Bleak House is often said to be Dickens’s greatest novel; certainly it is one of his most compelling and enjoyable. We will spend four intense and rewarding weeks reading this masterpiece in its original installments, paying close attention to themes of loss, law, social class, secrecy, and inheritance. We will also explore Dickens’s astonishing use of language by way of close reading. Two critical lenses will guide us: the historical view and a psychological perspective. In addition to what I hope will be a lively discussion of...

Join University of Arizona Regents Professor David Soren for a survey of the life and work of four great directors. First up is Fritz Lang whose collaboration with wife Thea Von Harbou led to the recently fully rediscovered science fiction epic Metropolis. Next the enigmatic Busby Berkeley is featured, stressing his importance as a creator of the Hollywood musical look of the 1930s and showing some of his lesser known but still amazing work, including the kaleidoscopic color images of The Gang's All Here, with Alice Faye....

Jane Austen's portrayals of Regency England's provincial life provide fascinating commentary on social and economic issues as well as the characters' psychology and emotional lives. Throughout this class we will attend to the ironic presentation, where the narrative's implicit meaning often differs from what is literally expressed.  Such approaches will bring into focus the education of the main characters through the trials of their experiences. While the novels conform to the comedic mode, in which the principals ultimately realize their...