What does it mean for poets and readers to inhabit the “I” of the lyric poem, especially for those at the margins of a literary culture that has historically centered white male patriarchy? How has that meaning changed over time, from the personal and the political lenses of gender, race, and class? In this seminar, we will study how that question has been composed and answered by British and American women poets from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Each seminar session will focus on a single poet–possibly including but not limited to Anne

This course explores the questions at the heart of creative nonfiction: What does it mean to tell a “true” story? And what does it mean to tell a true story “creatively”? A deep dive into essay, memoir, and genres of nonfiction that have yet to be named will allow us to form our own definitions of creative nonfiction. Through workshops that will encourage exploration, experimentation, and vulnerability, we will develop our own personal practices for writing from life.

Poetry has long been central to the culture of Amherst in particular and Western Massachusetts in
general. In this course we will read, think, and write about the work of several local poets past
and present. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost–Amherst’s historical claims to fame–will anchor
the course as we explore how this place we now share affected their world views. We will also
study works by more recent poets who have called our area home, including Martin Espada,
Magdalena Gómez, Sonia Sanchez, and Ocean Vuong. Local poetry events during the semester

Audre Lorde writes that all knowledge is mediated through the body. We all have bodies, but what does it actually mean to exist in a body? Is the body a vessel, a discursive construction, our most essential self? How can we capture the body’s complexity through language? This Intensive Writing course uses writing about the body as a means of critical reflection on the self and/in the world and a fulcrum through which to learn and practice different types of academic writing.

This course will explore happiness and wellbeing through an economic lens. Beginning with the World Happiness Report, we'll take an empirical approach to understanding the drivers of happiness and wellbeing across different regions and generations. Using a variety of media formats, and seminar-type discussions, we'll examine topics such as aging and dementia, technology use, altruism, connection and loneliness, personal finance, and the impact of social policies on wellbeing.