To learn more about these courses, stop by our Information Session on April 7, 2008, from 12 - 2 p.m. in the Wrexham Living Room.

Summer classes will run from June 2 – July 18, 2008.

How to Read a Poem (and Why)

Neil Arditi
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. – noon
June 3 – July 17, 2008

This is a course in the art of reading poems, an art that depends on many of the same virtues that inform the art of writing poems. By working our way together through some of the most original and influential poems written in English over the last two centuries, we will trace the evolution of modern poetry. Our largest goal, however, will be to appreciate the unique qualities of every poet—indeed, every poem—we encounter. Authors will include, among others: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, William Butler Yeats, T. S. Eliot, and Elizabeth Bishop. In addition to a thick anthology, we will also make use of John Hollander’s classic guide to versification, Rhyme’s Reason. Students interested in writing poetry will have the opportunity to try their hand at verse forms.

Political Economics of the Environment

Marilyn Power
Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – noon
June 2 – July 16, 2008

Is it possible to provide economic well-being to the world’s population without destroying the natural environment? Is sustainable development a possibility or a utopian dream? How do we determine how much pollution we are willing to live with? Why are toxic waste dumps overwhelmingly located in poor, frequently minority, communities? Whether through activities such as farming, mining, and fishing, through manufacturing processes which discharge wastes, or through the construction of communities and roadways, human economic activity profoundly affects the environment. The growing and contentious field of environmental economics attempts to analyze the environmental impact of economic activity and to propose policies aimed at balancing economic and environmental concerns.There is considerable debate, with some theorists putting great faith in the market’s ability to achieve good environmental outcomes, while others advocate much more direct intervention in defense of the environment, and some question the desirability of economic growth as a goal. Underlying these differences are political and economic questions of distribution of power and resources among classes and groups within the United States and across the globe. This course will explore the range of views, with an emphasis on understanding the assumptions underlying their disagreements and on the policy implications of these views. The concepts will be developed through an examination of policy debates of issues such as air pollution and global warming, the decimation of the world’s fish population, automobiles and the reliance on petrochemicals, and the possibility of sustainable development. Open to all interested students.

Chinese Literature: The Short Story

Ellen Neskar
Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
June 2 – July 16, 200

This course begins with the notion that the short story offers a window onto the cultural, literary, and political traditions of China. We will focus on the close reading of stories from two pivotal periods in Chinese social and literary history: the 16th and 20th centuries. Our goal, in part, will be to discover the continuities and transformations of the genre in both its content and form. Therefore, our approach to the texts will involve both literary and historical analysis. Topics for class discussion will include: the nature and definitions of the individual; the relationship between the self and society; changing notions of honor, virtue, and individualism; and the role of fiction in promoting cultural norms and creating a Chinese modernity.

Introduction to Photographic Vision

Zeke Berman
Mondays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
June 2 – July 17, 2008

Re-learn to make photographs and see them in a different way. Through progressive exercises in seeing and recording, your camera will become a tool and means for communication and self-discovery. Using digital cameras, you will learn camera controls and the basics of digital image editing, archiving, and printing. We will also explore studio lighting and created imagery. We will cover the new media technologies of photo-blogs and simple Web page creation. An ink-jet book will be made from student work. A Web site for the class will be created with text, images, and links relevant to class materials.

Because of the reliance on computers in this class, students will need to have access to the Internet at home and be familiar with the basics of computer usage: using text and e-mail applications, and creating and storing files/folders on their computers.