dreadful creatures run rampant. Inspired, though dystopian social visions combine with technological nightmares to create some of the best imaginative literature ever created in the country.
Lastly, we will look at the Cyber-Shamanism of Jorge Baradit—Magic Realism 2.0?—an inspired, neo-techno-Gothic expression of the ‘new pessimism’, mixing Cyber-Punk and indigenous spirituality to express the new fears arising from the expansion of organized crime, violence and corruption, threatening social dissolution not only in Chile but in the Americas as a whole.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as follows:
Surely life at the world's end will unhinge your imagination! See by yourself by exploring the extraordinary, diverse science fiction and fantasy (SFF) of Chile, a remote land barely hanging at the edge of our planet. Boasting a grand literary tradition, and literally zero interest in hard science, Chilean SFF is different, opening unusual vistas into the imaginative landscape.
In the second part of this two-module series, we will explore how, under dictatorship, Chilean SFF creation mainly moved abroad, together with its exiled creators, such as Isabel Allende, and her The House of Spirits.
Since the return to democracy in 1990, Chilean SFF has been shaped by profound, historically unresolved social conflicts, such as colonial and patriarchal legacies, an ambiguous relationship with technology, persisting ‘classism’ and socio-economic inequalities, and the lingering traumas of the military regime.
Post-humanist SF, Cyber- and Steam-Punk, have taken strong roots in Chile by addressing those old conflicts in impactful literary works, such as Alicia Fenieux’s Clone’s Love or Muñoz Valenzuela’s Flowers for a Cyborg. A decade of massive foreign immigration, of over 10% of the national population, compounded social tensions. And the optimism that followed redemocratization and lightning-fast economic growth ended abruptly in 2019 with a dramatic ‘social explosion’, where millions of people took to the streets after a minor rise in the cost of public transportation. Remarkably, SFF is thriving under these unsettling social conditions, as Chilean SFF authors alchemically transform the new anxieties into extraordinary imaginative creations.
A true Chilean Golden Age of SFF is being born as zombies and other dreadful creatures run rampant. Inspired, though dystopian social visions combine with technological nightmares to create some of the best imaginative literature ever created in the country.
Lastly, we will look at the Cyber-Shamanism of Jorge Baradit—Magic Realism 2.0?—an inspired, neo-techno-Gothic expression of the ‘new pessimism’, mixing Cyber-Punk and indigenous spirituality to express the new fears arising from the expansion of organized crime, violence and corruption, threatening social dissolution not only in Chile but in the Americas as a whole.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as follows:
- Lecture 1: Magic Realism & Real Dictatorship: Isabel Allende’s 'The House of Spirits' and other potent exiled imaginations.
- Discussion 1: Class discussion on Lecture 1 material.
- Lecture 2: Posthumanism's alive and well in the South Pacific: From cyborg social justice revenge to clones’ love betrayals.
- Discussion 2: Class discussion on Lecture 2 material.
- Lecture 3: Chilean zombie attacks, vampires on the lose, and other easily preventable catastrophes: Pop goes the future!
- Discussion 3: Class discussion on Lecture 3 material.
- Lecture 4: A pessimist Golden Age and Magic Realism 2.0? Cyber-Punk, Cyber-Shamanism & Jorge Baradit's “Magical Conquest of America”.
- Discussion 4: Class discussion on Lecture 4 material.
Precepted by
Dr. Koke Saavedra
Men Marrying Up: Marriage and Romance in Tolkien
Typological motifs are a prominent feature of Tolkien's legendarium, including the motif of marriage and romance. Marital relationships appear among the Ainur (both Valar and Maiar) and the Children of Ilúvatar (both Elves and Men): some happy, some tragic, and some in-between. Tolkien's stories of marriage and romance represent a kind of "wisdom tradition" with relevant applicability to modern society and modern relationships. Most notably, men are always the ones who "marry up" in Tolkien's world, demonstrating a profound respect for women and femininity in society.
Course Outline:
Course Outline:
-
Week One
- Introduction to Marriage & Romance in Tolkien
- Typological motifs –– Manwë, Varda, & Melkor (The Silmarillion)
- Ainur Marriage and Non-Marriage (The Silmarillion)
- Introduction to Marriage & Romance in Tolkien
- Elf=Maia Marriage –– Thingol & Melian (The Silmarillion)
- Man=Elf Marriage –– Beren & Lúthien (The Silmarillion)
- Tragic Marriage –– Túrin & Finduilas Nienor (The Silmarillion)
- Heroic Marriage –– Tuor & Idril (The Silmarillion)
- Elf=Maia Marriage –– Thingol & Melian (The Silmarillion)
- Half-Elven Marriage –– Eärendil & Elwing (The Silmarillion)
- Human Marriage –– Aldarion & Erendis (Unfinished Tales)
- Man=Elf Marriage –– Aragorn & Arwen (The Lord of the Rings)
- Elf=Maia Marriage –– Thingol & Melian (The Silmarillion)
- Man=Woman Marriage –– Faramir & Éowyn (The Lord of the Rings)
- Human Marriage –– Aldarion & Erendis (Unfinished Tales)
Precepted by
Dr. Joel D. Ruark
Reading L.M. Montgomery as Fantasy: Part 1: Anne of Green Gables
This course will be offered for the first time this October 2023 (Anne’s favourite month)
Within weeks of its 1908 publication, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables became a bestseller. Over the years, this charming orphan story put Montgomery and her imaginative Prince Edward Island on a global map.
