Global Arc

This is an introductory course, conducted entirely in English, on the classics of nineteenth-century Russian literature. No previous knowledge of Russian language, literature, culture, or history is expected. The focus of the course is on close readings of individual works. At the same time, we will pay close attention to the way a distinctively Russian national tradition takes shape, in which writers consciously respond to their predecessors. All of these works have a firm position in the Russian cultural memory, and they have significantly contributed to Russian national identity.

A survey in English of Russian literature from mid-19th century to Soviet literature. Authors read include, among others, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Nabokov, and Bely. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Knowledge of Russian not required.

A survey in English of Soviet literature from 1917 to 1965 against the background of major social and political developments. Readings include works by Zamyatin, Babel, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, and other representative authors. Two lectures and preceptorial. Knowledge of Russian not required.

Polish-born Czeslaw Milosz and Russian-born poet Joseph Brodsky both won Nobel Prizes in literature for the United States. In this course, which combines history of literature and intellectual history, we will treat their life stories as emblematic of historical, cultural and political phenomena of the second part of the XXth century. On the basis of close textual analysis of major works by both poets, we will speak, among other, about literary history, World War II, Polish-Russian relations, dominance of English-language poetry, growth of high culture in the United States, the decline of exile.

In this course we will examine the Russian roots of Hollywood film acting by studying Chekhov's major plays and the dramatic traditions, both in Russia and in the U.S., that grew out of Stanislavsky's stagings of those plays.

The course will focus on the interaction between the historical project of socialism and the medium of film in the context of the "Soviet experiment." It will examine the ways in which the changing notions of what socialism is or should be affect cinema on the level of artistic representation, as well as on the level of institutional structure (organization of film production, ideological controls, relationship with the audience, marketability, etc.). The course will survey prominent visual texts from the early days of the Soviet establishment in the 1920s to its final reincarnation during Gorbachev's perestroika period (late 1980s).

One is aware of Konstantin Stanislavsky's importance to Hollywood and Broadway's indebtedness to Mikhail Chekhov, but how well are we aware of the diversity of the tradition that sustained them? The present course offers a survey of 20th c. Russian non-conformist theater and drama (Mikhail Bulgakov, Daniil Kharms, Mikhail Kuzmin, Evgeny Zamiatin) as well as its theoretical foundation. A performance component is an integral part of this course.

In this course we will survey 19th and, especially, 20th century Polish literature. We will read selected texts of Polish literature, beginning with prose and ending with poetry. We will also see three film adaptations of Polish literary works by Andrzej Wajda. Students who are able can read in Polish, but all the readings will be available in English.

Explores Russian oral traditions and oral literary genres in English translation:Traditional life-cycle and seasonal rituals and songs associated with them; superstitions, charms, oral narrative poetry (byliny) and prose (skazki); chastushki, jokes; present-day popular culture; and relationships between folklore and literature. Focus on the role and meaning of Russian folklore as expressive culture and how it informs contemporary society.

This seminar explores representations of health and illness through the literary and the visual media. From death and dying to epidemics, from disability to care giving, we will examine how these universal conditions are conveyed through literary texts, public health campaign posters, graphic novels, paintings, illustrations, and photography. Most of the meetings will take place at the Princeton University Art Museum to engage in depth with the items in the collection. Students will have the option to submit creative projects for the midterm and the final assignments.