"What is a Classic?" asks what goes into the making of a classic text. It focuses on four, monumental poems from the ancient Mediterranean and Near East: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, and Ovid's Metamorphoses, which are discussed through comparison across traditions. Students will consider possible definitions and constituents of a classic, while also reflecting on the processes of chance, valorization, and exclusion that go into the formation of a canon. Topics will include transmission, commentary, translation, religion, race, colonization, empire, and world literature.

Students will choose, early in the semester, one author to focus on in fiction, poetry, or drama, with the goal of arriving at a 10-15 page sample, with commentary, of the author's work. All work will be translated into English and discussed in a workshop format. Weekly readings will focus on the comparison of pre-existing translations as well as commentaries on the art and practice of literary translation.

Students will choose, early in the semester, one author to focus on in fiction, poetry, or drama, with the goal of arriving at a 15-20 page sample, with commentary, of the author's work. All work will be translated into English and discussed in a workshop format. Weekly readings will focus on the comparison of pre-existing translations as well as commentaries on the art and practice of literary translation.

The Bible is more than one book. "Bible" comes from a Greek word that literally means "books." Some are hauntingly beautiful, others profoundly philosophical. Some are simultaneously boring and terrifying; some are riveting and funny. We'll think about how these different kinds of literature belong in the same overarching book: how are the ways in which they are written a part of the overall meaning or meanings of the Bible? We'll survey the literary devices that Biblical texts use and the beauty of its language. This way of reading isn't intended to challenge any faith tradition, nor does it assume that you've ever looked at the Bible before

The course will focus on topics and issues related to literary translation, from Urdu into Hindi, Hindi into Urdu, as well as the translation of Hindi/Urdu literary works into English and from English into Hindi/Urdu. Readings will address issues of theory and practice, as well as selected literary works and their translations. Includes student translation workshops.

This course delves into the theory and practice of Spanish-to-English translation, combining readings, discussions, workshops, and guest lectures. Students will explore key theoretical frameworks and the linguistic and cultural challenges of translating diverse text types. A special focus will be given to the role of AI in translation, examining its limitations, biases, and ethical implications in contexts such as law, migration, healthcare, Indigenous languages, and literature.

This course will explore the crucial connections between migration, language, and translation. Drawing on texts from a range of genres and disciplines - from memoir and fiction to scholarly work in translation studies, migration studies, political science, anthropology, and sociology - we will focus on how language and translation affect the lives of those who move through and settle in other cultures, and how, in turn, human mobility affects language and modes of belonging.