2010-11 Catalog

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2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z

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Title   Offering Standing Credits Credits When F W S Su Description Preparatory Faculty Days of Week Multiple Standings Start Quarters
Adolescent Literature

Terry Ford

education literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer Adolescent literature differs from children's literature to meet the developmental needs of middle and high school ages.  Participants will learn about adolescent literature in an historical perspective, young adult development in reading, and genres with representative authors and selection criteria.  Participants will read and critique a variety of genres, developing a knowledge base of a variety of current authors, themes, and classroom uses.  Course credits contribute to minimum coursework expectations for teaching endorsements in middle level humanities and secondary English/Language Arts. Terry Ford Mon Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Age of Irony: 20th Century America

Susan Preciso, John Baldridge and Sarah Ryan

American studies cultural studies geography history literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8, 12 08 12 Evening FFall WWinter SSpring What is history for? This year-long investigation of 20th Century American history and culture will be organized around the pivotal roles of wars and social movements as shapers of American life and thought, especially the development of our sense of irony as reflected in politics and culture. Fall quarter's work will focus on World Wars I and II and the Vietnam War. During winter quarter, we will study three key movements for social change: the Progressive movements of the early 20th century, the African American Civil Rights Movement of the mid-century, and the second wave of feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. Students will write articles based on their own historical research and will publish them in a program web-zine. During spring quarter's study of culture as history, we will see how these turning points were and are reflected in our cultural lives.This is an all-level program, ideal for returning and transfer students, especially those pursuing the "Upside Down" BA degree. It is a broad liberal arts program designed for students who want to improve their historical knowledge, research skills and (multi)cultural literacy. We especially encourage those who would like a supportive atmosphere for senior-level project work to attend. education, library science, geography, history, and literature. Susan Preciso John Baldridge Sarah Ryan Mon Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Art, Culture, and Spirit

Hirsh Diamant

consciousness studies cultural studies education literature somatic studies visual arts 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 8, 12 04 08 12 Evening and Weekend FFall WWinter All human societies and cultures express their relationship to spirit through art. Art is the earliest and most enduring expression of humanity. For community and the individual, art can be a practice of connecting with higher consciousness and with the spirit. In today's global community it is important to understand art of other cultures and by so doing to awaken art within oneself while learning to understand the "other." All children naturally understand the importance of art and are creating art constantly in their play. All children are artists and all can paint, play, sing, and dance. Children also have an instinctive sense of right and wrong. In the modern, industrial world these natural abilities often become suppressed and lost. Modern educators need to be confident in their own artistic abilities and grounded in their own moral core; they need to be trained in communication across cultures and able to support children's healthy development. The students in this half-time, interdisciplinary program will immerse themselves in study and practice of art and in cultural experiences that are vastly different from the Western dominant culture by studying Native American, Muslim, Hebrew, and Chinese cultures. Students will make art, study myths and world religions as they have been shaped by cultures and landscapes of the past, and examine cultural and ethical norms. Students will also examine cultural influences and pressures of today's global society and will investigate the importance of preserving and developing cultural, artistic, and ethical traditions. Students will engage in traditional academic study such as reading, writing, and seminars and will also engage in art making, meditation, community events, and the practice of Tai Ji. Students will participate in their community's spiritual practices and will cultivate their own spiritual, meditative, ethical, and artistic life. In addition to classroom study, students will participate in mediation retreats and will go on field trips to explore art and spiritual resources in the community. In winter quarter students will be able to work on community service projects, in schools, and on Native American reservations. Students will also have the option to travel to China in March of 2011 to study in important Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian centers.  Students who wish to participate in this travel option should register for either 4 credits (just the trip) or 12 credits (8-credit program plus the trip). community, culture, and consciousness studies; art; education; literature; and writing. Hirsh Diamant Wed Thu Sat Sun Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Astronomy and Cosmology: Stars and Stories

Rebecca Chamberlain

astronomy literature philosophy 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 8, 12 04 08 12 Day, Evening and Weekend SuSummer From sacred stories to fundamentals of astronomy, this intensive course will explore a variety of cosmological concepts from mythology, literature, philosophy, and history, to an introduction to astronomy, archeo-astronomy, and theories about the origins of the universe. We will employ scientific methods of observation, investigation, hands-on activities, and strategies that foster inquiry-based learning and engage the imagination. Activities are designed for amateur astronomers and those interested in inquiry based science education as well as those interested in doing observation-based research or in exploring literary, philosophical, cultural, and historical cosmological traditions. Students will participate in a variety of activities from telling star-stories under the night sky, to working in a computer lab to create planetarium programs. Through readings, lectures, films, workshops, and discussions, participants will deepen their understanding of the principles of astronomy and refine their understanding of the role that cosmology plays in our lives through the stories we tell, the observations we make, and the questions we ask. Students will develop skills and appreciation for the ways we uncover our place in the Universe through scientific theories and cultural stories, imagination and intellect, qualitative and quantitative processes. Field studies include visits to an observatory and The Oregon Star Party. We will use a variety of techniques to enhance our observation skills including the use of star-maps and navigation guides to identify objects in the night sky, use of 8” and 10” Dobsonian telescopes to find deep space objects, and the use of binoculars and other tools. Students registering for 12 credits will participate in binary star research at an invitational gathering at Pine Mountain Observatory. This is strongly recommended for those who want do scientific analysis, writing, and research.  It is a wonderful opportunity to connect with an active community of amateur and professional astronomers engaged in citizen science. inquiry-based science education, scientific research, writing, journalism, literature, philosophy, cultural studies, storytelling Rebecca Chamberlain Wed Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Autobiography

Steve Blakeslee

literature writing 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 8 08 Evening WWinter SSpring "Could a greater miracle take place," writes Henry David Thoreau, "than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?" This two-quarter program will approach autobiography (literally, "self-life-writing") as a powerful way to make sense of human experience, particularly in times, places, and social and political settings that differ from our own. In seminars, students will delve into the rich and intricate issues of memory, authority, persona, and truth that face every self-portraying writer. In "writing marathons," they will learn to write freely and fearlessly about their memories, thoughts, and emotions. Finally, students will develop substantial memoir-essays of their own. humanities and education. Steve Blakeslee Tue Thu Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Awakened Heart: Stories to Build Strong and Healthy Communities cancelled

Jana Dean and Rebecca Chamberlain

communications literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Evening and Weekend SuSummer This weekend-intensive course will explore the power of stories to shape and change the world.  We will learn to use the ancient art of storytelling to build bridges, generate healing across differences, and create community.  As we listen for the elements of oral narrative in everyday events, we will learn to interpret experiences and frame narratives that heal and nourish ourselves, our relationships, and our communities.  We will examine ways that the media and political and social structures use stories to shape popular consciousness. We will trace the development of narrative technologies through speech, print, and modern digital media. Participants will practice and refine a story for oral performance and will each focus on an in-depth exploration of the forms, strengths, and uses of storytelling as a practical art for transformative leadership, healing, and learning.  This intensive course is for those with an interest in education, political discourse, administration, medical and healing arts, public and human services, political and environmental activism, counseling and psychology, public advocacy, folklore, communication, and the arts. Jana Dean Rebecca Chamberlain Fri Sat Sun Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Bodies of Knowledge

Rita Pougiales, Joseph Tougas and Donald Morisato

anthropology biology consciousness studies history literature philosophy 

Signature Required: Winter Spring 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring The human body has long been a natural locus of study, interpretation, and storytelling. Corporeal existence has been conceptualized and experienced in radically different ways across time and across cultures, conceived as an irreducible whole by some, and as an amalgam of separate systems or individual elements by others. How has our philosophical and biological conception of the body changed over time? How is the body used to find or express meaning? What is the relationship of the body to the mind and the soul? In this program, we will explore the nature and essence of the body, and reflect on the experience of being human. Knowledge about the body and our lived experiences within our bodies have been created from the culturally distinct perspectives of biologists, social scientists, artists, philosophers and storytellers. We will read philosophical and historical texts, and closely analyze some of the ideas that have helped shape our conception of the body. We will study the genetic development and biological function of the body, carrying out experiments in the laboratory to get a direct sense of the process of scientific investigation. Finally, we will read novels and look at and create art as other ways of engaging with the body, particularly the physical manifestation and representation of emotion. Throughout our inquiry, we will attentively ask how we have come to know what we claim to know. Our investigations will follow a particular progression. In fall quarter, we will consider the body: the history of the conception of the body, images of the body and notions of beauty, the body as the site of meaning-making, medical imaging and genetic approaches to deciphering the development of the human organism. In winter quarter, we will examine aspects of the mind: the Cartesian dualism, the functional organization of the brain, processes of cognition, measuring intelligence, use of language and the importance of emotions. In spring quarter, we will explore the notion of the soul: death and burial rituals in different cultures, philosophical and literary investigations of the soul, ethics and religion. Over the year, we anticipate reading such authors as Michel Foucault, Rene Descartes, Martha Nussbaum, Barbara Duden, Anne Fadiman, Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio, Stephen Jay Gould, Henry James and Marcel Proust. epistemology, cultural anthropology, genetics, neurobiology, history of medicine, and the liberal arts and natural sciences. Rita Pougiales Joseph Tougas Donald Morisato Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
British Literature, 1000-1800

Trevor Speller

literature writing 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer This all-level course will offer a broad survey of British literature from the years 1000 to 1800. We will read Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration, and Eighteenth-century poetry, novels, nonfiction, and drama. The course will pay particular attention to religious and political changes in the period. A major component will be traveling to a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Major authors will likely include Geoffrey Chaucer, Margery Kempe, William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, John Milton, Aphra Behn, Daniel Defoe, Horace Walpole, and Jane Austen. Students are expected to write two papers, participate in peerediting workshops, and complete quizzes and other in-class writing assignments.  Preparatory for further studies and careers in literature, writing, and the humanities. Trevor Speller Tue Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
British Literature, 1800-Present

