Masterpieces of French Realist Fiction

Masterpieces of French Realist Fiction

This seminar examines the relations between culture and power in nineteenth-century France through the study of masterpieces of realist fiction. The realist novel is a cultural artefact specific to the nineteenth century, a genre born with the modern democratic...
Has the United States Become an Empire?

Has the United States Become an Empire?

U.S. intervention in underdeveloped countries raises many basic issues of international relations and foreign policy. The main purpose of this class is to provide students with an ability to examine such issues critically and in a historical context. Among the general...
The Romantic Poets: Revolution and Retrospection

The Romantic Poets: Revolution and Retrospection

This seminar focuses on the six poets (one recently rediscovered) who most defined English Romanticism in poetry and verse drama between 1798 and 1824. It emphasizes their philosophical, emotional, and stylistic tugs-of-war, despite their quite different politics:...
Modern China and Its Literary Reflections

Modern China and Its Literary Reflections

In order to understand modern China, we must understand the changes that have shaken its cultural foundations and profoundly transformed the country with a speed unrivaled in recent world history. The term “modern” in this sense is more than a chronological marker but...
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron and Bawdy Medieval Literature

Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron and Bawdy Medieval Literature

Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron (ca. 1348-1351) is a masterpiece of world literature. Boccaccio is one of the Three Crowns, the three founding authors of Italian literature (along with Dante and Petrarch). Yet his Decameron is a conundrum. Composed in the wake of the...
World War I

World War I

2018 marks the centennial of the Great War, as World War I was originally known. The War ended the Concert of Europe, reworked global geography and transformed the domestic structures of the combatants. This course will examine the War’s origins, explore how it ended...
The Ever-Changing Brain

The Ever-Changing Brain

Professor Tolbert brings back her popular spring 2016 course with some exciting updates! Please Note: We will be offering two sessions of this course in the coming semester. Session 1 will be held in the morning from 9 – 11 AM. Session 2 will be held in the...
The Ever-Changing Brain (Session Two)

The Ever-Changing Brain (Session Two)

Professor Tolbert brings back her popular spring 2016 course with some exciting updates! Please Note: We will be offering two sessions of this course in the coming semester. Session 1 will be held in the morning from 9 – 11 AM. Session 2 will be held in the...
Contemporary Poetry through Four Lenses

Contemporary Poetry through Four Lenses

Register Now In a letter to Thomas Higginson, Emily Dickinson used these words to describe poetry: “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know...
Deserts, Plants, and People

Deserts, Plants, and People

Professor Smith brings his popular June 2017 course to Oro Valley! Environments commonly known as “deserts” occupy nearly one-third of the earth’s land surface and are home to about a billion people. We will first discuss the geographical features of deserts,...
The History Plays of Shakespeare’s Second Tetralogy

The History Plays of Shakespeare’s Second Tetralogy

Register Now Shakespeare’s history plays have never been more relevant. In reading Richard II; Henry IV, Part One; Henry IV, Part Two; and Henry V, this seminar will encounter some of the enduring political questions: the transference of power from one reign—or...
Controversial Issues in the Supreme Court

Controversial Issues in the Supreme Court

This course explores the United States Supreme Court and its role in deciding fundamental social questions. After an introductory class on the Court itself, we will focus on landmark cases involving race in education, abortion, religious freedom, and wartime...
Ancestral Hopi Archaeology

Ancestral Hopi Archaeology

The Hopi, who have maintained many of their ancient practices while deftly navigating the dramatic changes of the last 500 years, are among the world’s most fascinating and most studied peoples. This seminar will introduce participants to the archaeology,...
Elementary My Dear…The Modern International Detective Tale

Elementary My Dear…The Modern International Detective Tale

Register Now Professor Compitello brings his popular summer 2014 course to Oro Valley! The detective tale, born of the work of Edgar Alan Poe and altered by Dashiell Hammett, evolved over time in the hands of international masters such as Jorge Luis Borges, Manuel...
Art and the Classical Ideal

Art and the Classical Ideal

Experience the classical world and its enduring legacy on a tour led by archaeologist and art historian Dr. David Soren. Beginning with the amazing structures of ancient Greece and Rome, the course surveys the continuing influence of the classical ideal from antiquity...
The Cello

The Cello

The cello is an incredibly expressive and versatile instrument, reflecting the scope and trends of western music history. In this course, we will explore the origins of the cello, compare the unique artistries of historic cellists, enjoy movements from the monumental...