Tagged: CC202

What did YOU read on spring break?

Prof. Hamill took this photo on the beach in St. John, Virgin Islands, during her vacation there last week.

Walt Whitman: Leaves of Grass

Relating to CC202’s study of Walt Whitman’s work, here is an extract of the article by Claire Kelley on the poet’s whereabouts while he was writing in 1855: “Whitman-iacs” like NYU Professor Karen Karbiener have paid their respects to the ghost of Walt Whitman by visiting the unassuming white house that stands one story taller than […]

Faust reference in Radiohead – Videotape

In view of CC202’s study of Goethe’s Faust, the Core would like to bring to students’ attention Radiohead’s meaningful mention of Mephistopheles, who is the main “villain” in the tragic play. Radiohead – Videotape (click for song) Lyrics: When I’m at the pearly gates This’ll be on my videotape My videotape My videotape When Mephistopheles […]

Paula Byrne: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and politics

The class of CC202 delves into Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Here the Core presents an article looks at that work from another perspective- politics. Here is an excerpt: The Victorians fostered the idea of Austen as the retiring spinster who confined her novels to the small canvas of village life. In more recent times she […]

Analects of the Core: Austen on the joy of reading

Relating to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which is studied this semester by CC 202, is today’s analect: I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I […]

Analects of the Core: Dostoyevsky on the eternal book

Relating to the work of CC202 is the next analect, from Dostoyevsky: The candlestick had long since burned low in the twisted candlestick, dimly lighting the poverty-stricken room and murderer and the harlot who had come together so strangely to read the eternal book.

‘The Strangest Art’ by Wendy Lesser

Relating to the work of CC202, which inspects Mozart, is an essay arguing that revivals of classic works do not hold back the opera genre from blossoming. Here is an excerpt: Nothing, perhaps, will ever be as good as Shakespeare, but that doesn’t prevent Tony Kushner or David Mamet from writing marvellous plays now. Shostakovich […]

Marginal Note #1: Sassan Tabatabai’s notes on Shakespeare’s King Lear

Core students, faculty, and alumni are invited to contribute to “Marginalia.” This will be a series of images showing how readers relate to their books via underscoring, scribbles, and other forms of mark-up. This first entry in the series comes from Prof. Sassan Tabatabai’s personal copy of King Lear. Click on the image for a […]

Core to see Pride & Prejudice on stage

On March 20th, the second-year Core Humanities students will hear a lecture on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by the novelist Allegra Goodman.  Dr. Goodman’s most recent book The Cookbook Collector has been described as a “Sense and Sensibility for the digital age.” We are fortunate that a theatrical version of Pride and Prejudice is […]

Analects of the Core: Goethe on Faust’s studies

Well, that’s Philosophy I’ve read, / And Law and Medicine, and I fear / Theology, too, from A to Z; / Hard studies all, that have cost me dear. / And so I sit, poor silly man / No wiser now than when I began. [Habe nun, ach! Philosophie, / Juristerey und Medicin, / Und […]