IAP 2018 Activities by Category - Literature

Francesco Maurelli, World Esperanto Youth Organisation, Vice President

	Jan/17	Wed	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/18	Thu	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/19	Fri	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/22	Mon	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/23	Tue	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/24	Wed	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/25	Thu	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147
	Jan/26	Fri	06:00PM-07:00PM	2-147

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Come and join us, learning the international language Esperanto. With 130 years of life, Esperanto helped to connect millions of people worldwide, overcoming language and cultural barriers. It is easy to learn and fun to practice with other speakers around the world. Don't miss the opportunity!

Contact: Francesco Maurelli, 32-230, 415 900-7213, MAURELLI@CSAIL.MIT.EDU

Francesco Maurelli, World Esperanto Youth Association, Vice President

Jan/11

Thu

06:00PM-07:00PM

2-147

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Presentation and discussion about the role of languages and communication in today's world, with an analysis of the international language Esperanto. With its 130 years of existence, it is the most spoken planned language in the world, with more than 1.5 million learners only on Duolingo.

Come to this seminar to learn and participate, and to know all information about the Esperanto course at IAP.

Contact: Francesco Maurelli, 32-230, 415 900-7213, MAURELLI@CSAIL.MIT.EDU

Francesco Maurelli, World Esperanto Youth Association, Vice President

Feb/02

Fri

06:00PM-07:00PM

2-147

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

IMPORTANT - DATE CHANGE - The new date is FRIDAY February 2nd!

 

Did you know that a Scottish poet was a Nobel prize candidate for his original work in Esperanto?

This seminar will highlight the literature production in the international language Esperanto, starting from the very beginning of the language to today's trends and directions. Both original and translated literature will be presented.

Contact: Francesco Maurelli, 32-230, 415 900-7213, MAURELLI@CSAIL.MIT.EDU

Shekhar Shastri

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/15
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Romantic poetry was considered the supreme form of aesthetics in ancient Indian literature. Strikingly uninhibited in their content and intensity, the works of poets such as Bhartrhari, Kalidasa, and Jayadeva are unparalleled in their sublime expression of love which provide deep insight into ancient Indian society, culture, and relationships in general. In addition, a brief background in Indian aesthetics would be provided to help in understanding the literary works and the sensibilities of the era under study; paintings inspired from the above-mentioned love poetry would be shown and discussed.

Students would be encouraged to create original works on their own deriving inspiration from the works studied in the class. The final session will take place in the Indian Art gallery at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Comments from IAP 2011-14 students:

“ … very engaging and dynamic ... what a wonderful way to learn Indian culture. … drew us in immediately …very stimulating ... beautiful ... moving”

Instructor

Shekhar Shastri is an entrepreneur, poet, and filmmaker and is a Director of Meru Education Foundation, which produces educational programs on the arts and culture of India. He writes poetry and plays in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and English. He has produced four films, one of which was nominated for a National award in India.

To register, please email:  shastri.shekhar@gmail.com

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Shekhar Shastri, shastri.shekhar@gmail.com

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	Jan/23	Tue	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Jan/25	Thu	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Jan/30	Tue	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Feb/01	Thu	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD

First four classes at MIT.  Fifth and final class at MFA, Boston - date TBD.

Shekhar Shastri

Steven Strang

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

Calling all creative writers! Want to write something creative but need some motivation or support or some thoughtful readers?  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, and 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. Open to MIT undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, lecturers, staff, faculty, spouses and partners. Please note that this is not a class and not a group for technical writing or for thesis writing.

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

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Writing and Communication Center
Contact: Steven Strang, E18-233 B, 617 253-4459, SMSTRANG@MIT.EDU

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MIT's Writers Group

	Jan/08	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E17-136
	Jan/22	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E17-136
	Jan/29	Mon	12:00PM-01:00PM	E17-136

Steven Strang

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Session Title TBD

Session Leaders TBD

Kirsty Bennett

	Jan/11	Thu	12:00PM-01:30PM	4-149
	Jan/31	Wed	12:00PM-01:30PM	4-149

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Repeating event, participants welcome at any session

How do you tell a good story? Why should you want to?

MITell is a storytelling group, meeting monthly on campus and open to all in the MIT Community. If you’ve been thinking about sharing a story but wondering how to start, this is the workshop for you! Taught by Kirsty Bennett, a former director and producer for The Moth, this class will introduce basic narrative storytelling structure and help you begin to craft your own story.

Storytelling is a chance to reflect on your life, take stock of the events you've lived through, and think about how they have shaped you as a person. It's also a great first foray into tackling public speaking, and finding the confidence to share your own experiences. Sharing stories helps us build connections with our wider communities, understand better the lives of others, and appreciate and celebrate our differences. Join us!

Sponsor(s): MIT Womens League
Contact: Kirsty Bennett, 10-342, 617 253-3656, KBENNETT@MIT.EDU

Wyn Kelley, Senior Lecturer of Literature

Feb/01

Thu

10:00AM-03:00PM

TBD

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Perhaps you have heard of one of America’s premier orators, writers, editors, and activists for civil rights. Perhaps you’ve noticed that Frederick Douglass has “done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more”—appearing on syllabi across the nation and this fall at MIT in Literature and History.  Maybe you are curious about how this gripping story of one man’s escape to freedom made him the most-photographed person in 19th-century America.  Join Literature friends and fans for a daylong reading of Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Written by Himself (1845).  All participants can enjoy reading or just listening to Douglass’s inspiring words. We will convene at various sites on campus that engage with MIT’s role in the history of civil rights. Activities will include lunch and refreshments; discussion of Douglass’s three autobiographies (with a demo of digital visualizations of the texts); and a portrait gallery.