Trevor Speller

literature writing 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer This all-level course will offer a survey of British literature from 1800 to the present. We will be reading poetry, novels, nonfiction, and drama through the Romantic, Victorian, Modern, and Post-Modern periods, focusing especially on the relationship between realism and the supernatural.  Major authors will likely include Samuel Coleridge, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Lewis Carroll, Samuel Beckett, T. S. Eliot, Chinua Achebe, and Salman Rushdie. Students are expected to write two papers, participate in peer editing workshops, and complete quizzes and other in-class writing assignments.  humanities, literature, writing Trevor Speller Tue Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Calculated Fiction

Steven Hendricks and Brian Walter

literature mathematics writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring -Hamlet Mathematical principles can provide the basis for creative writing, from the chance operations that generated the quote above to plot structures, themes, content, and even style. Author Italo Calvino views writing as a combinatorial game, an all but random process of associations and layers of implications that can lead to great works of literature as surely as nonsense. Calvino and others reveal that writing guided by abstract principles, particularly mathematical concepts and constraints, can lead to some of the most wondrous and provocative work. Jorge Luis Borges's stories provide numerous examples. In , the narrator attempts to describe a location from which all places can be seen simultaneously: "Mystics, faced with the same problem, fall back on symbols: to signify the godhead, one Persian speaks of a bird that somehow is all birds; Alanus De Insulis, of a sphere whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere; Ezekiel, of a four-faced angel, who at one and the same time moves east and west, north and south." Works like not only reflect mathematical concepts but also give them flesh, rendering those abstractions poetic and tangible. Informed by the work of writers such as Borges and Calvino, we will construct fictional narratives that reflect or are governed by mathematical concepts. Students will be introduced to a wide range of mathematical and literary principles and practices. Using those tools, students will produce creative works rigorous in their literary content and thorough in their mathematical precision and depth. The program will also include book seminars, short papers, and workshops in literature, writing, and mathematics. Readings will introduce students to relevant historical and philosophical ideas, numerous examples of writing that fuses math and literature, and provocative mathematical concepts. Coursework will emphasize foundations and skill development in mathematics, creative writing, critical reading, argumentative writing, and literary theory. mathematics, literature, fiction writing and literary theory. Steven Hendricks Brian Walter Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Children's Literature

Jon Davies

education literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer To prepare for a reading endorsement or to understand more about children's literature, participants will engage in readings and workshops that address literacy and informational books for children from birth to age 12. Topics include an examination of picture and chapter books, multicultural literature, literature from a variety of genres, and non-fiction texts across a range of subject matter. Course credits contribute to minimum coursework expectations for teaching endorsements in reading and elementary education. Teaching, education, further studies in children's literature Jon Davies Tue Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Children's Literature: Special Topics cancelled

Carolyn Dobbs

education literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer This class focuses on modern fantasy and multicultural genres.  Multicultural will include African American, Native American, Hispanic/Latino/a, and Asian American writers and illustrators.  The class is predominantly online. Children's Literature and teaching Carolyn Dobbs Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Cities: Real and Imagined

Steven Hendricks and Stephanie Kozick

American studies cultural studies history literature sociology visual arts 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of the streets, the gratings of the windows, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightening rods, the poles of the flags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls. -Italo Calvino Students who select this program must have a passion for a variety of literature and writing about the topic of cities. This program takes on stories that form a literary map of urban centers. Works such as Tulli’s engage city imagery as metaphor, while Auster’s places us squarely in the streets of New York City. Learning activities will also include responding to narratives with visual representation work in the field of book arts. Students will consider the city through literature rich in historical and cultural contexts, practice creative and non-fiction city writing, create urban visual representations, and become familiar with important urban studies. What does it mean to know a city? Urban studies writers such as William Whyte and Jane Jacobs tell us that cities have distinctive landscapes, movements and sounds. Sociologists and literary writers give form to the abstract patterns of city work, consumption, growth and collapse and seek to link these patterns to the unique lives of individual city dwellers. Cities abound with layered stories that, through the imaginative lens of literature, make up a modern mythology and allow us to locate, within the urban tumult, quarters of quietude, woven communities, and patterns of migration and change. Cities have provoked fantasies of heavens and of hells—utopias and dystopias—and provided a modern image of the monolithic impenetrability of history and civilization against which or within which the individual must carve out a meaningful life. Through an aesthetic exploration of the order and chaos of cities, we’ll ask how narratives in literature, film and art construct our sense of place and sense of self. During fall quarter, we’ll study the concept of sense of place, employing works such as (Harmon) to guide us in determining how a sense of place emerges in city writing. Fall will illuminate USA and European cities, deepening our inquiry through partnered fiction and nonfiction readings, such as (Toole) coupled with (Codrescu). In winter quarter we’ll move on to narratives that come out of Africa, Japan, and beyond. Naguib Mahfouz’s , part of his Cairo Trilogy, coupled with Golia’s offer a look at the largest city in Africa, one preserved with a medieval cityscape. Students who wish to continue their study of cities during spring quarter are invited to enroll in the field-based program, . literature, writing and social studies. Steven Hendricks Stephanie Kozick Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
The (Colonial) Rise of the British Novel

Trevor Speller

literature 

  Program JR - SRJunior - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring What is a novel? How did this art form come to be? It is perhaps hard for us to imagine a world without novels, where poetry, drama, and non-fiction ruled the literary world. Grounded in British literature, this upper-division program will explore the rise of the novel. We will read examples ranging from speculative prose fiction in the seventeenth century to established and reputable examples of the novel in the mid-nineteenth century. We will consider the novel as both an art form that establishes a genre, and one that breaks genre boundaries. One of the secondary considerations of the program will be what makes a novel "British." To what extent does this art form represent the values of particular people in Britain? Can the British novel be called a national - or nationalist - art form? Although we call these works "British novels," we might equally view them as an international art form, one concerned with the politics of colonialism, an emerging global empire, and the shadowy figures of those who live outside the British Isles. This intersection of colonialism, nationalism, and the emerging novel will be an important focus of our attention, as well as conflicting contemporary views around the rise of the novel. In order to accomplish this, we will likely be reading works by Henry Neville, Aphra Behn, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, William Beckford, Maria Edgeworth, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Brontë. In addition to these novels, we will read excerpts from other novelistic works, critical views on the rise of the novel, and contemporary theory concerning literature and colonialism. By the end of the program, students will have a firm foundation in British literature, exposure to significant strands of literary theory, and experience with upper-division literary research. Requirements: In this one-quarter, upper-division course, students will be asked to prepare a 20-minute in-class presentation, to lead class discussions, and to produce a long (15+ pp.) critical paper, in addition to regular minor assignments. Film versions of the texts will be shown as required. There is no signature requirement, but students are strongly encouraged to have taken previous courses in literature and/or the humanities, and to have previously written a paper of significant length (10 pp.) on a literary or historical topic. The best work in this course will be useful for graduate school applications. advanced studies or careers in literature, writing, and the humanities. Trevor Speller Tue Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Dada and Surrealism: Art as Life - Life as Art

Bob Haft and Marianne Bailey

aesthetics art history literature visual arts 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter SSpring – , Friedrich Nietzsche This program is designed for serious, advanced students with an interest in the artistic and literary movements of Dada and Surrealism. Like the Surrealists, you must have a strong work ethic and total commitment to our independent and group work; you must also be fearless in the face of disturbing and even dangerous ideas to which we will be exposed. Our goals are to introduce students to the depths of the creative, philosophical and psychological levels of the movements, and to show the profound effects that the movements and their continuing metamorphoses have had on the arts and humanities since the 1920s. In winter quarter we will study works of the Dadaists and of antecedents, beginning our studies with an intensive look at both the bourgeois society into which Dada erupted, “la Belle Epoque”, and the fringe thinkers and artists who had prepared the way. Dark Romantic poets longed for the Abyss, imaged a chaotic inner sea, and flirted with Mephistopheles. Friedrich Nietzsche unmasked God, Truth and Self. Painters and psychologists were obsessed with altered states of being, with madness, dream and hallucination. And thinkers spoke of Flux or Will as underlying all apparently solid constructs, from space and time to identity and language. We will look at the devastating blow World War I struck to humanism, to Western society, and to individual psyches of artists themselves, and at the weird birth of Dada, the wild child, in the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland, a quiet eye in a raging storm. To assist in our creative endeavors, students will learn the basics of drawing and photography. Students will work in small groups on projects that arise from our studies and will present or perform them at the quarter’s end. Spring quarter will find us concentrating our studies on Surrealism. We will explore the movement as a theory, state of mind, a gift and a world view. We will attempt to participate in that world view through studying, interpreting and critiquing works by the Surrealists, and by creating (both as individuals and groups) art objects and artistic spectacles. We will follow the Surrealist example by keeping dream journals and using them as a source for hypnagogic imagery. We will seek the Marvelous, as Surrealists did, expanding our concepts of the real. We will explore chance or synchronicity, attempt to live creatively, and to create ourselves/our lives as works of art. We will ask what values Surrealists created when commonly accepted values had been negated. We will delve into the relationship between ritual and Surrealist arts, drawing upon Surrealists’ reactions to medieval arts and to Haitian, West African and Pacific Island arts. Students will collaborate to create, print and edit Dadaist and Surrealist literary/artistic journals and performances. In addition, each student will be responsible for an individual research project of their choosing, exploring evidence of Surrealist tendencies in contemporary arts and thought. 20th century art history and literature, drawing,  photography, teaching, and the arts and humanities. Bob Haft Marianne Bailey Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Death Considered

