CMPL 251 - Gone Writing: Travel and Literature

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
“The one who travels has a story to tell,” so a German saying goes. But what exactly are those intrinsic ties between travel and storytelling? Seeking to answer this question, we will look at two incredibly rich literary and cinematic traditions: German and Russian, focusing on the depiction of travels in the 20th and 21st-century writings and films. What was Nabokov thinking while passing through Northern Ohio in an Oldsmobile? How Kafka’s fantastic vision of America inspired Russian postmodernist experiments? What features define a travelogue or a road movie? Is it possible to keep a balance between veracity and literariness while telling a travel story? Our journey will take us through space and time, from hashish trips to the Trans-Siberian railway, from Chicago slaughterhouses to Persian palaces…all roads are open! (Lectures, discussions and readings all in English.)
Prerequisites & Notes: None
This course is cross-listed with GERM 251 and RUSS 251