IAP 2015 Activities by Category - Literature

Sandy Alexandre, Professor of Literature

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

This course explores Beyoncé’s songs, music videos, and photographs as a way to reflect on issues of black feminism, womanism, and intersectionality. What do those terms even mean? How exactly does race and feminism intersect, and why is that particular intersection important, especially in the case of this singer? How successful or forced are efforts to view Beyoncé as a paragon of black feminism? What does a practice of womanism in action actually look like, and how might a performance of it on a music video, for example, invite someone to emulate it (or tailor it for feasible, productive, and pleasurable use) in the real world? How can we use popular entertainment as a foray into deeper examinations of race, gender, class, and sexuality? Is palatable, and entertaining black feminism any different from—a diluted version of—the black feminism we read about in scholarly books? This course will include in-class discussions of Black Feminist Thought (1990) by Patricia Hill Collins, along with supplemental essays, which we will read over the course of one week.

Sponsor(s): Literature, Women's and Gender Studies
Contact: Sandy Alexandre, 14N-422, 617-253-4450, alexandy@mit.edu

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Beyonce: Black Feminist Thought

	Jan/20	Tue	02:30PM-04:30PM	14E-304
	Jan/21	Wed	02:30PM-04:30PM	14E-304
	Jan/22	Thu	02:30PM-04:30PM	14E-304
	Jan/23	Fri	02:30PM-04:00PM	14E-304

Sandy Alexandre - Professor of Literature

Philip Tan, Research Scientist

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

The "Disney Fairies" series launched in 2005 with new novels based on the tales of Peter Pan. From the novels and plays of J.M. Barrie and the animated films by Walt Disney Productions, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine developed an elaborate mythology for the fairies of Neverland. The lead character, Tinker Bell, moved from "Disney Princess" marketing efforts into a separate franchise of chapter books, comics, and merchandise. Following Disney's purchase of Pixar, direct-to-DVD productions of Disney Fairies were restarted and debuted with the 3D computer-animated film "Tinker Bell" in 2008.

While visually consistent with Disney's earlier interpretations of Neverland, some may find the characterization and the tone of the films surprising. Barrie's century-old "common pots-and-pans fairy" is reinterpreted as a titular heroine with a unique talent for invention and engineering. Most of the films revolve around Tinker Bell's ability to construct incredible machines and her irrepressible drive to find and fix "lost things." The mostly-female cast is generally portrayed as being extremely competent and working collectively to solve problems, even as the films fall back on formulaic personality conflicts.

Children with adult supervision are welcome. Each screening will be followed by an optional, moderated discussion with participants, which may venture into playful, activist, academic or headcanon topics.

This event aims to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Philip Tan, 26-149, 617 324-9129, PHILIP@MIT.EDU

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Screening times

	Jan/07	Wed	02:00PM-03:30PM	2-105, Tinker Bell
	Jan/09	Fri	02:00PM-03:30PM	2-105, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
	Jan/12	Mon	02:00PM-03:30PM	2-105, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
	Jan/14	Wed	02:00PM-03:30PM	2-105, Pixie Hollow Games & Secret of the Wings
	Jan/16	Fri	02:00PM-03:30PM	2-105, The Pirate Fairy

Children are welcome to the screenings (with adult supervision, please!)

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Optional Discussion

	Jan/07	Wed	03:30PM-04:30PM	2-105
	Jan/09	Fri	03:30PM-04:30PM	2-105
	Jan/12	Mon	03:30PM-04:30PM	2-105
	Jan/14	Wed	03:30PM-04:30PM	2-105
	Jan/16	Fri	03:30PM-04:30PM	2-105

A moderated discussion and critique of the themes, representation, development, marketing, problems and solutions presented by the Tinker Bell films and media franchise. The session will start after a 10-minute intermission after the screening. Participation in the discussion is completely optional.

Amanda Rothschild, PhD Student Political Science

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/14
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Are the Harry Potter books just a fictional account of a fantastical wizarding world, or do the books offer a more nuanced political commentary on current and past international events? This course explores the political implications of the Harry Potter series, with a particular focus on parallels to World War II and the War on Terror. Topics explored include the sorting process, minority persecution, resistance movements, historical parallels to Death Eaters, and similarities between violence in the Harry Potter series and terrorism today. All students are welcome, but ideally students would have read all seven books or be familiar with the films. Wizarding robes are optional, but encouraged.
 

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Amanda Rothschild, rothscaa@mit.edu

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The Sorting & the Series, Moral Courage

Jan/27

Tue

05:45PM-07:15PM

E53-482

The series begins & ends with significant emphasis on the sorting process. How does Rowling define courage? What does Dumbledore mean when he says that we must choose between what is right and what is easy? Why do readers assume Hufflepuffs are not as capable as others? Why is ambition the quality associated with the darkest house and what are the implications of that association?
 