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: Chloe Jones, 14N-407, 617 258-5629, CJJONES@MIT.EDU

Christopher LaRoche, User Experience Consultant

Jan/19

Fri

12:00PM-01:30PM

4-145

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None

Discusses and investigates aspect of modern Irish history. Specifically, a discussion of how the images and concepts of Ireland and the Irish have evolved over the last several hundred years in the eyes of the greater world.
 
In this talk, we will discuss and investigate the history and culture of Ireland from the eighteenth century to the present. We'll pay particular attention to issues and topics such as Saint Patrick, the repression of Catholicism, the Famine of the 1840s, the 1916 Easter Uprising, the Anglo-Irish War of 1920-1921, the Irish Civil War, and Ireland since the declaration of an Irish republic in 1948.
 
Finally the lecture will focus on and discuss the idea of mythology and stereotype used in lieu of history and how that has shaped many opinions about Ireland: and how that has recently evolved from Ireland as a caricature to respectability within the wider world view.

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming
Contact: Christopher Laroche, 7-143, 617 324-9016, LAROCHE@MIT.EDU

Noel Jackson, Associate Professor of Literature

	Jan/08	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/09	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14N-417, NOTE LOCATION CHANGE
	Jan/10	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/11	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/12	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/16	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/17	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/18	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/19	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/22	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/23	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/24	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/25	Thu	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/26	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/29	Mon	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/30	Tue	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Jan/31	Wed	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304
	Feb/02	Fri	01:00PM-02:00PM	14E-304

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Repeating event, participants welcome at any session

This popular activity – which aims to reach all lovers of poetry – has been offered every IAP for the last twenty 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.

Visit lit.mit.edu for more details

Sponsor(s): Literature
Contact: Chloe Jones, 14N-407, 617 258-5629, CJJONES@MIT.EDU

Lawrence Barriner II, Program Director, Community Media, Grant Tank Williams

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

“I learned in school how to deconstruct—but how do we move beyond our beautiful deconstruction? Who teaches us to reconstruct? How do we cultivate the muscle of radical imagination needed to dream together beyond fear?” - Adrienne Maree Brown

It’s 2018 and something isn’t right. Or maybe more accurately, almost everything is wrong. The joint powers of imagination and fear have established a seemingly untouchable demagogue as the elected leader of the world’s most powerful empire. He carries out the wishes of the elite while destroying the dreams, realities, and futures of everyone and everything else, including the planet herself.

Standard tactics are proving ineffective. Fact-checking has been rendered useless. Reason, unreasonable. Imagination, myth-making, and stories reign (see alternative facts). The future of America, and perhaps the world, is in the hands of the best storytellers.

The Resistance is evolving to meet the challenge. How do we build past, even through fear, to something more powerful? To… radical hope? We are one faction of many fighting for the futurewe are writers, thinkers, and artists using our powers to fight imagination with imagination. In this 3-day workshop in January, 2018 we will: learn from the rich ancestry of speculative fiction, exercise collaborative ideation and world-building, and create stories and art that may unleash new futures to topple the hegemonic order. Come, join our schemes.

Click here for more Info/sign-up.

Sponsor(s): Urban Studies and Planning, Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Lawrence Barriner II, lqb@mit.edu

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Jan/24

Wed

06:00PM-09:00PM

9-217

Lawrence Barriner II - Program Director, Community Media

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Jan/26

Fri

06:00PM-09:00PM

9-217

Lawrence Barriner II - Program Director, Community Media

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Jan/31

Wed

06:00PM-09:00PM

9-217

Lawrence Barriner II - Program Director, Community Media

Zachary Angles, Instructor, Valentina Rosales, Instructor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/12
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This workshop will develop stories in both drawn and textual form to explore and learn meth­ods for translating prose fic­tion into explicit architectural imaginings. The methods borrow from literary and archi­tectural techniques and revel in swerving between these two disciplines. The workshop concentrates on the building of indi­vidual fictions through a series of lessons and exercises that guide students through the abductive process of fictive imagination.

Lessons outline key historical and theoreti­cal threads critical to the project, fictocriticism, and the possibility of a “nar­rative architecture.”

Students can expect to learn about stories, design, and imagination while producing a series of drawings and written stories. There is the possibility for students to develop stories they have already begun writing or to write stories for designs they have already created.

And at the end, we hope to see better stories and better worlds.

 

** Please contact Zachary Angles, to enroll by January 12.** Enrollment limited to 10.

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Zachary Angles, zangles@mit.edu

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Session

	Jan/17	Wed	01:00PM-05:00PM	TBA
	Jan/19	Fri	01:00PM-05:00PM	TBA
	Jan/22	Mon	01:00PM-05:00PM	TBA
	Jan/24	Wed	01:00PM-05:00PM	TBA
	Jan/26	Fri	01:00PM-05:00PM	TBA

Zachary Angles - Instructor, Valentina Rosales - Instructor