Hamline offers a bachelor of arts degree, and while I'll still be pursuing my music major in piano performance, the college's excessive devotion to the liberal arts, as evidenced in its lofty-sounding Hamline Plan, means that I will be devoting myself to learning and knowledge.
Ruh-roh.
The plan isn't really much different from most liberal arts colleges' general requirements: a little English, a little lab work (just breathe, Scott), a little humanities, and so on. Hamline's approach is pragmatic and thoughtful, and truth be told, I'm kind of looking forward to it. As I have most of the coursework completed for my major, my musical studies will be limited to piano lessons, a senior recital, and hopefully, a nifty enterprise that I'll be auditioning for at some point: The Hamline International Piano Institute.
So, my coursework this semester:
- German I
- Introduction to Anthropology
- Literary Criticism
- Applied Piano
LitCrit gave me pause, but an email exchange with the prof has put me at ease, as has a perusal of the syllabus. I'm excited to finally study German formally, and I'm counting on Anthro being a no-brainer.
Can't wait to buy my books.
6 comments:
1. Flax seed is overrated.
2. Literary Criticism can be really fun to do, which I realize sounds counterintuitive. There's a good chance that you'll end up loving this course. I'll be eager to see your book(s).
3. Anthro. Yes. That should come easily to those of us who are constantly judging our fellow humans. I think you'll sail through this one.
4. Do you have your outfit planned for the first day of school? Have you bought new notebooks, and if so, what brand? Is it wrong to use Moleskine in college?
1. Flax seed is so last semester, don't you think? Hemp hearts are the new flax seed.
2. I'm almost sure LitCrit uses "Sweet Swan of Avon" in its core curriculum.
3. I'm committed to telling you lurid therapy stories so you don't regret registering for Anthro instead of Ab Psych.
4. I'd go with a plaid skirt and a cardigan, but that not might be as helpful as I'd hoped.
When I took Literary Criticism at Luther the text the professor used was "Literary Theory Since Plato." My 2 roommates, great guys, but one an Econ major and the other a Poli Sci major called the text "Literary Theory Since Pluto," obviously making fun of my degree in English. If you want to borrow the text, I still have it.
oops-the text was actually called "Critical Theory Since Plato" a big red heavy book that as I look at now, have no idea what some of the stuff is about. But I KNOW I'm a better person for having had that class.
Whoa.
That's a full load. And the rest of your life will continue on, as well?
I'd love to see your syllabus for the lit crit. My English degree at Concordia in the 80's included no formal lit crit, with the exception of an elective women's studies class. Since then, it has become a staple of the English degree, and I even teach it in my (advanced) high school classes.
One nice side effect of doing so is being able to use the word "queer" (as in queer theory) in an academically serious, accepting way with my homophobic students who would otherwise shy from (and mock?) such language. So on a personal level, lit crit's acknowledgment and legitimization of GLBT viewpoints has opened one door for me, making a small but important difference in the types of conversations I have with students.
Overall, I think lit crit is like learning geometry. Once you wrap your head around why you're doing it, it sort of clicks.
Hey, if you need a German tutor, I'll work for cake or yarn...
Post a Comment