Most RC courses are open to LS&A students and may be used to meet distribution requirements.
236/Film-Video 236. The Art of the Film.
(4). (HU). Laboratory fee ($45) required.
Lectures and demonstrations isolate the different elements and techniques (i.e., film stock, lighting, camera placement and movement, actors, special effects, sound, and editing) that the director and crew utilize in film-making to shape the viewer's response. Some historical developments, artistic and technological, are discussed. Recitation sections analyze and interpret significant films.
255. Film Experience.
(4). (Excl).
Study of film theory and practice as manifested in the work of such directors as Sergei Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen, Frank Capra, Satajit Ray.
257. Visual Sources.
(4). (HU).
Introduction to analysis of the visual arts: painting, architecture, photography, performance. Training in practical skills of formal analysis and in theory of perception, with attention given to issues of medium, materials, craft, and cultural context.
260/Dance 220. The Art of Dance: An Introduction to American and European Dance History, Aesthetics, and Criticism.
(3). (HU).
An introduction to dance history, aesthetics, criticism for non-dance majors: dance form and content; dancer and choreographer; styles of dance; role of dance in society. Course offers a basic survey of American and European dance in 19th and 20th Cent.
275. The Western Mind in Revolution: Six Interpretations of the Human Condition.
(4). (Excl).
Treats six major reinterpretations of the human condition from the 16th to 20th centuries generated by intellectual revolutions in astronomy (Copernicus); theology (Luther); biology (Darwin); sociology (Marx); psychology (Freud); and physics (Einstein).
290. The Experience of Arts and Ideas in the Twentieth Century.
(4). (HU).
Introduction to major aesthetic movements of 20th century art: cubism, dada, surrealism, abstract expressionism, post-modernism through close reading and comparison of selected examples of literature and the visual arts. Emphasis on formal analysis of each work.
291. The Experience of Arts and Ideas in the Nineteenth Century.
(4). (HU).
Introduction to major aesthetic movements of 19th century art: Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Symbolism, through close reading and analysis of selected examples of literature and the visual arts. Emphasis on formal analysis of each work.
309. Classical Sources of Modern Culture.
(4). (HU).
Traces the development of narrative and dramatic literary form from Homer to Late Roman Prose. In the visual arts, traces evolution of style from geometric abstraction to Classical idealism, to Roman historical portraiture and illusionistic wall painting.
310. Medieval Sources of Modern Culture.
Sophomore standing. (4). (HU).
Examines representative works of literature and the visual arts from late Pagan/Early Christian times, through the high Medieval period. Emphasis on close reading of text and image, exploration of iconographical repertory, and distinctive formal systems, such as typology and allegory.
311. Intellectual Currents of the Renaissance.
Sophomore standing. (4). (HU).
Interdisciplinary study of a configuration of works in literature and the visual arts selected to disclose a particular problem in renaissance aesthetics: space, textuality, representation. Emphasis on close reading and analysis of Shakespeare, Rabelais, Titian, Bosch, Brueghel, Dürer, and others.
312/Slavic Film 312. Central European Cinema.
A knowledge of Russian is not required. (3). (HU). Laboratory fee ($50) required.
Central European (Polish, Czechoslovak, Hungarian, Yugoslav) cinema studied against the background of the political, social, ideological, and artistic factors which helped shape it. The course spans the period 1958-1995, and covers the works of major directors: Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Milos Forman, Jiri Menzel, Vera Chytilova, Marta Meszaros, Istvan Szabo, Dusan Makavejev, and Srdan Karanovic. Films by all of the above directors and others are viewed, analyzed, and discussed both with respect to their intrinsic, aesthetic structure and with respect to the cultural trends and socio-political events of the period and country.
313/Slavic Film 313. Russian Cinema.
(3). (HU). Laboratory fee ($50) required.
