For millennia, literature has thought about the effects of illness and the quest for immunity. In this class, we’ll look at how writers from the ancient world to the twenty-first century have thought about and tried to answer questions that are still relevant and pressing today. Looking at works that range from the historically-informed to imagined future worlds, across drama, fiction, and memoir, we’ll see how they grapple with and imagine the meaning of illness and immunity for individuals and for society. We’ll learn to craft effective academic arguments by considering their lessons. By the end of this course, you’ll be a better writer. But that’s not all: you’ll also be better equipped to think about and understand the present.

Class Format:

The class is in person