All courses are three credits unless otherwise stated.

WLIT 202/402 – Introduction to Greek Poetry (Homer)
T.R. 10:00 – 11:15
Timothy Wutrich

(Cross-listed as GREK 202/402) Homeric poetry is the subject of this course. Students will review Homeric Greek vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and prosody, and read selections from the Iliad. Prereq: GREK 102 or equivalent.

WLIT 212 – World Literature II
T.R. 1:15– 2:30
Florin Berindeanu

Survey of literature from 1600 to present. May include Western and non-Western texts by Swift, Voltaire, Rousseau, Tolstoi, Baudelaire, Austen, Mann, Kafka, Lispector, Marmon Silko, Soyinka.

WLIT 204 – Heroes and Hustlers
M.W. 3:00 – 4:15
Ricardo Apostol

(Cross-listed as CLSC 204) The Romans were a lot of things – Greek speakers and Latin speakers, Christians, Jews, and every sort of pagan you could possibly imagine – but when they wrote, they were invariably sophisticated, witty, and very, very alien. This course offers a window into the diversity of ancient Rome and its literary sensibilities, whether you want to be titillated by the erotic verse of Ovid and Catullus, chortle at the misadventures of Lucius as he wanders around the Mediterranean in the shape of a donkey, thrill at the stories of Rome’s foundation as depicted by Vulcan on the shield of Aeneas, or stand stupefied before the deeds of historical ne’er-do-wells like Clodia and Antony. In addition to learning about major works and trends in Roman literature, we’ll also take a crash course on the basics of literary study and especially contemporary criticism and theory as we try to come to terms with 400 years’ worth of the glory and the squalor of the Eternal City. Fulfills the Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.

WLIT 222 – Classical Tradition 2: The Birth of Archaeology
T.R. 2:45 – 4:00
Florin Berindeanu

(Cross-listed as CLSC 222) The course will focus on the history of diverse methods for studying societies remote in time and space; i.e., on the formation of the distinct disciplines of archaeology and anthropology, and the interest in the origins of human society and cultural practices. The birth of archaeology occurred in the context of the profound transformation of European cultural life in the eighteenth century, the era of the Enlightenment. On the basis of a range of cultural productions (literary and historical texts, objects of luxury and use, etc.), we will study visual and literary works and consider the relationship between different modes of artistic production and expression, as well as the marketing and display of prestigious objects, whether ancient or modern. We will consider the eighteenth-century model of experiential education, the “Grand Tour,” and the formation of private and public collections, as well as the emergence of the museum as institution. Finally, we will also consider important recent work on the relationship between the production of luxury commodities (sugar, coffee, tea, etc.) through the plantation economy in the Americas and beyond and the development of attitudes and ideas in Europe. Fulfills the Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement.

WLIT 224 – Sword and Scandal: The Classics in Film
T.R. 2:45 – 4:00
Ricardo Apostol

(Cross-listed as CLSC 224) Gladiator. Alexander. The 300. Contemporary society’s continuing fascination with putting the ancient world on the big screen is undeniable; and yet the causes underlying this phenomenon are not quite so readily apparent. In this course we will watch and discuss a number of movies about the ancient world, running the gamut from Hollywood classics such as Ben-Hur and Spartacus to more recent treatments (the aforementioned 300 and Gladiator, for starters), and from the mainstream and conventional (Clash of the Titans, Disney’s Hercules) to the far-out and avant-garde (Fellini’s Satyricon, anyone?). As we do so we’ll learn quite a bit about the art and economics of film, on one hand, and the ancient world, on the other. And yet what we’ll keep coming back to are the big questions: what does our fascination with the ancient Mediterranean tell us about ourselves as a society? Why do such movies get made, and what kinds of agendas do they serve? To what extent can we recapture the past accurately? And if we can’t, are we doomed to just endlessly projecting our own concerns and desires onto a screen, and dressing them in togas? No knowledge of ancient languages is required for this course.

WLIT 225 – Japanese Popular Culture
T.R. 2:45-4:00
Margaret Fitzgerald

(Cross-listed as JAPN 225) This course highlights salient aspects of modern Japanese popular culture as expressed in animation, comics and literature. The works examined include films by Hayao Miyazaki, writings by Kenji Miyazawa, Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto, among others. The course introduces students to essential aspects of modern Japanese popular culture and sensibility.

WLIT 232/432 – Vergil
T.R. 4:30 – 5:45
Timothy Wutrich

(Cross-listed as LATN 202/402) In this course we read and discuss selections from Vergil’s poetry, looking briefly at the Eclogues and Georgics, but dealing primarily with the Aeneid. We consider language, style, and meter, and continue to build Latin vocabulary and reinforce the command of Latin grammar and syntax. Literary analysis and interpretation of the Aeneid as well as the performance aspect of Latin epic also features in class meetings. In addition to daily translation, course work includes vocabulary quizzes, two exams (midterm and final), a passage to memorize and recite, and a paper. Prerequisite:  LATN 200-level course or equivalent.

WLIT 235 – Asian Cinema and Drama
T.R 2:45-4:00, T 4:00 – 5:45
Linda Ehrlich

(Cross-listed as ASIA 235) Introduction to major Asian film directors and major traditional theatrical schools of India, Java/Bali, China, and Japan. Focus on the influence of traditional dramatic forms on contemporary film directors. Development of skills in cross-cultural analysis and comparative aesthetics.