Russian cinema studied against the background of the artistic and political revolutions which helped shape it. The course spans the period 1917-1995, from the Russian pioneers of film montage (Sergei Eisenstein, Vsevolod Pudovkin, Dziga Vertov, Alexander Dovzhenko) to the varied cinematic approaches of contemporary directors such as Andrei Tarkovsky, Nikita Mikhalkov, and Alexander Konchalovsky. Films by all of the above directors and others are viewed, analyzed, and discussed both with respect to their intrinsic, aesthetic structure and with respect to the cultural trends and socio-political events of the period and country.
317. The Writings of Latinas.
A course in women's studies or Latina/o studies. (4). (HU).
This course has its focus on the writings of Latinas in the U.S. It explores their confrontations of such issues as colonial domination and political or economic exile. The required texts address the position of women within their own cultural.ethnic/racial group as well as within a dominant culture.
318. Critical Approaches to Literature.
(4). (HU).
Introduction to major currents in contemporary critical theory, structuralist, semiotic, psychoanalytic, deconstructionist, through reading of primary texts in conjunction with exemplary works in literature and the visual arts.
319. Topics in Film.
(3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of nine credits.
Course content varies with specific topic and instructors. The course offers opportunities for in-depth study and analysis of genre, style, and other aspects of film.
333. Art and Culture.
(4). (Excl).
The concern of this course is to examine the mechanics, theories, and the effects of the interaction of art and culture. Topics include the political function of the arts, the impact of new technologies, the effect of popular taste on high art, and the role of art criticism.
344. Tradition and Invention: Aspects of the Arts in 18th Century Europe.
Sophomore standing. (3). (HU).
Seminar with slides examining art and ideas in the age of reason, sensibility, satire and social reform. Direct study of painting and architecture, supplemented by readings which explore art works in broader cultural contexts.
363/Phil. 363. Philosophical Bases of Communism, Fascism, and Democracy.
One Philosophy Introduction. (4). (HU).
An account of the philosophical ideas underlying liberal democracy, communism, and fascism, with special attention given to democracy and fascism. Particular emphasis is placed on the theoretical discussion of democracy and on the origin and systematic character of the official Soviet philosophy.
470. Philosophy and Public Affairs.
Junior standing. (4). (Excl).
Deals with a series of philosophical issues arising repeatedly in the making of public policy. Most of these issues have a complicated history, and some attention to their history is given, but the main emphasis is upon efforts to resolve these controversial matters by contemporary judges and philosophers.
472. Arts and Ideas Senior Seminar.
(4). (Excl).
In depth study of a problem involving the close reading and comparison of literature and the visual arts. Topic changes each year: Representation of the Self; Semiotic Theory; Television Text Analysis; The New York School.
475/Chinese 475/Phil. 475/Asian Studies 475/Hist. of Art 487. The Arts and Letters of China.
(4). (HU).
An interdisciplinary introduction to Chinese civilization through the study of significant and representative works from philosophy, art, drama, and literature. Taught jointly by a team of faculty specialists.
214. Fundamentals of Narrative Fiction.
(4). (HU).
Students read a variety of tales, novellas, and novels that demonstrate comparable or divergent styles of narrative. Chosen from different cultural contexts, the works are grouped to emphasize different aspects of narrative--historical, autobiographical, realistic, allegorical, or fantastic-- revealing the distinctive and universal elements of all narrative prose.
215. Poetry.
(4). (HU).
Approximately ten poets are read and discussed in some depth in order to give students concrete experience in the poetic tradition of English speaking cultures. The latter third of the course surveys several dozen recent poets who are either rebelling against or extending that tradition in new directions. Two novels with poetic style and organization are also read.
340. Four Interdisciplinary Studies in 19th and 20th Century Intellectual History: Psychoanalysis, Mysticism, Nihilism and Marxism.
Junior/senior standing. (4). (HU).
This course compares and contrasts the presentation in several disciplines and literary genres of several ideas that have redefined western man's concept of himself: the emergence of "psychological man"; the attack upon science and reason; the decay of Christian morality; the rise of totalitarian states.
341. Latin American Literature.
(4). (Excl).