David Marr

literature philosophy 

  Program JR - SRJunior - Senior 16 16 Day FFall -Albert Camus Scheherazade, who told the Sultan stories in order to live another day, would agree. She had to get the words right, or else. This program considers the words—the forms—writers and philosophers use when they breathe life into the problem of human death. The inescapability of death can concentrate the mind. The contemporary philosopher Odo Marquard argues that from the facts of life's brevity and death's finality it follows that absolute personal choices are senseless. From other philosophers come perplexing questions: Given that the human being knows he or she will die, how does he or she know this? Is it even possible to imagine one's own death? If my death is not one of my experiences, in what sense is it mine? Some would answer: in the same sense that your birth is yours. But what sense is that? In this program we will read the following works of prose fiction and philosophy: Melville, ; Dostoevsky, ; Tolstoi, ; Hawthorne, ; James, ; Joyce, ; Mann, ; Conrad, ; Faulkner, ; Camus, ; Thoreau, ; and Marquard, . Death Considered is for the intellectually curious, diligent student eager to practice the craft of close reading. There will be weekly in-class exams and seminars on the literary works, exercises in conceptual analysis, seminar reports on authors' lives and times, one essay on an assigned topic and a comprehensive final exam. any field requiring competence in the uses of language, conceptual analysis and interpretation, especially literature, philosophy, history, law and public service. David Marr Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Experiments in Theatre and Dance

Walter Grodzik and Robert Esposito

aesthetics art history consciousness studies cultural studies dance linguistics literature somatic studies theater 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter SSpring How do literal and non-representational gestures combine to create a unique poetics of action? How are emotions and ideas rendered in movement? How does the abstract design of space, time and motion support or subvert the spoken word? This two-quarter program will engage students in an active exploration of theater, movement and modern dance. Winter quarter will be devoted to building competency in separate modern dance and theater workshops, with two collaborative performance projects aimed at developing a final concert project in spring quarter. Students will continue building performance and collaborative skills through theater, movement and dance workshops, improvisation and composition in spring quarter. We will explore how verbal and non-verbal performance works contextualize and enhance each other by reading and analyzing various texts on theatre and dance. We will explore theories of dance theatre through structured solo and group improvisation, by creating original compositions, and in seminar discussions. Spring quarter will culminate in a public, collaborative concert. : Theater emphasis-20083 (Freshmen), 20084 (Sophomores-Seniors) Dance emphasis-20366 (Freshmen), 20367 (Sophomores-Seniors) theatre, dance, and the performing arts. Walter Grodzik Robert Esposito Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Gender and Culture: Japanese and American Literature, Cinema and Popular Culture

Harumi Moruzzi

cultural studies gender and women's studies literature media studies 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall Due to globalized communication, we have become increasingly aware that there may be multiple perspectives on reality. We now question the reality that we perceive as an absolute and universal reality. We wonder if that ultimate reality is or has ever been accessible to human consciousness. In short, we have begun to understand that the reality that we see is heavily colored by the social and cultural ideologies that have been instilled in us from birth by means of the language we use, the culture we are raised in, the education we receive and the mass media that bombards us. The concept of gender is no exception. It is ultimately a constructed reality. It is often said that American and Japanese cultures represent diametrically opposed values in many aspects of human behaviors and customs. While Japanese women are valued most as wives and mothers, the traditional gender roles, American women are valued as wage earners and sex partners. Needless to say, such a stereotypical view of gender is becoming rapidly outdated in Japan as well as in the United States. Nevertheless, this dichotomized cross-cultural frame presents an illuminating context in which we can explore gender issues. In this program, we explore the concept of gender through a critical examination of anthropological, sociological and psychological articles, as well as American and Japanese literature, cinema and popular culture. At the beginning of the quarter, students will be introduced to the rudiments of film analysis to develop a more critical attitude toward the film-viewing experience as well as major literary theories in order to become aware of varied approaches to literary analysis and interpretation. After familiarizing themselves with these analytical and theoretical foundations, students will examine representations of gender and culture, as well as their interrelationships, through lectures, workshops, book and film seminars and expository writings. gender studies, cultural studies, film studies, Japanese literature and American literature. Harumi Moruzzi Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
How Poetry Saves the World

Donald Foran

literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring How can poetry save the world? Poetry is "a thump to the TV set to restore the picture" and "a jolt to the fibrillating heart" according to Seamus Heaney. The metaphorical power of poetry can change our perspectives and move us to action. We learn from poets like Emily Dickinson and Claribel Alegria that "Much madness is divinest sense" and that those suffering violence have "earned the right to order us to break up our sleep . . . and shake off . . . this lassitude."  Poetry can serve as a lens through which we can understand cultural legacies and the invasion of cultures more clearly.  Economic, sexual and political minorities write poetry and "hold up a mirror to nature" through their poems.  For some, like Leonard Cohen, poetry helps us discern that "the blizzard of the world has overturned the order of the soul," yet "love's the only engine of survival." Many poets, like Hopkins, affirm that "nature is never spent," that "there lives the dearest freshness deep down things."  Thus poetry also has a role in fostering sustainability. In this program students will study poems ancient and new, poems from many differing cultures and ethnicities. All will analyze and co-edit poems, write haiku and imagist poems, quatrains, heroic couplets, sonnets, terza rimas, villanelles, and poetry-based songs; they will also create their own free-style works. Finally, students will view poets reading their own works, benefit from guest poets' and songwriters' approaches writing, work on memorization and recitation, and explore how a "story arc" enhances many fine lyrical and narrative poems. Each student will produce and read from an illustrated anthology of his or her own poems in an end-of-quarter presentation. literature, law, and the creative arts. Donald Foran Tue Wed Thu Fri Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
The Human Element

Charles Pailthorp, Trevor Speller and Nancy Koppelman

American studies history literature philosophy physiology writing 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Program FR - SOFreshmen - Sophomore 16 16 Day FFall WWinter In the early seventeenth century, the philosopher René Descartes chronicled his reflections on how little he actually knew, when he looked closely. He found he even had to ask, “How do I know I myself exist?” His answer, “I think, therefore I am,” became a keystone of Western philosophy. When he asked further, “What then am I?”, he answered, “A thing that thinks,” not just a body, but an . To be human, he concluded, is to be a compound of two elements: mind and body. His contemporary, Thomas Hobbes, argued this was wrong, that we humans, however mind-ful, are entirely material. The debate continues to this day. In concluding that the human element is our immaterial mind, Descartes reasoned that non-human animals differ from us by being only material, that they are completely mindless. Are animals then, only machines, without thought, even without feeling? (This was Descartes’ conclusion!). What about machines that mimic rational conversation (surely a very strong indicator of thought)? Couldn’t they be as mind-ful, and therefore as human, as we? Or from Hobbes’s materialist point of view, if we humans are only machines, how can we justify, for example, punishing a human who has caused some harm? Would we punish a car that has broken down and gone out of control? These questions remain with us today: consider the force of arguments concerning animal rights by organizations such as PETA, or the tangle of human-machine interactions evident in programs such as Second Life. What makes us different from other animals? What makes people different from the machines we create, or envision? To ask the question more broadly: what are the qualities that make humans different and unique – if there are any at all? Is there a “human element,” or are we just made up of those found on the periodic table? Questions about the ‘unique’ nature of humanity will be this program’s driving force. We will consider what makes us different from our animal, vegetable, mineral, mechanical and spiritual peers on planet earth, and how we might or might not live in symbiosis with them. We will consider shifts in our understanding of human nature, shifts that have been shaped by developments in science, from mechanics to evolution, and by developments in how we lead our daily lives, from hunting and gathering to browsing the internet. Fields of study may include the history of technology, epistemology, and the traveler’s tales of the Romantic period. Texts may include Descartes: Hobbes: Shakespeare: John Milton: Mary Shelley: Jonathan Swift: ; and works by Kant and by historians of science and technology. The program will include significant attention to writing and reading well. American studies, humanities, literature, philosophy, social sciences, and the sciences. Charles Pailthorp Trevor Speller Nancy Koppelman Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Fall
Imperialism

Zahid Shariff, Savvina Chowdhury and Jon Davies

cultural studies economics education gender and women's studies literature political science 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter By the time the First World War broke out in 1914, the vast majority of the societies of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas had been radically transformed through their encounters with the imperial powers of modern Europe. Colonial rule imposed through military conquests, political subjugation and the exploitation of human and natural resources was facilitated by religious, scientific, as well as cultural discursive practices that legitimized colonialist aspirations. How did the experiences of colonization affect colonized societies? What effects did colonialism have on the colonizers themselves? What lasting effects of imperial subjugation continue to impact relations between the former colonial powers and postcolonial states in the 21st century? This two quarter program explores these kinds of issues from the perspective of the peoples of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas as a way to understand the complexities of the world in which we live. We are interested in unpacking the discursive practices of both the colonial past and the neo-colonial present. Through our study of history, literature and political economy, we will examine the ways in which European ideologies, traditions, and scientific knowledge were used to legitimize the formation of empire in the past and continue to re-inscribe asymmetrical relations of power today under the guise of modernity, progress and global economic development. The program will explore the forms of resistance that arose in the historical colonial contexts, as well as those that mark the postcolonial experience as nations continue to contest manifestations of imperial power today. Frequently, the lenses of orientalism, modernity, and capitalism will guide our study of these encounters as we also consider prospects of meaningful decolonization. education, history, international relations and organizations, law, literature, non-profit organizations, political economy, politics, and postcolonial studies. Zahid Shariff Savvina Chowdhury Jon Davies Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, and travel. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the arts, humanities, consciousness studies, and travel. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Fall 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger.Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply.Ariel Goldberger supports projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, Arts, and interdisciplinary studies. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Language, Literature, and the Schools

