San José State University
ENGL 96LQ
Department of English and Comparative Literature
What Dreams May Come:
Artists and Scientists
Explore the Meaning and Message of Dreams
Section 01 Fall 2009
Instructor: Neli Moody
Office Location: FOH 217
Telephone: 408-924-4494
Email:
Office Hours: W 9:00-11:30 and by appt.
Class Days/Time: TTR 9:00-10:15
Classroom: Clark Hall 125
GE Area: C2 (Letters)
Faculty Web Page and MYSJSU Messaging
Copies of the course materials such as the syllabus, major assignment handouts, etc. may be found on my faculty web page accessible at Faculty Web Page. You are responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU.
Course Description
This course is about dreams. You have probably had the experience of waking from a dream that was so real, you believed that what you experienced in it had really happened. Perhaps you have had a prophetic dream that came true, or like Descartes, solved a problem in a dream. Artists and writers have often turned to dreams for inspiration. The 20th century saw a tremendous amount of study put into dreams, though well before that, cultures believed in the power of dreams, to prophesy and to reveal the truth to dreamers. Psychoanalysts have used dreams to explore the human psyche. Painters, writers, film directors, and scientists have studied and employed the world of dreams in their work, especially in films like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Matrix. We will look at the work of artists and dream theorists to see how dreams function in our world. We will turn to the work of Frida Kahlo, read Ursula Le Guin’s Lathe of Heaven, learn about Freud’s theories of dream interpretation, and read Frederick Clarke Prescott’s theories of poetry, myth and dreams. We will see how dreams have been used in films such as Hitchcock’s Spellbound. Some of your own dreams will be inspiration for class projects.
The work of many women artists will be represented in this class, as well as the prophetic, therapeutic, and revelatory roles dreams have played in diverse cultures, such as those of China, Africa, and South America. Reflecting on the anatomy and power of dreams through journals, discussion and analysis of a variety of art forms will help students understand this fascinating alternate dimension of the human mind and the way it processes information, alters perception, inspires art, and heals the psyche.
Introduction to MUSE
University-level study is different from what you experienced in high school. The Metropolitan University Scholar’s Experience (MUSE) is designed to help make your transition into college a success by helping you develop the skills and attitude needed for the intellectual engagement and challenge of in-depth university-level study. Discovery, research, critical thinking, written work, attention to the rich cultural diversity of the campus, and active discussion will be key parts of this MUSE course. Enrollment in MUSE courses is limited to a small number of students because these courses are intended to be highly interactive and allow you to easily interact with your professor and fellow students. MUSE courses explore topics and issues from an interdisciplinary focus to show how interesting and important ideas can be viewed from different perspectives.
Course Goals
This course qualifies as an Area C2 (Letters) course in your General Education requirements. Courses in Arts and Letters should give students knowledge and understanding of significant works of the human intellect and imagination. Students will examine the interaction of analytical and creative processes in the production and perception of such works, and the significance of the historical and cultural contexts in which the works are created and interpreted. Courses should enable students to participate in social and cultural communities associated with artistic and literary endeavors, enriching their personal and professional lives. This course will examine the work of poets, writers, psychoanalysts, painters and filmmakers. We will see that the contribution of psychoanalysts to the study of the human mind opened doors for artists, such as Dali and DiChirico, to new expressions of creativity. It was the perfect subject for film, where time and reality are manipulated. Yet, well before that, dream interpreters were important members of communities. Translating their dreams into artistic projects, after studying how other artists have done it, will challenge students to examine their own dreams, to form then into a work that has meaning for the reader or viewer, and to better understand the process of artistic collaboration.
