How to Read Closely
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General
Course Long Title
How to Read Closely
Subject Code
CHMN
Course Number
381
School(s)
Academic Level
UG - Undergraduate
Description
How to Read Closely
Decelerationists of CalArts Unite! We are living in a time when our capacity to pay attention is being destroyed. Information circulates in unprecedented amounts, and faster than ever before. We try to focus while managing our email and our pinging phones, but more often than not our brains feel adrift and toxic feelings of emptiness and superficiality take over. Entire hours disappear into the scroll. Not infrequently a full day goes by without us having anything to show for it. In such a time, slowing down and paying close attention becomes a revolutionary activity. In this course, we will engage in a decelerationist revolt by practicing the method of close-reading: studying very short, philosophical stories slowly, and in detail, in order to explore their meaning. Course requirements: reading/ note-taking, discussion, and a final paper.
Decelerationists of CalArts Unite! We are living in a time when our capacity to pay attention is being destroyed. Information circulates in unprecedented amounts, and faster than ever before. We try to focus while managing our email and our pinging phones, but more often than not our brains feel adrift and toxic feelings of emptiness and superficiality take over. Entire hours disappear into the scroll. Not infrequently a full day goes by without us having anything to show for it. In such a time, slowing down and paying close attention becomes a revolutionary activity. In this course, we will engage in a decelerationist revolt by practicing the method of close-reading: studying very short, philosophical stories slowly, and in detail, in order to explore their meaning. Course requirements: reading/ note-taking, discussion, and a final paper.