Bruce Nelson, the current President of AALL.
Tuesdays, 4:00pm to 5pm. October 7, 14, 21, 28. Class size unlimited.
Comfortably enjoy a world vastly different from our own in this one hour afternoon Zoom class.
Exploring the rich tradition of Japanese Literature, we will highlight a number of wonderful books, beginning with 11th century women writers whose diaries and novels are quite readable and moving today. We will move onto the 18th century writer Uyeda Akinari whose Tales of Moonlight and Rain contributed to the robust Japanese ghost Story genre, read the delicate writings of Higuichi Ichiyo who wrote remarkably beautiful stories in the 1890s before her untimely death at age 24, and conclude with the early 20th century writer Nagai Kafu, whose response to the rising Japanese militarism and nationalism of the 1930’s offers hints of how to stay human in dark times.
Through these brief glimpses into one of the world’s foremost literary traditions we will see how timeless human concerns play out in a variety of life situations. The course will include short historical introductions, readings from literary works and group discussion.