Curiosity might be considered the engine of our selves, of our culture, and of our species. It drives creativity in the arts, discovery in science, and innovation in business and industry. It’s also the mechanism we use to come to know ourselves deeply and to understand the ways in which we might thrive in our environments. But our capacity to be curious creatures might actually be changing as changes to our environments, media, and modes of interaction open up new possibilities for awareness and, perhaps, challenge more traditional modes of paying attention. In our seminar, we’ll be curious about the nature of our own curiosities, about the ways that curiosity drives inquiry, and also about the curious nature of curiosity itself.
Although we will look at some theoretical, historical, and science-based materials to fuel our discussions, we will primarily use works of art in many media (film, literature, drama, visual art, television, new media) to instigate our consideration of this topic. We will think together about the ways in which our curiosity creates connections between us and the works of art with which we engage. We will look at the ways that these cultural documents create pathways for our attentions, to lead us into the world of the art but also into the world of the artist. And we will ask important questions about the ways that these modes of curiosity model the sorts of inquiry we want to pursue in academic writing.
In addition to cultivating skills in traditional modes of reading, discussion, and critical writing, students in this seminar should be interested in occasional explorations of other sorts of classroom activities and assignments, including personal writing, photography, collaborative work, meditation, collaborative work, and (very gentle and unthreatening) theater games.
Although we will look at some theoretical, historical, and science-based materials to fuel our discussions, we will primarily use works of art in many media (film, literature, drama, visual art, television, new media) to instigate our consideration of this topic. We will think together about the ways in which our curiosity creates connections between us and the works of art with which we engage. We will look at the ways that these cultural documents create pathways for our attentions, to lead us into the world of the art but also into the world of the artist. And we will ask important questions about the ways that these modes of curiosity model the sorts of inquiry we want to pursue in academic writing.
In addition to cultivating skills in traditional modes of reading, discussion, and critical writing, students in this seminar should be interested in occasional explorations of other sorts of classroom activities and assignments, including personal writing, photography, collaborative work, meditation, collaborative work, and (very gentle and unthreatening) theater games.
- Instructor of record: Mark Lord