Despite the fact that Anne of Green Gables is Canada’s bestselling novel throughout the world—or because of it—Montgomery was ignored by the literati and scholarship. Montgomery was a public intellectual, the first female Canadian fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and invested Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Still she was dismissed as “just” a children’s writer, a regionalist, or a woman. It was 25 years after Montgomery’s death before children’s literature and feminist scholars began to recover her work as worthy of study.
While there is a robust field of Montgomery scholarship, there are areas where our focus is sometimes too narrow. One of these is the category of “realistic” fiction. While there is a kind of verisimilitude about everyday life in the late Victorian era in her work, the realism is pressed to the margins of definition as Montgomery romanticizes the worlds she creates. And can we disagree that there is something magical about Anne herself? By changing our way of approach and by looking at Anne of Green Gables as a fantasy novel, what can we unveil in this classic novel?
Native Prince Edward Islander and Montgomery scholar Brenton Dickieson will lead students through a rereading of Anne of Green Gables using the lenses we use to study fantasy and speculative fiction with the goal of allowing one of the greatest living children’s books to live in new ways.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Within weeks of its 1908 publication, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables became a bestseller. Over the years, this charming orphan story put Montgomery and her imaginative Prince Edward Island on a global map.
Despite the fact that Anne of Green Gables is Canada’s bestselling novel throughout the world—or because of it—Montgomery was ignored by the literati and scholarship. Montgomery was a public intellectual, the first female Canadian fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and invested Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Still she was dismissed as “just” a children’s writer, a regionalist, or a woman. It was 25 years after Montgomery’s death before children’s literature and feminist scholars began to recover her work as worthy of study.
While there is a robust field of Montgomery scholarship, there are areas where our focus is sometimes too narrow. One of these is the category of “realistic” fiction. While there is a kind of verisimilitude about everyday life in the late Victorian era in her work, the realism is pressed to the margins of definition as Montgomery romanticizes the worlds she creates. And can we disagree that there is something magical about Anne herself? By changing our way of approach and by looking at Anne of Green Gables as a fantasy novel, what can we unveil in this classic novel?
Native Prince Edward Islander and Montgomery scholar Brenton Dickieson will lead students through a rereading of Anne of Green Gables using the lenses we use to study fantasy and speculative fiction with the goal of allowing one of the greatest living children’s books to live in new ways.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: What Makes Anne Magical? |
| Discussion 1: The Worlds of Anne: Within and Without? | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Notes on Montgomery’s Iconography of the Spiritual Imagination |
| Discussion 2: Farah Mendelson's 4 Types of Fantasy | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Initial Notes on Fantasy Mapping: Avonlea, Time, and Space |
| Discussion 3: Passports to the Geography of Fairyland | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Word Portals: Paths, Doors, Rivers and Creeks, Forests and Gardens |
| Discussion 4: What is the shape of Faërie? |
Precepted by
Dr. Brenton Dickieson
The Women of Beowulf
Yes, there are indeed women in Beowulf. Vital and potent women in fact. From the valkyrie-esque figures to the weeping peace-weavers, a broad spectrum of women characters exists as both historical representation and imaginative mythology. Grendel's Mother is ferocious and masculine. Hildeburh laments the death of her brother and son before being carried off. Modthryth behaves like a sadistic queen. Wealhtheow is mindful of so much in her husband's hall. Freawaru seems destined for tragedy. And could the dragon be a female too? Maria Headley seems to think so. This module will explore this topic using dual-language editions of texts so we can see the original language alongside translations by J.R.R. Tolkien, Roy Liuzza, and Maria Headley.
Precepted by
Dr. Chris Vaccaro
Tolkien and the Romantics Non-Sequential Series
This is the Landing Page for preceptor Will Sherwood's Tolkien and the Romantics series. Using the links on this page, you can explore each member of this series by going to its associated module page for more details.
Precepted by
Will Sherwood
Tolkien and the Romantics: Nature and Ecology
J.R.R. Tolkien's revolutionary depictions of nature have inspired many to respect and cherish the environment. However, if we journeyed back two hundred years, we would discover that radical British Romantic authors were also challenging how readers perceived their surroundings! In this module, we will use ecology to explore the many parallels and contrasts between Tolkien's Arda and the Romantic's portrayals of nature big and small: mountains and meadows, woods and wildernesses, daffodils and dead marshes. This will include examining how characters react to the environment, nature's existence as separate from our own, and the broader concern of the Industrial Revolution's destructive potential.
The module will follow an 8-lesson structure:
Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward.
The module will follow an 8-lesson structure:
- Lecture 1: Visions of Nature
- Discussion 1: What do your Elf-eyes see?
- Lecture 2: All things Sublime and Beautiful
- Discussion 2: Sublime, Beautiful, or both at once?!
- Lecture 3: I want to see mountains!
- Discussion 3: One with our environment
- Lecture 4: Ecology without Humanity
- Discussion 4: What is actually out there beyond the Human sphere?
Note: The hybrid 8-lesson structure above is the new format for this module moving forward.
Precepted by
Will Sherwood
Women in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is remarkable among other works in ancient Near Eastern literature for its prominent inclusion of women in the narrative. This is especially noteworthy, considering that ancient Israelite society was a patriarchal society. This course explores the lives of individual women in the narrative and focuses on their collective contribution to the entire body of OT literature. Most notably, the Old Testament contains two books named specifically for women ("Ruth" and "Esther"), and three prominent hymns are explicitly attributed to female authors (Exodus 15, Judges 5, and 1 Samuel 2). Undoubtedly, the heroines of the Old Testament continue to inspire women (and men!) to this day.
Precepted by
Dr. Joel D. Ruark