Literature   

“Prophet Song” is the 2023 Booker Prize winner by Irish novelist Paul Lynch. This gem of a novel was described as a “prophetic masterpiece” in the Washington Post. Through lyrical prose, Paul Lynch slowly reveals a horrific scenario through the experience of his protagonist Eilish, a scientist and mother of four, whose husband, a union organizer, is “disappeared” at the start of a hostile government takeover of Ireland. Described in the New York Times as coming “at a moment when the fear it addresses is daily in the news,” this novel is not an easy read, and yet it is essential. Students will read portions of the novel each week and discuss their responses to the unraveling of Eilish’s life. Students may find a glimmer of hope when introduced to the hidden mythic elements in the narrative. 

NOTE: Students are encouraged to read the entire novel before the course begins. 

Published in 1975, E.L. Doctorow’s “Ragtime” explores themes of race, class and the rise of consumer culture in the early 20th century across a wide variety of fictional and historical characters living in a world on the cusp of change. The intertwined storylines follow three families — a white upper-class family, Jewish immigrants and an African American couple with a newborn baby — as they search for belonging in a rapidly changing America. Using lectures, discussions and even music, we will examine both the times depicted in the novel and the societal factors that were at work when it was written. Fifty years have passed since “Ragtime” was published, yet its themes are still relevant: the complex drive for progress, the search for meaning and the struggle for freedom and peace.

NOTE: Participants should read the novel before the course begins. This course is part of an online share with OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno. Please note that the last session(s) of the course extend beyond the OLLI at SOU term.

What does it mean to think on the page? The personal essay — one of literature’s most intimate and flexible forms — has been shaping minds since Montaigne confessed his way through 16th- century France. From Bacon’s crisp observations to Baldwin’s searing witness to modern editorial pages and posts on Substack, the essay has always been used by writers to figure things out in public. In this course, we’ll trace that rich tradition while immersing ourselves in “The Best American Essays 2025,” the freshest voices grappling with memory, identity, science, grief and wonder. We’ll ask what the essay does that no other form can: how it earns digression, wears research lightly and turns uncertainty into art. The course will include lectures, discussion and recommended reading.

NOTE: The course will include readings from “The Best American Essays 2025,” edited by Jia Tolentino, as well as online readings. Each class will have one required reading and two more recommended.