Literature seminars you can join online

from the Hertog Foundation

A few days ago, I was pleased to sit in and observe a seminar run by the Hertog Foundation, in which group of young people were discussing Frankenstein with a professional instructor. The conversation was both wide-ranging but also focussed and critical. The instructor guided with her questions, but didn’t preach or teach, and the participants were reading closely, having to justify their ideas by quoting the book. It was a good old-fashioned literature seminar.

The good news is that you can apply to join such a seminar yourself. This is what the Hertog Foundation says about these courses.

You can expect small classes of 10-15 peers who share your love of ideas, guided by a passionate teacher. The courses offered through the Humanities program provide an opportunity not only to reflect on what great texts bring to bear on enduring questions, but also how to begin a community in conversation.

This winter, they are running seminars on Forster, Austen, Kierkegaard, and Plato. Seminars are on Zoom. It is open to “Undergradute and graduate students, recent graduates, and young professionals, 35 and under.” Everyone who is accepted has to write a “brief reflection paper” and lead a discussion also. If you are not eligible, but want to try something like this, you can also look to the Catherine Project, which is open to people from all educational backgrounds and walks of life.

I am glad to see that the online humanities revival is going strong.