🗓 6 classes from July 10th - August 14th
🕰️ 2-hour sessions, Wednesdays 7pm-9pm
🗺 Location: Flatiron, Manhattan. Details TBA.
💰 Tuition: Sliding scale of $90-$400
✍️ Class size: 12
Close Reading Course (July 10th- August 14th)
Course Description
Every reader finds himself. The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself- Marcel Proust
In an environment of increasing information fatigue, this course will aim to formulate reading, and specifically close reading, as a practice that will train us to thoughtfully select and engage with content across mediums and subject domains. Through a set of “close reading skills”, we will use texts to examine our own operating principles and distill actionable insights that we can incorporate into our daily lives for greater clarity and contentment.
To do so, we will be discussing John Steinbecks East of Eden in six sessions. Written in 1953, this novel is a wonderful introduction to the world of intertextuality, universal themes, and subtle prose. It is rich in layers of interpretation and ambiguity and thus the perfect novel for us to dissect and delight in.
Each session will be anchored by a theme that we will explore both in the work and as a general technique. We will incorporate supplemental material to help us understand the text, practice close reading skills, and formulate questions.
The course is intended for artists, readers, people with day jobs, young professionals, old professionals, and everything in between. We’re looking forward to gathering a diverse group of people contribute to our exploration, and there are no pre-requisites except for an eagerness to engage with the works.
Class Structure
2 hrs total (6pm-8pm)
20 mins- Close reading of supplemental material
30 mins- Discussion
10 mins- Break
60 mins- Discussion of the book
Syllabus:
Class 1- July 10th
- Theme: Class objectives, setting up a reading practice
- East of Eden chapters: 1-9
Class 2- July 17th
- Theme: Love as attention and awareness of beauty
- East of Eden chapters: 10-18
Class 3- July 24th
- Theme: Articulating the implicit
- East of Eden chapters: 19-27
Class 4- July 31st
- Theme: Gathering, curating, and distilling information
- East of Eden chapters: 28-36
Class 5- August 7th
- Theme: The organization and creation of ideas
- East of Eden chapters: 37-45
Class 6 -August 14th
- Theme: Building conviviality
- East of Eden chapters: 46-55
About the instructor
Elena studied Comparative Literature and Information Science and has been working in cybersecurity consulting for three years. She is passionate about incorporating art into everyday life and building practices to be thoughtful, creative, and content in all areas of life.