Syllabus

Honors 310 and 311 (HM)
Great Books / Great Ideas
Fall  2011 and Spring 2012

W e l c o m e !           

Class Activities.  The following are the main activities for our Great Books Class, although there will be some flexibility in shifting emphases so that activities remain meaningful and dynamic.   

Annotations.  Through frequent annotations of books you read, you will begin to see how a text can "grow on you," take on different shapes and meanings according to the events of your life.  You will gain a deeper understanding of the poet's life and intellectual debates of his or her time.  When you annotate your summer readings, for example, you will be reminded of your thought process later in the year when you will be asked to re-read the book.

Journaling Before Class.  Many of you have written your reflections on course readings before class through journaling by E-mail.  You will be able to read each others' reflections frequently on the works we cover by going to the public folders for Honors:    E-Mail Folder List > Public Folders > All Public Folders > Academic > Honors > Honors 310 Great Books.  Once you have located the folder, you can drag it to your Outlook Shortcuts Bar to the left on your Outlook Screen for easy access.  Normally you will write brief entries in preparation for each class so that they can be posted for other class members to read before our get-together.  Occasionally you will be asked to respond to others' entries.  

In-Class Discussions.  Your thoughtful preparations ahead of time and volunteering in class will provide for the most meaningful group discoveries.  Often our most important ideas will come about through members' interactions and careful reconsideration of your perspectives and convictions.  Try to balance the clarity of your convictions with an intellectual flexibility which allows you to say, "I think I am going to change my mind on that issue!"  Attendance is important for vital group interaction.  One of the ways we become a true community of learners is through your frequent and committed participation in discussions. 

Term Paper on a book.  At midterm you will be asked to write a five-page paper on a book that has struck you as important or especially meaningful to you.   You will need to cite the text several times.  The purpose of this paper is to give you some depth in understanding a single work and to provide you with a springboard for further research and reading on the author later in life.  In reviewing these papers, I will focus on 1) clear voice, honesty and personal commitment and  in your writing; 2) originality, creativity and freshness of thought, use of relevant details, how your topic and argument hold your reader's attention; 2) organization, clear sense of beginning, ending, thesis and transitions; and 4) word choice, sentence structure and grammar (your writing is fluid and concise with few errors of grammar and punctuation, spelling and usage).  

Passages By Heart.  Canadian poet Molly Peacock says that she has about a dozen poems which serve as her talismans for life. These texts have a complex existence within her, shedding light on the most perplexing aspects of the human condition.  Through learning some 300 words of text by heart from several different books, you will begin to choose such talismans for your own life, passages which you can take with you and ponder for years to come. We will cover several of the following themes:  Family Relations, War and Holocaust, The Experience of Love and Sexuality, The Beauty of Things,  Death and the Afterlife, The Existence of God.

Final Portfolio.    For your final project you are asked to create a portfolio from what you have learned from the authors and books of this semester by gathering your e-mail essays. After you have re-read your entries, please think about what order you want to use for presenting them: Some students enjoy thinking of major themes plus a chapter of their talismans with commentary; their term paper; and other chapters, whatever works for you. Please include a Table of Contents page, organized either chronologically or thematically, each essay having a page reference. The pages of your book should be numbered as in any book.
     Once you have completed your table of contents, please write a Prologue of 500 words or more, drawing your reader into your book and creating a thesis statement about what you intended to accomplish with this book. Your thesis will most likely center on the main purpose of the course - "How can we approach great literature for ideas and feelings on how we can lead better lives -- as individuals, as partners, in community and as a member of the global community?" Or: "How does an understanding of books beyond the Anglo-American frontier help us lead better lives?"
     In order for your book to cohere, you may wish to revise or edit some of your essays. In retrospect, many students find that they have a deeper or more nuanced sense of the importance and message of the books we covered toward the end of the semester. You are responsible only for the essays which appear in our public folder, although you may wish to add your reflections on particular class discussions you wish to remember.
     Then write an Epilogue of about 500 words. Your epilogue will include your final thoughts about our seminar and the works we have covered. In any part of your writing you may wish to include reference to a new text or two which express your feelings and thoughts.
     Finally, bind your book together in some way which reflects the importance of your thought and work. A black spiral binding at Office Max costs about $4 and they perforate the pages of your book on the spot and bind it for you. Kinko's and other office supply places also offer this service. Use whatever binding works best for you. I would like to keep one of your copies to treasure and show to future generations of students. If you would like a copy as well, please make the appropriate number of extra copies.
     The purpose of preparing this book with its prologue and epilogue is to give you time to think more inclusively about what you have learned this semester -- in place of a final exam -- and to prepare you in a small way for your future senior thesis, master's thesis or doctoral dissertation.

Great Books/Great Ideas

Office hours: _______________	1-3-5:  9-11:30 A.M. and by appointment. I am often in my office beyond my office hours, so check by at other times. You may also contact me by leaving a message on my voice mail (3520) or sending me an email message (mthamert@csbsju.edu).
Texts: _______________	WWW sites for biographical information and select secondary literature about our authors and their works.    100 Books from our Great Books List.
Scope: _______________	About 100 great works from several world traditions from the oldest Hebrew Scriptures to living Nobel Prize winners.    Works read according to several of the following themes:  Family Relations; (e.g., King Lear, Medea, 100 Years of Solitude); Identity (e.g., Faust, The Immoralist, Canterbury Tales, Hunger, The Sea, The Sea, Labyrinths); Kinds of Love in Human Experience; The Experience of the Artist; God and Transcendence; Death and Looking Back on Life;  The Afterlife.  Seminar members have a role in determining the schedule of readings for each theme.    Applying the ideas and moral debates within the works to how we live our own lives.    An extensive summer reading project before the course begins.    One or two works from our list each week during the semester.    Discussions at several interpretive levels: personal, one-on-one relations, communal and national, international and global, cosmic and God-centered.
Semester grade based upon: _______________	Class attendance.  You may enjoy two freebies.  Your grade will be effected after two absences.    Participation in seminar discussions and group book report -- Here's our Discussion Guide.   (10%)    E-mail assignments -- quality of thought, writerly tension, timeliness, personal commitment.  Here's our Writing Guide.  (15%)       Recitation and discussion of seven talismans in April -- done by appointment with Fr. Mark.  (15 %)    Final Course Book with Term Paper -- Here's our Writing Guide.    (60%)