Lester Krupp

education literature writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 8, 12 08 12 Evening and Weekend WWinter SSpring As external pressures on schools increase—through such forces as standardized testing and public accountability—many people concerned about education would argue that we have lost sight both of the active learning of the individual student and of the social conditions in which our school systems exist. This program will explore the question: In what ways can an understanding of language, learning, and creativity clarify our vision of the education of children? Focusing primarily on language and the literary arts, this program will examine the psychological, social, and philosophical foundations of language development; the teaching of writing within constructivist pedagogy; literature and literary theory as they relate to all levels of elementary and secondary education; and the historical tensions between philosophy of education and educational practice in the past century. Students will also participate in weekly writing groups as one way to observe closely the interaction between language, writing, and learning. In spring quarter, we will draw together these strands in studying the current political struggles between traditional and constructivist education, with particular attention to the teaching of writing and literature in the schools and to arts education in general. In addition, students will conduct classroom observations (in elementary or secondary classrooms) and/or significant reading-research projects on topics in language, literature, the arts, and public education. The 12-credit option will enable students to meet specific requirements for Washington State teacher certification. Students may earn the additional four credits in any of the following areas: children’s literature, adolescent literature, multicultural literature, or language skills/structure. (Please note that only 2-3 choices will be available each quarter.) Students will earn these credits through participating in a weekly small-group seminar and completing significant independent work in coordination with the curriculum of the 8-credit core of the program. teaching, child development, and writing. Lester Krupp Mon Wed Sat Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Law and Literature: Equality, Citizenship and Democracy in the United States

Jose Gomez and Greg Mullins

American studies law and government policy literature 

  Program FR - SOFreshmen - Sophomore 16 16 Day FFall WWinter Democracy in the United States, as a social practice and political ideal, has been a work in progress since the Revolution. Given the linguistic, religious, ethnic and regional diversity of the U.S. population, and given differential hierarchies assigned to race, gender, sexuality and social class in this country, institutions that aspire to promote democratic ideals have become sites of debate and struggle around such questions as how to define citizenship, how to define equality, how to protect minority populations against majority prejudices, and how to promote individual liberties while safeguarding the common good. In this program we will study U.S. Constitutional history and U.S. literature, from the Constitutional Convention to the Civil Rights Movement. Our studies will focus on how the law defines, and how literature represents, national belonging and exclusion. During fall quarter we will focus on the origins and framing of the Constitution, American Indian sovereignty, slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. During winter quarter we will focus on women’s suffrage, school segregation and desegregation, internment of Japanese Americans, Critical Race Theory, and migrant workers’ struggle for justice. Central themes will include the political factors the Supreme Court considers in making its decisions, competition between sectors of society in wielding effective political citizenship, the gradual expansion of formal citizenship and voting rights over the course of the nation’s history, and forms of social discrimination. We will complement our analysis of Constitutional history by reading literature that represents and illuminates the struggle for equality and national belonging. American studies, education, government, law and literature. Jose Gomez Greg Mullins Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Fall
Law and Literature: Revolution to Reconstruction

Jose Gomez and Greg Mullins

American studies law and government policy literature 

  Program FR - SOFreshmen - Sophomore 16 16 Day SSpring Democracy in the United States, as a social practice and political ideal, has been a work in progress since the Revolution. Given the linguistic, religious, ethnic and regional diversity of the U.S. population, and given differential hierarchies assigned to race, gender, sexuality and social class in this country, institutions that aspire to promote democratic ideals have become sites of debate and struggle around such questions as how to define citizenship, how to define equality, how to protect minority populations against majority prejudices, and how to promote individual liberties while safeguarding the common good. In this program we will study U.S. Constitutional history and U.S. literature, from the Constitutional Convention to Reconstruction. Our studies will focus on how the law defines, and how literature represents, national belonging and exclusion. We will focus on the origins and framing of the Constitution, American Indian sovereignty, slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Central themes will include the political factors the Supreme Court considers in making its decisions, competition between sectors of society in wielding effective political citizenship, the gradual expansion of formal citizenship and voting rights over the course of the nation’s history, and forms of social discrimination. We will complement our analysis of Constitutional history by reading literature that represents and illuminates the struggle for equality and national belonging. American studies, education, government, law, and literature. Jose Gomez Greg Mullins Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Spring
Looking at Animals

Susan Aurand and Joseph Tougas

art history literature visual arts 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring This program is a one quarter interdisciplinary study of how we see, understand and represent animals. Animal images are the oldest known artworks. From the painted bulls in Lascaux cave to Mickey Mouse, Godzilla and the Republican Elephant, images of animals pervade our history and culture. Our relationship to animals as the Other/Ourselves has been a major preoccupation throughout human history. Through lectures, seminars and common readings, we will examine our relationship to animals as it is portrayed in art and literature. We will consider how the study of animals can give us ideas about human nature and the human mind. We will look at the portrayal of animals throughout art history, and we will read novels, short stories and critical texts that deal with our relationship to animals. We will also use studio work to explore our individual relationships to animals. Workshops in the program will provide skill development in 2D art (drawing, painting, mixed media) and 3D art (making animal masks and woodcarving). As a major part of the program, each student will do an individual project that combines studio work with library research, exploring a particular animal or topic within our larger theme. art history, arts, creative writing, literature, humanities, and the visual arts. Susan Aurand Joseph Tougas Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Looking Backward: America in the Twentieth Century

David Hitchens, Julianne Unsel, Thomas Rainey and Tom Maddox

American studies economics government history international studies law and government policy literature sociology 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring The United States began the 20th century as a minor world power and a debtor country. The nation ended the century as the last superpower with an economy and military that sparked responses across the globe. In between, Americans invented flying, created atomic weapons, sent men to the moon and began exploration of the physical underpinnings of our place in the universe. Many have characterized the the 20th century as "America's Century" because in addition to developing the mightiest military machine on earth, the United States also spawned the cultural phenomenon of "the mass:" mass culture, mass media, mass action, massive destruction, massive fortunes—all significant elements of life in the United States. This program will be a retrospective, close study of the origins, development, expansion and elaboration of "the mass" phenomena and will place those aspects of national life against our heritage to determine if the political, social, and economic growth of the nation in the last century was a new thing or a logical continuation of long-standing, familiar impulses and forces in American life. While exploring these issues we will use history, economics, sociology, literature, popular culture and other tools to help us understand the nation and its place in the century. Simultaneously, students will be challenged to understand their place in the scope of national affairs, read closely, write with effective insight, and develop appropriate research projects to refine their skills and contribute to the collective enrichment of the program. There will be workshops on economic thought, weekly student panel discussions of assigned topics and program-wide discussion periods. Each weekly panel will provide a means of rounding out the term's work and provide students with valuable experience in public speaking and presentation. American history, American literature, the humanities and social sciences, law, journalism, history, economics, sociology, literature, popular culture, cultural anthropology and education. David Hitchens Julianne Unsel Thomas Rainey Tom Maddox Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Movement and Mindfulness

Rebecca Chamberlain and Cindy Beck

consciousness studies health literature outdoor leadership and education writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Evening FFall WWinter What can we do to achieve healthy bodies, minds, and spirits, sometimes referred to as being in the “flow”? In this intensive two-quarter program, students will broaden their ability to recognize healthy behaviors that integrate body, mind, and spirit as we develop our connection to the natural world. During fall quarter we will study kinesiology, exercise physiology, and Pilates while developing a regular practice of yoga and meditation. We will study a variety of topics that give us clues about how our bodies’ healing processes work, from science and medicine to meditation, consciousness-studies, and wisdom literature. Through physical activity, writing, journaling, and critical reflection, we will learn how the body moves, how to maximize various physiological processes, and how to integrate our interior lives and imaginative processes with outer experience, healthy practices, and our relationships to the natural world. During winter quarter we will develop our understanding of our body’s health, fitness, and nutrition as we begin to train ourselves as athletes, develop basic wilderness skills, and study sustainability, environmental literature, and practices of meditation, pilgrimage, and engagement with the natural world. We will add strength training to our practice of yoga, meditation, pilates, and outdoor education. As we continue to develop an understanding of sports nutrition and to appreciate the delicate balance of our body’s internal environment, we will explore food as fuel, as well as its historic and symbolic roles. We'll investigate where food comes from, ethno-botany, various practices and rituals around food gathering and preparation, and food for backpacking. We will accommodate different fitness levels as we test and track our progress. Field-work will include day trips to the Olympics or Mt. Rainier for winter hiking or snowshoeing. health and wellness, literature, writing, consciousness studies, and environmental and outdoor education. Rebecca Chamberlain Cindy Beck Mon Wed Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Multicultural Literature

Gail Tremblay

education literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Day SuSummer This course will explore American literature with a multicultural perspective and examine works, novelists, and poets. Works will include Leslie Marmon Silko's , Joy Harjo's , Benjamin Alire Saenz's , Victor Hernandez Cruz's , Toni Morrison's , Colleen McELroy's , Peter Bacho's , and Alan Lau's . teaching literature, cultural studies Gail Tremblay Tue Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Novel As Social Document: 1850-1940 cancelled

David Hitchens

literature sociology 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 12 12 Day SuSummer Novelists and artists identify issues ahead of scholars and historians.  Freud said artists predated everyone by 25 years.  U.S. history abounds with examples of novelists confronting human, social, emotional, and economic problems before politicians and philosophers.  This program explores how such novels foreshadowed later events by placing them in historical and cultural context, tracing impact and consequences.  Lectures supplement and amplify the works.  Unlike literary study, the novels are primary sources illuminating anticipation of important social, cultural, and intellectual developments emphasizing race, class, and gender issues. American literature and the social and intellectual history of the United States David Hitchens Tue Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
On Reading Well

