At first glance, the pairing of Thoreau and Melville in a course might seem unlikely. The two writers were very different in life experiences, personality, and literary output: Thoreau remained close to his Massachusetts home, was famously grumpy, and wrote non-fiction about his life and local travels. Melville was adventurous, traveling the world before his 25th birthday, gregarious and enthusiastic, and known for writing expansive fiction about exotic locales. 

And yet these two writers arguably produced the two most important works of American literature--Walden and Moby-Dick (1851)--works that have literally inspired and changed the lives of generations of readers since their publication.  One, a lyrical epic about simplifying life and determining what is essential; the other an epic adventure of the hunt for the world's largest creature, the elusive sperm whale, but also an epic meditation on how we understand the world.

These two books will be at the center of this course.  We will read them with care, giving time to really engage with the ideas, read how others have understood them, and read other works by the authors that help contextualize their careers more generally.  These writers ask us to re-evaluate what is essential to our own happiness, to find wonder and joy in the world around us, to revel in the mysteries of the natural world and our connection to it and to other people. Join us in discovering why so many readers have found these works life-changing.

Assignments: 4 Short (3-5 pg) essays in different modes (Close Reading, Theoretical Engagement, Personal Reflection, and Creative Engagement) and 1 Final Project (Revision and Expansion of Short Essay, 7-12 pg).