Examines themes of major novelists, short story writers, and poets. The literature is considered in historical, social, and anthropological contexts as well as in the artistic context.
360. The Existential Quest in the Modern Novel.
Junior/senior standing. (4). (Excl).
This course studies existentialism as a literary as well as philosophical movement united by a number of common theological, social and psychological themes and problems.
410. Upperclass Literature Seminar.
(4). (HU). May be repeated for credit.
Varies in content from term to term. In principle the course explores in considerable depth aesthetic and critical problems in comparative literature. This can include the study of particular authors, general themes and motifs in a given period, literary theory, practical criticism, artistic creation.
411. Translation Seminar.
Reading proficiency in a foreign language. Upperclass standing. (4). (Excl).
This seminar is concerned with the theory and practice of translating literature and with the recognition of the problems involved in the art of translation.
417/MARC 417. Epic and Saga.
(4). (Excl).
This course looks closely at early heroic works in English translation with special attention to literary values, cultural implications, and the movement from oral to written traditions.
451/Russian 451. Survey of Russian Literature.
A knowledge of Russian is not required. (3). (HU).
Russian literature 1820-1870, with emphasis on Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. Lectures, assigned reading, and discussions.
452/Russian 452. Survey of Russian Literature.
A knowledge of Russian is not required. (3). (HU).
Russian literature from circa 1870 to 1905 with emphasis upon Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Leskov, Chekhov, and Gorky. Lectures, assigned readings, and discussions.
476/Chinese 476/Asian Studies 476. Writer and Society in Modern China.
No knowledge of Chinese is required. (4). (HU).
A course examining the role and self-conception of the writer in relation to the changing historical context of modern China, through the study of works of narrative fiction, criticism, and literary theory.
220. Narration.
Permission of instructor. (4). (CE).
Students submit approximately 5 pages of prose fiction every two weeks in addition to rewriting previous submissions. Collections of short fiction and short novels by established writers are read. Each student meets privately with the instructor weekly.
221. The Writing of Poetry.
Permission of instructor. (4). (CE).
The class meets three hours a week as a group, and each student receives additional individual criticism from the instructor. Assigned poetry is read and discussed and student's poems are presented to the class for appraisal and criticism. Poetic forms and the relation of form to content are stressed. In addition each student is required to read extensively the work of one poet.
222. Writing for Children and Young Adults.
(4). (CE).
Students are offered an opportunity to gain experience in the preparation of fiction for children and young adults. Instruction aims at the development of story ideas and narrative forms relevant and comprehensible to young people. Emphasis is also placed on the purpose of children's literature and its relationship to literature as a whole, the experience of childhood, and the visual arts.
242. Creative Adaptation: Fact Into Fantasy.
Completion of the Introductory Composition requirement. (4). (CE).
Students adapt research from various sources into creative forms, e.g., short stories, poetry, drama, film. The course expands students' knowledge in their own fields while offering opportunities for creative expression.
320. Advanced Narration.
Hums. 220 and permission of instructor. (4). (CE).
Three short stories of at least twenty-five pages each, or three long segments of a novel-in-progress are submitted during the term and are read by all members of the class. The class meets together as a workshop and each student meets individually with the instructor for private discussion of work completed and in progress.
321. Advanced Poetry Writing.
Hums. 221 and permission of instructor. (4). (CE).
This is an advanced poetry writing workshop. Students must be willing to read their poems in class and actively participate in the critical evaluation of other students' work. A finished manuscript of 25-30 poems is a course requirement.
322. Advanced Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Hums. 222 and permission of instructor. (4). (CE).
Course emphasizes elements of narrative fiction in writing for young readers. Group meetings alternate with private conferences with instructor. Readings assigned on an individual basis. Course work is determined jointly by the student and instructor.
Hums 325,326,425,426 Creative Writing Tutorials.
(4). (Excl).