Student Learning Objectives and Activities for this Course
As an Area C2 (Letters) course, the content and activities are designed to enable you to achieve the following learning outcomes:
1. To recognize aesthetic qualities and processes that characterize works of the human intellect and imagination. We’ll do this by reading and analyzing literature and other art forms, such as poetry, painting, and film. Responses to the literature in journals, oral presentations, and journal entries, quizzes, discussions, papers, and the final will test student understanding. In addition, creative projects, both individual and group, will help students understand how to communicate through art. [GE]
2. To respond to works of art both analytically (in writing) and affectively (in writing or through other forms of personal and artistic expression). We’ll accomplish this by keeping a journal (TYPED that responds to the non- WMPW readings and lectures) group projects, and through individual creative projects. [GE]
3. To write clearly and effectively, assessed through projects, presentations, in-class writing responses, papers, reading quizzes, and homework assignments. The goal of all the papers, as well as the notetaking required during the mini-lectures, is to give students the skills to discern the meaning of what they read and be able to articulate, for example, what is the meaning of Mallarmeé’s poem or Kahlo’s highly personal imagery. [GE]
4. To understand the learning process and your responsibility and role in it. Students will
read the “Spartan Scholar” handbook and continue the process through participation in three MUSE workshops. Class group activities are designed to facilitate active learning. [MUSE]
5. To know what it means to be a member of a metropolitan university community. Part of this is fulfilled by student attendance at various campus events, but also achieved through the MUSE text readings and responses to them. Half of the classes in this course are devoted to MUSE activities. [MUSE]
The following content and activities will be incorporated into the course as you engage in the subject matter of the course:
Diversity: We will examine dreams and dream theory in diverse cultures (project #1) through the writings and art of many different artists. [GE and MUSE]
Writing: the minimum writing requirementis 1500 words in a language and style appropriate to the discipline. papers with accompanying handouts and one final project paper of three to four pages, in addition to journal writing, in-class writing and creative writing. [GE]
The activities and readings are designed to provide students an opportunity to:
1. experience significant works of art in the classroom and in performances and exhibition [GE]
2. understand the historical or cultural contexts in which specific works of art were created [GE]
3. recognize the accomplishments of and issues related to women and diverse cultures reflected in such works of a8. [GE]
4. University scholar: Course activities should be designed to enable students to improve critical thinking skills, information competencies, critical writing and reading skills, and group interactions [MUSE]
5. University life: Students will attend workshops and participate in group activities to help them learn about university resources and activities and to improve in areas they have identified [MUSE]
Required Texts/Readings
Textbook
Dreams Reader ed. Neli Moody available at Maple Press
Lathe of Heaven, Ursula Le Guin ISBN 10 0060512741 (paperback)
We Make the Road by Walking by Margit Misangyi Watts ISBN 0-13-119632-4
A Spartan Scholar from the Start online: http://www.sjsu.edu/muse/students/scholarguide/
Maple Press Packet
The Course Reader may be picked up at Maple Press, 481 E. San Carlos St., between 10th and 11th St. at the east end of campus. Phone number is 208-297-1000. Be sure to ask for the course reader for MUSE 96LQ- Professor Moody.
The Course Reader will contain excerpts from such books as The Interpretation of Dreams:Freud’s Theories Revisted by Laurence Porter, Dreams on Film by Leslie Halpern, Poetry and Myth and Poetry and Dreams by Frederick Clarke Prescott, Dream Singers The African American way with Dreams by Anthony Shafton, and Dream and Image by Bettina Knapp.
Film clips will include: Spellbound, Dreamscape, Groundhog Day, and The Matrix, to name a few.
Art work of the surrealists such as Frida Kahlo, De Chirico, Odilon, and Dali will be subjects of study and discussion.
The poetry of Baudelaire, Valéry, and Mallarmé, among others, will be read in the poetry section of the course.
Recommended texts
Cliffs Notes: Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style (CliffsQuickReview) ISBN: 0764563939
This book is only $10 and contains great information. If you have a grammar text from English 1A/B, or a remedial English class, you may use that. The purpose of the text is to understand and apply the principles of good grammar and well constructed syntaxInsert the list of any additional readings here.
