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Great Books Virtual Roundtable Discussion
June 26 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
E.T.A. Hoffmann
“The Automa
ta” (1814)
“The Sandman” (1817)
For the month of June we will be reading two stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), a German Romantic author mainly of fantasy and gothic horror. Hoffmann was also a composer, music critic, and artist (the image of him here is a self portrait). The two stories selected for this month’s readings exemplify Hoffmann’s use of the uncanny and both feature automatons that appear to be human. Join us for a discussion of Hoffmann’s gothic tales!
No expertise or prerequisites are required. We only ask that you read the selected texts.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ZOOM SESSION
If you think you will be attending the session, please send Max Yela an email (maxyela@uwm.edu) about your intention to attend (even if you decide not to attend later). He will accept notices of intent until 5:00 p.m., June 26. Between 6:30 and 6:45 on the day of our discussion, June 26, you will receive an email from him with an automatic password-protected URL. Please use that URL to join the session (you will of course need to use a computer with a microphone and a video camera in it — if you want to be seen, that is). When you join, you will be placed in a waiting room that Max will be monitoring to allow attendees into the session. Only those he has emailed will be allowed into the session. This process is intended to maximize the security of the meeting.
These discussions are free and open to the public.
Part of the purpose of the Great Books Roundtable Discussions is to illustrate the pedagogical method of shared inquiry. Another purpose is to disseminate an understanding and appreciation of the philosophy of great books education on the UWM campus. It was the assertion of the former Great Books Program that its methodology and philosophical approach toward the study of foreign languages, mathematics, history, and great books offers a challenging, meaningful, and useful Liberal Arts education.
Special Collections serves as host for the Roundtable Discussions in support of these educational goals. Special Collections’ programs, services, and policy of free, open, and equal access to all its collections have close affinities to the former Great Books Program’s vision of a vigorous Liberal Arts education and its method of shared inquiry.
More information on the program can be found on the Special Collections Great Books Roundtable Discussions webpage.