Tutorials provide an opportunity for students who want to write, no matter how sophisticated their work, to have their efforts recognized with constructive criticism and academic credit. Reading may or may not be assigned, depending upon the background needs of the individual student. Tutorial students meet privately with the instructor each week. Permission of instructor is required. (Hecht/Mikolowski/Balducci/Taylor)
325. Creative Writing Tutorial.
Hums. 220, 221, 222 and permission of instructor. (4). (Excl).
Independent programs in supervised writing.
326. Creative Writing Tutorial.
Hums. 325 and permission of instructor. (4). (Excl).
Independent programs in supervised writing.
425. Creative Writing Tutorial.
Permission of instructor. (4). (Excl).
Independent programs in supervised writing.
426. Creative Writing Tutorial.
Permission of instructor. (4). (Excl).
Independent programs in supervised writing.
280/English 245/Theatre 211. Introduction to Drama and Theatre.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in RC Hums. 281. (4). (HU).
This course aims to introduce students to as many basic aspects of the theatre, practical and theoretical, as time allows. It also presents them with a number of key plays from various periods, and examines them from the point of view of their dramatic qualities, their theatrical strengths, their social and political contexts, their performance history, and their relevance today. The course functions by lecture and sections, the latter allowing more detailed discussion and some elementary scene-work.
281. Introduction to Comedy and Tragedy.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in RC Hums. 280. (4). (HU).
A study of comedy from the commedia origins in the sixteenth century to theatre of the absurd, using tragedy as a contrast rather than as a focus. Masks, stage tricks, and other technical matters are treated. Reference is made to Greek and Roman theatre, and the relation of comedy to farce and of tragedy to melodrama is examined.
282. Drama Interpretation I: Actor and Text.
(4). (CE).
The dramatic text is studied from the actor's perspective as a script which communicates verbal and gestic cues by means of written dialogue. The course focuses upon the manner in which this is done, and upon methods of translating these written cues into appropriate human behavior. Attention is given to theories and criticism of performance techniques, and to specific acting problems presented by differing styles and genres.
380. Greek Theatre.
(4). (Excl).
A special seminar section exploring particular stage and production elements of the plays covered in Greek 463.
381. Shakespeare on the Stage.
Hums. 280. (4). (HU).
An introduction to Shakespeare as a dramatic artist through close study of eight of his major plays; appreciation of the plays as dramatic experiences; a functional notion of the shape of Shakespeare's career as a whole; and a basic grasp of the historical, philosophical, social, and theatrical contexts of Shakespearean drama.
382. Molière and His Theatre.
Hums. 280. (4). (HU).
A survey of the career of Jean Baptiste Poquelin, from the early farces to the great comedies. Approximately twelve plays are examined in detail through scene presentations and analyses. Particular attention is paid to the theatrical conditions pertaining in Moliere's day. A workshop in the comic techniques of Italian Commedia Dell'arte is included.
383. Ibsen and Strindberg.
(4). (HU).
Focuses on Ibsen and Strindberg as major figures in the development of modern western drama. The best-known "naturalistic" plays of both authors are studied together in the historical-critical context of dramatic realism. The later plays of each (Ibsen's symbolic and mystical, Strindberg's expressionist) receive independent treatment to demonstrate their ultimate influence on the chief forms of twentieth-century drama.
385. The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht.
(4). (HU).
A comprehensive study of the development, nature, and influence of Bertolt Brecht's playwriting, dramaturgy, and dramatic theory both in its German setting and in its impact on international theatre.
386/MARC 421. Medieval Drama.
Hums. 280. (4). (Excl).
Designed to trace parallel developments in the medieval drama of France and England, with special reference to problems of production, from the tenth century to the sixteenth century. The Germanic origins and the German carnival play are included as well.
387. Renaissance Drama.
(4). (Excl).
Examines common interests and techniques in the works of the major dramatists of the Renaissance, from its beginnings in the Italian Commedia Dell'arte and Spanish Golden Age, through Elizabethan and Jacobean England, to its culmination in the classic theatre of France. The playwrights include Lope de Vega, Ben Johnson, Moliere, and Racine, but the greatest emphasis falls upon Shakespeare.
