Languages, Literature and Writing   

Filmmaker David Lynch said that we do not create ideas; we catch them, like fish. But how does that happen exactly? What is the nature of inspiration, and how do artists of all kinds catch their ideas and transform them into art? Each week, we will hear from and engage in conversation with artists in various media—such as actors, composers, filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and writers—to learn more about inspiration and the act of creation. Recommended textbook: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (2023), ISBN: 978-0593652886.

We will watch and discuss iconic black and white movies from the 1940s and 1950s and compare them with their source material. Recommended textbooks (any edition): The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1930); The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain (1934); The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb (1953); and The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (1925).

Ever since the first democracy in Athens, there have been demagogues: political leaders who appeal to the emotions and fears of “common people” against the elite. We will examine the rise and impact of some of these populist leaders including the Populist Party, Huey Long (1893-1935), Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979) and Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957). To accompany our historical examination, we will read All the King's Men, a novel about a fictional populist governor inspired by Long. Notes: Participants should be willing to engage in historical and literary discussions. There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes. Required textbook: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1996), ISBN: 978-0156004800.

Ever since the first democracy in Athens, there have been demagogues: political leaders who appeal to the emotions and fears of “common people” against the elite. We will examine the rise and impact of some of these populist leaders including the Populist Party, Huey Long (1893-1935), Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979) and Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957). To accompany our historical examination, we will read All the King's Men, a novel about a fictional populist governor inspired by Long. Notes: Participants should be willing to engage in historical and literary discussions. There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes. Required textbook: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1996), ISBN: 978-0156004800.

The poems of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) are widely acclaimed but often challenging to decipher. They are best understood not by focusing on the poet's reclusive life but by looking within the poems themselves. We will read, analyze and interpret some of Dickinson's best poems on her favorite themes: nature, religion and death. We will also watch The Belle of Amherst (Charles Dubin, 1976), a one-woman play that integrates many of the poems we still study.

We will read, discuss and compare classic and modern short stories in order to understand cultural context and to trace the evolution of Irish language and identity. Note: Participants should read two short stories before each class and be prepared to participate. Required textbook: The Art of the Glimpse: 100 Irish Short Stories, ed. Sinead Gleeson (2020), ISBN: 978-1788548809.

Metaphor is an economic workhorse in the field of literature. Authors make one image or idea also signify another, using language to extend, compress or complicate meaning. We will read novels by two winners of the Nobel prize for literature in contrasting styles to explore their uses of metaphor and to deepen our awareness of the practical role of symbolic thinking and imagery in everyday life. Required textbooks (any edition): The Cave by Jose Saramago (2000); and Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee (2010).

Philip Roth (1933-2018) is considered a major postmodern writer. His writing blurred the lines between reality and fiction, often featuring a fictionalized version of himself to examine the constructed nature of identity. We will explore definitions of postmodernism, its various characteristics and how Roth’s fiction experiments with this genre in three novels. Note: Readers of traditional fiction should expect to be unsettled, but we will have fun in the process. Required textbooks (all by Philip Roth): The Ghost Writer (1979), ISBN: 978-0679748984; The Counterlife (1986), ISBN: 978-0679749042; and Operation Shylock: A Confession (1993), ISBN-13: 978-0679750291.

Each week we will review a different aspect of U.S. culture from the 1940s to the present—including history, music, food, fashion, science, technology, film and television, art and social change—to consider what makes us the people we are. After class, we will write poems inspired by that day’s topic to share the following week in class. Prompts will be suggested, or participants may choose their own. Note: Participants should be willing to share their work and provide gentle commentary on others’.

In preparation for the Montford Park Players’ 2026 season, we will watch and discuss approaches by different directors and actors to adapting this year’s plays by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) for contemporary audiences. Plays include Othello, Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew. Note: Although reading is encouraged, emphasis is placed on watching the plays. Plays are available widely both in print and online.

Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot have long reigned as the most popular fictional detectives of all time. We will sample different media (print, audio, television and cinema) to more deeply appreciate how these two supremely eccentric sleuths have entertained and intrigued generations of detective mystery fans. Required textbook: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (2009), ISBN: 978-0486474915; other reading material is accessible online.

Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot have long reigned as the most popular fictional detectives of all time. We will sample different media (print, audio, television and cinema) to more deeply appreciate how these two supremely eccentric sleuths have entertained and intrigued generations of detective mystery fans. Required textbook: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (2009), ISBN: 978-0486474915; other reading material is accessible online.

Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was one of the most celebrated American writers of the 20th century. We will read, analyze and discuss many of his short stories in order to better understand how they fit into his body of work. Note: Participants should read the first six stories in the textbook before the first class. Required textbook: The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: The Finca Vigia Edition by Ernest Hemingway (1987), ISBN: 978-0684843322.

We will explore phonetics and phonology: the sounds of human language, and the relationships between them. We will learn to recognize and describe the sounds of English and other languages, and notice how those sounds change in informal speech. Topics include the anatomy of the vocal tract; articulation and voicing; consonants, vowels and their variations; tone, stress and intonation; and the quirkiness of English spelling.

Some of the best contemporary U.S. fiction comes from the Southern Appalachians. Among many outstanding writers, Sharyn McCrumb (born 1948) and Ron Rash (born 1953) explore the collision between traditional ways of life and the modern world. We will read two novels by each author in order to understand and better appreciate contemporary Appalachian fiction. Note: Because this course is small and discussion-based, completing the reading and being prepared to discuss are essential. Required textbooks (any edition): If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O (1990) and The Rosewood Casket (1996) by Sharyn McCrumb; and Saints at the River (2004) and The World Made Straight (2006) by Ron Rash.

We will consider how Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) explored the art of reconciliation in her writings, suggesting how memory and imagination can reframe experience in salutary ways. We will read her novel To the Lighthouse as well as selected essays, diary entries and short stories. Required textbooks (both by Virginia Woolf): To the Lighthouse (1927), ISBN: 978-0156030472; and Moments of Being (1972), ISBN: 978-0156619189.

Legacy letters are written documents that allow us to share our life lessons, express our values and transmit our blessings to future generations. Legacy letters are shorter than a memoir, typically just a few pages. Writing one is a rewarding experience that creates an enduring gift for family, friends and loved ones. We will discuss legacy letters and participate in brief writing exercises that will help us examine our life history, explore our values and complete our own. Note: Participants should be willing to reflect on their own stories and life lessons and be open to hearing others’.

We all have life stories to tell. We will discuss how to explore our lives across a range of experiences and approaches, look at brief creative nonfiction pieces and poems as models, and explore how to make our writing come alive for readers. Prerequisites: Intended for writers of all experience levels. Note: Participants will be encouraged to share their own nonfiction and poetry for in-class discussion. Materials: Something on which to write such as paper and pencil/pen or laptop.