Indians in American History

Indians in American History

This course traces the often-changing experiences American Indians had from just before the War for Independence to the twentieth century. It will focus on how they dealt with the expanding nation and its pioneer citizens. Their tactics varied from contact,...
Environmental Law at the Crossroads

Environmental Law at the Crossroads

Our global environmental problems need attention from almost all legal disciplines, including constitutional law, property law, natural resources regulation, and international and comparative law. This timely class presents core issues in environmental law – broadly...
Russia in Search of a National Idea

Russia in Search of a National Idea

Contemporary Russia continues to search for a post-Soviet national identity: what Russians refer to as their country’s “national idea.” The return to the presidency of Vladimir Putin signifies that the country’s most historically significant leader since Stalin...
Roman Archaeology: Myth and Reality

Roman Archaeology: Myth and Reality

Join anthropologist/classical archaeologist David Soren in a survey of the art and archaeology of ancient Rome. This course will highlight the major wonders of the Roman world from the 8th century B.C. to the 6th century A.D., including the historical truth behind...
Dante’s Paradiso

Dante’s Paradiso

Using a facing-page translation, we will deal with the climax of Dante’s Divine Comedy. While Inferno depicts sin and evil, and Purgatorio portrays redemption, Paradiso illustrates the possibility of transcendence. Not only does a blessed soul understand the...
The History Plays of Shakespeare’s Second Tetralogy

The History Plays of Shakespeare’s Second Tetralogy

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. (Henry IV, Part 2) Of his ten histories, the four interrelated plays forming the second tetralogy are among Shakespeare’s greatest theatrical achievements. These works, which deal with the period of 1400 to 1420, include...
Milton and Revolution

Milton and Revolution

John Milton was one of England’s most controversial, celebrated, and reviled writers. As the course title suggests, we will study Milton’s poetry and prose within the context of the many revolutions in which he was a major figure: revolutions in politics, theology,...
Homer’s Iliad

Homer’s Iliad

This seminar will take students through a reading of the whole of Homer’s Iliad. The first two weeks will be devoted to historical conditions around the work, including discussion of the nature of oral composition and aesthetic aspects of oral epic. The remaining...
The Medieval Quest as a Model for Us Today

The Medieval Quest as a Model for Us Today

This course will focus on some of the central and most significant texts from the Middle Ages which have withstood the test of time and continue to exert a tremendous fascination on us today. We will explore what some of the fundamental issues in human life have...
The History of German Cinema

The History of German Cinema

Beginning with the German cinema of the 1920s and ending with contemporary films, this course provides a historical overview of influential German movies, major periods, and key filmmakers. In the 1920s German cinema was one of Hollywood’s fiercest competitors, and...
The Turks: Pre-Ottoman, Ottoman, Post-Ottoman

The Turks: Pre-Ottoman, Ottoman, Post-Ottoman

Who are the Turks? Where did they come from, and how did they help build the Islamic world? What role did they play in the Crusades? A major world power for nearly 500 years, how did they rule so much of Europe before finally taking Constantinople in 1453, and with...
Forgotten Stars of Vaudeville

Forgotten Stars of Vaudeville

The University of Arizona has one of America’s greatest holdings in the field of vaudeville. Special Collections Guest Curator David Soren presents some of the best stars and specialty acts you’ve never heard of along with fascinating and little-known...
Taking Charge of Aging

Taking Charge of Aging

The percentage of the older population in the United States is increasing, and will continue to grow, due to the aging of the Baby Boomers. These individuals will experience a number of transitions and issues that may be associated with the aging process. Examples of...
Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!

Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!

Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! will explore the creation of the American musical theater and trace the influence of minstrelsy, vaudeville, burlesque, revue, and operetta in the evolution of this unique American form of lyric theater. From Stephen Foster to Stephen...
Florentine Renaissance

Florentine Renaissance

The Renaissance begins in Italy and is an invention of the Florentines. This seminar is an examination of the art, architecture, sculpture, literature, and history of the republic of Florence during its period of greatest importance to world history. From the mid-14th...
The Operas of Wagner

The Operas of Wagner

In 2013 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner (1813–1883). Perhaps no other composer so changed the course of music history through the way he reconceived the nature of opera and the way he stretched the boundaries of tonality. Many...