Amanda Rothschild - PhD Student Political Science

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Persecuted Minorities, WWII & Holocaust

Jan/28

Wed

05:45PM-07:15PM

E53-482

We discuss parallels between Muggle-borns & other persecuted minorities with a focus on the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. Topics include the Muggle-born registry, racial purity in the series, Grindelwald and the greater good, racially derogatory terminology in the series, Snatchers and the Gestapo, Death Eaters and the Nazi Party, the treatment of House-elves, discrimination against Werewolves.
 
 

Amanda Rothschild - PhD Student Political Science

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Death Eaters, Terrorism, War on Terror

Jan/29

Thu

05:45PM-07:15PM

E53-482

Are the Death Eaters axioms similar to terrorist organizations? How does the Ministry of Magics response to the return of Lord Voldemort, parallel the response of governments to terrorist attacks? What does it mean to value courage, fairness, wit, or ambition most? Is it correct that we are defined not by our abilities, but by our choices? How do we apply this lesson to our life at MIT and beyond?
 

Amanda Rothschild - PhD Student Political Science

David Thorburn, Professor

Jan/15

Thu

02:30PM-04:00PM

14E-304

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Award-winning poet Kevin Pilkington will read from his forthcoming book, Where You Want To Be.

Kevin Pilkington ​​​​​​​​​​teaches writing at Sarah Lawrence College and is the author of six books of poetry, including Spare Change (La Jolla Poets Press National Book Award winner), Ready to Eat the Sky (Independent Publishers Books Award finalist) and In the Eyes of a Dog  (2011 New York Book Festival Award winner). His poems and reviews have appeared in many magazines including The Harvard Review, Boston Review, and North American Review.  His first novel, Summer Shares, was published in 2012.

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: David Thorburn, 14N-335, 617-253-6950, thorburn@mit.edu

Steven Strang

	Jan/05	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E39-335
	Jan/12	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E39-335
	Jan/26	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E39-335

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session
Prereq: none

Calling all creative writers! Want to write something creative but need some motivation or support? Join other MIT writers to get advice about your own writing, to be a reader of other writers' work, and/or to get inspiration to write something. Any type of creative writing is welcomed:  e.g., fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, memoirs, personal essays, plays, blog entries, book reviews. We help each other get started on a creative writing project, we help each other develop ideas and style, we function as engaged and encouraging readers of each other's material.  The Group includes emerging and established writers. We meet every Monday from noon-1:00 p.m. in E39-335 (the same building that hosues Rebecca's Cafe in Kendall Square). Open to MIT undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, lectuers, staff and faculty.Please note that this is not a class and not a group for technical writing.

Please email <smstrang@mit.edu> to register.

Sponsor(s): Writing and Communication Center
Contact: Steven Strang, E39-115C, 617 253-4459, SMSTRANG@MIT.EDU

Diana Henderson, Professor

	Jan/28	Wed	09:00AM-11:00AM	14E-304
	Jan/28	Wed	11:00AM-02:30PM	Spofford Room
	Jan/28	Wed	02:30PM-04:00PM	Stella Room
	Jan/28	Wed	04:00PM-05:00PM	TBD

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Once upon a time there was an IAP event in which members and friends of the MIT community took turns reading selections aloud from The Arabian Nights over the course of an entire day. Hard copies of the selections were aplenty and made available to those in attendance. They traveled far and wide to various locations on the MIT campus to simulate the different settings where the many stories of that text occur. Some trudged. Some even skipped (to my Lou, but also skipped some of the venues altogether, since everyone was welcome but not obligated to stay the whole day)! But I digress. During the first few minutes at the first venue, a wonderfully charming and eloquent professor placed the text in historical and cultural context while also debunking some myths about the stories popularly--yet incorrectly--associated with and allegedly included in The Arabian Nights. After the brief lesson, everyone in the room clapped with delight and appreciation. They were all the wiser for listening. Overall, the event was a tremendous success, and when they reached their final destination of the day, they were all happily surprised to discover that…

Don't let the suspense kill you! Let it keep you wanting more! Join us to hear and to make how the story ends!

When:  Wednesday, 28 January 2015; 10am-5pm

Where: See above times and places.

How: Come! Bring a friend!

Tweet as you participate: #TheArabianNights

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: Sandy Alexandre, 14N-422, 617-253-4450, alexandy@mit.edu

Eugenie Brinkema, Literature Professor

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Examines works of film, television or other screen-based media, with emphasis on texts that are related by genre, time period, style, or director. Listeners are welcome to attend individual sessions.
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We will explore various elements of cinematic texts to determine what makes a film an instance or version of a film of a particular kind, members of which all offer versions of the same underlying story. Discerning its kind (or genre) is implicit in understanding any film narrative--why the action makes sense and what it means in relation to lived experience. Genres to be examined will include: Westerns, Detective Films, Musicals, Screwball Comedies, Fantasy, Vampires, Gangster movies, Samurai movies, and a nameless genre: films about the relation of the medium to reality. In addition to viewing sixteen films, we will also read some literary or dramatic texts or portions thereof to compare the treatment of similar narrative patterns in two different media.

