COMPLIT 12SC Ghost Stories: Why the Dead Return and What They Want From Us
Russell Berman Department of Comparative Literature
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host stories haunt our imagination. When the dead return they may scare us or warn us, they may pursue us with
violence or burden us with sorrow. They shock us with the “boo” of surprise, just as they frustrate us by their elusiveness. Blood- chilling stories terrify us, but they also provide entertainment. The ghost story is one of the most enduring genres, from classical literature to popular film. Yet behind the door of the story lurk both anxiety and wisdom: anxiety about our own mortality and wisdom about the cultural place of the past, between memory and regret, mourning and forgetting. The undead point to what we have not accomplished, just as they direct us—since the ghost of Hamlet’s father—toward deeds. In this seminar, we will explore some of these ghostly ambitions. During the summer, in preparation for the seminar, students will read selected stories and novels and post comments to the course website. When we convene in September, we will discuss the summer findings and proceed to examine a selection of novels that explore ghosts and hauntings. Texts will include Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Peter Straub’s Ghost Story, and others. We will also spend some dark and stormy nights with ghost films and even follow the trail to some hauntings at Stanford and in the Bay Area. Students are expected to participate regularly in the CourseWork discussion forum and work in small groups with other course members to discuss and present readings.
Russell A. Berman
studies the interconnections among literature, culture, and politics, especially from Germany but internationally too. Our modern world that prides itself on progress can be a frightening place, often haunted by the past: this makes ghost stories more than just entertainment; they tell us about our present. More
CEE 12SC Good Food, Fast Cars, Great Spaces: Creative Connections between Architecture, Cooking, Photography, and Design
John Barton Architectural Design Program Prerequisite: Some drawing experience would be ideal but not required
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hy is it that architects almost routinely share passions for cuisine, vehicles, photography, and sailing? Many chefs
were trained as architects, most architects are excellent cooks and photographers, and a stunning number of architects own boats. This course will explore the key design ideas, notions of creativity, and interest in form that thread through each of these professions. The first half of the course will focus on readings and discussion about creativity and form; the second half will test a single conceptual idea through a series of projects in two or three fields. Possible field trips may include a visit to Tesla, America’s Cup events in SF, Baume (2 Michelin Star restaurant in Palo Alto), IDEO, and architecture firms.
John Barton
is Director of Stanford’s Architectural Design Program. He is an award-winning local architect who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from UC- Berkeley. He combines teaching and an active professional practice with significant community service. He loves cooking, design, cool cars, and travel. More
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