Syllabus

Syllabus

The course involves close reading and active discussion, periodic postings to the class electronic forum, and the preparation of a substantial essay (15 pages) dealing with some aspect of memory and history. You prepare a draft and present a summary of your argument to the class, and you read and comment on the draft of one of your fellow students. The final version of the paper is due the last Wednesday of the block.

Because of the importance of class discussion, missing class is not an option.

Required Reading
Blight	Race and reunion
Levi	The drowned and the saved
Linenthal	Preserving memory
Packet
Electronic posting before class *Electronic posting after class

Class Sessions

Mon., Oct. 28

Defining Memory

Remembering: the mechanics

Tues., Oct. 29

Ancient
Aristotle, Plato, Phaedo (1,4,12, 15),
http://plato.evansville.edu/texts/jowett/phaedo.htm
Cicero

Wed., Oct. 30

Medieval*
Augustine, Hugh of St. Victor, Bradwardine

Thurs., Oct. 31

Paper sessions
Read Freud et al

Fri., Nov. 1

Modern
Freud, Mishkin, Mortimer (and Tim Appelzeller, "The
Anatomy of Memory", Scientific American, June 1987, 80-9,
Goelet
Paper Proposals Due

Constructing Memory

Mon., Nov. 4

Private: the Renaissance
Geary, Dati, Molho

Tues., Nov. 5

Private: modern*
Nora
Read Blight (1-2)

Wed., Nov. 6

Collective
Halbwachs, Portelli
Read Blight (3-4) (6-7 optional)

Thurs., Nov. 7

Official*
Blight: 1-5, 8-9, Epilogue (10 optional)

Fri., Nov. 8

Rescuing Memory
Levi: 1-7, Epilogue

Mon., Nov. 11
Tues., Nov. 12

Work on drafts
Drafts due Tues., p.m.

Wed., Nov. 13
Thurs., Nov. 14

Presentations
Read Linenthal

Fri., Nov. 15

Preventing oblivion*
Linenthal

Mon., Nov. 18

Politics of commemoration**
Winter ("Remembrance and Redemption")
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/publications/hdm/back_issues/9winter.html
Young ("Memory and Counter-Memory")
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/publications/hdm/back_issues/9young.html
Spielburg project

Tues., Nov. 19

Memory in the making
9/11

Wed., Nov. 20

Papers due