Steve Blakeslee

literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 8 04 08 Day SuSummer This course will help students to develop deeper and more comprehensive understandings of literary texts, as well as to forge a more rewarding relationship with reading in general. In a supportive group environment, students will explore a range of reading strategies; then they will apply these tools to an in-depth study of two major works: Henry David Thoreau's and Kurt Vonnegut's . Our overall goal is to become more resourceful, effective, and insightful readers. Eight-credit students will pursue, under faculty guidance, an appropriately heavier reading and writing load. English, humanities, education. Steve Blakeslee Mon Wed Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
On Reading Well

Steve Blakeslee

literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4 04 Evening FFall This course will help students to develop clearer and more comprehensive understandings of literary texts, as well as to forge a more rewarding relationship with reading in general. In a supportive group environment, students will explore a range of reading strategies, including textual analysis, background research, response and summary writing, and recitation. Then they will apply these tools to an in-depth study of two major works: Herman Melville's and William Faulkner's . Students will also pursue additional reading of their choice. Our overall goal is to become more resourceful, effective, and insightful readers. Steve Blakeslee Tue Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Poetics and Performance cancelled

Ariel Goldberger and Leonard Schwartz

aesthetics literature theater writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter This program will explore of the disciplines of poetics, experimental puppet theater, and performance. How do words, light, sound and bodies interact? Is there a way to use words which does not weaken the use of the other senses, but allows one to discover shadows of sound and rustlings of vision in language? Are there ways of using text in visually based performance that do not take for granted the primacy of text? Students will be required to complete reading, writing and artistic projects towards these ends. The poetry and theater writing of Antonin Artaud will be central to our work.Faculty members will support student work by offering workshop components in poetry, puppet theater and movement. Students will produce weekly projects that combine and explore the relationship of puppet theater and poetry in experimental modes. Readings might include the works of such authors as Artaud, Tadeusz Kantor, Richard Foreman, Susan Sontag, Kamau Brathwaite, Hannah Arendt and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Student work and progress will be presented weekly in all-program critique sessions. poetics, performance, puppetry and creative writing. Ariel Goldberger Leonard Schwartz Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Poets on Serendipity Farm

Kate Crowe

literature writing 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 6 06 Day, Evening and Weekend SuSummer We will read and write poetry on Serendipity farm, which is nestled at the foot of Mt. Walker in the Olympics. This class is open to beginning, intermediate, and seasoned poets.  We will research and present on contemporary poets as we explore our various poetic voices within an inner and outer landscape.  We will write haiku, free verse, pantoums, nature poems and other poetic forms.  Students will be performing around the campfire at night.  Students can expect their writing and understanding of poetry to be enhanced significantly. Kate Crowe Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Post-Colonial Caribbean: Aesthetics of Culture and Identity cancelled

Tom Womeldorff and Marianne Bailey

aesthetics international studies literature visual arts 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall Marianne Bailey will be offering . Tom Womeldorff will be offering . Interested students should refer to the program descriptions in the catalog for more information. social sciences, arts and the humanities, international studies and economic development. Tom Womeldorff Marianne Bailey Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Prolegomena To A Future Poetics

Leonard Schwartz

literature philosophy writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter SSpring This two-quarter program offers several perspectives on the art of poetry. The winter quarter features a series of intensive readings in ancient and classical poetry, and the compositional efforts of modern and contemporary avant-garde writers to reinvent or renew those works. The central questions of the quarter are: What is the relationship in poetry between original and translation? How are ancient works renewed or reinvented? Thus we will study, among other examples, the classical Chinese poet Li Po in relationship to Ezra Pound's transformation of that poetry in his 20th-century work; Homer's and its contemporary realization as Christopher Logue's ; Sappho and her contemporary translators; the American poet H.D's invention of Egypt in ; and the Afro-Caribbean poet Kamau Brathwaite and his notion of Nation Language Students will work intensively on their own writing practices, both creative and critical. A writing workshop will offer constraint based writing exercises and prompts. The spring quarter will continue the poetry writing workshop but shift in focus to the relationship between philosophical texts and those dimensions of poetry that philosophy can bring to the fore. This quarter the central focus will be on the relationship between image and idea and how, in language, one transforms into the other, with an eye (and mind) towards exploring new territories of poetic composition. This will be accomplished by paired texts, in which the work of an individual poet is read in juxtaposition to a theoretical text. These pairings will include the critical theorist Theodor Adorno and the German language poet Paul Celan, the feminist philosopher Helene Cixous and the American poet Alice Notley, the philosopher Hannah Arendt and New American poet Robin Blaser, and the novelist Marguerite Duras and Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. the arts, creative writing, poetics, literature, and publishing. Leonard Schwartz Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Reading as a Writer: Creative Nonfiction

Joli Sandoz

literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Evening SSpring What makes a piece of writing interesting? How do authors of creative nonfiction engage our imaginations and emotions, catching us up to soar and suffer as prompted by words on the page? And how can reading the best writing teach us to turn our own prose into interesting reading for others? We will engage in careful reading, discussions, writing exercises and short peer response sessions as we explore and apply our developing knowledge of the craft of creative nonfiction writing. Each participant will write three, 3-4 page commentary papers on selected essays during the quarter, research and present information relevant to one author's work, and create and read to program members writing of their own. The guiding purpose of our work together will be to become more aware as readers and hence more informed as practitioners of the craft of creative writing. All readers and writers, aspiring or experienced, are welcome. Our working definition of creative nonfiction will be this one, borrowed from Robert Root: "the written expression of, reflection upon, and/or interpretation of observed, perceived, or recollected experience" featuring "literary approaches" and the author's discernable "personal presence" ( ; 3, x). We'll focus on two specific types of creative nonfiction: personal essays, which place Root's "reflection upon" and "interpretation of" experience into a larger cultural frame, and meditative essays, which reflect on ideas or emotions. Readings will be selected from a wide range of topics and writers, across several centuries. Prospective students are invited to suggest particular essays or authors by emailing the faculty. Credits will be awarded in literature and in creative nonfiction writing. Joli Sandoz Mon Wed Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
The Remembrance of Things Past

Eric Stein, Stacey Davis and Leonard Schwartz

anthropology history literature political science 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring Situated somewhere between fact and dream, memory shapes our individual lives in countless ways. When we recall the past, what, exactly, are we remembering? To what extent are our individual memories shaped by collective stories about the past, and how do collective memories, whether real or fabricated, help create and sustain a people's self-image, values and goals? For whom does historical memory of the past matter, and under what political circumstances? What does it mean to forget history? Can groups use the lack of memory, or shared forgetting, to further their sense of identity? This program will explore the links between memory and both individual and group identity. We will investigate historical memory as a product of individual psychological experience, as a politically invested realm of public knowledge, and as a focus of disciplinary-based scholarly inquiry. Students will learn to critically engage historical texts (primary and secondary), public memorial rituals and spaces, oral histories, ethnographies, films and literature with new tools drawn from the study of memory, myth and national identity. They will also deepen their sensitivity to "collective memory" and "collective forgetting" and how each strengthens and structures power dynamics on a social level, considering how the "politics of collective memory" holds consequences for both dominant and minority groups in a culture or nation-state. Turning to museums as a key site of memory making, we will explore how the popular representation of objects contributes to our interpretation of and nostalgia for the past. Finally, we will study the creation and meaning of contemporary memorials and monuments, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Fall quarter we will look at specific moments and memories of the 20 century, exploring the shaping and reshaping of national memory in post-WW II Germany and France; the silencing of memories of state violence in late twentieth century Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam; French and Algerian recollections of the colonization of North Africa and the Algerian war of independence in the 1950s; and myths of memory in the contemporary United States. Also in the fall, there will be attention to relevent literary texts, to the ways in which poets shape memory through their art, and to the interdisciplinary exchange between history and poetics. Winter quarter we will consider the theoretical and methodological tools drawn from the study of memory, myth and national identity to prepare students for their own independent research inquiries. From mid-winter to mid-spring quarters, students will embark on original historical fieldwork, conducting archival research, oral history or museum studies locally, nationally or abroad. During the second half of spring quarter, students will revise and present a substantial research paper on their findings. In addition, each student will design and construct a three-dimensional model of a memorial that shows something significant about memory from their research studies. We will develop our understanding of memory through lectures, workshops, films, and a series of guest speakers. Students should expect to engage in weekly critical book seminars, regular writing assignments, independent and collaborative work, and regular program discussion. During the course of the program, students will also take field trips to museums, memorial sites, monuments and archives, touching memory through a wide range of experiences. social sciences and humanities, including history, anthropology, urban planning, politics, writing and museum studies. Eric Stein Stacey Davis Leonard Schwartz Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Russia and Eurasia: Empires and Enduring Legacies

