Liberal Arts Courses

EcoPoetry

Course No. HCS 303 / LLC 303  Credits: 3.0

In a notebook entry dated in the 1940s, Robert Frost wrote, “You have to be careful with the word natural—with all words in fact. You have to play the words close to the realities.” So what are the “realities” of the natural world? Given that human beings are connected to all living things, can we ever get far enough outside of ourselves to understand the “real,” concrete world of nature? Or are we human beings simply creating, through language, a symbolic world and calling it nature? Is the act of constructing a world using language in order to understand ourselves and other things what makes us natural—is at the root of what we call “human nature”? In exploring those questions, this seminar will look at what effects natural science has had on poetic depictions of the natural world. The focus of the course will tilt toward poetic renderings of the natural world. May be applied as a Humanities/Cultural Studies elective or as a writing-intensive elective. Formerly Nature Poetry: Before + After Darwin; HCS 301X / LLC 301X.

Survey of Contemporary Music

Course No. HCS 309  Credits: 3.0

This course will give an overview of avant-garde music written in the twentieth (and twenty-first) centuries, with particular emphasis on the relationships between music and the visual arts. Discussions in class will focus on composers whose work helped define contemporary music while creating aesthetic parallels to the visual arts. Emphasis will be placed on listening to avant-garde and experimental music, and students will be expected to attend several recitals of contemporary music and write about their experiences. Students will also have to complete reading and listening assignments on a regular basis. May be applied as Visual Culture Emphasis course.

Avant Garde Film

Course No. HCS 325  Credits: 3.0

Film, the quintessential art form of the 20th century, added time and relativity to the artist’s palette. This course examines the abstract and non-narrative tradition: films that focus on manipulation of form, motion, and the collage-like collision of images in time (montage). Topics include early Soviet formalists, Dadaist and Surrealist films of the 1920s and 1930s, and American underground films of the 1960s and 1970s. Students keep a journal of their impressions of each film shown. Course fee required. May be applied as Visual Culture Emphasis course.

Japanese Expressions

Course No. HCS 328  Credits: 3.0

This course is an introduction to the culture of Japan as it is revealed in the Japanese literary and religious tradition and in modern literary and cinematic expression. Readings will include selections from early Japanese myth and poetry, the diary and early novel forms, and the literary and aesthetic response to influence from China. Appropriate attention will be paid to Noh drama and haiku poetry, writings in the samurai tradition, a modern novel and a Japanese film. The purpose of this course is not to survey the whole of the Japanese experience, but rather to read and view representative examples of Japanese expression with understanding and delight. May be applied as Creative Writing Concentration course.

Ways of Thought: Hinduism and Buddhism

Course No. HCS 366  Credits: 3.0

This two-semester course begins with an introduction to similarities and differences between Eastern and Western systems of belief and action. It proceeds with a critical cross-cultural comparison of Hinduism, Indian and Chinese schools of Buddhism, Taoism in China, and Zen Buddhism in Japan. It concludes with a comparison between two representative systems, one Eastern and one Western. The aim of this course is twofold: to explore traditional philosophical, religious, and psychological perceptions that have influenced life (ideal and otherwise) in India, China and Japan, and to provide a basis for understanding selected Asian cultures and, through perspectives gained, to reflect upon our own.

Ways of Thought: Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen

Course No. HCS 367  Credits: 3.0

This course is an introduction to systems of belief and action in China and Japan. It begins with a critical cross-cultural comparison of Confucianism, Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism in China and Zen Buddhism in Japan, concluding with a comparison between two representative systems, one Eastern and one Western. The aim of this course is twofold: to explore traditional philosophical, religious and psychological perceptions that have influenced life (ideal and otherwise) in China and Japan, and to provide a basis for understanding selected Asian cultures and, through perspectives gained, to reflect upon our own.

John Cage: His Life, Work, and Influence

Course No. HCS 369  Credits: 3.0

A course on the life and influence of John Cage. The class will detail his history and delve into his musical and artistic output, ideas, and influence on the creative arts today. Significant discussion will be given on his philosophies, aesthetics, innovations, and teachings. The course will also focus on Cage's connections to the visual arts, and how this connection impacted him artistically, while pushing him to formulate ideas that in turn were a significant and continuous influence on the visual arts community. The class will also touch on how Cage was able to make a living on the fringes of a capitalist society while maintaining the values of anarchy and hard work. Regular reading, writing, and listening assignments will be given in class, and students will be expected to create works of art or musical compositions which embody the legacy of John Cage, while pushing the boundaries of their own artistic processes. Visual Culture Emphasis course. Formerly HAS 367X.

CIA: Our Creative Continuum

Course No. HCS 388X  Credits: 3.0

Students will acquire a working knowledge of the history of the Cleveland Institute of Art--with an emphasis on the diversity of accomplishment among both historical and current CIA faculty and alumni--and will consider whether and, if so, how this information supports their own developing artistic identity and their membership in the CIA community, a "creative continuum" now spanning 130 years (1882-2012). Understanding the history of our school will involve some amount of attention to the history of Cleveland (especially post-1860) and its location in Northeast Ohio, as well as the school's proximity to the Cleveland Museum of Art and other cultural institutions, once the school came to University Circle in 1905. The impact of major 20th-century events like the World Wars and the Great Depression on the school and its community will also be considered. May be applied as Creative Writing Concentration course.