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: Eugenie Brinkema, 14N-408, 617-253-3068, brinkema@mit.edu

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The Lodger (1927)

Jan/05

Mon

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Blackmail (1929)

Jan/06

Tue

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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The 39 Steps (1935)

Jan/07

Wed

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Suspicion (1941)

Jan/08

Thu

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Jan/12

Mon

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Spellbound (1945)

Jan/13

Tue

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Jan/14

Wed

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Strangers on a Train (1951)

Jan/15

Thu

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Rear Window (1954)

Jan/20

Tue

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Notorious (1946)

Jan/21

Wed

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Rope (1948)

Jan/22

Thu

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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North by Northwest

Jan/26

Mon

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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Vertigo (1958)

Jan/27

Tue

03:00PM-05:00PM

1-390

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Psycho (1960)

Jan/28

Wed

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

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The Birds (1963)

Jan/29

Thu

03:00PM-05:00PM

3-270

David Thorburn

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

This popular activity –- which aims to reach all lovers of poetry -- has been offered every IAP for the last fifteen years.  Each one-hour session is devoted to a single poet, usually a single poem.  The goal is discussion and shared pleasure.  No lectures or professorial arrogance allowed. Some participants attend every session, but many others attend only once or twice to read and discuss a favorite poet or poem.  The roster of poets is always immensely diverse: from ancient Chinese masters to contemporary American poets laureate, from such famous Greats as Shakespeare, Keats and Auden to Dr. Seuss and Bob Dylan.  Discussion and collaborative close reading are the aim and ideal of each hour.  A packet of all the chosen texts will be posted online (lit.mit.edu) and will be available in hardcopy from the Literature Office.

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: David Thorburn, 14N-335, 3-6950, thorburn@mit.edu

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Pleasures of Poetry

	Jan/05	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/06	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/07	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/08	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/09	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/12	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/13	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/14	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/15	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/16	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/20	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/21	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/22	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/23	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/26	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/27	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/29	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/30	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304

Each session a moderator will discuss poem(s) from a poet. Packets of poems and a schedule will be available on-line at http://lit.mit.edu/ or in Literature HQ. Copies of poems will be brought to each session.

David Thorburn

Shakespeare Ensemble

	Jan/23	Fri	08:00PM-09:45PM	3-133
	Jan/24	Sat	08:00PM-09:45PM	3-133
	Jan/25	Sun	08:00PM-09:45PM	3-133

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

The MIT Shakespeare Ensemble presents

STOP KISS

Directed by Stephanie Cheng, '15

Written by Diana Son

 

Callie has been living in New York City for the last ten years and resigned herself to a boring job and a boring life. Sara has just moved to the City and is hoping to do some good in the world. When the two meet, there is an instant connection, and they begin to change each other for the better. Unfortunately, not everyone is accepting of their new relationship. Their first kiss provokes a violent attack, changing their lives forever.

  

Interested in joining our team? Email stopkiss-request@mit.edu for stage managing and design opportunities. No experience required!

 

Stop Kiss is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Sponsor(s): Shakespeare Ensemble
Contact: Shakespeare Ensemble, stopkiss-request@mit.edu

Jo Ivester, Author

Jan/19

Mon

10:00AM-02:30PM

W20- Basement Mtg Rm, Bring a laptop to access the script

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: none

Did you have a great time reading Shakespeare’s plays when you were in high school? If so, you were lucky. If not, you’re not alone. Generations of students have learned about Shakespeare not because they were intrigued with his plays, but because they were required to do so. In this seminar, students will explore the assumption that Shakespeare’s themes are highly relevant to today’s teenagers. Through reading and discussing The Merchant of Venice, students will identify specific techniques for encouraging high schoolers to open up about prejudice, gender roles, and parental control. In learning how to help others to appreciate the play, seminar students will themselves develop a deeper understanding.

About the Instructor: Jo Ivester is an MIT alum (class of ’77) who returns every January to serve as a mentor with MIT’s popular UPOP program. One of the early members of The Shakespeare Ensemble at MIT, Jo has co-taught classes on Shakespeare with her mother, who spent twenty years as a high school English teacher in rural Mississippi and in the inner cities of Miami and Los Angeles. Recently, Jo has authored a memoir about her mother’s early teaching career, The Outskirts of Hope, due to be released this April.

 

Sponsor(s): Shakespeare Ensemble
Contact: Shakespeare Ensemble Officers, ensemble-request@mit.edu