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Literary Theory in Graduate and Undergraduate Classics Curricula

Organized by the APA Education Committee
Organizer: Nigel Nicholson, Reed College (APA Education Committee, 2012-15)
nigel@reed.edu, 503-517-7474, fax 503-777-7769
Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

Literary theory has long been a significant element in Classical scholarship, but there is little agreement among programs on how theory should be taught or how central it should be to a Classicist's training. This panel will open a discussion about how literary theory is and can be integrated into both undergraduate and graduate curricula by interrogating some current approaches: teaching theory within traditional genre or author classes, dedicating whole classes to theory within a Classics department, whether at the graduate or undergraduate level, and collaborating with other departments or tapping into courses taught in other programs.

  1. Nigel Nicholson, Reed College
    Abstract: Literary Theory Survey Classes for Classics Undergraduates
    Handout (PDF)
  2. Christopher van den Berg, Amherst College
    Abstract: Using Team-Teaching to Make Theory Central to the Undergraduate Curriculum
    Handout (PDF)
  3. Leslie Kurke, University of California, Berkeley
    Abstract: A Dedicated Theory Class for Graduate Students
    Handout (PDF)
  4. Matthew Roller, Johns Hopkins University
    Abstract: Teaching "Theory" in Topical Graduate Seminars
    Sample Course Syllabus (PDF)