388. Restoration and Georgian Comedy.
(4). (Excl).
Reading and scene production focus on the major authors: Etherege, Wycherley, Congreve, Goldsmith, and Sheridan. Time is devoted, however, to searching for comic value in other playwrights as well as for exploring the peculiar hybrids produced during this period: the "sentimental comedy", the burlesque tragedy, and the ballad opera.
389. The Modern Theatre.
Hums. 280. (4). (HU). May be repeated for credit.
This course is intended to complete the student's overview of the development of drama by outlining major themes, ideas, and characteristics of theatre from approximately 1880 to the present day. The development of drama within one particular country, e.g., France, England, Germany, is covered. The country studied varies each term the course is offered.
390. Special Period and Place Drama.
Hums. 280. (4). (Excl). May be repeated for credit.
Covers the development and major characteristics of drama from a particular area or period. The period or place varies each term the course is offered, e.g., the "Irish Dramatic Movement", "Melodrama".
480. Dramatic Theory and Criticism.
RC Hums. 280 and three drama courses. (4). (HU).
Explores major dramatic criticism from Aristotle to the present, treating such questions as plotting, characterization, generic conventions, and the effect of particular styles on an audience.
481. Play Production Seminar.
(4). (Excl).
The course, an upper-level seminar for drama majors, is an intensive study of all the essential activities preparatory to the realization of a single full-length play production. The aim is to engage thoroughly and cooperatively in the preparation of a dramatic text for production, to discover what the chosen text contains and how it realizes its content in its intended medium, the theatre.
483. Theatre of the Absurd.
(4). (Excl).
Deals with the theatre of the absurd in general and concentrates on the works of Beckett, Pinter, Max Frisch, and to a lesser degree Ionesco and Gunter Grass. Plays are analyzed in conventional, literary, and practical theatrical terms with particular emphasis on style, structure, and impact.
482. Drama Interpretation II: Performance Workshop.
Hums. 280 and either Hums. 282 or playwriting. (4-6). (CE).
A workshop-style class which integrates the studies of playwriting, acting, and directing. Students of each art work with each other's material. The course culminates in an end-of-term production in which directors direct actors in original plays by playwrights.
484. Seminar in Drama Topics.
Upperclass standing, Hums. 280, and three 300- or 400-level drama courses. (4). (Excl). May be repeated for credit.
A course in specialized topics intended for upperclass drama students who have considerable experience in drama study at introductory, major figure and period/place levels. Subject matter varies from term to term and is appropriate to the needs of the students and the special competencies of the instructors.
485. Special Drama Topics.
Sophomore standing. (1-2). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit. May be repeated for a total of four credits.
Special topics in drama.
250. Chamber Music.
(1). (CE). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
Studying and performing vocal and instrumental chamber music. Responsibilities include three to four hours of group and individual rehearsal time each week and participation in one or more chamber music concerts.
251. Topics in Music.
(4). (HU).
An in-depth aesthetic, historical, and musical analysis of several significant masterworks from a given period or style of music.
252. Topics in Music.
(4). (HU).
An in-depth aesthetic, historical, and musical analysis of several significant masterworks from a given period or style of music.
253. Choral Ensemble.
(1). (CE). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
Students rehearse and perform some of the great choral literature from 1600 to the present. The class studies the historical significance of each composition, and a complete musical and aesthetic analysis is made of each work studied.
254. The Human Voice as An Acoustical Instrument.
(4). (CE).
Practical training through exercises and songs to teach control of the vocal mechanism for acoustically correct singing. Acoustic and physiological principles related to voice control, and principles of the Alexander Technique are studied.
350. Creative Musicianship.
(4). (CE).
This music theory-composition course is designed to give students the skills necessary to create and understand music. No previous background is required.
351. Creative Musicianship Lab.
Hums. 350. (1-2). (CE).
Required lab course to be taken with Humanities 350. It provides additional training in the three basic elements of music (melody, harmony, rhythm) through reading, writing, singing, and the use of ear-training tapes and computer programs.