This is a course about art and ideas. During the semester, we will study literature, painting, sculpture and music together in an attempt to see how artists in these various media influence each other and how they respond to other forces (either intellectual, such as a popular philosophy, or historical, such as a war). To gain a synoptic view of so many aspects of a culture obviously demands a very great deal of work. In order to put some limits to the labor, we will study a narrowly defined milieu--America and the British Isles from 1900-1930, the earlier part of the Modernist period; we will, however, prepare for the main task by giving brief consideration to some of the new ideas that prepared the way for Modernism during the nineteenth century, and we will occasionally look at artistic developments in other parts of Europe.

 

The bulk of our time will be spent in reading, discussing, and writing in response to, Modernist literature. We will also have guest lecturers to give us general introductions to the visual arts and music of our period, and we will take a field trip to the Art Institute in Chicago. There may from time to time be listening assignments, as well.

 

The foundation for writing in the class will be a journal / notebook, in which to record reactions to and observations about the reading / listening / viewing. Such writings may help to provoke or further class discussions, and will often serve as the basis for assignments. We will do some timed in-class analytical writing to keep in practice for AP examinations; in other cases, it may be more appropriate to respond with a poem or short story, a collage or painting, or even a musical composition. Only the journal and in-class writing assignments may be handwritten. Towards the end of the semester, each student will submit a portfolio of work, which will represent a significant (though not mathematically fixed) part of the grade for the semester.

 

Discussion will play a vital role in the course. While the deadlines for written (drawn, sculpted, composed) work can generally be changed by prior arrangement, reading / viewing / listening must be completed on schedule, so that each student can take an active part in discussion. We will attend particularly to the role of listening as a discussion technique.

 

Most of our authors were very conscious of the sound of their writing. Many gave public readings, and we will see cases where Modernist composers set the work of Modernist writers to music. Over the semester, we will read aloud from the assigned texts and from our own writing, and we will memorize some texts, as well. Such matters of public speaking will also figure into the student's grade.

 

This remains an English class: The student should, by the end of the semester, have had practice in analytical and "creative" writing, in classroom discussion, and in public speaking. The student should have some understanding of the various things read, looked at, and listened to, and should as well have some ideas about the connections between these things. The student should be able to demonstrate these understandings in commenting on previously unfamiliar works from the period, and the final examination will reflect this goal in particular. Beyond matters of technical skill and academic understanding, however, there remains the fact that art and ideas should make us think and grow; the most important aspect of the class (though certainly the least quantifiable) will be the degree to which all of its members become more humane, more fully the realization of their own potential. To demand this of oneself is the basic commitment of anyone who seeks an education; to assist in the process is a task for every member of the class.