Other Equipment / Material Requirements (Optional)
College-level dictionary
Lined binder paper 8.5 x 11 for in-class writing
Blue or black pens for in-class writing
Internet access and email
Peer Mentor Information
The Peer Mentor center is located in the Academic Success Center in Clark Hall Rm. 305
in the Academic Success Center. The Peer Mentor Center is staffed with Peer Mentors who excel in helping students manage university life, tackling problems that range from academic challenges to interpersonal struggles. On the road to graduation, Peer Mentors are navigators, offering “roadside assistance” to peers who feel a bit lost or simply need help mapping out the locations of campus resources. Peer Mentor services are free and available on a drop –in basis, no reservation required. The Peer Mentor web site is located at: http://www.sjsu.edu/muse/peermentor/ .
Classroom Protocol
Cell phones must be silent (or on vibrate). Do not use cell phones in the class. No text messaging allowed. Laptops cannot be used during class time except when giving presentations (and then it is optional) or with permission from the DRC.
You are adults and responsible for attending class and turning in assignments on time. If you must miss class, contact a classmate about what we covered. Do not email me asking me what we discussed or if you missed “anything important”. (You did.) Instead, contact a classmate for that material. It’s OK to email me if you need clarification on an assignment or need to arrange an appointment to meet in person. Please use standard English (including capitals and punctuation) in all emails to me. Use a salutation and a closing with your name. Please do not use text messaging or chat abbreviations (like cul8r, ur, i’m, etc). You cannot make up in-class projects, discussions, quizzes, or other work. If you turn in an assignment late (such as the journals), you will lose one full grade for each day the assignment is late. That is, an A becomes a B after one day, and then a C after two days. Each day is a calendar day, not a class period! If you experience some sort of hardship or challenge during the semester that interferes with your completion of assignments, you need to let me know as soon as possible. Extended absences require some sort of medical proof. The DRC is great about helping students who face such challenges and will provide me with the necessary documentation to facilitate you in fulfilling your obligations as a student. Athletic commitments require the standard letter from the coach with a schedule of sport event dates. We can work around challenges if you are committed and let me know in advance.
Assignments, Quizzes, and Grade Policies
Assignments and participation
This class will probably be different from any classes you will take at SJSU. The many disciplines we explore will require your commitment to the process. It will be exciting for both of us. The class works best with students who are prepared to participate in each class discussion and activity. As such, most discussions and activities will center on the assigned readings (both fiction and non-fiction) and lectures. We will move quickly. There are no make-ups. The class will have several mini-lectures, some by me, some by guests. You will be responsible for taking notes on these lectures. There will be quizzes on them.
Bring your required texts to class every session and be prepared to respond to the text.
Late assignments
I will not take any assignments (of those allowed) more than one week late. If you have extenuating circumstances that compromise your ability to get work in on time, you need to let me know.
Quizzes, class assignments, and homework
Throughout the semester, I will give quizzes on the assigned reading and assignments. These quizzes will not be announced in advance and cannot be made up. I will assign various responses to reading and other short writing assignments both in and out of class. ALL WORK IS WORD PROCESSED EXCEPT IN CLASS WORK.
Projects
The projects in this class will give students and opportunity to use analytical and creative skills. The first project is a group project. Students will work in groups of five. Each group will select a culture to study and then do a presentation on the importance of dreams in that culture. Many cultures paid great attention to dreams. In some, (Joseph is an example) dream interpreters held positions of significant power. By working in groups of five, students will support each other in their research and learn how to do an effective presentation. The second project is an individual project. Students will write poetry about a dream. Peer editors will critique the poems, which will then be revised and turned it. The students will learn about the editing process and about how to translate personal experience into a work that can be understood by others. The final project is a group project. Students may do a photographic, cinematic or artistic project that expresses and interprets a dream. They will learn how to select a topic, plan it, and execute it as a group.