Reading, Performing, and Creating James Joyce's Finnegans Wake

(2 Credits)

James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake (1939) is often described as the most difficult work of literature ever written; in fact, it is still debated whether the “novel” is a masterpiece or just an elaborate hoax. In this seminar, half of the class will be devoted to a close study of the work itself. We will read short sections of the Wake in concert with various commentaries, histories, and annotations, exploring possible “meanings” the text suggests. There is no way to read the whole book in two weeks (or even 20 years), but we will get a good taste. In each class we will be looking at selected sections as a whole and then work closely as a group through short passages within those sections. The other half of the class will engage with artistic pieces that have been inspired by or that incorporate elements of Finnegans Wake, including visual art, film, music, sound art, theater, and dance. Students will study these pieces as well as create and present their own creative works. Class requirements will include an analytical paper, an oral presentation, and a creative work.