Courses in Institute for the Humanities (Division 394)

Fall Term, 1999 (September 8 – December 22, 1999)

Take me to the Fall Term '99 Time Schedule for Institute for the Humanities.

Inst. Hum. 101. First Year Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Section 001 – Dance, Landscape in Memory: Movement and Journal that Re-creates Body Geography

Prerequisites & Distribution: Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (HU).

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Section 001 – DECREATION: How Women like Saphho, Perpetua, Hrosvita, Heloise, Marguerite Porete, Emily Dickinson and Simone Weil Tell God. (3 credits). Meets with Institute for the Humanities 511

Instructor(s): Anne Carson

Prerequisites & Distribution: Advanced undergraduate standing. (1-4). (HU). May be repeated for credit.

Credits: (1-4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Problem: "Decreation" is a word used by the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil to refer to "the undoing of the creature in us." What is the creature? and Why undo it? are legitimate questions to ask. We might also ask, What is left after the creature is undone?

This is a course that will study how certain extraordinary women love, hate, fear, long for, go after, revel in and tell about God. All of the women are writers. We will consider how writing is both means and obstacle to women in their pursuit of godly goals. In order to undo the creature in her, does a person have to undo her own writing? How does a writer of God manage the contradiction that arises between her means and her end?

Readings will be selected from the works of the writers listed above.

Grading is based on class participation; frequent (small) presentations; 2 (big) papers or alternately 1 paper and 1 creative project.

This course is open to undergraduate and/or graduate students with especial welcome to those who can read some of the texts in the original languages (Greek, Latin, French) because that always helps. Also welcome are writers and other artists because the subject matter may prove unexpectedly inspiring.

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