Patricia Krafcik, Elena Smith and Robert Smurr

cultural studies history language studies literature 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring Join us to explore the diverse peoples, cultures and histories of the region that was once the Russian and Soviet empires. While we focus on the Russians, we will take a multicultural approach in our examination of other indigenous peoples who from ancient times have populated the vast expanses of Eurasian and Siberian steppe and forests. In fall quarter we investigate Slavic, Scandinavian, Persian, Mongol and Turkic contributions to early Russian society and examine both the pre-Christian pagan animistic cultures and the rich Byzantine cultural legacy of Orthodox Christianity. Our journey takes us from the Kievan Rus', through the development of the Muscovite state, imperial expansion and westernization during the reigns of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, and on to the early 19th century with Russia's emergence as a major world power. Medieval epics and chronicles, diverse films, and readings enhance our study of this early history. Special geography workshops in both fall and winter terms help students identify the location of cities and landmarks throughout the Russian and Soviet empires, as well as understand the relationship between the various peoples of the empire and their environment. Winter term concentrates on the literature from Russia's 19th-century Golden Age and its 20th-century Silver Age up to 1917, read against the backdrop of the history. Works by Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Gorky, and others enable us to explore Russia's provocative social, religious and revolutionary ideologies. We examine the rise of the radical intelligentsia who rebelled against autocratic tsarist policies and the institution of serfdom, and whose activities led to the revolutions of the early 20th century. Spring quarter continues where winter term left off, covering history and literature from the revolutionary year 1917 through the post-Soviet period. We investigate the legacy of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, including the horrific Stalin era with its purges, Gulag prison camps, brutal industrialization policies and devastating environmental practices, emphasizing how writers, artists and filmmakers interpreted, reflected and survived the Soviet regime. This will include an examination of the sacrifices that the Soviet people experienced at the hands of their own communist dictatorship, as well as under Nazi occupation during WWII. This term ends with a review of events resulting in the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and the emergence of fifteen independent states. Students write short papers in fall and winter and have the opportunity to explore in depth a topic of their choice for a final research paper and presentation in spring quarter. Students are urged, but not required, to take the Beginning Russian Language segment within the full-time program. They may opt to include an extra workshop within the program, rather than language, which focuses on such topics as Russian environmental issues, the Cold War, folklore, nationalities questions, etc. Students intending to include either the language segment or the workshop should register for 16 credits. For the basic program without language or the workshop, students should register for 12 credits. cinema, writing, geography, and Russian history, literature, culture and language. Patricia Krafcik Elena Smith Robert Smurr Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Scenes, Summary and Reflection: Your Life as Story

Eddy Brown

cultural studies literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Day SuSummer Students will be guided toward improving their writing skills and gaining a deeper understanding of short fiction and narrative nonfiction. Through writing exercises, reader responses to published narrative literature, peer reviews, individual field trips, lectures, workshops, and seminars on selected readings, participants will develop practical, transferable knowledge of genres, writing as a craft and process, and literary critique. Overall, they will be directed toward becoming more capable and confident readers and writers and more self-aware individuals. Students' major project will be a narrative memoir or short story. teaching, literature, and writing Eddy Brown Mon Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Self and Culture: Studies in Japanese and American Literature and Cinema

Harumi Moruzzi

cultural studies field studies literature moving image 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter Modernity in the west established the concept of a human being as a thinking subject whose existence alone cannot be questioned through Descartes' seminal discourse . Though occasionally under attack, the concept of autonomous thinking and perceiving the subject as the center of reality—as the source of truth—has been the dominant ideology in the west since the eighteenth century, particularly in the United States. These days, due to our globalized communication and cultural exchanges, we have begun to question many ideas that have been taken for granted. The concept of self is no exception. It is often said that American and Japanese cultures represent mirror images of human values. For instance, while American culture emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and self-autonomy, Japanese culture dictates group cohesion and harmony. Certainly, the reality is not as simple as these stereotypes indicate; nevertheless, this dichotomized comparative cultural frame presents an interesting context in which we can explore the concept of self. We will explore the concept of self through the critical examination of American and Japanese literature, cinema and popular media. At the beginning of the quarter, students will be introduced to the rudiments of film analysis in order to develop a more critical attitude toward the film-viewing experience. Students will also be introduced to major literary theories in order to familiarize themselves with varied approaches to the interpretation of literature. Then, students will examine representations of individual selves and cultures in American and Japanese literature through seminars and critical writings, with weekly film viewing and film seminars to facilitate a deeper exploration of the topics and issues presented in the literary works. cultural studies, film studies, literary studies and Japan studies. Harumi Moruzzi Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Shattered Images of Changing China: Modern Chinese Literature and Film

Rose Jang

cultural studies literature media studies 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall During China's explosive changes over the last thirty years, nothing has better recorded these changes than Chinese literature and film. Writers of the novel, short story, drama and poetry—marked by such internationally renowned names as Gao Xingjian, Wang Anyi, Yu Hua, Mo Yan and Bei Dao—have collectively captured the feelings of pride, excitement, confusion and chaos shared by the current generation of Chinese citizens. Filmmakers such as Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Yang and Jia Zhang Ke have documented the mixed experiences that such quick political and economic changes have brought to different walks of Chinese life. Using the metaphor of a "shattered mirror," introduced by philosopher Kwame Anthony Appia in describing the process of perceiving cross-cultural truths, this program offers a mirror which, while trying to reflect the truth of modern Chinese life and society, is made of nothing but shattered images. Nevertheless, this shattered mirror will help us to peek into multiple facets and corners of a society in which real, common people live. Instead of simply reading about them, we are compelled to approach them from inside their world, to understand the daily struggles and social problems through their eyes. If all these shattered images can only combine into a confusing, chaotic and contorted existence, by putting ourselves in the midst of them, we are very close to living a real Chinese life. The literary works and films in the program will be grouped through weekly themes representing distinct topics of study. Students will read literature and view thematically related films each week. Keeping a reflective journal and writing weekly papers will document their ongoing learning experiences. Students will write a final integrative essay on a topic of personal choice, which is originated and substantiated from the program materials, but further expanded through individual research in the library and via electronic databases. Chinese studies and literature, Asian studies, international studies, philosphy, political and economic development, and film studies. Rose Jang Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
The Spanish-Speaking World: Cultural Crossings

Alice Nelson and Diego de Acosta

cultural studies history language studies literature study abroad 

Signature Required: Winter Spring 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring Spain and Latin America share not only the Spanish language but also an intertwined history of complex cultural crossings. The cultures of both arose from dynamic and sometimes violent encounters, and continue to be shaped by uneven power relationships as well as vibrant forms of resistance. In Spain, Jews, Christians and Muslims once lived side-by-side during a period of relative religious tolerance and cultural flourishing, known as the medieval . Military campaigns and the notorious tribunals of the Spanish Inquisition eventually suppressed Jewish and Muslim communities, but legacies of these communities have persisted in Spanish society. The first Spanish encounters with Latin America involved violent clashes between the Spaniards and indigenous peoples, as well as Africans brought to the Americas as slaves. The long aftermath of these initial clashes—wars of conquest, religious missions, colonization, and slavery, all confronted continuously through resistance—gave rise to new, hybrid Latin American communities. In the 20th century, Spain and several countries of Latin America experienced oppressive dictatorships as well as the resulting emergence of social movements that enabled democratization. The question of regional identity and difference has also defined several countries’ experiences, from Catalonia and the Basque region in Spain, to various indigenous ethnicities from Mexico to the Southern Cone. More recently, the context of economic globalization has given rise to unprecedented levels of international migration, with flows from Latin America to Spain and the U.S., as well as from North Africa and eastern Europe to Spain. All of these cultural crossings have involved challenges and conflict as well as rich and vibrant exchanges. Students will engage in an intensive study of the Spanish language and explore the literature remembered, imagined and recorded by Spaniards and Latin Americans in historical context. We will critically analyze selected texts from medieval times to the present. Every week will include seminars on readings in English translation, Spanish language classes, a lecture delivered in Spanish and a film in Spanish. During the fall and winter, we will explore various themes that define and describe key moments in the intertwined histories of Spain and Latin America. These may include national and regional identity, dictatorship and resistance, linguistic crossings and democratization processes. Spring quarter will offer opportunities to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador, or Santo Tomás, Nicaragua, as well as internships with local Latino organizations for those who stay on campus. All classes during the spring will be conducted in Spanish. Latin American and international studies, literary and cultural studies, language, politics, history, education, film studies, writing, and human and social services. Alice Nelson Diego de Acosta Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Student Originated Studies: Poetics cancelled

Leonard Schwartz

aesthetics literature philosophy writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  SOS SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring Students are invited to join this learning community of culture workers interested in language as a medium of artistic production. This SOS is designed for students who share similar skills and common interests to do advanced work that may have grown out of previous academic projects and/or programs. Students will work with faculty throughout the quarter; we will design small study groups, collaborative projects and critique groups that will allow students to support one another's work. Poetics involves language as creative functions (writing, poetry, fiction), language as performance, language as image, and language as a tool of thought (philosophy, criticism). Our work will be to calibrate these various acts. poetics, poetry, metafiction, literary theory and criticism, writing, publishing and the arts. Leonard Schwartz Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Student Originated Studies: Projects in Japanese History, Literature, Religion, Arts, and Film

Setsuko Tsutsumi

cultural studies history literature 

  SOS SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter This SOS will give students opportunity to explore various aspects of Japanese civilization, by designing their own individual study. Students can focus on a particular historical period or incident, or choose themes which run throughout Japanese historical/ political development. Students can examine certain authors and their works in a certain period, or explore the tradition of Japanese aesthetics which run underneath literary works. Students can analyze their favorite films and directors, including animation, or study contemporary youth culture through their music and fashion. Students can also take comparative approaches, comparing and contrasting certain topics and themes between Japanese and other culture.  Possible research subjects are abundant throughout two thousand years of Japanese civilization in the areas of history, literature, arts, theater, religion, folklore, and film. Students will develop their research through consultation with the faculty. Students can also engage themselves in creative works based on certain Japanese themes and images. Medium of the work is their choice. It could be ceramic work, or short film, or fabric work. The creative work should be supported by book research. Students who want to include field research trip to Japan in their study plan, should register for Individual Contract with the faculty as a sponsor, not for this SOS program, though they can join the class activities in this SOS program prior and after their trip. Interested students should bring their well-developed research or creative work plans to the first meeting of the quarter. The plans should include project goals, reading lists, weekly work plan, and intended final product. Although students work individually, they will meet together once a week to report and share work-in-progress, conduct peer reviews, and receive advice and guidance. Each student will keep a process portfolio and reading journal. Japanese studies, multicultural studies, literature, history, and film. Setsuko Tsutsumi Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Student Originated Studies: Projects in Literature, Philosophy, and Creative Writing

