Self Exploration Through Literature *In-Person*

Certain fictional characters seem as real as our own friends and adversaries, because their authors write with insight and intuition about human emotions. By examining our unique reactions to stories, we achieve increased self-understanding. We’ll use contemporary works as points of departure as we ask ourselves: What are our feelings and attitudes about the story characters and memoirists? What do these emotional responses reveal about ourselves and the wider world? Please buy or locate the following three books: Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri; This is How You Lose Her, by Junot Diaz; and Clear, by Carys Davies. For our first class, please read the following stories in Interpreter of Maladies: “A Temporary Matter,” “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” and “Interpreter of Maladies.”

Instructor, Jane Katims