WLIT 255 – Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
T.R. 1:15-2:30
Linda Ehrlich

(Cross-listed as JAPN 255) Focus on the major genres of modern Japanese literature, including poetry, short story, and novel (shosetsu). No knowledge of Japanese language or history is assumed. Lectures, readings, and discussions are in English. Films and slides complement course readings.

WLIT 295 -The Francophone World
T.R. 10:00-11:15
Gilbert Doho

(Cross-listed as ETHS 295 and FRCH 295) The course offers an introduction to the Francophone World from a historical, cultural, and literary perspective. The Francophone World includes countries and regions around the globe with a substantial French-speaking population (and where French is sometimes, but not always, an official language): North America (Louisiana, Quebec, and Acadia); North Africa (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt); the Middle-East (Lebanon, Syria); the Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti); Southeast Asia (Vietnam); and Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg). FRCH 295 provides a comprehensive overview of the Francophone World, while focusing on a particular area or areas in any given semester.

WLIT 324/424 – The Sublime and Grotesque in Literature
T.R 11:30 – 12:45
Florin Berindeanu

(Cross-listed as CLSC 324/424) Early on in Western culture the question of sublime and grotesque was addressed by philosophers and writers. Aristotle and especially Longinus initiated the debate over what exactly made a work of art “sublim” or “Grotesque.” This debate eventually in the 18th century gave birth to the discipline of aesthetics, which is one of the main foci of this course. To that end, in this course we will examine a few literary works in light of the most representative theories around the concept of sublime and grotesque: Aristotle, Longinus, Kant, Burke, Baumgartner, Nietzsche and Kierkegaaard. Their theories will be applied to some of the most celebrated literary masterpieces written by Homer, Ovid, Dante, Cervantes and others. Fulfills Global and Cultural Diversity Requirement. 

WLIT 329 – Modern and Contemporary Dance
M.W.F 11:30 – 12:20
Robert Ullom

(Cross-listed asTHTR 329)Theatre 329 explores the development of western drama and theatre from 1860 through present-day productions.  The course emphasizes the relationship between different theatrical representations and their historical and social context.  Shakespeare’s well-known dictum that “theatre holds a mirror up to nature” is expanded when one examines who is holding that mirror, and how their actions participate in the constantly shifting construction of culture.  Given this premise, the course investigates the development of specific European cultures (England, France, Germany, and Italy) as well as other regions (the United States, South America, and Russia) through the – live and literary – representations they make of themselves.

WLIT 336/436 – Elegy
T.R. 1:15 – 2:30
Staff

(Cross-listed as LATN 356/456) Translation and interpretation of selected elegies by Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, and Ovid. Prereq: LATN 200-level course or equivalent.

WLIT 339/439-Latin American Poetic Revolt
T.R. 1:15-2:30
Christian Gomez Olivares

(Cross-listed as SPAN 339/439) Introduction to most important poets in contemporary Latin America, a region home to a significant number of eminent poets, including Nobel Laureates from Chile, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.  The course focuses on detailed textual analysis of pivotal works, combined with historical-literary perspective, so students gain insight into the diverse styles and tendencies that reflect the tumultuous history of poetry’s development in a relentless search for a Latin American cultural identity.

WLIT 355 – Modern Japanese Novels and the West
T.R. 2:45-4:00
Takao Hagiwara
        

(Cross-listed as JAPN 355) This course will compare modern Japanese and Western novellas, drama, and novels.  Comparisons will focus on the themes of family, gender and alienation, which subsume a number of interrelated sub-themes such as marriage, home, human sexuality, amae (dependence), innocence, experience, death, God/gods, and nature (the ecosystem).

WLIT 368C/468C-Topics in Film: Into to Film Genres
T.R. 2:45-4:00, R 7:00 – 9:30
Robert Spadoni

(Cross-listed as ENGL 368C/468C) Individual topics in film, such as a particular national cinema, horror films, films of Alfred Hitchcock, images of women in film, film comedy, introduction to film genres, Asian-cinema and drama, dance on screen, science fiction films, storytelling and cinema, and literature and film.  Maximum 12 credits.

WLIT 385/485-Hispanic Literature in Translation
M.W.F. 2:00 – 2:50
Jacqueline Nanfito

(Cross-listed as SPAN 385/485 and ETHS 385/485) Critical analysis and appreciation of representative literary masterpieces from Spain and Latin America, and by Hispanics living in the U.S. Texts cover a variety of genres and a range of literary periods, from works by Cervantes to those of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The course will examine the relationship between literature and other forms of artistic production, as well as the development of the Hispanic literary text within the context of historical events and cultural production of the period. Counts toward Spanish major only as related course. No knowledge of Spanish required.

WLIT 391-Introduction to Text Semiotics
M.W. 2:00 – 2:50
Florin Berindeanu

(Cross-listed as COGS 391) Introduction to Text Semiotics addresses both students of Literature and students in Cognitive Science.  Most of the authors included in the reading list extend their linguistic approach towards fields that intersect literature, psychology, philosophy, aesthetics, and anthropology.  The scholarly traditions of text analysis and structural theory of meaning, including authors from classical formalism, structuralism, structural semiotics, and new criticism will be connected to cognitive theories of meaning construction in test, discourse, and cultural expressions in general.  The focus of this course, taught as a seminar, is on empirical studies, specific text analyses, discourse analyses, speech act analyses, and other studies of speech, writing, and uses of language in cultural contexts.  This course thus introduces to a study of literature and cultural expressions based on cognitive science and modern semiotics–the new view that has be coined Cognitive Semiotics.