Marianne Bailey

language studies literature philosophy writing 

Signature Required: Fall 

  SOS SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall This program supports students doing individual creative and research projects. Students will enroll for SOS, then design their quarter-long, contract-style work plans using input from the faculty member. In the first week of the program, each student will prepare a project proposal, and then complete that project during the quarter. The program will have weekly class sessions where students will report on their progress, share work-in-progress, conduct peer reviews, get advice and guidance. Students must attend and participate in these sessions. Students will maintain and submit a process portfolio and reading journal. We will have in-class student readings of their work at the end of the quarter. The weekly meeting is intended to provide a sense of community and support to students. All other contract obligations will be worked out individually with the faculty member. The faculty member has particular expertise in the following topics: French, Francophone Caribbean, African and Canadian literature, German philosophy and literature, studies in symbology, ritual, mythology and comparative religions. writing, languages, literature, philosophy, and teaching. Marianne Bailey Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Student-Originated Studies: Creative Writing (Narrative Memoir and Short Story)

Eddy Brown

American studies consciousness studies cultural studies literature writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  SOS SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring This SOS supports students doing individual projects in creative writing. Students will enroll for SOS, then design their quarter-long, contract-style work plans using input from the faculty member. In the first week of the program, each student will prepare a project proposal, and then complete that project during the quarter. The program will have weekly class sessions where students will report on their progress, share work-in-progress, conduct peer reviews, get advice and guidance, and take in faculty and guest lectures on related topics. Students must attend and participate in these sessions. There will also be book seminars with weekly reader responses to both assigned and self-selected texts. Students will maintain and submit a process portfolio and reading journal. We will have in-class student readings of their work at the end of the quarter. The weekly meetings are intended to provide a sense of community and support to students. All other student obligations will be worked out individually with the faculty member. Students may select and propose nonfiction and/or short fiction projects for the program; however, the faculty member has expertise in the following topics: creative writing (particularly the narrative memoir), modern and contemporary American literature (particularly creative nonfiction), literary critique, cultural studies, and intrapersonal psychology (self-awareness). creative writing, cultural studies, literature and teaching. Eddy Brown Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Telling the Story: Reading, Viewing, and Writing the Memoir

Virginia Darney

cultural studies literature media studies writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Day SuSummer We tell stories to ourselves and to others in order to understand our experiences, to bring about social change, or to bear witness.  Memoirs describe a particular experience, an influential person in our lives, a moment of change or of understanding.  In this program we will read a variety of memoirs, view memoirs in film, and look at them both as expressions of raw experience and as literary works.  Using those memoirs as models and inspiration, we will write memoirs or portions of memoirs.  Discussions and activities will focus on aspects of the craft of memoir and on the experiences they relate. education, literary studies, liberal arts Virginia Darney Tue Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Theatre Intensive: Theatre Production

Walter Grodzik

language studies literature media studies somatic studies theater visual arts 

Signature Required: Fall 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall This program will consist of performance studies leading to a theatrical production. This may be a full-length play, a one-act play festival, or a sketch comedy/improvisation show as determined by the faculty. Students will experience training in acting, directing, movement, and vocal techniques in order to utilize these skills in the final performance. Drawing upon the interdisciplinary nature of theatre, this program may involve acting in a play, dramaturgical work, assistant directing, stage management, set, costume, lighting and sound design, set and costume construction, publicity, and all the other areas related to successful play production. For example, after auditioning, a student will spend about half to three quarters of program time in rehearsal, and the rest of the time working in the shop building the set or on some other aspect of the production. A student presenting a technical portfolio could become part of the technical/design team for the show, as well as the publicity coordinator. In short, every student will participate in more than one area of the production process. The first seven to eight weeks of the program will be spent in rehearsal culminating in final performance. In addition to rehearsals and production work, students will examine dramaturgical matters in seminar, closely related to the production. These may include readings addressing the social, political, economic, and cultural environment of the performance. All students who are interested in interviewing/auditioning for the program should contact Professor Grodzik directly. While this program is designated sophomore and above, interested freshmen are encouraged to apply. the performing arts, technical theatre, dramaturgy, acting, directing, theatrical design, stage management, costuming, lighting, sound, publicity, theatre history, creitical theory, and dramatic literature. Walter Grodzik Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Times and Works of Soseki, Mishima, and Murakami: Literature, History, and Cinema

Harumi Moruzzi

field studies history literature moving image 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring Nobody lives in a vacuum. Every person is a product of that person's time and place, even when he/she rebels against such a background. Most people in society conform to the current ideology of society in order to succeed and perhaps merely to get by, even when their society is moving toward spiritual bankruptcy. It is often believed that the artists and the intellectuals are the society's seers and prophets who can shed light on social and cultural problems, thus inspiring new directions for regeneration. This premise often yields an advantageous framework through which we can examine the society and culture that produced such artists and intellectuals. The highly esteemed Japanese writers Soseki Natsume, Yukio Mishima, and Haruki Murakami are examples of such artists and intellectuals. They represent turbulent and paradigm-shifting periods in Japanese history: Meiji modernization, post-World War II devastation, and the advent of a rabid consumer society. In this program, we study the literary works of these three writers in the context of their times, with respective cultural and socio-economic structures, through lectures, workshops, films and seminars. At the beginning of the quarter, students will be introduced to the rudiments of film analysis in order to develop a more critical attitude toward the film-viewing experience. Students will also be introduced to major literary theories in order to familiarize themselves with varied approaches to the interpretation of literature. Then, students will examine the selected works of Soseki, Mishima and Murakami through seminars and critical writings. Weekly film viewing and film seminars will accompany the study of literature and history in order to facilitate a deeper exploration of the topics and issues presented in their literary works. Japanese literature and history, cultural studies and film studies. Harumi Moruzzi Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Visions and Voices: Culture, Community and Creativity

Lara Evans, Therese Saliba and Laurie Meeker

Native American studies art history community studies cultural studies literature media studies 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Program FR ONLYFreshmen Only 16 16 Day FFall WWinter This program will focus on community-based conceptions of the arts and politics, with attention to how artistic production can reflect the “visions and voices” of communities and cultures. Students will be introduced to the foundations of cultural and literary studies, media and visual studies, and community studies, with an emphasis on the alternative visions and forms of cultural expression of often marginalized groups seeking to preserve land and cultures faced with colonization and globalization. We will explore themes such as the connection between native peoples, land, resources and struggles for self-determination; the power of story and artistic expression in illuminating hidden histories; and the role that public art, literature and media can play in community struggles and organizing. With an emphasis on multiculturalism, identity, and especially Native American and Arab cultures, this program will explore the histories of colonialism and Empire and how art, media and narrative have been used as tools of both conquest and resistance. We will draw on critiques of Orientalism, colonialism and the male gaze through indigenous and feminist cinema, literature and art. We will examine how the visions and voices of indigenous and diasporic communities challenge the western cult of individualism, the masculinist notion of the solo artist, and the consumerist system of media production. We will emphasize the participatory, communal and public aspects of art and narrative, situating them within larger, shared cultures and within the historical and socio-political contexts of struggles for self-determination. We will also explore perspectives, points-of-view and the politics of representation, as well as the tensions between individualism and collaboration in the production process. With attention to the role of spectator and consumer, we will examine the reception, circulation and marketing of art forms, and the dangers of their political and cultural co-optation, as we envision community-based alternatives to capitalist production and consumption of art. Students will learn to read cultural texts, including film, visual art and literature, to understand the relationships of people and communities to their environments and their sense of shared identity. Students will develop skills in visual and media literacy, creative and expository writing, analytical reading and viewing, literary analysis, and the terminologies and methodologies of cultural and gender studies, film history and theory, and art history. Through workshops, students will also learn a range of community documentation skills, including photography, video, radio-audio documentary, interviewing and oral history, ethnography and auto-ethnography. Students will have the opportunity to work individually and collaboratively in the contexts of cultural and community engagement. visual studies, film studies, cultural studies, literary studies, Native American studies, Arab studies, gender studies, community organizing and advocacy, documentary journalism, and education. Lara Evans Therese Saliba Laurie Meeker Freshmen FR Fall
Visual Vocabularies: Exploring the Canons of Art and Literature

Donald Foran and Evan Blackwell

communications literature visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter How does culture inform art? How does art inform culture? How are the practices of art and writing informed by place? What are the relationships between the message and the medium, any genre and its practice? In this program we will explore these and other questions by investigating the materials, media, messages, and composition of the tangible world. As far as possible, we will honor the primacy of place, our campus, our homes, parks and special places, always alive to the textures of the known world. We will consider many ways of seeing, ways of knowing, ways of creating, and ways of interpreting reality. As readers, we will study the compelling theories of art and culture. As writers, we will carefully craft personal essays, academic essays, stories, and poems. As artists, we will explore new ways to make art and communicate ideas, especially through 2D and 3D art explorations. We will collaboratively focus on these themes in lectures, workshops, studio work, seminar discussions, and creative projects. In fall quarter we will begin our quest by introducing John Dewey’s and Joseph Campbell’s These classics will light the way. Further, we will explore new ways to make art and communicate ideas. Our inquiry may take us into the world of drawing, painting, photography, letter-press, book-making, ceramics, mixed-media art, installation art, and layers of meaning embedded in the ordinary. Material transformations will spring to life. The relationship between art and literature, making and communicating will be a daily focus in the program. Each student’s own forays into the world of art will build on these foundations. Similarly, structure, characterization, imagery, and theme in stories, plays, and poetry will stimulate our writing. Literary works include by Franz Kafka, by Vladimir Nabokov and the stories of Raymond Carver. Films and short pieces by Robert Coles, Eudora Welty, Langston Hughes, Mary Oliver, Stanley Kunitz, James Baldwin, Lucille Clifton, and Kay Boyle will broaden our discussions. The relationship between art and literature, making and communicating, will be a daily focus in the program. Guest artists will join us on occasion for lectures and workshops during both quarters of the program. In winter quarter we will study more complex artistic and literary approaches to visual vocabularies. We will further our reading, writing and art projects by dividing into intensives, four-week concentrations leading to a culminating art and writing presentation at the end of the quarter. Faculty will mentor students as they bring these creative projects to fruition. In addition to punctuality and participation in all program activities and assignments, students are expected to work about 40 hours per week including class time. art, literature, and communication. Donald Foran Evan Blackwell Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
World Beyond: The Illusive and Grotesque in Japanese Literature and Film

Setsuko Tsutsumi

aesthetics literature media studies 

  Program SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring Fantasy literature has been enjoying a renewed recognition since 1960s. As if it is the token of growing interest in the genre, we find ourselves surrounded by increasing numbers of science fiction, grotesque stories, surrealistic stories, and Anime. Why are they gaining such popularity? What are the phenomena telling us? This program will explore major Japanese fantasy literature in an attempt to delineate the nature and characteristics of fantasy literature and film. Japanese literature has a long tradition of crossing borders between the real and unreal. Examination of its themes and methods, along with its historical changes, will help us, in a microcosmic way, to explain the surge of the genre and the social needs which called for their emergence.  We will first examine the tradition of the illusive quality in major classical works such as the great novel of the early eleventh century, , and apparition Noh plays of the fifteenth century. We will analyze their non-human qualities and the ways they transcend the limitations of time and space in order to explore the mysterious inner workings of the human mind.  After studying ghost stories of the eighteen century, we will continue to explore the works in modern times: unique Gothic works of Izumi Kyoka; Soseki's , which critics once stated as "Beginning of Modern Japanese Fantasy"; and Yasunari Kawabata’s , which demonstrates his unique aesthetics.  We will also address the theme of urban fantasies in contemporary literature. With the development of capitalism and technology, the urban cities became the space of mazes and an epidemic reflecting our anxiety and isolation. The demonic, grotesque, and nonsense nature of mega cities were well reflected in various genres of literature and films. We will analyze the form of the fantasy in those works and attempt to define their significance.   Through our examination of the works in the program, we hope to clarify what we need to set us free from the confines of realism and project our mind through supernatural or uncanny phenomena. Japanese literature, Japanese film, and Japanese studies. Setsuko Tsutsumi Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Writers of the South

Donald Foran

literature 

  Course FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 6 04 06 Day SuSummer In this course, students will read, discuss, and write analyses of works by William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Alice Walker, and Eudora Welty.  Videos of several stories will be screened. The principal theme of the course is captured in Faulkner's phrase, "the human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about" Students registering for 6 credits will meet together during additional class times to be determined by the students. Donald Foran Tue Wed Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Writer's Paradise

Steven Hendricks and Nancy Parkes

literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 8, 12 04 08 12 Evening and Weekend SuSummer is open to writers of all ability levels seeking an intensive writing experience that complements a busy summer schedule. Students may enroll for 12 credits (both sessions), 8 credits (first session), or 4 credits (second session). Choose to focus on poetry, fiction, essays and/or creative non-fiction. Peer critique groups will be required to meet weekly at a mutually agreeable time (outside of scheduled class time). Faculty will offer extensive individual support and time to students. Program work will include seminars on short fiction, a novel, and non-fiction; regular writing workshops; in-class critique; day hikes, and desktop design workshops (work varies depending on enrollment—see below). Students enrolled in first session will attend weekly program meetings, participate in seminars, workshops and peer critique. Saturday class will, on two occasions, consist of a day hike somewhere in the beautiful Puget Sound area. On alternate Saturdays, students will attend writing and design workshops on campus and learn to digitally design and print their own editions of their writing. Second session emphasizes independent work on a substantial manuscript. The whole class will meet during the first week of the quarter, followed immediately by an intensive weekend writing retreat full of activities, discussions, and preparations for the rest of the session. Students will then work to complete a manuscript, attend regular peer critique meetings, and meet one-on-one with faculty to discuss their work. Students will attend two final class meetings during the last week of the session when they will present and discuss their work. For more information about hikes, weekend intensives, and other program activities, please visit the program website: Steven Hendricks Nancy Parkes Mon Wed Fri Sat Sun Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Writing Beyond the Basics

Peter Bacho

communications literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 4, 8 04 08 Day SuSummer This two session class will enhance writing skills needed for communicating with academic and popular audiences. During the first session, students will study effective editing, advanced composition, and MLA formatting while focusing on projects associated with the dissemination of community resource materials such as editorials and position papers. During the second session, students will study creative writing. They will focus on creating a credible protagonist, building tension, developing cohesive and dramatically effective plots, and reading their work before other members of the workshop. communications, public policy, literature (teaching), literary criticism (teaching and writing) Peter Bacho Tue Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Writing from the Wild

Nancy Parkes and Rebecca Chamberlain

communications literature sustainability studies writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Evening and Weekend SSpring How do we cultivate a practice of writing and a way of life that draws from authentic experience energized by wildness and rootedness to place? Through a stimulating program of writing, walking, hiking, nature observation, reading, research, and basic natural history, we will cultivate our power as writers and artists to awaken our sense of the wild. We will examine how to develop 'voice' in writing by reconnecting with the natural world and engaging with powerful places. Participants will have a choice to write in several genres, including but not limited to memoir/personal essay, creative non-fiction, poetry, fiction, and performance-based writing. They will keep a program journal, write and revise a series of short works, and build upon their understanding of environmental education and sustainability. We will participate in a variety of creative writing workshops that expose students to different genres. Two weekend intensives/fieldtrips will allow us to retreat from the technological world and connect to our embodied creative natures. Students can elect to hike in groups paced at their level.  Students should have at least one work that they submit for e-publication and presentation at the end of the program. communications, writing and literature, environmental policy, education Nancy Parkes Rebecca Chamberlain Wed Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Writing: On the Page and in the Frame

Marilyn Freeman

literature media arts writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 8 08 Day SuSummer This course explores the essay as a catalytic and experimental form of creative nonfiction in literary and media arts. Autobiographic, lyrical, contemplative, improvisational, poetic, process-oriented, performative—essayists defy and blend genres, craft, and technologies to create one of the most compelling interdisciplinary art forms in contemporary culture. Lectures, readings, screenings, critique sessions, and seminar combine to support this course’s central focus – writing essays for the page and screen. writing, literature, media arts. Marilyn Freeman Tue Thu Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Summer
Writing the New Journalism - Creative Nonfiction

Thomas Foote

communications field studies literature writing 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter Writers have come to realize that the genre of nonfiction writing can be as colorful and gripping as any piece of fiction. The difference is that nonfiction writers are not burdened with inventing characters, dialogue, plot and description because everything they write about actually happened. Creative Nonfiction writers assemble the facts and events and array them artistically and stylistically, using the descriptive techniques of the fiction writer. They immerse themselves in a venue, set about gathering their facts while demonstrating scrupulous accuracy, and then write an account of what happened in their own voice. The Greyhound Bus Company advertised, “getting there is half the fun.” In the genre of Creative Nonfiction, because the reader already knows how the piece ends before it begins. Students will become proficient with the form through intensive fieldwork, research and writing. We will begin by studying field research methodology in preparation for observational studies in the field designed to teach the difference between looking and truly seeing. Students can’t write and describe something they can’t see clearly. Betty Edwards in writes, “drawing is not really very difficult. Seeing is the problem, or, to be more specific, shifting to a particular way of seeing.” Edwards teaches that if you could it, you could draw it. Students in this program will do a lot of looking with the goal of eventually seeing what they’re looking at. Like documentary filmmakers, we will pay particular attention to visual metaphor.  Students will conduct field research to learn to pay attention to detail, read and discuss representative examples of the form, and meet weekly in regularly scheduled writing workshop. Following a period of redrafting and corrections, students will present their final piece to the group in the last week of Fall quarter. They will submit this polished piece for publication in a magazine or journal.  We will read and discuss Creative Nonfiction pieces written by noted authors. A partial book list includes, by John Krakauer, , by Sebastian Junger, , by John Berendt, , by Barbara Myerhoff. Other readings will be added. In Winter quarter, we will continue our study of Creative Non-Fiction and sharpen our sensitivity to literary techniques through reading and discussing representative pieces by noted authors such as, Susan Orlean, Mitch Albom, Greg Mortenson and Hunter S. Thompson. Students will spend much of their time working on their individual Major Nonfiction Narrative. This form allows the use of first-person narration, demands careful attention to detail, and requires the writer to be immersed in a subject area over an extended period of time. Students will immerse themselves in a venue of their choice, subject to approval by the faculty, which will provide the subject matter for their Narrative. We will also use the Ethnographic field research techniques of analysis and interpretation to add depth to the narrative. Following a period of redrafting and corrections, students will polish the final piece and send it out for publication. creative writing, creative nonfiction, the humanities, and journalism. Thomas Foote Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall