Undergraduate
Course Oerings
2024–2025
Course listings as of: September 05, 2024
Accreditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Africana Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Anthropology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Architecture and Design Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Art History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Asian Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Classics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cognitive and Brain Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Computer Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Development Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Economics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Environmental Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Environmental Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Ethnic and Diasporic Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Film History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts . . . . . . . . 49
French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Gender and Sexuality Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
German . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Greek (Ancient) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Health, Science, and Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Information Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
International Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Italian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Japanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Latin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Latin American and Latinx Studies . . . . . . . . . 84
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies . . . . . . . 101
Modern and Classical Languages and
Literatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Music History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
New Genres and Interactive Art . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Political Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Practicum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Public Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Russian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative
on the Environment (SLICE) . . . . . . . . . 153
Science and Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Pre-Health Program
Social Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Sociology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Urban Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Visual and Studio Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Graduate Courses Open to Advanced
Undergraduate Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Sarah Lawrence College is accredited by the Middle
States Association and the New York State Education
Department.
The following programs are registered by the New York
State Education Department* for the degrees listed
(registration number in parentheses). Enrollment in other
than registered or otherwise approved programs may
jeopardize a student’s eligibility for certain student-aid
awards.
Program Degree Awarded
Liberal Arts (4901) BA
Art of Teaching (0802) MSEd
Child Development (2009) MA
Dance (1008) MFA
Dance Movement Therapy (1099) MS
Health Advocacy (4901) MA
Human Genetics (0422) MS
Theatre (1007) MFA
Women’s History (2299) MA
Writing (1507) MFA
* New York State Education Department
Oce of Higher Education and the Professions
Cultural Education Center, Room SB28
Albany, New York 12230
(518) 474-5851
THE CURRICULUM
The Curriculum of the College, as planned for the
2024–2025 academic year, is described in the following
pages.
Please note that some courses are yearlong and some are
fall or spring semester only. Where possible, seminar
descriptions include examples of areas of study in which a
student could concentrate for the conference portion of
the course. In a seminar course, each student not only
pursues the main course material but also selects a
related topic for concentrated study, often resulting in a
major paper. In this way, each seminar becomes both a
shared and an individual experience.
AFRICANA STUDIES
Africana studies at Sarah Lawrence College embrace a
number of scholarly disciplines and subjects, including
anthropology, architecture, art history, dance, economics,
film, filmmaking, history, Islamic studies, law, literature,
philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, sociology,
theatre, and writing. Students examine the experience of
Africans and people of African descent in the diaspora,
including those from Latin America, the Caribbean, North
America, and beyond. Study includes the important
cultural, economic, technological, political, and social
intellectual interplay and exchanges of these peoples as
they help make our world.
Students will explore the literature of Africans and
peoples of African descent in various languages, including
Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English. The dynamics of
immigration and community formation are vital in this
field. Students will examine the art and architecture of
Africans and the diaspora, along with their history,
societies, and cultures; their economy and politics; the
impact of Islam and the Middle East; the processes of
slavery; the slave trade and colonialism; and postcolonial
literature in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The
program also includes creative work in filmmaking,
theatre, and writing.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Exploration in American Jazz Dance (p. 30), Candice
Franklin Dance
West African Dance (p. 31), N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal Dance
Hip-Hop (p. 31), Ana Garcia Dance
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Intermediate French I: Scène(s) de littérature (p. 59), Ellen
Di Giovanni French
Advanced French: La Négritude (p. 60), Nicole Asquith
French
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
A History of Black Leadership in America (p. 69), Komozi
Woodard History
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Screening the City (p. 71), Ryan Purcell History
Reconstructing Womanhood: Writers and Activists in the
United States, 1790s–1990s (p. 72), Lyde Cullen Sizer
History
The Strange Career of the Jim Crow North: African
American Urban History (p. 72), Komozi Woodard
History
Gendered Histories of Sickness and Health in Africa (p. 72),
Mary Dillard History
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 76), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques History
History of White Supremacy (p. 78), Ryan Purcell History
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 85), Robert LaRue
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Black Feminist and Queer of Color Sexualities and
Genders (p. 85), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
Narrating Blackness (p. 90), Robert LaRue Literature
African American Fiction after 1945 (p. 91), Robert LaRue
Literature
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 94), Robert LaRue
Literature
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 96), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques Literature
James Baldwin (p. 97), Robert LaRue Literature
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in America (p. 130),
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
THE CURRICULUM 3
Emerging Adulthood (p. 141), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
Fiction Workshop: Art and Activism: Contemporary Black
Writers (p. 188), Carolyn Ferrell Writing
The Fantasy of Reality (p. 193), Joseph Thomas Writing
Game Life (p. 193), Joseph Thomas Writing
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
ANTHROPOLOGY
The study of anthropology traditionally covers four fields:
sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology,
biological anthropology, and archaeology. At Sarah
Lawrence College, we concentrate on sociocultural and
linguistic anthropology.
Behind almost every aspect of our lives is a cultural
realm, a shared construction that shapes assumptions and
determines much of how we perceive and relate to the
world. Sociocultural anthropology is the study of that
realm—its extent and its eects. As students learn to
approach with an anthropological eye what they formerly
might have taken for granted, they gain insight into how
social forces govern the ways in which we relate to
ourselves and to each other: how we use words, how we
define ourselves and others, how we make sense of our
bodies, even how we feel emotions. Through examining the
writings of anthropologists, viewing ethnographic films,
and discussing these and other materials in seminar and
conference sessions, students develop a comprehensive
and multipatterned sense of the cultural dimensions of
human lives. By studying the underpinnings of language,
symbolic practices, race, gender, sexuality, policy and
advocacy, medical systems, cities, modernity, and/or
social organization across a range of Western and non-
Western settings, students come to better understand
how meaning is made. With seminar dynamics and
content characteristic of graduate-level work, Sarah
Lawrence’s anthropology courses take students in often
unexpected and challenging directions.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and
Images
ANTH 1317
Robert R. Desjarlais
FYS—Year | 10 credits
Images wavered in the sunlit trim of appliances, something
always moving, a brightness flying, so much to know in the
world. —Don Delillo, Libra
A few cartoons lead to cataclysmic events in Europe. A
man’s statement that he “can’t breathe” ricochets across
North America. A photograph printed in a newspaper
moves a solitary reader. A snapshot posted on the Internet
leads to dreams of fanciful places. Memories of a past year
haunt us like ghosts. What each of these occurrences has
in common is that they all entail the force of images in our
lives, whether these images are visual, acoustic, or tactile
in nature; made by hand or machine; circulated by word of
mouth; or simply imagined. In this seminar, we will
consider the role that images play in the lives of people in
various settings throughout the world. In delving into
terrains at once actual and virtual, we will develop an
understanding of how people throughout the world create,
use, circulate, and perceive images—and how such eorts
tie into ideas and practices of sensory perception, time,
memory, aect, imagination, sociality, history, politics, and
personal and collective imaginings. Through these
engagements, we will reflect on the fundamental human
need for images, the complicated politics and ethics of
images, aesthetic and cultural sensibilities, dynamics of
time and memory, the intricate play between the actual
and the imagined, and the circulation of digital images in
an age of globalization and social media. We will also
consider the spectral, haunting qualities of many imaginal
moments in life. Readings are to include a number of
writings in anthropology, art history, philosophy,
psychology, cultural studies, and critical theory. Images
are to be drawn from photographs, films and videos,
paintings, sculptures, drawings, street art and grati,
religion, rituals, tattoos, inscriptions, novels, poems, road
signs, advertisements, dreams, fantasies, and any number
of fabulations in the worlds in which we live and imagine.
The seminar will be held during two class sessions each
week during the fall and spring terms. Along with that,
students will meet individually with the instructor every
other week through the course of each semester to
discuss their ongoing academic and creative work. In the
fall semester, we will all also meet every other week in an
informal group setting to watch films together, discuss
student research and writing projects, and engage
creatively with images and imaginal thought.
Speaking of Race: Language
Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities
ANTH 2024
Katherine Morales Lugo
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
In this course, we will investigate the concept of language
ideologies—beliefs and attitudes about language—and
their impact on the lived experiences of racial and ethnic
groups and other minoritized communities within the
4 Anthropology
United States. Through a series of lectures, discussions,
and hands-on projects, students will gain an
understanding of how language practices reflect and
reinforce social hierarchies, cultural norms, and power
dynamics. Special attention will be paid to the meaning
accomplished through language use and the informative
role of ideologies of language and people in understanding
these dynamics. We will delve into diverse language
contexts, with a primary focus on the United States,
examining case studies to understand how language
serves as a site of struggle and resistance. Key linguistic
topics will include language attitudes and linguistic
discrimination, the politics of race and language, standard
language ideologies, the role of language in shaping social
and racial identities, language use and its social meaning,
and multilingualism and multiculturalism in the United
States. Specific examples will include ethnographic case
studies of race and language, such as H. Samy Alim’s
examination of his own experiences as a Black man or
person of color under white gaze (“the white listening
subject”); political persona and discourse of US
presidential candidates; racialization of Asian-American,
Black, and Latinx students in US classroom contexts;
language revitalization eorts and identification of the
Chickasaw Nation; race, gender, and sexuality
performances in RuPaul’s Drag Race; identification
practices and language use in indigenous communities
such as the “Taino” identity in Puerto Rico. Assessments
for this class will involve regular written reflections, a
midterm paper, a research proposal, and a final research
paper on a topic of the student’s interest related to
language use, race, and identity. Core readings for our
class will be drawn primarily from US-based, peer-
reviewed linguistic journals and foundational texts. All
readings will be provided beforehand.
Understanding Experience:
Phenomenological Approaches
ANTH 3627
Robert R. Desjarlais
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
How does a chronic illness aect a person’s orientation to
the everyday? What are the social and political forces that
underpin life in a homeless shelter? What is the
experiential world of a blind person, a musician, a refugee,
or a child at play? In an eort to answer these and like-
minded questions, anthropologists have become
increasingly interested in developing phenomenological
accounts of particular lived realities in order to
understand—and convey to others—the nuances and
underpinnings of such realities in terms that more general
social or symbolic analyses cannot achieve. In this context,
phenomenology oers an analytic method that works to
understand and describe in words phenomena as they
appear to the consciousnesses of certain peoples. The
phenomena most often in question for anthropologists
include the workings of time, perception, selfhood,
language, bodies, suering, and morality as they take form
in particular lives within the context of any number of
social, linguistic, and political forces. In this course, we will
explore phenomenological approaches in anthropology by
reading and discussing some of the most significant
eorts along these lines. Each student will also try their
hand at developing a phenomenological account of a
specific social or subjective reality through a combination
of ethnographic research, participant observation, and
ethnographic writing.
Childhood Across Cultures
ANTH 3043
Deanna Barenboim
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this interdisciplinary seminar, we will explore child and
adolescent development through a cross-cultural lens.
Focusing on case studies from diverse communities
around the world, we will look at the influence of cultural
processes on how children learn, play, and grow. Our core
readings will analyze psychological processes related to
attachment and parenting, cognition and perception,
social and emotional development, language acquisition,
and moral development. We will ask questions like the
following: Why are children in Sri Lanka fed by hand by
their mothers until middle childhood, and how does that
shape their relations to others through the life course?
How do Inuit toddlers come to learn moral lessons through
scripted play with adults, and how does such learning
prepare them to navigate a challenging social and
geographic environment? Is it true that Maya children
don’t do pretend play at all? How does parental discipline
shape the expression of emotion for children in Morocco?
How does a unique family role influence the formation of
identity for Latinx youth in the United States? Adopting an
interdisciplinary approach, our course material will draw
from developmental psychology, human development,
cultural psychology, and psychological anthropology and
will include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and
films that address core issues in a range of geographic and
sociocultural contexts. Students will conduct conference
projects related to the central topics of our course and
may opt to do fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center.
THE CURRICULUM 5
Telling Lives: Life History in
Anthropology
ANTH 3155
Mary A. Porter
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Through studying life-history narratives (one person’s life
as narrated to another), autobiographical memoir, archival
documents, and more experimental forms in print and on
screen, we will explore the diverse ways that life courses
are experienced and represented. Throughout our
readings, we will carefully examine the narratives
themselves, paying attention to the techniques of life-
history construction and familiarizing ourselves with
ethical, methodological, and theoretical challenges. We
will consider a number of questions about telling lives:
What is the relationship between the narrator and his or
her interlocutor(s)? How does a life-history approach
inform debates about representation? What can the
account of one person’s life tell us about the wider culture
of which he or she is a part? How can individual life
narratives shed light on issues such as poverty, sexuality,
colonialism, disability, racism, and aging? The selected
texts attend to lives in various parts of the world, including
Australia, Great Britain, the Caribbean, East Africa, and the
United States. Students will also analyze primary sources
and create a life history as part of their work for the
course.
Spaces of Exclusion: Places of
Belonging
ANTH 3127
Deanna Barenboim
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course explores issues of identity and dierence,
locality and community, through the lens of space and
place. Engaging with recent scholarly work in the fields of
sociocultural anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology,
geography, architecture, and literature, we will seek to
decode sociospatial arrangements to understand
structures and processes of exclusion and marginalization.
At the same time, we will observe how material realities
and linguistic discourse shape people’s navigations
through space and how eorts at placemaking create sites
of collective identity, resistance, belonging, and
recognition. We will ask questions such as: How does “talk
of crime” instantiate racial segregation in a Brazilian
favela? What boundaries are created by gated
communities in places like Texas and Mumbai? How does
public policy in San Diego police green spaces to restrict
access by people who are unhoused? What should we
make of “placeless” spaces or states, such as those
instantiated through technologies like social media, radio,
or meditative practice? How should we understand
notions of displacement, transborder identifications, or
longings for homeland, as they play out for Sierra Leonean
Muslims in Washington, DC, Ecuadorians in Italy, or
Indigenous Latin American migrants in California and
Wyoming? Posed in a wide range of ethnographic
contexts, our eorts to puzzle through these issues will
require attention to the ways in which space and place are
spoken, embodied, gendered, racialized, and (il)legalized.
We will likewise attend to the politics and ethics of
decolonizing scholarship on space and place and to the
meanings of an engaged anthropology that leans toward
social justice.
Prior course work in the social sciences is recommended.
Global Connections: An Anthropology
of Kinship
ANTH 3148
Mary A. Porter
Intermediate/Advanced, Small seminar—Fall | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Students must be age 21 or above and must
have registered for the course in March 2024.
In her study of transnational adoptees, Eleana Kim noted
dierences in the ways Americans talk about the
immigration of Chinese brides to the United States on the
one hand and those describing the arrival of adopted
Chinese baby girls on the other: the former with suspicion
and the latter with joy. We tend to assume that family-
building involves deeply personal, intimate, and even
“natural” acts; but, in actual practice, the pragmatics of
forming (and disbanding) families are much more
complex. There are many instances where biological
pregnancy is not possible or not chosen, and there are
biological parents who are unable to rear their ospring.
Social rules govern the acceptance or rejection of children
in particular social groups, depending on factors such as
the marital status of their parents or the enactment of
appropriate rituals. Western notions of marriage prioritize
compatibility between two individuals who choose each
other based on love; but, in many parts of the world,
selecting a suitable spouse and contracting a marriage is
the business of entire kin networks. There is great
variability, too, in what constitutes “suitable.” To marry a
close relative or someone of the same gender may be
deemed unnaturally close in some societies; but marriage
across great dierence—such as age, race, nation, culture,
or class—can also be problematic. And beyond the
intimacies of couples and the interests of extended kin are
the interests of the nation-state. This class, then,
examines the makings and meanings of kinship
connections at multiple levels, from small communities to
global movements. Our examples will include materials on
Korea, China, India, Italy, Ghana, the US, and the UK.
6 Anthropology
This course will be taught at Bedford Hills Correctional
Center.
Language, Politics, and Identity
ANTH 3207
Deanna Barenboim
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course will ask how words do things in the world,
exploring the complex linkages of language, politics, and
identity in both past and present contexts. We will pose a
range of questions, such as: How does language enable
powerful regimes to take force, and how do linguistic
innovations constitute a creative means to challenge
oppression? What role do the politics and poetics of
language play in broader social movements and cultural
revitalization eorts? How do particular political
configurations produce language shift or constrain the
possibilities for verbal expression in specific social
groups? How does language take shape through specific
narrative forms like testimonio, and how do such forms
constitute or enable acts of political resistance? We will
look at such topics in a range of ethnographic contexts,
with a special focus on the Americas. Our readings will
address case studies, including: the emergent Zapotec
language and music revival in the highlands of Oaxaca,
Mexico; the lexicon of terror that shaped the political
kidnappings and murders of Argentina’s Dirty Wars; the
legacies of secrecy, silence, and creative resistance among
Pueblo nations in the US Southwest; the challenges and
joys of bilingualism among transnational migrants; and the
acts of narrative witnessing employed by a range of
activists, including political prisoners, Indigenous rights
leaders, and undocumented youth. Students will be invited
to draw upon original linguistic research as a central part
of their conference work.
Immigration and Identity
ANTH 3237
Deanna Barenboim
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course asks how contemporary immigration shapes
individual and collective identity across the life course.
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges cross-
cultural psychology, human development, and
psychological anthropology, we will ask how people’s
movement across borders and boundaries transforms
their senses of self, as well as their interpersonal relations
and connections to community. We will analyze how the
experience of immigration is aected by the particular
intersections of racial, ethnic, class, gender, generational,
and other boundaries that immigrants cross. For example,
how do undocumented youth navigate the constraints
imposed by “illegalized” identities, and how do they come
to construct new self-perceptions? How might immigrants
acculturate or adapt to new environments, and how does
the process of moving from home or living “in-between”
two or more places impact mental health? Through our
close readings and seminar discussions on this topic, we
seek to understand how dierent forms of
power—implemented across realms that include state-
sponsored surveillance and immigration enforcement,
language and educational policy, health and social
services—shape and constrain immigrants’ understanding
of their place in the world and their experience of
exclusion and belonging. In our exploration of identity, we
will attend to the ways in which immigrants are left out of
national narratives, as well as the ways in which people
who move across borders draw on cultural resources to
create spaces and practices of connection, protection, and
continuity despite the disruptive eects of immigration. In
tandem with our readings, we will welcome scholar-
activist guest speakers, who will present their current
work in the field. Prior course work in psychology or social
sciences is recommended.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
Global Histories of Postwar and Contemporary Art (p. 10),
Sarah Hamill Art History
History of the Museum, Institutional Critique, and Practices
of Decolonization (p. 12), Sarah Hamill Art History
Forensic Biology (p. 17), Drew E. Cressman Biology
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Celebrity Studies (p. 46), Brandon Arroyo Film History
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Local Oral History: From Latin America to Yonkers (p. 73),
Margarita Fajardo History
THE CURRICULUM 7
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of the USSR and Post-
Soviet Space, 1917-Present (p. 74), Brandon
Schechter History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
The Domestication of Us: Origins and Problems of the
State (p. 131), Yekaterina Oziashvili Politics
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 138), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Children’s Friendships (p. 140), Carl Barenboim Psychology
Immigration and Identity (p. 142), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
First-Year Studies: The Hebrew Bible (p. 146), Ron Afzal
Religion
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
STUDIES
Architecture and design studies at Sarah Lawrence
College is a cross-disciplinary initiative that oers a
variety of analytical approaches to the cultural act of
constructing environments, buildings, and aesthetic, yet
functional, objects. Courses in architectural and art
history and theory, computer design, environmental
studies, physics, and sculpture allow students to
investigate—in both course work and conference—a wide
range of perspectives and issues dealing with all facets of
built design. These perspectives include theoretical
explorations in history and criticism, formal approaches
that engage sociopolitical issues, sustainable problem-
solving, and spatial exploration using both digital and
analog design tools.
Courses of study might include structural
engineering in physics and projects on bridge design that
reflect those structural principles in courses on virtual
architecture and sculpture; the study of the architecture
and politics of sustainability in class and conference work
for art and architectural history and environmental
studies; and sculpture and art history courses that engage
issues of technology, expression, and transgression in the
uses of the techniques and crafts of construction. When
coordinated with participating faculty, programs of study
oer an excellent preparation for further engagement in
the fields of architecture (both theory and practice),
digital and environmental design, and engineering.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Choreographing Light for the Stage (p. 33), Judy Kagel
Dance
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
The Strange Career of the Jim Crow North: African
American Urban History (p. 72), Komozi Woodard
History
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Environmental Psychology: An Exploration of Space and
Place (p. 139), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Transcending the American Dream: Redefining
Domesticity (p. 175), Nick Roseboro Visual and Studio
Arts
New Genres: Fold and Transform (p. 178), Angela Ferraiolo
Visual and Studio Arts
8 Architecture and Design Studies
Free-Standing: Intro to Sculptural Forms (p. 184), Katie Bell
Visual and Studio Arts
Introduction to Rhino and Digital Fabrication (p. 184),
Momoyo Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Push and Pull: SubD Modeling in Rhino (p. 184), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Assemblage: The Found Palette (p. 184), Katie Bell Visual
and Studio Arts
Introduction to Rhino and 3D Fabrication (p. 185), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Experiments in Sculptural Drawing (p. 185), Katie Bell
Visual and Studio Arts
ART HISTORY
The art history curriculum at Sarah Lawrence College
covers a broad territory historically, culturally, and
methodologically. Students interested in art theory, social
art history, or material culture have considerable flexibility
in designing a program of study and in choosing
conference projects that link artistic, literary, historical,
social, philosophical, and other interests. Courses often
include field trips to major museums, auction houses, and
art galleries in New York City and the broader regional
area, as well as to relevant screenings, performances, and
architectural sites. Many students have extended their
classroom work in art history through internships at
museums and galleries, at nonprofit arts organizations, or
with studio artists; through their own studio projects; or
through advanced-level senior thesis work.
Sarah Lawrence students have gone on to graduate
programs in art history at Columbia, Johns Hopkins,
Northwestern, Bard, Williams, Yale, University of Chicago,
Oxford University, and University of London, among others.
Many of their classmates have pursued museum and
curatorial work at organizations such as the Guggenheim
Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Art
Institute of Chicago; others have entered the art business
by working at auction houses such as Sotheby’s or by
starting their own galleries; and still others have entered
professions such as nonprofit arts management and
advocacy, media production, and publishing.
First-Year Studies: Art and History
ARTH 1027
Jerrilynn Dodds
FYS—Year | 10 credits
The visual arts and architecture constitute a central part
of human expression and experience, and both grow from
and influence our lives in profound ways that we might not
consciously acknowledge. In this course, we will explore
intersections between the visual arts and cultural,
political, and social history. The goal is to teach students
to deal critically with works of art, using the methods and
some of the theories of the discipline of art history. This
course is not a survey but, rather, will have as its subject a
limited number of artists and works of art and architecture
that students will learn about in depth through formal
analysis, readings, discussion, research, and debate. We
will endeavor to understand each work from the point of
view of its creators and patrons and by following the
work's changing reception by audiences throughout time.
To accomplish this, we will need to be able to understand
some of the languages of art. The course, then, is also a
course in visual literacy—the craft of reading and
interpreting visual images on their own terms. We will also
discuss a number of issues of contemporary concern; for
instance, the destruction of art, free speech and respect of
religion, the art market, and the museum. Students will be
asked to schedule time on weekends to travel to
Manhattan on their own or in the College van to do
assignments at various museums in New York. You will
need to leave several hours for each of these visits and will
keep a notebook of comments and drawings of works of
art. There will be weekly conferences first semester and
biweekly conferences second semester in the first-year
studies.
Art and Myth in Ancient Greece
ARTH 2701
David Castriota
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
This course will examine the use of mythic imagery in the
visual arts of the Greeks and peoples of ancient Italy from
the eighth century BCE to the beginning of the Roman
Empire. We will consider all visual artistic media—both
public and private. We will focus largely on problems of
content or interpretation, with special attention to the role
of patronage in the choice and mode of presentation of the
mythic themes. In order to appreciate the underlying
cultural or religious significance of the myths and their
visual expression, we will also examine the relation of the
artworks to contemporary literature, especially poetry, and
the impact of significant historical events or trends.
Fall: Homeric and Archaic Greece
In the fall semester, we will examine the earlier Greek
development from the Geometric to the Archaic periods,
focusing on the paradigmatic function of mythic
narratives—especially the central conception of the hero
and the role of women in Greek religion and society. Group
discussion will concentrate on the social function of myth
and myth in early Greek poetry, as well as key historical or
political developments such as the emergence of tyranny
and democracy.
Spring: From Classical Greece to Augustan Rome
The spring semester will begin with examining the use of
THE CURRICULUM 9
myth during the Classical period, focusing on the impact of
the prolonged conflict with the Persian Empire and the
great monuments of Periklean Athens. We will then
consider Greek myth in the later Classical and Hellenistic
periods and the absorption of Greek myth by the
Etruscans and early Romans. The course will conclude
with the adaptation of Greek myth within the emerging
Roman Empire. Group discussion will focus on the relation
between myth and an emerging Greek conception of
history and ethnography and, finally, on the interrelation of
poetry and art in Augustan Rome.
Arts of Spain and Latin America
1492–1820
ARTH 2039
Jerrilynn Dodds
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will explore the art and architecture of Spain
and of Latin America as its lands emerged from
colonialism to forge strong independent identities. We will
focus on selected topics, including extraordinary artists
such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Cabrera, and
Aleijadinho, as well as on complex issues surrounding art
and identity in contested and textured lands—in
particular, Casta painting, colonialism, and arts of
revolution and national identity. Students may, if they
wish, extend their conference work to later artists (e.g.,
Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo, José Bedia, Belkis Ayón, among
others).
Histories of Modern Art
ARTH 2044
Sarah Hamill
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course departs from hegemonic accounts of
modernism to tell the story of modernism through the
work of underrepresented artists—artists of the Black
Atlantic, queer and trans artists, artists of color, women
artists, and artists seen as “outside” the canon. Looking
geographically to Europe, North America, South America,
and East Asia, we will investigate how artists responded to
fascism, colonization and anti-colonial protest, war and
mass migration, the legacies of enslavement, and
rationalized forms of labor. We will look to discourses of
leftist politics and collectivity, feminist struggle,
abolitionism and antiracist discourse. What
representational strategies did artists use to respond to
modernity, to remake the world anew? The emphasis of
this course is on the global plurality of modernism, shifting
our understanding of where modernism was produced,
when, and by whom. This course serves as an introduction
to art history in the sense that it will equip students with
the basic tools of close, slow looking and of descriptive
writing about art, art historical research, and practices of
curatorial display while also introducing students to broad
and diverse histories of modern art. The course will also
include field trips to New York City museums. This course
is a lecture-seminar hybrid: One lecture a week will
introduce you to the broader movements; weekly group
conferences will look at specific case studies and
scholarly approaches to writing about contemporary art.
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam
ARTH 2033
Jerrilynn Dodds
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course will explore the architecture and visual arts of
societies in which Islam is a strong political, cultural, or
social presence. We will follow the history of some of these
societies through the development of their arts and
architecture, using case studies to explore their diverse
artistic languages from the advent of Islam through the
contemporary world. We will begin with an introduction to
the history surrounding the advent of Islam and the birth
of arts and architecture that respond to the needs of the
new Islamic community. We will proceed to follow the
developments of diverse artistic and architectural
languages of expression as Islam spreads to the
Mediterranean and to Asia, Africa, Europe, and North
America—exploring the ways in which arts can help define
and express identities for people living in
multiconfessional societies. We will then draw this
exploration into the present day, in which global
economics, immigration, and politics draw the
architecture and artistic attitudes of Islam into the global
contemporary discourse. Our work will include
introductions to some of the theoretical discourses that
have emerged concerning cultural representation and
exchange and appropriation in art and architecture. One of
our allied goals will be to learn to read works of art and to
understand how an artistic expression that resists
representation can connect with its audience. And
throughout this course, we will ask: Can there be an
Islamic art?
Global Histories of Postwar and
Contemporary Art
ARTH 2009
Sarah Hamill
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Taking a global approach, this course will look at how
artists redefined the mediums, materials, and hierarchies
of modernism in the postwar period. We will look closely at
how artists embraced radicality by protesting for civil
10 Art History
rights, Latinx, Black, and Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ rights,
women’s rights, and claiming an antiwar politics in the
1960s and 1970s. This radicality shifted in the 1990s with
the rise of neoliberalism and the global art market, and we
will investigate changes in contemporary art and its
display after 1990. Movements that this course will
explore include: Gutai, Neoconcretism, Happenings, Pop
Art, Fluxus, Minimalism, Global Conceptualism, Site-
Specificity, Earthworks, the Chicano Arts Movement, the
Black Arts Movement, Feminism, Video Art, Institutional
Critique, Installation, Activist Art, Participatory Art,
Relational Aesthetics, Craft, New Media, Biennials, and the
Global Art Museum. Throughout, we will focus on specific
artworks and gain a vocabulary for close looking while also
attending to primary sources (manifestos, letters,
statements, poems) and secondary, art historical, and
theoretical accounts. Assignments will include papers
(based on works in New York City collections), peer-
reviews, presentations, reading responses, a contextual
research essay, and a curatorial assignment. This course is
a lecture-seminar hybrid: One lecture a week will
introduce you to the broader movements; weekly group
conferences will look at specific case studies and
scholarly approaches to writing about contemporary art.
Early Christian and Byzantine Art and
Architecture
ARTH 3625
David Castriota
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Fall: Early Christian Art and Architecture
In the fall, this course will examine the emergence and
development of Christian art in the Mediterranean and
Europe during the later ancient and early medieval
periods. Here, this development will be considered directly
in connection with the emergence and eventual
dominance of Christianity itself within the Roman Empire,
with appropriate attention to Christian religious belief and
theology as a significant factor in the artistic development.
The course will consider all artistic media but primarily
painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will begin by
assessing how art and architecture were used to project
the power and ideology of the Roman Empire, both in the
public and in the private sphere. We will then examine how
existing traditions of Roman art were gradually adapted to
create a specifically Christian artistic production, first in
the private sphere and then in a public, more monumental
setting as the Roman state began ocially to embrace and
promulgate Christianity. In the fall, the course will focus
largely on the western regions of the Roman Empire up to
and just beyond its collapse in the course of the fifth
century.
Spring: Byzantine Art and Architecture From Theodosius
to the Fall of Constantinople
In spring, we will focus on the further development of
Christian art and architecture in the surviving East Roman
or “Byzantine” Empire, beginning at the turn of the fourth
and fifth centuries and focusing extensively on the apogee
of Byzantine art in the so-called “Age of Justinian.” Here,
we will consider not only the art of the imperial center of
Constantinople but also the regional variations in the early
Byzantine development across the Balkans, Anatolia or
Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, North Africa, and Egypt. As
the semester progresses, we will then consider the impact
of an emerging and expanding Islamic Empire on a
gradually shrinking Byzantine world. We will study the
eect of these changes on the nature and output of
artistic production in the regions that Byzantium struggled
to retain while also considering the repeated impact of
Byzantine art on the medieval art of western Europe. The
course will culminate with the conquest of Constantinople
by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Students who have not taken this course in the fall may
join the class in spring with permission of the instructor.
The Power of Images: Worldly Politics
and Spiritual Preoccupations in
Renaissance Italian Art
ARTH 3061
Alessandra Di Croce
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This seminar will look at Italian art in the 15th and 16th
centuries to reflect on the complex relationship of art and
politics, poised between patronage and imposition, artistic
autonomy and subservience, worldly interests and
spiritual preoccupations. Within the larger picture of
Renaissance Italian art and its chronological development,
we will investigate specific artistic episodes against the
backdrop of political motivations and ideological tensions
of both patrons and artists. We will focus on selected
artworks to discover messages and meanings embedded
in their style and iconography and to understand how art
objects were used to promote specific ideologies and
leaders but also as tools to negotiate with God and the
divine power— invoking favor and, occasionally, giving
thanks. This course will involve one field trip to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
THE CURRICULUM 11
Preserving the Past: Antiquarianism
and Collecting Practices From
Antiquity to Early Modern Europe
ARTH 3082
Alessandra Di Croce
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Preserving monuments and collecting old artifacts is an
important characteristic of complex societies since their
inception. Collecting antiquities and investigating the past
was a crucial aspect of Medieval and Renaissance
European culture. In the aftermath of the Protestant
Reformation, collecting and studying the material legacy
of the Christian past became an important component of
European antiquarianism. This seminar class will explore
practices of antiquarianism from the Medieval world to
the modern era, with a main focus on Renaissance and
post-Reformation European culture. We will examine
changing motivations behind the preservation and
collection of the old, as well as dierent types of
collections. The creation of museums of ancient objects in
the West in the 19th century will also receive attention,
along with the problematic relationship between
museums and European colonialism. A conversation with
an expert on the contemporary crisis of antiquities in the
Middle East and on what can be done to protect and
preserve endangered archeological sites and objects in the
area will end this course.
History of the Museum, Institutional
Critique, and Practices of
Decolonization
ARTH 3517
Sarah Hamill
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: one course in art history at Sarah Lawrence
This course looks closely at the art museum as a site of
contest and critique: How are museums not neutral
spaces but, rather, powerful institutions that shape
narratives about the objects that they collect and display?
Readings will consider the origins of the modern art
museum in Europe in the 17th century and explore how the
conventions of display impacted art’s reception and
meaning. We will analyze histories of institutional critique
to look at how artists have taken aim at the museum as a
site of discursive power, raising questions about the kinds
of value judgments that go into determining what counts
as art. We will look closely at current discourses of
decolonizing the museum, weigh how museums should
confront their colonizing histories of systemic racism, and
explore histories of exhibitions of Indigenous and African
and African Diasporic art, as well as how museums shape
historical memory. This course will include field trips and
conversations with visiting speakers. Because this course
considers the historiography of art, some previous course
work in art history is required; but with its broad coverage,
this course will have something for everyone regardless of
their background.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
First-Year Studies: Film as Popular Art (p. 45), Michael
Cramer Film History
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
Experimental Animation: Finding Your Inner Vision (p. 51),
William Hartland Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
Becoming Modern: Europe in the 19th Century (p. 69),
Philip Swoboda History
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia (p. 82), Tristana
Rorandelli Italian
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
Queering the Library: Yonkers Public Library
Practicum (p. 86), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Asian American History Through Art and Literature (p. 94),
Karintha Lowe Literature
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
12 Art History
Figure Drawing (p. 177), Vera Iliatova Visual and Studio
Arts
Introduction to Painting (p. 179), Claudia Bitrán Visual and
Studio Arts
Painting Pop (p. 180), Claudia Bitrán Visual and Studio Arts
Introduction to Painting (p. 179), Claudia Bitrán Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
Introduction to Printmaking (p. 182), Vera Iliatova Visual
and Studio Arts
Free-Standing: Intro to Sculptural Forms (p. 184), Katie Bell
Visual and Studio Arts
Assemblage: The Found Palette (p. 184), Katie Bell Visual
and Studio Arts
Introduction to Rhino and 3D Fabrication (p. 185), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Experiments in Sculptural Drawing (p. 185), Katie Bell
Visual and Studio Arts
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
Shakespeare for Writers (and Others) (p. 195), Vijay
Seshadri Writing
ASIAN STUDIES
Asian studies is an interdisciplinary field grounded in
current approaches to the varied regions of Asia. Seminars
and lectures are oered on China, Japan, India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia. Courses explore Asian
cultures, geographies, histories, societies, and religions.
Visual and performing arts are included in the Asian
studies curriculum. Faculty members, trained in languages
of their areas, draw on extensive field experience in Asia.
Their courses bridge humanities, social sciences, and
global studies.
Students are encouraged to consider studying in Asia
during their junior year. The Oce of International
Programs assists students in locating appropriate
opportunities. Recent Sarah Lawrence College students
have participated in programs of study in China, India, and
Japan.
Reform and Revolution: China’s 20th
Century
ASIA 3027
Kevin Landdeck
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
In 1900, China was a faltering empire ruled by an
autocratic foreign dynastic house and an entrenched
bureaucracy of Confucian ocials. Its sovereignty heavily
battered and its territory compromised by foreign powers,
China was commonly called “The Sick Man of Asia.” In
2000, China was a modern nation-state ruled by an
authoritarian party and an entrenched bureaucracy of
technocrats and administrators. With a surging economy,
swollen foreign reserves, dazzling modern cities, and a
large and technologically advanced military, China is
regularly predicted to be the next global superpower. Yet,
the path between these two startlingly dierent points
was anything but smooth. China’s 20th century was a
tortuous one. Policymakers, elites, and the common
people oscillated between the poles of reform and
revolution—bouts of wild radicalism alternated with more
sober policies—as they pursued changes that they hoped
would bring a better society and nation. This class
examines some of the major events and personalities of
this arduous century and its momentous political, social,
and cultural changes. We will learn and apply skills of
historical analysis to primary documents (in translation),
some fiction, and film. Along the way, we will encounter a
rich cast of characters, including Sun Yatsen, China’s
“national father”; colorful warlords; corrupt bureaucrats;
fervent intellectuals; protesting youths; heroic communist
martyrs; the towering and enigmatic chairman Mao; long-
suering peasants; and fanatical Red Guards. These men
and women made and remade modern China. This class is
history and, thus, is not primarily concerned with
contemporary China; but by the end of the year, students
will be well-equipped with an understanding of China’s
recent past, knowledge that will help immeasurably in
making sense of today’s China as it becomes increasingly
important in our globalized economy and society. This
seminar is open to first-year students as a First-Year
Studies course, as well as to sophomores, juniors, and
seniors as an open seminar. All students will complete an
individual research (conference) project each semester;
these projects will be guided through one-on-one
meetings. For those taking this class as an FYS,
conferences in the fall semester will consist of biweekly
individual meetings, with a group session held on alternate
weeks to discuss matters concerning all FYS students
(e.g., the nature of academic work in general and the
various skills related to conference work, such as research,
reading, writing, and editing). All conferences in the
spring, for all students, will be on the regular biweekly
individual schedule.
Chinese Literature, Folktales, and
Popular Culture
ASIA 3053
Ellen Neskar
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Throughout Chinese history, high literature and popular
folklore shared a fascination with certain subjects,
THE CURRICULUM 13
including ghosts and spirits, heroes and bandits, lovers
and friends. Elite authors used these subjects as
metaphors to contemplate and criticize their cultural,
economic, and political traditions. In folklore, these
subjects gave voice to non-elite concerns and
preoccupations and merged with a variety of practices in
popular culture (secular festivals, ancestor worship, and
religious practices). Although technically and stylistically
dierent, high literature and popular folklore enjoyed a
continual interplay in which each redirected and
influenced the other. This course aims to build dierent,
and sometimes competing, conceptions of “tradition and
culture,” “elite and folklore,” as well as to understand their
continuing relevance today. To that end, we will focus on
the close reading of short-story fiction, folktales, stage
plays, opera, and religious practices from three pivotal
periods in Chinese history: the Tang-Song period
(eighth-12th centuries), the Ming-Qing period (15th-18th
centuries), and the 20th century. Our approach will
involve both literary and historical analysis, and our goals
will be to discover continuities and transformations in
both content and form and the interchange between elite
and popular practices. Topics for class discussion will
include: the nature and definitions of the individual; the
relationships among the self, family, and society; changing
notions of honor, virtue, and individualism; attitudes
toward gender and sexuality; and the role of fiction and
folklore in promoting or overturning cultural norms. This
course is open to first-year students as a First-Year
Studies course, as well as to sophomores, juniors, and
seniors. For those first-year students, this will be a
yearlong course that includes biweekly individual
meetings to discuss students’ independent research
projects. On alternate weeks, we will have group activities
that will include research and writing workshops, film
screenings, and field trips.
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953
ASIA 3023
Kevin Landdeck
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
East Asia, like much of the globe, has been powerfully
shaped by the arrival, presence, and activity of imperialist
power in the region. In both China and Japan, in fact,
nationalism is founded on resistance to the
encroachments of Western imperialism. Both nations cast
themselves as victims to the rapacious West. And yet,
often unnoticed by patriots and pundits, both China and
Japan are deeply indebted to their own domestic
imperialisms, albeit in very dierent ways. Relying on a
wide range of course materials (historical scholarship,
paintings, lithographs, photographs, literature, and
relevant primary sources), this course is an intensive
investigation of the contours of Asian imperialism,
covering the colonialism of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911),
the aggressive Western expansion in the 19th century, and
the Japanese Empire (1895-1945). We will ask what
features (if any) these very dierent empires shared and
what set them apart from each other. How and why were
Asian empires built, how did they end, and what legacies
did they leave? We will excavate the multiethnic Qing
imperium for how it complicates China’s patriotic master
narrative. Does Qing ethnic policy toward native Miao
tribes dier from Western powers’ Civilizing Discourse?
What are the legacies of Qing colonialism for China’s
modern nation-state? The Qing campaigns to subjugate
the Mongols in the northwest and the colonization of the
untamed southwest both predated the arrival of the
Westerners and the Opium War (1839-42). How does that
impact our understanding of the clash between China and
the rapidly expanding West? We will trace earlier
academic views on the classic confrontation between
these two presumed entities before examining more
recent revisionist formulations on the Western
penetration of China. What were the processes of Western
intrusion, and how did Western imperialism come to
structure knowledge of China? And finally, we will turn to
the Japanese Empire. What were its motivations, its main
phases, and its contradictions? Should we understand it
as similar to Western imperialism or as an alternative,
something unique? What are the implications of both
those positions? To understand the Japanese Empire in
both its experiential and theoretical dimensions, we will
range widely across Japan’s possessions in Taiwan, Korea,
and Manchuria. The questions and topics in this seminar
will complicate the master narratives that prevail in both
East Asia and the West, not to delegitimize or subvert
Asian sovereignties but, rather, to understand the deeply
embedded narratives of imperialism within those
sovereign claims in order to see how those narratives (and
their blind spots) continue to frame and support policies
and attitudes today.
Popular Culture in China
ASIA 3050
Ellen Neskar
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course explores a variety of forms of traditional
popular culture that continue to survive in China and
abroad. Among the topics we will cover are: folktales
(Mulan, Butterfly Lovers), festivals (New Year’s, Dragon
Boat, Herdboy, and Weaving Maid), popular deities (Mazu,
Guanyin), and religious practices (All Souls, Hell, ancestor
worship). Our focus will be on their historical origins and
transformations through a variety of cultural forms.
Particular attention will be paid to their entertainment,
political, ideological, and sociological functions. This
course aims to build dierent—and sometimes
14 Asian Studies
competing—conceptions of “tradition” and understand
their continuing relevance today. Since many of these
practices and beliefs reside outside the lens of elite taste
and political authority, our materials will include opera,
drama, popular fiction, and visual arts.
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture,
and Identity, 1949–Present
ASIA 3059
Michael Cramer, Kevin Landdeck
Open, Joint seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar course will examine both the historical and
cultural context of Mainland Chinese cinema from 1949 to
the present. The course will be focused on full-length
feature films from the People’s Republic of China,
providing an eclectic mix of movies covering socialist
propaganda of the high Maoist period (1949-76), the
critical stances of the “Fifth Generation” (of graduates
from the Beijing Film Academy) in the 1980s and early
1990s, the more entertainment-focused films of post-
Deng (2000s) China, as well as contemporary art films
that are largely seen outside of the commercial exhibition
circuit. This wide variety of films will open up questions of
cinematic representations of Chinese identity and culture
in at least four major modes: socialist revolutionary
(1949-76), critical reflections on China’s past and the
revolution (1982-1989), what one might call neoliberal
entertainment (1990-present), and the more underground
art cinema that has emerged as mainstream Chinese
cinema has become increasingly commercial. Along with
the close analysis of films (their narrative structure,
audiovisual language, relationship to other films from both
China and beyond), the course will deal with Confucian
legacies in Chinese society, communist revolutionary
spasms and the censorship system, and the more open
market and ideology of the post-Mao reform era. Assigned
readings will be varied, as well. Several key movies will be
paired with their textual antecedents (e.g., LU Xun’s New
Year’s Sacrifice will be read alongside HU Sang’s by the
same title, while LI Zhun’s The Biography of LI
Shuangshuang will accompany the 1962 movie that
followed). Appropriate readings will cover important
historical background in some detail; for example, the
Great Leap Forward (1959-62) and the Cultural
Revolution (1966-76) are both crucial events for
understanding the revolutionary experience, while the
latter is particularly relevant for its impact on reform-era
filmmakers. Other readings will focus specifically on
cinema, ranging from broad historical overviews on the
material/financial conditions of production, distribution,
and exhibition to close analyses of individual films, the
transition from socialist to postsocialist cinema, the
construction of “Chineseness” as an object for the
Western gaze, and the avant-garde/independent
responses to the current global/commercial Chinese
cinema. This course is an open super-seminar (capped at
30 students), meeting once a week for 2.5 hours in order
to facilitate in-depth discussions of paired material; for
example, two movies or a movie and significant historical
texts (either primary or secondary). In addition to this
weekly class time, film screenings (one or two per week)
will be required. For conferences, students will be divided
evenly between the two professors, using the regular
model of biweekly meetings.
Taoist Philosophy: Laozi and
Zhuangzi
ASIA 3105
Ellen Neskar
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar centers on the two foundational texts in the
classical Taoist tradition, Lao-tzu’s Tao-te ching (Daode
jing) and the Chuang-tzu (Zhuangzi). The Tao-te-ching, an
anthology of poetry, asks us to contemplate the nature of
the Dao and the possibility of the individual’s attainment
of it; the role of the government and rulers in making the
Dao prevail in the world; and a rudimentary cosmology
that proposes an ideal relationship of the individual to
society, nature, and the cosmos. By contrast, the Chuang-
tzu defies all categorization and, instead, invites readers to
probe through its layers of myth, fantasy, jokes, short
stories, and philosophical argumentation. Along the way,
Chuang-tzu plunges us into an examination of some of the
core questions of moral philosophy and epistemology:
What is being? What is the nature of human nature? What
does it mean to be virtuous? What is knowledge? How
does one know that one knows? And, what does it mean to
attain true knowledge and the Dao? To explore those
topics and answer these questions, our seminar sessions
will revolve around the close, detailed reading and
interpretation of the texts.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Butoh Through LEIMAY Ludus (p. 30), Ximena Garnica
Dance
Hula (p. 30), Makalina Gallagher Dance
Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong (p. 31), Sherry Zhang Dance
THE CURRICULUM 15
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953 (p. 73), Kevin Landdeck
History
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity From
1949–Present (p. 76), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
Black Feminist and Queer of Color Sexualities and
Genders (p. 85), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Border-Crossing Japanese Media (p. 93), Julia Clark
Literature
The City in Modern Japanese Literature (p. 96), Julia Clark
Literature
Taoist Philosophy: Laozi and Zhuangzi (p. 121), Ellen Neskar
Philosophy
The Buddhist Tradition in India, Tibet, and Southeast
Asia (p. 147), Grith Foulk Religion
The Buddhist Tradition in East Asia (p. 147), Grith Foulk
Religion
Buddhist Meditation (p. 150), Grith Foulk Religion
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
BIOLOGY
Biology is the study of life in its broadest sense, ranging
from topics such as the role of trees in aecting global
atmospheric carbon dioxide down to the molecular
mechanisms that switch genes on and o in human brain
cells. Biology includes a tremendous variety of disciplines:
molecular biology, immunology, histology, anatomy,
physiology, developmental biology, behavior, evolution,
ecology, and many others. Because Sarah Lawrence
College faculty members are broadly trained and
frequently teach across the traditional disciplinary
boundaries, students gain an integrated knowledge of
living things—a view of the forest as well as the trees.
In order to provide a broad introduction and
foundation in the field of biology, a number of courses
appear under the designation General Biology. Each of
these open-level, semester-long courses have an
accompanying lab component. Students may enroll in any
number of the General Biology courses during their time at
Sarah Lawrence and in any order, although it is strongly
recommended that students begin with General Biology:
Genes, Cells, and Evolution in the fall semester.
Completion of any two General Biology courses fulfills the
minimum biology curriculum requirements for medical
school admission. These courses typically meet the
prerequisite needs for further intermediate- and
advanced-level study in biology, as well.
General Biology: Genes, Cells, and
Evolution
BIOL 2014
Michelle Hersh
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Biology, the study of life on Earth, encompasses structures
and forms ranging from the very minute to the very large.
In order to grasp the complexities of life, we begin this
study with the cellular and molecular forms and
mechanisms that serve as the foundation for all living
organisms. The initial part of the semester will introduce
the fundamental molecules critical to the biochemistry of
life processes. From there, we branch out to investigate
the major ideas, structures, and concepts central to the
biology of cells, genetics, and the chromosomal basis of
inheritance. Finally, we conclude the semester by
examining how those principles relate to the mechanisms
of evolution. Throughout the semester, we will discuss the
individuals responsible for major discoveries, as well as
the experimental techniques and process by which such
advances in biological understanding are made. Classes
will be supplemented with weekly laboratory work.
Introduction to Neuroscience
BIOL 2029
Cecilia Phillips Toro
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
The human brain contains roughly 80 billion neurons
connected by trillions of synapses. This uniquely complex
organ is responsible for our remarkable capabilities,
including the sensation and perception of diverse internal
and external stimuli; the performance of precise
movements and behaviors; and the ability to learn and
remember an extraordinary amount of information. In this
lecture course, we will investigate the nervous system
from molecular, cellular, and systems-level perspectives.
We will delve into the structure and function of neurons,
including the molecular mechanisms underlying the action
potential and synaptic transmission. We will learn how
sensory systems detect diverse external and internal
stimuli and how they communicate this information to the
brain. We will also explore how the brain drives motor
output, from the motor cortex to the neuromuscular
junction, and the areas of the brain that control distinct
aspects of language. Students will regularly engage in
active learning through in-class, small-group exercises
that complement content covered in lectures. In group
conference, we will learn about neurodivergence and
16 Biology
neurological disorders through discussions centered on
the book, The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell
Us about Ourselves, by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist
Eric Kandel. Students should leave this course with a solid
understanding of the principles of neuroscience, which will
prepare them for further study in neuroscience,
physiology, and medicine.
Forensic Biology
BIOL 2016
Drew E. Cressman
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
From hit television shows such as CSI, Bones, and Forensic
Files, to newspaper headlines that breathlessly relate the
discovery of a murder victim’s remains, and to Amanda
Knox, the Golden State Killer, and other real-life courtroom
cases, it is clear that the world of forensic science has
captured the public imagination. Forensic science
describes the application of scientific knowledge to legal
problems and encompasses an impressively wide variety
of subdisciplines and areas of expertise, ranging from
forensic anthropology to wildlife forensics. In this course,
we will specifically focus on the realm of forensic
biology—the generation and use of legally relevant
information gleaned from the field of biology. In an eort
to move beyond sensationalism and the way it is portrayed
in the public media, we will explore the actual science and
techniques that form the basis of forensic biology and
seek to understand the use and limitations of such
information in the legal sphere. Beginning with the
historical development of forensic biology, selected topics
will include death and stages of decomposition;
determination of postmortem intervals; the role of
microorganisms in decomposition; vertebrate and
invertebrate scavenging; wound patterning; urban
mummification; biological material collection and storage;
victim and ancestral identification by genetic analysis; the
use of genealogical and DNA databases such as CODIS;
and the biological basis of other criminalistics procedures,
including fingerprinting and blood-type analysis. Finally,
we will consider DNA privacy and Supreme Court rulings,
including the 2013 decision, Maryland v. King, that
established the right of law enforcement to take DNA
samples from individuals arrested for a crime. In all of
these areas, the techniques and concepts employed are
derived from some of the most fundamental principles and
structure-function relationships that underlie the entire
field of biology. No background in biology is required;
indeed, a primary objective of this course is to use our
exploration within the framework of forensic biology as a
means to develop a broader and more thorough
understanding of the science of biology.
Evolutionary Biology
BIOL 2030
Michelle Hersh
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
What biological processes led to the development of the
incredible diversity of life that we see on Earth today? The
process of evolution, or a change in the inherited traits in a
population over time, is fundamental to our understanding
of biology and the history of life on Earth. This course will
introduce students to the field of evolutionary biology. We
will interpret evidence from the fossil record, molecular
genetics, systematics, and empirical studies to deepen our
understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. Topics
covered include the genetic basis of evolution,
phylogenetics, natural selection, adaptation, speciation,
coevolution, and the evolution of behavior and life-history
traits. Students will attend one weekly 90-minute lecture
and one weekly 90-minute group conference where
scientific papers in evolutionary biology will be discussed
in small groups.
Conservation Science and Practice:
An Introduction
BIOL 3805
Liv Baker
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Welcome to an exploratory journey into the heart of
conservation science and practice. This course is designed
to introduce students to the foundational concepts,
critical thinking, methodologies, and ecological principles
essential to conservation science, as we foster a profound
respect for all forms of life and the ecosystems they
inhabit. Through a non-anthropocentric lens, we will
interrogate various conservation paradigms and explore
innovative strategies that prioritize the intrinsic value of
nature. Students will develop critical-thinking skills to
evaluate conservation strategies and practices,
recognizing the complex interdependencies between
humans and the natural world. This course combines
“soft” lectures, interactive discussions, case study
analyses, and hands-on projects to provide a
comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
Students will gain knowledge of practical methods and
tools used in conservation science, including fieldwork
techniques, data analyses, policy assessment, and
ecological models. Students are encouraged to critically
engage with the material, participate in debates on
controversial topics, and collaborate on projects that
propose innovative solutions to real-world conservation
challenges. This course is ideal for undergraduates with a
general interest in conservation and those interested in
environmental science, biology, ecology, and related fields,
who seek a deeper understanding of conservation science
THE CURRICULUM 17
and are open to challenging traditional viewpoints to
explore more inclusive and ethical approaches to
conserving our planet.
Neurological Disorders
BIOL 3214
Cecilia Phillips Toro
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Disorders of the brain are often devastating. They can
disrupt fundamental characteristics of life, such as
memory formation and retrieval, the ability to
communicate, the foundations of a personality, and the
execution of movements, including those necessary for
breathing. In this course, we will learn about the brain in
health and disease by exploring the neuroscience of
neurological disorders. We will study Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, lytico-bodig,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic traumatic
encephalopathy, and autism spectrum disorder. We will
consider these disorders holistically and from a biological
point of view. We will explore: the lived experience of the
aected and their loved ones; how symptoms of the
disorders can be understood by studying changes in the
neural tissues, cells, and molecules associated with each
disorder; and what is known about genetic or
environmental underpinnings and current treatments.
Readings will be drawn primarily from the writings of the
neurologist Oliver Sacks, the neuroscientist Eric Kandel,
and the science journalist and Parkinson’s patient Jon
Palfreman, in addition to magazine articles, scientific
studies, and relevant films that complement and expand
upon their descriptions of brain function.
Intermediate Ethology: Applications
and Research in Animal Behavior
BIOL 3414
Liv Baker
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: animal behavior course or equivalent
Building on the foundational knowledge acquired in an
introductory animal behavior course, Intermediate
Ethology delves deeper into the theoretical frameworks
and empirical research that define the field. This course is
designed to enhance students' understanding of
ethological principles and their practical applications in
addressing real-world challenges concerning animal care
and well-being. We begin with a comprehensive review of
essential ethological theories to develop a solid grasp of
key concepts, such as innate behaviors, learning, social
structures, communication, and evolutionary perspectives
on animal behavior. A significant focus will be on the
diverse research methods used in ethology, including
observational studies, experimental designs, and the use
of technology in behavioral research. Students will learn
how these methodologies can be applied to study animals
in various environments—from the captive to the wild. The
course explores the application of animal behavior
knowledge in practical settings, addressing the needs of
farmed animals, companion animals, animals in research
settings, and wildlife. Topics include behavior-based
approaches to enhancing animal well-being, designing
enriching environments, and strategies for conservation
and management of wild populations. Through detailed
case studies, students will examine complex behaviors in
dierent species, understanding how ethological
principles provide insights into animal well-being and
behavior. These case studies will cover a range of
scenarios—for example, from social behavior in wolves to
cognitive abilities in octopuses—illustrating the
applicability of behavioral science in diverse contexts.
Students will engage in a close reading of contemporary
scientific literature, critically analyzing studies to
understand research designs, findings, and the evolution
of ethological knowledge. A centerpiece of the course is a
semester-long, hypothesis-driven behavioral observation
study conducted by each student. This project encourages
students to apply learned methodologies to a context of
interest, culminating in a research paper that contributes
to their understanding of animal behavior. This course is
ideal for undergraduate students who have completed an
introductory course in animal behavior, biology, or a
related field and are interested in advancing their
knowledge and research skills in ethology. It is particularly
suited for those considering careers in animal behavior,
veterinary sciences, wildlife conservation, or academic
research.
Research Methods in Microbial
Ecology
BIOL 3625
Michelle Hersh
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution or
Genetics
How many dierent species of fungi can live in tiny plant
seeds? How many species of bacteria can live in a drop of
river water? You may be surprised to learn that that
number is actually quite large. The amount of biodiversity
in the microbial world is vast but, until recently, peering
into this “black box” has been extremely dicult. With the
advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing methods, it is
now far easier to characterize this cryptic diversity. In this
course, students will participate in two ongoing research
projects. The first explores the hidden fungal diversity in
plant seeds and determines if and how those fungal
18 Biology
communities shift in response to landscape
fragmentation. The second involves screening bacterial
communities in water samples from local rivers for
potential human pathogens. Students will learn about
current methods to characterize microbial communities,
including both high-throughput DNA sequencing and
bioinformatics techniques. The course will involve
extensive data analyses, including processing of amplicon
sequencing data to identify organisms, as well as
statistical analyses to explore how the structure of
microbial communities changes in response to
environmental factors. Students who wish to enroll in this
course should have previous laboratory experience in
biology and a willingness to learn command-line
programming.
Human-Wildlife Interactions:
Analysis, Management, and
Resolution
BIOL 3230
Liv Baker
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course delves into the intricate dynamics of human-
wildlife interactions, focusing on both the real and
perceived conflicts that arise when human and wildlife
habitats overlap. This course provides an in-depth analysis
of wildlife management practices, the resilience of wildlife
populations to traditional control methods, and the ethical
considerations in human-wild animal relationships and in
wildlife management. The course begins with an overview
of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in order to understand
the causes, types, and consequences of these
interactions. This sets the groundwork for exploring the
complexities of coexistence between humans and wildlife.
The course will cover a range of management strategies
used to mitigate HWC, including nonlethal and lethal
control methods, habitat modification, and the use of
technology in wildlife monitoring and management.
Discussions will critically assess the eectiveness,
sustainability, and ethicality of these approaches. A
significant component of the curriculum is dedicated to
the ethical considerations in wildlife management,
including animal well-being, conservation ethics, and the
role of humans in shaping wildlife populations. A core
element of this course is a collaborative project with a
community partner (TBD) to assess ongoing human-
wildlife conflicts in the region. This hands-on project
includes: fieldwork to collect data on specific conflict
scenarios, such as wildlife damage to agriculture, urban
wildlife issues, or the impact of non-native species; data
analysis to understand the patterns, scale, and
implications of these conflicts; and development of
management or mitigation strategies based on scientific
evidence and ethical considerations. This course is
particularly beneficial for those students seeking to
understand the challenges and opportunities in positively
facilitating human-wildlife interactions and those aspiring
to careers in wild-animal protection, conservation,
environmental management, or academic research.
Anatomy and Physiology
BIOL 3012
Beth Ann Ditko
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Anatomy is the branch of science that investigates the
bodily structure of living organisms, while physiology is
the study of the normal functions of those organisms. In
this course, we will explore the human body in both health
and disease. Focus will be placed on the major body units,
such as skin, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine,
cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and
reproductive systems. By emphasizing concepts and
critical thinking rather than rote memorization, we will
make associations between anatomical structures and
their functions. The course will have a clinical approach to
health and illness, with examples drawn from medical
disciplines such as radiology, pathology, and surgery.
Laboratory work will include dissections and microscope
work. A final conference paper is required at the
conclusion of the course; the topic will be chosen by each
student to emphasize the relevance of anatomy/
physiology to our understanding of the human body.
Disease Ecology
BIOL 3607
Michelle Hersh
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution or
Viruses and Pandemics
This course explores infectious diseases—disease caused
by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other parasites—through
the lens of ecology. Thinking like a disease ecologist
means asking questions about disease at dierent scales.
Rather than considering interactions just between an
individual host and a parasite, we will look at disease at
the population, community, and ecosystem levels. A
disease ecologist may ask questions such as: How does a
disease make a jump from one species to another? Why
are some environments so conducive to disease
transmission? How can we make better predictions of
where and when new diseases may emerge and develop
better management strategies to combat them? A disease
ecologist may even consider infected hosts as
ecosystems, where pathogens feed on hosts, compete
with one another, and face o with the host’s immune
THE CURRICULUM 19
system or its beneficial microbiome. Mathematical models
of disease transmission and spread will be introduced. We
will consider examples from plant, wildlife, and human
disease systems.
Advanced Cell Biology: Regulation of
Cell Function
BIOL 4025
Drew E. Cressman
Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Genetics, Cell Biology, or equivalent course
The wide variety of ways that dierent cells can respond
to changes in their environment results from dierences in
the timing and level of expression of various gene and
proteins, which collectively are responsible for modulating
dierences in cellular activity. Much of the regulation of
gene function occurs at the level of DNA activity
(transcription); and, indeed, it has been estimated that 10
percent of all human genes encode transcription factors
responsible for this level of regulation. Because of the
complexity of the cell and its critical need to maintain
normal cellular function in a variety of environments,
however, multiple mechanisms in addition to
transcription-factor activity have evolved to modify and
control cell activity. A fundamental goal in biology,
therefore, is to understand this assortment of molecular
mechanisms used by cells to regulate gene expression and
subsequent cell function. In this course, we will focus on
these various mechanisms, examining regulatory events at
the level of transcription, translation, receptor activity and
signal transduction, determination of cell fate, and the
modification and localization of intracellular proteins.
Once we understand how cells regulate their function, we
can begin to imagine ways in which we may intervene to
modify specific cell activities as well as how specific
chemicals and compounds alter these regulatory
mechanisms to the detriment of the cell. No textbooks are
used in this course; instead, all topics and readings are
drawn from recently published, peer-reviewed, scientific
articles.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
General Chemistry I (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
General Chemistry II (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
Organic Chemistry I (p. 21), Colin Abernethy Chemistry
The Chemistry of Everyday Life (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Organic Chemistry II (p. 22), Colin Abernethy Chemistry
Biochemistry (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
First-Year Studies: Emotions and Decisions (p. 135), Maia
Pujara Psychology
The Origins of Language: Animals, Babies, and
Machines (p. 136), Sammy Floyd Psychology
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Mindfulness: Science and Practice (p. 139), Elizabeth
Johnston Psychology
CHEMISTRY
Chemistry seeks to understand our physical world on an
atomic level. This microscopic picture uses the elements
of the periodic table as building blocks for a vast array of
molecules, ranging from water to DNA. But some of the
most fascinating aspects of chemistry involve chemical
reactions, where molecules combine and transform,
sometimes dramatically, to generate new molecules.
Chemistry explores many areas of our physical world,
ranging from our bodies and the air that we breathe to the
many products of the human endeavor and including art
and a plethora of consumer products. Students at Sarah
Lawrence College may investigate these diverse areas of
chemistry through a variety of courses that provide a
foundation in the theories central to this discipline.
Just as experimentation played a fundamental role in
the formulation of the theories of chemistry,
experimentation plays an integral part in learning them.
Therefore, laboratory experiments complement many of
the seminar courses.
20 Chemistry
First-Year Studies: Elemental Epics:
Stories of Love, War, Madness, and
Murder From the Periodic Table of
the Elements
CHEM 1065
Colin Abernethy
FYS—Year | 10 credits
The periodic table displays the chemical elements
according to the structure of their atoms and,
consequently, their chemical properties. The periodic table
also represents a treasure trove of fascinating stories that
span both natural and human history. Many of the
elements on the table have influenced key historical
events and shaped individual lives. In this course, we will
tour the periodic table and learn how the stories of the
discovery and investigation of the elements fuse science
with human drama—from murders to cures for deadly
diseases and from new technologies to the fall of
civilizations. Our studies will include readings from
traditional science textbooks and history books, as well as
works of literature and poetry. This is a seminar course
with two 90-minute class meetings per week. Individual
conference meetings will be weekly during the first six
weeks of the fall semester and biweekly thereafter.
General Chemistry I
CHEM 2010
Mali Yin
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This is the study of the properties, composition, and
transformation of matter. Chemistry is central to the
production of the materials required for modern life; for
instance, the synthesis of pharmaceuticals to treat
disease, the manufacture of fertilizers and pesticides
required to feed an ever-growing population, and the
development of ecient and environmentally benign
energy sources. This course provides an introduction to
the fundamental concepts of modern chemistry. We will
begin by examining the structure and properties of atoms,
which are the building blocks of the elements and the
simplest substances in the material world around us. We
will then explore how atoms of dierent elements can
bond with each other to form an infinite variety of more
complex substances, called compounds. This will lead us
to an investigation of several classes of chemical
reactions, the processes in which substances are
transformed into new materials with dierent physical
properties. Along the way, we will learn how and why the
three states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) dier
from one another and how energy may be either produced
or consumed by chemical reactions. In weekly laboratory
sessions, we will perform experiments to illustrate and
test the theories presented in the lecture part of the
course. These experiments will also serve to develop
practical skills in both synthetic and analytic chemical
techniques.
General Chemistry II
CHEM 2011
Mali Yin
Intermediate, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: General Chemistry I
This course is a continuation of General Chemistry I. We
will begin with a detailed study of both the physical and
chemical properties of solutions, which will enable us to
consider the factors that aect both the rates and
direction of chemical reactions. We will then investigate
the properties of acids and bases and the role that
electricity plays in chemistry. The course will conclude
with introductions to nuclear chemistry and organic
chemistry. Weekly laboratory sessions will allow us to
demonstrate and test the theories described in the lecture
segment of the course.
Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 3650
Colin Abernethy
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Organic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds
whose molecules are based on a framework of carbon
atoms, typically in combination with hydrogen, oxygen,
and nitrogen. Despite this rather limited set of elements,
there are more organic compounds known than there are
compounds that do not contain carbon. Adding to the
importance of organic chemistry is the fact that very many
of the chemical compounds that make modern life
possible—such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides,
herbicides, plastics, pigments, and dyes—can be classed
as organic. Organic chemistry, therefore, impacts many
other scientific subjects; and knowledge of organic
chemistry is essential for a detailed understanding of
materials science, environmental science, molecular
biology, and medicine. This course gives an overview of the
structures, physical properties, and reactivity of organic
compounds. We will see that organic compounds can be
classified into families of similar compounds based upon
certain groups of atoms that always behave in a similar
manner no matter what molecule they are in. These
functional groups will enable us to rationalize the vast
number of reactions that organic reagents undergo. Topics
covered in this course include: the types of bonding within
organic molecules; fundamental concepts of organic
reaction mechanisms (nucleophilic substitution,
elimination, and electrophilic addition); the conformations
and configurations of organic molecules; and the physical
THE CURRICULUM 21
and chemical properties of alkanes, halogenoalkanes,
alkenes, alkynes, and alcohols. In the laboratory section of
the course, we will develop the techniques and skills
required to synthesize, separate, purify, and identify
organic compounds. Organic Chemistry is a key
requirement for pre-med students and is strongly
encouraged for all others who are interested in the
biological and physical sciences. Each week, you will
attend two 90-minute lectures, a 55-minute group
conference, and a three-hour laboratory session.
The Chemistry of Everyday Life
CHEM 3102
Mali Yin
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course examines the chemistry of our everyday
life—the way things work. The emphasis of this course is
on understanding the everyday use of chemistry. We will
introduce chemistry concepts with everyday examples,
such as household chemicals and gasoline, that show how
we already use chemistry and reveal why chemistry is
important to us. We will concentrate on topics of current
interest such as environmental pollution and the
substances that we use in our daily lives that aect our
environment and us.
Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 3651
Colin Abernethy
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry I
In this course, we will explore the physical and chemical
properties of additional families of organic molecules. The
reactivity of aromatic compounds, aldehydes and ketones,
carboxylic acids and their derivatives (acid chlorides, acid
anhydrides, esters, and amides), enols and enolates, and
amines will be discussed. We will also investigate the
methods by which large, complicated molecules can be
synthesized from simple starting materials. Modern
methods of organic structural determination—such as
mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic
resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy—will
also be introduced. In the laboratory section of this course,
we will continue to develop the techniques and skills
required to synthesize, separate, purify, and identify
organic compounds. Organic Chemistry II is a key
requirement for pre-med students and is strongly
encouraged for all others who are interested in the
biological and physical sciences. Each week, you will
attend two 90-minute lectures, a 55-minute group
conference, and a three-hour laboratory session.
Biochemistry
CHEM 4064
Mali Yin
Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry and General Biology.
Biochemistry is the chemistry of biological systems. This
course will introduce students to the important principles
and concepts of biochemistry. Topics will include the
structure and function of biomolecules such as amino
acids, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, RNA, DNA, and
bioenergetics. This knowledge will then be used to study
the pathways of metabolism.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution (p. 16),
Michelle Hersh Biology
Introduction to Neuroscience (p. 16), Cecilia Phillips Toro
Biology
Neurological Disorders (p. 18), Cecilia Phillips Toro Biology
Advanced Cell Biology: Regulation of Cell Function (p. 20),
Drew E. Cressman Biology
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
Resonance and Its Applications (p. 125), Merideth Frey
Physics
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
CLASSICS
Classics course oerings at Sarah Lawrence College may
include Greek (Ancient) and Latin at the beginning,
intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as literature
courses in translation. Beginning language students
acquire the fundamentals of Greek (Ancient) or Latin in
22 Classics
one year and begin reading authentic texts. Intermediate
and advanced students refine their language skills while
analyzing specific ancient authors, genres, or periods.
Ancient Greek and Roman insights and discoveries
originated Western culture and continue to shape the
modern world. Ancient artists and writers still inspire
today’s great artists and writers. Greek and Roman ideas
about politics, drama, history, and philosophy (to name
just a few) broaden 21st-century perspectives and
challenge 21st-century assumptions. Classical languages
and literature encourage thoughtful, substantive
participation in a global, multicultural conversation and
cultivate skills necessary for coping with both failure and
success. Because it is multidisciplinary, classical literature
adapts easily to students’ interests and rewards
interdisciplinary study. Classics courses contribute
directly to the College’s unique integration of the liberal
arts and creative arts, as developing writers and artists
fuel their own creative energies by encountering the work
of ingenious and enduring predecessors. The study of the
classics develops analytical reading and writing skills and
imaginative abilities that are crucial to individual growth
and essential for citizens in any functioning society.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Art and Myth in Ancient Greece (p. 9), David Castriota Art
History
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
Beginning Latin and registration interview with the
instructor (p. 84), Emily Anhalt Latin
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Is Culture Fate or Freedom? (p. 122), Abraham Anderson
Philosophy
Readings in Christian Mysticism: Late Antiquity (p. 148),
Ron Afzal Religion
COGNITIVE AND BRAIN
SCIENCE
Classes from disciplines such as biology, computer
science, mathematics, philosophy, and psychology
comprise the classes available within this cross-
disciplinary path.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Introduction to Neuroscience (p. 16), Cecilia Phillips Toro
Biology
Neurological Disorders (p. 18), Cecilia Phillips Toro Biology
Introduction to Computer Science: The Way of the
Program (p. 24), James Marshall Computer Science
Computer Networks (p. 24), Michael Si Computer
Science
Games Computers Play (p. 25), Michael Si Computer
Science
Data Structures and Algorithms (p. 25), Michael Si
Computer Science
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
First-Year Studies: How To Learn: Tricks, Theories, and the
Evidence Behind Them (p. 135), Sammy Floyd
Psychology
First-Year Studies: Emotions and Decisions (p. 135), Maia
Pujara Psychology
The Origins of Language: Animals, Babies, and
Machines (p. 136), Sammy Floyd Psychology
Psychology of Children’s Television (p. 136), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
Technology and Human Development (p. 138), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Are We Cognitive Misers? Cognitive Biases and Heuristics
in Social Psychology (p. 139), Gina Philogene
Psychology
Mindfulness: Science and Practice (p. 139), Elizabeth
Johnston Psychology
Speaking the Unspeakable: Trauma, Emotion, Cognition,
and Language (p. 140), Emma Forrester Psychology
The Power and Meanings of Play in Children’s
Lives (p. 140), Cindy Puccio Psychology
Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology (p. 141), Maia Pujara Psychology
THE CURRICULUM 23
How Humans Learn Language (p. 143), Sammy Floyd
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 177), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Visual
and Studio Arts
Children’s Literature: A Writing Workshop (p. 189), Myra
Goldberg Writing
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
COMPUTER SCIENCE
What is computer science? Ask a hundred computer
scientists, and you will likely receive a hundred dierent
answers. One possible, fairly succinct answer is that
computer science is the study of algorithms: step-by-step
procedures for accomplishing tasks formalized into very
precise, atomic (indivisible) instructions. An algorithm
should allow a task to be accomplished by someone
who—or something that—does not even understand the
task. In other words, it is a recipe for an automated
solution to a problem. Computers are tools for executing
algorithms. (Not that long ago, a “computer” referred to a
person who computed!)
What are the basic building blocks of algorithms?
How do we go about finding algorithmic solutions to
problems? What makes an ecient algorithm in terms of
the resources (time, memory, energy) that it requires?
What does the eciency of algorithms say about major
applications of computer science such as cryptology,
databases, and artificial intelligence? Computer-science
courses at Sarah Lawrence College are aimed at answering
questions such as those. Sarah Lawrence computer-
science students also investigate how the discipline
intersects other fields of study, including mathematics,
philosophy, biology, and physics.
Introduction to Computer Science:
The Way of the Program
COMP 2012
James Marshall
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This lecture course is a rigorous introduction to computer
science and the art of computer programming using the
elegant, eminently practical, yet easy-to-learn
programming language Python. We will learn the
principles of problem-solving with a computer while also
gaining the programming skills necessary for further study
in the discipline. We will emphasize the power of
abstraction and the benefits of clearly written, well-
structured programs, beginning with imperative
programming and working our way up to object-oriented
concepts such as classes, methods, and inheritance. Along
the way, we will explore the fundamental idea of an
algorithm; how computers represent and manipulate
numbers, text, and other data (such as images and sound)
in binary; Boolean logic; conditional, iterative, and
recursive programming; functional abstraction; file
processing; and basic data structures such as lists and
dictionaries. We will also learn introductory computer
graphics, how to process simple user interactions via
mouse and keyboard, and some principles of game design
and implementation. All students will complete a final
programming project of their own design. Weekly hands-
on laboratory sessions will reinforce the concepts covered
in class through extensive practice at the computer.
Privacy, Technology, and the Law
COMP 3207
Michael Si
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
What do Bitcoin, ChatGPT, self-driving vehicles, and Zoom
have in common? The answer lies in this course, which
focuses on how a few digital technologies are dramatically
altering daily life. In this course, we will develop a series of
core principles that attempt to explain the rapid change
and to forge a reasoned path into the future. We will begin
with a brief history of privacy, private property, and privacy
law. Two examples of early 20th-century technologies that
required legal thinking to evolve: whether a pilot (and
passengers) of a plane are trespassing when the plane
flies over someone's backyard and whether the police can
listen to a phone call from a phonebooth (remember
those?) without a warrant. Quickly, we will arrive in the
age of information and can update those conundrums: A
drone flies by with an infrared camera. A copyrighted video
is viewed on YouTube via public WiFi. A hateful comment
is posted on Reddit. A playful TikTok is taken out of
context and goes viral for all to see. An illicit transaction
involving Bitcoin is made between seemingly anonymous
parties via Venmo. A famous musician infuriates his or her
fanbase by releasing a song supporting an authoritarian
politician—but it turns out to be a deepfake. A core tension
in the course is whether and how the Internet should be
regulated and how to strike a balance among privacy,
security, and free speech. We will consider major US
Supreme Court cases that chart slow-motion government
reaction to the high-speed change of today’s wired world.
Computer Networks
COMP 3065
Michael Si
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is a rigorous introduction to digital
communication networks from a liberal-arts perspective.
24 Computer Science
The main question that we will address is how information
of all kinds can be transmitted eciently, between two
points at a distance, in such a way that very little
assumption need be made about the physical mode of
transport and how the route the information travels need
not be known in advance. We emphasize the importance of
abstraction and the use of redundancy to establish error-
free transmission even in the face of significant noise. We
study protocol stacks from the application layer
(canonical example: web browser) down to the physical
transmission medium. We analyze how high-level
information (for instance, a message including an image
attachment being sent via email) is translated to bits,
broken into discrete packets, sent independently using the
basic building blocks of the Internet—and then how those
packets are reassembled, seemingly instantaneously, in
the correct order. We will attempt to demystify the
alphabet soup of networking terminology, including TCP/
IP, HTTP, HTTPS, VPN, NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 5G. We
will consider major shifts in technology that have
transformed communication networks from the telegraph
to the telephone to radio, from copper wire to fiberoptics
and satellite, and the ubiquity of cellular networks. We
also will consider the close relationship between the open-
source movement and the rise of the Internet and web.
There is no formal prerequisite for this course, but the
content is technical in nature. Registration interviews are
required.
Principles of Programming
Languages
COMP 3816
James Marshall
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: one semester of programming experience
This course explores the principles of programming
language design through the study and implementation of
computer programs called interpreters, which are
programs that process other programs as input. A famous
computer scientist once remarked that, if you don’t
understand interpreters, you can still write programs and
can even be a competent programmer—but you can’t be a
master. We will begin by studying functional programming
using the strangely beautiful and very recursive
programming language Scheme. After getting comfortable
with Scheme and recursion, we will develop an interpreter
for a Scheme-like language of our own design—gradually
expanding its power in a step-by-step fashion. Along the
way, we will become acquainted with lambda functions,
environments, scoping mechanisms, continuations, lazy
evaluation, nondeterministic programming, and other
topics as time permits. We will use Scheme as our “meta-
language” for exploring these issues in a precise,
analytical way—similar to the way in which mathematics
is used to describe phenomena in the natural sciences.
Our great advantage over mathematics, however, is that
we can test our ideas about languages, expressed in the
form of interpreters, by directly executing them on the
computer. No prior knowledge of Scheme is necessary.
Games Computers Play
COMP 3112
Michael Si
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This is an introduction to computer programming through
the lens of old-school, arcade-style video games such as
Pong, Adventure, Breakout, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and
Tetris. We will learn programming from the ground up and
demonstrate how it can be used as a general-purpose,
problem-solving tool. Throughout the course, we will
emphasize the power of abstraction and the benefits of
clearly written, well-structured code. We will cover
variables, conditionals, iteration, functions, lists, and
objects. We will focus on event-driven programming and
interactive game loops. We will consider when it makes
sense to build software from scratch and when it might be
more prudent to make use of existing libraries and
frameworks rather than reinventing the wheel. We will also
discuss some of the early history of video games and their
lasting cultural importance. Students will design and
implement their own low-res, but fun-to-play, games. No
prior experience with programming or web design is
necessary (nor expected nor even desirable).
Data Structures and Algorithms
COMP 3865
Michael Si
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Inrtoduction to Computer Programming
In this course, we will study a variety of data structures
and algorithms that are important for the design of
sophisticated computer programs, along with techniques
for managing program complexity. Throughout the course,
we will use Java, a strongly typed, object-oriented
programming language. Topics covered will include types
and polymorphism, arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues,
priority queues, heaps, dictionaries, balanced trees, and
graphs, as well as several important algorithms for
manipulating those structures. We will also study
techniques for analyzing the eciency of algorithms. The
central theme tying all of these topics together is the idea
of abstraction and the related notions of information
hiding and encapsulation, which we will emphasize
THE CURRICULUM 25
throughout the course. Weekly lab sessions will reinforce
the concepts covered in class through extensive hands-on
practice at the computer.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Modern Mathematics: Logic, Probability, and
Statistics (p. 99), Abbe Herzig Mathematics
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
Resonance and Its Applications (p. 125), Merideth Frey
Physics
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information (p. 125),
Sarah Racz Physics
The Origins of Language: Animals, Babies, and
Machines (p. 136), Sammy Floyd Psychology
Introduction to Rhino and 3D Fabrication (p. 185), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
DANCE
The Sarah Lawrence College dance program presents
undergraduate students with an inclusive curriculum that
exposes them to vital aspects of dance through physical,
creative, and analytical practices. Students are
encouraged to study broadly, widen their definitions of
dance and performance, and engage in explorations of
form and function.
Basic principles of functional anatomy are at the
heart of the program, which oers classes in modern and
postmodern contemporary styles, classical ballet, yoga,
and African dance. Composition, improvisation, contact
improvisation, Laban motif, dance history, music for
dancers, dance and media, teaching conference, classical
Indian dance, lighting design/stagecraft, and performance
projects with visiting artists round out the program.
Each student creates an individual program and
meets with advisers to discuss overall objectives and
progress. A yearlong series of coordinated component
courses, including a daily physical practice, constitute a
Dance Third. In addition, all students taking a Dance Third
participate at least once each semester in movement
training sessions to address their individual needs with
regard to strength, flexibility, alignment, and coordination,
as well as to set short- and long-term training goals.
A variety of performing opportunities for
undergraduate and graduate students are available in both
informal and formal settings. Although projects with guest
choreographers are frequent, it is the students’ own
creative work that is the center of their dance experience
at the College. In order to support the performance aspect
of the program, all students are expected to participate in
the technical aspects of producing concerts.
We encourage the interplay of theatre, music, visual
arts, and dance. Music Thirds and Theatre Thirds may take
dance components with the permission of the appropriate
faculty.
In the interest of protecting the well-being of our
students, the dance program reserves the right, at our
discretion, to require any student to be evaluated by
Health Services.
Prospective and admitted students are welcome to
observe classes.
Cultivating a Teaching Practice:
Dance Pedagogy Now
DNCE 5508
Megan Williams
Advanced, Component—Fall
In this course, we will explore varied entry points toward
the creation and practice of a personal dance teaching
philosophy and pedagogy. We will interrogate our varied
and unique histories, values, patterns, cultures, and
aesthetic desires, observing how they illuminate or limit
our teaching goals. Our experience and assumptions
around teaching and being taught will help us amplify and
name integral skills and tools that support our work in
dance/body/movement-based classrooms. How do we
build a class architecture that nurtures growth? How do
we create a safe and equitable space for reciprocal
learning? How do we find a balance between planning and
improvising? How do we clarify and hone our intentions
while using clear language and communication? These
questions and many more will ignite us to observe,
support, and inspire one another as we imagine new and
engaged approaches to our teaching practices.
26 Dance
Moving the Movement: A Study of
American Dance History Through a
Political Lens
DNCE 5573
Rakia Seaborn
Open, Component—Spring
All dance is political, simply because it is created by a
human being who is of a particular place and time. Thus,
the work is inherently commenting on that particular place
and time. Using this framework, we will take a deep dive
into American dance history from Reconstruction to today,
with an eye on tackling the questions: 1) How did this thing
we refer to as “American dance” come to be? 2) Who or
what is missing from the canon? Why? 3) How do we place
ourselves inside of this lineage? With a keen
understanding of the state of the world at the point of
creation, students will develop a critical eye through which
to view performance—the how and the why of creation
having equal footing with the physical forms. Further,
students will begin to develop an understanding of how
contemporary American dance is in constant conversation
with dance of the past.
This course is for all students beginning the dance
program.
Writing On, With, and Through Dance:
A Dance Writing Seminar
DNCE 5608
EmmaGrace Skove-Epes
Component—Fall
When we write about dance, movement arts, and
performance practice, how can we address and unpack the
politics and power dynamics inherently at play in
authorship, spectatorship, participatory experience, and
research? How might our individual intersectional
subjectivities be avenues into engaging the act of
meaning-making while witnessing, conversing with, and
archiving dance and performance? In this seminar, we will
study various historical and current relationships of
writing to movement-based performance practice, tracing
the legacy of dance criticism and its subsequent evolution
as a point of departure. We will look at a myriad of forms of
dance writing that exemplify dierent potentials for
relationship between performer and audience member or
witness, including but not be limited to: dance criticism,
embedded criticism, autotheory, writing on advocacy and
ethics within the dance field, transcribed interviews and
conversations with dance and movement artists, and
artists’ “process notes.” We will also look at texts that are
not directly situated within dance studies but that emerge
from various feminist and queer lineages in which theory,
research, and critique have become modes that evoke a
deepening of relationship between subjectivity,
environment, and art-making. In addition to reading and
discussing various forms of dance writing, students will
develop their own writing practice in conversation with
filmed footage of dance performances and rehearsals and
live dance performances and rehearsals.
This course is for all students beginning the dance
program.
Dancing in Progress: Perspectives on
Teaching and Learning
DNCE 5523
Peggy Gould
Sophomore and Above, Component—Spring
Students in this course will develop skills to bring their
artistry into a teaching setting, combining practical and
theoretical studies. We will work systematically and
imaginatively to develop teaching practices in dance and
movement forms that move us most deeply, addressing
individual and collective concerns throughout the process.
We will explore strategies for teaching a variety of
techniques, from codified dance forms to generative
forms, including improvisation and composition. Over the
course of the semester, with all members of the class
serving as both teacher and student, each participant will
develop a cohesive plan for teaching in professional
settings. Studio practices including movement,
observation, discussion; class exercises will support in-
depth exploration of teaching and learning as intrinsically
related aspects of education at its best. In addition to work
in the studio, independent research will entail surveying
literature in the field of dance education and training, as
well as potential sources beyond the field, according to
individual interests. Practical and theoretical research will
form the basis of a final presentation (teaching one or
more sections of the curricular plan) and a final written
report with annotated bibliography, summarizing and
documenting the development process as well as
providing a basis for future promotional material.
Being an Artist in the Professional
World: Vocational Skills
DNCE 7104
John Jasperse
Component—Fall
In this course, we will examine and hone the tools needed
for propelling your creative work into the professional
landscape. Taught from the perspective of an active artist/
arts professional in the nonprofit sector, the course will
attempt to achieve fluency for all makers by providing
practical encounters with key areas of budgeting and
THE CURRICULUM 27
finance, fundraising and grant writing, presenting and
touring, and self-producing components (including
marketing, press, audience-development and engagement
strategies, digital and social interactions, and production
administration). We will explore various dance and theatre
financial models, from being an independent solo artist to
starting your own ensemble. The class will be
participatory, asking each student to craft project
descriptions, grant narratives, and budgets for their thesis
projects or other works shown in the previous semester or
first year. We will develop and stage mock applications and
peer/panel reviews for real-world funding opportunities,
undertake group budgeting for productions that occur in
each department, and develop concurrent fundraising
plans and crowdsourcing campaigns. The aim of this
course is to provide a greater level of competitive
preparedness for graduating dance and performance
makers on the cusp of representing themselves and their
work in their chosen field(s).
Dance Tech/Production
DNCE 5507
Open, Component—Fall and Spring
Each student enrolled in a three-credit dance study, five-
credit Dance Third, five-credit dance FYS, or Dance MFA
program of study is REQUIRED to complete one tech/
production job each semester in order to receive full credit
for dance courses. In completing Dance Tech/Production,
students are exposed to the "behind the scenes"
operations required to put on a dance performance. All
students do this work, so you may be performing on stage
in one concert and working a crew position in the next. The
production process is much the same here at Sarah
Lawrence as in the professional world. For each concert,
the technical crew works during the performances and
during the “tech week” before the show. You will receive
instruction for every tech job, so don’t worry if you are
assigned to do something that you’ve never done before.
Intersections of Dance and Culture
DNCE 5606
Peggy Gould
Open, Component—Year
When we encounter dancing, what are we seeing,
experiencing, and understanding? How do current
representations of dance perpetuate and/or disrupt
assumptions about personal and social realities?
Embedded historical notions and enforcements based on
race, economic class, gender, social/sexual orientation,
nationality/regional aliation, and more are threaded
through our daily lives. Performing arts inside and outside
of popular culture often reinforce dominant cultural ideas.
Can they also propose or inspire alternatives? In this class,
we will view examples of dancing on film, digital/Internet
media, television programs and commercials, as well as
live performance. These viewings, along with readings of
selected texts from the fields of dance and performance,
literary criticism, feminist theory, queer theory, and
cultural studies will form the basis of class discussions
and exercises. Each student will develop an independent
research project arising from one or more class activities.
Independent research will include reading, writing, and
presentation. The central aim of this course is to cultivate
generously informed conversation, using academic
research and experiential knowledge to advance our
recognition of dance as an elemental art form.
This course can be taken as a five-credit course per
semester (Fall or Spring) OR as ten-credit for a year. This
course may be counted as either humanities or creative
arts credit. This course may also be taken as a semester-
long component within a Dance, Music or Theatre Third. No
prior experience in dance is necessary. Students who wish
to join this yearlong class in the second semester may do
so with permission of the instructor.
Intersections of Dance and Culture
DNCE 3121
Peggy Gould
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
When we encounter dancing, what are we seeing,
experiencing, and understanding? How do current
representations of dance perpetuate and/or disrupt
assumptions about personal and social realities?
Embedded historical notions and enforcements based on
race, economic class, gender, social/sexual orientation,
nationality/regional aliation, and more are threaded
through our daily lives. Performing arts, inside and outside
of popular culture, often reinforce dominant cultural ideas.
Can they also propose or inspire alternatives? In this class,
we will view examples of dancing on film, digital/Internet
media, television programs and commercials, as well as
live performance. These viewings, along with readings of
selected texts from the fields of dance and performance,
literary criticism, feminist theory, queer theory, and
cultural studies will form the basis of class discussions
and exercises. Each student will develop an independent
research project arising from one or more class activities.
Independent research will include reading, writing, and
presentation. The central aim of this course is to cultivate
generously informed conversation, using academic
research and experiential knowledge to advance our
recognition of dance as an elemental art form.
This course can be taken as a five-credit course per
semester (Fall or Spring) OR as ten-credit for a year. This
course may be counted as either humanities or creative
28 Dance
arts credit. This course may also be taken as a semester-
long component within a Dance, Music or Theatre Third. No
prior experience in dance is necessary. Students who wish
to join this yearlong class in the second semester may do
so with permission of the instructor.
Moving Bodies in Frame
DNCE 5602
Andrea Lerner
Component—Fall
This course introduces students to singular choreographic
possibilities oered by cinematographic tools, promoting
new ways to engage with dance through new media and its
platforms. The course focuses on “why and how” to
convey a choreographic idea into a filmic practice, how the
encounter between moving images and moving bodies can
expand the development of a choreographic language
beyond live performance. The course dwells on
fundamental questions: How are we positioning our work
in relation to these two fields—historically, aesthetically,
and conceptually? Is there a broad and thorough blending
of concepts, philosophy, processes, and tools? Moving
Bodies in Frame is a mix of analytical and production
classes, introducing students to the history of video/
experimental film/choreocinema; moving to contemporary
videos and installations,; and, finally, addressing the
opportunities oered by the new platforms available at
this moment in time. Students will have a series of hands-
on exercises and assignments, individually and/or in
groups, suggested every week. These exercises explore
concepts of framing, camera movement, planes,
deconstruction of space and time, the relationship of
audio X image, special eects, postproduction,
installation, etc. Students will create a final assignment, a
project where they define a concept, shoot the video, and
address postproduction decisions like sound and editing.
Finally, we will discuss how the project should be
presented and experienced: Is it an intimate or communal
experience? Does it ask for projection or monitor, small or
big screen, one or multiple screens, viewer mobility, and
interactiveness? The course welcomes choreographers,
performers, filmmakers, photographers,
cinematographers, media artists, or anyone interested in
this process. A camera will not be necessary; all
assignments can be done with participants’ phones.
Dance Partnering
DNCE 5516
John Jasperse
Open, Component—Spring
This course is both an introduction to various skills
involved in working with tactile partnership in dance and a
creative laboratory to explore the expressive potential of
touch. Contact Improvisation (CI) dates back to the early
1970s, but this is not a course in CI, per se. We will explore
many exercises and principles drawn from CI work, as well
as principles that CI has drawn from movement forms as
diverse as aikido and ballroom dancing. Whether we’re
aware of it or not, we already work in partnership whether
dancing or walking down the street. The force of gravity is
always pulling our weight toward the Earth, and the ground
(or the floor) is pushing back. We’ve become so good at
standing on our own two feet that we may no longer realize
that we are constantly navigating this interrelationship. As
we move out of balance, which is part of all dancing, we
need to build skills on how to fall. As such, we’ll start this
semester with a focus on floor work, challenging ourselves
to move safely on and o the floor with increasing speed
and force. As we build skills, we’ll gradually adapt these
principles to our work in contact with our peers. While
we’ll begin with a very light touch, we’ll gradually build into
mutual support structures and, possibly, try out a few lifts.
This adds to the complexity of navigating forces that
originate from our partner. As this work progresses, the
integrity of our support structure will become more and
more critical. The structure of the class will alternate
between skill building/practice and creative exploration
with these skills. We will also learn some existing
partnered sequences from my own choreography to serve
as a kind of springboard to our own creative investigations.
A foundation of working in physical partnership with
others is navigating consent. We will begin our work
together by exploring recent discourse on touch, consent,
and boundaries in the fields of dance and performance.
Each student will be empowered to understand and
articulate his/her own boundaries, which may be
constantly in flux. We will engage this as both a right and a
responsibility for each of us to exercise individually so that
we can build a functional, honest, and empowering
community for our work together. The core work in this
class is about exploring physiological touch and sharing
weight with the floor and your peers, as described above. If
doing so in each class session with a variety of partners
throughout the semester is not of interest or does not feel
safe/supportive at this time, this course might not be a
good fit for you this semester. If you are somewhat unsure
but want to explore touch and potentially expand your
comfort zone with partner work in dance, please reach out
during registration (Aug. 19-21, 2024), and we can have a
conversation ([email protected]).
THE CURRICULUM 29
Butoh Through LEIMAY Ludus
DNCE 5541
Ximena Garnica
Open, Component—Spring
This course is an introduction to butoh through the lens of
LEIMAY’s Ludus practice, which is the embodied research
being taught today by LEIMAY Artistic Director Ximena
Garnica. Butoh is a Japanese performing-art form that
was created by Tatsumi Hijikata in the 1950s and 1960s.
The course will start with an introduction to Hijikata’s
butoh-fu, a choreographic method that physicalizes
imagery through words. The course will then expand into
LEIMAY’s Ludus practice, using multiple physical
explorations to embody imagery and enlarge states of
consciousness, enabling multiple realms of perception
while challenging Eurocentric notions of body, space, and
time. Each dancer’s physical potential will be cultivated to
develop a unique movement language that is rooted in
butoh's ideas of transformation. Simultaneously, we will
focus on the conditioning of a conductive body through the
identification of the body’s own weight in relation to
gravity, along with the cultivation of internal rhythm and
fluidity. Together, we will decentralize self-centered 34
Dance approaches to movement and explore the
possibilities of “being danced by” instead of “I dance,”
“becoming spacebody” rather than occupying space. We
will challenge our body’s materiality and enliven our
sensorium through listening to the rhythms and textures
of the nonhuman. And we will use impossibility as a spark
to enrich the ways in which we create and inhabit the
world. This course is based on principles developed
through Garnica’s nearly two decades of study of butoh.
Historical and cultural context will be oered throughout
the course. This class is open to dance, theatre, and any
other students who are curious and interested in
discovering alternative approaches to body and movement
practices.
Exploration in American Jazz Dance
DNCE 5525
Candice Franklin
Component—Fall
Inspired by the work of Katherine Dunham, you will be
invited to explore her movement vocabulary, often used in
jazz dance, and then find the interconnections between
Dunham’s contributions to film and concert stage with the
current techniques used in commercial and concert dance,
as well as learn vernacular Jazz movement. Open to all
levels, this high-energy class inspires fun and freedom of
expression through artistry, improvisation, and
embellishment of choreography—regardless of skill and
dance experience, yet challenging enough for more
experienced dancers. For each meeting, a classic Dunham
warm-up will be given, followed by lively, Dunham-inspired
jazz progressions and a combo. Join us for a
transformative exploration of jazz dance, honoring
tradition while embracing innovation!
Movement Studio Practice (Level I)
DNCE 5502
Catie Leasca
Open, Component—Fall and Spring
These classes will emphasize the steady development of
movement skills, energy use, strength, and articulation
relevant to each teacher's technical and aesthetic
orientations. Instructors will change at either the end of
each semester or midway through the semester, allowing
students to experience present-day dance practice across
diverse styles and cultural lineages. At all levels, attention
will be given to sharpening each student’s awareness of
time and energy and training rhythmically, precisely, and
according to sound anatomical principles. Degrees of
complexity in movement patterns will vary within the
leveled class structure. All students will investigate
sensory experience and the various demands of
performance.
Fall taught by by Maya Lee-Parritz , Spring taught by Catie
Leasca
Hula
DNCE 5538
Makalina Gallagher
Component—Fall
This beginning-level dance class is designed to introduce
students to Hawaiian hula dance through percussion,
song, and dance. The hula class structure is designed to
give student a hands-on journey into the heart of the hula.
At the same time, in the classroom, students will explore
the broader issues of culture and its artistic expressions.
This multidisciplinary approach incorporates social
studies, language arts, dance, visual arts, and music. The
instructor and the students work collaboratively in class,
bringing together their various skills and expertise.
Students will focus on the arts and traditions of a cultural
group, building a contextual frame for the study of the
hula, its origins and meanings. In the course of the class,
many basic skills are put to use—oral and written
language, coordination, listening, observation, description,
analysis, and evaluation. This blend of artistic and
academic learning provides students with an in-depth
artistic experience while also exploring the larger themes
of cultures and their artistic expressions.
30 Dance
Ballet I
DNCE 5510
Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Open, Component—Fall and Spring
Ballet students at all levels will be guided toward creative
and expressive freedom in their dancing, enhancing the
qualities of ease, grace, musicality, and symmetry that
define this form. We will explore alignment, with an
emphasis on anatomical principles; we will cultivate
awareness of how to enlist the appropriate neuromuscular
eort for ecient movement; and we will coordinate all
aspects of body, mind, and spirit, integrating them
harmoniously.
There will be two levels for this course (Ballet I and Ballet
II); placement will be determined during registration.
Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong
DNCE 5579
Sherry Zhang
Component—Fall
Students will be introduced to the traditional Chinese
practices of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. These practices engage
with slow, deliberate movements, focusing on the breath,
meditative practice, and posture to restore and balance
energy—called chi or Qi. The postures flow together,
creating graceful dances of continuous motion.
Sometimes referred to as one of the soft or internal
martial arts, Tai Chi and Qi Gong are foundational
practices within a lifelong, holistic self-cultivation in
traditional Chinese culture.
Alexander Technique
DNCE 5509
Peggy Gould
Open, Component—Spring
The Alexander Technique is a system of neuromuscular re-
education that enables the student to identify and change
poor and inecient habits that may be causing stress and
fatigue. With gentle, hands-on guidance and verbal
instruction, the student learns to replace faulty habits
with improved coordination by locating and releasing
undue muscular tensions. This includes easing of the
breath, introducing greater freedom and optimizing
performance in all activities. It is a technique that has
proven to be profoundly useful for dancers, musicians, and
actors and has been widely acclaimed by leading figures in
the performing arts, education, and medicine.
Conditioning
DNCE 5587
Cara Reeser
Component—Fall
This conditioning uses embodied anatomy, Pilates-based
strengthening, body weight exercises, information about
cardiovascular fitness, and artistic reflection to build
healthy groundwork from which to build a sustained
physical dance practice. Each week, we will address a
dierent area of the body with an anatomical lecture,
definition and palpation of bony landmarks and activation
of specific support structures, and targeted exercises to
help build deeper understanding and support. This more
intellectual investigation will be applied directly to
movement to help develop technical training, as well as to
encourage injury prevention and rehabilitation. Students
will be expected to show critical-thinking skills around the
concepts presented in class. They are expected to be
present, attempt exercises, and develop personal
modifications when necessary and to show some physical
progress throughout the semester. Discussion in class is
encouraged, as this is a time to display internal process. It
is suggested, though not required, for students to maintain
a journal throughout the semester.
West African Dance
DNCE 5574
N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal
Open, Component—Spring
This course will use physical embodiment as a mode of
learning about and understanding various West African
cultures. In addition to physical practice, supplementary
study materials will be used to explore the breadth,
diversity, history, and technique of dances found in West
Africa. Traditional and social/contemporary dances from
countries such as Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, and the
Ivory Coast will be explored. Participation in end-of-
semester or year-end showings will provide students with
the opportunity to apply studies in a performative context.
Hip-Hop
DNCE 5542
Ana Garcia
Open, Component—Spring
This studio practice course introduces students to hip-hop
culture through the classic hip-hop styles of dance.
Cumulative technical dance training brings to light the
ethos of the street-dance culture and how it counteracts
and sometimes adopts mainstream media
misconceptions. Through the study of classic hip-hop
dance styles, students expand their awareness of
connections between various dance forms that pre-date
THE CURRICULUM 31
hip-hop while exploring the dilemma of belonging, yet
standing apart. Through dialogue, students will begin
learning about the history of the original dance styles in
their communities and then discuss mainstream factors
that either helped or harmed the evolution of the
community. Occasional guest teachers will oer a class in
a club or street style that will help students get a feel for
the New York City dance scene of the 1980s, which
influenced today’s trends. Students will watch Internet
footage to aid them in understanding the similarities and
dierences between previous trends and today’s social
exchanges in dance. Students will receive dance training
at a beginner level done to hip-hop music from past to
present. If there are intermediate-level dancers, they will
be taught at respective levels in order to make
advancements in their grasp of vocabulary.
Improvisation
DNCE 5531
Peggy Gould
Open, Component—Year
Improvisation is a potentially limitless resource. Arising
from our perceptions of movement itself, responding to
environmental elements including sound and music,
taking direction from conceptual/imaginary sources,
improvisation can yield raw materials for making dances
and performance works in multiple disciplines.
Improvisation can form the basis for community-building
activities. Improvisation reliably supports refinement of
our technical skills in dance, from conceptual and
choreographic to performative, by giving us greater access
to our unique and infinite connections to movement. In
this course, we will engage in a variety of approaches to
improvisation. We will investigate properties of movement
(including speed, force, time, space/range, quality,
momentum), using activities that range from highly
structured to virtually unstructured. We will work in a
variety of environmental settings, from the dance studio to
outdoor sites around the campus. Throughout the year, our
goals will include building capabilities for sustained
exploration of movement instincts and appetites, honing
perceptive and communicative skills, and learning to use
improvisation to advance movement technique. All of
these will support the development of a durable
foundation from which to work creatively in any discipline.
Note: This course is for all students beginning the dance
program.
Guest Artist Lab
DNCE 5625
Advanced, Component—Fall and Spring
This course is an experimental laboratory that aims to
expose students to a diverse set of current voices and
approaches to contemporary dance making. Each guest
artist will lead a module of three-to-seven class sessions.
These mini-workshops will introduce students to that
artist and his/her creative process. Guests will present
both emergent and established voices and a wide range of
approaches to contemporary artistic practice.
This course will be taught by rotating guest artists.
Live Time-Based Art
DNCE 5524
Beth Gill, Juliana F. May, John Jasperse
Sophomore and Above, Component—Fall and Spring
In this class, graduate and upperclass undergraduate
students with a special interest and experience in the
creation of time-based artworks that include live
performance will design and direct individual projects.
Students and faculty will meet weekly to view works-in-
progress and discuss relevant artistic and practical
problems, both in class on Tuesday evenings and in
conferences taking place on Thursday afternoons.
Attributes of the work across multiple disciplines of
artistic endeavor will be discussed as integral and
interdependent elements in the work. Participation in
mentored, critical-response feedback sessions with your
peers is a key aspect of the course. The engagement with
the medium of time in live performance, the constraints of
presentation of the works both in works-in-progress and in
a shared program of events, and the need to respect the
classroom and presentation space of the dance studio will
be the constraints imposed on the students’ artistic
proposals. Students working within any number of live-
performance traditions are as welcome in this course as
those seeking to transgress orthodox conventions. While
all of the works will engage in some way with embodied
action, student proposals need not fall neatly into a
traditional notion of what constitutes dance. The
cultivation of open discourse across traditional
disciplinary artistic boundaries, both in the process of
developing the works and in the context of presentation to
the public, is a central goal of the course. The faculty
members leading this course have roots in dance practice
but also have practiced expansive definitions of dance
within their own creative work. The course will culminate
in performances of the works toward the end of the
semester in a shared program with all enrolled students
and within the context of winter and spring time-based art
32 Dance
events. Performances of the works will take place in the
Bessie Schönberg Dance Theatre or elsewhere on campus
in the case of site-specific work.
This course is open to juniors and seniors.
Performance Project
DNCE 5590
Ogemdi Ude
Sophomore and Above, Component—Fall and Spring
Performance Project is a component in which a visiting
artist or company is invited to create a work with students
or to set an existing piece of choreography. The works are
performed for the College community at the end of the
semester.
Anatomy
DNCE 5576
Peggy Gould
Sophomore and Above, Component—Year
Prerequisite: prior experience in dance and/or athletics
How is it possible for us to move in the countless ways that
we do? Learn to develop your X-ray vision of human beings
in motion through functional anatomical study that
combines movement practice, drawing, lecture, and
problem solving. In this course, movement is a powerful
vehicle for experiencing in detail our profoundly adaptable
musculoskeletal anatomy. We will learn Irene Dowd’s
Spirals©, a comprehensive warm-up/cool-down for
dancing that coordinates all joints and muscles through
their fullest range of motion, facilitating study of the entire
musculoskeletal system. In addition to movement
practice, drawings are made as part of each week’s lecture
(drawing materials provided), and three short
assignments are submitted each semester. Insights and
skills developed in this course can provide tremendous
inspiration in the process of movement invention and
composition.
Students who wish to join this yearlong class in the second
semester may do so with permission of the instructor.
Anatomy Research Seminar
DNCE 5575
Peggy Gould
Advanced, Component—Year
This is an opportunity for students who have completed a
full year of anatomy study in the SLC dance program to
pursue functional anatomy studies in greater depth. In
open consultation with the instructor during class
meetings, each student engages in independent research,
developing one or more lines of inquiry that utilize
functional anatomy perspectives and texts as an
organizing framework. Research topics in recent years
have included aging and longevity in dance, discussion of
functional anatomy in relation to linguistics, pedagogy,
choreography and performance, investigation of
micropolitics in established dance training techniques,
examining connections between movement and emotion,
development of a unique warm-up sequence to address
specific individual technical issues, and study of
kinematics and rehabilitation in knee injury. The class
meets biweekly to discuss progress, questions, and
methods for reporting, writing, and presenting research,
alternating with weekly studio/practice sessions for
individual and/or group research consultations.
Choreographing Light for the Stage
DNCE 5564
Judy Kagel
Sophomore and Above, Component—Year
This course will examine the fundamentals of design and
how to both think compositionally and work
collaboratively as an artist. The medium of light will be
used to explore the relationship of art, technology, and
movement. Discussion and experimentation will reveal
how light defines and shapes an environment. Students
will learn a vocabulary to speak about light and to express
their artistic ideas. Through hands-on experience,
students will practice installing, programming, and
operating lighting fixtures and consoles. The artistic and
technical skills that they build will then be demonstrated
together by creating original lighting designs for the works
developed in the Live Time-Based Art course.
Costume Design for Dance
DNCE 5527
Liz Prince
Advanced, Component—Year
This course is an introduction to designing costumes for
dance/time-based art. The course will emphasize
collaborations with a choreographer and include topics
such as: The Creative Process of Design, Where to Begin
When Designing for Dance, The Language of Clothes, The
Elements of Design, Color Theory, Movement and the
Functionality of Dance Costumes, Figure Drawing/
Rendering Costumes, and Fabric Dictionary/Fabric
Terminology. The course will also cover learning numerous
hand and machine stitches, as well as various design-
room techniques such as taking measurements, how to fit
and alter costumes, and various wardrobe maintenance
techniques. Each student in this course will eventually be
paired with a student choreographer, with whom he or she
will collaborate to realize costumes for the
THE CURRICULUM 33
choreographer’s work and which will be presented during
the fall or spring departmental dance productions.
Throughout the year, students will also create, in a loose-
leaf binder, their own Resource Book, which will comprise
all handouts, in-class exercises, and notes. The Resource
Book will be a useful reference tool as students work on
various class assignments and/or departmental
productions. This course is designed to give students a
basic knowledge of the many intricate creative and
technical steps involved in the design process when
creating costumes. A deeper understanding of the various
aspects of costume design for dance is an enormous tool
that can not only enhance one’s overall design skills but
also allow the student to communicate more fully during
the creative process—whether with fellow designers or as
a choreographer or director collaborating with a
production team. The Resource Book will also serve as a
helpful guide in the future, as the student embarks on his
or her own productions at Sarah Lawrence and beyond.
Dance Meeting
DNCE 5506
Open, Component—Fall and Spring
Dance Meeting convenes all undergraduate students
enrolled in a five-credit Dance Third, a three-credit dance
study, or a one-credit dance study—along with all of the
MFA in Dance graduate students—in meetings that occur
roughly once a month. We gather for a variety of activities
that enrich and inform the dance curriculum. In addition to
sharing department news and information, Dance Meeting
features master classes by guest artists from New York
City and beyond; workshops with practitioners in dance-
related health fields; panels and presentations by
distinguished guests, SLC dance faculty, and alumnae; and
casting sessions for departmental performances created
by the Live Time-Based Art class.
Ballet II
DNCE 5512
Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Open, Component—Fall and Spring
Ballet students at all levels will be guided toward creative
and expressive freedom in their dancing, enhancing the
qualities of ease, grace, musicality, and symmetry that
define this form. We will explore alignment, with an
emphasis on anatomical principles; we will cultivate
awareness of how to enlist the appropriate neuromuscular
eort for ecient movement; and we will coordinate all
aspects of body, mind, and spirit, integrating them
harmoniously.
There will be two levels for this course (Ballet I and Ballet
II); placement will be determined during registration.
Movement Studio Practice (Level 2)
DNCE 5503
Jodi Melnick, Janet Charleston, Jessie Young, Wendell Gray
II
Advanced, Component—Fall and Spring
These classes will emphasize the steady development of
movement skills, energy use, strength, and articulation
relevant to each teacher's technical and aesthetic
orientations. Instructors will change at either the end of
each semester or midway through the semester, allowing
students to experience present-day dance practice across
diverse styles and cultural lineages. At all levels, attention
will be given to sharpening each student’s awareness of
time and energy and training rhythmically, precisely, and
according to sound anatomical principles. Degrees of
complexity in movement patterns will vary within the
leveled class structure. All students will investigate
sensory experience and the various demands of
performance.
Fall taught by Jodi Melnick and Wendell Gray II; Spring
taught by Jessie Young and Janet Charleston
Movement Studio Practice (Level 3)
DNCE 5505
Jodi Melnick, Jessie Young, Wendell Gray II, Kayla Farrish
Advanced, Component—Fall and Spring
These classes will emphasize the steady development of
movement skills, energy use, strength, and articulation
relevant to each teacher's technical and aesthetic
orientations. Instructors will change at either the end of
each semester or midway through the semester, allowing
students to experience present-day dance practice across
diverse styles and cultural lineages. At all levels, attention
will be given to sharpening each student’s awareness of
time and energy and training rhythmically, precisely, and
according to sound anatomical principles. Degrees of
complexity in movement patterns will vary within the
leveled class structure. All students will investigate
sensory experience and the various demands of
performance.
Fall taught by Jodi Melnick and Wendell Gray II; spring
taught by Jessie Young and Kayla Farrish
Movement Studio Practice (Levels 2
and 3 Combined)
John Jasperse, Jennifer Nugent, Catie Leasca, Kayla Farrish
Component—Fall and Spring
These classes will emphasize the steady development of
movement skills, energy use, strength, and articulation
34 Dance
relevant to each teacher's technical and aesthetic
orientations. Instructors will change at either the end of
each semester or midway through the semester, allowing
students to experience present-day dance practice across
diverse styles and cultural lineages. At all levels, attention
will be given to sharpening each student’s awareness of
time and energy and training rhythmically, precisely, and
according to sound anatomical principles. Degrees of
complexity in movement patterns will vary within the
leveled class structure. All students will investigate
sensory experience and the various demands of
performance.
Fall taught by Jenn Nugent and Kayla Farrish; spring taught
by John Jasperse and Catie Leasca
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 55), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 54), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
DANCE HISTORY
The Dance History discipline at Sarah Lawrence provides
opportunities for students to examine critical aspects of
dance as a separate, credit-bearing seminar or lecture
course rather than a component within a performing arts
study. Encompassing political, cultural, creative, and
embodied practices at the intersection of the arts,
humanities and social sciences, these courses serve as
hubs for interdisciplinary inquiry. All courses within the
Dance History discipline are open to the entire college
community. No previous knowledge of dance is required.
Intersections of Dance and Culture
DNHS 3121
Peggy Gould
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
When we encounter dancing, what are we seeing,
experiencing, and understanding? How do current
representations of dance perpetuate and/or disrupt
assumptions about personal and social realities?
Embedded historical notions and enforcements based on
race, economic class, gender, social/sexual orientation,
nationality/regional aliation, and more are threaded
through our daily lives. Performing arts, inside and outside
of popular culture, often reinforce dominant cultural ideas.
Can they also propose or inspire alternatives? In this class,
we will view examples of dancing on film, digital/Internet
media, television programs and commercials, as well as
live performance. These viewings, along with readings of
selected texts from the fields of dance and performance,
literary criticism, feminist theory, queer theory, and
cultural studies will form the basis of class discussions
and exercises. Each student will develop an independent
research project arising from one or more class activities.
Independent research will include reading, writing, and
presentation. The central aim of this course is to cultivate
generously informed conversation, using academic
research and experiential knowledge to advance our
recognition of dance as an elemental art form.
This course can be taken as a five-credit course per
semester (Fall or Spring) OR as ten-credit for a year. This
course may be counted as either humanities or creative
arts credit. This course may also be taken as a semester-
long component within a Dance, Music or Theatre Third. No
prior experience in dance is necessary. Students who wish
to join this yearlong class in the second semester may do
so with permission of the instructor.
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
Classes from disciplines such as anthropology, economics,
environmental studies, geography, history, politics, public
policy, sociology, and writing comprise the classes
available within this cross-disciplinary path.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
THE CURRICULUM 35
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
The Power and Meanings of Play in Children’s
Lives (p. 140), Cindy Puccio Psychology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 177), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Visual
and Studio Arts
ECONOMICS
At Sarah Lawrence College, economics is not taught as a
set of techniques for working in a static field but, rather, as
an evolving discipline. In the liberal-arts tradition, Sarah
Lawrence students approach the study of economics by
addressing issues in historical, political, and cultural
context. Students analyze and evaluate multiple schools of
thought as they relate to actual situations—exploring,
from an economic perspective, topics such as
globalization, growth and social policy, inequality,
capitalism, and the environment. Students who have
focused on economics have gone on to become union
organizers, join the Peace Corps, intern with United
Nations agencies, enter law school, and enter graduate
programs in public policy and international development.
Introduction to Economic Theory and
Policy
ECON 2051
An Li
Open, Small Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Economics has a profound impact on all of our lives, from
where we live and go to school to what we do for a living,
what we eat, and how we entertain ourselves. Economics
is also crucially intertwined with the social and political
issues that we care about, from global climate change to
poverty and discrimination. In this course, we will examine
the role of economics and economists in a range of key
policy issues, such as money, taxation, governmental
spending, finance, international trade, antitrust, labor
market, education, environment protection, and climate
change. We will focus on how economics has been used
and, perhaps more importantly, misused in these policy
issues. We begin this course with a brief history of the
United States and the global economy. We then introduce
a variety of approaches to economic analysis, including
neoclassical, Keynesian, behavioral, Marxian, and feminist.
Finally, we’ll apply these contrasting theoretical
perspectives to current economic issues and
controversies. Requirements will include frequent, short
writing assignments and participation in small-group
projects.
Law and Political Economy:
Challenging Laissez Faire
ECON 2044
Jamee Moudud
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
This yearlong course, based on the professor’s new
book—Legal and Political Foundations of Capitalism: The
End of Laissez Faire?—introduces students to the
emerging Law and Political Economy tradition in
economics. The course will deal with four interrelated
questions: (1) What does economic regulation mean? (2)
What is the relationship between institutions, legal ones in
particular, and the economy? (3) How does one
theoretically analyze the nature of property rights, money,
corporations, and power? (4) How does rethinking the
relationship between law and the economy challenge
conventional ideas about the nature of economic
regulation? The course will seek to understand the nature
of power and its relationship to institutions, especially
legal ones, by considering property rights and money, the
business corporation, constitutional political economy, the
links between “free markets” and authoritarianism,
colonialism and race, and inequality as it intersects across
class, race, and gender lines. We will deal with these
questions by focusing on the insights of the Original
Institutional Economics and American Legal Realists and
their relationship to the classical political economy
tradition (especially Adam Smith and Karl Marx). The Law
and Political Economy framework will be contrasted with
the insights of New Institutional Economics, with the
latter’s basis in neoclassical economics. Core questions
that will be addressed include: What is laissez faire, and
does legal-economic history show any proof of its
existence? What is assumed when dueling perspectives
advocate “more” or “less” government intervention; and
are these, in fact, false binaries that distract from core
questions of public policy and key challenges such as
climate instability, growing inequality, and threats to
democracy? No prior background in economics is required.
36 Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics
ECON 3553
Jamee Moudud
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
What assumptions, methodologies, values, vision, and
theoretical foundations do microeconomists incorporate
and rely upon for analyzing economic behavior at the
individual level? What insights, knowledge, inferences,
and/or conclusions can be gleaned through examining
characteristics of individual firms, agents, households,
and markets in order to understand capitalist society?
How do our theories of individual and business behavior
inform our interpretation of distributional outcomes?
Among other topics, this yearlong seminar in
microeconomics will oer an inquiry into economic
decision-making vis-à-vis: theories of demand and supply,
the individual (agents), households, consumption
(consumer choice); theories of production and costs;
theories of the firm (business enterprise, corporations);
theories of markets and competition; prices and pricing
theory; and public policy. This course will provide a
rigorous analysis of theory and policy in the neoclassical
and broad critical political economy traditions. A central
theoretical issue will be an engagement of the
“governments versus markets” dichotomy, which is at the
heart of neoclassical economics. This important theme
will be addressed by investigating the rival treatments of
institutions in neoclassical economics (New Institutional
Economics) and the Law and Political Economy tradition.
Among other topics, we will analyze how these dierent
approaches to institutions and the economy study cost-
benefit analysis, Pareto optimality, business competition,
and the Coase Theorem. The spring semester will
incorporate the study of business history.
United States Workers’ Movement:
From Colonial Slavery to Economic
Globalization
ECON 3041
Noah Shuster
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
In this yearlong seminar course, we will explore the history
of the US labor movement from its beginnings in the
colonial society of the 1600s to the “globalized” cities of
the 2020s. Beginning with the involuntary labor
arrangements that structured the continent’s economy
from the 1600s to the Civil War, we will focus on the
international workers’ movement against slavery:
abolitionism. The abolitionist struggle will take us from the
first rebellions of involuntary workers to the Civil War and
the Reconstruction era. From there, we will consider the
strikes, uprisings, and organizations of the late 19th- and
20th-century industrial labor movement, beginning with
the Great Upheaval of 1877 and ending with the
postindustrial urban uprisings of 1967. We will consider
the peak of “big labor” during the mid-20th century,
alongside the peak in Cold War-era US imperialism that
structured the economy during that time. We will begin the
spring semester by thoroughly considering the major
structural shifts in the US economy that began in the
1970s, generally referred to as a combination of
“globalization” and “neoliberalism.” These shifts degraded
job quality and worker power, relegating the working class
to service positions in the “global city” structure. In
responding to these shifts, we will consider numerous
autonomous unions and “worker centers” that have
sprung up to address the new issues of this new economy
in the past 20 years. We will also focus on broader 21st-
century people’s struggles—like the Anti-Globalization
Movement, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives
Matter—and how these movements relate to the ongoing
workers’ movement. Requirements for the course include
discussion posts, short papers, and a group presentation.
For the course’s major project, students will have two
options. The first is writing two connected final essays,
one for each semester. The second is engaging in a
yearlong research project, which can be focused on
service learning and in-the-field placements with local
worker centers and unions, if students wish. Students will
meet with the instructor every other week for individual
conferences, depending on the student’s needs and the
progress of their conference projects. Required texts may
include: Strike! by Jeremy Brecher, The Many-Headed
Hydra by Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker, An African-
American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul
Ortiz, The Global City by Saskia Sassen, New Labor in New
York by Ruth Milkman and Ed Ott, and Labor Law for the
Rank and Filer by Staughton Lynd and Daniel Gross.
Introduction to Feminist Economics
ECON 3514
Kim Christensen
Sophomore and Above, Small seminar—Year | 10 credits
Feminist economics arose as a critique of the androcentric
and Eurocentric assumptions underlying mainstream
(neoclassical) economics. But over the past 30 years,
feminist economics has developed into a coherent
perspective in its own right. Feminist economics
acknowledges and investigates power dierentials in both
the home and the market on the basis of race/ethnicity,
gender, class, sexual orientation, nation, and disability
status. Feminist economics takes seriously the crucial
economic impact of caring labor (both paid and unpaid) in
the home and the broader community. And feminist
economics proposes alternate measures of economic
success that emphasize bodily integrity, human agency,
sustainability, and human rights. We will begin this course
THE CURRICULUM 37
with a brief exploration of the historical context for the
development of feminist economics; i.e., the rise of
feminist movements in both the developed world and the
Global South. We’ll then examine the dierences between
feminist and mainstream neoclassical economics by
examining questions such as: What do we mean by “the
economy”? Do transactions and activities have to be
monetized to be “economic”? How is caring labor (both
paid and unpaid) conceptualized in economics, and how
does the performance of this labor impact one’s status in
both the labor market and the household? The answers to
these and similar questions will help us reconceptualize
economics to take account of all of the labor necessary to
reproduce individuals and social/economic structures.
Finally, we’ll apply this reconceptualized, feminist
economics to questions of economic policy. We’ll examine
a number of case studies, including: the persistence of
occupational segregation and wage dierentials by gender
and race and policies to mitigate these inequalities; the
impact of domestic violence and other forms of nonmarket
coercion on economic outcomes; the impact of
reproductive control (or the lack thereof) on the economic
trajectories of both individuals and societies; and the
(re)conceptualization and measurement of economic
development and growth. In addition to class
participation, requirements for the course will include
frequent short papers on the readings, leading class
discussions (in pairs), participation in group
presentations, weekly participation in a service-learning
project, and a placement journal. Possible service-learning
placement sites include a domestic violence shelter, a
group promoting healthy relationships in local high
schools, a local LGBT support and advocacy organization,
a reproductive-rights group, or an organization advocating
for the rights of domestic workers.
Some background in high-school or college economics is
recommended but not required.
Money, Finance, Income,
Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and
Policies
ECON 3764
An Li
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: college-level economics course
What should monetary policies focus on? How should
governments decide on taxation and fiscal spending? How
do monetary policies and fiscal policies work? What
factors impact income and employment in the short run
and in the long run? Why are there economic and financial
crises? Who is responsible for financial crises? What does
modern finance do? Has the financial market grown too
big? How big is too big? What’s the relationship between
the economy and the environment? In this course, we will
examine the fundamental debates in macroeconomic
theory and policymaking. The standard analytical
framework of GDP determination in the short run will be
used as our entry point of analysis. On top of that, we will
examine multiple theoretical and empirical perspectives
on money, credit and financial markets, investment,
governmental spending, unemployment, growth and
distribution, crisis, technological change, and long swings
of capitalist economies. For each topic, we will not only
examine and discuss the theories but also use multiple in-
class, hands-on activities to learn tangible, intuitive, and
accessible methods for analyzing up-to-date economic
data and simulating the macroeconomy in Excel or Google
Sheets.
Environmental Justice and Yonkers:
The Political Economy of People,
Power, Place, and Pollution
ECON 3802
An Li
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Environmental injustice is both an outcome and a process.
As an outcome, environmental injustice is the unequal
distribution of environmental burdens (or benefits) in a
society. As a process, environmental injustice is the
history and institutions that project political, economic,
and social inequalities into the environmental sphere. In
this course, we will discuss the broad environmental
justice literature and connect it with our immediate
community: Yonkers, NY. We will first measure the
disproportionate environmental burdens in the city’s low-
income and minority neighborhoods. Then, we will utilize
economics to examine the causal mechanisms of
environmental injustice. We will focus on the evolution of
the housing market, the changing demographics of
Yonkers, the location choice of major pollution sources,
political representation and power, exclusionary and
expulsive zoning policies, etc. We will draw knowledge
from multiple fields—economics, politics, sociology,
geography, etc. We will examine the issue using multiple
methodologies and assess dierent policy options for
improving environmental and climate justice in Yonkers.
We will also examine the policy implications of each
environmental injustice issue. For each topic/issue, we will
have in-depth discussions based on the readings, followed
by in-class collaborative research activities that produce
qualitative and quantitative evidence of environmental
injustice in Yonkers. To visualize environmental injustice,
we will use a geographic information system (GIS) to
38 Economics
make maps. You will then be asked to write about the issue
in an assignment and discuss potential policy
recommendations.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Making Latin America (p. 69), Margarita Fajardo History
Local Oral History: From Latin America to Yonkers (p. 73),
Margarita Fajardo History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
International Political Economy (p. 129), Yekaterina
Oziashvili Politics
The Political Economy of Democratic Capitalism (p. 130),
David Peritz Politics
First-Year Studies: Emotions and Decisions (p. 135), Maia
Pujara Psychology
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Environmental science is the study of interactions
between and among Earth, ecological, infrastructure, and
social systems. The study of environmental science allows
us to understand the processes behind many of our most
urgent societal challenges, including climate change,
water-resource management, biodiversity conservation,
public health, and environmental justice. Environmental
science also provides a unique lens through which we can
study the dynamics of our planet in settings as diverse as
a serene tidal marsh, an Arctic glacier, a wastewater
treatment plant, or a community garden.
Students at Sarah Lawrence College have the
opportunity to take environmental-science courses that
provide the deep understanding needed to overcome the
socioenvironmental challenges of the coming decades. In
combination with courses in biology, chemistry, and
physics, students can build the foundation required to
conduct their own environmental-science research. They
can also gain fundamental technical skills—including
experience with geographic information systems (GIS),
numerical modeling, and data science—which can be
applied across disciplines.
First-Year Studies in Environmental
Science: Climate Change
ENVS 1024
Bernice Rosenzweig
FYS—Year | 10 credits
Climate change will be the defining issue of the coming
decades. It threatens the ecosystems and infrastructure
that human society relies upon and will impact most
aspects of the global economy, policymaking, and day-to-
day life. This First-Year Studies course will provide the
basic foundation in earth systems and climate science
needed for students who are interested in careers in
environmental science, policy, law, or advocacy. It will also
be valuable for students who are concerned about how
climate change will impact their communities and their
careers in other fields. In the early fall, students will
participate in Climate Week New York City events, where
they will learn about local climate-change issues along
with international government and private-sector eorts
to address climate change. During the rest of the fall
semester, we will draw on fundamental concepts of
physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science to learn
about human-caused global warming and its context in
the more than four billion-year history of our planet. For
their first conference project, students will learn about
climate-change indicators and will present their research
on an indicator of their choice at the college poster
symposium. In the spring, we’ll build upon this foundation
to investigate the linkages among global climate, natural
THE CURRICULUM 39
ecosystems, and human society. We will explore topics
such as biodiversity, food and agriculture, adapting to
climate-change impacts, and the energy-systems
transition needed to prevent catastrophic global warming.
We will also visit the Center for the Urban River at Beczak
(CURB) to learn about climate change and the Hudson
River Estuary. For their spring conference project,
students will learn to conduct a scientific literature review
and will write a research paper on the climate-change
process or on an issue in which they’re most interested.
Readings for the course will primarily be from an earth-
science textbook but will also include scientific research
studies, technical reports, and essays on climate change
and society. There will also be four written assignments
each semester and in-class quizzes to reinforce the
concepts that we learn in class. This seminar will alternate
biweekly one-on-one conferences with biweekly small-
group workshops on climate data analysis, technical
writing, the use of science to inform policy and advocacy,
and communicating science.
Natural Hazards
ENVS 2077
Bernice Rosenzweig
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Natural hazards are earth-system processes that can
harm humans and the ecosystems on which we rely; these
hazards include a wide variety of phenomena, including
volcanoes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and
hurricanes. The terms “natural hazard” and “disaster” are
often used interchangeably, and many examples of natural
hazards have resulted in disastrous loss of life,
socioeconomic disruption, and radical transformation of
natural ecosystems. Through improved understanding of
these phenomena, however, we can develop strategies to
better prepare for and respond to natural hazards and
mitigate harm. In this course, we will use case studies of
natural-hazard events to explore their underlying earth-
system processes—covering topics such as plate
tectonics, mass wasting, weather, and climate—along with
the social and infrastructure factors that determined their
impact on people. We will also discuss related
topics—such as probability, risk, and environmental
justice—and the direct and indirect ways that dierent
types of natural hazards will be exacerbated by global
climate change. Students will attend one weekly lecture
and one weekly group conference, where we will discuss
scientific papers and explore data on natural hazards
processes and case studies. This lecture will also
participate in the collaborative interludes and other
programs of the Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary
Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) Mellon course
cluster.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution (p. 16),
Michelle Hersh Biology
Forensic Biology (p. 17), Drew E. Cressman Biology
Evolutionary Biology (p. 17), Michelle Hersh Biology
Intermediate Ethology: Applications and Research in
Animal Behavior (p. 18), Liv Baker Biology
Research Methods in Microbial Ecology (p. 18), Michelle
Hersh Biology
Human-Wildlife Interactions: Analysis, Management, and
Resolution (p. 19), Liv Baker Biology
First-Year Studies: Elemental Epics: Stories of Love, War,
Madness, and Murder From the Periodic Table of the
Elements (p. 21), Colin Abernethy Chemistry
General Chemistry I (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
General Chemistry II (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
The Chemistry of Everyday Life (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Biochemistry (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Introduction to Computer Science: The Way of the
Program (p. 24), James Marshall Computer Science
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
40 Environmental Science
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
Advanced Spanish: Figuring the Animal in Latin
America (p. 161), Dana Khromov Spanish
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Environmental studies at Sarah Lawrence College is an
engagement with human relationships to the environment
through a variety of disciplines. Sarah Lawrence’s
environmental-studies program, a critical component of a
liberal-arts education, is an intersection of knowledge
making and questions about the environment that are
based in the humanities, the arts, and the social and
natural sciences. Sarah Lawrence students seeking to
expand their knowledge of environmental studies are
encouraged to explore the interconnections between
disciplinary perspectives while developing areas of
particular interest in greater depth. The environmental-
studies program seeks to develop students’ capacities for
critical thought and analysis, applying theory to specific
examples from Asia, Africa, and the Americas and making
comparisons across geographic regions and historical
moments.
Courses include environmental justice and politics,
environmental history and economics, policy and
development, property and the commons, environmental
risk and the rhetoric of emerging threats, and cultural
perspectives on nature, as well as courses in the natural
sciences.
Environmental studies oers an annual,
thematically-focused colloquium: Intersections: Boundary
Work in Science and Environmental Studies. This series
brings advocates, scholars, writers, and filmmakers to the
College, encouraging conversations across the disciplines
among students, faculty, and guest speakers, as well as
access to new ideas and lively exchanges. Students may
participate in internships during the academic year or in
rural and urban settings across the country and
throughout the world during the summer. Guest study at
Reed College (Portland, Oregon), the Council on
International Educational Exchange (Portland, Maine), the
semester in environmental science at the Marine
Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, Massachusetts), and
other programs are available to qualified Sarah Lawrence
students. Vibrant connections across the faculty mean
that students can craft distinctive competencies while
building a broadly based knowledge of environmental
issues, problems, policies, and possibilities.
From Haussmann's Paris to
Hurricane Katrina: Introduction to
Sustainable and Resilient Cities
ENVI 2301
Judd Schechtman
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Cities are at a crossroads, facing both significant
challenges and unparalleled opportunities. From
Napoleon's Baron Haussmann's remaking of Paris in the
1800s to climate change and the increasingly severe risk
of flooding from hurricanes and sea-level rise, this course
explores the evolution and future of urban environments
with a focus on sustainability and resilience. We will
examine the historical development of cities, including key
movements like the City Beautiful movement and Garden
Cities, and then explore the impacts of postwar growth,
suburban sprawl, and the rise of the automobile on
communities and the natural world. The course delves into
the contributions of modern architects, such as Le
Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, and examines the
historic battle between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses,
which epitomizes the conflict between community-driven
urbanism and top-down planning. Late 20th-century
trends such as New Urbanism and Transit-Oriented
Development will also be discussed. Students will analyze
how segregation, economic and racial justice, and historic
preservation shape urban spaces, with a focus on the
environmental justice movement and the equal right to a
healthy environment. We will also study the intersection of
human settlement and natural systems, including water,
wastewater, and solid-waste management, before turning
to the pressing issue of climate change and urban
resilience. By investigating the increasing severity of
climate events and their impacts on infrastructure and
communities, students will gain the knowledge and skills
needed to contribute to the development of sustainable
and resilient cities in a rapidly changing world.
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions
at Sarah Lawrence College
ENVI 2205
Eric Leveau
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 1 credit
As we want to engage in individual and collective eorts
toward sustainable and climate-change mitigating
solutions, this workshop oers an opportunity for students
to explore the multiple ways in which “sustainability” can
be fostered and developed at an institution like Sarah
Lawrence College. Students will work in small groups on a
variety of projects and produce research and educational
material that can lead to concrete and actionable
proposals for the College and our community to consider.
Students will determine their own areas of interest and
THE CURRICULUM 41
research, from energy and water-usage monitoring to
composting solutions, recycling/reusing and consumer
sobriety, landscaping choices, pollinators and natural
diversity, food growing, natural and human history of the
land, and community collaborations, to name a few. As
part of their project eort, students will engage with
College administrators who are actively working toward
sustainable solutions, as well as student, sta, and faculty
groups such as the Warren Green vegetable garden, the
Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collective on the
Environment (SLICE), and the Sustainability Committee.
We will also explore the possibility of writing grants in
coordination with other actors at the College. This
workshop will meet once a week for one hour. It is oered
as pass/fail based on attendance and a group project that
will mostly be developed during our meeting time. It is
open to all students, including first-year students. All skills
and areas of expertise are welcome, from environmental
science to writing and visual and studio arts—but any
interest in issues of sustainability and a strong sense of
dedication will suce!
From Horses to Tesla: The History and
Future of Sustainable Transportation
ENVI 3206
Judd Schechtman
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The way people move through cities is undergoing a
transformation across the globe. As urban populations
surge, particularly in developing countries, Millennials and
Gen Z are gravitating toward central cities with robust
public transportation systems. The rise of cycling,
micromobility, and the expansion of bike-sharing and
electric scooter systems are reshaping urban mobility.
Despite plenty of controversy, we cannot ignore Elon
Musk's electrification innovations, as well as sharing
economy disruptors such as Uber, oering new
possibilities for sustainable urban travel. Cities, however,
still grapple with severe congestion, the alarming toll of
trac accidents, and escalating carbon emissions—all of
which pose serious threats to our planet. We will delve into
key topics such as the design and planning implications of
urban sprawl versus compact cities, congestion pricing,
transit-oriented development, cycling and pedestrian
infrastructure, and public transport systems from light to
high-speed rail. We will also address urban design for
sustainable streets, such as trac calming measures and
plaza development, as well as emerging technologies
including drones and aviation technology. Throughout the
course, we will focus on examples from the United States,
Europe, Latin America, and Asia, analyzing how global
transportation trends influence local communities and
contribute to the development of sustainable cities. We
will also have field trips within the metro region to explore
some of these innovations in New York. You will have the
opportunity throughout the semester to conduct research
on the transportation history and innovation in a global
city. The goal of the class is to equip students with the
knowledge and skills to foster green, healthy, sustainable
transportation systems and cities for the future.
Environmental Justice and Yonkers:
The Political Economy of People,
Power, Place, and Pollution
An Li
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Environmental injustice is both an outcome and a process.
As an outcome, environmental injustice is the unequal
distribution of environmental burdens (or benefits) in a
society. As a process, environmental injustice is the
history and institutions that project political, economic,
and social inequalities into the environmental sphere. In
this course, we will discuss the broad environmental
justice literature and connect it with our immediate
community: Yonkers, NY. We will first measure the
disproportionate environmental burdens in the city’s low-
income and minority neighborhoods. Then, we will utilize
economics to examine the causal mechanisms of
environmental injustice. We will focus on the evolution of
the housing market, the changing demographics of
Yonkers, the location choice of major pollution sources,
political representation and power, exclusionary and
expulsive zoning policies, etc. We will draw knowledge
from multiple fields—economics, politics, sociology,
geography, etc. We will examine the issue using multiple
methodologies and assess dierent policy options for
improving environmental and climate justice in Yonkers.
We will also examine the policy implications of each
environmental injustice issue. For each topic/issue, we will
have in-depth discussions based on the readings, followed
by in-class collaborative research activities that produce
qualitative and quantitative evidence of environmental
injustice in Yonkers. To visualize environmental injustice,
we will use a geographic information system (GIS) to
make maps. You will then be asked to write about the issue
in an assignment and discuss potential policy
recommendations.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Intermediate Ethology: Applications and Research in
Animal Behavior (p. 18), Liv Baker Biology
Research Methods in Microbial Ecology (p. 18), Michelle
Hersh Biology
42 Environmental Studies
Human-Wildlife Interactions: Analysis, Management, and
Resolution (p. 19), Liv Baker Biology
General Chemistry I (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
General Chemistry II (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
The Chemistry of Everyday Life (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Biochemistry (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
First-Year Studies in Environmental Science: Climate
Change (p. 39), Bernice Rosenzweig Environmental
Science
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Global Environmental History (p. 77), Matthew Ellis History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 119), David Peritz Philosophy
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 128), David Peritz Politics
Environmental Psychology: An Exploration of Space and
Place (p. 139), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
ETHNIC AND DIASPORIC
STUDIES
Ethnic and diasporic studies as an academic discipline lies
at the intersection of several increasingly powerful
developments in American thought and culture. First,
interdisciplinary and comparative scholarship has become
so prevalent as to represent a dominant intellectual norm.
Second, the use of this new scholarly methodology to meet
new academic needs and illuminate new subject matter
has given rise to a plethora of discourses: women’s
studies; Native American studies; African American
studies; gay, lesbian, and transgender studies; and global
studies. Third, and perhaps most important, there has
been a growing recognition, both inside and outside
academia, that American reality is incorrigibly and
irremediably plural and that responsible research and
pedagogy must account for and accommodate this fact.
We define ethnic and diasporic studies (loosely) as
the study of the dynamics of racial and ethnic groups (also
loosely conceived) who have been denied, at one time or
another, the full participation and the full benefits of
citizenship in American society. We see these dynamics as
fascinating in and among themselves but also feel that
studying them illuminates the entire spectrum of
humanistic inquiry and that a fruitful cross-fertilization
will obtain between ethnic and diasporic studies and the
College’s well-established curricula in the humanities, the
arts, the sciences, and the social sciences.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 5), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Spaces of Exclusion: Places of Belonging (p. 6), Deanna
Barenboim Anthropology
Language, Politics, and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Immigration and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Intersections of Dance and Culture (p. 28), Peggy Gould
Dance
THE CURRICULUM 43
Butoh Through LEIMAY Ludus (p. 30), Ximena Garnica
Dance
Exploration in American Jazz Dance (p. 30), Candice
Franklin Dance
Hula (p. 30), Makalina Gallagher Dance
Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong (p. 31), Sherry Zhang Dance
West African Dance (p. 31), N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal Dance
Hip-Hop (p. 31), Ana Garcia Dance
Intersections of Dance and Culture (p. 35), Peggy Gould
Dance History
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
Advanced French: La Négritude (p. 60), Nicole Asquith
French
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
A History of Black Leadership in America (p. 69), Komozi
Woodard History
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Reconstructing Womanhood: Writers and Activists in the
United States, 1790s–1990s (p. 72), Lyde Cullen Sizer
History
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 76), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 85), Robert LaRue
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
African American Fiction after 1945 (p. 91), Robert LaRue
Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Border-Crossing Japanese Media (p. 93), Julia Clark
Literature
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 94), Robert LaRue
Literature
Asian American History Through Art and Literature (p. 94),
Karintha Lowe Literature
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 96), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques Literature
James Baldwin (p. 97), Robert LaRue Literature
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
A Political Perspective on the Elusive Nature of
Happiness (p. 120), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
Decolonial Theory: Philosophical Foundations and
Perspectives (p. 121), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 138), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Immigration and Identity (p. 142), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Jewish History I: The People of the Book (p. 147), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Jewish History II: What Does it Mean to be
Modern? (p. 148), Joel Swanson Swanson Religion
Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in Judaism (p. 149), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Contemporary Muslim Novels and Creative
Nonfiction (p. 151), Kristin Zahra Sands Religion
The Holocaust in Cultural Memory (p. 151), Joel Swanson
Swanson Religion
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
FILM HISTORY
Sarah Lawrence students approach film, first and
foremost, as an art. The College’s film-history courses take
social, cultural, and historical contexts into account—but
films themselves are the focus of study and discussion.
Students seek equal artistic value in Hollywood films, art
films, avant-garde films, and documentaries, with
emphasis on understanding the intentions of filmmakers
and appreciating their creativity.
44 Film History
As a valuable part of a larger humanistic education in
the arts, the study of film often includes the exploration of
connections to the other arts, such as painting and
literature. Close association with the filmmaking and
visual-arts disciplines enables students working in those
areas to apply their knowledge of film to creative projects.
And within the film-history discipline, the study of film
gives students insight into stylistic techniques and how
they shape meaning. Advanced courses in specific
national genres, forms, movements, and filmmakers—both
Western and non-Western—provide a superb background
in the history of film and a basis for sound critical
judgment. Students benefit from New York City’s
enormously rich film environment, in which film series,
lectures, and festivals run on a nearly continuous basis.
First-Year Studies: Film as Popular
Art
FLMH 1026
Michael Cramer
FYS—Year | 10 credits
In the years following its emergence in the late 1800s, film
quickly became an enormously popular art form, as well as
a large and lucrative industry. The American film industry
had reached worldwide dominance and began to exercise
an enormous influence upon American culture. Focusing
primarily on films produced by major Hollywood studios,
this course will examine the relationship between the
artistic and industrial sides of film, as well as the cultural
impact and implications of its status as popular and
“mass” art. Course sessions will include an introduction to
the terminology and techniques used to analyze films, as
well as the fundamentals of academic writing and
research. During the first semester, our focus will be on
the rise of Hollywood cinema as both an industry and a set
of storytelling techniques, with a particular emphasis on
the ways that cinema shaped American identity, ideology,
and culture. We will consider, in particular, how film raised
questions about the relationship between “high” and
“mass,” or “popular,” arts and how dierent forms of
filmmaking both determined and destabilized these
categories. Other topics to be covered in the first semester
will include the role of race, gender, and class in
representation and spectatorship, the development of
distinct film genres, and the role played by Hollywood
during key moments in 20th-century history (Great
Depression, World War II). Topics to be covered during the
second semester will include the relationship between film
and other media (television, Internet), the role of
technology in shaping film form and content, the decline of
the Hollywood studio system, the relationship between
Hollywood studios and African American filmmakers and
audiences, and the changing role of Hollywood in
American life from 1960s to the present. During the fall
semester, students will meet with the instructor weekly
for individual conferences. In the spring, conferences will
take place on a biweekly basis.
New Hollywood Cinema
FLMH 2057
Michael Cramer
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will examine the so-called “New Hollywood
Cinema”: the films and filmmakers who reinvigorated the
Hollywood studio system in the late 1960s, only to be
displaced by the blockbuster and “high-concept” films
that followed. Films of the period will be examined within
the context of industrial and cultural history, with special
attention paid to the changing dynamics within the
American film industry and to the cultural shifts that these
films both responded to and expressed. These issues will
be approached through a study of the form and style of the
films of the era, with attention to how they revise or
respond to more classical Hollywood approaches, how
they appropriate and repurpose techniques derived from
European “art cinema,” and how they develop their own
genres or “cycles.” Other topics to be covered include:
youth and counterculture; changing representations of
gender, class, and race; the decline of long-standing forms
of self-censorship; and the dramatic liberalization of
attitudes toward depictions of sex and violence. Directors
to be covered include Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick,
Francis Ford Coppola, Sam Peckinpah, Elaine May, and
Robert Altman.
Catching Emotion: Trauma and
Struggle in Auteur Animation
FLMH 2045
Robin Starbuck
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will take the form of a screening and
discussion seminar designed to provide an overview of
alternative and experimental animations derived from the
creative practice of transforming stories of trauma and
struggle into films of artistic merit. We will examine
various forms of animated work produced between 1960
and the present, asking ourselves: Can animations about
serious subjects lighten sad, macabre, depressing, and
even horrific moments with a sense of playfulness and
controlled distance? The class will survey a wide range of
work from a diverse selection of artists operating in
cinematic film forms alternative to commercial animation.
These will include, but not be limited to, hand-drawn, cell-
painted, cutout, stop-motion, pixilated, puppet, digital,
and, more recently, CGI independents. In most cases,
auteur artists working with stories of trauma, memory,
THE CURRICULUM 45
language, and struggle—whether personal, social, or
political—are attempting to put their subjects in
perspective. Using the core of these sources to pose
dicult and personal questions, artist-animators tackle
tough issues that ultimately serve as a reflection and
reframing of experience. In response to the films we
watch, the class group will discuss how personal and
cultural struggles have been used as resonating topics
large enough to act as a central conflict for animated films.
Through screenings, readings, panels of visitors, and
discussions, we will investigate both the reasoning for and
success of animation's ability to confront the problems
that challenge us. Students in this class will be expected
to participate in discussions during conference meetings.
Animation production will not be taught; however, a
creative conference project in studio arts, writing, media,
or performing arts will be required. In addition, students
will be expected to complete weekly readings and entries
in a research/creative practice notebook.
Celebrity Studies
FLMH 2031
Brandon Arroyo
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama wrote
this about himself: “I serve as a blank screen on which
people of vastly dierent political stripes project their own
views. As such, I am bound to disappoint some, if not all, of
them.” In this rare moment of critical self-evaluation,
Obama revealed a key to understanding celebrity
culture—that our thoughts about celebrities have far less
to do with the celebrity themselves and much more to do
with how we project our own anxieties, joys, cultural
condition, and economic position in society onto those we
admire. In short, we often use celebrities to help us
understand our own views on the world and how we’d
prefer to move through that world. In examining the
increasingly self-aware culture associated with celebrity,
mass media, and Web 2.0, we will discuss the ways in
which celebrity is conceived, constructed, performed, and
discussed—as well as how it shapes notions of identity
and has reconfigured concepts of work, class,
consumption, intimacy, authenticity, and the “American
dream.” A critical analysis of celebrity encompasses many
aspects of culture, and we will draw connections between
celebrity and a number of issues, including: scandals and
yellow journalism; the erosion of privacy; aspirational
fantasies of social mobility; notions of health, beauty, and
success; celebrities as memes; how celebrities are used to
advance political causes; and the ways in which
individuals become commodities. With an emphasis on
media’s relationship to celebrity, we cover a broad range of
topics and modes of analysis. We will conduct a brief
history of celebrity culture, from the heroes of the
precinematic era and the cultivation of the larger-than-life
Hollywood star to the intimate television personality and
the even more personal social media microcelebrity. We
will discuss the ways in which celebrity exceeds the
boundaries of a given text; for example, how the viewer’s
insights into a particular star may shape their
interpretation or enjoyment of a text. We will analyze the
ways in which social media such as X (formerly known as
Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram foster new relationships
between celebrities and fans and blur the boundaries
between production and consumption. We will consider
the social and cultural roles of gossip and scandal, as they
often provide focal points around which cultures establish
behavioral norms. Celebrity is also a “product” that is
produced, regulated, and monetized; as such, we will
address the ways in which people as images are owned
and circulated in “the celebrity industry.”
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and
an Artist Walk Into a Class: Laughter
Across Disciplines
FLMH 2162
John O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Why is the topic of laughter so often siloed or scorned in
discussions of high art, literature, and the sciences? Why
don’t we take laughter seriously as a society? How many
professors does it take to teach a course on laughter?
(Two more than usual!) In this lecture-seminar, students
will develop a highly interdisciplinary understanding of
laughter as a human behavior, cultural practice, and wide-
ranging tool for creative expression. Based on the
expertise of the three professors, lectures will primarily
investigate laughter through the lens of psychology, film
history, and visual arts. The goal of the course is to think
and play across many disciplines. For class assignments,
students may be asked to conduct scientific studies of
audience laughter patterns, create works of art with
punchlines, or write close analyses of classic cinematic
gags. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the
building blocks of laughter; classic devices of modern
comedy; and laughter as a force of resilience, resistance,
and regeneration. Topics to be discussed include the
evolutionary roots of laughter as a behavior; the
psychological substrates of laughter as a mode of
emotional and self-regulation; humor in Dada, surrealism,
performance art, and stand-up comedy; jokes and the
unconscious; comic entanglements of modern bodies and
machines; hysterical audiences of early cinema; and how
to read funny faces, word play, spit takes, toilet humor, and
sound gags.
46 Film History
Arcades, Trains, Hysterics: 19th-
Century Foundations of Film
FLMH 3133
Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This seminar will examine film history and analysis
through a proto-cinematic lens inspired by The Arcades
Project, Walter Benjamin’s montage-style compendium of
Parisian modernization. With this canonical academic
experiment as catalyst, we will excavate the 19th-century
technocultural foundations of film, placing a particular
emphasis on the train, department store, factory,
metropolis, and mental life. How did these modern
developments shape the materiality and content of early
films? And what do they have to tell us about film today?
Alongside weekly screenings, we will read classic texts of
critical theory (Marx, Freud, Simmel, Benjamin, Kracauer);
modern/modernist fiction (Poe, Baudelaire, Zola,
Pirandello, Keun, Du Bois) and new cultural history on
hysterical performance, shell-shock cinema, human
motors, spectacular realities, and slapstick modernism.
We will also watch films directed by Charlie Chaplin, René
Clair, Jacques Tati, Chantal Akerman, and Maya Deren. In
this course, students will get an overview of European
modernity studies and learn to read films media-
archaeologically, tying them to the major industrial shifts,
perceptual transformations, and hybrid forms from which
cinema emerged as a dominant mass medium.
Exploitation and Trash Cinema
FLMH 3410
Brandon Arroyo
Sophomore and Above, Large seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The history of American cinema is often framed around
films of great aesthetic merit, like Citizen Kane, Sunset
Boulevard, The Godfather, 12 Years a Slave. But what
happens when we examine this history from the vantage
point of its bottom rungs: the lowly, the disreputable, the
trashy, the ephemeral, and the sleazy? What do these
films—less important as works of art, perhaps, but equally
important as windows into various moments of cultural
history—tell us about American society? This course
utilizes exploitation films and various cinematic “trash”
genres to interrogate this and related questions, situating
these often forgotten or dismissed films in terms of
historical conflicts over race, class, gender, sexuality, and
more. Along the way, we will also contemplate matters of
aesthetics, analyzing why these films are considered
“trash.” And perhaps most importantly, exploitation
cinema oers a unique opportunity for marginalized
writers, directors, and actors who were historically
shunned by the Hollywood studios to create a voice of
their own via filmmaking. Marginal films give voice to
marginalized races, genders, and sexualities that were
excluded during a Hayes Code-dominated Hollywood
“golden” era and remain excluded within the advertiser-
friendly Hollywood of today. The only way to gain a
complete understanding of Hollywood’s politics is to
analyze the type of cinema and filmmakers that were
actively excluded from the studio system. This class aims
to give both a historical and cultural analysis of the crucial
role that exploitation cinema has played in giving voices to
the voiceless. Among the marginalized genres we will
discuss are the “white slave” films of the 1910s, drug-
panic films, social hygiene films, “sexploitation,” kung fu,
gay/trans storylines, “Blaxploitation,” horror, and action
films.
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture,
and Identity, 1949–Present
FLMH 3059
Michael Cramer, Kevin Landdeck
Open, Joint seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar course will examine both the historical and
cultural context of Mainland Chinese cinema from 1949 to
the present. The course will be focused on full-length
feature films from the People’s Republic of China,
providing an eclectic mix of movies covering socialist
propaganda of the high Maoist period (1949-76), the
critical stances of the “Fifth Generation” (of graduates
from the Beijing Film Academy) in the 1980s and early
1990s, the more entertainment-focused films of post-
Deng (2000s) China, as well as contemporary art films
that are largely seen outside of the commercial exhibition
circuit. This wide variety of films will open up questions of
cinematic representations of Chinese identity and culture
in at least four major modes: socialist revolutionary
(1949-76), critical reflections on China’s past and the
revolution (1982-1989), what one might call neoliberal
entertainment (1990-present), and the more underground
art cinema that has emerged as mainstream Chinese
cinema has become increasingly commercial. Along with
the close analysis of films (their narrative structure,
audiovisual language, relationship to other films from both
China and beyond), the course will deal with Confucian
legacies in Chinese society, communist revolutionary
spasms and the censorship system, and the more open
market and ideology of the post-Mao reform era. Assigned
readings will be varied, as well. Several key movies will be
paired with their textual antecedents; e.g., LU Xun’s New
Year’s Sacrifice will be read alongside HU Sang’s by the
same title, while LI Zhun’s The Biography of LI
Shuangshuang will accompany the 1962 movie that
followed. Appropriate readings will cover important
historical background in some detail; for example, the
Great Leap Forward (1959-62) and the Cultural
THE CURRICULUM 47
Revolution (1966-76) are both crucial events for
understanding the revolutionary experience, while the
latter is particularly relevant for its impact on reform-era
filmmakers. Other readings will focus specifically on
cinema, ranging from broad historical overviews on the
material/financial conditions of production, distribution,
and exhibition to close analyses of individual films, the
transition from socialist to postsocialist cinema, the
construction of “Chineseness” as an object for the
Western gaze, and the avant-garde/independent
responses to the current global/commercial Chinese
cinema. This course is an open super-seminar (capped at
30 students), meeting once a week for 2.5 hours in order
to facilitate in-depth discussions of paired material; for
example, two movies or a movie and significant historical
texts (either primary or secondary). In addition to this
weekly class time, film screenings (one or two per week)
will be required. For conferences, students will be divided
evenly between the two professors, using the regular
model of biweekly meetings.
The Machine in the Garden: Cinema
and Nature
FLMH 3066
Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
How have films and other modern media shaped our ideas
about nature, the planet, and the world around us? What
do Technicolor images of the countryside, planetarium
voyages to the moon, and experimental films made of
moths and decaying nitrate teach us about the nature of
cinema? This seminar explores film as a utopian medium
for capturing, romanticizing, and recreating nature in an
age of rising buildings and disappearing stars. At the same
time, we will approach film as a machine that exploits and
disrupts natural environments, turning the Earth into raw
material to promote nationalist myths, advertise new
technologies, and naturalize industrial transitions.
Focusing primarily on US and European film, the course
has three main themes: film technology and nature,
modern imaginaries of outer space, and the country and
the city. Alongside weekly screenings, we will read works
of film history, media theory, science fiction, manifestos,
and an interdisciplinary array of scholars who have
influenced recent ideas in film studies about “media
environments” and “cine-ecologies.” This seminar will
participate in the collaborative interludes and other
programs of the Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary
Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) Mellon course
cluster.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Histories of Modern Art (p. 10), Sarah Hamill Art History
Global Histories of Postwar and Contemporary Art (p. 10),
Sarah Hamill Art History
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity,
1949–Present (p. 15), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck Asian Studies
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity,
1949–Present (p. 47), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck Film History
Experimental Animation: Finding Your Inner Vision (p. 51),
William Hartland Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 50), Robin Starbuck Filmmaking and
Moving Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation
II (p. 55), Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 55), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 54), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Music and Sound for Film (p. 56), Giancarlo Vulcano
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Postwar German Literature and Film (p. 66), Roland
Dollinger German
Screening the City (p. 71), Ryan Purcell History
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity From
1949–Present (p. 76), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck History
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia (p. 82), Tristana
Rorandelli Italian
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Postwar German Literature and Film (p. 89), Roland
Dollinger Literature
Modernism and Media (p. 91), Emily Bloom Literature
Acting Up: Performance and Performativity From
Enlightenment Era London to Golden Age
Hollywood (p. 92), James Horowitz Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Border-Crossing Japanese Media (p. 93), Julia Clark
Literature
Music and Sound for Film (p. 114), Giancarlo Vulcano Music
48 Film History
Technology and Human Development (p. 138), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 177), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Visual
and Studio Arts
New Genres: Abstract Video (p. 178), Angela Ferraiolo
Visual and Studio Arts
FILMMAKING AND MOVING
IMAGE ARTS
Sarah Lawrence College’s filmmaking and moving-image
arts (FMIA) is a rigorous intellectual and creatively vibrant
program where students are free to select classes without
the confinement of majors. Through a wide range of
classes, we oer students the opportunity to imagine
themselves as a community of storytellers who are willing
to take risks and break boundaries. With classes in
screenwriting for film and television and hands-on
production courses in narrative fiction, documentary/
nonfiction, experimental, and animated film, students
define and resolve artistic, historical, and analytical
problems on their own while also learning to work in
collaboration.
Working with departments throughout the College,
students learn to consider film and the spatial arts within
a variety of contexts. The program fosters open inquiry,
community and social engagement, and enables students
to think critically about form and the choices that
filmmakers and screenwriters must face. With all of the
richness of New York City at our fingertips and a host of
opportunities for students to study abroad and travel to
Los Angeles, FMIA at Sarah Lawrence oers a unique,
experience-based learning environment for students at all
levels. After graduation, our students go on to win
prestigious awards for their work, attend competitive
graduate programs around the world, and become
professionals in a range of film, animation and
screenwriting careers.
Sarah Lawrence College oers state-of-the-art
facilities for the FMIA program, including the Donnelly
Film Theatre that seats 185 people and has a 4K digital
cinema projector, an intimate 35-person screening room,
several teaching/editing labs, a 1,400 square-foot
soundstage, an animation studio, and a sound and Foley
recording booth. Our equipment room oers Sony, Canon,
Blackmagic, RED, and ARRI cameras, along with sound,
grip, and lighting packages.
First-Year Studies: Image, Sound, and
Time
FILM 1003
Jazmín López
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This is a course in which you will conceive a short film
from its very basis to the final completion. In the first half
of the year, we will explore a creative and deep
examination of the foundations and processes of writing
with images and sounds. The course provides a path to a
certain type of sensitivity that helps writers create not just
the screenplay for the course but also all of their
screenplays to follow. What are the fundamental skills you
need for writing a film? What is the time of observation
that we need to do in order to be able to translate it into
words? The script is a descriptive representation of the
images and sounds that the writer has created in his or her
imagination—beginning with the construction of an image
that nests a story and exploring its possible forms and
shapes, imagining characters from the inside outward, and
then situating them in the image to let them grow. In the
second part of the year, we will be exploring all of the areas
of staging and styles in order to digest all of the
information that we can make out of the script—from the
very first impression of our story, through the actual
image, until the editing. Working with each other on
projects in a constructive and meaningful way and
exploring an audiovisual style, the course will provide
interaction and exposure to a wide range of types of film
styles— from small to large productions. Some of our
guiding questions will be: How do we understand the core
of our image? How do we see scripts from a directing point
of view? How is the image able to transmit emotions and
thoughts? How can we develop critical and well-
formulated thoughts of a film idea and expand our
personal visual research? This class will have weekly
conferences at least for the first semester.
First-Year Studies: Words to Pictures:
Writing for the Screen
FILM 1327
Rona Naomi Mark
Open, FYS—Year | 10 credits
This FYS course will give students the foundational tools
needed to write for just about any screen. Starting with
simple scenes and short-form screenplays, students will
learn formatting and industry standards—all while
cultivating their own personal style. Students will learn the
basics of dramatic structure, character development, and
visual storytelling through their own work and through the
analysis of published screenplays. In the first semester,
students will write several short scripts, which we will
table-read and workshop in class. In the second semester,
THE CURRICULUM 49
we will focus our work on outlining and writing feature-
length screenplays. Students will have the opportunity to
pitch their projects to the class and to create look books
for their screenplays. Students will meet for conference
weekly in the first semester and every two weeks in the
second.
Animation
Catching Emotion: Trauma and
Struggle in Auteur Animation
FILM 2045
Robin Starbuck
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will take the form of a screening and
discussion seminar designed to provide an overview of
alternative and experimental animations derived from the
creative practice of transforming stories of trauma and
struggle into films of artistic merit. We will examine
various forms of animated work produced between 1960
and the present, asking ourselves: Can animations about
serious subjects lighten sad, macabre, depressing, and
even horrific moments with a sense of playfulness and
controlled distance? The class will survey a wide range of
work from a diverse selection of artists operating in
cinematic film forms alternative to commercial animation.
These will include, but not be limited to, hand-drawn, cell-
painted, cutout, stop-motion, pixilated, puppet, digital,
and, more recently, CGI independents. In most cases,
auteur artists working with stories of trauma, memory,
language, and struggle—whether personal, social, or
political—are attempting to put their subjects in
perspective. Using the core of these sources to pose
dicult and personal questions, artist-animators tackle
tough issues that ultimately serve as a reflection and
reframing of experience. In response to the films we
watch, the class group will discuss how personal and
cultural struggles have been used as resonating topics
large enough to act as a central conflict for animated films.
Through screenings, readings, panels of visitors, and
discussions, we will investigate both the reasoning for and
success of animation's ability to confront the problems
that challenge us. Students in this class will be expected
to participate in discussions during conference meetings.
Animation production will not be taught; however a
creative conference project in studio arts, writing, media,
or performing arts will be required. In addition, students
will be expected to complete weekly readings and entries
in a research/creative practice notebook.
3D Modeling and Soft Body Modeling
FILM 3245
Kyle Hittmeier
Open, Small seminar—Year | 10 credits
At a time when digital, three-dimensional space has
saturated our visual vocabulary in everything from design
and entertainment to gaming, now more than ever it is
important to explore the interface of this space and find
methods for unlocking its potential. This is an introductory
course for Maya (and, in the spring semester, Zbrush and
Substance Painter), which are industry-standard software
for 3D modeling and animation. Over two semesters, we
will learn the fundamental approaches to environment
building, 3D modeling, character creation, character
rigging, and keyframe animation. This course will also
provide a comprehensive understanding of the important
process of rendering, using texturing, lighting, and staging.
We will explore how all of these processes may culminate
in narrative-based animations, alongside how 3D
constructions can be exported into everything from film
projects to physical media. Great emphasis will be placed
on experimentation in navigating between digital and
physical processes. Exercises and assignments will be
contextualized through lectures and with readings of both
historical and contemporary creators in the field.
Character Design
FILM 3447
Scott Duce
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course focuses on the concepts of character-design
development as a preproduction stage to animation.
Students will gain knowledge in drawing by learning formal
spatial concepts in order to create fully realized characters
both visually and conceptually. Through the development
of character boards, model sheets, beat boards, and
character animatic projects, students will draw and
conceptualize human, animal, mechanical, and hybrid
figures. Students will research characters in their visual,
environmental, psychological, and social aspects to
establish a full understanding of characterization. Both
hand-drawn materials and digital drawing will be used
throughout the semester. Students may use their choice of
drawing software, based on their own experience and skill
level. Students new to digital drawing will work in
Storyboard Pro software or Procreate software if they own
an iPad. All students will have access to the animation
rooms—which include a variety of software options,
including Storyboard Pro, Harmony, Photoshop, Illustrator,
and editing software Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier.
Assignments and projects will include character boards,
model sheets, and animatics. There will be daily character
drawing exercises, structural anatomy demonstrations,
50 Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
basic digital drawing concepts, and empirical perspective
drawing discussions throughout the semester. This is a
drawing course that requires a commitment to developing
drawing skills and is labor intensive. Good drawing
demands time, commitment, and intelligence. The final
conference project for this course is a concept-based.
fully-developed character animatic. Knowledge from this
course can be used to create and enhance animations, to
establish a character outline for an interactive media
project, or to help in developing a cast of characters for
game design, graphic novels, or narrative film.
Introduction to 2D Digital Animation
in Harmony
FILM 3489
Scott Duce
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this course, students will develop animation and micro
storytelling skills by focusing on the process of creating
frame-by -frame digital drawings and keyframe movement
for animation. This course is essentially an introduction to
both the professional digital software, Harmony by Toon
Boom, and the process of digital drawing and rotoscoping.
Instruction will be based in the software, Toon Boom
Harmony Premium, and will include line style,
visualization, character development, continuity, timing,
and compositing. All of the production steps required to
develop simple 2D digital animations will be demonstrated
and applied through exercises aimed at the production of a
single animated scene. Participants will develop and refine
their personal style through exercises in digital animation
and assignments directed at increasing visual
understanding. Digitally-drawn images (with the option to
include live action and photographs) will be assembled in
sync to sound. Compositing exercises will cover a wide
range of motion graphics, including green screen,
keyframing, timeline eects, 2D and 3D space, layering,
and pose-by-pose movement. This one-semester class will
provide students with a working knowledge of the
emerging and highly ecient software Harmony, recently
adopted by the film and TV animation industry.
Conference projects involve each student’s production of a
single, refined animated scene. Students interested in
then continuing in 2D digital animation in the spring
semester will be encouraged to take the subsequent
Intermediate/Advanced 2D Animation course.
Advanced Animation Studio
FILM 4191
Scott Duce
Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 10 credits
Prerequisite: completion of at least three SLC courses in
animation or the equivalent; an ability to work
independently; knowledge of the software Harmony
Premium or Dragonframe and After Eects
This advanced independent animation course is tailored
for students to develop, prepare, and commence the
creation of a fully-realized animated film. Students will
work independently to progress through the preproduction
phase of their concepts and eventually initiate the
animation process. In the initial stages of the semester,
students will conceptualize their ideas by focusing on
character designs, storyboarding, and background images.
As the semester unfolds, students will establish their
scenes through image sequencing and begin animating
various stages of their film. Throughout the semester,
students will engage regularly with the professor in
conference to evaluate their progress. Additionally, there
will be several group sessions led by a team of filmmaking
and moving-image arts faculty, allowing for collaborative
feedback and support. Students will be encouraged to
continue their journey and complete their films by
enrolling in the Intermediate/Advanced 2D Animation
course in the spring semester.
Experimental Animation: Finding
Your Inner Vision
FILM 3492
William Hartland
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Animation is a magical medium that is unique because it
has the potential to combine all of the art forms: painting,
drawing, sculpture, music, dance, acting, writing...the list
is endless. This course, with a focus on experimentation,
will begin with a series of workshops that are designed to
help students tap into their inner vision as artists. Each of
us, as diverse individuals, have something within our soul
that makes us special and unique. The goal and challenge
of this course is to help students discover who they are as
artists/animators. What do they want to say? This will be
accomplished through a variety of lessons and workshops,
both abstract and representational, which will include:
cut-out stop-motion, sequential drawing, metamorphosis,
object animation, and working with and interpreting
sound. These techniques will be coupled with some of the
fundamental principles of animation, such as timing and
spacing, staging, follow through, and acting for animation.
In addition to lectures and demonstrations, animated
short films from all over the world will be screened in
class. This is vital to help students understand the infinite
THE CURRICULUM 51
possibilities of what an animated film can be and how to
translate their own ideas through this powerful time-
based medium. By semester’s end, each student will have
completed five short animated experiments, ranging in
length from 30 seconds to one minute, that will
demonstrate an understanding of many of the techniques
and principles discussed in class. Students are required to
provide their own external hard drives and some additional
art materials. Software instruction will include Adobe
AfterEects, Adobe Premier, and Dragonframe.
Preproduction
The Real-World Producer: Creative
Producing in Film and Television
FILM 3470
Heather Winters
Open, Large seminar—Fall | 5 credits
They say, “Producing is like trying to build a house of cards
in a wind tunnel when someone hands you a stick of crazy
glue and turns the lights o.” In fact, the producer is the
“visionary”—typically, the one to initiate, develop, nurture,
and shepherd a project, step-by-step, from its inception to
its completion. Bringing all of the project’s elements into
existence while being the critical glue that holds
everything together…the producer knows how to “turn the
lights on.” Being a producer is a magical journey of
discovery: learning what stories are important to you,
discovering the best way to tell them, and defining why
you must be the one to bring a story to life. These are the
essential pillars of producing. This immersive course
provides filmmakers, directors, screenwriters, actors, or
any interested student a real-world look “under the hood”
into the fundamentals of creative producing—providing a
comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that the
creative producer plays in the dynamic and ever-changing
world of film and television. Taught through the lens of
what one (or a small army of producers) actually does, this
course demystifies and explores the role of the producer
on a feature or on a short film, documentary, television,
animated, or digital project from the moment of creative
inspiration through project delivery—defining what it
means to “produce.” Working individually and in teams,
students will “produce” semester group projects and
engage in discussions, theoretical exploration, practical
workshops, and exercises that simulate real-world
producing scenarios, as they develop essential skills
crucial for success in the producing field. Topics covered
include development, preproduction, production, and
postproduction; collaborating with writers, directors,
actors, and crew; script breakdown, scheduling, budgeting,
financing, distribution, script coverage; and best
producing practices. This course oers students a chance
to explore the role of the producer and learn invaluable
creative perspectives and industry insights, as students
gain the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the
multifaceted landscape of producing. Workshops and
intimate conversations with working artists from both in
front of and behind the camera allow students
opportunities to engage with creatives active in the field.
Course objectives include developing a holistic
understanding and fundamental knowledge of the
producing process; gaining a unique window into the
importance of, and mechanics pertaining to, the producing
discipline; and assembling an essential toolkit for creating
and seeking opportunities in the filmmaking, television,
and moving-image arts worlds.
Concept Art: Exploring Preproduction
for Media Arts Projects
FILM 3514
Scott Duce
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course delves into the foundational aspects of
preproduction and developmental concepts for media
projects. Students will engage in “World Building”
exercises, wherein they research and design thematic
approaches for specific projects. Emphasis will be placed
on character development, compositional illustration,
object and prop design, and scene building. Through the
exploration of prompt themes, students will craft fully-
realized projects that embody visual style, consistent form
and function, and unified meaning, leading to the creation
of unique media concepts. Both hand-drawn techniques
and digital drawing tools will be utilized throughout the
semester, with various software employed for character
design, background paintings, and concept presentations.
This course demands a commitment to the further
development of drawing skills and is labor intensive. While
having basic drawing skills is advantageous, students will
be challenged to expand their abilities throughout the
course. Multiple preproduction projects will be created to
deepen understanding of thematic concepts. The final
project will involve the production of a fully-developed,
multicharacter/environment concept presentation. The
knowledge gained in this course can be applied to creating
and enhancing a preproduction or art portfolio,
establishing a concept outline for an interactive media
project, or developing characters and environments for
graphic novels or films.
52 Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Production
Genre Filmmaking: From Script to
Screen
FILM 3475
Rona Naomi Mark
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Working within a genre can greatly assist the fledgling
filmmaker by suggesting content and stylistic elements,
thereby freeing the artist to focus on self-expression.
While exploration of all genres is welcome, our class
discussions and video exercises will explore various ideas
present in the so-called “lesser genres” of horror, sci-fi,
and fantasy. Students will shoot several short video
exercises, both individually and in groups, each with a
certain directing and thematic prompt. Film viewings will
demonstrate how genre films handle sexual politics and
repression, societal and personal anxieties, naturalism as
opposed to fantasy, as well as the smart use of special
eects and other strategies for the low-budget,
independent filmmaker. This course does not require
previous filmmaking experience. The first semester will
focus on screenwriting, and the students will write short
scripts that they will then produce and direct in the second
semester for their conference project. Simultaneously,
students will learn to use the school’s filmmaking
equipment and editing software and utilize those skills in a
series of short, targeted video exercises. These exercises
will not only familiarize the students with the gear at their
disposal but also introduce them to concepts of visual
storytelling; i.e., where to put the camera to tell the story.
The second semester will focus on preproduction and
previsualization of the student’s conference film. Students
will learn how to craft shot lists, floor plans, look books,
and other tools to help them organize their film shoots.
They will practice directing actors and finding a method
for eective communication with their cast. And they will
learn some basic production management skills, such as
breaking down scripts for production and scheduling. After
shooting their conference films, students will workshop
their rough cuts in the classroom and fine-tune their edits
in preparation for the final class—THE SCREENING!
Documentary Filmmaking and Music
as Liberation I
FILM 3116
Damani Baker
Open, Large seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This is an open course designed to enlighten our creative
consciousness, using music and nonfiction filmmaking as
tools for liberation. Music and other sonic experiences are
intrinsically connected to how we witness, experience, and
tell nonfiction stories. In this course, we will examine work
where the score itself plays a character while also creating
films of our own inspired by the soundtrack as a living
piece of our form. Broken into groups, students collectively
will create a five-minute film that invites the viewer into
subjects that are engaging and new, while also challenging
the binary and often Western notion of what storytelling
can be. The role that music and sound can play as a form
of protest, meditation, and transformation are at the heart
of our visual experience. In the spirit of global movements
toward a more just and sustainable world, this course
infuses a cinematic quest for truth in storytelling with the
undeniable power that music brings to our understanding
of a moment in time, a scene, a relationship, and ourselves.
From American Utopia to Amazing Grace and Gimme
Shelter, students will screen, discuss, and be inspired to
create work that challenges all of the senses.
Working With Light and Shadow
FILM 3461
Misael Sanchez
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This introductory-level course will present students with
the basics of cinematography and film production. They
will explore cinematography as an art of visual storytelling.
The cinematographer plays a critical role in shaping the
light and composition of an image and capturing that
image for the screen. Students will investigate the theory
and practice of this unique visual language and its power
as a narrative element in cinema. In addition to covering
camera operation, students will explore composition,
visual style, and the overall operation of lighting and grip
equipment. Students will work together on scenes that are
directed and produced in class and geared toward the
training of set etiquette, production language, and
workflow. Work will include the recreation of classic film
scenes, with an emphasis on visual style. Students will
discuss their work and give feedback that will be
incorporated into the next project. For conference,
students will be required to produce a second scene
recreation, incorporating elements discussed throughout
the term. Students will outline projects, draw floor plans,
edit, and screen the final project for the class. This is an
intensive, hands-on workshop that immerses the student
in all aspects of film production. By the end of the course,
students should feel confident to approach a film
production project with enough experience to take on
introductory positions with the potential for growth.
THE CURRICULUM 53
Cinematography: Color, Composition,
and Style
FILM 3463
Misael Sanchez
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course will explore the roles associated with film
production, focusing on cinematography and lighting for
the screen. In addition to covering camera operation and
basic lighting techniques, students will explore
composition, color palettes, and application of a visual
style to enhance the story. The semester will revolve
around weekly exercises, followed by creating and
producing original work. Work will be discussed and notes
incorporated into the next project. In addition to the work
completed during class times, students will be required to
produce a short project, incorporating elements discussed
throughout the semester, as part of conference work.
Students will develop, write, shoot, edit, and screen a final
project by the end of the term. This is an intensive, hands-
on workshop that immerses the student in all aspects of
film production. By the end of the course, students should
feel confident enough to approach a film production
project with the experience to take on introductory and
assistant positions with the potential for growth.
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-
Timers
FILM 3026
Daniel Schmidt
Open, Seminar—Fall | 3 credits
Film has become one of the most dominant forms of visual
media and creative expression. In this seminar/workshop
for the budding director, we will first focus on the
filmmaking fundamentals that every filmmaker needs to
know in order to tell an eective story on screen: basic
filmmaking terms, crew positions, camera operation, shot
angles and composition, camera movement, basic lighting,
sound recording, and editing. Students will also learn to
how to create shot lists, floor plans, and other important
tools necessary for a successful shoot. Initially, solo
shooting assignments will be given, allowing students to
begin to develop their own cinematic voice. Because
collaboration is key in filmmaking, students will also be
divided into small groups for several weekly assignments,
giving them the opportunity to serve in various roles on the
crew. The idea is for students to acquire the skills needed
for creating compelling cinematic work both on their own
and with others.
Avant Doc: Experiments in
Documentary Filmmaking
FILM 3502
Robin Starbuck
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this course, we will examine experimental documentary
form as political/social/personal discourse and practice.
We take as a starting point avant-garde documentary
production and explore this in the manner that theorist
Renov defines as “the rigorous investigation of aesthetic
forms, their composition, and function,” and the manner in
which, “poetics confront the problematics of power...”
Throughout the semester, students will produce a series of
experimental film exercises while they simultaneously
research and produce a single, short, experimental
documentary film for conference work. This class will
acquaint students with the basic theory and purpose of
experimental film/video, as compared to narrative
documentary formats, and to critical methodologies that
will help establish aesthetic designs for their own work. In
the class, we will survey a wide range of avant-garde
documentary films from the 1920s to the present, with the
central focus being student’s options for film production in
the context of political and cultural concerns. The various
practices of experimental documentary film speak to a
range of possibilities for what a movie might be. Within
these practices, issues such as whose voices are heard
and who is represented become of crucial importance. No
prior film experience is required, though some knowledge
of film editing would be advantageous.
Advanced Short-Film Projects I
FILM 4100
Jazmín López
Advanced, Large seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Preproduction, Screenwriting, or Production
course in filmmaking
In this course, students will be required to have a short
film project that they want to do, either a script or a clear
and consistent idea for a short film of a maximum seven
minutes. In Part I of the yearlong course, we will be
tailoring the film idea into a project that is ready to shoot.
Analyzing scenes, reading, and creatively putting together
the mise-en-scène of the student’s original idea would be
our aim. In order to build up a cinematic vocabulary for
each project, we will be analyzing, in depth, the tone, style,
concept, and proposal that the student is looking
for—understanding the aesthetics by watching clips,
shorts, and films in order to see how other authors have
solved similar ideas on set. Participants will, therefore,
have a profound and conceptually well-developed
knowledge of each of their own shots and scenes for the
projects. By the end of the semester, each student will
54 Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
have a project that is ready to shoot in Advanced Short-
Film Projects, Part II. A jury or committee will choose
about eight projects from the group to shoot in the spring
semester (Advanced Short-Film Projects, Part II).
Documentary Filmmaking and Music
as Liberation II
FILM 3226
Damani Baker
Open, Large seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course is designed to enlighten our creative
consciousness, using music and nonfiction filmmaking as
tools for liberation. Music and other sonic experiences are
intrinsically connected to how we witness, experience, and
tell nonfiction stories. In this course, we will examine work
where the score itself plays a character while creating
films of our own inspired by the soundtrack as a living
piece of our form. Broken into groups, students collectively
create a five-minute film that invites the viewer into
subjects that are engaging and new while challenging the
binary and often Western notion of what storytelling can
be. The role that music and sound can play as a form of
protest, meditation, and transformation is at the heart of
our visual experience. In the spirit of global movements
toward a more just and sustainable world, this course
infuses a cinematic quest for truth in storytelling with the
undeniable power that music brings to our understanding
of a moment in time a scene, a relationship, and ourselves.
From American Utopia to Amazing Grace and Gimme
Shelter, students will screen, discuss, and be inspired to
create work that challenges all of the senses.
Storytelling Through the Lens:
Filmmaking Basics
FILM 3467
K. Lorrel Manning
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In these days of technological advancement, anyone can
pick up an iPhone and call themselves a filmmaker—but
how many of them are actually good? In this seminar/
workshop for the nascent filmmaker, we will first focus on
the filmmaking fundamentals that every director needs to
learn for a career in film and television: basic filmmaking
terms, crew positions, camera operation, shot angles and
composition, camera movement, basic lighting, sound
recording, and editing. Next, students will learn how to
break down a screenplay into its essential elements for
low-budget shooting. They will learn how to create shot
lists, floor plans, look books, and other important tools
necessary for a successful shoot. As a way of developing
one’s own artistic eye and voice, several independent,
short, shooting assignments will be given, then viewed and
discussed in class. Because collaboration is key in
filmmaking, students will also be divided into groups for
several weekly assignments, giving them the opportunity
to serve in various roles on the crew. The idea is for
students to acquire the skills needed for creating
compelling cinematic work both on their own and with
others. For conference, students will write, develop, and
prep a short film over the course of the semester.
Working With Light and Shadow
FILM 3461
Misael Sanchez
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This introductory-level course will present students with
the basics of cinematography and film production. They
will explore cinematography as an art of visual storytelling.
The cinematographer plays a critical role in shaping the
light and composition of an image and capturing that
image for the screen. Students will investigate the theory
and practice of this unique visual language and its power
as a narrative element in cinema. In addition to covering
camera operation, students will explore composition,
visual style, and the overall operation of lighting and grip
equipment. Students will work together on scenes that are
directed and produced in class and geared toward the
training of set etiquette, production language, and
workflow. Work will include the recreation of classic film
scenes, with an emphasis on visual style. Students will
discuss their work and give feedback that will be
incorporated into the next project. For conference,
students will be required to produce a second scene
recreation, incorporating elements discussed throughout
the term. Students will outline projects, draw floor plans,
edit, and screen the final project for the class. This is an
intensive, hands-on workshop that immerses the student
in all aspects of film production. By the end of the course,
students should feel confident to approach a film
production project with enough experience to take on
introductory positions with the potential for growth.
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-
Timers
FILM 3026
Daniel Schmidt
Open, Seminar—Spring | 3 credits
Film has become one of the most dominant forms of visual
media and creative expression. In this seminar/workshop
for the budding director, we will first focus on the
filmmaking fundamentals that every filmmaker needs to
know in order to tell an eective story on screen: basic
filmmaking terms, crew positions, camera operation, shot
angles and composition, camera movement, basic lighting,
THE CURRICULUM 55
sound recording, and editing. Students will also learn to
how to create shot lists, floor plans, and other important
tools necessary for a successful shoot. Initially, solo
shooting assignments will be given, allowing students to
begin to develop their own cinematic voice. Because
collaboration is key in filmmaking, students will also be
divided into small groups for several weekly assignments,
giving them the opportunity to serve in various roles on the
crew. The idea is for students to acquire the skills needed
for creating compelling cinematic work on their own and
with others.
Advanced Short Film Projects II
FILM 4200
Misael Sanchez
Advanced, Large seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: completion of Advanced Short Film Projects,
Part I, in the fall semester or permission of the instructor
This course is a continuation of Advanced Short Film
Projects, Part I. Part II will be a practical course, in which
students (collaborating in crews) are exposed to a broad
range of filmmaking skills through hands-on production
experience and class discussion. The course will explore
craft, aesthetic, production, and storytelling issues—all
while working toward the production of projects
workshopped, developed, and selected in Part I. Composed
of directors, writers, producers, and technically proficient
students, the faculty-selected group of 20 students will
collaborate on producing eight short films, not to exceed
8-12 minutes in length. The spring session will cover
preproduction planning, budgeting, scheduling, script
breakdowns, shot listing, casting, rehearsing with actors,
crewing, location management, script revisions, permits,
insurance requirements, production-related agreements,
camera preparation, lighting plans, and postproduction.
Postproduction
Recording and Editing Sound for Film
and Media
FILM 3108
Rosie Kaplan
Open, Large seminar—Fall | 2 credits
This course introduces techniques for recording and
editing sound for film and media. Through a hands-on
approach using recording equipment and Pro Tools,
students will explore creating and mixing sound design
and eects, Foley, and dialogue/ADR for film and other
media. Studio work will be supplemented with readings on
fundamentals of acoustics and media theory, as well as
recommended films.
Music and Sound for Film
FILM 3107
Giancarlo Vulcano
Open, Seminar—Spring | 3 credits
This class will explore the ways in which music and sound
serve the dramatic intent of a film. As co-inhabitants of
the aural spectrum, a film’s score and sound design are
increasingly called upon to interact. Working in one of
these areas now implies an understanding of the other.
This class will cover: spotting music/sound with a director;
choosing musical themes that correspond to the dramatic
needs of a film; using sound design to highlight facets of
the world and its characters; conceptualizing the
soundworld of a film; and designing the music and sound
so that they occupy dierent, complementary spaces. The
marriage of sound and music has deep roots in the history
of cinema, and special attention will be paid to great works
of the past. There will be weekly listening assignments to
survey the history of film music and to explore current
trends. Technical topics covered will include: intro to
ProTools and an overview of basic mixing, concepts in
music editing, use of eects such as compression, eq,
reverb and filters, file organization, management, and
workflow. Students will work on sound design and/or
scoring concepts using video clips that I provide or, better
yet, using works from their fellow students in the film
department.
Screenwriting
Writing for TV: From Spec Script to
Original TV Pilot
FILM 3313
Marygrace O’Shea
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Any one of these classes, preferably more than
one: Advanced Writing for the Screen Writing Movies
Writing the Feature Length Screenplay Writing the Adapted
Screenplay Narrative Podcasting and Production The
Revolution Will Not Be Televised Creative Producing in Film
and Television or The Art and Craft of Development and
Pitching for Film and TV
In the first semester, we will practice the fundamental skill
of successful television writers—the ability to craft
entertaining and compelling stories for characters, worlds,
and situations created by others. Though dozens of writers
may work on a show over the course of its run, the “voice”
of the show is unified and singular. The way to best learn
to write for television is to draft a sample episode of a
preexisting show, known as a “spec script.” Developing,
pitching, writing, and rewriting stories hundreds of times,
extremely quickly, in collaboration and on tight deadlines
is what TV writers on sta do every day, fitting each
56 Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
episode seamlessly into the series as a whole in tone,
concept, and execution. The first semester workshop will
introduce students to these fundamental skills by taking
them, step-by-step, through writing of their own spec
(sample) script for an ongoing scripted (fiction) television
series, comedy or drama. The fall will take students from
premise lines, through the outline/beat sheet, to writing a
complete draft of a full teleplay for a currently airing show.
No original pilots will be pursued in the fall. In conference,
students will work on deepening characters,
understanding dramatic and comedic techniques, and
developing additional components of their portfolios.
Prospective students are expected to have an extensive
working knowledge across many genres of TV shows that
have aired during the past 25-30 years domestically and
internationally and a commitment to developing work from
concept through premise lines, beat sheets, and
outlines—with multiple drafts of each—and with extensive
peer collaboration before writing script pages. You will not
be permitted to write pages until your outlines have been
“green lit.” In the second semester, the class builds on
fundamentals learned in the first semester, writing specs
with the focus on creating new work: original TV pilots.
Students will be expected to enter the class with a
completed 8-12 page outline for their original show’s pilot
story. That outline will be revised and turned into an
original one-hour or half-hour show (no sitcoms).
Focusing on engineering story machines, we power
characters and situations with enough conflict to generate
episodes over many years. Having taken both
semesters—spec, pilot—students will have the beginnings
of the components, in first-draft form, needed for a
professional portfolio. In conference, students may wish to
begin to develop character descriptions and pieces of a
series pitch for their show or work on previously developed
material.
Please reach out in Spring 2024 to start the permission
process: moshea@sarahlawrence.edu
Writing the Short Screenplay
FILM 3323
Maggie Greenwald
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The goal of this class is to develop, write, and workshop a
short screenplay—up to 15 pages. Students will pitch
stories in an open, roundtable process that will provide an
opportunity for them to understand the potential and
feasibility of their ideas. The class will explore the
elements of screenwriting—including story structure,
character development through action (behavior) and
dialogue, visual storytelling, and point of view—in order to
expand and deepen the writer’s narrative craft. We will
schedule readings of the work in progress, followed by
critique and discussion of the work. The course will
culminate in a full table-read of each screenplay, a process
that allows the writer to hear his/her work read aloud by
classmate/actors in each role, leading to a final
production-ready draft. For conference, students may
choose between developing another idea for a short script
or long-form screenplay. Those who need extra attention
to make their in-class projects production-ready by the
end of the semester may also receive that opportunity in
conference.
Screenwriting: Tools of the Trade
FILM 3421
K. Lorrel Manning
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The screenplay is the starting point for nearly every film,
television, or web series. The majority of our favorite films
and television shows begin with a writer and an idea.
Aimed at the beginning screenwriter, this course will focus
on the fundamentals of visual storytelling—story,
structure, style, character development, dialogue,
outlining, and formatting. Weekly writing prompts will be
given, focusing on the highlighted fundamentals of the
previous week. Assignments will then be read and
discussed in class, using a structured feedback paradigm.
In addition, students will be given weekly viewing and
reading assignments as a way to strengthen their script-
analysis skills. For conference, students will work on an
independent, short screenplay that they will outline, write,
and revise throughout the semester.
Writing From Imagination
FILM 3221
Jazmín López
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In a world filled with moving images, we are all highly
capable spectators as well as screenwriters. In this course,
we will deepen and complement our existing knowledge of
the cinematic medium, challenge our assumptions, and
experiment with new ways of conceiving and making
cinema. This course explores a creative and deep
examination of the foundations and processes of writing
with images and sounds, unveiling the knowledge that the
students already have and work from there. The course
provides a path to a certain type of sensitivity that helps
the writer to create not just the screenplay for the course
but also all of their screenplays to follow. Understanding
the capacity of the medium is the most important
objective: to explore its own capacity of expressing
emotions by the hand of narration—but not only by it;
introducing a variety of ways film can be made and seen;
investigating in a creative way the mise-en-scènes aspects
THE CURRICULUM 57
that can be explored in the writing process; from
contemporary to classical screenwriting sensitivities; from
European to Latin American filmmaking. The idea is to
expand the knowledge of the variety and range of films
beyond the most mainstream productions. What are the
fundamental skills you need for writing a film? What is the
time of observation we need to do in order to be able to
translate it into words? The script is a descriptive
representation of the images and sounds that the writer
has created in his/her imagination, beginning with the
construction of an image that nests a story and exploring
its possible forms and shapes, imagining characters from
the inside outward, and then situating them in the image
to let them grow. In other words, to be able to pack entire
worlds of thought, feeling, and imagination into the writing
of scenes.
Writing the Adapted Screenplay
FILM 3329
Maggie Greenwald
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: one college-level screenwriting class
Your favorite novel has never been made into a movie, a
little-known historical figure is your personal role model,
or a relative’s journey of survival fascinates you. These are
some of the preexisting sources that inspire us to write
movies. Working from novels, biographies, historical
incident, true crime, etc., students will develop feature-
length screenplays. From pitching ideas, detailed outlining,
and creating mood boards in order to develop cinematic
storytelling skills, this course will take the student through
the process of distilling the preexisting material into a
three-act narrative structure. We will explore elements of
screenwriting that include story structure, character
development, visual storytelling, and point of view in order
to expand and deepen the writer’s craft. Students will
develop their screenplays in an intimate workshop, where
work will be shared and critiqued in a safe and
constructive atmosphere. Conference work will include
customized instruction, such as preparatory writing
assignments, watching films, and assigned readings.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Guest Artist Lab (p. 32) Dance
Live Time-Based Art (p. 32), Beth Gill, Juliana F. May, John
Jasperse Dance
Choreographing Light for the Stage (p. 33), Judy Kagel
Dance
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 45), Robin Starbuck Film History
Celebrity Studies (p. 46), Brandon Arroyo Film History
Exploitation and Trash Cinema (p. 47), Brandon Arroyo Film
History
Character Design (p. 50), Scott Duce Filmmaking and
Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 55), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 54), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Psychology of Children’s Television (p. 136), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
Introduction to Rhino and Digital Fabrication (p. 184),
Momoyo Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Push and Pull: SubD Modeling in Rhino (p. 184), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Introduction to Rhino and 3D Fabrication (p. 185), Momoyo
Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
FRENCH
The French program welcomes students at all levels, from
beginners to students with several years of French. Our
courses in Bronxville are closely associated with Sarah
Lawrence’s excellent French program in Paris, and our
priority is to give our students the opportunity to study in
Paris during their junior or senior year. This may include
students who start at the beginning level in their first year
at Sarah Lawrence, provided that they fully dedicate
themselves to learning the language.
Our program in Paris is of the highest level, with all
courses taught in French and with the possibility for
students to take courses (with conference work) at French
universities and other Parisian institutions of higher
education. Our courses in Bronxville are, therefore, fairly
intensive in order to bring every student to the level
required to attend our program in Paris.
Even for students who don’t intend to go abroad with
Sarah Lawrence, the French program provides the
opportunity to learn the language in close relation to
French culture and literature, starting at the beginning
level. At all levels except for beginning, students conduct
individual conference projects in French on an array of
topics—from medieval literature to Gainsbourg and the
culture of the 1960s, from Flaubert’s Madame Bovary to
avant-garde French female playwrights. On campus, the
French program tries to foster a Francophile atmosphere
with our newsletter La Feuille, our French Table, our French
ciné-club, and other francophone events—all run by
students, along with two French assistants who come to
the College every year from Paris.
58 French
In order to allow them to study French while pursuing
other interests, students are encouraged, after their first
year, to take advantage of our Language Third and
Language/Conference Third options that allow them to
combine the study of French with either another language
or a lecture on the topic of their choice.
During their senior year, students may consider
applying to the English assistantship program in France,
which is run by the French Embassy in Washington, DC.
Every year, Sarah Lawrence graduates are admitted to this
selective program and spend a year in France, working in
local schools for the French Department of Education.
Bienvenue!
Beginning French
FREN 3001
Jason Earle, Ellen Di Giovanni
Open, Large seminar—Year | 10 credits
This class is designed primarily for students who haven’t
had any exposure to French and will allow them to develop,
over the course of the year, an active command of the
fundamentals of spoken and written French. We will use
grammar lessons to learn how to speak, read, and write in
French. In-class dialogue will center on the study of
theatre, cinema, and short texts, including poems,
newspaper articles, and short stories from French and
francophone cultures. During the spring semester,
students will be able to conduct a small-scale project in
French on a topic of their choice. There are no individual
conference meetings for this level. The class meets three
times a week, and a weekly conversation session with a
French language tutor is required. Attendance at the
weekly French lunch table and French film screenings are
both highly encouraged. Students who successfully
complete a beginning and an intermediate-level French
course are eligible to study in Paris with Sarah Lawrence
College during their junior year.
Jason Earle (fall semester); Ellen Di Giovanni (spring
semester)
Intermediate French I: French
Revolutions
FREN 3501
Nicole Asquith
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning French or by placement test taken
during registration week
This course will oer a systematic review of French
grammar and is designed to strengthen and deepen
students’ mastery of grammatical structures and
vocabulary. Students will also develop their French writing
skills, with an emphasis on analytical writing. Since the
events of the French Revolution, epitomized by the
execution of King Louis XVI in 1793, revolution has been a
fundamental paradigm of French thought. It has been
associated with an inversion of the social hierarchy and
the creation of a new social order but also with violence
and upheaval. In this course, we will look at revolutions of
all kinds—political but also cultural, scientific, and
technological—and the ways in which they relate back to
and dier from the thinking that emerged from the French
Revolution itself. Among the events and movements we
will consider are the Haitian Revolution of 1804, the
Industrial Revolution, the establishment of a secular
society after the Paris Commune, French feminism, the
Algerian War, May 1968 and the sexual revolution, the
digital revolution, and the French Green movement. We will
use a wide range of materials in our study, from political
posters and treatises to films, newspaper articles, poems,
plays, and novels. Readings will include excerpts from
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Olympe de Gouges, Victor Hugo,
Toussaint L’Ouverture, Honoré Balzac, Franz Fanon, Aimé
Césaire, Simone de Beauvoir, Assia Djebar, and Michel
Serres. In addition to conferences, a weekly conversation
session with a French language assistant(e) is required.
Attendance at the weekly French lunch table and French
film screenings are both highly encouraged. The
Intermediate I and II courses in French are specially
designed to help prepare students for studying in Paris
with Sarah Lawrence College during their junior year.
Intermediate French I: Scène(s) de
littérature
FREN 3501
Ellen Di Giovanni
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning French or by placement test taken
during registration week
This course will oer a systematic review of French
grammar and is designed to strengthen and deepen
students’ mastery of grammatical structures and
vocabulary. Students will also begin to use linguistic
concepts as tools for developing their analytic writing. We
will study a series of scenes from francophone literature
from its origins to today. From the 11th-century Chanson
de Rolanditalic and 12th-century lais and fables of Marie
de France to contemporary works by Aimé Césaire,
Aminata Sow-Fall, and Annie Ernaux, we will explore what
it is about literary scenes that diers from those created in
other media and what happens when we encounter them
as part of a class rather than on our own. Readings may
also include letters by Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (Madame
de Sévigné), excerpts from novels by Madame de La
Fayette or Gustave Flaubert, and poetry by Léon-Gontran
Damas. Where possible, our discussion will include points
of comparison with scenes in visual media, such as theatre
THE CURRICULUM 59
and photography. The Intermediate I and II courses in
French are specially designed to help prepare students for
studying in Paris with Sarah Lawrence College during their
junior year.
Intermediate French II
FREN 3750
Jason Earle, Nicole Asquith
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Intermediate I (or Advanced Beginning for
outstanding students) or by placement test taken during
registration week
This course will cover the normal language content over
the course of the year but will have dierent thematic
content each semester.
Fall: The Writing of Everyday Life
This French course is designed for students who already
have a strong understanding of the major aspects of
French grammar and language but wish to develop their
vocabulary and their grasp of more complex aspects of the
language. Students are expected to be able to easily read
more complex texts and to express themselves more
abstractly. A major part of the fall semester will be
devoted to the study and discussion of literary texts in
French. In a challenge to his readers,“Question your
soupspoons,” Georges Perec summed up, in his unique
manner, a particular strain of 20th-century French
letters—one that seeks to turn literature’s attention away
from the extraordinary, the scandalous, and the strange
toward an examination of the ordinary makeup of everyday
life. This course will examine some of the aesthetic and
theoretical challenges that the representation of the
quotidian entails. Does the everyday hide infinite depths of
discovery, or does its value lie precisely in its
superficiality? How do spaces influence our experience of
everyday life? How can (and should) literature give voice
to experiences and objects that normally appear
undeserving of attention? How does one live one’s gender
on an everyday basis? Can one ever escape from everyday
life? We will review fundamentals of French grammar and
speaking and develop tools for analysis through close
readings of literary texts. Students will be encouraged to
develop tools for the examination and representation of
their own everyday lives in order to take up Perec’s call to
interrogate the habitual. Readings will include texts by
Proust, Breton, Aragon, Leiris, Perec, Queneau, Barthes,
the Situationists, Ernaux, and Calle.
Spring: French Romanticism and Nature
The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris, a public garden
built over a city dump in the 1860s, gives us a visual
representation of the change in how people conceived of
their relationship to the natural world that coincided with
the shift from the French Classicism of the 17th and 18th
centuries to the French Romantic movement of the 19th
century. With its imitations of a mountain landscape,
replete with artificial lake, grotto, rustic bridges and
secluded groves, the park expresses a totally dierent
desire with respect to the natural world than the highly
formal classical gardens that we associate with the
gardens of Versailles, created by André Le Nôtre for Louis
XIV. In this semester, we will study French Romanticism as
a way to make sense, more broadly, of the ways in which
culture expresses and shapes our relationship to the
natural world. To this end, we will use a wide range of
materials, including photographs of gardens, paintings,
music, and literature. We will also consider how Romantic
attitudes toward nature inform contemporary thinking on
the environment. What are the limitations of the Romantic
idealization of nature in the age of the Anthropocene?
Conversely, in what ways are environmentalists today
interested in recapturing certain ideas of the Romantics?
How did Romantics gender nature, and how did they
exploit the colonized in their depictions of the natural
world? We will consider topics such as the Romantics’
reactions to the Enlightenment, industrialization and
urbanization, the ethics of our relationship to the natural
world, Orientalism, and the Gothic. Readings will include
excerpts and works by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, François-
René de Chateaubriand, Madame de Staël, Victor Hugo,
Gérard de Nerval, Alphonse de Lamartine, George Sand,
Aimé Césaire and Louise Colet. The Intermediate I and II
French courses are specially designed to help prepare
students for studying in Paris with Sarah Lawrence College
during their junior year.
Course conducted in French. Taught by Jason Earle, fall
semester; Nicole Asquith, spring semester.
Advanced French: La Négritude
FREN 4011
Nicole Asquith
Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Intermediate French II, returned from Study
Abroad, or by placement test taken during registration week
The founders of the Négritude movement saw a direct line
between how we use words and how we shape the world.
Like the Black nationalists of the 1960s and ’70s, who
championed Black power and informed the world that
“Black is beautiful,” these artists and intellectuals from
French colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and South
America who met in Paris in the 1930s appropriated the
French word nègre and developed a poetics to combat
colonialism and racism. They were both poets and
politicians: The poet Léopold Senghor became the first
president of Senegal, while the Martinician poet and
playwright Aimé Césaire became a member of the French
National Assembly. In this course, we will study the
60 French
Négritude movement as a test case for the notion that
poetry can serve as a form of social and political action. To
better understand where the founders of the Négritude
movement were coming from, we will begin our study with
an introduction to the history of French colonialism and
France’s participation in the triangular slave trade. Using
historical documents, we will look at the modern
development of the concept of race at a time when
cultural support for the slave trade was waning. Some of
the themes that we will explore are colonialism and
modernism, gender politics, Créolité, and debates around
the legacy of Négritude. Readings will include works by
Aimé Césaire, Suzanne Césaire, Léopold Senghor, Léon
Damas, Jean-Paul Sartre, Paulette Nardal, Jane Nardal,
Jean Barnabé, Patrick Chamoiseau, Raphaël Confiant,
Franz Fanon, and Maryse Condé.
This course is taught in French.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Existentialism (p. 119), Roy Ben-Shai Philosophy
GENDER AND SEXUALITY
STUDIES
The gender and sexuality studies curriculum comprises
courses in various disciplines and focuses on new
scholarship on women, sex, and gender. Subjects include
women’s history; feminist theory; the psychology and
politics of sexuality; gender constructs in literature, visual
arts, and popular culture; and the ways in which gender,
race, class, and sexual identities intersect for both women
and men. This curriculum is designed to help all students
think critically and globally about sex-gender systems and
to encourage women, in particular, to think in new ways
about themselves and their work.
Undergraduates may explore women’s studies in
lectures, seminars, and conference courses. Advanced
students may also apply for early admission to the
College’s graduate program in Women’s History and, if
admitted, may begin work toward the master of arts
degree during their senior year. The MA program provides
rigorous training in historical research and interpretation.
It is designed for students pursuing careers in academe,
advocacy, policymaking, and related fields.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Histories of Modern Art (p. 10), Sarah Hamill Art History
Intersections of Dance and Culture (p. 28), Peggy Gould
Dance
Intersections of Dance and Culture (p. 35), Peggy Gould
Dance History
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Arcades, Trains, Hysterics: 19th-Century Foundations of
Film (p. 47), Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film History
Exploitation and Trash Cinema (p. 47), Brandon Arroyo Film
History
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Reconstructing Womanhood: Writers and Activists in the
United States, 1790s–1990s (p. 72), Lyde Cullen Sizer
History
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of the USSR and Post-
Soviet Space, 1917-Present (p. 74), Brandon
Schechter History
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 76), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques History
The Queer and Trans 1990s (p. 85), Amalle Dublon
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 85), Robert LaRue
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Black Feminist and Queer of Color Sexualities and
Genders (p. 85), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queer Americans: Henry James, Gertrude Stein, Willa
Cather, and James Baldwin (p. 86), Julie Abraham
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queer Theory: A History (p. 86), Julie Abraham Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queering the Library: Yonkers Public Library
Practicum (p. 86), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
First-Year Studies: Fops, Coquettes, and the Masquerade:
Fashioning Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage From
Shakespeare to Austen (p. 88), James Horowitz
Literature
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
THE CURRICULUM 61
Narrating Blackness (p. 90), Robert LaRue Literature
African American Fiction after 1945 (p. 91), Robert LaRue
Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Acting Up: Performance and Performativity From
Enlightenment Era London to Golden Age
Hollywood (p. 92), James Horowitz Literature
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 94), Robert LaRue
Literature
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 96), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques Literature
James Baldwin (p. 97), Robert LaRue Literature
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in America (p. 130),
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology (p. 141), Maia Pujara Psychology
Emerging Adulthood (p. 141), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in Judaism (p. 149), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
Drawing the Body in the 21st Century (p. 176), Marion
Wilson Visual and Studio Arts
The Fantasy of Reality (p. 193), Joseph Thomas Writing
Shakespeare for Writers (and Others) (p. 195), Vijay
Seshadri Writing
GEOGRAPHY
Geography is fundamentally an interdisciplinary field,
often seen as straddling the natural and social sciences
and increasingly drawing upon the arts and other forms of
expression and representation. For these reasons, Sarah
Lawrence College provides an exciting context, as the
community is predisposed to welcome geography’s
breadth and interdisciplinary qualities. Geography courses
are infused with the central questions of the discipline.
What is the relationship between human beings and
“nature”? How does globalization change spatial patterns
of historical, political, economic, social, and cultural
human activities? And how do these patterns provide
avenues for understanding our contemporary world and
pathways for the future?
As a discipline built on field study, students in
geography classes participate in field trips—most recently,
for example, to farming communities in Pennsylvania but
also to Manhattan’s Chinatown, where students engage
aspects of Chinese culture in walks through the
community that expose the heterogeneity of China
through food, art, religion, and language while
simultaneously clarifying the challenges facing recent
immigrants and legacies of institutions imbued with
racism that are carved into the built environment. That is
one of the overarching goals of contemporary geography:
to investigate the ways that landscape and place both
reflect and reproduce the evolving relationship of humans
to each other and to their environments.
First-Year Studies: Introduction to
Development Studies—The Political
Ecology of Development
GEOG 1024
Joshua Muldavin
FYS—Year | 10 credits
In this yearlong seminar, we will begin by examining
competing paradigms and approaches to understanding
“development” and the “Third World.” We will set the
stage by answering the question: What did the world look
like 500 years ago? The purpose of this part of the course
is to acquaint us with and to analyze the historical origins
and evolution of a world political economy of which the
"Third World" is an intrinsic component. We will thus
study the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the rise
of merchant and finance capital, and the colonization of
the world by European powers. We will analyze case
studies of colonial "development" to understand the
evolving meaning of this term. These case studies will help
us assess the varied legacies of colonialism apparent in
the emergence of new nations through the fitful and
uneven process of decolonization that followed. The next
part of the course will look at the United Nations and the
role that some of its associated institutions have played in
the post-World War II global political economy, one
marked by persistent and intensifying socioeconomic
inequalities as well as frequent outbreaks of political
violence across the globe. By examining the development
institutions that have emerged and evolved since 1945, we
will attempt to unravel the paradoxes of development in
dierent eras. We will deconstruct the measures of
development through a thematic exploration of
population, resource use, poverty, access to food, the
environment, agricultural productivity, and dierent
development strategies adopted by Third World nation-
states. We will then examine globalization and its relation
62 Geography
to emergent international institutions and their policies;
for example, the IMF, World Bank, AIIB, and WTO. We will
then turn to contemporary development debates and
controversies that increasingly find space in the
headlines—widespread land grabbing by sovereign wealth
funds, China, and hedge funds; the “global food crisis”;
epidemics and public-health challenges; and the perils of
climate change. Throughout the course, our investigations
of international institutions, transnational corporations,
the role of the state, and civil society will provide the
backdrop for the final focus of the class: the emergence of
regional coalitions for self-reliance, environmental and
social justice, and sustainable development. Our analysis
of development in practice will draw upon case studies
primarily from Africa but also from Asia, Latin America
and the Caribbean, and the United States. Conference
work will be closely integrated with the themes of the
course, with a two-stage substantive research project
beginning in the fall semester and completed in the spring.
Project presentations will incorporate a range of formats,
from traditional papers to multimedia visual productions.
Smaller creative projects are also a component of the
course, including podcasts, videos, art, music, and other
forms. Where possible and feasible, students will be
encouraged to do primary research during fall study days
and winter and spring breaks. Some experience in the
social sciences is desired but not required.
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and
Development
GEOG 2015
Joshua Muldavin
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Where does the food we eat come from? Why do some
people have enough food to eat and others do not? Are
there too many people for the world to feed? Who controls
the world’s food? Will global food prices continue their
recent rapid rise; and, if so, what will be the
consequences? What are the environmental impacts of
our food production systems? How do answers to these
questions dier by place or by the person asking the
question? How have they changed over time? This course
will explore the following fundamental issue: the
relationship between development and the
environment—focusing, in particular, on agriculture and
the production and consumption of food. The questions
above often hinge on the contentious debate concerning
population, natural resources, and the environment. Thus,
we will begin by critically assessing the fundamental
ideological positions and philosophical paradigms of
“modernization,” as well as critical counterpoints that lie
at the heart of this debate. Within this context of
competing sets of philosophical assumptions concerning
the population-resource debate, we will investigate the
concept of “poverty” and the making of the Third World,
access to food, hunger, grain production and food aid,
agricultural productivity (the Green and Gene
revolutions), biofuels, the role of transnational
corporations (TNCs), the international division of labor,
migration, globalization and global commodity chains, and
the dierent strategies adopted by nation-states to
“‘develop” natural resources and agricultural production.
Through a historical investigation of environmental
change and the biogeography of plant domestication and
dispersal, we will look at the creation of indigenous,
subsistence, peasant, plantation, collective, and
commercial forms of agriculture. We will analyze the
physical environment and ecology that help shape but
rarely determine the organization of resource use and
agriculture. Rather, through the dialectical rise of various
political-economic systems such as feudalism, slavery,
mercantilism, colonialism, capitalism, and socialism, we
will study how humans have transformed the world’s
environments. We will follow with studies of specific
issues: technological change in food production;
commercialization and industrialization of agriculture and
the decline of the family farm; food and public health,
culture, and family; land grabbing and food security; the
role of markets and transnational corporations in
transforming the environment; and the global
environmental changes stemming from modern
agriculture, dams, deforestation, grassland destruction,
desertification, biodiversity loss, and the interrelationship
with climate change. Case studies of particular regions
and issues will be drawn from Africa, Latin America, Asia,
Europe, and the United States. The final part of the course
examines the restructuring of the global economy and its
relation to emergent international laws and institutions
regulating trade, the environment, agriculture, resource-
extraction treaties, the changing role of the state, and
competing conceptualizations of territoriality and control.
We will end with discussions of emergent local, regional,
and transnational coalitions for food self-reliance and food
sovereignty, alternative and community-supported
agriculture, community-based resource-management
systems, sustainable development, and grassroots
movements for social and environmental justice. Films,
multimedia materials, and distinguished-guest lectures
will be interspersed throughout the course. One farm/
factory field trip is possible if funding/timing permits. The
lecture participants may also take a leading role in a
campus-wide event on “the climate crisis, food, and
hunger,” tentatively planned for spring. Please mark your
calendars when the dates are announced, as attendance
for all of the above is required. Attendance and
participation are also required at special guest lectures
and film viewings in the Social Science Colloquium Series
approximately once per month. The Web Board is an
THE CURRICULUM 63
important part of the course. Regular required postings of
short essays will be made here, as well as follow-up
commentaries with your colleagues. There will be
occasional short, in-class essays during the semester and
a final exam at the end. Group conferences will focus on
in-depth analysis of certain course topics and will include
short prepared papers for debates, the debates
themselves, and small-group discussions. You will prepare
a poster project on a topic of your choice, related to the
course, which will be presented at the end of the semester
in group conference, as well as in a potential public
session.
The Rise of the New Right in the
United States
GEOG 3124
Joshua Muldavin
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Why this course and speaker series/community
conversations now? The rise of the New Right is a critically
important phenomenon of our time, shaping politics,
policies, practices, and daily life for everyone. The
insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is only one
egregious expression of long-term ideas and actions by a
newly emboldened collective of right-wing ideologues. The
violent challenges to the realities of a racially and
ethnically diverse America is not a surprise. Nor is the
normalization of White Power politics and ideas within
mainstream politics and parties. The varied nature of the
New Right’s participants—their ideologies, grievances, and
goals—requires deep analysis of their historical roots, as
well as their contemporary manifestations. The wide range
of platforms and spaces for communicating hate, lies, and
calls for violence against perceived enemies require their
own responses, including the creation of platforms and
spaces that oer analysis and alternatives. Seriously
engaging the New Right, attempting to oer explanations
for its rise, is key to challenging the authoritarian drift in
our current political moment and its uncertain evolution
and future. To do so requires our attention. It also requires
a transdisciplinary approach, something inherent to our
College and to geography as a discipline, be it political,
economic, cultural, social, urban, historical, or
environmental geography. The goal of this seminar, one
that is accompanied by a planned facilitated speaker
series and community conversations, is to build on work in
geography and beyond and engage a wide array of thinkers
from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, institutions,
and organizations. In addition to teaching the course itself,
my hope is that it can be a vehicle to engage our broader
communities—at the College and in our region, as well as
by reaching out to our widely dispersed, multigenerational
alumni. Pairing the course with a subset of facilitated/
moderated speaker series, live-streamed in collaboration
with our Alumni Oce, oers the chance to bring these
classroom conversations and contemporary and pressing
course topics, grounded in diverse readings and student
engagement, to a much wider audience and multiple
communities. In this class, we will seek to understand the
origins and rise of the New Right in the United States and
elsewhere as it has taken shape in the latter half of the
20th century to the present. We will seek to identify the
origins of the New Right and what defines it, explore the
varied geographies of the movement and its numerous
strands, and identify the constituents of the contemporary
right coalition. In addition, we will explore the actors and
institutions that have played a role in the expansion of the
New Right (e.g., courts, state and local governments, Tea
Party, conservative think tanks, lawyers, media platforms,
evangelical Christians, militias) and the issues that
motivate the movement (e.g., anticommunism,
immigration, environment, white supremacy/nationalism,
voter suppression, neoliberal economic policies,
antiglobalization, free speech). This is a reading-intensive,
discussion-oriented, open, large seminar in which we will
survey a broad sweep of the recent literature on the New
Right. While the class focuses most specifically on the US
context, conference papers based on international/
comparative case studies are welcome. Students will be
required to attend all associated talk and film viewings;
write weekly essays and engage colleagues in
conversation online the night before seminar; and write
two short research papers that link the themes of the class
with their own interests, creative products, research
agenda, and/or political engagement. Students will also do
two associated creative projects/expressions.
Transdisciplinary collaborative activities across the
College and community are encouraged. Film,
performance, written commentary, podcasts, workshops,
and other forms of action can provide additional outlets
for student creative projects and engagement.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Human-Wildlife Interactions: Analysis, Management, and
Resolution (p. 19), Liv Baker Biology
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
64 Geography
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
Polarization (p. 128), Samuel Abrams Politics
Environmental Psychology: An Exploration of Space and
Place (p. 139), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
GERMAN
As the ocial language of the Federal Republic of
Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and portions of several
other European countries—and with linguistic enclaves in
the Americas and Africa—German is today the native
tongue of close to 120 million people. For advanced-degree
programs in fields such as art history, music history,
philosophy, and European history, German is still a
required language. And whether the motivation for study is
business, culture, travel, friendship, or heritage, a
knowledge of German can add inestimable depth to a
student’s landscape of thought and feeling.
Students should ideally plan to study German for at
least two years. First- and second-year German courses
aim to teach students how to communicate in German and
acquire grammatical competency through exercises that
demand accuracy and also encourage free expression.
While conference work in Beginning German consists of
intensive grammar work with the German assistant (both
group and individual conferences), intermediate-level
students work on their cultural competency by reading
German literature (fairy tales, novellas, poems) and
working on class, group, or individual research projects
(e.g., writing a short story or screenplay in German,
exploring German cities online, reading newspaper articles
on current events). Advanced German is a cultural-studies
seminar. Students solidify their cultural competency by
studying German history and culture from the late 18th
century to the present. A special emphasis is placed on
20th-century German history and culture, including
contemporary German literature and film.
Many students of German spend a semester or year
studying in Germany. Students have the opportunity to
take a five-week summer seminar in Berlin (six credits),
where they will take a German cultural-studies seminar
with an emphasis on the history and culture of Berlin and a
class in art/architecture, dance, or the German language
(taught at Neue Schule in Berlin).
Thinking About Exile
GERM 2062
Roland Dollinger
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 3 credits
Thinking about exile and emigration, human history has
always been characterized by the forced or voluntary
migration of individuals or groups of people. In this lecture,
we will analyze the dialectical relationship between the
concepts of “exile” and “home” in a series of literary works
and some movies, ranging from biblical stories to literature
from Roman antiquity, the Middle Ages, the 18th century,
19th century, and 20th century—a century whose
upheavals led to dierent waves of voluntary or forced
migration. Classical essays on the connections between
exile and literature by Edward Said and Claudio Guillén will
provide some critical vocabulary with which to speak and
write about the interconnectedness of notions of exile,
home, flight, diaspora, migrants, and refugees, while
primary works will invite us to analyze these themes in
various literary and philosophical genres. In addition to
analyzing literary works and movies as representations of
“real, historical” exile, another focus of this lecture will be
on “exile as a metaphor” for the human, and especially the
modern, condition. We will begin with the stories of Adam
and Eve and their children, Cain and Abel, as the first
humans to be banished from their original home, while
later readings will include works by the Roman writers
Ovid and Petrarch; Saint Augustine; Goethe; the German
Romantic writer E. T. A. Homann (along with an essay by
Sigmund Freud on the Uncanny, a story by Franz Kafka, in
connection with Murnau’s classic movie Nosferatu and a
discussion of the Christian myth of the “Wandering Jew”);
Hermann Hesse’s modern psychological novel, Narcissus
and Goldmund; Anna Segher’s novel, Transit, about the
dilemma of refugees from Nazi Germany being stuck in
Marseille in 1942; two stories from The Emigrants, by W. G.
THE CURRICULUM 65
Sebald; and Natascha Wodin’s biographical novel about
the tragic life of her parents, who were brought to
Germany during World War II as slave laborers. Two
fascinating movies will visually represent “exile”: Werner
Herzog’s The Enigma of Kasper Hauser (the famous 19th-
century European “foundling,” who was locked up in a
prison for the first two decades of his life) and the
science-fiction movie The Wall, about a woman who is
trapped by an invisible wall in the Austrian Alps and must
survive alone with some pets. Students will earn three
credits by taking this lecture, though German-language
students have the option of taking this course for five
credits, in which case they will also attend a weekly
conference with the instructor.
Postwar German Literature and Film
GERM 2040
Roland Dollinger
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 3 credits
In this course, students will first get a brief historical
overview of postwar German history by watching a
YouTube video and reading an essay about Germany's
defeat in 1945. Then, we will study several short stories
about the war by Heinrich Böll, perhaps the most famous
writer in postwar Germany; a play by Wolfgang Borchert
about a German soldier coming home from the war and
having no home anymore, in conjunction with the 1946
movie Murderers Among Us; Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s play,
The Visit, together with Fassbinder's movie, The Marriage
of Maria Braun; Max Frisch’s parable about anti-Semitism;
Jurek Becker’s novel, Jacob the Liar, about Jewish life and
death in a ghetto; two narratives from Sebald’s The
Emigrants, both of which are dealing with the aftereects
of traumatic experiences during World War II; Eugen
Ruge’s In Times of Fading Light, a family novel covering
East German history, in conjunction with movies about life
in East Germany under constant surveillance by the secret
police (The Lives of Others and Barbara); and Natascha
Wodin’s novel about her family’s tragic history in both the
Ukraine and postwar Germany. Thematically, all of these
texts and movies are tied by one common theme: the
question of how German writers and filmmakers were
dealing with the legacy of both National Socialism and
Stalinism from 1945 to today. This lecture (three credits)
is taught in English and open to all students; German
language skills are not required. Advanced German
students have the option of taking this lecture for five
credits; during the extra meetings, we will work on all
aspects of Advanced German—reading, speaking, and
writing—by discussing (in German) the same and/or other
postwar German texts not covered in this lecture, as well
as reviewing grammar.
Beginning German
GERM 3001
Roland Dollinger
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This course concentrates on the study of grammar,
vocabulary, and pronunciation in order to secure the basic
tools of the German language. In addition to oering that
introduction, classroom activities and the production of
short compositions promote oral and written
communication. This class will meet three times per week
(90 minutes each session), twice with the main teacher
and once with Ms. Mizelle, who will also meet with
students individually or in small groups for an extra
conference. Course materials include the textbook, Neue
Horizonte (eighth edition), along with the workbook and a
graded German reader. We will cover about 10 chapters
from the textbook—all of the basic grammar and
vocabulary that students will need to know in order to
advance to the next level. There will be short written tests
at the end of each chapter. Students will also be
introduced to contemporary German culture through
authentic materials from newspapers, television, radio, or
the Internet.
Intermediate German
GERM 3510
Roland Dollinger
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning German or two years of high-school
German
This course places strong emphasis on expanding
vocabulary and thoroughly reviewing grammar, as well as
on developing oral and written expression. The aim of the
course is to give students more fluency and to prepare
them for a possible junior year in Germany. Readings in the
fall will consist of short stories, fairy tales, and a graphic
novel called Heimat (Home). In the spring semester, we
will focus on 20th-century stories, historical essays, and
some films in order to learn about the major phases of
German history and culture between 1871 and today. All
materials are linguistically accessible and promote an
understanding of the culture’s fundamental values and
way of looking at the world. A solid grammar review, based
on the book German Grammar in Review, will help students
further improve their speaking and writing skills. Regular
conferences with Ms. Mizelle will supplement classwork,
help improve fluency and pronunciation, and emphasize
conversational conventions for expressing opinions and
leading discussions.
66 German
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Postwar German Literature and Film (p. 89), Roland
Dollinger Literature
Major Figures in 20th-Century European Poetry (in
Translation) (p. 92), Neil Arditi Literature
Existentialism (p. 119), Roy Ben-Shai Philosophy
GREEK (ANCIENT)
The Sarah Lawrence College classics program emphasizes
the study of the languages and literature of Ancient
Greece and Rome. Greek and Latin constitute an essential
component of any humanistic education, enabling
students to examine the foundations of Western culture
and explore timeless questions concerning the nature of
the world, the place of human beings in it, and the
components of a life well lived. In studying the literature,
history, philosophy, and society of the Ancient Greeks and
Romans, students come to appreciate them for
themselves; examine the continuity between the ancient
and modern worlds; and, perhaps, discover “a place to
stand”—an objective vantage point for assessing modern
culture.
In their first year of study, students acquire
proficiency in vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, with the
aim of reading accurately and with increasing insight.
Selected passages of ancient works are read in the original
languages almost immediately. Intermediate and
advanced courses develop students’ critical and analytical
abilities while exploring ancient works in their literary,
historical, and cultural context. Conference projects
provide opportunities for specialized work in areas of
interest in classical antiquity. Recent conference projects
have included close readings of Homer’s Iliad,
Aristophanes’s Clouds, Pindar’s Odes, Plato’s Republic,
Cicero’s de Amicitia, the poetry of Catullus, and Virgil’s
Aeneid, as well as studies of modern theories of myth,
Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy (in connection with the
tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides), the
social implications of Roman domestic architecture, and a
comparison of Euripides’s Hippolytus with Racine’s
Phèdre.
Greek and Latin will be especially beneficial for
students interested in related disciplines, including
religion, philosophy, art history, archaeology, history,
political science, English, comparative literature, and
medieval studies, as well as education, law, medicine, and
business. Greek and Latin may also prove valuable to all
those who wish to enrich their imagination in the creative
pursuits of writing, dance, music, visual arts, and acting.
Readings in Intermediate Greek
GREE 3520
Emily Anhalt
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 6 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning Greek, registration interview, and
permission of the instructor
Qualified students will attend the twice-weekly group
conferences for Intermediate Greek (see course
description) and complete all assignments required for
those conferences.
Intermediate Greek
GREE 3510
Emily Anhalt
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning Greek, registration interview, and
permission of the instructor
Qualified students will attend the twice-weekly seminar
meetings for What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and
Humanity in Ancient Greek Tragedy (see course
description under Literature) and complete the reading
assignments for that course. Students will also meet in
group conference twice a week to read (in Greek) and
discuss one ancient Greek tragedy selected by the group.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
HEALTH, SCIENCE, AND
SOCIETY
Health, science, and society is a cluster of undergraduate
and graduate courses, programs, and events that address
the meaning of health and illness, advocacy for health and
health care, and structures of medical and scientific
knowledge. Courses and events are multidisciplinary,
bringing together perspectives from the humanities,
creative arts, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Undergraduate students who are interested in health,
science, and society are encouraged to take courses
across the curriculum and to design interdisciplinary
conference projects.
THE CURRICULUM 67
Over the past 25 years, as health and disease have
been examined from social, economic, political, and
historical perspectives, there has been an increased
awareness of the ways in which definitions of disease are
framed in relation to the values, social structures, and
bases of knowledge of particular communities.
Globalization has required us to understand health and
disease as crucial international issues, and environmental
health is increasingly seen to be a matter of policy that has
significantly dierential eects on dierent populations.
Public talks and events are regularly scheduled to bring
together undergraduate and graduate faculty and students
to consider these questions of health, medicine, and
scientific knowledge from a broad variety of perspectives.
This focus of study may appeal to students
interested in the health professions, including pre-med,
nursing, or allied professions such as physical therapy,
allowing those students to combine courses in the natural
sciences with explorations of the social sciences, arts, and
humanities. Similarly, students in the arts and humanities
who are interested in health and illness may find that
incorporating science and social science into their
educational program enables them to achieve a greater
depth of understanding and expression in their work.
The health, science, and society program oers
undergraduate students the unique opportunity to take
advantage of Sarah Lawrence College’s nationally
recognized graduate master’s programs in Human
Genetics and Health Advocacy, both of which are the first
such graduate programs oered in the country. Events and
programs are also coordinated with the graduate programs
in Art of Teaching and Child Development and in
collaboration with the Child Development Institute.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution (p. 16),
Michelle Hersh Biology
Introduction to Neuroscience (p. 16), Cecilia Phillips Toro
Biology
Forensic Biology (p. 17), Drew E. Cressman Biology
Evolutionary Biology (p. 17), Michelle Hersh Biology
Neurological Disorders (p. 18), Cecilia Phillips Toro Biology
Research Methods in Microbial Ecology (p. 18), Michelle
Hersh Biology
Anatomy and Physiology (p. 19), Beth Ann Ditko Biology
Disease Ecology (p. 19), Michelle Hersh Biology
General Chemistry I (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
General Chemistry II (p. 21), Mali Yin Chemistry
The Chemistry of Everyday Life (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Biochemistry (p. 22), Mali Yin Chemistry
Alexander Technique (p. 31), Peggy Gould Dance
Anatomy (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Anatomy Research Seminar (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
Gendered Histories of Sickness and Health in Africa (p. 72),
Mary Dillard History
Global Environmental History (p. 77), Matthew Ellis History
Disability, Media, and Literature (p. 95), Emily Bloom
Literature
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
Relativity (p. 124), Sarah Racz Physics
Resonance and Its Applications (p. 125), Merideth Frey
Physics
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information (p. 125),
Sarah Racz Physics
First-Year Studies: Emotions and Decisions (p. 135), Maia
Pujara Psychology
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Environmental Psychology: An Exploration of Space and
Place (p. 139), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
The Power and Meanings of Play in Children’s
Lives (p. 140), Cindy Puccio Psychology
Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology (p. 141), Maia Pujara Psychology
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Emerging Adulthood (p. 141), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
68 Health, Science, and Society
Care and the Good Life: Exploring Aging, Care, and
Death (p. 142), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan
Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
HISTORY
The history curriculum covers the globe. Most courses
focus on particular regions or nations, but oerings also
include courses that transcend geographical boundaries to
examine subjects such as African diasporas, Islamic
radicalism, or European influences on US intellectual
history. Some courses are surveys—of colonial Latin
America, for example, or Europe since World War II. Others
zero in on more specific topics, such as medieval
Christianity, the Cuban Revolution, urban poverty and
public policy in the United States, or feminist movements
and theories. While history seminars center on reading
and discussion, many also train students in aspects of the
historian’s craft, including archival research,
historiographic analysis, and oral history.
Becoming Modern: Europe in the 19th
Century
HIST 2015
Philip Swoboda
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
What are the distinctive features of our “modern”
civilization? A partial list would include representative
democracy, political parties, nationalism, religious
pluralism and secularization, mass production, rapid
technological change, consumerism, free markets, a global
economy, and unceasing artistic experimentation. All
these characteristically modern things became
established in the 19th century, and most of them were
pioneered by Europeans. Yet in Europe, with its ancient
institutions and deeply-rooted traditions, this new form of
civilization encountered greater resistance than it did in
that other center of innovation, the United States. The
resulting tensions between old and new in Europe set the
stage for the devastating world wars and revolutions of the
20th century. In this course, we will examine various
aspects of the epochal transformation in ways of making,
thinking, and living that occurred in Europe during what
historians call the “long 19th century” (1789–1914). We
will also survey the political history of the period and
consider how the development of modern civilization in
Europe was shaped by the resistance it encountered from
the defenders of older ways. During the first semester, we
will consider events and developments that transpired
between 1760 and 1860: the French Revolution and
conquests of Napoleon, the flourishing of Romanticism,
the appearance of modern industry in Great Britain, the
emergence of the principal modern political ideologies
(conservativism, liberalism, socialism), and the
revolutions of 1830 and 1848. In the spring, we will look at
subsequent developments up to 1914: the unification of
Italy and Germany, the rise of mass politics, imperialism,
and the outbreak of World War I. We will also examine
trends in thought and in the arts, such as French
Impressionism, fin de siècle irrationalism, and the
post-1890 avant-garde.
A History of Black Leadership in
America
HIST 2110
Komozi Woodard
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Can the biography of Black leaders replace the history of
African Americans? Or does biography raise of the
problem of the "Great Man" theory of history? In terms of
history, what is gained and what is lost in the biographical
approach? In this lecture, students will consider this
question as they examine the recent award-winning
biographies of Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B.
Wells, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King,
Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and so forth. Students will
look at the lives of several artists and writers to explore
dierent definitions of leadership. The weekly readings
will be complemented by weekly film screenings, placing
Black leadership in historical context.
Making Latin America
HIST 2078
Margarita Fajardo
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course examines Latin America in the making. From
the time of Andean ayllus to the contemporary battles
between the populist left and the populist right, this
lecture course oers a survey of the more than five
centuries of the history of the region that we know as Latin
America. The course will examine the rise and fall of the
Aztec and Inca empires, the colonial order that emerged in
their stead, independence from Iberian rule, and the
division of the empire into a myriad of independent
republics or states searching for a “nation.” In the second
part of the course, by focusing on specific national
trajectories, we will then ask how the American and
Iberian civilizations shaped the new national experiences
and how those who made claims on the “nation” defined
THE CURRICULUM 69
and transformed the colonial legacies. In the third and
final portion of the course, we will study the long 20th
century and the multiple experiences of, and interplay
between, anti-Americanism, revolution, populism, and
authoritarianism. We will ask how dierent national pacts
and projects attempted to solve the problem of political
inclusion and social integration that emerged after the
consolidation of the 19th-century liberal state. Using
primary and secondary sources, fiction and film, the
course will provide students with an understanding of
historical phenomena such as mestizaje, caudillismo,
populism, reformism, corruption, and informality, among
other concepts key to the debates in contemporary Latin
America. The course meets for one weekly lecture and one
weekly group conference. Aside from mandatory
attendance and participation, the requirements for the
course include an individual exam, a collaborative
research project, and a primary source analysis.
History of South Asia
HIST 2027
Erum Hadi
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
South Asia, a region at the geographic center of the world’s
most important cultural, religious, and commercial
encounters for millennia, has a rich history of cultural
exchanges. Its central location on the Indian Ocean
provided it with transnational maritime connections to
Africa and Southeast Asia, while its land routes facilitated
constant contact with the Eurasian continent. The region
has witnessed numerous foreign rules, from the early
Central Asian Turkic dynasties to the Mughals and, finally,
the British. After gaining independence from British
colonial rule, the region was eventually partitioned into
three dierent nations—India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh—each with its distinctive form of government.
South Asia has produced a significant diaspora worldwide,
preserving its cultural heritage and creating further
cultural exchanges with the adopted nations, thereby
influencing global culture. Despite facing development
challenges and political instability, South Asia is rapidly
developing within the capitalistic world economy and
becoming an important player on the global scene, both
politically and culturally. This course will provide students
with a survey of South Asia from the era of the early Indus
Civilization to the present. Lectures and sources will trace
major political events and the region’s cultural, ecological,
and economic developments that have significantly
shaped South Asian history. Students will analyze both
primary and secondary sources, enhancing their
understanding of this diverse society. They are expected to
engage in lectures, reading, class discussions, group work,
and writing to examine the major themes and debates in
South Asian history and develop sound arguments.
Racial Soundscapes
HIST 2095
Ryan Purcell
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Close your eyes and listen. The human experience is highly
sonic. Along with touch, hearing is among the most
personal of our bodily senses. Now, you may hear the
sound of passing cars, a lawnmower outside, or the
murmur of voices from the hallway. But does race have a
sound? What does Jim Crow sound like? Are there sonic
dimensions to Black Power? Can popular music propel
social movements, or can we hear social change? This
lecture guides students through a survey of color and
sound. We will explore historical case studies where
concepts of race and recorded music collide. Through a
careful analysis of a variety of cultural texts—including
memoirs from specific artists and critical reviews of
albums—and a consideration of contextual historical
events and phenomena, students will consider how
popular culture and music have shaped concepts of race
and ethnicity over the 20th century.
International Law
HIST 2035
Mark R. Shulman
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
In a global landscape pocked by genocide, wars of choice,
piracy, and international terrorism, what good is
international law? Can it mean anything without a global
police force and a universal judiciary? Is “might makes
right” the only law that works? Or is it true that “most
states comply with most of their obligations most of the
time”? These essential questions frame the contemporary
practice of law across borders. This lecture provides an
overview of international law—its doctrine, theory, and
practice. The course addresses a wide range of issues,
including the bases and norms of international law, the law
of war, human-rights claims, domestic implementation of
international norms, treaty interpretation, and state
formation/succession.
Postwar: Europe on the Move
HIST 2065
Philipp Nielsen
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
When World War II ended, Europe was a continent of
displaced peoples. It was a continent on the move:
returning POWs, emigrating Displaced Persons, refugees,
and arriving occupation soldiers. The postwar period is
sometimes dubbed a history of the unwinding of
populations, the return or resettlement following the logic
of nation states. Yet the assumption that, once that was
70 History
done and the Cold War started, populations stayed put
until 1989 is misleading. Successive attempted
revolutions in the East begat more political refugees.
Decolonization and industrialization resulted in the
immigration and recruitment of non-native European
populations, as well as the return of European colonial
settlers. In addition, Europeans moved to the cities,
turning the continent from one in which almost half the
population lived in the countryside in 1950 into a
predominantly urbanized one within the span of 30 years.
Political crisis abroad, Europeanization, the fall of the Iron
Curtain, and globalization led to still more mobility. The so-
called migration crisis of 2015 is, thus, but one of a series
of migratory events and, by far, not the largest. This
lecture introduces students to the history of Europe, both
east and west, since 1945. The movements of peoples and
borders will provide students with insight into political,
cultural, and social developments of the continent
following the defeat of the Third Reich.
Screening the City
HIST 2046
Ryan Purcell
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge,” according to
F. Scott Fitzgerald, “is always the city seen for the first
time, in its first promise of all the mystery and the beauty
of the world.” While poetic, this romantic rendering,
however, eludes the social struggle that pervades New
York City’s history. Conversely, the City seen on the silver
screen can bring its contradictions into sharp focus. From
this perspective, New York City appears as a complicated
metropolis, replete with power dynamics along lines of
race, gender, and sexuality. In this lecture, students will
explore ways in which cinematic representations of New
York City map onto distinct permutations and arcs in the
City’s history. Each week, we will locate a specific film
within a web of historical meaning. This is not a film-
studies class, per se; rather, using cinema as a point of
departure, we will explore the rich cultural history
surrounding specific films. We will think about the
connections between films and public policy, poetry,
journalism, fine art, popular music, and more. Students
will learn to derive historical insights through the analysis
of film. Movies like Dog Day Afternoon (1975), for example,
signal the rise of mass incarceration and the militarization
of NYPD units; but the film also gives expression to the
emerging LGBTQ movement and transgender subjectivity.
Similarly, lesser-known gems, such as Baby Face (1933),
can help illustrate the complex social and cultural terrain
through which some women achieved power and
independence in Depression-era New York.
Human Rights
HIST 2036
Mark R. Shulman
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
History is replete with rabid pogroms, merciless religious
wars, tragic show trials, and even genocide. For as long as
people have congregated, they have defined themselves, in
part, as against an other—and have persecuted that other.
But history has also yielded systems of constraints. So
how can we hope to achieve a meaningful understanding
of the human experience without examining both the
wrongs and the rights? Should the human story be left to
so-called realists, who claim that power wins out over
ideals every time? Or is there a logic of mutual respect
that oers better solutions? This lecture examines the
history of international human rights and focuses on the
claims that individuals and groups make against states in
which they live.
Reform and Revolution: China’s 20th
Century
HIST 3027
Kevin Landdeck
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
In 1900, China was a faltering empire ruled by an
autocratic foreign dynastic house and an entrenched
bureaucracy of Confucian ocials. Its sovereignty heavily
battered and its territory compromised by foreign powers,
China was commonly called “The Sick Man of Asia.” In
2000, China was a modern nation-state ruled by an
authoritarian party and an entrenched bureaucracy of
technocrats and administrators. With a surging economy,
swollen foreign reserves, dazzling modern cities, and a
large and technologically advanced military, China is
regularly predicted to be the next global superpower. Yet,
the path between these two startlingly dierent points
was anything but smooth. China’s 20th century was a
tortuous one. Policymakers, elites, and the common
people oscillated between the poles of reform and
revolution—bouts of wild radicalism alternated with more
sober policies—as they pursued changes that they hoped
would bring a better society and nation. This class
examines some of the major events and personalities of
this arduous century and its momentous political, social,
and cultural changes. We will learn and apply skills of
historical analysis to primary documents (in translation),
some fiction, and film. Along the way, we will encounter a
rich cast of characters, including Sun Yat-sen, China’s
“national father”; colorful warlords; corrupt bureaucrats;
fervent intellectuals; protesting youths; heroic communist
martyrs; the towering and enigmatic chairman Mao; long-
suering peasants; and fanatical Red Guards. These men
and women made and remade modern China. This class is
THE CURRICULUM 71
history and, thus, is not primarily concerned with
contemporary China; but, by the end of the year, students
will be well-equipped with an understanding of China’s
recent past, knowledge that will help immeasurably in
making sense of today’s China as it becomes increasingly
important in our globalized economy and society. This
seminar is open to first-year students as a First-Year
Studies course, as well as to sophomores, juniors, and
seniors as an open seminar. All students will complete an
individual research (conference) project each semester;
these projects will be guided through one-on-one
meetings. For those taking this class as an FYS,
conferences in the fall semester will consist of biweekly
individual meetings, with a group session held on alternate
weeks to discuss matters concerning all FYS students
(e.g., the nature of academic work in general and the
various skills related to conference work, such as research,
reading, writing, and editing). All conferences in the
spring, for all students, will be on the regular biweekly
individual schedule.
Reconstructing Womanhood: Writers
and Activists in the United States,
1790s–1990s
HIST 3201
Lyde Cullen Sizer
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
“But if you ask me what oces they may fill, I reply—any. I
do not care what case you put; let them be sea-captains, if
you will,” Margaret Fuller wrote in Woman in the
Nineteenth Century in 1845. Not 10 years later, Fanny
Fern’s autobiographical protagonist tells her daughter,
when asked if she would write books when a woman, “God
forbid,” because “no happy woman ever writes.” In this
seminar, we will discuss what US women writers imagined
they could be and why they wrote (happy or not). We will
read both major and forgotten works of literary activism
from women writers of the 19th and early-20th centuries,
focusing around issues of gender and gender convention,
race, racial prejudice and enslavement, immigration,
migration and national identity, class and elitism, sex and
sexuality. Course readings will mainly be primary sources,
coupled with historical essays to help contextualize them.
Emphasis will be placed on choosing women writers
outside of the mainstream, who actively worked with their
writing to change the status quo—to “reconstruct”
womanhood.
The Strange Career of the Jim Crow
North: African American Urban
History
HIST 3064
Komozi Woodard
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
For decades, historians sought the origins of Jim Crow in
the South; however, Jim Crow was born on the stage and
in the streets of places like New York City. Thus, recent
historiography focuses serious attention on the rise of the
Jim Crow North, beginning with northern slavery and the
Atlantic Slave Trade in important port cities such as
Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Some historians think
that interrogating those neglected northern roots will fill
serious gaps in our knowledge of how racial oppression
took shape in American democracy.
Gendered Histories of Sickness and
Health in Africa
HIST 3711
Mary Dillard
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
How does an individual’s gender expression determine
how s/he/they receive health care in Africa? In what ways
does gender influence who provides health care, the kind
of care that they oer, or the social determinants of
peoples’ health? In the 19th, 20th and early-21st
centuries, African citizens, refugees, and internally
displaced persons have had to cope with a range of health
care challenges. These include: high levels of disability as
a result of car accidents and work-related injuries;
disruptions to health care services and food provision,
stemming from war or political unrest; lack of supplies and
access to quality care, resulting from neoliberal economic
policies; and, most recently, the challenges of food
insecurity due to seasonal locust infestations. These
concerns paint a bleak picture of the status of health and
health care provision in Africa. Epidemics like ebola and
cholera complicate conditions for people seeking to
improve the quality of their health. In addition, pandemics
like HIV/AIDS and now COVID-19 have transformed
demographics and gender relations in both predictable
and unexpected ways. Despite these challenges, millions
of African men, women, and children find ways to survive
and respond creatively in order to address their needs for
health and well-being. This class is organized around the
understanding that the idea of “good health” is a useful
critical lens through which to analyze gender-related
questions. How do women, men, and LGBTQ+ individuals
organize, navigate, and seek care in order to attain good
health? What historical, political, and economic factors
influence the provision of quality health care? How have
African citizens, governments, faith communities,
72 History
activists, and indigenous healers responded to the
challenges associated with disease and the goal of
maintaining good health? Because the African continent is
massive and every country is complex and diverse, this
class will use case studies from countries such as Rwanda,
South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Kenya to
answer these questions. In addition, students will be able
to choose other African countries to study in depth in
order to gain as broad a picture as possible of this complex
and important topic. While we will primarily focus our
inquiries by using historical works, we will actively monitor
innovations in African countries resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of developing a deeper
understanding of what it takes to maintain a sense of
“good health” in Africa.
Local Oral History: From Latin
America to Yonkers
HIST 3039
Margarita Fajardo
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This community-partnership course will bring students
closer to Latin American oral history writing in order to
write their own community-based narratives. Since the
advent of military and repressive regimes in late 20th-
century Latin America, social scientists and historians
have turned to oral histories. By interviewing eyewitnesses
to reconstruct the past and act upon the present, oral
histories originally served to document the stories of both
oppressors and oppressed but, since then, have expanded
in scope and purpose. Building on existing rich oral
traditions in the region, this course will first explore the
methodologies of Latin American colonial chroniclers,
popular educators, activists, and professional historians to
understand the historical origins and context of
production of dierent oral histories, as well as their
academic and political use. Then, focusing on the history
of late 20th-century Chile and its transition from
socialism to neoliberalism, students will read, view, or
listen to dierent oral history-based narratives, including
life histories, documentaries, biographies, and truth and
reconciliation commissions, among others. By doing so,
the course will help students both get a glimpse of Latin
American history and assess and develop skills to craft
their own narratives based on the observation of, and
participation in, the Yonkers community. The third and
final part of the course will be devoted to workshop the
narratives produced by students. Throughout the
semester, students will have the opportunity to work with
a particular community organization in Yonkers. Students
are expected to develop a conference project based on
their work with the community, using the oral-history
questions, tools, and problems learned and discussed in
the seminar. The conference project may take any format,
including essays, podcasts, short videos, timelines, and
interactive maps.
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953
HIST 3023
Kevin Landdeck
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
East Asia, like much of the globe, has been powerfully
shaped by the arrival, presence, and activity of imperialist
power in the region. In both China and Japan, in fact,
nationalism is founded on resistance to the
encroachments of Western imperialism. Both nations cast
themselves as victims to the rapacious West. And yet,
often unnoticed by patriots and pundits, both China and
Japan are deeply indebted to their own domestic
imperialisms, albeit in very dierent ways. Relying on a
wide range of course materials (historical scholarship,
paintings, lithographs, photographs, literature, and
relevant primary sources), this course is an intensive
investigation of the contours of Asian imperialism,
covering the colonialism of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911),
the aggressive Western expansion in the 19th century, and
the Japanese Empire (1895-1945). We will ask what
features (if any) these very dierent empires shared and
what set them apart from each other. How and why were
Asian empires built, how did they end, and what legacies
did they leave? We will excavate the multiethnic Qing
imperium for how it complicates China’s patriotic master
narrative. Does Qing ethnic policy toward native Miao
tribes dier from Western powers’ Civilizing Discourse?
What are the legacies of Qing colonialism for China’s
modern nation-state? The Qing campaigns to subjugate
the Mongols in the northwest and the colonization of the
untamed southwest both predated the arrival of the
Westerners and the Opium War (1839-42). How does that
impact our understanding of the clash between China and
the rapidly expanding West? We will trace earlier
academic views on the classic confrontation between
these two presumed entities before examining more
recent revisionist formulations on the Western
penetration of China. What were the processes of Western
intrusion, and how did Western imperialism come to
structure knowledge of China? And finally, we will turn to
the Japanese Empire. What were its motivations, its main
phases, and its contradictions? Should we understand it
as similar to Western imperialism or as an alternative,
something unique? What are the implications of both
those positions? To understand the Japanese Empire in
both its experiential and theoretical dimensions, we will
range widely across Japan’s possessions in Taiwan, Korea,
and Manchuria. The questions and topics in this seminar
will complicate the master narratives that prevail in both
East Asia and the West, not to delegitimize or subvert
THE CURRICULUM 73
Asian sovereignties but, rather, in order to understand the
deeply embedded narratives of imperialism within those
sovereign claims in order to see how those narratives (and
their blind spots) continue to frame and support policies
and attitudes today.
New York City in the 1970s: Politics
and Culture
HIST 3029
Ryan Purcell
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
“New York is the greatest city in the world—and everything
is wrong with it.” This headline, which ran in January 1965
in the New York Herald Tribune, speaks to the duality that
many people felt regarding New York City during the
mid-20th century—a sentiment that continues today: The
City can be a lovely place to experience, but it is not
without its problems. And by the end of the 1960s, New
York was plagued with problems. Population flight to the
suburbs and deindustrialization eviscerated tax revenues.
Municipal austerity and privatization policies undercut the
public programs. A city that had built a reputation on
urban liberalism was now at a crossroads at the dawn of
the ’70s. Perhaps most consequential, within this nexus of
urban crises, was the City’s image reflected in popular
culture that informed opinions of New York and
exacerbated the perception of the City’s decline. This
seminar explores the politics and culture of New York City
during the 1970s. What do representations in popular
culture, from cinema to comic books, say about the state
of the City in that decade? Did those images match the
reality of urban experiences at the time? What political
ends did those images serve, and what consequences did
they have for the future? Students will learn to outline the
resonance of municipal policies, from urban renewal to the
militarization of police, as they are reflected in popular
culture. Historians will help guide our analysis of politics
and culture—but, ultimately, students will interpret
primary sources for themselves, developing a deeper
understanding of this pivotal decade and how it shaped
the future of New York City. In addition to in-class
discussions, students will meet weekly with the instructor
for individual conferences.
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of
the USSR and Post-Soviet Space,
1917-Present
HIST 3076
Brandon Schechter
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course examines the experience of people living in the
Soviet Union and other socialist states via things. Objects
under socialist regimes were supposed to be
transformative, turning yesterday’s backward peasants
into new socialist men and women. Communism promised
unheard-of abundance, but those who lived under the
system often suered from severe shortages. Things from
outside of the communist world often took on an aura of
forbidden fruit. People learned a variety of tricks to survive
and, today, are even nostalgic for many of its trappings.
Beginning with a reading of theoretical texts to get us
thinking about how to think through stu, we will proceed
to look at a number of cases in Soviet history where
objects are key to the story. Each week, students will be
responsible for a short written response, 250-500 words,
and providing two questions to feed our discussion. At the
end of the semester, each student will design a display for
a virtual museum of the Soviet Union, in which they will
use one or more objects to tell a story about Soviet history.
At the center of this course is the idea that all objects are
the products and markers of social, political, and
economic change that are filled with meaning—even if
those meanings are not obvious or can be highly variable.
Spiritual Autobiography
HIST 3105
Philip Swoboda
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Around 398, Christian bishop and theologian Augustine of
Hippo produced one of the most influential books of all
time—The Confessions—a lengthy meditation on events
during the first 33 years of Augustine’s life, undertaken in
an eort to comprehend how God acted through those
events to transform an ambitious but confused young
Roman, attracted by the exotic Asian cult of the Persian
prophet Mani, into a dedicated Christian. Augustine’s book
is arguably the first real autobiography ever written, and
the author’s profound exploration of his own motivations
and feelings led William James to term Augustine the
“first modern man.” The Confessions also served as the
model for hundreds of other spiritual autobiographies
written over the course of the next 1,600 years, including
masterworks such as The Life of St. Teresa of Ávila, Leo
Tolstoy’s Confession, and Thomas Merton’s Seven Storey
Mountain. In this course, students will read and discuss
these and other classics of Christian autobiography.
Students will also be invited to examine a number of
comparable works by writers who stood at the periphery of
the Christian tradition or outside of it altogether, including
William Wordsworth’s Prelude, Vera Brittain’s Testament
of Youth, The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and M. K.
Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiments With Truth. These
readings are gripping, because they attempt a uniquely
challenging feat: to capture the history of an individual
soul’s relations with the Infinite through the language that
we use to describe our everyday experience. We will
74 History
combine detailed literary analysis of the autobiographies
with an examination of their content in the light of recent
writing on the problem of religious language. Conference
projects may address a wide range of topics in the general
area of the history of religion and religious expression.
Public Stories, Private Lives:
Methods of Oral History
HIST 3664
Mary Dillard
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The goal of this class is to introduce students to the best
practices of oral history interviewing, theory, and
methodology. Around the world, oral history has been used
to uncover the perspectives of marginalized groups and to
challenge “ocial” historical narratives. Oral history is a
mainstay of social history, helping researchers uncover
voices that might otherwise be ignored and giving people
the opportunity to “speak back” to the past. In this regard,
oral history is a crucial method in a historian’s toolkit. Life
histories enable us to focus on individual experiences and
consider the historical significance of one person’s life.
Long used by anthropologists and sociologists, life-history
methods continue to be rediscovered by historians seeking
to enrich their understanding of the past. Conducting oral-
history research involves a great deal more than sitting
back and pressing “play” on a recording device.
Researchers must approach their work with knowledge,
rigor, respect, and compassion. Toward the goal of
developing substantive research skills, this class will focus
on several important questions associated with oral
history: What is the role of memory, and how does memory
function in the process of conducting oral history? What is
the role of intersubjectivity, and how much does the
researcher influence the interview process? How should
researchers catalog and disseminate their work to make it
accessible to a wide audience? What are the political and
ethical considerations of doing oral-history or life-history
research, and how are they dierent from other types of
history methodologies? Final projects for this class may
include podcasts, film, creative work, or an analytical
paper.
The ‘Losers’: Dissent and the Legacy
of Defeat in American Politics From
the American Revolution to the Civil
War
HIST 3011
Eileen Ka-May Cheng
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Though our nation was born in conflict and is sustained by
conflict, the present always seems inevitable; surely, the
United States of 2024 is but the flowering of the seeds
planted so many centuries ago. To imagine that the
Revolutionary War ended in failure and that the Founding
Fathers were hanged and the names of loyalists such as
Hutchinson and Arnold were as much on our lips as
Washington, Adams, and Jeerson seems blasphemous.
Or to imagine celebrating the loyalist William Franklin as a
hero, rather than his father Benjamin, seems utterly
absurd. The world just wouldn’t be what it is if, instead of
calling ourselves American, we identified ourselves as
Canadian. The melodic themes of liberty, dissent, and
equality would seem less lyrical if Americans could no
longer claim them as their own. But would our
understanding of American identity be richer if we viewed
these themes as forged in conflict? To this end, the course
will focus on those groups who were on the losing side of
major political conflicts from the American Revolution to
the Civil War—namely, the loyalists, the Anti-Federalists,
the Federalists, the Whigs, and the Confederacy. The
course will also consider the ultimate losers in these
conflicts—those who were denied political rights
altogether and, thus, even the possibility of victory. What
did the treatment of those dierent political groups reveal
about the extent of—and limits to—American acceptance
of dissent? How did a culture that placed a premium on
success and achievement regard loss and defeat? How
was the South able to turn the defeat of the Confederacy
into a badge of honor and a source of pride through the
idealization of The Lost Cause? What was the long-term
legacy that those losing groups left behind? When viewed
from this perspective, were those groups really losers at
all? After all, without the Anti-Federalists, there would
have been no Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Ultimately,
the course aims to cultivate a “tragic” perspective that
goes beyond viewing history in terms of winners and
losers, heroes and villains, and instead recognizes that, in
the final analysis, we are all in bondage to the knowledge
that we possess.
THE CURRICULUM 75
The ‘Founders’ in Film and Fiction
HIST 3013
Eileen Ka-May Cheng
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
We were told that George Washington never told a lie and
confessed to his much-chagrined father that he chopped
down the fabled cherry tree. Was this the myth to inspire
trust in the “Founding Fathers” and the infant democracy?
But the myths continue. For more than two centuries, the
“Founding Fathers” have been a touchstone for American
identity. Americans have expressed their fascination with
the “Founders,” not only in the political arena but also in
the realm of fiction in works ranging from James Fenimore
Cooper’s novel, The Spy, to the HBO series John Adams
and the Broadway musical Hamilton. What is the source of
this fascination? But, most importantly, who were the
“Founders” that have such a hold on the American
historical imagination—and what did they actually stand
for? The course will explore these questions by looking at
the dierent ways that the “Founders” have been
represented in film and fiction from their own time to the
present. We will consider a variety of media, including
novels, art, plays, films, and television. We will look at how
these fictional portrayals reflected larger cultural changes,
as well as the dierent political and social purposes that
they served. Would the musical glorification of Hamilton
have been a hit during the Great Depression? We will also
examine the extent to which these portrayals conformed
to historical reality, using them to look more broadly at the
relationship between history and fiction. What can fiction
contribute to historical understanding, and what are its
limits as a medium of historical representation?
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture,
and Identity From 1949–Present
HIST 3059
Michael Cramer, Kevin Landdeck
Open, Joint seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar course will examine both the historical and
the cultural context of Mainland Chinese cinema from
1949 to the present. The course will be focused on full-
length feature films from the People’s Republic of China,
providing an eclectic mix of movies covering socialist
propaganda of the high Maoist period (1949-76), the
critical stances of the “Fifth Generation” (of graduates
from the Beijing Film Academy) in the 1980s and early
1990s, the more entertainment-focused films of post-
Deng (2000s) China, as well as contemporary art films
that are largely seen outside of the commercial exhibition
circuit. This wide variety of films will open up questions of
cinematic representations of Chinese identity and culture
in at least four major modes: socialist revolutionary
(1949-76), critical reflections on China’s past and the
revolution (1982-1989), what one might call neoliberal
entertainment (1990-present), and the more underground
art cinema that has emerged as mainstream Chinese
cinema has become increasingly commercial. Along with
the close analysis of films (their narrative structure,
audiovisual language, relationship to other films from both
China and beyond), the course will deal with Confucian
legacies in Chinese society, communist revolutionary
spasms and the censorship system, and the more open
market and ideology of the post-Mao reform era. Assigned
readings will be varied, as well. Several key movies will be
paired with their textual antecedents (e.g., LU Xun’s New
Year’s Sacrifice will be read alongside HU Sang’s by the
same title, while LI Zhun’s The Biography of LI
Shuangshuang will accompany the 1962 movie that
followed). Appropriate readings will cover important
historical background in some detail; for example, the
Great Leap Forward (1959-62) and the Cultural
Revolution (1966-76) are both crucial events for
understanding the revolutionary experience, while the
latter is particularly relevant for its impact on reform-era
filmmakers. Other readings will focus specifically on
cinema, ranging from broad historical overviews on the
material/financial conditions of production, distribution,
and exhibition to close analyses of individual films, the
transition from socialist to postsocialist cinema, the
construction of “Chineseness” as an object for the
Western gaze, and the avant-garde/independent
responses to the current global/commercial Chinese
cinema. This course is an open super-seminar (capped at
30 students), meeting once a week for 2.5 hours in order
to facilitate in-depth discussions of paired material; for
example, two movies or a movie and significant historical
texts (either primary or secondary). In addition to this
weekly class time, film screenings (one or two per week)
will be required. For conferences, students will be divided
evenly between the two professors, using the regular
model of biweekly meetings.
Black Studies and the Archive
HIST 3007
Mary Dillard, Elias Rodriques
Open, Joint seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Marches, walkouts, and occupations roiled the campus of
San Francisco State University in the fall of 1968. Among
the organizers’ demands was the institution of the first
Black studies department in the country. More than 50
years later, Black studies has both reshaped existing
disciplines and formed departments in colleges across the
nation. How might returning to this history reshape our
understanding of Black studies, of student movements, of
American universities, and of history more generally? This
interdisciplinary course seeks to answer these and more
questions by studying the archival documents on Black
76 History
studies at Sarah Lawrence alongside history, literature,
film, and theory. In this course, students will participate in
a traditional seminar and will spend one session a week in
the campus archives. The latter will both engage students
in rigorous archival research and result in a conference
project helping to narrate the understudied history of
Black studies at Sarah Lawrence. Authors and filmmakers
may include W. E. B. Du Bois, Nella Larsen, Zadie Smith,
Spike Lee, Robin Kelley, and more.
The Power of Place: Museums,
Monuments, and Public History in
Yonkers
HIST 3721
Mary Dillard
Open, Small seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course introduces students to the fascinating history
of Yonkers through the fields of public history and
museum studies. The fact that Yonkers is situated in close
proximity to New York City provides unique opportunities
for Yonkers residents. At the same time, this sometimes
means that the treasures of Yonkers are obscured by its
better-known neighbor. In this class, students will develop
a deeper understanding of the history, culture, and people
of Yonkers by focusing on the meaning of place. We will
begin the class by closely collaborating with sta at the
Hudson River Museum, a major arts and cultural
institution in Yonkers that is recognized nationwide.
Students will study how the museum developed and the
place that the museum occupies in the city’s cultural
landscape. In addition to touring historic sites like Philipse
Manor Hall, Sherwood House, and Untermeyer Gardens,
students will study the history of places that are important
to Yonkers residents, including the Dunwoodie Golf
Course, the Old Croton Aqueduct, Greystone Bakery, and
McClean Avenue. We will tour and analyze the city’s
burgeoning public art scene in addition to learning more
about some of Yonkers’ unique neighborhoods. Our
ultimate goal will be to use multimedia approaches to
create a “Museum in the Streets,” highlighting the people
and places that make Yonkers a unique and dynamic city.
Global Environmental History
HIST 3044
Matthew Ellis
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
As climate change has emerged as a fixture in our news
cycle, week after week, our society has grown increasingly
aware of the various impacts that humans have had on the
environment—to say nothing of the extent to which
environmental transformation has been fundamentally
reshaping human experience. As obvious as these
interactions might seem to us today, it was only in recent
decades—inspired by the new environmentalism of the
’60s and ’70s—that historians and social scientists began
to explore how to narrate the past by focusing primarily on
human beings’ complex, ever-evolving relationship with
the nonhuman world. This course will provide a broad
introduction into this new “environmental history,”
adopting a global lens through which to excavate the
historical relationship between the human and nonhuman
worlds. Along the way, we will explore a number of
approaches to three broad themes: the eects (both
intended and unintended) of human societies on the
environment; the role of nonhuman “nature” in the
unfolding of human history; and the evolution of ideas
(religious, cultural, intellectual) about nature and the
environment. Though we will trace these themes fairly far
back into history, the course will focus most of its
attention on the so-called “Anthropocene” era—the period
since the Industrial Revolution in Europe—which
witnessed the rapid globalization of capitalist modernity
and the advent of expansive overseas colonial empires.
This seminar will participate in the collaborative interludes
and other programs of the Sarah Lawrence
Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment
(SLICE) Mellon course cluster.
History of the Indian Ocean
HIST 3265
Erum Hadi
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world
and contributes almost 30 percent to the total oceanic
realm of our planet. Current scholars have defined the
Indian Ocean to include the oceanic and littoral spaces in
the southwest from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa,
to the Red Sea in the north, then horizontally through to
the South China Sea in the east, and down to Australia in
the southeast. Commerce around the Indian Ocean
continued as a web of production and trade that spanned
across the ports of India, the Middle East, Africa,
Southeast Asia, and Europe. Indian Ocean ports were the
fulcrum of maritime trade that precipitated spontaneous
transcultural interactions between traders and inhabitants
of dierent geographic regions who mingled there to
exchange commodities. Ships followed monsoons or
seasonal wind patterns, and sailors were obliged to wait at
length for return departures from ports, which was a
significant cause of cultural transfer. Various religions,
including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, were mobile
across the Indian Ocean networks; and extant beliefs,
practices, and material cultures are evidence. The study of
the Indian Ocean World (IOW), as some historians have
termed it, is a newly emerging field in world history. New
evidence from historical research of the last 30 years has
THE CURRICULUM 77
recovered the lost significance of this region, which was
the center of a robust and complex trade and cultural
network for a millennium and that continues today. This
course is designed to provide students with a survey of
Indian Ocean world history from the medieval to the
colonial era. Lectures and sources will help students
deepen their knowledge of peoples and cultures around
the Indian Ocean and gain a wider appreciation for the
transnational trade and cultural and religious networks
that existed there. Students will learn to examine that
globalization is not a modern phenomenon but, rather, an
ongoing aspect of the Indian Ocean. Each week, students
will evaluate sources that explore the discrete regions of
the Indian Ocean, their people, and the religious networks,
commercial exchanges, migrations, and political events
that they engender to make a complex and dynamic
connected history. Students are expected to engage in
lectures, reading, class discussions, group work, and
writing to examine the major themes and debates in Indian
Ocean history and develop sound arguments.
History of White Supremacy
HIST 3277
Ryan Purcell
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
The ideas of John Locke were deeply influential to the
development of American government and society. But
while Locke may have helped popularize the concept of
representative democracy, serving as a North Star for the
framers of the US Constitution, he also authored white-
supremacist texts that rearmed a body of knowledge
known today as “race science,” as well as a series of
colonial laws that solidified African American slavery in
the New World. Such “slave laws” retained their power
well after the American Revolution. This lecture traces key
currents of race ideology and the belief in white
superiority and Black inferiority within the bedrock of the
American political landscape. Through a study of primary
source documents, guided by an interdisciplinary array of
scholarly readings, students will be exposed to the ways in
which white-supremacist thought has provided an
intellectual foundation supporting a system of white
wealth, power, and privilege. Students will explore how
racist ideas have shaped crucial concepts related to
American democracy.
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The
Soviet Empire From Indigenization to
“Russkii Mir”
HIST 3124
Brandon Schechter
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar looks at the history of the Soviet Union
through the lens of ethnonational diversity. To be a Soviet
person, one had to be identified by “nationality” (closer to
our understanding of ethnicity), a category that outlasted
class. Soviet policy toward dierent nationalities varied
widely from 1917 to 1991, ranging from the aggressive
promotion of indigenous cadres and cultures to the
deportation of whole nationalities. The USSR was the
largest country in modern history and the first attempt to
build a communist state, yet it ended up as a union of
federal republics organized along national lines. The nation
was supposed to be the vehicle that ushered people
through Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist phases of historical
development, yet the nations that constituted the Soviet
Union outlasted it. We will look at the ways in which Soviet
conceptions of nationalities shaped the Soviet project and
how being a member of one or another nationality
impacted people’s fates. Our readings begin with a brief
overview of the diversity of the Russian Empire on the eve
of revolution and continue to address the major events of
Soviet history through to the continued relevance of the
history of Soviet nationalities policies today.
The Edgy Enlightenment
HIST 3108
Philip Swoboda
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Between the triumph of the Enlightenment in the mid-18th
century and the rise of Romanticism in the 1790s lies a
span of time, extending roughly from 1760 to 1800,
populated by a variety of writers who foreshadowed the
end of the Enlightenment without being truly “Romantic.”
Many of the most exciting and influential works of
literature and thought produced in the 18th century were
products of this ambiguous period. For want of a better
name, scholars have labeled some of these works “pre-
Romantic.” It might be more useful to think of them as
products of an “edgy Enlightenment”—a late, adventurous
phase of the Enlightenment whose representatives had
begun to question the Enlightenment’s own cherished
beliefs and, in some cases, to discard them. In this course,
we will read a number of the most famous texts produced
by writers of the “edgy Enlightenment,” as well as two
texts produced outside the period that are equally “edgy”
in their own way. More than half of the works we are
reading are narratives of travel—a genre of literature of
which 18th-century Europeans were extremely fond. Three
78 History
describe real journeys: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s
Turkish Embassy Letters, The Confessions of Jean-
Jacques Rousseau, and Alexander von Humboldt’s journal
of his famous scientific expedition to the wilder parts of
South America. Two other texts are accounts of imaginary
journeys: Diderot’s comic novel, Jacques the Fatalist and
His Master, and Goethe’s novel of an aspiring actor’s
personal development, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship.
I am also assigning two plays by the great German
dramatist Friedrich Schiller, some amusing verses written
in a mixture of Scots and standard English by the Scottish
poet Robert Burns, and a couple of philosophical essays by
Immanuel Kant. Students may pursue conference projects
on a wide range of topics in European history, philosophy,
or literature.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Art and Myth in Ancient Greece (p. 9), David Castriota Art
History
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture (p. 11),
David Castriota Art History
History of the Museum, Institutional Critique, and Practices
of Decolonization (p. 12), Sarah Hamill Art History
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953 (p. 14), Kevin Landdeck
Asian Studies
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity,
1949–Present (p. 15), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck Asian Studies
Forensic Biology (p. 17), Drew E. Cressman Biology
First-Year Studies: Elemental Epics: Stories of Love, War,
Madness, and Murder From the Periodic Table of the
Elements (p. 21), Colin Abernethy Chemistry
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
United States Workers’ Movement: From Colonial Slavery
to Economic Globalization (p. 37), Noah Shuster
Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
First-Year Studies: Film as Popular Art (p. 45), Michael
Cramer Film History
Mainland Chinese Cinema, Culture, and Identity,
1949–Present (p. 47), Michael Cramer, Kevin
Landdeck Film History
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation
II (p. 55), Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
Black Feminist and Queer of Color Sexualities and
Genders (p. 85), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Acting Up: Performance and Performativity From
Enlightenment Era London to Golden Age
Hollywood (p. 92), James Horowitz Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Asian American History Through Art and Literature (p. 94),
Karintha Lowe Literature
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 96), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques Literature
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Existentialism (p. 119), Roy Ben-Shai Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Decolonial Theory: Philosophical Foundations and
Perspectives (p. 121), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
Astronomy (p. 123), Scott Calvin Physics
Polarization (p. 128), Samuel Abrams Politics
Presidential Leadership and Decision-Making (p. 129),
Samuel Abrams Politics
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in America (p. 130),
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
People Power in the History of United States
Policy (p. 145), Noah Shuster Public Policy
First-Year Studies: The Hebrew Bible (p. 146), Ron Afzal
Religion
THE CURRICULUM 79
Jewish History I: The People of the Book (p. 147), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Jewish History II: What Does it Mean to be
Modern? (p. 148), Joel Swanson Swanson Religion
Readings in Christian Mysticism: Late Antiquity (p. 148),
Ron Afzal Religion
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
Shakespeare for Writers (and Others) (p. 195), Vijay
Seshadri Writing
INFORMATION STUDIES
Information studies is the study of how information is
created, distributed, described, accessed, evaluated, and
received. The discipline critically analyzes all of these
facets of the world of information, as well as how the
transmission and consumption of information constructs
culture. On the practical side, the field also promotes
equitable access to that information. Information studies
at Sarah Lawrence College promotes actively engaging
these skills in the research process and in understanding
how information impacts society.
Information studies is inherently interdisciplinary
and employs principles and methodologies that are
applicable to research in most fields. The library is the
locus of information studies. And just as the library is the
place where one engages with any and all ideas, the field of
information studies investigates all disciplines.
Interrogating the Information
Ecosystem
LIBR 3000
Open, Seminar—Fall | 1 credit
We are surrounded—even bombarded—by information.
And like a biological ecosystem, there are many
interconnecting components and places in our information
ecosystem. In this course, we will survey some of the
dierent types of information. We’ll explore how to find,
evaluate, and contextualize information, as well as how to
use it in our research. We’ll interrogate the power
structure of information classification systems, the
practice of libraries and archives, and the privileging of
some kinds of knowledge—and knowledge makers—over
others. The course will combine theory and practice and
will be applicable across all information types and fields of
inquiry.
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
What kind of global society will evolve in the 21st century?
Linked by worldwide organizations and communications
yet divided by histories and ethnic identities, people
everywhere are involved in the process of reevaluation and
self-definition. To help students better understand the
complex forces that will determine the shape of the 21st
century, Sarah Lawrence College oers an
interdisciplinary approach to international studies.
Broadly defined, international studies include the
dynamics of interstate relations; the interplay of cultural,
ideological, economic, and religious factors; and the
multifaceted structures of Asian, African, Latin American,
Middle Eastern, and European societies.
A variety of programs abroad further extends
students’ curricular options in international studies. The
experience of overseas learning, valuable in itself, also
encourages more vivid cultural insight and integration of
dierent scholarly perspectives. The courses oered in
international studies are listed throughout the catalogue
in disciplines as diverse as anthropology, art history, Asian
studies, economics, environmental science, geography,
history, literature, politics, and religion.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 5), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Spaces of Exclusion: Places of Belonging (p. 6), Deanna
Barenboim Anthropology
Language, Politics, and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Immigration and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Chinese Literature, Folktales, and Popular Culture (p. 13),
Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953 (p. 14), Kevin Landdeck
Asian Studies
Popular Culture in China (p. 14), Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
80 Information Studies
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
Intermediate French II (p. 60), Jason Earle, Nicole Asquith
French
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Becoming Modern: Europe in the 19th Century (p. 69),
Philip Swoboda History
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
International Law (p. 70), Mark R. Shulman History
Human Rights (p. 71), Mark R. Shulman History
Asian Imperialisms, 1600–1953 (p. 73), Kevin Landdeck
History
Global Environmental History (p. 77), Matthew Ellis History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
The Edgy Enlightenment (p. 78), Philip Swoboda History
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia (p. 82), Tristana
Rorandelli Italian
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
In the Shadow of Russia: Language, Literature, and Identity
in Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus (p. 96), Melissa
Frazier Literature
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
International Political Economy (p. 129), Yekaterina
Oziashvili Politics
Presidential Leadership and Decision-Making (p. 129),
Samuel Abrams Politics
The Domestication of Us: Origins and Problems of the
State (p. 131), Yekaterina Oziashvili Politics
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 138), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Immigration and Identity (p. 142), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Beginning Russian (p. 152), Melissa Frazier Russian
Intermediate Russian (p. 152), Melissa Frazier Russian
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
ITALIAN
The study of Italian at Sarah Lawrence College oers both
the rigors of language study and the joys of immersion in
one of the richest cultures of the West. The course of
study consists of classroom, conference, and
conversational components, all enhanced by the flexible
academic structure of the College and its proximity to New
York City. In the classroom, students learn Italian
grammar, syntax, and phonology, using sources of
everyday communication and literary texts. In conference
sessions—especially helpful in customizing study to each
student’s level of fluency—students pursue reading and
writing related to topics that compel them. And in
conversation meetings, students simply talk with native
Italians about anything of common interest. Individual
conference projects may be as creative and diverse as
appropriate for each student and may include
interdisciplinary work in the Italian language.
As in other disciplines, the resources of New York
City enhance the student experience. Opera performances
at the Metropolitan Opera (after preparatory readings
from libretti), film series and lectures, museums, and
internships related to conference work all oer ways to
bring Italian to life. And for bringing students to Italy,
Sarah Lawrence’s study program in Florence maintains the
small scale and individual attention that is the mark of the
College, providing an exceptional opportunity to combine a
yearlong academic experience with the cultural immersion
of a homestay living arrangement. Advanced students
have the opportunity to spend the second semester of
their year abroad studying at the University of Catania in
Sicily.
THE CURRICULUM 81
The Italian program periodically oers literature
courses in Italian or in translation as part of the literature
curriculum. Among these courses are: Images of Heaven
and Hell; The Three Crowns: Dante, Petrarch, and
Boccaccio; and Fascism, World War II, and the Resistance
in 20th-Century Italian Narrative and Cinema.
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia
ITAL 3001
Tristana Rorandelli
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This course, for students with no previous knowledge of
Italian, aims at providing a complete foundation in the
Italian language, with particular attention to oral and
written communication and all aspects of Italian culture.
The course will be conducted in Italian after the first
month and will involve the study of all basic structures of
the language—phonological, grammatical, and
syntactical—with practice in conversation, reading,
composition, and translation. In addition to material
covering basic Italian grammar, students will be exposed
to fiction, poetry, songs, articles, recipe books, and films.
Group conferences (held once a week) aim at enriching
the students’ knowledge of Italian culture and developing
their ability to communicate. This will be achieved by
readings that deal with current events and topics relative
to today’s Italian culture. Activities in pairs or groups,
along with short written assignments, will be part of the
group conference. In addition to class and the group
conferences, the course has a conversation component in
regular workshops with the language assistant.
Conversation classes are held twice a week (in small
groups) and will center on the concept of Viaggio in Italia:
a journey through the regions of Italy through cuisine,
cinema, art, opera, and dialects. The Italian program
organizes trips to the Metropolitan Opera and relevant
exhibits in New York City, as well as the possibility of
experiencing Italian cuisine firsthand as a group. The
course is for a full year, by the end of which students will
attain a basic competence in all aspects of the language.
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian
Culture and Literature
ITAL 3510
Tristana Rorandelli
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: one year of college-level Italian or equivalent
This course aims at improving and perfecting the
students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, as
well as their knowledge of Italy’s contemporary culture
and literature. In order to acquire the necessary knowledge
of Italian grammar, idiomatic expressions, and vocabulary,
a review of all grammar will be carried out throughout the
year. As an introduction to modern Italian culture and
literature, students will be introduced to a selection of
short stories, poems, and passages from novels, as well as
specific newspaper articles, music, and films in the
original language. Some of the literary works will include
selections from Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino, Natalia
Ginzburg, Gianni Rodari, Marcello D’Orta, Clara Sereni,
Dino Buzzati, Stefano Benni, Antonio Tabucchi, Alberto
Moravia, Achille Campanile, and Elena Ferrante. In order to
address the students’ writing skills, written compositions
will be required as an integral part of the course. All
material is accessible on MySLC. Conferences are held on
a biweekly basis; topics might include the study of a
particular author, literary text, film, or any other aspect of
Italian society and culture that might be of interest to the
student. Conversation classes (in small groups) will be
held twice a week with the language assistant, during
which students will have the opportunity to reinforce what
they have learned in class and hone their ability to
communicate in Italian. When appropriate, students will
be directed to specific internship opportunities in the New
York City area, centered on Italian language and culture.
The full description of this related course may be found
under the appropriate discipline.
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
JAPANESE
The Japanese program oers courses in the Japanese
language and Japanese literature (in English translation).
In Japanese language courses, students build
communicative skills in listening comprehension,
speaking, reading, and writing. Students also meet weekly,
one-on-one, with a language assistant who supports each
step in developing Japanese language proficiency.
In Japanese literature courses, students explore the
richness and diversity of Japanese literature from its
earliest written records to contemporary fiction.
Sarah Lawrence College oers two ocial options to
study in Japan: Tsuda (Women’s) University in Tokyo and
Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka. Sarah Lawrence College
students also have the opportunity to spend a year
or semester in Japan on programs oered by other
approved colleges and universities. For more information:
http://www.sarahlawrence.edu/japan.
82 Japanese
Japanese I
JAPN 3001
Julia Clark
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This introduction to Japanese language and culture is
designed for students who have had little or no experience
learning Japanese. The goal of the course is to develop
four basic skills: listening comprehension, speaking,
reading, and writing (hiragana, katakana, and some basic
kanji) in modern Japanese, with an emphasis on
grammatical accuracy and socially appropriate language
use. Students will put these skills into practice through in-
class conversation, role play and group work, and biweekly
homework assignments. In addition to classes with the
faculty instructor, there are weekly, one-on-one tutorials
with one of the Japanese language assistants.
Japanese II
JAPN 3510
Izumi Funayama
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Japanese I or its equivalent and permission of
the instructor
Students will continue to develop basic skills in listening
comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing while
expanding their vocabulary and knowledge of grammar. At
the end of the course, students should be able to
eectively handle simple communicative tasks and
situations, understand simple daily conversations, write
short essays, read simple essays, and discuss their
content. In addition to classes with the faculty instructors,
there are weekly, one-on-one tutorials with one of the
Japanese language assistants.
Japanese III
JAPN 3700
Izumi Funayama
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Japanese II or equivalent and permission of
the instructor
The aim of this seminar is to advance students’ Japanese
language proficiency in speaking and listening, reading
(simple essays to authentic texts), and writing in various
styles (emails, essays, and/or creative writing). In addition
to classes with the faculty instructor, there are weekly,
one-on-one tutorials with one of the Japanese language
assistants.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Border-Crossing Japanese Media (p. 93), Julia Clark
Literature
The City in Modern Japanese Literature (p. 96), Julia Clark
Literature
Religion in Contemporary Japan (p. 149), Grith Foulk
Religion
LATIN
The Sarah Lawrence College classics program emphasizes
the study of the languages and literature of Ancient
Greece and Rome. Greek and Latin constitute an essential
component of any humanistic education, enabling
students to examine the foundations of Western culture
and explore timeless questions concerning the nature of
the world, the place of human beings in it, and the
components of a life well lived. In studying the literature,
history, philosophy, and society of the Ancient Greeks and
Romans, students come to appreciate them for
themselves, examine the continuity between the ancient
and modern worlds, and perhaps discover “a place to
stand”—an objective vantage point for assessing modern
culture.
In their first year of study, students acquire
proficiency in vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, with the
aim of reading accurately and with increasing insight.
Selected passages of ancient works are read in the original
languages almost immediately. Intermediate and
advanced courses develop students’ critical and analytical
abilities while exploring ancient works in their literary,
historical, and cultural context. Conference projects
provide opportunities for specialized work in areas of
interest in classical antiquity. Recent conference projects
include close readings of Homer’s Iliad, Aristophanes’s
Clouds, Pindar’s Odes, Plato’s Republic, Cicero’s de
Amicitia, the poetry of Catullus, and Vergil’s Aeneid, as
well as studies of modern theories of myth, Nietzsche’s
Birth of Tragedy (in connection with the tragedies of
Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides), the social
implications of Roman domestic architecture, and a
comparison of Euripides’s Hippolytus with Racine’s
Phèdre.
Greek and Latin will be especially beneficial for
students interested in related disciplines, including
religion, philosophy, art history, archaeology, history,
political science, English, comparative literature, and
medieval studies, as well as education, law, medicine, and
business. Greek and Latin can also prove valuable to all
those who wish to enrich their imagination in the creative
pursuits of writing, dance, music, visual arts, and acting.
THE CURRICULUM 83
Beginning Latin and registration
interview with the instructor
LATN 3001
Emily Anhalt
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This course provides an intensive introduction to Latin
grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, with a view to reading
the language as soon as possible. Close reading of Vergil’s
Aeneid in English translation will accompany intensive
language study in the fall. By mid-semester, students will
be reading authentic excerpts of Latin poetry and prose.
During the spring semester, while continuing to develop
and refine their knowledge of Latin grammar and
vocabulary, students will read selections of Vergil’s Aeneid
in Latin. The course is rigorous and time-consuming. Class
meets three times per week; individual conferences meet
once every two weeks; and students are expected to spend
a minimum of two hours/day, 6 days/week, preparing for
classes and conferences. If you enjoy the challenges and
satisfactions of hard work (and have good tolerance for
frustration), you will find Latin fun and extremely
rewarding.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 138), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINX
STUDIES
The Latin American and Latinx studies (LALS) program is
devoted to the interdisciplinary investigation of Latin
American, Caribbean, and Latinx cultures, politics, and
histories. Through a variety of disciplines, students will
have opportunities to explore the vibrant cultural life of
Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as the
experiences of Latinx communities in the United States.
Course oerings will include language, literature,
dance, film, music, art, and other cultural expressions as a
way to familiarize students with a world that is rich in
imagination, powerful in social impact, and defiant of the
stereotypes usually imposed upon it. Students will also
interrogate the complex political dynamics involved in
such processes as (post)colonialism, migration,
revolution, social movements, citizenship, and the cultural
politics of race, gender, sexuality, and class. The histories
of conquest, colonialism, development, and resistance in
the area also require broad inquiry into the often turbulent
and violent realities of political economic forces.
As this program is concerned with a broad set of
border crossings, faculty in LALS are also committed to
expanding educational experiences beyond Sarah
Lawrence College. Accordingly, students are encouraged
to study abroad through Sarah Lawrence College programs
in Cuba, Argentina, and Peru or with other programs in
Latin America. Students will also have opportunities to
explore the borderlands closer to Sarah Lawrence College,
including Latinx communities in New York City and
Westchester County.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 5), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Spaces of Exclusion: Places of Belonging (p. 6), Deanna
Barenboim Anthropology
Language, Politics, and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Immigration and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Making Latin America (p. 69), Margarita Fajardo History
84 Latin American and Latinx Studies
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
Immigration and Identity (p. 142), Deanna Barenboim
Psychology
Beginning Spanish: Introduction to Hispanic Popular
Cultures (p. 160), Danielle Dorvil Spanish
Intermediate Spanish: Contemporary Latin American
Women Writers (p. 160), Dana Khromov Spanish
Advanced Spanish: Figuring the Animal in Latin
America (p. 161), Dana Khromov Spanish
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND
TRANSGENDER STUDIES
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies (LGBT) is
an interdisciplinary field that engages questions extending
across a number of areas of study. Sarah Lawrence College
oers students the opportunity to explore a range of
theories and issues concerning gender and sexuality
across cultures, categories, and historical periods. This
can be accomplished through seminar course work and
discussion and/or individual conference research.
The Queer and Trans 1990s
LGST 3017
Amalle Dublon
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The 1990s was a period of aesthetic and critical foment
for queer and trans life and politics in the United States. In
New York, Los Angeles, and other cities, planned
gentrification and rezoning—and resistance to them—had
a lasting impact on the city's racial, sexual, and economic
landscapes and on a generation of media makers,
activists, artists, and writers. This course asks after the
ongoing cultural inheritance of the 1990s. We will study
questions of social life, sexual and racial politics, space,
and governance, as well as key concepts in performance
studies, critical race studies, Black studies, queer and
gender theory, and the economic left that emerged under
the pressures of this period. Through cultural objects,
critical writing, and archival material, we will trace how the
notion of “public sex” came into focus among queer and
trans organizers, cultural workers, and academics during
heightened responses to HIV/AIDS, intensified policing,
and state attacks on areas of sexual commerce and
recreation. How did shifting frameworks of “public space”
emerge alongside new techniques of protest, media-
making, and broadcast? How did entwined aesthetic and
social practices yield legacies of interdisciplinary
performance, poetry, printmaking, and photography? We
will explore the material and infrastructural histories that
shaped queer and trans cultural production, such as mass
demonstrations against policing, the nascent Internet, and
the dismantling of welfare and state arts funding. Over the
course of the term, students will develop and share with
the class response papers of three-to-four pages each, as
well as a self-driven research project.
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing
LGST 2016
Robert LaRue
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Within the last two decades, there has been an
exponential increase in mainstream discussions of LGBTQ
issues. For many within the LGBTQ community, however,
these mainstream images bring with them the sense that
to be gay is to be white. Although a few exceptions exist,
minorities are still left asking: Where are all the black,
brown, and yellow faces? This course addresses this
question, alongside another equally important one: How do
black, brown, and yellow gays and lesbians experience
their sexualities in and apart from these mainstream
images? Focusing on 21st-century texts (read broadly to
include, but not limited to, literature, poetry, nonfiction,
and film), we will work toward a deeper understanding of
what it means to be queer and a racial minority. In so
doing, we will work toward a better understanding of what
it means to belong to this (queer) nation.
Black Feminist and Queer of Color
Sexualities and Genders
LGST 3206
Benjamin Zender
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This is an introductory queer and feminist studies course
that centers the intellectual work of theorists within the
traditions known as Black Feminism and Queer of Color
Critique with the US academy. Each week, we will take up
a key debate or concern within the interdisciplinary field of
women, gender, and sexuality studies, pairing influential
works from the past alongside contemporary scholarship.
We’ll visit work by scholars including, but not limited to,
Sara Ahmed, Gloria Anzaldúa, Joshua Chambers-Letson,
Barbara Christian, Cathy Cohen, the Combahee Collective,
Roderick Ferguson, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Saidiya
Hartman, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Vivian Huang, E.
Johnson Patrick, Audre Lorde, Cherríe Moraga, José
Muñoz Esteban, Jennifer Nash, C. Snorton Riley, Hortense
Spillers, and Patricia Williams. Some topics will include
survival, loss, care, “the academy,” archives, identity
THE CURRICULUM 85
politics, respectability, and language. Conference projects
will be based on archival research at the Sarah Lawrence
College Archives. Students will meet every two weeks at
the SLC library in one of four conference groups organized
around overarching topics of concern and debate from the
class, including “identity and intersectionality,”
“institutionality and the academy,” “violence, resistance,
and care,” and “emotion.” Alongside individual seminar
projects, these four research groups will each produce a
co-authored archival “finding aid,” a guide for future
scholars who visit the SLC Archives.
Queer Americans: Henry James,
Gertrude Stein, Willa Cather, and
James Baldwin
LGST 3557
Julie Abraham
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Queer Americans certainly, James, Stein, Cather, and
Baldwin each fled “America.” James (1843-1916) and
Stein (1874-1946) spent their adult lives in Europe. Cather
(1873-1947) left Nebraska for Greenwich Village after a
decade in Pittsburgh, with a judge’s daughter along the
way. Baldwin (1924-1987) left Harlem for Greenwich
Village, then left the Village for Paris. As sexual subjects
and as writers, these four could hardly appear more
dierent; yet, Stein described James as “the first person
in literature to find the way to the literary methods of the
20th century,” Cather rewrote James to develop her own
subjects and methods, and Baldwin found in James’s
writings frameworks for his own. In the second half of the
19th century and the first half of the 20th, James, Stein,
and Cather witnessed the emergence of modern
understandings of homosexuality and made modern
literature, each pushing boundaries, always in subtle or
dramatic ways. (Stein, for example, managed to parlay the
story of her Paris life with Alice B. Toklas into an American
bestseller in 1933.) In the second half of the 20th century,
Baldwin began to dismantle modern understandings of
sexuality and of literature. Examining the development of
their works side by side will allow us to push the
boundaries of lesbian/gay/queer cultural analyses by
pursuing dierent meanings of “queer” and “American”
through an extraordinary range of subjects and forms.
Beginning with James on gender, vulnerability, and
ruthlessness, this course will range from Cather’s pioneers
and plantations to Stein on art and atom bombs and
Baldwin on sex and civil rights. We will read novels,
novellas, stories, essays, and memoirs by James, Cather,
and Baldwin, plus Stein’s portraits, geographical histories,
lectures, plays, operas, and autobiographies. Literary and
social forms were both inextricable and inseparable from
the gender and cross-gender aliations and the class,
race, and ethnic dierences that were all urgent matters
for these four. James’s, Stein’s, Cather’s, and Baldwin’s
lives and works challenge most conventional assumptions
about what it meant—and what it might mean—to be a
queer American. Conference projects may include
historical and political, as well as literary, studies, focusing
on any period from the mid-19th century to the present.
Queer Theory: A History
LGST 3864
Julie Abraham
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Queer theory emerged in the United States, in tandem with
Queer Nation, at the beginning of the 1990s as the
intellectual framework for a new round in ongoing contests
over understandings of sexuality and gender in Western
culture. “Queer” was presented as a radical break with
homosexual, as well as heterosexual, pasts. Queer
theorists and activists hoped to reconstruct lesbian and
gay politics, intellectual life, and culture; renegotiate
dierences of gender, race, and class among lesbians and
gay men; and establish new ways of thinking about
sexuality, new understandings of sexual dissidence, and
new relations among sexual dissidents. Nevertheless,
queer theory had complex sources in the intellectual and
political work that had gone before. And it has had,
predictably, unpredictable eects on subsequent
intellectual and political projects. This class will make the
history of queer theory the basis for an intensive study of
contemporary intellectual and political work on sexuality
and gender. We will also be addressing the fundamental
questions raised by the career of queer theory about the
relations between political movements and intellectual
movements, the politics of intellectual life, and the politics
of the academy—in the United States, in particular—over
the past half-century.
Queering the Library: Yonkers Public
Library Practicum
LGST 4010
Benjamin Zender
Advanced, Small seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor
In this practicum-style class—meeting weekly at the
Yonkers Public Library (YPL) Riverfront Branch—we will
pursue projects that will directly support eorts at the
library to build and publicize an LGBTQ+ archival
collection. Class readings will discuss the risks,
challenges, and rewards of building queer history through
archival collections, especially in the context of a public
institution like YPL. For conference work, students will
participate in one of three group projects at YPL. The Oral
86 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
History Project group will run public dialogue circles on
LGBTQ+ issues in Yonkers and conduct oral histories to be
housed in YPL’s public digital archives. The archives
acquisition project will build physical and digital
collections at the library and develop archival finding aids
to assist patrons with archival research. The exhibition
group will develop a small exhibition at YPL, sharing
Yonkers and Westchester-area history and showcasing
existing materials in YPL’s archival collection, including
materials developed by the first two project groups.
Students will ideally have have some level of experience
with queer studies as an academic discipline, archival
research, or applied work at nonprofits or other archives,
libraries, and/or museums.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Histories of Modern Art (p. 10), Sarah Hamill Art History
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Reconstructing Womanhood: Writers and Activists in the
United States, 1790s–1990s (p. 72), Lyde Cullen Sizer
History
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 94), Robert LaRue
Literature
James Baldwin (p. 97), Robert LaRue Literature
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in America (p. 130),
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
Emerging Adulthood (p. 141), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in Judaism (p. 149), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Transcending the American Dream: Redefining
Domesticity (p. 175), Nick Roseboro Visual and Studio
Arts
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
LITERATURE
The literature discipline introduces students to the history
of written culture from antiquity to the present day, as well
as to methods of research and textual analysis. Course
oerings cover major works in English and other
languages in addition to literary criticism and theory.
Some courses focus on individual authors (Virgil,
Shakespeare, Woolf, Murakami); others, on literary genres
(comedy, epic), periods (medieval, postmodern), and
regional traditions (African American, Iberian). Students
are encouraged to employ interdisciplinary approaches in
their research and to divide their time between past and
present, as well as among poetry, prose, drama, and
theoretical texts.
First-Year Studies: Romanticism to
Modernism in English Language
Poetry
LITR 1020
Neil Arditi
FYS—Year | 10 credits
One of the goals of this course is to demonstrate the ways
in which modern poetry originated in the Romantic period.
In the wake of the French Revolution, Blake, Wordsworth,
and Coleridge invented a new kind of autobiographical
poetry that internalized the myths they had inherited from
literary and religious traditions. The poet’s inner life
became the inescapable subject of the poem. In the
second semester, we will trace the impact of Romanticism
on subsequent generations of poets writing in English,
from Walt Whitman to T. S. Eliot. Our preeminent goal will
be to appreciate each poet’s—indeed, each
poem’s—unique contribution to the language. Our
understanding of literary and historical trends will emerge
from the close, imaginative reading of texts. Authors will
include, among others: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge,
Shelley, Keats, Whitman, Dickinson, Tennyson, Robert
Browning, Christina Rossetti, Hardy, Frost, Yeats, and T. S.
Eliot. Individual conferences will meet every week until
October Study Days and every other week thereafter.
First-Year Studies: Life Writing
LITR 1452
Emily Bloom
FYS—Year | 10 credits
Autobiographies, biographies, diaries, and memoirs are all
ways of capturing a life between the covers of a book. This
FYS course in literature will examine various genres of life
writing from the 19th through 21st centuries, from works
that attempt to tell a full “cradle-to-grave” story of a life to
experiments with shifting points of view or exploring
nonhuman consciousness. We will read examples of life
THE CURRICULUM 87
writing from the Victorian and Modernist periods, as well
as more recent graphic memoirs and works of autofiction.
Texts on the syllabus by Elizabeth Gaskell, George Orwell,
Audre Lorde, Maggie Nelson, and others reveal the
expansiveness of life-writing genres. These texts will raise
questions about how to distinguish truth from fabulation,
whether it is possible to fully know ourselves or others, the
degree to which an individual is shaped by his/her social
environment, and the reliability of memory. We will look at
how memoirists connect the introspective and personal to
wider political and historical concerns and how
biographers address both the triumphs and the failings of
their famous subjects. Visiting speakers will discuss their
experiences writing biographies and memoirs and what
they have learned in the process about writing,
researching, and publishing. Throughout the semester,
students will engage in analytic and reflective writing that
connects the course content to their own experiences and
observations. For conference work, students will have a
choice between three group conferences that will meet
biweekly. Each conference group will focus on a distinct
life-writing skill: reviews, interviews, and archival
research. Conference projects will include the following
options: 1) creating a review of books of recent biographies
and memoirs; 2) contributing to an interview-based
podcast series; and 3) making a digital project based on
archival research. The goal of the course is to learn a range
of writing and research skills while also tackling big
questions about what it means to live a good life.
Examining how to write a life, we will also explore how to
make a life as a writer in college and beyond.
First-Year Studies: Talking Back:
Techniques of Resistance in Afro-
Latin American Fiction
LITR 1002
Danielle Dorvil
FYS—Year | 10 credits
Afro-Latin American subjects have had a long tradition of
employing literature, newspapers, and films to participate
in national and international debates, such as the push for
a republic in Brazil and progress in the Dominican Republic
at the end of the 19th century, the integration and
celebration of Afrodescendent culture in Puerto Rico in the
1930s, and the implementation of Afrodescendent-
conscious initiatives in contemporary Colombian society.
While these outlets certainly served as a vehicle to
disseminate their thoughts on a variety of topics, their
materiality also attested to the undeniable existence and
agency of these subjects in such nations. In this course,
we will explore and evaluate cultural artifacts that have
impacted intellectual and artistic discourses in Latin
American societies from the 19th century to today.
Through poems, short stories, novels, newspaper articles,
and films by cultural thinkers including Maria Firmina dos
Reis, Salomé Ureña, Manuel Zapata Olivella, Victoria Santa
Cruz, and Marie Vieux-Chauvet, we will delve into the
visions that these thinkers had for themselves and their
respective societies. We will critically discuss their artistic
and political achievements at both local and international
levels to better situate their epistemology in the tradition
of the African diaspora. Students will learn the principles
of literary analysis and theory and employ them in written
assignments and class discussions. We will ground our
analysis of these cultural artifacts in their respective
sociopolitical contexts. Another important aspect of this
course is to facilitate students’ transition to college life. As
a result, we will meet every other week in group
conference to discuss topics related to this transition. The
other weeks, students will meet individually with the
professor to work on their conference projects. This
course will be taught entirely in English.
First-Year Studies: Fops, Coquettes,
and the Masquerade: Fashioning
Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage From
Shakespeare to Austen
LITR 1027
James Horowitz
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This FYS course asks how three persistently messy
topics—interpersonal desire, conjugal attachment, and
gender identity—were articulated and explored in the
literary arts across two centuries of cultural upheaval in
England: the 1590s to the 1810s, the late Renaissance to
the Romantic era. Our chief focus will be on drama,
narrative poetry, and prose fiction; but we will also sample
a range of other expressive modes, including sonnets,
journalism, and life-writing. Along the way, students will
be introduced to some of the most compelling figures in
literary history: the renegade epic poet John Milton (we
will read his masterpiece, Paradise Lost, in its entirety);
Aphra Behn, England’s first professional female author;
Eliza Haywood and Samuel Richardson, pioneers of the
realist novel; the elegantly devastating verse satirist
Alexander Pope; the cross-dressing memoirist Charlotte
Charke; and Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the founders of
modern feminism. Bracketing the yearlong course will be
comparatively extended coverage of the two most
influential and dazzling authors of courtship narratives in
English: William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. Additional
attention will be paid to earlier writers on sexuality and
marriage, such as Ovid and St. Paul, as well as to
contemporary work in queer theory and gender studies
and to a handful of early Hollywood films that are in
dialogue with the readings. By the end of the year,
88 Literature
students will have become measurably stronger at
thinking and writing critically about the literature of the
past and about cultural artifacts and practices more
broadly. Please note that this course will necessarily
include candid discussions of sensitive subject matter,
including sexual violence. This course will have biweekly
conferences alternating with some kind of small group
activity at least for the first semester; the alternating
small-group activity might be a lab, a workshopping
session, an ongoing project, etc.
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-
Century Italian Women Writers:
Rewriting Women’s Roles and the
Literary Canon
LITR 1426
Tristana Rorandelli
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This course will examine literature written by late 19th-
and 20th-century Italian women writers. In the newly
unified Italy, middle-class women began in great numbers
to access and contribute to literature as both readers and
writers. The increasing presence of women writers caused
great upheaval, as the male literary establishment viewed
the potential for a disruption to the canon. The anxiety
caused by their presence is visible in the manner in which
they were dismissed as imitating male literary models,
accused of excessive sentimentality and self-disclosure,
or dubbed by critics il pericolo roseo, “the pink danger” (L.
Zuccoli, Corriere della sera, March 24, 1911). Yet, many of
these women writers reveal sophistication in their ability
to experiment with genres and styles and engage with
some of Italy’s literary movements (e.g., verismo, futurism,
magic realism, neorealism) and intellectuals, as well as
crucial historical events such as fascism and World War II.
As we will see, they often question or reverse traditional
depictions of femininity. They show an awareness of the
social roles and expectations demanded of them and often
interrogate such roles and some of the tropes present in
the works of the time (e.g., the femme fatale, the self-
sacrificing wife and mother). Many of them assert their
own defiant voice and their own perspective as women
writers, (re)claiming a place in the canon of Italian
literature. In this course, we will explore how their works
address social issues related to family, marriage, and
women’s changing roles, as well as the place of women’s
writing in the Italian literary canon. Our readings will
include works by Marchesa Colombi (M. A. Torriani),
Sibilla Aleramo, Grazia Deledda, Ada Negri, Rosa Rosà,
Paola Masino, Renata Viganò, Joyce Lussu, Anna Banti,
Anna Maria Ortese, Alba de Céspedes, Elsa Morante,
Natalia Ginzburg, and Dacia Maraini. These works will be
examined in dialogue with the literary production and
ideas of male or canonical authors. Primary sources will
range from fiction (novels, short stories, and fictional
diaries) to autobiographical texts, poems, plays, and
newspaper articles; these sources will be supplemented
by secondary readings on women’s literature and history
and on occasion by films. No previous knowledge of Italian
is required. Students proficient in Italian may opt to read
sources in the original. Conference topics may include the
study of a particular author, literary text, or topic relevant
to the course and that is of interest to the student. As an
FYS course, students will meet individually in conference
with the instructor/don every week until October Study
Days and every two weeks after that.
Theatre and the City
LITR 2028
Joseph Lauinger
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Athens, London, Paris, Berlin, New York...the history of
Western theatre has always been associated with cities,
their politics, their customs, their geography, their
audiences. This course will track the story of theatre as it
originates in the Athens of the fifth-century BCE and
evolves into its dierent expressions and practices in
cities of later periods, all of them seen as “capitals” of
civilization. Does theatre civilize, or is it merely a reflection
of any given civilization whose cultural assumptions
inform its values and shape its styles? Given that ancient
Greek democracy gave birth to tragedy and comedy in civic
praise of the god Dionysos—from a special coupling of the
worldly and the sacred—what happens when these genres
recrudesce in the unsavory precincts of Elizabethan
London, the polished court of Louis XIV, the beer halls of
Weimar Berlin, and the neon “palaces” of Broadway?
Sometimes the genres themselves are challenged by
experiments in new forms or by performances deliberately
situated in unaccustomed places. By tinkering with what
audiences have come to expect or where they have come
to assemble, do playwrights like Euripides, Brecht, and
Sarah Kane destabilize civilized norms? Grounding our
work in Greek theatre, we will address such questions in a
series of chronological investigations of the theatre
produced in each city: Athens and London in the first
semester; Paris, Berlin, and New York in the second.
Postwar German Literature and Film
LITR 2040
Roland Dollinger
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 3 credits
In this course, students will first get a brief historical
overview of postwar German history by watching a
YouTube video and reading an essay about Germany’s
THE CURRICULUM 89
defeat in 1945. Then, we will study several short stories
about the war by Heinrich Böll, perhaps the most famous
writer in postwar Germany; a play by Wolfgang Borchert
about a German soldier coming home from the war and
having no home anymore, in conjunction with the 1946
movie Murderers Among Us; Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s play,
The Visit, together with Fassbinder’s movie, The Marriage
of Maria Braun; Max Frisch’s parable about anti-Semitism;
Jurek Becker’s novel, Jacob the Liar, about Jewish life and
death in a ghetto; two narratives from Sebald’s The
Emigrants, both of which are dealing with the aftereects
of traumatic experiences during World War II; Eugen
Ruge’s In Times of Fading Light, a family novel covering
East German history, in conjunction with movies about life
in East Germany under constant surveillance by the secret
police (The Lives of Others and Barbara); and Natascha
Wodin’s novel about her family’s tragic history in both the
Ukraine and postwar Germany. Thematically, all of these
texts and movies are tied by one common theme: the
question of how German writers and filmmakers were
dealing with the legacy of both National Socialism and
Stalinism from 1945 to today.
This lecture (three credits) is taught in English and open to
all students; German language skills are not required. If you
are an Advanced German student, however, you have the
option of taking this lecture for five credits; during our
extra meetings, we will work on all aspects of Advanced
German—reading, speaking, and writing—by discussing
(in German) the same and/or other postwar German texts
not covered in this lecture, as well as reviewing grammar.
The Early Modern Supernatural
LITR 2047
Chris Klippenstein
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Witches, devils, familiars, and fairies—according to
popular belief, the world of Renaissance England was
swarming with supernatural forces who were ready to
bless, curse, meddle, and strike dangerous bargains with
unwary mortals. This theatre-focused course will
approach the early modern supernatural from three key
perspectives: social, literary, and scientific. Delving into
Shakespearean classics like Macbeth and The
Tempest—as well as the magnificent Ford, Dekker, and
Rowley play The Witch of Edmonton, Greene's rival
magicians Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, the surprising
werewolf of Webster's The Duchess of Malfi, and
others—we will explore the role of stage eects, costume,
props, and other early modern theatrical devices in
bringing supernatural forces to life. Drawing on the 17th
century's fascination with geographical exploration and
scientific discovery, we will read Jonson's The Alchemist
alongside prose imaginings of lunar voyages (Godwin's
The Man in the Moone) and extraterrestrial journeys
(Cavendish's The Blazing World) that articulate early
modern anxieties and opportunities about a rapidly
expanding world and its unexpected inhabitants.
Throughout the semester, we will draw particular attention
to the humans who were believed to have special access to
supernatural forces. How do gender, race, and social class
intersect with contemporary fears about power and
vulnerability through magical means? And how can we use
these texts to develop a more nuanced conceptual
understanding of the natural, the supernatural, and the
unnatural in early modern England? (Readings are subject
to change, but they will all be fabulous.)
Narrating Blackness
LITR 2009
Robert LaRue
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
What can narratives of Blackness tell us about (1) who
counts as Black and (2) the ideologies of the times in
which these narratives are oered? Using this question as
our guiding light, in this course we will interrogate films,
fiction, and nonfiction to explore how Blackness has been
attached to certain bodies at important moments in
history and in order to promote specific ideologies.
Beginning with Enlightenment-era Europe (17th and 18th
century) and concluding in the 21st century, we analyze
how Blackness has come to serve as both a label and an
identity for particular groups of people and a means for
establishing and rearming social boundaries—paying
particular attention to issues of gender and sexuality. At
every turn, we will work to understand how narratives of
Blackness impact us all.
Dreaming in the Middle Ages: Poetry,
Imagination, and Knowledge
LITR 2016
Lucy Mookerjee
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will introduce students to the poetry produced
and read in England during the period 1150–1500, with
particular emphasis on the literary phenomenon of the
“dream vision.” Typically, dream-vision narratives adhere
to a sequence in which an anguished dreamer falls asleep,
wakes in a beautiful otherworld, encounters a guide, and
ultimately wakes from the dream before its significance
can be explained. The audience is left to interpret the
“vision.” These medieval dream-visions predate Freud’s
theory of “the interpretation of dreams” by 500 years, yet
they suggest eerily similar insights about personality, self-
delusion, and self-discovery. Over the course of the
semester, we will explore how authors such as Chaucer,
90 Literature
the Pearl-poet, William Langland, and the anonymous
compilers of Middle English romance capitalized on the
dream-vision as a “safe-space” to explore controversial
topics. Alongside works by these authors, we will look at
scientific literature on medieval psychology, as well as
digital images from the manuscripts discussed in class. In
biweekly group conferences, students will interrogate the
role of the medieval dream-vision through an inclusive
collision of perspectives. Throughout, the course will
embrace a broader set of questions: If dreams—like
poems—need to be interpreted in order to be understood,
does this suggest that poetry is capable of producing
knowledge? What, ultimately, is the “value” or “purpose”
of poetry?
Modernism and Media
LITR 2018
Emily Bloom
Sophomore and Above, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Do new media fundamentally alter the way we produce
and consume works of art? This seems like a 21st-century
question, but it was also a central preoccupation for
modernist writers in the first half of the 20th century.
How, they asked, can literature reach the distracted
modern reader? Writers we will read this semester, such
as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, rejected Victorian
literary conventions, which they argued were no longer
able to touch the modern reader’s senses directly; in doing
so, however, they relied on techniques such as collage,
allusion, stream of consciousness, and symbolism that
often alienated the “common reader.” Other forms of
entertainment were increasingly available to such readers:
the cinema, the music hall, newspapers, radio, and (later)
television. Literature was, for many, losing its audience to
these other venues. Scholars have argued that modernism
emerged as a reaction against the rise of mass culture;
however, as we will see in this course, modernist reactions
to media are, in fact, diverse and complicated. We will
identify and explore a range of critical approaches and, in
so doing, will detail the extent to which modernist
aesthetics emerged alongside the rise of new forms of
popular mass culture—whether as a negative, positive, or
ambivalent response. We will also interrogate the enduring
legacy of modernist approaches to media and question
whether we have, in fact, moved beyond these concerns or
whether they continue to define our literary and popular
cultures. Working through a range of texts—including
novels and stories, as well as radio plays, manifestos, and
films—we will identify the intimate relationship between
modernism and changing media.
African American Fiction after 1945
LITR 2051
Robert LaRue
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course in no way attempts comprehensive coverage
of African American literature after 1945. Rather, we will
read select texts published between 1945 and the present
to explore how African American worldviews have shifted
and/or remained consistent since the end of World War II.
Particular attention will be paid to how African Americans
use specific components of fiction (e.g., character,
narrative, and setting) with the express purpose of
discovering what fiction oers African Americans longing
to make sense of their place in the world. Ultimately, while
we will approach each piece as a snapshot of the nation,
our discussions will be rooted in a recognition of the
present as a conversation with the past.
What Should I Do? Democracy,
Justice, and Humanity in Ancient
Greek Tragedy
LITR 3085
Emily Anhalt
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Are human beings capable of self-government? What does
that require? As modern authoritarian movements imperil
democratic institutions, norms, and the rule of law,
ancient Greek tragedies illuminate values and aspirations
underpinning democracy and modern liberal ideals of
justice, equality, and universal human rights. Tragedy and
democracy emerged simultaneously in ancient Athens in
the late 6th century BCE and flourished throughout the
5th century BCE. Ancient Greece never achieved
egalitarian politics or anything close to universal human
rights, but Athenian tragedies emphasize the essential
equality of all human beings in our vulnerability to
suering and death. Surviving plays of Aeschylus,
Sophocles, and Euripides dramatize the costs of tyranny,
anger, vengeance, and cruelty—to perpetrators, as well as
to victims. Commending honesty, generosity, and
compassion, tragedies locate nobility not in genetic
inheritance, group aliation, socioeconomic status,
numerical superiority, or even moral or ideological
convictions but, rather, in our conduct as individuals.
Tragedies expose the consequences of human words and
actions, as characters make choices conducive to success
or failure for themselves and their communities. State-
sponsored and publicly performed, tragedies made self-
reflection and self-criticism a fundamental feature of
Athenian democratic politics and society. “What should I
do?” encapsulates the central question of every ancient
Greek tragedy and every moment of our own lives. This
course is designed for anyone interested in understanding
THE CURRICULUM 91
the false promise of authoritarianism and appreciating the
origins, goals, and possibilities for a free, humane,
equitable democratic society.
Registration interview required.
Travel Literature
LITR 3033
Una Chung
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Fernando Pessoa wrote, “Life is what we make of it. Travel
is the traveler. What we see isn’t what we see but what we
are.” This intriguing insight into the nature of travel oers
the starting point for an exploration of a diverse selection
of modern and contemporary literature. We will explore
travel literature as a site for documentation and
transformation of personal and collective experience in
the 20th and 21st centuries. We will also make our own
forays into travel writing with weekly field notebook
exercises, involving disciplined training in practices of
perception, studies of terrain, note-taking and creative
nonfiction writing. Major topics of the course include exile,
memory, migration, fantasy, ruins, mapping, dislocation,
borders, bardo. Authors may include W.G. Sebald, Teju
Cole, Christa Wolf, William Gardner Smith, Antal Szerb,
E.M. Forster, Michael Ondaatje, Amitav Ghosh, Arundhati
Roy, Bhanu Kapil, Ocean Vuong, Cristina Rivera Garza,
Samanta Schweblin, Yoko Tawada, Theresa Hak Kyung
Cha, Robert Macfarlane, Saidiya Hartman, Han Kang,
among others. This course will have biweekly conferences;
for students in a first-year cohort, weekly conferences will
be held in the first 6 weeks of the fall semester.
Acting Up: Performance and
Performativity From Enlightenment
Era London to Golden Age Hollywood
LITR 3327
James Horowitz
Open, Large seminar—Year | 10 credits
Powdered, rued, and bewigged, the ghosts of the 17th-
and 18th-century playhouse still stalk the stages, screens,
and red carpets of the global entertainment industry. After
a period of suppression by a puritan government, London
theatres came roaring back to life in the 1660s, thanks in
part to England’s first professional female actors—by
some accounts the original modern celebrities—and the
reign of a king, Charles II, who was besotted with drama
and the people who made it. Over the coming century, the
practice and theory of the theatrical arts would be
thoroughly and durably transformed, and a new dramatic
canon would be consolidated through both print and
repertory enactment. Theatre was not only big business in
Enlightenment Europe but also, arguably, the
representative art form of the age. Part of the public’s
fascination with stagecraft lay in the unsettling questions
it raised about the nature of performance itself, not only as
a form of artistic practice but also as an element of social
and political life: What if, for instance, our putatively God-
given identities (king and subject, wife and husband) were
merely factitious roles that could be adopted or discarded
at will? This yearlong “large seminar” considers how
authors and theatrical professionals from the 1660s to the
1790s imagined the potential of performance to
transform—or sometimes to reinforce—the status quo,
with a look ahead to major films, mostly from classical
Hollywood, that inherited and adapted the legacy of
Restoration and 18th-century entertainments. Our
primary emphasis will be on plays, with a survey of major
Enlightenment Era comedies (some of the funniest and
most outrageous ever written), parodies, afterpieces,
heroic tragedies, imperial pageants, sentimental dramas,
and Gothic spectacles by authors such as William
Wycherley, George Etherege, John Dryden, Aphra Behn,
Susanna Centlivre, John Gay, Henry Fielding, Richard
Brinsley Sheridan, and Elizabeth Inchbald. We will also
consider nondramatic writing on performance and
theatrical culture, including 18th-century acting manuals,
racy theatrical memoirs, and a “masquerade novel” by
Eliza Haywood, in addition to films by directors such as
Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Ernst Lubitsch, Oscar
Micheaux, F. W. Murnau, Lois Weber, and Billy Wilder. Wigs
are not required.
Major Figures in 20th-Century
European Poetry (in Translation)
LITR 3051
Neil Arditi
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Against the backdrop of the bloodiest half-century in
human history, Continental European culture produced an
astonishingly rich and diverse body of lyric poetry. Robert
Frost famously remarked that “poetry is what gets lost in
translation.” But the unmistakable genius of modern
European poetry survives its passage into English
(inevitable losses notwithstanding), thanks in no small
part to the inspired eorts of its translators. In this course,
we will learn to hear the voices they have made available
to English-language readers, often comparing multiple
translations of a single poem or referring to the original in
opposing-page editions. We will read selections from at
least 12 poets translated from seven languages, including:
Cavafy, Valéry, Rilke, Trakl, Pessoa, Akhmatova,
Mandelstam, Tsvetaeva, Lorca, Cernuda, Montale, and
Celan.
92 Literature
Literary Theory
LITR 3072
Una Chung
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This course provides an introduction to the diverse field of
literary theory. The elusive question—What is
literature?—has been addressed in widely dierently ways
by linguists, historians, philosophers, writers,
psychoanalysts, hackers, revolutionaries, and so on, and in
dierent times and places. The concept of literature has at
times been substituted by other words, such as text,
writing, sign, machine, aect, performance, and network,
to name a few, which necessarily require changes in our
understanding of related concepts, such as author,
audience, and context. We will explore experimental
approaches to the writing of criticism as a part of our
study of literary theory.
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen,
Chekhov, and Wilson
LITR 3156
Joseph Lauinger
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Theatre emerges from social rituals; and as a communal
exercise, theatre requires people to work together toward
a common purpose in shared and demarcated physical
space. Yet, the very notion of “character,” first expressed
in the indelibly defining mask of the ancient Greek
protagonist, points paradoxically toward the spirit,
attraction, and trial of individuation. And so we have been
given Medea, Hamlet, and Tartue, among the many
dramatic characters whose unique faces we recognize and
who speak to us not only of their own conflicts but also of
something universal and timeless. In the 19th century,
however, the Industrial Revolution, aggressive capitalism,
imperialism, Darwinism, socialist revolution, feminism, the
new science of psychology, and the decline of religious
clarity about the nature of the human soul—all of these,
among other social factors—force the question as to
whether individual identity has point or meaning, even
existence. Henrik Ibsen, a fiercely “objective” Norwegian
self-exile, and Anton Chekhov, an agnostic Russian doctor,
used theatre—that most social of arts—to challenge their
time, examining assumptions about identity, its troubling
reliance on social construction, and the mysteries of self-
consciousness that elude resolution. The test will be to see
how what we learn from them equips us—or fails to do
so—in a study of August Wilson, an African American
autodidact of the 20th century, whose plays represent the
impact, both outrageous and insidious, of American
racism on “characters” denied identity by definition.
The Marriage Plot: Love and
Romance in Classic American and
English Fiction
LITR 3526
Nicolaus Mills
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
“Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding we had,” Charlotte
Brontë’s title character exclaims in the concluding chapter
of Jane Eyre. Jane’s wedding may be quiet, but the steps
leading up to her marriage with a man who once employed
her as a governess are dramatic—and so are the steps
leading to marriage in the other classic marriage-plot
novels with which this course begins. From Jane Austen’s
Emma, to Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady, the novels
we read in the first half of this yearlong course reflect the
thinking of the heroine of George Eliot’s Middlemarch, who
observes, “Marriage is so unlike everything else. There is
something even awful in the nearness it brings.” Nothing,
in short, is “conventional” about the 19th-century English
and American classics of Austen, Brontë, Dickens, Eliot,
and James that we will study. They lead directly to Edith
Wharton’s The House of Mirth and the modern novels that
we will take on in the second half of the course, which
range from Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar
and Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Love and romance are
at the heart of the books that will dominate our reading,
but so are laughs and gender politics in addition to the
heartache that is part of any serious relationship.
This course may be taken as an FYS course with
permission of the instructor.
Border-Crossing Japanese Media
LITR 3812
Julia Clark
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
What is the relationship between the language(s) we
speak, the nation in which we live, and our understanding
of ourselves? If language and place help shape our
identity, what can we learn from those caught between
borders and living in multiple tongues? This course
examines transnational literary texts and films both to
learn about the lived experiences and aesthetic
experimentation of a variety of Japanese-language
authors and directors and to explore how language,
literature, and visual media are related more broadly to
conceptions of “national belonging.” The works covered in
this course highlight the destabilization of identity that
accompanies both the act of border crossing and the
geopolitical upheavals that cause those borders to shift
and be redrawn, from the forced assimilation of colonial
subjects during Japan’s imperial period, to the US
THE CURRICULUM 93
military’s postwar occupation of Japan, to contemporary
narratives of globalization, postmodern identity, and the
internal borders that today demarcate Japan’s regional
cultures and dialects. Through close readings of these
texts and films, we will explore the ways that authors in
Japan—who have historically been marginalized based on
race and ethnicity, class, linguistic ability, and/or
gender—have sought to challenge the Japanese national
literary cannon and the very notion of “the nation” itself.
Students are expected to develop a related research
project over the course of the term through conference
work that delves deeply into the production, circulation,
and reception of some aspect of modern Japanese media.
The 19th-Century Russian Novel
LITR 3811
Melissa Frazier
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Henry James called them “baggy monsters”; for the
Vicomte de Vogüé, they were not Romans, but Russians.
This course will argue that the Russian novel is marked
above all by its persistent posing of the question of form.
We will begin with Bakhtin’s theory of the novel and also
with Tolstoy’s essay, “A Few Words About War and Peace,”
which claims that War and Peace is not a novel but only
the latest in a long line of 19th-century Russian non-
novels, including Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, Gogol’s Dead
Souls, and Dostoevsky’s House of the Dead. We will read all
of these works and more, as we attempt to answer the
double question that Tolstoy raises—not just “What is the
‘novel’?” but also “What do we mean by ‘Russia’?”
Contemporary Revisions of
Shakespearean Tragedy
LITR 3090
Chris Klippenstein
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is built around contemporary Shakespearean
revisions in our own historical moment: modern plays, all
written in the past 30 years, that reframe canonical
Shakespearean tragedies from the perspectives of
neglected daughters, humble servants, anonymous
soldiers, and other characters who were relegated to the
background in their original contexts. More than simply
examining Shakespeare in a new setting, we will explore
prequels, sequels, and retellings that use marginalized
racial, class, and gender perspectives to breathe radical
new life into canonical tragedies, including Macbeth and
Othello. As a class, we will strive to develop a nuanced
vocabulary for the relationships between Shakespearean
tragedies and their present-day reimaginings. Along the
way, we will explore questions of adaptation, genre, and
social identity. Readings will include Zinnie Harris's
Macbeth (an undoing) (2023), Toni Morrison's
Desdemona (2012), David Grieg's Dunsinane (2010), and
Djanet Sears's Harlem Duet (1997). What is it about
Shakespeare that continues to speak, so urgently, to our
own time and place? How does re-centering marginalized
voices help to reclaim, reimagine, or reproduce tragic
modes? And how might we critically position texts, like
Keith Hamilton Cobb's O-Broadway hit American Moor
(2019), that reflect on Shakespearean plays themselves
as objects of study and engagement?
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing
LITR 3016
Robert LaRue
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Within the last two decades, there has been an
exponential increase in mainstream discussions of LGBTQ
issues. For many within the LGBTQ community, however,
these mainstream images bring with them the sense that
to be gay is to be white. Although a few exceptions exist,
minorities are still left asking: Where are all the black,
brown, and yellow faces? This course addresses this
question, alongside another equally important one: How do
black, brown, and yellow gays and lesbians experience
their sexualities in and apart from these mainstream
images? Focusing on 21st-century texts (read broadly to
include, but not limited to, literature, poetry, nonfiction,
and film), we will work toward a deeper understanding of
what it means to be queer and a racial minority. In so
doing, we will work toward a better understanding of what
it means to belong to this (queer) nation.
Asian American History Through Art
and Literature
LITR 3214
Karintha Lowe
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
From Karen Tei Yamashita’s novel, I Hotel, to Emmanual
Han’s photographic series, America Fever, contemporary
Asian American artists and writers have often mined the
historical record for creative inspiration. In this course, we
will explore how 20th- and 21st-century Asian American
novelists, poets, photographers, and painters have turned
to the arts in order to reimagine major events in US
history. Beginning with the Gold Rush (1848-1855) and
concluding in the early 2000s, our chronology will be
expansive, as we pay particular attention to how artists
and writers have turned to their chosen media forms in
order to craft more inclusive representations of American
history. At the same time, we will interrogate the ethical
implications and historical limitations of reconstructing
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and reimagining the past—especially in relation to themes
of migration, violence, erasure, and identity. In reading
across time periods and genres, students will ultimately
develop a deeper understanding of the key themes and
methods that inform the interdisciplinary field of Asian
American studies. Likely artists will include: Stephanie
Shih, Martin Wong, Zarina, Albert Chong, Hung Liu, Linda
Sok, and Phung Huynh. Likely authors will include: C. Pam
Zhang, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Ocean Vuong, Jhumpa Lahiri,
and Mohsin Hamid. Readings will be supplemented by
primary sources and mini lectures, which will
contextualize our creative readings within larger socio-
historical frames.
American Renaissance: Classic
American Literature of the 19th
Century
LITR 3068
Nicolaus Mills
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Beginning in the mid-19th century, a small group of
American writers published a series of books that, by
virtue of their quality, brought a new richness to American
literature. This American renaissance, as the literary
historian F. O. Matthiessen called it, had at its center a
belief in “the possibilities of democracy.” It was an
undertaking that sought to fulfill the hopes unleashed
generations earlier by the American Revolution. This
course will focus on the prose masterworks of the
American renaissance writers and two of their successors,
Henry James and Mark Twain. We will begin with a
memoir, Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, continue with
Henry Thoreau’s Walden, and then move on to four novels:
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Herman
Melville’s Moby Dick, Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady,
and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. The aim of this course
is to look closely at a set of representative texts and to see
in them a modernity in which their central characters (in
the case of Douglass and Thoreau, the authors
themselves) defy the limits of the society in which they
grew up and—in the extreme case of The Scarlet Letter’s
Hester Prynne, who has a child out of wedlock in Puritan
New England—lose the right to privacy.
Animals and Animality in Medieval
Literature and Culture
LITR 3039
Gillian Adler
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course examines, through medieval texts and
manuscripts, the complex imagination of animals and
animality in the Middle Ages. Critical theories of the
Animal Turn seek to reevaluate the relationship between
animals and human beings, envisioning the history of the
animal as not only environmental but also intellectual,
cultural, technological, economic, and as a history of
marginalization. Integrating our interdisciplinary study of
medieval culture with these theories, we will consider
textual and visual materials that recognize the essential,
varied, and often surprising roles that animals play and
that question an anthropocentric vision that has often
otherized animals and animality. Online archives and other
digital resources will help us navigate portrayals of
animals found in bestiaries, romance narratives, and
saints’ lives. In addition, students will learn about the
critical importance of animal studies to current
environmental justice issues. This course will participate
in the Spring 2025 Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary
Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) Mellon course
cluster, with a focus on environmental and climate justice
and an involvement with local organizations. The semester
will include two interludes during which students will
engage in collaborative projects across disciplines and in
partnership with students from Bronx Community College.
Students will have the opportunity to develop field-based
conference projects.
Disability, Media, and Literature
LITR 3340
Emily Bloom
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course examines representations of disability in
literature and other media while also exploring how
disability shapes the experience of readers and audiences.
Course readings will include stories such as H. G. Wells’s
The Country of the Blind, novels like Joseph Conrad’s The
Secret Agent, and poetry collections like Ilya Kaminsky’s
Deaf Republic. We will also watch films such as The Diving
Bell and the Butterfly and Crip Camp. In addition to these
works, we will read a range of secondary texts about the
history of audiobooks for the blind and dyslexic, sign-
language poetics, and legislation for closed captioning,
among other topics. We will look at particular artists and
their work to consider how a deaf playwright approaches
writing for the stage, how a blind memoirist describes her
experiences in art museums, and how an actor with
cerebral palsy experiences the physicality of his craft.
Conference work will include community engagement with
the Wartburg Adult Care Community. You will be asked to
consider the access needs of seniors at Wartburg and
work together to help make literature, music, and film
more accessible to them.
THE CURRICULUM 95
The City in Modern Japanese
Literature
LITR 3804
Julia Clark
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course examines the literary representation of urban
space throughout modern and contemporary Japanese
literature, considering how the figure of the city serves as
a literary technique through which authors navigate issues
of modernity, personal identity, the nation, and the world.
Through close readings of texts written by Japanese,
Korean, and Asian American authors that traverse Tokyo,
Osaka, Berlin, colonized Seoul, semicolonial Shanghai, and
visions of the cosmopolis of the future, we will explore the
city in literature as a space that complicates and even
transcends the borders of the nation in its navigation of
collective histories and personal memories—with a
particular focus on how representations of race, ethnicity,
gender, and class intersect within the literary city. The
course introduces basic concepts from urban semiotics
and other philosophies of the production of space as a
method for analyzing the uses of space in literature, as
well as introducing recent scholarship in Japanese studies
that presents new perspectives on the relationship of
urban architecture, global and local geopolitics, and
cultural production. We will explore a number of topics in
modern, postwar, and contemporary Japanese history
through the framework of “the city,” including early
Japanese encounters with “the West” in the Meiji period,
cosmopolitanism in the Japanese Empire, black markets
in the aftermath of World War II, segregated spaces and
the experiences of minority groups in the postwar period,
and the social and material transformations of urban
spaces in Japan after natural disasters such as the 3/11
Triple Disaster in 2011. We will also consider Japanese
American engagement with the space of New York City.
Through conference work, students will conduct individual
research projects in service of extended creative and
scholarly reflection on their own relationship to the urban
space(s) they occupy and see represented in
contemporary media.
Black Studies and the Archive
LITR 3007
Mary Dillard, Elias Rodriques
Open, Joint seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Marches, walkouts, and occupations roiled the campus of
San Francisco State University in the fall of 1968. Among
the organizers’ demands was the institution of the first
Black studies department in the country. More than 50
years later, Black studies has both reshaped existing
disciplines and formed departments in colleges across the
nation. How might returning to this history reshape our
understanding of Black studies, of student movements, of
American universities, and of history more generally? This
interdisciplinary course seeks to answer these and more
questions by studying the archival documents on Black
studies at Sarah Lawrence alongside history, literature,
film, and theory. In this course, students will participate in
a traditional seminar and will spend one session a week in
the campus archives. The latter will both engage students
in rigorous archival research and result in a conference
project helping to narrate the understudied history of
Black Studies at Sarah Lawrence. Authors and filmmakers
may include W. E. B. Du Bois, Nella Larsen, Zadie Smith,
Spike Lee, Robin Kelley, and more.
In the Shadow of Russia: Language,
Literature, and Identity in Poland,
Ukraine, and Belarus
LITR 3074
Melissa Frazier
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
The conflation of Russian nationalism and Russian
imperialism that so often marks our understanding of
cultural production in the Russian and Soviet empires, as
well as in the post-Soviet space, has often gone unnoticed
in the West. As the extraordinary resistance of Ukraine in
the face of current Russian aggression makes clear, a
remapping of that literary landscape is long overdue. This
course will draw on some historical context while
centering our attention on the extraordinary flowering of
contemporary Polish, Belarusian, and Ukrainian literature.
We will begin with the Polish context and Adam
Mickiewicz’s long narrative poem, Pan Tadeusz (1834),
written at a time when Poland had been wiped o the map
as an independent state. We will then shift to the 20th
century to take in cultural production in and around World
War II, still a touchstone for this part of the world,
including the blend of the real and the fantastic in the
short stories of Bruno Schulz, as well as Andrzej Wajda’s
tribute to the Solidarity movement in his 1977 film, Man of
Marble. We will then turn to the 21st century and two
novels by the 2018 Nobel prize winner, Olga Tokarczuk:
Flights (2007) and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the
Dead (2009). In our reading of Ukrainian literature, we will
again start with a 19th-century poet, Taras Shevchenko, as
well as Nikolai Gogol, a Ukrainian who has long been read
as a canonical figure in the Russian tradition. We will then
jump to the late 20th and early 21st centuries with Oksana
Zabuzhko’s influential Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex (1996),
as well as works by writers including Evgenia Belorusets,
Serhiy Zhadan, and Andriy Kurkov. We will end the course
with a brief look at the Belarusian tradition, starting with
World War II and the short stories of Soviet-Belarusian
writer Vasil Bykau (in Russian, Vasil Bykov), as well as
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Soviet-Ukrainian filmmaker Larisa Shepitko’s adaptation
of Bykau’s The Ordeal in her 1977 film, The Ascent. We will
then read Voices From Chernobyl (1997) by another recent
Nobel prize winner, Svetlana Alexievich, before finishing
with Alhierd Baharevich and the extraordinary decision of
his translators to echo Baharevich’s own use of two
dierent languages in Alindarka's Children (2014)—in
Petra Reid and Jim Dingley’s 2020 translation, the
Russian language of the novel is translated into English
and the Belarusian into Scots.
James Baldwin
LITR 3174
Robert LaRue
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
James Baldwin is one of the most incisive and astute
writers that the world has ever known. Black, queer, and
fundamentally American, Baldwin wrote about the
intersections and pressures of his various identities, his
role as a writer, and his relationship to the nation with the
force and energy of a man disappointed with the realities
of what he saw but hopeful of the potential that he felt
remained. This course explores Baldwin’s own impressive
body of work (fictional and otherwise) alongside the
lasting impact that he has had on the literary, social, and
political world in his wake.
Beauvoir, Sartre, Beckett: French
Intellectuals and World War II
LITR 3112
Eric Leveau
Open, Large seminar—Spring | 5 credits
From the years leading to World War II to its aftermath,
French writers published some of the most important
works of 20th-century Western literature; this course will
explore several of these masterpieces in the cultural and
historical context of that period, from existentialism in
Sartre’s Nausea (1938) and No Exit (1944), to the
philosophy of the absurd in Camus’ The Stranger (1942)
and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1949/1953), and finally
the feminist revolution brought by Beauvoir’s Second Sex
(1949). Other extremely important questions will also be
the focus of our discussions, such as the role and
influence of the French Communist party, the colonial
presence of France in Algeria (we will read Kamel Daoud’s
2013 The Meursault Investigation, a response to Camus)
and the active participation of France in the deportation of
Jews to Nazi death camps. (We will read excerpts of Irène
Nemirovsky’s novel Suite Française, which she was
working on when she was arrested in 1942 and whose
manuscript was only discovered and published in 2004.)
Finally, we will also look into the importance of
psychoanalysis, as developed by Jacques Lacan, and the
rise of structuralism with Roland Barthes’ Writing Degree
Zero, which is in part a response to Sartre’s 1948 What is
Literature?
Coming of Age in America: Classic
American Literature of the 20th
Century
LITR 3118
Nicolaus Mills
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Nothing reflects the variety and moral consistency of
20th-century American literature so well as the coming-
of-age novel. This course will trace the evolution of the
coming-of-age novel in our last century by looking at a
series of masterworks that begin with Willa Cather’s 1918
My Antonia and conclude with Ralph Ellison’s Invisible
Man, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, and Sylvia
Plath’s The Bell Jar. In its purest form, the coming-of-age
novel is the novel of education, or Bildungsroman, which
traces the life of a central figure from early childhood to
early adulthood and typically ends no later than the
central figure’s 30th birthday. In this course, the coming-
of-age novels that we will look at do not always stick to
this formula. They include a book such as The Grapes of
Wrath, in which coming of age means learning to deal with
a Great Depression society that is unexpectedly cruel. In
an America in which the idea that all men are created
equal is part of our civic religion, the coming-of-age novel
brings with it cultural and political, as well psychological,
implications. Inequality, whether rooted in gender, race, or
economics—all three in the case of Zora Neale Hurston’s
Their Eyes Were Watching God—shapes most of the books
that we will read and, in turn, challenges the heroes and
heroines of these books—even when they are well o—to
look beyond their own lives, as the Yale-educated narrator
of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby does when, on the
first page of Gatsby, he repeats the advice his father gave
him, “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just
remember all the people in this world haven’t had the
advantages you’ve had.”
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Chinese Literature, Folktales, and Popular Culture (p. 13),
Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
Popular Culture in China (p. 14), Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
First-Year Studies: Elemental Epics: Stories of Love, War,
Madness, and Murder From the Periodic Table of the
Elements (p. 21), Colin Abernethy Chemistry
THE CURRICULUM 97
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
Thinking About Exile (p. 65), Roland Dollinger German
Postwar German Literature and Film (p. 66), Roland
Dollinger German
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Black Studies and the Archive (p. 76), Mary Dillard, Elias
Rodriques History
The Edgy Enlightenment (p. 78), Philip Swoboda History
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia (p. 82), Tristana
Rorandelli Italian
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
21st-Century Queer Minority Writing (p. 85), Robert LaRue
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queer Americans: Henry James, Gertrude Stein, Willa
Cather, and James Baldwin (p. 86), Julie Abraham
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Children’s Literature: Psychological and Literary
Perspectives (p. 143), Charlotte L. Doyle Psychology
Contemporary Muslim Novels and Creative
Nonfiction (p. 151), Kristin Zahra Sands Religion
Beginning Spanish: Introduction to Hispanic Popular
Cultures (p. 160), Danielle Dorvil Spanish
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
First-Year Studies: Forms, Fictions, and Revisions (p. 186),
Myra Goldberg Writing
First-Year Studies: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction (p. 187),
Brian Morton Writing
In a World They Never Made: Creating Character in the
Speculative Novel (p. 191), Writing
Fiction Workshop: Architecture and Narrative (p. 190),
Nicolette Polek Writing
Dream Logic (p. 190), Stephen O’Connor Writing
Fiction Workshop: Art and Activism: Contemporary Black
Writers (p. 188), Carolyn Ferrell Writing
13 Ways of Looking at a Novel (p. 190), Brian Morton
Writing
The Art of the Short Story (p. 187), Brian Morton Writing
Speculative Fiction Workshop (p. 189), Chandler Klang
Smith Writing
Children’s Literature: A Writing Workshop (p. 189), Myra
Goldberg Writing
Speculative Fiction Workshop (p. 191), Chandler Klang
Smith Writing
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
Nonfiction Laboratory (p. 193), Stephen O’Connor Writing
Nonfiction Workshop: The World and You (p. 194), Cliord
Thompson Writing
Nonfiction Workshop: Reading and Writing Personal
Essays (p. 193), Cliord Thompson Writing
Shakespeare for Writers (and Others) (p. 195), Vijay
Seshadri Writing
Poetry Workshop: Kitchen Sink Poetics (p. 195), James
Hoch Writing
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
MATHEMATICS
Whether they had any interest in mathematics in high
school, students often discover a new appreciation for the
field at Sarah Lawrence College. In our courses—which
reveal the inherent elegance of mathematics as a
reflection of the world and how it works—abstract
concepts literally come to life. That vitality further
emerges as faculty members adapt course content to fit
student needs, emphasizing the historical context and
philosophical underpinnings behind ideas and theories.
By practicing rigorous logic, creative problem solving,
and abstract thought in small seminar discussions,
students cultivate habits of mind that they can apply to
every interest. With well-developed, rational thinking and
problem-solving skills, many students continue their
studies in mathematics, computer science, philosophy,
medicine, law, or business; others go into a range of
careers in fields such as insurance, technology, defense,
and industry.
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion
and Change
MATH 3010
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Calculus is the mathematical gift that keeps giving.
(Thanks Newton and company!) In this class, you will
expand your knowledge of limits, derivatives, and integrals
with concepts and techniques that will enable you to solve
many important problems in mathematics and the
sciences. You will be able to judge whether answers
provided by WolframAlpha or ChatGPT are correct. Topics
will include: dierentiation review, integration review,
integration with nonpolynomial functions, applications of
integration (finding area, volume, length, center of mass,
moment of inertia, probability), advanced techniques for
integration (substitution, integration-by-parts, partial
fractions), infinite sequences, infinite series, convergent
98 Mathematics
and divergent sums, power series, and, time permitting,
parametric equations of a curve and polar coordinates.
Students will work on a conference project related to the
mathematical topics covered in class and are free to
choose technical, historical, crafty, computational, or
creative projects. It is recommended that students have at
least one semester of calculus at either college or high-
school level or be very comfortable with quickly learning
any missing material.
This single-semester seminar is being oered in both the
Fall and Spring semesters of the 2024-25 academic year.
Modern Mathematics: Logic,
Probability, and Statistics
MATH 3119
Abbe Herzig
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Calculus
This course will explore mathematical foundations,
including logic, set theory, combinatorics, function theory,
probability, and statistics. Each of these topics bridges
both theoretical mathematical structures and applications
to a broad range of real-world problems. Applications of
these theoretical mathematical results will be explored
through problems from the biological, physical, and social
sciences; education; politics; music; and visual arts
(among others). This course includes a calculus-based
introduction to the theory and applications of probability
and statistics. Students primarily interested in a more
general, single-semester introduction to the principles and
practices of statistics should consider the lecture
course, An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis. Students should be comfortable with methods
and concepts from single-variable dierential and integral
calculus (one year of high-school study or one semester of
college study). Conference work can focus on any topic
relating to mathematics, including theoretical
mathematical ideas or their applications to problems
outside of mathematics.
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear
Algebra, Vector Calculus, and
Dierential Equations
MATH 3516
Bruce Alphenaar
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: Calculus II or its equivalent; a score of 4 or 5
on the Calculus BC Advanced Placement Exam
Rarely is a quantity of interest—tomorrow’s temperature,
unemployment rates across Europe, the cost of a spring-
break flight to Fort Lauderdale—a simple function of just
one primary variable. Reality, for better or worse, is
mathematically multivariable. This course introduces an
array of topics and tools used in the mathematical analysis
of multivariable functions. The intertwined theories of
vectors, matrices, and dierential equations and their
applications will be the central themes of exploration in
this yearlong course. Specific topics to be covered include
the algebra and geometry of vectors in two, three, and
higher dimensions; dot and cross products and their
applications; equations of lines and planes in higher
dimensions; solutions to systems of linear equations,
using Gaussian elimination; theory and applications of
determinants, inverses, and eigenvectors; volumes of
three-dimensional solids via integration; spherical and
cylindrical coordinate systems; and methods of visualizing
and constructing solutions to dierential equations of
various types. Conference work will involve an
investigation of some mathematically-themed subject of
the student’s choosing.
Math and (In)Justice
MATH 3225
Abbe Herzig
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
When used well, mathematics is a powerful set of tools for
understanding the world. When used in other ways,
mathematics can serve to uphold and perpetuate
inequality and injustice. In this class, we will investigate
how we can use mathematical tools to understand,
document, and work against inequity and injustice,
including topics such as voting rights, health disparities,
access to education, “big data” algorithms that control
aspects of our lives, the carceral system, and
environmental justice. Students of all mathematical levels
are welcome.
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and
Change
MATH 3005
Daniel King
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Our existence lies in a perpetual state of change. An apple
falls from a tree; clouds move across expansive farmland,
blocking out the sun for days; meanwhile, satellites zip
around the Earth transmitting and receiving signals to our
cell phones. The calculus was invented to develop a
language to accurately describe the motion and change
happening all around us. The ancient Greeks began a
detailed study of change but were scared to wrestle with
the infinite, and so it was not until the 17th century that
Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, among others, tamed
the infinite and gave birth to this extremely successful
THE CURRICULUM 99
branch of mathematics. Though just a few hundred years
old, the calculus has become an indispensable research
tool in both the natural and social sciences. Our study
begins with the central concept of the limit and proceeds
to explore the dual processes of dierentiation and
integration. Numerous applications of the theory will be
examined. For conference work, students may choose to
undertake a deeper investigation of a single topic or
application of the calculus or conduct a study of some
other mathematically-related topic. This seminar is
intended for students interested in advanced study in
mathematics or sciences, students preparing for careers
in the health sciences or engineering, and any student
wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.
The minimum required preparation for study of the
calculus is successful completion of study in trigonometry
and pre-calculus topics, including limits and function
continuity. Students with questions or concerns about
these requirements are encouraged to contact the
instructor as soon as possible for guidance.
An Introduction to Statistical
Methods and Analysis
MATH 2024
Daniel King
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits | Remote
Variance, correlation coecient, regression analysis,
statistical significance, and margin of error—you’ve heard
these terms and other statistical phrases bantered about
before, and you’ve seen them interspersed in news reports
and research articles. But what do they mean? How are
they used? And why are they so important? Serving as an
introduction to the concepts, techniques, and reasoning
central to the understanding of data, this lecture course
focuses on the fundamental methods of statistical
analysis used to gain insight into diverse areas of human
interest. The use, misuse, and abuse of statistics will be
the central focus of the course; and specific topics of
exploration will be drawn from experimental design theory,
sampling theory, data analysis, and statistical inference.
Applications will be considered in current events,
business, psychology, politics, medicine, and many other
areas of the natural and social sciences. Statistical
(spreadsheet) software will be introduced and used
extensively in this course, but no prior experience with the
technology is assumed. Group conferences, conducted in
workshop mode, will serve to reinforce student
understanding of the course material. This lecture is
recommended for anybody wishing to be a better-
informed consumer of data and strongly recommended for
those planning to pursue advanced undergraduate or
graduate research in the natural sciences or social
sciences. Enrolled students are expected to have an
understanding of basic high-school algebra and plane
coordinate geometry.
This course will be conducted entirely online via Zoom.
Synchronous attendance at all lectures and assigned group
conferences is mandatory.
Learning Mathematics With
Understanding
MATH 3055
Abbe Herzig
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
What does it mean to understand a mathematical
concept? In this course, we will explore children’s
mathematical thinking and how they develop
understanding of foundational concepts like number, place
value, counting, operations, whole numbers, fractions,
proportion, and algebra. These ideas have profound and
rich mathematics underlying them, sometimes in
surprising ways. As you reflect on and communicate about
your own mathematical thinking and beliefs, you will
deepen your understanding of these ideas. We will also
explore the math that children know and how they think
about mathematics, how dierent groups of students
experience mathematics learning, and what types of
learning activities facilitate learning with understanding.
This is not a methods course but does contain some
essential elements of pedagogy and learning activities.
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion
and Change
MATH 3010
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Calculus is the mathematical gift that keeps giving.
(Thanks Newton and company!) In this class, you will
expand your knowledge of limits, derivatives, and integrals
with concepts and techniques that will enable you to solve
many important problems in mathematics and the
sciences. You will be able to judge whether answers
provided by WolframAlpha or ChatGPT are correct. Topics
will include: dierentiation review, integration review,
integration with nonpolynomial functions, applications of
integration (finding area, volume, length, center of mass,
moment of inertia, probability), advanced techniques for
integration (substitution, integration-by-parts, partial
fractions), infinite sequences, infinite series, convergent
and divergent sums, power series, and, time permitting,
parametric equations of a curve and polar coordinates.
Students will work on a conference project related to the
mathematical topics covered in class and are free to
choose technical, historical, crafty, computational, or
100 Mathematics
creative projects. It is recommended that students have at
least one semester of calculus at either college or high-
school level or be very comfortable with quickly learning
any missing material.
This single-semester seminar is being oered in both the
Fall and Spring semesters of the 2024-25 academic year.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Introduction to Computer Science: The Way of the
Program (p. 24), James Marshall Computer Science
Computer Networks (p. 24), Michael Si Computer
Science
Principles of Programming Languages (p. 25), James
Marshall Computer Science
Games Computers Play (p. 25), Michael Si Computer
Science
Data Structures and Algorithms (p. 25), Michael Si
Computer Science
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
General Physics I (Classical Mechanics) (p. 124), Sarah
Racz Physics
General Physics II (Electromagnetism and Light) (p. 124),
Sarah Racz Physics
Relativity (p. 124), Sarah Racz Physics
Resonance and Its Applications (p. 125), Merideth Frey
Physics
Chaos (p. 125), Merideth Frey Physics
Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information (p. 125),
Sarah Racz Physics
MIDDLE EASTERN AND ISLAMIC
STUDIES
Classes from disciplines such as art history, economics,
geography, history, politics, religion, and sociology
comprise the classes available within this cross-
disciplinary path.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Jewish History I: The People of the Book (p. 147), Joel
Swanson Swanson Religion
Perspectives on 9/11: Religion, Politics, and
Culture (p. 149), Kristin Zahra Sands Religion
The Qur’an and Its Interpretation (p. 149), Kristin Zahra
Sands Religion
Sufi Sciences of the Soul (p. 150), Kristin Zahra Sands
Religion
Contemporary Muslim Novels and Creative
Nonfiction (p. 151), Kristin Zahra Sands Religion
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
MODERN AND CLASSICAL
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
At Sarah Lawrence College, we recognize that,
fundamentally, languages are modes of being in the world
and uniquely reveal the way that we exist as human
beings. Far from being a mechanical tool, language study
encourages self-examination and cross-cultural
understanding, oering a vantage point from which to
evaluate personal and cultural assumptions, prejudices,
and certainties. Learning a new language is not about
putting into another verbal system what you want or know
how to say it in your own language; rather, it is about
learning by listening and reading and by gaining the ability
to think in fundamentally dierent ways.
The College oers seven modern and two classical
languages and literatures. Students may take Chinese,
French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish
from beginning to advanced levels that equally stress the
development of communicative skills—such as speaking,
listening comprehension, reading, and writing—as well as
the study of literature written in those languages in
Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. We also oer Greek
(Ancient) and Latin at the beginning, intermediate, and
advanced levels, emphasizing the exploration of ancient
texts in their original historical, political, artistic, and
social contexts and encouraging an assessment of ancient
THE CURRICULUM 101
works on their own terms as a means of elucidating both
timeless and contemporary human issues and concerns.
As is the case for all seminars at Sarah Lawrence
College, our language classes are capped at 15 students.
Students have unparalleled opportunities to engage with
the language in and out of class—including individual and
group conferences, weekly meetings with language
assistants in small groups, language clubs, and language
lunch tables. Our proximity to New York City oers terrific
opportunities to encounter the cultures and languages
that we teach—through lectures, exhibits, plays, films,
opera, and many other cultural events that are readily
available. Conference work in a language class provides an
opportunity for students to pursue their own particular
interest in the language. Student conference projects are
exceptionally diverse, ranging from reading or translation,
internships, or work on scholarly or creative writing to
listening to music, watching films, or the extended study of
grammar. In Greek (Ancient) and Latin courses, beginning
students acquire in one year a solid foundation in
grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Equivalent to three
courses at other colleges and universities, one year of
Greek (Ancient) or Latin at Sarah Lawrence College
empowers students to read ancient texts with precision
and increasing facility. At the intermediate and advanced
levels, students refine their linguistic abilities while
analyzing specific ancient authors, genres, or
periods—often in comparison to later artists, writers,
theorists, or critics.
The interdisciplinary approach across the curriculum
at Sarah Lawrence College also means that students can
take their study of language to conference work for
another class; for example, reading primary texts in the
original Spanish for a class on Borges and math, studying
Russian montage or 20th-century Japanese cinema for a
class on film history, or performing German lieder or
Italian opera in voice class or Molière in a theatre class.
The language faculty also oers literature courses in
translation, so that students may choose to combine
literature study with conference work in the original
languages. We also sponsor an annual journal of
translation, Babel, which invites submissions from across
the College.
Finally, our open curriculum encourages students to
plan a semester or an entire year abroad, and a large
percentage of our students spend their junior year in non-
English-speaking countries. In addition to our long-
established programs in Florence, Catania, Paris, and
Cuba, the College has recently initiated study-abroad
programs in Barcelona, Peru, and Tokyo. There are also two
summer programs: German Studies, Art and Architecture,
and Dance in Berlin; Translation Studies in Buenos Aires.
Our study-abroad programs are usually based on a
concept of “full immersion,” including experiences such as
study at the local university, homestays, and volunteer
work in the country. We also send students to many non-
Sarah Lawrence College programs all over the world.
MUSIC
There are several ways students can participate in the
music program.
I. The Music Third program is structured to integrate
theory and practice. Students select a combination
of component courses that together constitute one
full 10-credit course of MUSC 4499. A Music Third
program includes each of the four following areas,
explained in detail in this portion of the catalogue:
a. Individual instruction (instrumental
performance, composition, or voice), the
central area of study around which the rest of
the program is planned
b. Theory and/or history
c. A performance ensemble
d. Concert attendance/Music Tuesdays
requirement (see below)
e. A music program best-suited to individual
needs and interests, planned by the student in
consultation with the faculty
II. Advanced students, with faculty consent, may elect
to take a Music Two-Thirds program (MUSC 4998),
which consists of two-thirds of their courses in
music. Students permitted to take MUSC 4998
complete a total of two of each of the above four
areas.
III. The music program oers seminars, lectures, and
individual components. Students may take these
courses either as part of their Music Third as a
component (MUSC 5000-level) or independently as
another discipline requirement for credit (e.g., MUHS
3000-level).
IV. Students who do not wish to take an entire Music
Third program may take Music Components for
Credit (MUSC 4400) for up to three credits. A
various number of component courses can comprise
each of the following options: MUSC 4400 (1) for
one credit, MUSC 4400 (2) for two credits, or MUSC
4400 (3) for three credits.
A maximum total of 50 credits is permitted in music.
102 Music
Overview of Types of Music
Instruction
The director of the music program will arrange all
instrumental study with the aliate-artist faculty, who
teach o campus. In all cases, individual instruction
involves consultation with members of the faculty and the
director of the music program. Instructors for instruments
not listed below will also be arranged.
Lessons and Auditions
Beginning lessons are oered only in voice and piano. A
limited number of beginning acoustic guitar lessons are
oered based on prior musical experience. All other
instrumentalists are expected to demonstrate a level of
proficiency on their instruments. In general, the music
faculty encourages students to prepare two excerpts from
two contrasting works that demonstrate their musical
background and technical abilities. Auditions for all
instruments and voice, which are held at the beginning of
the first week of classes, are for placement purposes only.
Vocal Auditions, Placement, and Juries
The voice faculty encourages students to prepare two
contrasting works that demonstrate the student’s musical
background and innate vocal skills. Vocal auditions enable
the faculty to place the singer in the class most
appropriate for the student’s current level of vocal
production. Students will be placed in either an individual
voice lesson (two half-hour lessons per week) or in a
Studio Class. Voice juries at the end of the year evaluate
each student’s progress.
Piano Auditions and Placement
The piano faculty encourages students to prepare two
contrasting works that demonstrate the student’s musical
background and keyboard technique. Piano auditions
enable the faculty to place the student with the
appropriate teacher in either an individual piano lesson or
in the Keyboard Lab, given his or her current level of
preparation.
Acoustic and Jazz Guitar Auditions and
Placement
The guitar faculty encourages students to prepare two
contrasting works that demonstrate the student’s musical
background, guitar technique, and—for jazz and
blues—improvisational ability. Guitar auditions enable the
faculty to place the guitarist with the appropriate teacher
in either an individual guitar lesson or in Guitar Class.
Composition Lessons
The student who is interested in individual instruction in
composition must demonstrate an appropriate
background.
Music Courses
The following 5000-level courses may be taken as
components that comprise a Music Third (MUSC 4499)
or Music Two Thirds (MUSC 4998) program or for
individual credit as MUSC 4400 (up to three credits).
Eligible students may take a maximum of two types of
courses (e.g., Music History for two credits and Individual
Instruction for one music credit within creative arts).
The types of music courses listed below refer to the four
areas of the music program explained on the prior page.
Components for Individual Credit
A limited number of lessons are available to intermediate
or advanced students who do not wish to take a Music
Third Program. Arranged by audition with the following
members of the music faculty and aliate artists.
Students register for the MUSC 4400 (1-credit) course
and then register for the Lessons course as a Component
with permission of the program director.
Individual Instruction: Lessons
Component—Year
Courses listed below are yearlong.
MUSC 5002 - Composition
Patrick Muchmore, John Yannelli
MUSC 5010 - Harpsichord
Carsten Schmidt
MUSC 5013 - Piano
Martin Goldray, Barbara Mort-Zie, Carsten Schmidt
MUSC 5019 - Piano (Jazz)
William I. Lester
MUSC 5020 - Voice
Kirsten Brown, Mary Phillips, Thomas Young
MUSC 5030 - Flute
Roberta Michel
MUSC 5034 - Trumpet
Christopher Anderson
MUSC 5035 - Clarinet
Benjamin Fingland
THE CURRICULUM 103
MUSC 5036 - Trombone
Jen Baker
MUSC 5038 - Saxophone
John Isley
MUSC 5039 - Bassoon
James Jeter
MUSC 5040 - Oboe
Stuart Breczinski
MUSC 5043- Organ
Martin Goldray
MUSC 5044 - Euphonium
Mark Broschinsky
MUSC 5050 - Violin
Ragnhildur Petursdottir, Richard Rood
MUSC 5052 - Viola
Junah Chung
MUSC 5055 - Violoncello
Helen An-Lin Bardin
MUSC 5057 - Harp
Amelia Theodoratus
MUSC 5058 - Contrabass
Mark Helias
MUSC 5071 - Acoustic Guitar
William K. Anderson
MUSC 5072 - Guitar (Jazz/Blues)
Glenn Alexander
MUSC 5073 - Electric Bass (Jazz/Blues)
Bill Moring
MUSC 5075 - Banjo
William K. Anderson
MUSC 5078 - Mandolin
William K. Anderson
MUSC 5080 - Percussion (Drum Set)
Matthew E. Wilson
MUSC 5080 - Percussion (Mallet)
Ian Antonio
Limited to intermediate or advanced students.
Classes for Beginning Students
Available only as part of MUSC 4499 – Music Third
program.
Studio Class (Voice)
MUSC 5335
Thomas Young, Mary Phillips, Kirsten Brown
Component
This is a beginning course in basic vocal technique. Each
student’s vocal needs are met within the structure and
content of the class.
Placement audition is required.
Guitar Class
MUSC 5375
William Anderson
Component
This course is for beginning students in either acoustic or
electric guitar.
Faculty recommendation is required.
Keyboard Lab
MUSC 5382
Bari Mort
Component
This course is designed to accommodate beginning piano
students who take Keyboard Lab as the core of their Music
Third. This instruction takes place in a group setting, with
eight keyboard stations and one master station. Students
will be introduced to elementary keyboard technique and
simple piano pieces.
Placement is arranged by the piano faculty.
Theory and Composition Program
Theory I, Theory II, and Advanced Theory, including their
historical studies corollaries, make up a required theory
sequence that must be followed by all music students
unless they prove their proficiency in a given area; entry
level to be determined by diagnostic exam that will be
administered right after the Music Orientation Meeting
that takes place during the first day of registration. Theory
and Composition courses can be taken as part of MUSC
4499 - Music Third, or taken for two credits within MUSC
4400.
104 Music
Theory I: Materials of Music
MUSC 5105
Bari Mort, Carsten Schmidt
Component—Year
In this course, we will study elements of music such as
pitch, rhythm, intensity, and timbre. We will see how they
combine in various musical structures and how those
structures communicate. Studies will include notation and
ear training, as well as theoretical exercises, rudimentary
analyses, and the study of repertoire from various eras of
Western music. This course will meet twice each week
(two 90-minute sessions).
This course is a prerequisite for Theory II: Basic Tonal
Theory and Composition and the Advanced Theory
sequence.
Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and
Composition
MUSC 5110
Patrick Muchmore
Component—Year
Prerequisite: Theory I: Materials of Music and Survey of
Western Music (for students who have not had a similar
history course)
As a skill-building course in the language of tonal music,
this course covers diatonic harmony and voice leading,
elementary counterpoint, and simple forms. Students will
develop an understanding through part writing, analysis,
composition, and aural skills.
This Theory II course is a prerequisite to any Advanced
Theory course.
Advanced Theory: Jazz Theory and
Harmony
MUSC 5125
Glenn Alexander
Component—Year
Prerequisite: Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition
Students in this course will study the building blocks and
concepts of jazz theory, harmony, and rhythm. This will
include the study of the standard modes and scales, as
well as the use of melodic and harmonic minor scales and
their respective modals systems. The course will include
the study and application of diminished and augmented
scales and their role in harmonic progression, particularly
the diminished chord as a parental structure. In-depth
study will be given to harmony and harmonic progression
through analysis and memorization of triads, extensions,
and alterations, as well as substitute chords, re-
harmonization, and back cycling. We will look at
polytonality and the superposition of various hybrid
chords over dierent bass tones and other harmonic
structures. We will study and apply all of the above to their
characteristic and stylistic genres, including bebop, modal,
free, and progressive jazz. The study of rhythm, which is
possibly the single most-important aspect of jazz, will be a
primary focus, as well. We will also use composition as a
way to absorb and truly understand the concepts
discussed.
Advanced Theory: 20th-Century
Theoretical Approaches: Post-Tonal
and Rock Music
MUSC 5130
Patrick Muchmore
Component—Year
Prerequisite: Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition
This course will be an examination of various theoretical
approaches to music of the 20th century, including post-
tonal, serial, textural, minimalist, and pop/rock music. Our
primary text will be Joseph Straus’s Introduction to Post-
Tonal Theory, but we will also explore other relevant
texts—including scores and recordings of the works
themselves. This course will include study of the music of
Schoenberg, Webern, Pink Floyd, Ligeti, Bartók, Reich,
Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Corigliano, and Del Tredici,
among others.
Advanced Theory: Advanced Tonal
Theory and Analysis
MUSC 5134
Carsten Schmidt
Component—Year
Prerequisite: Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition
If you’re wondering what class is essentially “Theory III,”
it’s this one. We’ll begin with a review of diatonic harmony
and voice leading, but then we’ll jump into the world of
chromatic harmony. We’ll discuss sequences, as well as
techniques for modulation, before moving into an in-depth
discussion of many dierent formal structures such as
fugue, through-composed songs, and sonata form. The
year will end with a discussion of extensions of the tonal
idea ,such as basic jazz chords and neo-tonality.
Composers discussed will include the usual suspects from
the common-practice Baroque, Classical, and, especially,
Romantic eras but also will extend to more recent
examples, such as Debussy, Ravel, Davis, Coltrane, Talma,
Price, and Glass.
THE CURRICULUM 105
Advanced Theory: Jazz Arranging
and Orchestration
MUSC 5139
John Isley
Component—Spring
In this course, students will focus on the basics of
arranging and orchestrating for small to medium
sized ensembles. Oered in partnership with the Jazz
Colloquium ensemble, students will write for the
instrumentation of the ensemble and will have the
opportunity to hear their arrangements performed by Jazz
Colloquium. This course introduces students to the
techniques of arranging and orchestration for two-horn,
three-horn, and four-horn jazz ensembles. Students will
study the classic repertoire of small to medium sized jazz
groups, and create small ensemble arrangements in
various styles. Materials for study will be drawn from
throughout the history of jazz and contemporary/
commercial arranging practices.
Music History Courses
Survey of Western Music
MUSC 5210
Carsten Schmidt
Component—Year
This course is a chronological survey of Western music
from the Middle Ages to the present. We will explore the
cyclical nature of music that mirrors philosophical and
theoretical ideas established in Ancient Greece and how
that cycle most notably reappears every 300 years: the
Ars nova of the 14th century, Le nuove musiche of the 17th
century, and the New Music of the 20th century and
beyond. The course involves reading, listening, and class
discussions that focus on significant compositions of the
Western musical tradition, the evolution of form,
questions of aesthetics, and historical perspective. There
will be occasional quizzes during the fall term; short,
written summary papers or class presentations are
required in the spring.
This component is required for all students taking Theory
II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition and is also open to
students who have completed the theory sequence.
Music and (almost) Everything All at
Once
MUSC 5276
Patrick Muchmore
Component—Fall
A while ago I went to a visual arts museum, and they had
their collection displayed in an unusual fashion. Instead of
grouping art in rooms according to genre, chronology,
nationality or particular artists, the art was arranged by
intriguing concepts. A room might contain an O’Keee
painting, a centuries-old indigenous piece from Australia,
a Rodin sculpture and a poem that were in some way
connected by a fascinating idea. I want to recapitulate
something like this experience. Every class will begin with
some concept from mathematics, poetry, philosophy,
astronomy and more, and then we’ll gradually explore
dierent music that engages with that concept in some
way. The musical examples every week will span centuries
and cultures—one week might have an avant-grade piano
sonata by Boulez, a 1980s art-rock song by Laurie
Anderson and a Kendrick Lamar album; the next week
might have an ancient Sumerian song, a piece by Debussy
and a work from the Indian Carnatic tradition. Gradually,
more and more connections between the seemingly
disparate topics will be revealed. So, ok, it
isn’t everything exactly—and it’s more like “across the
course of two semesters” rather than “all at once”—but
you will know a whole lot more across a wide range of
disciplines by the end. And, most importantly, we’ll listen
to a metric ton of fantastic music.
This course may be counted as humanities credit as MUHS
2040 or music component as MUSC 5276.
Jazz History/The Blues and Beyond
MUSC 5250
Glenn Alexander
Component—Fall and Spring
Out of one of the worst atrocities of humanity, we were
gifted with the extraordinary music that would become
known as the blues. In this class, we will explore and
analyze the origins of the blues, the uniqueness of this
great American art form, and how it is related to jazz but
takes a completely dierent path—ultimately leading us to
rock ‘n’ roll and all forms of popular music. We will dissect
the unique components of the blues, which defied
conventional music theory as we knew it, made it dierent
from any music that came before it, and out of which rock
‘n’ roll was born. Through listening to and analyzing these
early developments, from African drumming pieces to field
hollers, work songs, spirituals, early country blues, Delta
blues, urban blues, and Chicago electric blues, we will
discover the African culture and musical concepts that
survived and how they are the foundation of every part of
popular music—be it jazz, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, country,
rock ‘n’ roll, soul, gospel, funk, rhythm & blues, hip hop,
rap, Brazilian, and on and on. We will study the unique
African contributions of music in form, rhythm, melody,
tone, and timbre that has now permeated all styles of
music. Without this incredible, invaluable, unique
contribution, our music today would be very
106 Music
dierent—and there would have been no Louis Armstrong,
Miles Davis, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Ray
Charles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, The Beatles, Led
Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton,
Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross & The
Supremes, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Elvis Costello, Stevie
Wonder, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, and on and on
and on...right up to every new artist today.
This is one of the music history component courses
required for all Advanced Theory students. It is a two-
semester course; however, it is possible to enter in the
second semester. This course may be counted as
humanities credit (MUHS 3164) or music component
(MUSC 5254).
Words and Music
MUSC 5229
Carsten Schmidt
Component—Fall
In this course, we will examine and try to understand the
magic that happens when words and music combine in
song. Song will be defined broadly. Most of our repertoire
will be drawn from Western music history, and the range of
compositions will be extraordinary: from the chants of
Hildegard von Bingen to the often esoteric and intricate
motets of the Ars Nova, from the late Renaissance
madrigals to early and romantic opera, and from the art
songs of Schubert and Debussy to experimental
contemporary works. There also may be some in-class
performances. Participants will be responsible for regular
listening and reading assignments, listening exams, and
group presentations. There will be no conferences, but we
will have regular individual and group consultations to help
prepare presentations and papers. For the three credit
lecture, there will be a number of shorter paper
assignments.
This course may be counted as a music component (MUSC
5229).
The Beatles
MUSC 5254
Martin Goldray
Component—Fall
The impact of The Beatles has been immeasurable. In their
seven years as a recording band, they explored and
enlarged every aspect of songwriting technique, producing
one musical milestone after the next. This class will trace
the development of The Beatles chronologically through
their 12 original English albums and the singles that were
released alongside them. We will focus on the ways The
Beatles used harmony, phrase structure, rhythm,
structural ambiguity, and sonority in continuously
innovative ways. We will also look at some of the of
musical styles and cultural phenomena that The Beatles
assimilated and transformed—from early rock & roll,
Motown and the Goon Show to 1960s
counterculture—and explore how The Beatles, in turn,
influenced music and culture in the 1960s. There will also
be guest-led discussions by other members of the music
faculty on the following topics: The Beatles and the
evolution of studio recording, the use of electronic music
techniques (Yannelli), Norwegian Wood and the great sitar
explosion (Higgins), electric guitar techniques
(Alexander), and acoustic guitar techniques (Anderson).
This course may be counted as a music component (MUSC
5254).
Cross-Cultural Listening
MUSC 5271
Niko Higgins
Component—Fall
This course will explore the relationship of listening,
music, and sound across dierent cultural and historical
contexts. Recent scholarship on listening and sound has
revealed how listening plays a crucial role in the
formulation of theories about music, and we will study
how various ideas about listening inform contemporary
understandings of music and sound. Drawing from
research from the field of sound studies, cultural theory,
and ethnographic case studies from ethnomusicology and
anthropology, we will understand key concepts of listening
with specific musical and sonic examples. Course units
may include technologies of listening, listening as an
impetus for empathy and to stimulate political action,
strategies for listening to cultural and musical dierence,
and music and sound as tools for torture and healing.
Individual class sessions may include sound technologies
such as the phonograph, the MP3, the recording studio,
and AI; soundscapes; music therapy; and the listening
contexts of individual genres, such as South African pop,
Buddhist chant, Arabic maqamat, lofi hip hop, muzak, and
EDM. Participation in either African Classics or the
Balinese Gamelan Chandra Buana is strongly
encouraged. No prior music experience is necessary.
This course may be counted for either humanities or social
science credit as MUHS 2034 or music component as
MUSC 5271.
THE CURRICULUM 107
Sounding Creativity: Musical
Improvisation
MUSC 5275
Niko Higgins
Component—Spring
This seminar will focus on the widely practiced creative
process of musical improvisation. Using footage of live
performances, reading and listening assignments, and
class discussions, we will learn to hear and understand
improvisation as an array of specific choices as musicians
from dierent backgrounds progress through their
performances. We will question how personal expression
and cultural context shape creativity, which will reveal
improvisation as an intrinsic form of adaptation that is
essential to artistic expression, communication, and
survival. Using a cross-cultural perspective, we will
examine the similarities and dierences of musical
improvisation around the world, exploring themes such as
freedom, community, free will, determinism, social justice,
ethnicity, race, nationalism, class, gender, and sexuality.
Using ethnomusicology’s interdisciplinary approach to
learning about music and culture, this seminar will draw
from anthropology, linguistics, social theory, sociology,
psychology, and artists’ personal accounts. Class topics
may include music in Turkey, Egypt, West Africa, India,
Cantonese opera, 20th-century experimental art music,
improvised singing games in Nepal, free improvisation,
international and American jazz, and turn tabling and
DJing. Participation in the Faso Foli, SLC’s African
percussion ensemble, is strongly encouraged. No prior
experience in music is necessary.
This course may be counted as either humanities or social
science credit. This course may also be taken as a
semester-long component.
Punk
MUSC 5278
Martin Goldray
Component—Spring
This course will examine punk rock as a musical style and
as a vehicle for cultural opposition. We will examine the
musical, cultural, and political conditions that gave birth to
the genre in the 1970s and trace its continuing evolution
through the early 2000s in dialogue with, and sometimes
in opposition to, other musical genres such as progressive
rock, heavy metal, ska, and reggae. We will begin with the
influence of minimalism on “proto-punk” artists such as
Velvet Underground and Patti Smith, which will provide a
foundation for seeing how minimalism—as well as
modernism, atonality, and electronic music—continued to
resonate in punk and rock music generally. We will
examine the intellectual background of early UK punk with
readings by Guy Debord and Situationist International and
look at the theories of Gramsci and Foucault on the
question of institutional power structures and the
possibility of resistance to them. To deepen our
understanding of punk style and the culture of opposition,
there will also be readings by Adorno, Bakhtin, Barthes,
Antonin Artaud, William Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Julia
Kristeva, and others. We will trace the splintering of punk
into various sub-genres and the challenges of negotiating
the music industry and remaining “authentic” in a
commercialized culture. Another major focus will be the
Riot Grrrl bands of the 1990s as the catalyst for third-
wave feminism. Given the DIY aesthetic at the heart of
punk—in addition to listening to, analyzing, and reading
about the music—students who want to get creative will
be given the opportunity to work with musicians and write
some punk songs. In light of the large amount of valuable
documentary film footage relating to punk culture, the
course will include a film viewing every other week.
This course may be counted as humanities credit (MUHS
2014) or music component (MUSC 5278).
Music Technology Courses: Studio for
Electronic Music and Experimental
Sound
These courses can be taken as part of MUSC 4499 - Music
Third, or taken for two credits within MUSC 4400.
EMS I: Introduction to Electronic
Music and Music Technology
MUSC 5174
John Yannelli
Component—Year
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor
The Sarah Lawrence Electronic Music Studio is a state-of-
the art facility dedicated to the instruction and
development of electronic music composition. The studio
contains the latest in digital audio hardware and software
for synthesis, recording, and signal processing, along with
a full complement of vintage analog synthesizers and tape
machines. Beginning students will start with an
introduction to the equipment, basic acoustics, and
principles of studio recording; signal processing; and a
historical overview of the medium. Once students have
acquired a certain level of proficiency with the equipment
and material—usually by the second semester—the focus
will be on preparing compositions that will be heard in
concerts of electronic music, student composers’
concerts, music workshops, and open concerts.
108 Music
EMS II: Recording, Mixing, and
Mastering Electronic Music
MUSC 5181
John Yannelli
Component—Year
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor
This course will focus on creating electronic music,
primarily using software-based digital audio workstations.
Materials covered will include MIDI, ProTools, Digital
Performer, Logic, Reason, Ableton Live, MaxMsp, Traction,
and elements of Sibelius and Finale (as connected to
media scoring). Class assignments will focus on
composing individual works and/or creating music and
designing sound for various media, such as film, dance,
and interactive performance art. Students in this course
may also choose to evolve collaborative projects with
students from those other areas. Projects will be
presented in class for discussion and critique.
EMS III: Studio Composition and
Music Technology
MUSC 5173
John Yannelli
Component—Year
Prerequisite: EMS I and EMS II or equivalent, at or beyond
the Advanced Theory level, and permission of the instructor
Students will work on individual projects involving aspects
of music technology—including, but not limited to, works
for electro-acoustic instruments (live and/or
prerecorded), works involving interactive performance
media, laptop ensembles, Disklavier, and improvised or
through-composed works. Projects will be presented in
class for discussion and critique.
Class size is limited.
Performance Ensembles and Classes
Courses listed below are open to all members of the Sarah
Lawrence community with permission of the instructor.
Students who elect to take an ensemble for credit may
also qualify for an individual lesson on the instrument
used in the ensemble. Ensembles may also be taken for no
credit (audit). Ensemble auditions will take place at the
beginning of the first week of classes.
The Blues Ensemble
MUSC 5310
Glenn Alexander
Component—Year
This performance ensemble is geared toward learning and
performing various traditional, as well as hybrid, styles of
blues music. The blues, like jazz, is a purely American art
form. Students will learn and investigate Delta
Blues—performing songs by Robert Johnson, Charlie
Patton, Skip James, and others—as well as Texas Country
Blues by originators such as Blind Lemon Jeerson and
Chicago Blues, beginning with Big Bill Broonzy and moving
up through Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy. Students will also
learn songs and stylings by Muddy Waters, Albert King,
and B. B. King and learn how they influenced modern blues
men such as Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughn and
pioneer rockers such as Je Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy
Page, and Jimi Hendrix.
Audition required.
Jazz Colloquium
MUSC 5313
Glenn Alexander
Component—Year
This ensemble will meet weekly to rehearse and perform a
wide variety of modern jazz music and other related styles.
Repertoire in the past has included works by composers
Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Herbie
Hancock, as well as some rock, Motown, and blues. All
instruments are welcome.
Audition required.
Jazz Performance and Improvisation
Workshop
MUSC 5314
Glenn Alexander
Component—Year
This class is intended for all instrumentalists and will
provide a “hands-on” study of topics relating to the
performance of jazz music. The class will meet as an
ensemble, but the focus will not be on rehearsing
repertoire and giving concerts. Instead, students will focus
on improving jazz playing by applying the topic at hand
directly to instruments—and immediate feedback on the
performance will be given. The workshop environment will
allow students to experiment with new techniques as they
develop their sound. Topics include jazz chord/scale
theory; extensions of traditional tonal harmony; altered
chords; modes; scales; improvising on chord changes;
analyzing a chord progression or tune; analysis of form;
performance and style study, including swing, Latin, jazz-
rock, and ballade styles; and ensemble technique. The
format can be adapted to varying instrumentation and
levels of proficiency.
Audition required.
THE CURRICULUM 109
Jazz Vocal Ensemble
MUSC 5315
Glenn Alexander, Bill Moring
Component—Year
No longer do vocalists need to share valuable time with
those wanting to focus primarily on instrumental jazz and
vice versa. This ensemble will be dedicated to providing a
performance-oriented environment for the aspiring jazz
vocalist. We will mostly concentrate on picking material
from the standard jazz repertoire. Vocalists will get an
opportunity to work on arrangements, interpretation,
delivery, phrasing, and intonation in a realistic situation
with a live rhythm section and soloists. They will learn how
to work with, give direction to, and get what they need
from the rhythm section. The ensemble will provide an
environment to learn to hear forms and changes and also
to work on vocal improvisation, if students so choose. This
course will not only give students an opportunity to work
on singing solo or lead vocals but also to work with other
vocalists in singing backup or harmony vocals for and with
each other. It will also serve as a great opportunity for
instrumentalists to learn the true art of accompanying the
jazz vocalist, which will prove to be a valuable experience
in preparing for a career as a professional musician.
Audition required.
Vocal Studies
Chamber Choir
MUSC 5305
Patrick Romano
Component—Year
This ensemble, which is open to the entire Sarah Lawrence
community, focuses on repertoire from all periods of
classical music that is especially suited for a group of this
size. Although the pieces studied will be of major
composers, a special emphasis will be placed on music
from underrepresented composers. The repertoire will be
both accompanied and a cappella. There will be both a
winter and a spring concert.
Audition required.
Jazz Vocal Seminar
MUSC 5330
Thomas Young
Component—Fall
This course is an exploration of the relationship of melody,
harmony, rhythm, text, and style and how those elements
can be combined and manipulated to create meaning and
beauty. A significant level of vocal development will be
expected and required.
Audition required.
Other Classes and Ensembles
Saxophone Ensemble
MUSC 5308
John Isley
Component—Fall
In this course, saxophone students will prepare material
arranged specifically for saxophone emsemble and
drawing from all genres of music: classical, jazz, and
contemporary styles. The course will stress instrumental
technique, as well as ensemble and performance rehearsal
methods and approaches. There will be at least one public
performance per term.
Acoustic Beatles
MUSC 5381
William Anderson
Component—Fall
For singers and/or guitarists, this ensemble will take on
any Beatles songs that work with acoustic guitar. Singers
and guitarists at any level are welcome, as are singers who
play some guitar and guitarists who sing.
Experimental Music Improvisation
MUSC 5369
John Yannelli
Component—Year
This is an experimental performing ensemble that explores
a variety of musical styles and techniques, including free
improvisation, improvisational conducting, and various
other chance-based methods. The ensemble is open to all
instruments (acoustic and electric), voice, electronic
synthesizers, and laptop computers. Students must be
able to demonstrate a level of proficiency on their chosen
instrument. Composer-performers, dancers, and actors
are also welcome. Performance opportunities will include
concerts and collaboration with other programs, such as
dance, theatre, film, and performance art, as well as
community outreach.
Audition required. Class size is limited.
Chamber Music
MUSC 5370
Bari Mort
Component—Year
Various chamber groups—from quartets or quintets to
violin and piano duos—are formed each year, depending
110 Music
on the number and variety of qualified instrumentalists
who apply. Groups will have an opportunity to perform at
the end of each semester in a chamber music concert.
This component will be taught by Ms. Mort and members
of the aliate faculty.
Folk and Folk Rock
MUSC 5379
William Anderson
Component—Spring
This ensemble will cover the US folk-rock music
movement from Guthrie through the hippies, including
union songs and protest songs. Singers and guitarists at
any level are welcome, as are singers who play some guitar
and guitarists who sing.
Senior Recital
MUSC 5390
Component—Spring
This component oers students the opportunity to share
with the larger College community the results of their
sustained work in performance study. During the semester
of their recital, students will receive additional coachings
by their principal teachers (instructor varies by
instrument).
Audition required. Concert Attendance/Music Tuesdays
component required.
World Music Ensembles
Gamelan Ensemble: Angklung
Chandra Buana
MUSC 5350
Niko Higgins, Nyoman Saptanyana
Component—Fall
A gamelan angklung is a bronze orchestra that includes
four-toned metallophones, gongs, drums, and flutes.
Rhythmic patterns played upon the instruments interlock
and combine to form large structures of great complexity
and beauty. The gamelan angklung that we will play was
specially handcrafted in Bali for the College and was
named Chandra Buana, or “Moon Earth,” at its dedication
on April 16, 2000, in Reisinger Concert Hall. Any interested
student may join; no previous experience with music is
necessary.
West African Percussion Ensemble:
Faso Foli
MUSC 5351
Andrew Algire, Niko Higgins
Component—Spring
Faso Foli is the name of our West African performance
ensemble. Faso foli is a Malinke phrase that translates
loosely as “playing to my father’s home.” In this class, we
will develop the ability to play expressive melodies and
intricate polyrhythms in a group context, as we recreate
the celebrated musical legacy of the West African Mandé
Empire. These traditions have been kept alive and vital
through creative interpretation and innovation in Africa,
the United States, and other parts of the world.
Correspondingly, our repertoire will reflect a wide range of
expressive practices, both ancient in origin and dynamic in
contemporary performance. The instruments we
play—balafons, dun dun drums, and djembe hand
drums—were constructed for the College in 2006,
handcrafted by master builders in Guinea. Relevant
instrumental techniques will be taught in the class, and no
previous experience with African musical practice is
assumed. Any interested student may join.
African Classics of the Postcolonial
Era
MUSC 5352
Andrew Algire
Component—Fall
From highlife and jújù in Nigeria, to soukous and makossa
in Congo and Cameroon, to the sounds of Manding music
in Guinea and “Swinging Addis” in Ethiopia, the decades
following World War II saw an explosion of musical
creativity that blossomed across sub-Saharan Africa.
Syncretic styles merging African aesthetics with
European, Caribbean, and American influences and
instruments resulted in vibrant new musical genres that
harken back to traditional African sources while exploring
bold and original musical forms. As European powers
formally withdrew from their former colonies, newly
inspired African musicians took advantage of broadened
artistic resources and created vital, contemporary musical
expressions. This performance course will explore a wide
range of African musical styles that emerged in the second
half of the 20th century. We will undertake a broad
musical history, considering prominent groups and
individual musicians during this time period, and will
perform tightly structured arrangements of some of their
most eective and influential pieces There will be some
opportunities for genre-appropriate improvisation and
soloing. A wide range of instruments will be welcome,
including strings, horns, guitars, keyboards, drums, and
THE CURRICULUM 111
various percussion instruments. Basic facility on one’s
musical instrument is expected, but prior experience with
African musical aesthetics is not assumed or required.
Concert Attendance/Music Tuesdays
Music Tuesdays
Component stand-alone
The music faculty wants students to have access to a
variety of musical experiences; therefore, all Music Thirds
are required to attend all Music Tuesday events and three
music department-sponsored concerts on campus per
semester, including concerts presented by music faculty
and outside professionals that are part of the Concert
Series. (The required number of concerts varies from
semester to semester.). Music Tuesdays consist of various
programs, including student/faculty town meetings,
concert presentations, guest-artist lectures and
performances, master classes, and collaborations with
other departments and performing-arts programs.
Meetings, which take place in Reisinger Concert Hall on
selected Tuesdays from 1:30-3:00 p.m., are open to the
community.
The schedule will be announced each semester.
Master Classes and Workshops
These classes are optional and not oered for credit.
Master Class
Component
Master Class is a series of concerts, instrumental and
vocal seminars, and lecture demonstrations pertaining to
music history, world music, improvisation, jazz,
composition, and music technology. Master classes take
place on Wednesdays, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., in either
Reisinger Concert Hall or Marshall Field House Room 1.
Master classes are taught by music faculty and guest
artists. The classes are open to the College community.
Music Workshops and Open Concerts
Bari Mort
Component
Music workshops are an opportunity for students to
perform music that they have been studying in an
informal, supportive environment. In this class,
participants will present a prepared piece and receive
constructive feedback from the instructor and other
students. Along with the specifics of each performance,
class discussion may include general performance issues
such as dealing with anxiety, stage presence, and other
related topics. Each term will consist of three workshops,
culminating in an open concert that is a more formal
recital at the end of each semester. The entire SLC
community is welcome and encouraged to participate.
Lectures and Seminars
The following courses apply to various distribution credit
areas and are oered for independent credit in addition to
being available as component courses.
First-Year Studies: Western Music:
Aesthetics, Techniques, Social
Contexts
MUSC 1026
Martin Goldray
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This FYS seminar will examine the various genres of music
that have pervaded cultural life in the West, focusing on
classical music, folk, rock, and punk. The first semester
will begin with the foundations of classical aesthetics in
ancient Greece and continue with the study of landmarks
of classical music through the Medieval, Renaissance,
Baroque, and Classical periods. The spring semester will
begin with 19th-century romanticism and continue with
the development of 20th-century modernism, the rise of
mass media and technology, the splitting of culture into
high and low, the rock & roll revolution, and the more
recent attempts at bridging the gap between high culture
and popular cultures. The students in this seminar will
have weekly conferences through October Study Days and
then biweekly conferences for the rest of the school year.
Cross-Cultural Listening
MUSC 2034
Niko Higgins
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will explore the relationship between listening,
music, and sound across dierent cultural and historical
contexts. Recent scholarship on listening and sound has
revealed how listening plays a crucial role in the
formulation of theories about music, and we will study
how various ideas about listening inform contemporary
understandings of music and sound. Drawing from
research from the field of sound studies, cultural theory,
and ethnographic case studies from ethnomusicology and
anthropology, we will understand key concepts of listening
with specific musical and sonic examples. Course units
may include technologies of listening, listening as an
impetus for empathy and to stimulate political action,
strategies for listening to cultural and musical dierence,
112 Music
and music and sound as tools for torture and healing.
Individual class sessions may include sound technologies
such as the phonograph, the MP3, the recording studio,
and AI; soundscapes; music therapy; and the listening
contexts of individual genres such as South African pop,
Buddhist chant, Arabic maqamat, lofi hip hop, Muzak, and
EDM. Participation in either African Classics or the
Balinese Gamelan Chandra Buana is strongly encouraged.
No prior experience in music is necessary.
This course may be counted for either humanities or social
science distribution credit. This course may also be taken
as a semester-long component.
Music and (Almost) Everything All at
Once
MUSC 2040
Patrick Muchmore
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
A while ago I went to a visual arts museum, and they had
their collection displayed in an unusual fashion. Instead of
grouping art in rooms according to genre, chronology,
nationality or particular artists, the art was arranged by
intriguing concepts. A room might contain an O’Keee
painting, a centuries-old indigenous piece from Australia,
a Rodin sculpture and a poem that were in some way
connected by a fascinating idea. I want to recapitulate
something like this experience. Every class will begin with
some concept from mathematics, poetry, philosophy,
astronomy and more, and then we’ll gradually explore
dierent music that engages with that concept in some
way. The musical examples every week will span centuries
and cultures—one week might have an avant-grade piano
sonata by Boulez, a 1980s art-rock song by Laurie
Anderson and a Kendrick Lamar album; the next week
might have an ancient Sumerian song, a piece by Debussy
and a work from the Indian Carnatic tradition. Gradually,
more and more connections between the seemingly
disparate topics will be revealed. So, ok, it
isn’t everything exactly—and it’s more like “across the
course of two semesters” rather than “all at once”—but
you will know a whole lot more across a wide range of
disciplines by the end. And, most importantly, we’ll listen
to a metric ton of fantastic music.
Punk
MUSC 2014
Martin Goldray
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course will examine punk rock as a musical style and
as a vehicle for cultural opposition. We will investigate the
musical, cultural, and political conditions that gave birth to
the genre in the 1970s and trace its continuing evolution
through the early 2000s—in dialogue with and opposition
to other musical genres, such as progressive rock, heavy
metal, ska, and reggae. We will begin with the influence of
minimalism on “proto-punk” artists like the Velvet
Underground and Patti Smith, which will provide a
foundation for seeing how minimalism—as well as
modernism, atonality, and electronic music—continue to
resonate in punk and rock music. We will examine the
intellectual background of early UK punk, with readings by
Guy Debord and the Situationist International, and look at
the theories of Gramsci and Foucault on the question of
institutional power structures and the possibility of
resistance to them. To deepen our understanding of punk
style and the culture of opposition, there will also be
readings by Theodor Adorno, Mikhail Bakhtin, Roland
Barthes, Antonin Artaud, William S. Burroughs, Kathy
Acker, Julia Kristeva, and others. We will trace the
splintering of punk into various subgenres and the
challenges of negotiating the music industry while
remaining “authentic” in a commercialized culture.
Another major focus will be the Riot Grrrl bands of the
1990s as a catalyst for third-wave feminism. Given the DIY
aesthetic at the heart of punk and in addition to listening
to, analyzing, and reading about the music, students who
want to incorporate creative work will be given the
opportunity to work with musicians and write some punk
songs. In light of the abundant documentary film footage
relating to punk culture, the course will include a film
viewing every other week.
This course may be counted as either humanities or music
credit. This course may also be taken as a component.
Sounding Creativity: Musical
Improvisation
MUSC 3033
Niko Higgins
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar will focus on the widely practiced creative
process of musical improvisation. Using footage of live
performances, reading and listening assignments, and
class discussions, we will learn to hear and understand
improvisation as an array of specific choices as musicians
from dierent backgrounds progress through their
performances. We will question how personal expression
and cultural context shape creativity, which will reveal
improvisation as an intrinsic form of adaptation that is
essential to artistic expression, communication, and
survival. Using a cross-cultural perspective, we will
examine the similarities and dierences of musical
improvisation around the world, exploring themes such as
freedom, community, free will, determinism, social justice,
ethnicity, race, nationalism, class, gender, and sexuality.
Using ethnomusicology’s interdisciplinary approach to
THE CURRICULUM 113
learning about music and culture, this seminar will draw
from anthropology, linguistics, social theory, sociology,
psychology, and artists’ personal accounts. Class topics
may include music in Turkey, Egypt, West Africa, India,
Cantonese opera, 20th-century experimental art music,
improvised singing games in Nepal, free improvisation,
international and American jazz, and turn tabling and
DJing. Participation in the Faso Foli, SLC’s African
percussion ensemble, is strongly encouraged. No prior
experience in music is necessary.
This course may be counted as either humanities or social
science credit. This course may also be taken as a
semester-long component.
Music and Sound for Film
MUSC 3107
Giancarlo Vulcano
Open, Seminar—Spring | 3 credits
This class will explore the ways in which music and sound
serve the dramatic intent of a film. As co-inhabitants of
the aural spectrum, a film’s score and sound design are
increasingly called upon to interact. Working in one of
these areas now implies an understanding of the other.
This class will cover: spotting music/sound with a director;
choosing musical themes that correspond to the dramatic
needs of a film; using sound design to highlight facets of
the world and its characters; conceptualizing the
soundworld of a film; and designing the music and sound
so that they occupy dierent, complementary spaces. The
marriage of sound and music has deep roots in the history
of cinema, and special attention will be paid to great works
of the past. There will be weekly listening assignments to
survey the history of film music and to explore current
trends. Technical topics covered will include: intro to
ProTools and an overview of basic mixing, concepts in
music editing, use of eects such as compression, eq,
reverb and filters, file organization, management, and
workflow. Students will work on sound design and/or
scoring concepts using video clips that I provide or, better
yet, using works from their fellow students in the film
department.
Recording and Editing Sound for Film
and Media
MUSC 3108
Rosie Kaplan
Open, Large seminar—Fall | 2 credits
This course introduces techniques for recording and
editing sound for film and media. Through a hands-on
approach using recording equipment and Pro Tools,
students will explore creating and mixing sound design
and eects, Foley, and dialogue/ADR for film and other
media. Studio work will be supplemented with readings on
fundamentals of acoustics and media theory, as well as
recommended films.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Dance Partnering (p. 29), John Jasperse Dance
Butoh Through LEIMAY Ludus (p. 30), Ximena Garnica
Dance
Exploration in American Jazz Dance (p. 30), Candice
Franklin Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level I) (p. 30), Catie Leasca
Dance
Hula (p. 30), Makalina Gallagher Dance
Ballet I (p. 31), Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Dance
Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong (p. 31), Sherry Zhang Dance
Alexander Technique (p. 31), Peggy Gould Dance
West African Dance (p. 31), N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal Dance
Hip-Hop (p. 31), Ana Garcia Dance
Improvisation (p. 32), Peggy Gould Dance
Performance Project (p. 33), Ogemdi Ude Dance
Anatomy (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Anatomy Research Seminar (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Ballet II (p. 34), Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level 2) (p. 34), Jodi Melnick,
Janet Charleston, Jessie Young, Wendell Gray II
Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level 3) (p. 34), Jodi Melnick,
Jessie Young, Wendell Gray II, Kayla Farrish Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Levels 2 and 3
Combined) (p. 34), John Jasperse, Jennifer Nugent,
Catie Leasca, Kayla Farrish Dance
Introduction to 2D Digital Animation in Harmony (p. 51),
Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation
II (p. 55), Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Music and Sound for Film (p. 56), Giancarlo Vulcano
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Music and Sound for Film (p. 114), Giancarlo Vulcano Music
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
Perspectives on the Creative Process (p. 139), Charlotte L.
Doyle Psychology
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
114 Music
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
First-Year Studies: Forms, Fictions, and Revisions (p. 186),
Myra Goldberg Writing
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
MUSIC HISTORY
Music History at Sarah Lawrence encompasses a broad
range of musical styles from Western Music to music from
around the world. Students have the option of studying
music history as part of a Music Third, or as seminar or
lecture. Historical periods range from ancient music of
Greece to current trends in contemporary music. Genres
cover classical, jazz, rock, blues, electronic and
experimental, and many other idioms. Topics in world
music include Southern Indian classical, West African
percussion, Iraqi Maqam, and Gamelan; with many
courses including such issues as Climate Change, Social
Activism, Ethnomusicology and Social Change. All music
history courses are open to the entire college community.
No previous knowledge of music is required.
Jazz History/The Blues and Beyond
MUHS 3162
Glenn Alexander
Seminar—Fall and Spring | 2 credits
Out of one of the worst atrocities of humanity, we were
gifted with the extraordinary music that would become
known as the blues. In this class, we will explore and
analyze the origins of the blues, the uniqueness of this
great American art form, and how it is related to jazz but
takes a completely dierent path—ultimately leading us to
rock ‘n’ roll and all forms of popular music. We will dissect
the unique components of the blues, which defied
conventional music theory as we knew it, made it dierent
from any music that came before it, and out of which rock
‘n’ roll was born. Through listening to and analyzing these
early developments, from African drumming pieces to field
hollers, work songs, spirituals, early country blues, Delta
blues, urban blues, and Chicago electric blues, we will
discover the African culture and musical concepts that
survived and how they are the foundation of every part of
popular music—be it jazz, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, country,
rock ‘n’ roll, soul, gospel, funk, rhythm & blues, hip hop,
rap, Brazilian, and on and on. We will study the unique
African contributions of music in form, rhythm, melody,
tone, and timbre that has now permeated all styles of
music. Without this incredible, invaluable, unique
contribution, our music today would be very
dierent—and there would have been no Louis Armstrong,
Miles Davis, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Ray
Charles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, The Beatles, Led
Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton,
Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross & The
Supremes, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Elvis Costello, Stevie
Wonder, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, and on and on
and on...right up to every new artist today.
This is one of the music history component courses
required for all Advanced Theory students. It is a two-
semester course; however, it is possible to enter in the
second semester. This course may be counted as
humanities credit (MUHS 3164) or music component
(MUSC 5254).
Music and (Almost) Everything All at
Once
MUHS 2040
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
A while ago I went to a visual arts museum, and they had
their collection displayed in an unusual fashion. Instead of
grouping art in rooms according to genre, chronology,
nationality or particular artists, the art was arranged by
intriguing concepts. A room might contain an O’Keee
painting, a centuries-old indigenous piece from Australia,
a Rodin sculpture and a poem that were in some way
connected by a fascinating idea. I want to recapitulate
something like this experience. Every class will begin with
some concept from mathematics, poetry, philosophy,
astronomy and more, and then we’ll gradually explore
dierent music that engages with that concept in some
way. The musical examples every week will span centuries
and cultures—one week might have an avant-grade piano
sonata by Boulez, a 1980s art-rock song by Laurie
Anderson and a Kendrick Lamar album; the next week
might have an ancient Sumerian song, a piece by Debussy
and a work from the Indian Carnatic tradition. Gradually,
more and more connections between the seemingly
disparate topics will be revealed. So, ok, it
isn’t everything exactly—and it’s more like “across the
course of two semesters” rather than “all at once”—but
you will know a whole lot more across a wide range of
disciplines by the end. And, most importantly, we’ll listen
to a metric ton of fantastic music. This course may be
counted as humanities credit as MUHS 2040 or music
component as MUSC 5276.
Words and Music
MUHS 3071
Carsten Schmidt
Open, Seminar—Fall | 3 credits
In this course, we will examine and try to understand the
magic that happens when words and music combine in
song. Song will be defined broadly. Most of our repertoire
will be drawn from Western music history, and the range of
THE CURRICULUM 115
compositions will be extraordinary: from the chants of
Hildegard von Bingen to the often esoteric and intricate
motets of the Ars Nova, from the late Renaissance
madrigals to early and romantic opera, and from the art
songs of Schubert and Debussy to experimental
contemporary works. There also may be some in-class
performances. Participants will be responsible for regular
listening and reading assignments, listening exams, and
group presentations. There will be no conferences, but we
will have regular individual and group consultations to help
prepare presentations and papers. For the three credit
lecture, there will be a number of shorter paper
assignments.
This course may be counted as a music component (MUSC
5229).
The Beatles
MUHS 3164
Martin Goldray
Open, Seminar—Fall | 3 credits
The impact of The Beatles has been immeasurable. In their
seven years as a recording band, they explored and
enlarged every aspect of songwriting technique, producing
one musical milestone after the next. This class will trace
the development of The Beatles chronologically through
their 12 original English albums and the singles that were
released alongside them. We will focus on the ways The
Beatles used harmony, phrase structure, rhythm,
structural ambiguity, and sonority in continuously
innovative ways. We will also look at some of the of
musical styles and cultural phenomena that The Beatles
assimilated and transformed—from early rock & roll,
Motown and the Goon Show to 1960s
counterculture—and explore how The Beatles, in turn,
influenced music and culture in the 1960s. There will also
be guest-led discussions by other members of the music
faculty on the following topics: The Beatles and the
evolution of studio recording, the use of electronic music
techniques (Yannelli), Norwegian Wood and the great sitar
explosion (Higgins), electric guitar techniques
(Alexander), and acoustic guitar techniques (Anderson).
This course may be counted as a music component (MUSC
5254).
Cross-Cultural Listening
MUHS 2034
Niko Higgins
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will explore the relationship of listening,
music, and sound across dierent cultural and historical
contexts. Recent scholarship on listening and sound has
revealed how listening plays a crucial role in the
formulation of theories about music, and we will study
how various ideas about listening inform contemporary
understandings of music and sound. Drawing from
research from the field of sound studies, cultural theory,
and ethnographic case studies from ethnomusicology and
anthropology, we will understand key concepts of listening
with specific musical and sonic examples. Course units
may include technologies of listening, listening as an
impetus for empathy and to stimulate political action,
strategies for listening to cultural and musical dierence,
and music and sound as tools for torture and healing.
Individual class sessions may include sound technologies
such as the phonograph, the MP3, the recording studio,
and AI; soundscapes; music therapy; and the listening
contexts of individual genres, such as South African pop,
Buddhist chant, Arabic maqamat, lofi hip hop, muzak, and
EDM. Participation in either African Classics or the
Balinese Gamelan Chandra Buana is strongly
encouraged. No prior music experience is necessary.
Sounding Creativity: Musical
Improvisation
MUHS 3033
Niko Higgins
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar will focus on the widely practiced creative
process of musical improvisation. Using footage of live
performances, reading and listening assignments, and
class discussions, we will learn to hear and understand
improvisation as an array of specific choices as musicians
from dierent backgrounds progress through their
performances. We will question how personal expression
and cultural context shape creativity, which will reveal
improvisation as an intrinsic form of adaptation that is
essential to artistic expression, communication, and
survival. Using a cross-cultural perspective, we will
examine the similarities and dierences of musical
improvisation around the world, exploring themes such as
freedom, community, free will, determinism, social justice,
ethnicity, race, nationalism, class, gender, and sexuality.
Using ethnomusicology’s interdisciplinary approach to
learning about music and culture, this seminar will draw
from anthropology, linguistics, social theory, sociology,
psychology, and artists’ personal accounts. Class topics
may include music in Turkey, Egypt, West Africa, India,
Cantonese opera, 20th-century experimental art music,
improvised singing games in Nepal, free improvisation,
international and American jazz, and turn tabling and
DJing. Participation in the Faso Foli, SLC’s African
percussion ensemble, is strongly encouraged. No prior
experience in music is necessary.
116 Music History
This course may be counted as either humanities or social
science credit. This course may also be taken as a
semester-long component.
Punk
MUHS 2014
Martin Goldray
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course will examine punk rock as a musical style and
as a vehicle for cultural opposition. We will examine the
musical, cultural, and political conditions that gave birth to
the genre in the 1970s and trace its continuing evolution
through the early 2000s in dialogue with, and sometimes
in opposition to, other musical genres such as progressive
rock, heavy metal, ska, and reggae. We will begin with the
influence of minimalism on “proto-punk” artists such as
Velvet Underground and Patti Smith, which will provide a
foundation for seeing how minimalism—as well as
modernism, atonality, and electronic music—continued to
resonate in punk and rock music generally. We will
examine the intellectual background of early UK punk with
readings by Guy Debord and Situationist International and
look at the theories of Gramsci and Foucault on the
question of institutional power structures and the
possibility of resistance to them. To deepen our
understanding of punk style and the culture of opposition,
there will also be readings by Adorno, Bakhtin, Barthes,
Antonin Artaud, William Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Julia
Kristeva, and others. We will trace the splintering of punk
into various sub-genres and the challenges of negotiating
the music industry and remaining “authentic” in a
commercialized culture. Another major focus will be the
Riot Grrrl bands of the 1990s as the catalyst for third-
wave feminism. Given the DIY aesthetic at the heart of
punk—in addition to listening to, analyzing, and reading
about the music—students who want to get creative will
be given the opportunity to work with musicians and write
some punk songs. In light of the large amount of valuable
documentary film footage relating to punk culture, the
course will include a film viewing every other week.
This course may be counted as humanities credit (MUHS
2014) or music component (MUSC 5278).
NEW GENRES AND
INTERACTIVE ART
The study of new genres and interactive art spans
oerings in visual arts, film and media, and computer
science to foster technical and digital literacy in the arts.
Designed for experimentation, this initiative helps
students establish digital proficiency while supporting the
exploration of a wide range of new media forms and
technologies. Courses of study might include visual
programming, artificial intelligence, gaming, robotics,
experimental animation, computer arts, experimental
media design, data visualization, real-time interactivity,
digital signal processing, cross-platform media
environments, and mobile media development. Students
are encouraged to coordinate these project-based
investigations of the digital throughout their studies in the
humanities, including literature, philosophy, politics,
sociology, theatre, and writing.
The full description of this related course may be found
under the appropriate discipline.
Choreographing Light for the Stage (p. 33), Judy Kagel
Dance
PHILOSOPHY
At Sarah Lawrence College, the study of philosophy retains
a centrality that helps students synthesize their
educational experience with the discipline’s many
connections to other humanities and to social science.
Through conference work, students also find numerous
ways to connect the study of philosophy with their
interests in the arts and natural sciences. Stressing the
great tradition of classical and contemporary philosophy,
the College oers three types of philosophy courses: those
organized around thematic topics, such as Philosophy of
Science, Aesthetics, and Philosophy and Literature; those
organized historically, such as Moral Philosophy, Political
Philosophy, and 20th-Century Philosophy; and those that
study the “systems” of philosophers such as Kant,
Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein.
Philosophy faculty use the latest technology in their
teaching, including web boards for posting course material
and promoting discussion. Yearlong courses make
extensive textual work possible, enabling students to
establish in-depth relationships with the thoughts of the
great philosophers and to “do philosophy” to some
degree—particularly valuable to students preparing for
graduate work in philosophy. Conference work often
consists of students thinking through and writing on single
philosophic and literary works, ranging from Greek
tragedy, comedy, or epic to Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas,
Machiavelli, Descartes, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Locke,
Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, or
Heidegger.
THE CURRICULUM 117
First-Year Studies: Philosophy and/
as/of Literature
PHIL 1025
Scott Shushan
FYS—Year | 10 credits
One of the principal activities that distinguishes us as the
kinds of beings we are is that we strive to make sense of
our reality: ourselves, others, the world, and perhaps even
what lies beyond. Two ways that we do this are through
philosophy and literature. Fairy tales, fables, myths, short
stories, and novels not only fascinate and entertain but
also teach us how to be in the world, present us with
puzzles that deepen our understanding, and both implicitly
and explicitly communicate moral lessons. Philosophy,
although it assumes various forms—dialogues,
meditations, phenomenologies, genealogies,
pseudonymous works, aphorisms, and, of course, essays
and books—aspires to oer a conceptual analysis of some
of the most trenchant questions of existence: What is
truth? How should we be moral? Are we free or
determined in our actions? This class will investigate the
intersections between these two forms of reflection. As we
proceed in this investigation, we will reflect on (i) the
possibility that philosophy and literature are
complementary pursuits of the same end, (ii) a
philosophical investigation of literature, and (iii) a
consideration of philosophy itself as literature. Some
topics that we will discuss are the truths communicated
by ancient and modern tragedies, the various satisfactions
that we derive from dierent forms of narrative, the
structure of metaphor, the relation of a fictitious work to
its author, and the ethical significance of art. We will read
literary works from Sophocles, Shakespeare, Virginia
Woolf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ralph Ellison, Ursula K. Le Guin,
J. M. Coetzee, W. G. Sebald, Octavia Butler, Rachel Cusk,
and Maggie Nelson. Philosophical works will include Plato,
Aristotle, René Descartes, G. W. F. Hegel, Søren
Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, Iris Murdoch, Stanley
Cavell, Jacques Derrida, and Cora Diamond. (Please note:
This course will be reading-intensive; we will always be
reading a work of fiction, and each session will have a
philosophical text assigned.) Separate from the course
content, we will meet biweekly as a group to discuss
various topics relating to life at Sarah Lawrence. These
sessions will have a particular focus on working on writing
skills.
Deranged Democracy: How Can We
Govern Ourselves if Everyone Has
Lost Their Minds?
PHIL 2095
David Peritz
Open, Small Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Many of us are struck by the growing irrationality of
contemporary democratic politics to the point where we
despair of our capacity to address problems like global
climate change or pandemics that could pose existential
threats to our species, to fashion constructive foreign
policy as wars rage, or to face a whole range of urgent but
more mundane policy issues. In this class, we will seek to
understand disturbing trends like populism, polarization,
disinformation, and self-injuring or -defeating politics, as
well as the resurfacing of nativism, xenophobia, and
racism in contemporary politics—in part on their own
terms but also by asking whether they are deeply rooted in
human nature, at least on our current best understandings
of ourselves. More specifically, democracy seems to rely
on at least a minimum degree of rationality, learning,
openness to argument and dierence, and self-control on
the part of the citizens whose votes and opinions guide
government policy. But is this reliance foolhardy in light of
what recent history, psychology, evolutionary theory,
philosophy, and cognitive science teach? Do aspects of our
current social and technological circumstances make us
less able to manifest these qualities of character today
than our Enlightenment progenitors hoped in the era of
democratic revolutions—the era from which many of the
ideas and institutions that continue to inform our politics
today emerged? In this course, we will survey aspects of
the political history of recent centuries, as well as our own
historical moment, to ask if they should temper
confidence in the power of reason in politics. We will also
examine recent research in cognitive science, psychology,
and philosophy that conclude that it is hard to sustain a
model of human behavior that places reason and
rationality in the driver’s seat. What alternative accounts
of human nature are emerging from recent research? And
what are their political implications, especially for
democratic societies? By bringing together political
science, history, and theory with cognitive science,
psychology, and philosophy, we should be able to occupy
the intersection of distinct but equally relevant disciplines
to ask whether the Enlightenment’s faith in democracy
was misplaced. Or, instead, are there reasons to believe
that democracy can maintain its claim to legitimacy, even
after reason has been demoted in our understandings of
human nature? To address this final question, we will also
examine proposals for 21st-century democratic reforms
that either seek to adjust downward the expectations on
118 Philosophy
the capacity of citizens to engage in deliberative politics or
to refashion political institutions to better summon the
better angels of our nature.
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 2440
Abraham Anderson
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Philosophy began with the Greeks as the pursuit of
freedom of mind—as a rebellion against bondage to
conventional belief. But is freedom of mind possible? And
to what does it amount? This course, the first half of a
yearlong sequence, focuses on the dierent ways the
Greek philosophers and their Roman heirs understood
freedom of mind. We will travel from the pre-Socratics
through Plato, the Stoics, the Epicureans, and the
Skeptics. Students will be expected to come to each class
with a written question on the reading, which I may ask
them to read aloud at the beginning of class in order to
stimulate discussion. They may also be asked to
participate in brief group presentations of the reading. The
writing requirements for the class will have two
components. The first of these will be made up of a short
paragraph on the reading for each class and each group
conference and should include the written question on the
reading; the rest of the paragraph should either develop
this question further or pose a further question or
questions about the reading. At the end of the semester,
you will be expected to submit a log of these short
paragraphs, with your three favorites at the beginning of
the document. The second writing requirement will be for
a paper, or papers, outlining a portion of the reading and
posing questions along the way. Through discussion, we
will decide on the focus of these papers.
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and
Modern Philosophy
PHIL 2770
Abraham Anderson
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course will continue the investigation undertaken in
the fall course. For a description, see Freedom of Mind:
Ancient Philosophy, fall semester; theme and writing
requirements will be the same as for that course. Our
focus will shift, however, to medieval and modern
philosophy, with attention to Averroes (Ibn Rush’d),
Montaigne, Descartes, and Shaftesbury. Either course may
be taken independently, but students are, of course,
invited to take both.
Existentialism
PHIL 2033
Roy Ben-Shai
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Does life have a purpose, a meaning? What does it mean
“to be”? What does it mean to be human? What does it
mean to be a woman (or to be a man)? What does it mean
to be Black (or to be white)? What makes us into who we
are? What distinguishes each of us? And what, if anything,
is in common to all of us? These and other questions are
raised by existentialist philosophy and literature, mostly
through interrogation of real-life experiences, situations,
and “fundamental emotions” such as anxiety, boredom,
loneliness, and shame. In the first half of this course, we
will get acquainted with the core tenets of existentialist
thought by reading two of its most influential figures:
Jean-Paul Sartre (France, 1905-1980) and Martin
Heidegger (Germany, 1889-1976). In the second half, we
will analyze texts by authors who set out to expand or
challenge these core tenets on the grounds of their
experiences of oppression. These authors are Simone de
Beauvoir, Frantz Fanon, and Jean Améry. Group
conference will meet weekly and play a central role in this
course. In it, we will mostly read literary texts or watch
films that are relevant to the work of the above-listed
authors. Conference material will include stories by Franz
Kafka, Albert Camus, and Ralph Ellison and films such
as The Battle of Algiers (1967) and Monsieur Klein (1977).
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics
for a Vulnerable World: Reconceiving
Normative Value for an Era of Global
Catastrophe
PHIL 2088
David Peritz
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
For the first time in history, it is not only conceivable but
likely that human action will result in the extinction of our
species. We transformed our planet from remarkably
resilient to deeply vulnerable in a flash, whether time is
measured geologically or in terms of cultural evolution. So,
we struggle to determine how to cope and what to do
about our newly vulnerable world. We face, especially in
climate change, an impending global catastrophe beyond
the ethical imaginations of all but the most recent
generations. Many of the very same forces (especially
capitalism and the energy-intensive technology and
civilization it spreads on a global scale) that produce
planetary peril tend—either directly and intentionally or
simply by their further eects—to make it dicult to
become more intentional about planetary stewardship at
the pace and on the scale required. But just as human
activity rendered our world vulnerable, only concerted
THE CURRICULUM 119
human action can save it. This means that climate change
and other crises of the Anthropocene can only be tamed
politically; i.e., through collective action on a global scale
of a kind without precedent in human history. Global
political action, in turn, requires not-yet-developed ethical
resources and political capacities if it is to succeed in
saving our planet in ways that avoid unjust and inhumane
distributions of costs and suering. Developing the
normative and imaginative resources to grasp the
enormity of the advancing climate and environmental
crises is an essential first step in creating the capacity for
collective action required to respond. While traditional
concerns with topics like distributive justice oer partial
guidance as we notice, for instance, the overlap between
environmental and racial injustice domestically as well as
globally, many of the normative issues raised by our
rapidly advancing, world-altering powers are simply
unprecedented. To develop the normative resources
required to navigate this new world, we need
simultaneously to seek new orienting ideas while also
examining Western, non-Western/indigenous, and
contemporary conceptions of social justice, responsibility,
relatedness, and ethics anew. Which, if any, can be
adapted to incorporate global, intergenerational, and
interspecies obligations? Do revisions in received
understandings of risk and agency necessitate corollary
changes in ideas like democracy, power, responsibility,
privacy, and our relation to the natural and built worlds? To
address these issues, this course divides into three main
units, in turn: 1) We will examine the novel forces at work
in the Anthropocene and the unprecedented questions of
justice and ethics that they raise (e.g., Is it morally
permissible to have a child in a world that may become
rapidly uninhabitable? Should we engage in ubiquitous
surveillance as the capacity for, perhaps, inadvertent
mass destruction becomes more readily available to
ordinary persons?). 2) We will also examine the tradition
of Western philosophy to survey the resources it contains
or lacks for answering these kinds of novel questions. 3) In
light of the limited resources that this tradition contains,
we will turn to other sources—briefly surveying recent
work on non-Western traditions (especially indigenous
cultures) and concentrating on contemporary political
philosophy and ethics. Students should emerge with a
sharper understanding of the political and ethical
dimensions of the climate crisis and other environmental
issues and the normative resources available to them in
determining how to respond personally and politically.
This course will fully participate in the spring 2025 Sarah
Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the
Environment (SLICE) Mellon course cluster.
A Political Perspective on the Elusive
Nature of Happiness
PHIL 3225
Yuval Eytan
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
From its inception, Western philosophy has considered
happiness as the ultimate purpose of human life and one
of the most important goals of any political regime. This
aim has persisted to today. Contemporary research
reports that when people are asked what they most want
from their lives, they resoundingly answer happiness. Yet,
when asked to define happiness, most face diculty
providing a satisfying answer. We might be left to conclude
that the one thing we genuinely want is something we
can't clearly define. This course explores the intricate
nature of happiness and its elusive characteristics through
the political philosophies of Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, and
Mill. We will work to construct a historical narrative to
explore how each of the four philosophers shaped their
ideas of happiness through meaningful dialogues with
others' conceptions of it. Additionally, we will learn how
the dierences between the conceptions of happiness
result from essential dierences concerning the nature of
the relationship between humans and the socialpolitical
structure. Some of the questions that we will pursue
include: What is the dierence between happiness and
pleasure? What role do others play in our ability to achieve
happiness? Is there a specific political regime that will
most advance human happiness? Although we may not
arrive at a satisfying explanation for what happiness is, the
seminar aims to help us understand how the Western ideal
of happiness has been shaped in relation to political
philosophy.
Feminist Ethics
PHIL 3109
Scott Shushan
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course investigates the ways in which feminist
philosophers have challenged traditional approaches to
moral philosophy. We will look at feminist ethics not just
as a branch of ethics (for instance, one addressing the
concerns of women) but also as an approach to ethics as a
whole that puts pressure on dominant moral
philosophies— specifically, those inspired by Kant and
Mill. Feminist philosophers have sought to correct the
privileging of the male standpoint and question its
characterization as neutral. Where traditional moral
philosophy focuses on individual moral subjects, feminist
interventions have illuminated the social and material
conditions under which moral problems arise and moral
actions occur. Over the course of the semester, we will
consider how feminist ethics invite us to reconsider: (1)
120 Philosophy
the way moral theories determine what counts as harmful
or wrong; (2) how moral psychology construes our
motivation to act and our responsibility for what we have
done; and (3) individual social issues, including misogyny,
abortion, and our thinking around sex. Our aim will be to
appreciate how these thinkers expand the scope of moral
consideration and to ask previously ignored or obscured
questions. How does one’s upbringing shape their moral
outlook, and should it change what one is responsible for?
How does being oriented by care reframe what we take
ethics to be about? What kinds of beings (and things) are
eligible for moral consideration? Should this include
animals? Or the environment? How does a feminist
perspective allow us to notice systematic oppression on
the grounds of race or sexuality? In working through these
questions and others, some of the thinkers we will read
include Elizabeth Anscombe, Simone de Beauvoir, Judith
Butler, Claudia Card, Patricia Hill Collins, Cora Diamond,
Carol Gilligan, bell hooks, Eva Kittay, Iris Murdoch, and
Margaret Walker.
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and
Hume’s Response
PHIL 3255
Abraham Anderson
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Nietzsche, in the Preface to The Genealogy of Morals,
begins by attacking “English moralists.” By “English
moralists” he means, I propose, David Hume in his An
Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals. After reading
the Preface and Part One of the Genealogy, we shall turn to
Hume’s Enquiry in order to understand Nietzsche’s
criticism and to see whether we think it is justified.
Students will be required to bring a written question to
each class and to present short sections of the reading.
Writing requirements will consist of a log of the written
questions, two outlines of portions of the reading that they
present in class with questions and objections, and a
conference paper.
First-year students may be admitted with permission of
the instructor.
Decolonial Theory: Philosophical
Foundations and Perspectives
PHIL 3331
Yuval Eytan
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Decolonial theory oers an intervention in standard
familiar narratives about historical progress and social
value. Decolonial theory also opens up conversations
about what kind of future we can imagine. This seminar
aims to delve into three interconnected concepts crucial
for grasping the philosophical foundations of decolonial
theory: Eurocentrism, modernity, and progress. After
considering these foundations, we will be interested in
how decolonial theory forces us to reflect on philosophy
itself, its history, as well as its methods and practices. The
course will be divided into three main parts. First, we will
critically analyze Kant's and Hegel's ideas regarding
historical progress to reveal the underlying Eurocentrism
in their perspectives on enlightenment, rationality,
freedom, and modernity. The second part will address the
significance of Aníbal Quijano's statement that even
though "formal colonial status has ended, coloniality has
not." We will explore how this idea, embraced by many
decolonial theorists, is a fundamental element of their
eorts to uncover the underlying power of racism
operating within the foundational structure of the "new
world." In the third part of the course, we will explore how
decolonial theory aims not only to “delink” from the
knowledge framework imposed by the West but also to
“reconstitute” new ways of living in a society where there
is no universal standard to judge one's freedom and life.
We will learn the fundamental ideas of Fanon, Césaire,
Spivak, Lugones, Maldonado-Torres, Wynter, and Iman.
These thinkers present alternative ways of existence
without predetermined universal essences that all must
adhere to be considered humans.
Taoist Philosophy: Laozi and
Zhuangzi
PHIL 3105
Ellen Neskar
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar centers on the two foundational texts in the
classical Taoist tradition, Lao-tzu’s Tao-te ching (Daode
jing) and the Chuang-tzu (Zhuangzi). The Tao-te-ching, an
anthology of poetry, asks us to contemplate the nature of
the Dao and the possibility of the individual’s attainment
of it; the role of the government and rulers in making the
Dao prevail in the world; and a rudimentary cosmology
that proposes an ideal relationship of the individual to
society, nature, and the cosmos. By contrast, the Chuang-
tzu defies all categorization and, instead, invites readers to
probe through its layers of myth, fantasy, jokes, short
stories, and philosophical argumentation. Along the way,
Chuang-tzu plunges us into an examination of some of the
core questions of moral philosophy and epistemology:
What is being? What is the nature of human nature? What
does it mean to be virtuous? What is knowledge? How
does one know that one knows? And, what does it mean to
attain true knowledge and the Dao? To explore those
THE CURRICULUM 121
topics and answer these questions, our seminar sessions
will revolve around the close, detailed reading and
interpretation of the texts.
Is Culture Fate or Freedom?
PHIL 3319
Abraham Anderson
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
By nature, humans need something more than
nature—custom or convention, or what we nowadays call
“culture”—to constitute a community. What is this
something more, and why do we need it? Are “cultures”
completely sealed o from each other and mutually
incomprehensible, or can they be understood as
responding to universal human needs? Are they pure
products of freedom and creativity, always subject to
modulation and transformation, or are they like a kind of
inescapable fate? We shall tackle this topic with the help
of Plato’s Laws.
Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit
PHIL 3516
Scott Shushan
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: at least one previous philosophy course
Written in 1807, G. W. F. Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit is
arguably the most important book one could read to
understand our modern world. The book was so
pathbreaking that subsequent philosophers were
compelled to contend with its claims; and it is no stretch
to say that, without Hegel, there would be no Marx,
Kierkegaard, Sartre, Foucault, or even feminist theory. A
book about the nature of knowledge, our relation to others,
what makes an action right, the influence of culture, the
value of art, and the role of religion in our lives,
Phenomenology of Spirit oers a comprehensive theory of
what makes life meaningful. During the course of the
semester, we will read significant portions of the text as
we work to comprehend Hegel’s expansive philosophical
thought. Central to that thought is the contention that we
achieve self-knowledge not through introspection but,
rather, by looking outward to the world and to the entirety
of human history. Accordingly, Phenomenology of Spirit
weaves a narrative through a panoply of frameworks and
practices that people have inhabited in making sense of
their lives (skepticism, stoicism, science, art, religion, and
philosophy). This unique narrative progresses
dialectically, demonstrating how the contradictions that
inhere in one framework or practice generate a new
framework or practice, which ultimately gives way to
“Absolute Knowing.”
Philosophical Silence: Wittgenstein’s
Tractatus
PHIL 3649
Roy Ben-Shai
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior class and/or conference in philosophy
The Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig
Wittgenstein, first published in German in 1921, consists of
seven main “propositions.” The first is “1. The world is all
that is the case”; the last, “7. What we cannot speak about
we must pass over in silence.” Between the two are some
90 pages of notoriously enigmatic statements—on topics
ranging from religion and mysticism to science and logic,
language, subjectivity, and thinking—that have fascinated
readers for more than a century. While the Tractatus has
become one of the canonical texts of analytical
philosophy, it is also among the most influential texts of
20th-century philosophy more generally. Its laconic
brevity and oracular style make it an excellent platform for
practicing close, collective, philosophical reading and
conversation in the seminar setting. We will read it
together, line by line, in and out of class, alongside
secondary texts that exemplify its range of influence and
competing interpretations from analytic to continental
philosophy. We will conclude the class by looking at and
reflecting on Wittgenstein’s striking change of mind and
style in Philosophical Investigations—his last (and only
other) book. Students participating in this course must
show a philosophical passion and commitment; a diligent
work ethic; and a spirit of comradery, collaboration, and
generosity.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Taoist Philosophy: Laozi and Zhuangzi (p. 15), Ellen Neskar
Asian Studies
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Celebrity Studies (p. 46), Brandon Arroyo Film History
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
122 Philosophy
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
The Edgy Enlightenment (p. 78), Philip Swoboda History
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Astronomy (p. 123), Scott Calvin Physics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 128), David Peritz Politics
The Political Economy of Democratic Capitalism (p. 130),
David Peritz Politics
First-Year Studies: Emotions and Decisions (p. 135), Maia
Pujara Psychology
The Origins of Language: Animals, Babies, and
Machines (p. 136), Sammy Floyd Psychology
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Care and the Good Life: Exploring Aging, Care, and
Death (p. 142), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan
Psychology
First-Year Studies: The Hebrew Bible (p. 146), Ron Afzal
Religion
Readings in Christian Mysticism: Late Antiquity (p. 148),
Ron Afzal Religion
The Holocaust in Cultural Memory (p. 151), Joel Swanson
Swanson Religion
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
PHYSICS
Physics—the study of matter and energy, time and space,
and their interactions and interconnections—is often
regarded as the most fundamental of the natural sciences.
An understanding of physics is essential for an
understanding of many aspects of chemistry, which in turn
provides a foundation for understanding a variety of
biological processes. Physics also plays an important role
in most branches of engineering; and the field of
astronomy, essentially, is physics applied on the largest of
scales.
As science has progressed over the last century or
so, the boundaries between the dierent scientific
disciplines have become blurred and new interdisciplinary
fields—such as chemical physics, biophysics, and
engineering physics—have arisen. For these reasons, and
because of the excellent training in critical thinking and
problem solving provided by the study of physics, this
subject represents an indispensable gateway to the other
natural sciences and a valuable component of a liberal-
arts education.
Astronomy
PHYS 2019
Scott Calvin
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
On the first night, we will look up and see the stars. By the
last, we will know what makes them “shine,” how they
came to be, and their ultimate fates. In between, we will
survey the universe and humankind’s investigations of
it—from ancient navigation to modern cosmology. In
addition to the stars themselves, we will learn about solar-
system objects such as planets, asteroids, moons, and
comets; the comparative astronomy of dierent eras and
cultures; the properties, lifetimes, and deaths of galaxies,
quasars, and black holes; and theories and evidence
concerning the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe.
In addition to readings and examination of multimedia
material, students will be members of teams conducting
astronomical observation and experiments—at first with
an astrolabe, then a simple telescope, and finally with the
most powerful telescopes on and around the Earth.
Emphasis will be placed on modes of scientific
communication, so that each student will participate in
debates, present posters, write papers, and participate in
the peer-review process. In addition, students will
experience famous astronomical debates through role-
play. Since science is a collaborative process, group
work—both small and large—will be a central feature of
this course.
THE CURRICULUM 123
Time to Tinker
PHYS 2051
Merideth Frey
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Do you enjoy designing and building things? Do you have
lots of ideas of things that you wished existed but do not
feel you have enough technical knowledge to create
yourself? Do you wish you could fix some of your favorite
appliances that just stopped working? Do you want to help
find solutions to problems in our community? This course
is meant to give an introduction to tinkering, with a focus
on learning the practical physics behind basic mechanical
and electronic components while providing the
opportunity to build things yourself. The course will have
one weekly meeting with the whole class and three smaller
workshop sessions to work on team-based projects. (You
are expected to choose one of the three workshop
sessions to attend weekly.) The course will be broken
down into four primary units: design and modeling;
materials, tools, and construction; electronics and
microcontrollers; and mechanics. There will be weekly
readings and assignments, and each unit will include both
individual and small-group projects that will be
documented in an individual portfolio to demonstrate the
new skills that you have acquired. For a semester-long,
team-based conference project, your team will create a
display of your work that will be exhibited on campus and
provide a description reflecting on the design, desired
functionality, and individual contributions that led to the
finished product. Let’s get tinkering!
General Physics I (Classical
Mechanics)
PHYS 2040
Sarah Racz
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
General physics is a standard course at most institutions;
as such, this course will prepare you for more advanced
work in physical science, engineering, or the health fields.
Lectures will be accessible at all levels, and through group
conference you will have the option of either taking an
algebra-based or calculus-based course. This course will
cover introductory classical mechanics, including
kinematics, dynamics, momentum, energy, and gravity.
Emphasis will be placed on scientific skills, including:
problem solving, development of physical intuition,
scientific communication, use of technology, and
development and execution of experiments. The best way
to develop scientific skills is to practice the scientific
process. We will focus on learning physics through
discovering, testing, analyzing, and applying fundamental
physics concepts in an interactive classroom, through
problem solving, as well as in weekly laboratory meetings.
Students enrolling in the calculus-based section are
encouraged to have completed at least one semester of
calculus as a prerequisite. It is strongly recommended that
students who still need to complete a second semester of
calculus enroll in Calculus II, as well. Calculus II, or
equivalent, is highly recommended to take the calculus-
based section of General Physics II (Electromagnetism and
Light) in the spring.
General Physics II
(Electromagnetism and Light)
PHYS 2041
Sarah Racz
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
General physics is a standard course at most institutions;
as such, this course will prepare you for more advanced
work in physical science, engineering, or the health fields.
Lectures will be accessible at all levels, and through group
conference you will have the option of either taking an
algebra-based or calculus-based course. This course will
cover waves, geometric and wave optics, electrostatics,
magnetostatics, and electrodynamics. We will use the
exploration of the particle and wave properties of light to
bookend our discussions and ultimately finish our
exploration of classical physics with the hints of its
incompleteness. Emphasis will be placed on scientific
skills, including: problem solving, development of physical
intuition, scientific communication, use of technology, and
development and execution of experiments. The best way
to develop scientific skills is to practice the scientific
process. We will focus on learning physics through
discovering, testing, analyzing, and applying fundamental
physics concepts in an interactive classroom, through
problem solving, as well as in weekly laboratory meetings.
Students enrolling in the calculus-based section are
encouraged to have completed Calculus II as a
prerequisite. It is highly recommended to have taken the
first semester of General Physics I in the fall prior to
enrolling in this course.
Relativity
PHYS 3123
Sarah Racz
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
What is the nature of space and time? Can my twin ever
age faster than me? What happens if I jump inside of a
black hole? Explore these questions and more through
Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity. This
course serves as an introduction to both of these theories.
We will see how Einstein revolutionized physics in the
20th century through these two theories. We’ll begin the
semester by discussing what we mean by relativity in
124 Physics
physics and the mathematical language we will need to
understand the physical predictions of the theories. After
a brief discussion of pre-relativity physics, we will learn
the postulates of special relativity and where the most
famous equation in physics, E=mc
2
, comes from. Next, we
will study the best theory of gravity that we have,
Einstein’s general relativity, where we will develop the
tools needed to understand black holes. All relevant
mathematical concepts will be introduced in the course.
Resonance and Its Applications
PHYS 3520
Merideth Frey
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: calculus-based general physics sequence
(both semesters)
This lab-based course is designed to teach students
critical advanced laboratory skills while exploring the
fascinating phenomenon of resonance and its many
applications. The course will be broken into three main
units: mechanical resonators, electronic resonators, and
quantum mechanical resonators. Resonators are physical
systems that undergo periodic motion and react quite
dramatically to being driven at particular frequencies (like
the opera singer hitting just the right note to break a wine
glass). These systems are very common in everyday life, as
well as inside many important technological devices. Each
unit will explore a particular application of resonance (e.g.,
building RLC tank circuits for electronic resonance and
utilizing our benchtop NMR spectrometer to explore
quantum mechanical resonance). Although some class
time will be spent going over the relevant theory, the
majority of the class time will be spent designing and
doing experiments using advanced lab equipment,
analyzing data using Jupyter (iPython) notebooks, and
reporting the results using LaTeX. For conference work,
students are encouraged to develop an experimental
research question, design an experiment to answer that
question, perform the experiment, analyze the data,
present their findings at the Science Poster Session, and
write up their results in the form of a short journal article.
Chaos
PHYS 3545
Merideth Frey
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Learn to appreciate the complex order that can be found in
chaos! This course introduces the beautiful world of
nonlinear and chaotic dynamics and also provides the
mathematical and numerical tools to explore the
astounding patterns that can arise from these inherently
unpredictable systems. We shall see how chaos emerges
from fairly simple nonlinear dynamical systems; utilize
numerical methods to simulate the dynamics of chaotic
systems; and explore characteristics of chaos using
iterated maps, bifurcation diagrams, phase space,
Poincaré sections, Lyapunov exponents, and fractal
dimensions. Class time will oscillate between the
presentation of new material and workshops for hands-on
exploration. Students are encouraged to build and/or
analyze their own chaotic system as potential conference
projects. No previous programming experience is required,
and all relevant mathematical concepts will be introduced.
Quantum Mechanics and Quantum
Information
PHYS 3540
Sarah Racz
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: calculus-based general physics sequence
(both semesters)
This course will cover the fundamentals of the theory that
governs the smallest scales of our universe: quantum
mechanics. Throughout the semester, we’ll take a deep
dive into the formalism behind, and physical predictions
of, the theory. We’ll start by analyzing an experiment that
can only be explained by a quantum theory and then dive
into the mathematics that underlie quantum mechanics.
We’ll then discuss matter waves along with the
Schrödinger wave equation, as well as a variety of example
problems, as we build intuition for the theory. We will
conclude the course with a study of entanglement and
quantum information. Familiarity with complex numbers,
vector calculus, and matrices will be useful but not
required.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Introduction to Neuroscience (p. 16), Cecilia Phillips Toro
Biology
Computer Networks (p. 24), Michael Si Computer
Science
First-Year Studies in Environmental Science: Climate
Change (p. 39), Bernice Rosenzweig Environmental
Science
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 98),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector
Calculus, and Dierential Equations (p. 99), Bruce
Alphenaar Mathematics
THE CURRICULUM 125
Calculus I: The Study of Motion and Change (p. 99), Daniel
King Mathematics
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Calculus II: Further Study of Motion and Change (p. 100),
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Mathematics
POLITICAL ECONOMY
Classes from disciplines such as economics, geography,
history, LGBT studies, politics, psychology, public policy,
sociology, and writing comprise the classes available
within this cross-disciplinary path.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
United States Workers’ Movement: From Colonial Slavery
to Economic Globalization (p. 37), Noah Shuster
Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Screening the City (p. 71), Ryan Purcell History
Global Environmental History (p. 77), Matthew Ellis History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
International Political Economy (p. 129), Yekaterina
Oziashvili Politics
Presidential Leadership and Decision-Making (p. 129),
Samuel Abrams Politics
The Political Economy of Democratic Capitalism (p. 130),
David Peritz Politics
The Domestication of Us: Origins and Problems of the
State (p. 131), Yekaterina Oziashvili Politics
People Power in the History of United States
Policy (p. 145), Noah Shuster Public Policy
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
POLITICS
The study of politics at Sarah Lawrence College
encompasses past and present thinking, political and
interdisciplinary influences, and theoretical and hands-on
learning. The goal: a deep understanding of the political
forces that shape society. How is power structured and
exercised? What can be accomplished through well-
ordered institutions? And how do conditions that produce
freedom compare with those that contribute to tyranny?
Questions such as these serve as springboards for
stimulating inquiry.
Rather than limit ourselves to the main
subdisciplines of political science, we create seminars
around today’s issues—such as feminism, international
justice, immigration, and poverty—and analyze those
issues through the lens of past philosophies and events.
We don’t stop at artificial boundaries. Our courses often
draw from other disciplines or texts, especially when
looking at complex situations. Because we see an
126 Political Economy
important connection between political thought and
political action, we encourage students to participate in
service learning. This engagement helps them apply and
augment their studies and leads many toward politically
active roles in the United States and around the world.
First-Year Studies: African Politics
and International Justice
POLI 1252
Elke Zuern
FYS—Year | 10 credits
The Council on Foreign Relations has succinctly noted:
“The future is African.” This course oers a
comprehensive introduction to international politics from
the perspective of African states and societies. We will
consider how states on the continent are shifting global
politics from economic relations and consumer trends to
humanitarian interventions and international justice. We
will begin our exploration by considering the dramatic
changes that African societies have experienced from
colonialism to decolonization and the present. We will
engage key questions regarding postcolonial governance
and popular demands for democracy. How have Africans
engaged their governments to call for reform or
revolution? Where has this led to eective democracies?
Why have some states experienced civil wars? What role
have external influences, from Western aid to the
expansion of Chinese influence, played on the continent?
We will consider the demands of protesters and the
causes for rebellion and seek to understand both pressure
for and resistance to reform. At the end of the fall
semester, students will simulate the US President’s
National Security Council to debate a US response to an
imagined political crisis on the African continent. In the
second semester, we will consider cases of humanitarian
crises and conflict. What are the appropriate responses to
widespread human-rights violations as they are
occurring? Are there cases in which military intervention
is warranted? If so, who should intervene? What else can
be done? Once the violence has subsided, what actions
should the international community take to support peace
and justice? We will explore critical ethical, legal, and
political questions by considering key cases of
intervention and nonintervention, including Rwanda,
Darfur, and Libya. Finally, we will evaluate dierent
pathways in pursuing truth, justice, and reconciliation in
the aftermath of gross violations of human rights. Cases
include the domestic processes established by South
Africa’s pioneering Truth and Reconciliation Commission
and Rwanda’s Gacaca, as well as the ongoing work of the
International Criminal Court. Toward the end of the second
semester, students will conduct a UN Security Council
simulation to debate possible actions in a simulated
humanitarian crisis. Finally, we will end the academic year
with an exploration of what an “African future” will mean
not just for Africans but also for societies across the globe.
During the year, students will engage ideas, readings, and
debates in class conversations, in short posts to the class,
and in papers. Students will also conduct research
projects both on their own and with a partner.
Deranged Democracy: How Can We
Govern Ourselves if Everyone Has
Lost Their Minds?
POLI 2095
David Peritz
Open, Small Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Many of us are struck by the growing irrationality of
contemporary democratic politics to the point where we
despair of our capacity to address problems like global
climate change or pandemics that could pose existential
threats to our species, to fashion constructive foreign
policy as wars rage, or to face a whole range of urgent but
more mundane policy issues. In this class, we will seek to
understand disturbing trends like populism, polarization,
disinformation, and self-injuring or -defeating politics, as
well as the resurfacing of nativism, xenophobia, and
racism in contemporary politics—in part on their own
terms but also by asking whether they are deeply rooted in
human nature, at least on our current best understandings
of ourselves. More specifically, democracy seems to rely
on at least a minimum degree of rationality, learning,
openness to argument and dierence, and self-control on
the part of the citizens whose votes and opinions guide
government policy. But is this reliance foolhardy in light of
what recent history, psychology, evolutionary theory,
philosophy, and cognitive science teach? Do aspects of our
current social and technological circumstances make us
less able to manifest these qualities of character today
than our Enlightenment progenitors hoped in the era of
democratic revolutions—the era from which many of the
ideas and institutions that continue to inform our politics
today emerged? In this course, we will survey aspects of
the political history of recent centuries, as well as our own
historical moment, to ask if they should temper
confidence in the power of reason in politics. We will also
examine recent research in cognitive science, psychology,
and philosophy that conclude that it is hard to sustain a
model of human behavior that places reason and
rationality in the driver’s seat. What alternative accounts
of human nature are emerging from recent research? And
what are their political implications, especially for
democratic societies? By bringing together political
science, history, and theory with cognitive science,
psychology, and philosophy, we should be able to occupy
the intersection of distinct but equally relevant disciplines
to ask whether the Enlightenment’s faith in democracy
was misplaced. Or, instead, are there reasons to believe
THE CURRICULUM 127
that democracy can maintain its claim to legitimacy, even
after reason has been demoted in our understandings of
human nature? To address this final question, we will also
examine proposals for 21st-century democratic reforms
that either seek to adjust downward the expectations on
the capacity of citizens to engage in deliberative politics or
to refashion political institutions to better summon the
better angels of our nature.
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics
for a Vulnerable World: Reconceiving
Normative Value for an Era of Global
Catastrophe
POLI 2088
David Peritz
Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
For the first time in history, it is not only conceivable but
likely that human action will result in the extinction of our
species. We transformed our planet from remarkably
resilient to deeply vulnerable in a flash, whether time is
measured geologically or in terms of cultural evolution. So,
we struggle to determine how to cope and what to do
about our newly vulnerable world. We face, especially in
climate change, an impending global catastrophe beyond
the ethical imaginations of all but the most recent
generations. Many of the very same forces (especially
capitalism and the energy-intensive technology and
civilization it spreads on a global scale) that produce
planetary peril tend—either directly and intentionally or
simply by their further eects—to make it dicult to
become more intentional about planetary stewardship at
the pace and on the scale required. But just as human
activity rendered our world vulnerable, only concerted
human action can save it. This means that climate change
and other crises of the Anthropocene can only be tamed
politically; i.e., through collective action on a global scale
of a kind without precedent in human history. Global
political action, in turn, requires not-yet-developed ethical
resources and political capacities if it is to succeed in
saving our planet in ways that avoid unjust and inhumane
distributions of costs and suering. Developing the
normative and imaginative resources to grasp the
enormity of the advancing climate and environmental
crises is an essential first step in creating the capacity for
collective action required to respond. While traditional
concerns with topics like distributive justice oer partial
guidance as we notice, for instance, the overlap between
environmental and racial injustice domestically as well as
globally, many of the normative issues raised by our
rapidly advancing, world-altering powers are simply
unprecedented. To develop the normative resources
required to navigate this new world, we need
simultaneously to seek new orienting ideas while also
examining Western, non-Western/indigenous, and
contemporary conceptions of social justice, responsibility,
relatedness, and ethics anew. Which, if any, can be
adapted to incorporate global, intergenerational, and
interspecies obligations? Do revisions in received
understandings of risk and agency necessitate corollary
changes in ideas like democracy, power, responsibility,
privacy, and our relation to the natural and built worlds? To
address these issues, this course divides into three main
units, in turn: 1) We will examine the novel forces at work
in the Anthropocene and the unprecedented questions of
justice and ethics that they raise (e.g., Is it morally
permissible to have a child in a world that may become
rapidly uninhabitable? Should we engage in ubiquitous
surveillance as the capacity for, perhaps, inadvertent
mass destruction becomes more readily available to
ordinary persons?). 2) We will also examine the tradition
of Western philosophy to survey the resources it contains
or lacks for answering these kinds of novel questions. 3) In
light of the limited resources that this tradition contains,
we will turn to other sources—briefly surveying recent
work on non-Western traditions (especially indigenous
cultures) and concentrating on contemporary political
philosophy and ethics. Students should emerge with a
sharper understanding of the political and ethical
dimensions of the climate crisis and other environmental
issues and the normative resources available to them in
determining how to respond personally and politically.
This course will fully participate in the spring 2025 Sarah
Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the
Environment (SLICE) Mellon course cluster.
Polarization
POLI 3020
Samuel Abrams
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Despite frequent pleas from President Biden and even
(former) Speaker McCarthy for national social and
political unity and the rise of groups like Bridge USA, Third
Way, and No Labels, the seemingly never-ending
sociopolitical polarization appears to be the new norm in
American political life—and it may not have reached its
violent peak back in January 2021. To many politicians,
pundits, and others alike, the social and political scene in
the United States in the 21st century appears to be one of
turmoil, disagreement, division, and instability. We
regularly hear about a polarized and deadlocked political
class; we read about increasing class and religious
dierences—from the alleged divides between Wall Street
and Main Street to those who are secular and those who
are religious; and we often see disturbing, dangerous, and
violent images and actions from various politically-
oriented groups. This seminar will explore the puzzle of
how to move on from this divided state. While the course
128 Politics
will briefly examine the veracity of these recent
impressions of the American sociopolitical scene, we will
center our course on the question: Is policymaking forever
deadlocked, or can real political progress be made?
Moreover, what are the social and policy implications of
polarization? How does President Biden govern in this
Trumpian political epoch, and are the political parties
representing the will of the people? What about the
impact of the 2022 elections? What are we to make of the
frequent calls for change and for healing America’s
divisions? This seminar seeks to examine these questions
and deeper aspects of American political culture today.
After reviewing some basics of the political economy, we
will study American political cultures from a variety of
vantage points—and a number of dierent stories will
emerge. We will cover a lot of ground—from America’s
founding to today. We will look at numerous aspects of
American social and political life—from examining the
masses, political elites, Congress, and policymaking
communities to social movements, the media, and
America’s position in a global community—all with a focus
on policy and moving the country forward. This course will
be driven by data, not dogma. We will use modern
political-economy approaches based in logic and evidence
to find answers to contemporary public-policy problems
and questions of polarization. We will treat this material as
social scientists, not as ideologues.
International Political Economy
POLI 3439
Yekaterina Oziashvili
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
It is often said that all politics is economics. The aim of
this course is to show that all economics is politics.
Though economists and policymakers often present their
economic policy decisions and views as neutral—based
solely on abstract mathematical models, guided by the
laws of nature (or the “invisible hand” of the
market)—they are, in fact, driven by transparent political
ends and ideology. In this class, we will question the
frequently proclaimed universality, neutrality, and
inevitability of economic principles and policies through a
close examination of liberal and neoliberal ideology and
the ways in which it limits political discourse, reforms, and
development. We will look at the origins of capitalism. We
will examine the economic and political origins and
consequences of shock therapy in Latin America and
Eastern Europe, structural adjustment policies in
countries suering from economic crisis, and austerity
measures imposed by the Troika on Greece and other
states in the European Union. We’ll also look at
socioeconomic explanations for the recent rise of populist
parties and politicians and, especially, popular support for
the far right. Some of the questions that we will explore
include: What is the role of international economic
institutions in domestic and international aairs? How do
the interactions between international and domestic
institutions and actors determine the production and
distribution of scarce resources? And what is the
relationship between capitalism and democracy and
between international financial institutions and national
sovereignty?
Presidential Leadership and
Decision-Making
POLI 3515
Samuel Abrams
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The President is the most prominent actor in the US
government, and developing an understanding of how and
why political leaders make the choices that they do is the
goal of this course. Presidents must make countless
decisions while in oce and, as presidential scholars
George C. Edwards III and Stephen J. Wayne explain,
“Executive ocials look to [the presidency] for direction,
coordination, and general guidance in the implementation
of policy...Congress looks to it for establishing priorities,
exerting influence...the heads of foreign governments look
to it for articulating positions, conducting diplomacy, and
flexing muscle; the general public looks to it for...solving
problems and exercising symbolic and moral leadership....”
This course will examine and analyze the development and
modern practice of presidential leadership in the United
States by studying the evolution of the modern presidency,
which includes the process of presidential selection and
the structure of the presidency as an institution. We will
then reflect on the ways in which presidents make
decisions and seek to shape foreign, economic, and
domestic policy, which will be based on a variety of
literatures, ranging from social psychology to
organizational behavior. We will look at the psychology and
character of presidents in this section of the course. We
will also explore the relationship of the presidency to other
major governmental institutions and organized interests.
We will pay particular attention to how presidents have
attempted to expand presidential power and the various
struggles that the White House has had with the ministry,
Congress, the Judicary, and global institutions such as the
United Nations. We will pay particular attention to a
particular set of presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter,
George H. W. Bush, and Donald Trump. We will conclude by
examining the post-9/11 era of Bush, Obama, and Trump,
where each of these presidents have greatly sought to
increase the power of the Oval Oce relative to other
branches of government. While the course is open to all
students, the workload is intense and prior background in
American history and politics is preferable.
THE CURRICULUM 129
The Political Economy of Democratic
Capitalism
POLI 4024
David Peritz
Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior course work in political theory, social
science, or philosophy
The 21st-century political economy is often blamed for
backsliding and outright decay in many of the world’s
democratic societies. An increasingly global, financialized,
deregulated, information-intensive, and automated
economy tends to produce high levels of inequality in
wealth and income, accompanied by growing resentment
at the unfairness of the distribution of resources. This
resentment, in turn, feeds populist politics, often with an
authoritarian drift and a nativist tendency to scapegoat
immigrants, minorities, and/or (liberal) elites for the
growing precariousness experienced by many. At the same
time, unresponsive political institutions that seem
powerless to regulate economic forces produce growing
disenchantment with traditional democracy and
mainstream political parties, reinforcing democratic
decay. This diagnosis begs the question: What does 21st-
century democracy require of its political economy?
Posing the question from this perspective directs
attention to the reasons that many democratic theorists
have viewed democratic capitalism as dilemmatic rather
than oxymoronic. They have simultaneously embraced two
ideas. First, a capitalist economy—in which investment
decisions remain largely at the control of private owners of
capital and others’ need to sell their labor to firms
organized to produce profit while goods and jobs are
distributed by markets and regulated by pricing
mechanism—has so far proved an essential prerequisite to
the successful institutionalization of modern,
constitutional, representative democracy (due, for
instance, to the way in which it diuses social power,
supports the emergence of a sizable middle class,
democratizes via commodifying culture, and incentivizes
constructive cultivation of individual capacity and social
innovation). But second, this kind of economy also
unleashes powerful social forces that predictably distort
or undermine fuller democratization; for instance, by
generating levels of social inequality incompatible with the
normative requirements of equal citizenship and, more
generally, by allowing one of the main social systems via
which society is reproduced to operate autonomously and,
therefore, often in tension with the distinct logic of
democratically formed opinion and will. In this course, we
will examine these issues by attempting to identify: (1) the
most defensible conceptions of democracy for the 21st
century, (2) the most important and politically relevant
trends of the contemporary economic epoch, and (3)
whether recent economic developments are contributing
to contemporary democratic decay. We will then (4) ask
whether capitalism’s antidemocratic drives have ever
been successfully tamed in the past and (5) seek to
evaluate the prospects of some current proposal for
taming capitalism’s antidemocratic impulses.
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in
America
POLI 3069
Andrew Rosenthal
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
There was a reason why Edmund Burke famously called
the press “The Fourth Estate” of government during a
debate in Parliament in 1787 and why it remains true. For
all its self-proclaimed and often real independence, the
press is as much a part of the power systems that run
society, politics, and the economy as the executive, the
legislature, and the judiciary; political and social
organizations; the police; churches; and corporations. With
that in mind, this course will examine the role of the press
(now newspapers, radio, TV, and an endless array of digital
outlets) in the creation and perpetuation of anti-Black
racism in the United States. Even with the most well-
meaning attempts to stay above the fray, the media is not
merely a passive pipeline for events and data. They
construct the news and, in doing so, are as much as part of
the institutions of racism as any other group with power
and privilege in a racist society. How do the media reflect
the social, economic, and political currents of the day; and
how, in turn, do the media influence them? This is not a
practicum class in journalism, but we will study and ask
questions about journalistic practices, institutions, and
language structure to see how the language and agenda of
racism were reflected in journalism. Do journalists, in turn,
perpetuate that language and, in fact, foster it either
wittingly or passively? Do the media help sustain overt and
systemic racism, even as many cover, with obvious
approval, things like the civil-rights movement of the
1960s and the Black Lives Matter movement of today?
Readings for this class will include large parts of two
books: The History of White People, by Nell Irwin Painter,
and White by Law, by Ian Haney Lopez—but will primarily
be original news and opinion content from the late 19th
century until today. Students should be prepared to
consume media coverage every day—mainstream and
otherwise and from left, center, and right—and bring
examples to class on a weekly basis to discuss with the
group. Class participation is vital in this class, along with
an eagerness to read widely and to do research. There will
be two short essays and, of course, the mandatory
conference project.
130 Politics
The Domestication of Us: Origins and
Problems of the State
POLI 3314
Yekaterina Oziashvili
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: previous social science courses
Thomas Hobbes believed that the State, or what he called
the Leviathan, was the necessary result of individuals
trying to escape from a state of nature, where existence
was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Charles Tilly
compared states to racketeers; Vladimir Lenin, following
the lead of Marx and Engels, wrote that the State exists to
maintain the domination and oppression of one class by
another. John F. Kennedy famously proclaimed, “Ask not
what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for
your country,” demanding Americans’ unquestioning,
altruistic loyalty to the State. And for about two centuries,
communists, socialists, anarchists, and social democrats
have debated whether the State must be reformed,
overthrown, or abolished in the name of democracy,
equality, and popular sovereignty. These dierent and
often contradictory approaches reveal that there is no
common agreement on the nature or role of the State. So,
what is the State? Where did it come from? What are the
sources and limits of its power? Why does it have so much
control over our lives? These are the questions that we’ll
ask in this class. We will pay special attention to the
relationship between the development of the modern state
and capitalism; the rise of the welfare state, the epitome of
modern state power; and state violence. We’ll discuss
alternative visions of the State’s role and responsibility
and ask: Do we need the State, and can we make the State
work for us?
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Forensic Biology (p. 17), Drew E. Cressman Biology
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
United States Workers’ Movement: From Colonial Slavery
to Economic Globalization (p. 37), Noah Shuster
Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
Becoming Modern: Europe in the 19th Century (p. 69),
Philip Swoboda History
A History of Black Leadership in America (p. 69), Komozi
Woodard History
Making Latin America (p. 69), Margarita Fajardo History
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Human Rights (p. 71), Mark R. Shulman History
Local Oral History: From Latin America to Yonkers (p. 73),
Margarita Fajardo History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
Black Feminist and Queer of Color Sexualities and
Genders (p. 85), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queer Theory: A History (p. 86), Julie Abraham Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Queering the Library: Yonkers Public Library
Practicum (p. 86), Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
THE CURRICULUM 131
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 119), David Peritz Philosophy
A Political Perspective on the Elusive Nature of
Happiness (p. 120), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Is Culture Fate or Freedom? (p. 122), Abraham Anderson
Philosophy
The Realities of Groups (p. 138), Gina Philogene
Psychology
People Power in the History of United States
Policy (p. 145), Noah Shuster Public Policy
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Beauty and Biolegitimacy (p. 157), Jessica Poling Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology of Culture and
Witchcraft (p. 158), Jessica Poling Sociology
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
PRACTICUM
A practicum is an opportunity for students to integrate on-
site work with class time for interdisciplinary connections
and reflection. A practicum includes placement at an
outside organization, along with an academic component
that involves regular meetings with faculty members and
sta members, and culminates in a final reflective paper
and presentation and, in some situations, participation in
the College poster session.
Foundations in Workplace Culture
and Well-Being
PRAC 2103
Meghan Jablonski
Sophomore and Above, Small Lecture—Fall | 3 credits
This course is an SLC EmbeddEd practicum-credit course
oered to sophomores and above (including graduate
students) completing experience-based work (an
internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the fall
semester. NOTE: Students must have experience-based
work in place and complete the required preregistration
form prior to registering for this course. Experience-based
work should begin by the end of the first week of class.
Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information,
including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info
session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources
for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to
begin looking for experience-based work opportunities 3-6
months before the fall semester, when possible.
Over the semester, students explore shifting and
inclusive definitions of work, workplace culture, and
strategies to support well-being through reading
assignments, class discussions, experience-based
observations, small group work, workshops, events, panels
and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics will include
workplace communication, diversity equity and inclusion,
professional networking, stress management, work-life
balance, sleep health, and restorative practices. Students
are encouraged to engage in observation journals,
experiential activities, and collaborative group work.
Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series
recording and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to
integrate class material with experience-based
observations, engage with campus resources and develop
a community of peer and alumni support that students
may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd
courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom
on Monday evenings. SLC EmbeddEd courses are oered
in collaboration with campus partners, including Career
Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the
Oce of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; pre-professional
advisors; Alumni Relations; Health + Wellness; the Dean of
Well-Being; and the Learning Commons.
Students have the option to enroll for 3 or 5 credits.
(NOTE: Each credit option has its own course number; the
credit option you select during registration, or the add/
drop period, will be the credit option you will complete or
attempt for the semester.) Students have the option to
enroll in each course a second time, as a returning student,
with an emphasis on early career leadership and
mentorship.
132 Practicum
Foundations in Workplace Culture
and Well-Being
PRAC 2105
Meghan Jablonski
Sophomore and Above, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course is an SLC EmbeddEd practicum-credit course
oered to sophomores and above (including graduate
students) completing experience-based work (an
internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the fall
semester. NOTE: Students must have experience-based
work in place and complete the required preregistration
form prior to registering for this course. Experience-based
work should begin by the end of the first week of class.
Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information,
including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info
session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources
for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to
begin looking for experience-based work opportunities 3-6
months before the fall semester, when possible.
Over the semester, students explore shifting and
inclusive definitions of work, workplace culture, and
strategies to support well-being through reading
assignments, class discussions, experience-based
observations, small group work, workshops, events, panels
and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics will include
workplace communication, diversity equity and inclusion,
professional networking, stress management, work-life
balance, sleep health, and restorative practices. Students
are encouraged to engage in observation journals,
experiential activities, and collaborative group work.
Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series
recording and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to
integrate class material with experience-based
observations, engage with campus resources and develop
a community of peer and alumni support that students
may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd
courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom
on Monday evenings. SLC EmbeddEd courses are oered
in collaboration with campus partners, including Career
Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the
Oce of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; pre-professional
advisors; Alumni Relations; Health + Wellness; the Dean of
Well-Being; and the Learning Commons.
Students have the option to enroll for 3 or 5 credits.
(NOTE: Each credit option has its own course number; the
credit option you select during registration, or the add/
drop period, will be the credit option you will complete or
attempt for the semester.) Students have the option to
enroll in each course a second time, as a returning student,
with an emphasis on early career leadership and
mentorship.
Building a Professional Identity
PRAC 2103
Meghan Jablonski
Sophomore and Above, Small Lecture—Spring | 3 credits
Building a Professional Identity is an experience-based,
Embedded Education course oered to sophomores and
above (including graduate students) completing
experience-based work (an internship, volunteer
placement, or job) during the spring semester. Students
must have experience-based work in place and complete
the required preregistration form prior to registering for
this course. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more
information including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd
courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students,
and resources for finding experience-based work. Students
are advised to begin looking for experience-based work
opportunities three-six months before the spring semester,
when possible.
Over the semester, students in this course explore the
process of building a professional identity through reading
assignments, class discussions, experience-based
observations, small-group work, workshops, events,
panels, and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics
include imposter phenomenon; diversity, equity, and
inclusion; workplace communication; online branding;
professional networking; mentorship and mentoring;
work-life balance; and strategies to support well-being.
Students are encouraged to engage in observation
journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group
work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni
series recording, and a final portfolio. The goal is for
students to integrate class material with experience-
based observations, engage with campus resources, and
develop a community of peer and alumni support—which
students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC
EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet
remotely via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. Students have
the option to enroll for three or five credits. Students have
the option to enroll in each course a second time, as a
returning student, with an emphasis on early career
leadership and mentorship. SLC EmbeddEd courses
feature collaborations with campus partners, including
Career Services; Community Partnerships and
Engagement; the Oce of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;
pre-professional advisors, Alumni Relations, Health +
Wellness, the Dean of Well-Being, and the Learning
Commons.
This course may be taken for three or five credits. Each
credit option has its own course number. The three- or
five-credit option should be selected during registration,
and any credit changes must be made prior to the end of
the add/drop period.
THE CURRICULUM 133
Building a Professional Identity
PRAC 2105
Meghan Jablonski
Sophomore and Above, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Building a Professional Identity is an experience-based,
Embedded Education course oered to sophomores and
above (including graduate students) completing
experience-based work (an internship, volunteer
placement, or job) during the spring semester. Students
must have experience-based work in place and complete
the required preregistration form prior to registering for
this course. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more
information, including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd
courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students,
and resources for finding experience-based work. Students
are advised to begin looking for experience-based work
opportunities three-six months before the spring semester,
when possible.
Over the semester, students in this course explore the
process of building a professional identity through reading
assignments, class discussions, experience-based
observations, small-group work, workshops, events,
panels, and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics
include imposter phenomenon; diversity, equity, and
inclusion; workplace communication; online branding;
professional networking; mentorship and mentoring;
work-life balance; and strategies to support well-being.
Students are encouraged to engage in observation
journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group
work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni
series recording, and a final portfolio. The goal is for
students to integrate class material with experience-
based observations, engage with campus resources, and
develop a community of peer and alumni support—which
students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC
EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet
remotely via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. Students have
the option to enroll for three or five credits (see note
below). Students have the option to enroll in each course a
second time, as a returning student, with an emphasis on
early career leadership and mentorship. SLC EmbeddEd
courses feature collaborations with campus partners,
including Career Services; Community Partnerships and
Engagement; the Oce of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;
preprofessional advisors, Alumni Relations, Health +
Wellness, the Dean of Well-Being, and the Learning
Commons.
This course may be taken for three or five credits. Each
credit option has its own course number. The credit option
should be selected during registration, and any credit
changes must be made prior to the end of the add/drop
period.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology (p. 141), Maia Pujara Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY
How do infants navigate their world? How do factors as
diverse as genetics, socioeconomic status, social
networks, mindfulness practices, and access to open
spaces contribute to how people cope with the problems
of living? How do technology, architecture, language, and
cultural practices aect how we think? What accounts for
the global epidemic of mental health issues? What has
psychology contributed to understanding genocide and
torture? In what ways can psychologists illuminate the
mystery of the creative process in science and art? How
does morality develop? What factors determine our
political, economic, and moral decisions? What happens in
mind and body as we experience emotions? These reflect
just a few of the questions discussed in our psychology
courses, a sampling of the broad range covered in the
psychology curriculum.
We oer courses from the domains of biological,
clinical, cognitive, community, cultural, developmental,
educational, experimental, health, personality, and social
psychology. Our courses emphasize the interplay of theory
and observation, research and analysis, understanding
and applications. Our courses are also inherently
interdisciplinary, making connections between psychology
and other fields, such as biology, anthropology, education,
linguistics, public policy, public health, women’s studies,
philosophy, and the arts. Students have a variety of
choices as they design their independent conference work.
Some conference projects consist of reviewing and
analyzing the primary research literature on a topic of
interest. Others make experiential learning central to the
independent work. We will oer these as they become
available over the course of the 2024-2025 academic
year. Opportunities open to students include: assisting at
our Early Childhood Center, in local schools, or at clinics;
planning and carrying out original research in one of three
psychology lab spaces on campus (the Child Study Lab,
the Cognition and Emotion Lab, and the Adult
Experimental Psychology Lab); working with community
organizations in Yonkers, NY; and participating in
environmental education at our Center for the Urban River
at Beczak (CURB).
134 Psychology
Ideas and skills developed in class and in conference
often play a formative role in the intellectual and
professional trajectories of students who go on to pursue
these ideas in a wide range of fields, including clinical and
research psychology, education, medicine, law, the arts,
social work, human rights, and politics. Our alums tell us
that the seminar and independent conference work here
prepared them well for the challenges of both graduate
school and their careers.
The college has two psychology-related graduate
programs—Art of Teaching and Child
Development—which oer the possibility for our
undergraduate students to pursue both their bachelor’s
and master’s degrees in five years of study. The College
also oers a dual-degree program with New York
University’s Silver School of Social Work, allowing Sarah
Lawrence undergraduates to obtain a BA, a Master of
Social Work, and an MA in Child Development in six years.
First-Year Studies: How To Learn:
Tricks, Theories, and the Evidence
Behind Them
PSYC 1009
Sammy Floyd
FYS—Year | 10 credits
The amount you've learned by the time you start college is
astonishing. You can recognize thousands of faces,
understand tens of thousands of words, and expertly
navigate your environments. The flexibility of human
learning is unique, even when compared to artificial
intelligence. And yet, few of us have any more than an
informal understanding of how this works. How and when
should we study? Why can we recall lyrics from entire
albums but forget every word of a foreign language that we
learned at school? How do narratives, culture, and context
support and shape learning? These kinds of questions
have driven researchers to design countless experiments
all over the world—even entering the ocean to measure
underwater memories formed by scuba divers. In biweekly
group collaboratives with the instructor, we will use lab
activities, field trips, and film screenings to explore how
dierent environments support memory and learning at all
ages, including behavioral experiments, preschools,
“memory athlete” competitions, and care centers for older
individuals experiencing memory loss. We will ask how
learning works according to psychology, education,
linguistics, neuroscience, and cognitive development.
We’ll consider the racial, ethnic, and neurodiverse
contexts in which learning occurs and the meanings and
motivations behind progressive and alternative education.
In each field we encounter, we will often start with the
same central questions: What is the evidence for each
claim about how learning works? And, can we—and should
we—use these insights in our own lives? Individual
conference work with the instructor will begin with the
second question: Students will apply theories or methods
from learning science in an appropriate area of their life
and evaluate the outcomes—developing critiques of
existing approaches, as well as their own proposals, along
the way.
First-Year Studies: Emotions and
Decisions
PSYC 1012
Maia Pujara
FYS—Year | 10 credits
Emotion, which is suering, ceases to be suering as soon
as we form a clear and precise picture of it. —Baruch
Spinoza, Ethics
What should I wear today? How should I respond to this
text? Where should I apply to college? Every decision we
make, big or small, is influenced by our emotions—at times
without our explicit knowledge or conscious awareness of
their influence. We can certainly appreciate how this
might be the case in our own lived experiences, from the
joys of picking a fun outfit to the anxiety of making a life-
changing decision. Up until recently, however, the fields of
psychology, economics, and neuroscience paid little
attention to—and, in some cases, outright rejected—the
empirical (evidence-based) study of how emotions aect
our decisions. In this FYS seminar, we will explore the
essential role that emotions play in our lives and their
strong interplay with our decisions. During the fall
semester, we will read and analyze works in psychology,
behavioral economics, literature, philosophy, and popular
media to examine how scholars in psychology and other
disciplines have attempted to define and study something
as subjective as emotions. Examples include works by
William James, Paul Ekman, Lisa Feldman-Barrett, Daniel
Kahneman, and others. We will also explore the role of
emotions as the decision-making process unfolds. We will
embed those processes in a variety of contexts, including
personal, social, forensic, financial, and political realms. In
the spring, we will revisit and build on these concepts by
pinpointing the areas of the brain that are involved in
generating, expressing, and regulating emotions and
making decisions. No prior knowledge of psychology or
neuroscience is required. This course may appeal to
students who are curious about the mind and brain, as well
as to those who wish to deepen their storytelling and
character development in creative writing and filmmaking.
Students will meet in biweekly conferences with the
instructor to develop independent projects and biweekly
small-group collaboratives with their peers to engage in
creative group activities, applied workshops, book/journal
clubs, film screenings, guest lectures, hands-on labs, and
field trips.
THE CURRICULUM 135
The Origins of Language: Animals,
Babies, and Machines
PSYC 2038
Sammy Floyd
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Why is linguistic communication so important to us? Do
other primates have language? How do humans
understand messages from one another despite
uncertainty, distraction, and ever-changing environments?
In this course, we will consider central questions about
language: Are we the only ones who have it? When did we
learn it? What does artificial intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT
actually learn? And what exactly is the point of so-called
“small talk”? In this course, we will start with an
introduction to comparative research with animals,
allowing us to consider other forms of communication.
Next, we’ll turn to our own species, examining what
findings from studies with babies and children can tell us
about the nature and goals of communication. Finally, we’ll
confront the artificial elephant in the room: neural
networks. What kind of language have they learned, and
how can we study it? In class, we will discuss the advances
and consequences of AI. Students should come prepared
to engage with the topic of communication from multiple
perspectives. Through small-group conferences each
week, students will develop projects that relate the course
to their collective interests, such as learning and
communicating in Toki Pona (a philosophical artistic-
constructed language), researching the limits of AI
language models, observing and analyzing children’s
communication, or designing a behavioral intervention
study that implements dierent communication practices
for their peers.
Neural Narratives: Understanding
Memory in the Mind
PSYC 2029
Julia Kennedy
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
The adage, “You are what you remember,” speaks to the
profound impact of autobiographical memories on our
sense of self. These personal recollections serve as the
building blocks of our identity, allowing us to maintain a
coherent narrative of our lives across time. From our
earliest childhood experiences to significant milestones,
from personal triumphs to shared tragedies,
autobiographical memories weave through every facet of
our existence. As we age, the evolution—and sometimes
deterioration—of these memories not only reflects but
also shapes the ongoing story of who we are. Despite
major achievements in neuroscience, researchers don't
fully understand how memory, our sense of self, and the
brain all fit together. The study of memory is an active area
of contemporary research, including topics such as
autobiographical memory, mental time travel,
intergenerational memory, collective memory, and false
memories. In this course, we will examine the
neuropsychology and neuroscience research of the
memory system’s integral role in shaping self-identity
across the lifespan. We will also discuss how significant
events alter our self-identity, imagined future, and
emotional functioning. Through empirical research, we will
also explore memory’s role in mental illness and the ways
in which neuropsychologists develop therapeutic
interventions. Students will learn the basic structural and
functional properties of the human nervous system and
their relationship to the cognitive processes of memory, in
addition to the cognitive neuroscience of memory and
self-identity.
Psychology of Children’s Television
PSYC 2042
Jamie Krenn
Open, Large Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course analyzes children’s media, specifically
preschool media through middle school, using cognitive
and developmental psychology theory and methods. We
will examine specific educational television programs with
regard to cognitive and social developmental issues
related to family life, peer relationships, and education
issues. Because media has an enormous impact on
children’s behavior, this has increasingly become a subject
of interest among researchers and the public. This course
addresses that interest by applying cognitive and
developmental psychological research and theories for the
development and production of educational media. In
addition, the course helps identify essential elements that
determine the positive and negative qualities of media for
children. Finally, the course examines and evaluates how
psychological theories and frameworks can guide the
successful production of children’s media (e.g., social
cognitive theory). Projects and assignments will include
weekly class discussions on peer-reviewed journal
articles, watching television programs, group preschool
television pitchbook preparation, child observations
interacting with screens, and media artifact critiques as
assigned.
Psychological Insights Into the Social
Media Landscape
PSYC 2092
Jamie Krenn
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
Students will delve into the fundamentals of social media
from both creator and user perspectives. This course
136 Psychology
oers an interdisciplinary approach, examining the history
and evolution of social media platforms and their impact
on cognition, mental health, and knowledge acquisition.
Through a combination of psychological journal articles
and mass communication resources, students will gain a
comprehensive understanding of how social media
influences and shapes contemporary life, making them
feel knowledgeable and informed. Topics covered will
include influencer culture, the 2024 election, and the
eects of social media on children and adolescents,
among other topics. In group projects, students will design
influencer pages from conception to execution,
incorporating lessons on strategic content creation,
audience engagement, and ethical considerations. By
integrating theory with practical application, this course
oers a nuanced view of social media’s role in modern
society and will equip students with the skills to eectively
navigate and contribute to this dynamic digital landscape
and study its eects on its use and digital safety.
Finding Happiness and Keeping It:
Insights From Psychology and
Neuroscience
PSYC 2075
Maia Pujara
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
We must make automatic and habitual, as early as
possible, as many useful actions as we can and guard
against the growing into ways that are likely to be
disadvantageous to us, as we should guard against the
plague. —William James, 1887, Habit
We all want happy lives filled with meaning and
satisfaction. Yet, for many of us, happiness can be dicult
to obtain with regularity or to sustain over a long period of
time. Happiness is more than a feeling; rather, it is a state
of well-being that should last a lifetime. Like exercising to
improve physical health, it takes sustained cognitive eort
to improve our mental health and engage in practices to
promote well-being. We can look to evidence from the
fields of psychology and neuroscience that tells us that we
are mentally unprepared to: (1) predict what will make us
happy, and (2) engage in behaviors that are known to
make us happier. In this course, we will cover the
psychological and brain-based factors for why happiness
feels so fleeting and what we can do to build better and
more eective habits that have been shown to lead to
longer-term maintenance of a positive mood and well-
being. Students will read foundational work in the field of
positive psychology by Martin Seligman, Sonja
Lyubomirsky, Edward Diener, Daniel Kahneman, and
others. We will also discuss studies in neuroscience that
show how behavioral interventions in positive psychology
can impact the brain’s structure and function—just like
building stronger muscles during exercise. Through small-
group conferences, students will apply evidence-based
practices, such as bringing order and organization to their
daily lives, expressing gratitude, and building social bonds
(i.e., “cross training” for the mind) in activities called
“Rewirements.” For the final project, called “Unlearning
Yourself,” students will learn to undo or replace a
detrimental habit (e.g., overspending, social-media use,
poor sleep hygiene, complaining, procrastinating) by
establishing a plan to cultivate evidence-based practices
for sustained well-being. By the end of this course,
students will have gained the ability to sift through the
ever-booming literature on positive psychology and
neuroscience to identify the practices that work best for
them, along with an appreciation for the notion that
finding and keeping happiness and well-being requires
intentional practice and maintenance. Students should
come prepared to engage in meaningful self-work.
Community Psychology
PSYC 2052
Richard C. Clark
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This is an OER-based, zero-cost course designed to
introduce students to the field of community psychology.
Community psychology is primarily concerned with
individuals in their social context. Community psychology
seeks to support and understand communities and
conduct research that helps those communities thrive.
Sometimes, community psychology engages more broadly
by doing work focused on the large connected and diverse
communities, such as the Black community; sometimes, it
is more focused, such as on a community of students at a
single university. As a critical community psychologist
myself, my focus has always been on social justice,
change, and activism. As such, this course will engage with
critical theories, concepts, and methods within the field of
community psychology. In doing so, it is my hope that
students will gain a deeper understanding of community
psychology. The course will move away from and challenge
the traditional community deficit models and, instead,
emphasize community psychology that focuses on
community issues, engagement, empowerment, activism,
and work. Course objectives: Students will know and
understand the basic principles of community psychology.
Students will gain a critical understanding of dierent
theories, concepts, and methodologies of community
psychology. Students will learn to identify important social
issues within their own lives and communities. Students
will gain practice writing and speaking to those issues,
utilizing community psychology methods. Students will
outline and develop a community research project that
addresses an issue of their choosing.
THE CURRICULUM 137
Technology and Human Development
PSYC 2074
Jamie Krenn
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
All of us today live in a technology-rich environment,
which is not only dierent from the one in which we grew
up but also is still changing and evolving rapidly. The
course examines the use and design of an array of
educational technologies (computer programs,
multimedia software, television, video games, websites,
and so on) from the perspective of basic research and
theory in the human cognitive system, development
psychology, and social development areas. The course
aims to provide a framework for reasoning about the most
developmentally appropriate uses of technologies for
children and young adults at dierent ages. Some of the
significant questions that we will focus on include: How
are their developmental experiences aected by these
technologies? What are the advantages and
disadvantages for children using technology, especially for
learning? In this class, we will try to touch upon these
issues by reading classic literature, researching articles,
playing games, watching programs, using apps, and
discussing our experiences. Projects and assignments will
include weekly class discussions on peer-reviewed journal
articles and media artifact critiques written by individual
students and through group project work.
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and
an Artist Walk Into a Class: Laughter
Across Disciplines
PSYC 2162
John O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Why is the topic of laughter so often siloed or scorned in
discussions of high art, literature, and the sciences? Why
don’t we take laughter seriously as a society? How many
professors does it take to teach a course on laughter?
(Two more than usual...) In this lecture-seminar, students
will develop a highly interdisciplinary understanding of
laughter as a human behavior, cultural practice, and wide-
ranging tool for creative expression. Based on the
expertise of the three professors, lectures will primarily
investigate laughter through the lens of psychology, film
history, and visual arts. The goal of the course is to think
and play across many disciplines. For class assignments,
students may be asked to conduct scientific studies of
audience laughter patterns, create works of art with
punchlines, or write close analyses of classic cinematic
gags. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the
building blocks of laughter; classic devices of modern
comedy; and laughter as a force of resilience, resistance,
and regeneration. Topics to be discussed include the
evolutionary roots of laughter as a behavior; the
psychological substrates of laughter as a mode of
emotional and self-regulation; humor in Dada, surrealism,
performance art, and stand-up comedy; jokes and the
unconscious; comic entanglements of modern bodies and
machines; hysterical audiences of early cinema; and how
to read funny faces, word play, spit takes, toilet humor, and
sound gags.
The Realities of Groups
PSYC 3036
Gina Philogene
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
One of the most important aspects of our lives is the web
of group aliations in which we engage. Groups are an
inescapable aspect of our existence. From the very
beginning of one’s life, the idea of group pervades most
dimensions of our existence, from family structures to
nation-states. Not only is the individual defined on the
basis of his or her group memberships, but (s)he also
learns most facets of socialization within the
confinements of groups; for example, school, committees,
gangs, or work. Groups orient, guide, and shape individual
perceptions, interpretations, and actions in the social
world. While social psychology has maintained an
individuo-centered approach to the analysis of groups,
several classic studies have demonstrated that there is no
individual who is not essentially and entirely a product of
the various groups to which (s)he belongs. This seminar
explores the defining characteristics of groups and the
extent to which we are indeed shaped by our groups. We
are primarily concerned with people’s thoughts and
behavior as group members, both from within one’s own
group as well as vis-à-vis other groups.
Childhood Across Cultures
PSYC 3043
Deanna Barenboim
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this interdisciplinary seminar, we will explore child and
adolescent development through a cross-cultural lens.
Focusing on case studies from diverse communities
around the world, we will look at the influence of cultural
processes on how children learn, play, and grow. Our core
readings will analyze psychological processes related to
attachment and parenting, cognition and perception,
social and emotional development, language acquisition,
and moral development. We will ask questions like the
following: Why are children in Sri Lanka fed by hand by
their mothers until middle childhood, and how does that
shape their relations to others through the life course?
How do Inuit toddlers come to learn moral lessons through
138 Psychology
scripted play with adults, and how does such learning
prepare them to navigate a challenging social and
geographic environment? Is it true that Maya children
don’t do pretend play at all? How does parental discipline
shape the expression of emotion for children in Morocco?
How does a unique family role influence the formation of
identity for Latinx youth in the United States? Adopting an
interdisciplinary approach, our course material will draw
from developmental psychology, human development,
cultural psychology, and psychological anthropology and
will include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and
films that address core issues in a range of geographic and
sociocultural contexts. Students will conduct conference
projects related to the central topics of our course and
may opt to do fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center.
Environmental Psychology: An
Exploration of Space and Place
PSYC 3247
Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course explores human-environment interactions and
the relationships between natural, social, and built
environments in shaping us as individuals. We will
critically explore human interactions from the body, the
home, and the local to the globalized world, with a return
to the individual experience of our physical and social
environments. As a survey course, we will cover myriad
topics, which may include urban/rural/suburban
relationships, gentrification, urban planning,
environmental sustainability, globalization, social justice,
and varying conceptualizations and experiences of “home”
based on gender, race, class, age, and for people with
disabilities. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will give
special consideration to public space and home
environments. As a discussion-based seminar, topics will
ultimately be driven by student interest. Several films will
be incorporated into class.
Are We Cognitive Misers? Cognitive
Biases and Heuristics in Social
Psychology
PSYC 3039
Gina Philogene
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The concepts of cognitive biases and heuristics were
empirically explored in social psychology more than 50
years ago. The seminal contributions of Amos Tversky and
Daniel Kahneman showed that people do not behave
according to perfect rationality and logic. On the contrary,
several extraneous factors influence people’s decision-
making, especially when facing uncertainty. Cognitive
biases are systematic errors in our thinking, while
heuristics relate to the use of shortcuts in processing
information. They both lead to errors in our thinking,
causing us to draw incorrect conclusions. This seminar
explores our use of mental shortcuts in making judgments
about others and drawing inferences about the world. We
will review these biases and heuristics as part of our
automatic intuitive system of thinking and explore the
possibility of overcoming these shortcomings to become
better critical thinkers.
Mindfulness: Science and Practice
PSYC 3604
Elizabeth Johnston
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Mindfulness can be described as nonjudgmental attention
to experiences in the present moment. For thousands of
years, mindfulness has been cultivated through the
practice of meditation. More recently, developments in
neuroimaging technologies have allowed scientists to
explore the brain changes that result from the pursuit of
this ancient practice, laying the foundations of the new
field of contemplative neuroscience. Study of the
neurology of mindfulness meditation provides a useful
lens for study of the brain in general, because so many
aspects of psychological functioning are aected by the
practice. Some of the topics that we will address are
attention, perception, emotion and its regulation, mental
imaging, habit, and consciousness. This is a good course
for those interested in scientific study of the mind and
body. An important component of the course is the
personal cultivation of a mindfulness practice; to support
this goal, one of the two weekly course meetings will be
devoted to a mindful movement practice.
Perspectives on the Creative Process
PSYC 3857
Charlotte L. Doyle
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: psychology, philosophy, or other social-
science course
The creative process is paradoxical. It involves freedom
and spontaneity yet requires expertise and hard work. The
creative process is self-expressive yet tends to unfold
most easily when the creator forgets about self. The
creative process brings joy yet is fraught with fear,
frustration, and even terror. The creative process is its own
reward yet depends on social support and encouragement.
In this class, we look at how various thinkers conceptualize
the creative process—chiefly in the arts but in other
domains, as well. We see how various psychological
theorists describe the process, its source, its motivation,
THE CURRICULUM 139
its roots in a particular domain or skill, its cultural context,
and its developmental history in the life of the individual.
Among the thinkers that we will consider are Freud,
Amabile, Arnheim, Franklin, and Gardner. Dierent
theorists emphasize dierent aspects of the process. In
particular, we see how some thinkers emphasize
persistent work and expert knowledge as essential
features, while others emphasize the need for the psychic
freedom to “let it happen” and speculate on what emerges
when the creative person “lets go.” Still others identify
cultural context and motivational or biological factors as
critical. To concretize theoretical approaches, we look at
how various ideas can contribute to understanding
specific creative people and their work. In particular, we
will consider works written by or about Picasso, Woolf,
Welty, Darwin, and some contemporary artists and writers.
Though creativity is most frequently explored in
individuals, we also consider group improvisation in music
and theatre. Some past conference projects have involved
interviewing people engaged in creative work. Others
consisted of library studies centering on the life and work
of a particular creative person. And some students chose
to do fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center and focus on
an aspect of creative activity in young children.
Speaking the Unspeakable: Trauma,
Emotion, Cognition, and Language
PSYC 3456
Emma Forrester
Intermediate, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior college-level course work in psychology
Psychological trauma has been described as
unspeakable—so cognitively disorganizing and intense
that it is dicult to put into words the experience and the
emotions that it evokes. Yet, the language that survivors
use to describe their traumas provides insight into the
impact of trauma and the process of recovery. This course
will begin with an overview of theories of trauma,
resilience, and post-traumatic growth, as well as an
introduction to the study of trauma narratives and how
language reflects emotional and cognitive functioning. We
will then explore dierent aspects of the cognitive,
emotional, and biological impact of undergoing a trauma
and how these changes are reflected in the language that
trauma survivors use as they speak and write about their
experiences. We will consider works by experts on trauma
and language, including Judith Herman, Bessel van der
Kolk, and James Pennebaker, as well as current research
in the field of trauma and trauma narratives. Through
these readings, we will address topics such as what makes
an experience traumatic, how representations of trauma in
popular culture color our perceptions of trauma and
recovery, the role of resilience and growth following a
trauma, and what we can learn from attending to the
content and structure of language. This course will be of
interest to students who are curious about how the words
we use reflect our cognitive and emotional functioning,
especially for students interested in pursuing topics such
as these at an advanced or graduate level.
Children’s Friendships
PSYC 3862
Carl Barenboim
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior course in psychology
Making friends, losing friends, keeping friends...through
the use of psychological and literary texts, we will explore
the important functions of friendship for children and
adolescents. During much of the 20th century,
psychologists had assumed that adults serve as the major
social influence on a child’s developing sense of self and
personality, that perhaps only toward adolescence would
children’s social relations with peers come to play an
important role in their lives. We now know better. In recent
years, there has been a tremendous increase in the study
of friendships and peer relations throughout childhood,
even in toddlerhood. The important psychological benefits
of having friends are increasingly recognized. So, too, are
the potential problems of its obverse: Children who are
truly without friends are at greater risk for later social-
emotional diculties. We will explore the writings of major
theorists such as Sullivan, Youniss, Selman, and Rubin;
read and discuss the recent studies that have observed
“friendship in the making”; and examine what friendship
means to children and adolescents in their own words. In
addition, fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center or
elsewhere will be encouraged, so that students can have
firsthand knowledge of children’s social relations.
The Power and Meanings of Play in
Children’s Lives
PSYC 3664
Cindy Puccio
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior college-level course in psychology
Play provides us with an amazing and informative lens for
observing the development and complex inner lives of
young children. Yet, play is being threatened by increasing
amounts of time spent on technology and a growing
societal focus on scheduled activities and academic goals.
This course will oer an introduction to the many
fascinating aspects of play, including the importance of
unstructured free play, how play shapes the brain, sensory
processing and self-regulation in play, outdoor play,
cultural contexts of play, and humor development in play.
140 Psychology
Through readings, video illustrations, and discussion of
student fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center, we will
explore the many ways in which play contributes to the
complex social, cognitive, emotional, and imaginative lives
of children. This course will provide a foundation for the
spring course, Early Intervention Approaches for Young
Children and Families.
Fieldwork at the Early Childhood Center is required for this
course.
Introduction to Research in
Psychology: Methodology
PSYC 3082
Maia Pujara
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 3 credits
Prerequisite: at least one open-level psychology,
anthropology, sociology, or science laboratory-based course
This first research seminar in a yearlong practicum series
on conducting research in psychology will introduce
students to the posing of research questions and the
design of methods to answer those questions. In this
seminar, students will gain valuable research experience
through a weekly meeting focused on qualitative and
quantitative research methods, research ethics, and
contemporary research questions and approaches. These
topics include, but are not limited to, exploring the
historical contexts that led to current guidelines for
ethically conducting human-subjects testing; receiving
institutional review-board approval for a proposed study;
staying conversant and engaged in open science practices;
maintaining a lab notebook; choosing a methodological
approach and designing a study; recruiting participants;
and more. The seminar component will include readings
on, and discussions of, research methods and ethics that
are specific to the research in which students are involved,
as well as discussions of contemporary research articles
that are relevant to student and faculty research projects.
Weekly seminars will be led by the instructors of the
course and, on occasion, invited faculty with expertise in
related topics. All students involved in conducting
research will also take turns leading a discussion of
current research related to their group’s work. We will
have individual and/or lab conference meetings with
faculty supervisors on either a regular or as-needed basis.
Seniors undertaking a senior thesis project are welcome to
take this class alongside their senior thesis in order to
work collaboratively with other students engaging in their
own independent research. Students should come
prepared to work collaboratively with faculty and their
peers.
Ethics in Community Partnerships
PSYC 3434
Linwood J. Lewis
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Truly collaborative work between academic and
nonacademic communities can be a serious challenge.
This is not only an issue of method(ology) but also an
issue of ethics. In this class, we will examine ontological
and epistemological aspects of academic inquiry,
advocacy, and activism and their relation to ethical
community participatory work. How does our view of
academic work aect our interactions with community
members in creating and extending knowledge? How can
we truly and intentionally collaborate with communities
that exist within unequal power relationships with policy-
making and policy-implementing bodies? What knowledge
base is necessary for students and faculty to interact, with
respect and intention, with communities that may be
dierent in composition? I see this class as a bridge
between the practical aspects of engagement in
community participatory work and the necessary reflexive
examination of worldview and practice by our academic
community and partners. That reflexive examination is at
multiple levels of analysis: the individual (e.g., students,
faculty, sta, partner-agency sta), the organizational
(e.g., SLC, partner organizations) and societal/cultural
(e.g., examination of race/class/colonialism and
postcolonial thought, ethics).
Emerging Adulthood
PSYC 3175
Linwood J. Lewis
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
We have time, energy, questions, and few responsibilities.
We want to push the envelope, resist compromise, lead
revolutions, and turn the world upside down. Because we
do not yet know quite how to be, we have not settled and
will not let the dust settle around us. —Karlin & Borofsky,
2003
Many traditional psychological theories of development
posit a brief transition from adolescence to adulthood;
however, many people moving into their 20s experience
anything but a brief transition to “feeling like an adult,”
pondering questions such as: How many SLC alums can
live in a Brooklyn sublet? What will I do when I finish the
Peace Corps next year? In this course, we will explore the
psychological literature concerning emerging adulthood,
the period from the late teens through the 20s. We will
examine this period of life from a unified biopsychosocial
and intersectional perspective.
THE CURRICULUM 141
Care and the Good Life: Exploring
Aging, Care, and Death
PSYC 3029
Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
What does it mean to live a flourishing life? This is one of
the most fundamental questions of human existence, and
this course explores this question through an engagement
with the universal human experiences of care, aging, and
death. Together, we will dig deep into the centrality of
caregiving to the human experience and identify and
explore normative claims around care, aging, and death.
Specifically, we will explore issues of avoidance,
dependence, and interdependence, as we think together
about the role of care in our lives across the lifespan but
especially leading up to the final stages of life. In dominant
US culture, notions of individualism prevail—and
caregiving is often conceptualized as a burden. But who
has decided that the care of other humans is a burden, or
that an unburdened life is one most worth living? Who is to
say that we’d prefer or be better o to be “unburdened”
from the most important relationships in our lives?
Collectively, we will consider more life-arming,
meaningful, and pluralistic ideas about care and consider
who is most served by current mainstream normative
claims. Finally, we will look at the ways these ideas are
being resisted. Guest speakers will help us explore how
individuals have replied to questions about how one lives
life well by discussing how they have replied to these
questions with their lives for meaningful engagement.
Readings in this interdisciplinary course will include Lyn
Lofland, Viktor Frankl, Carol Gilligan, Martha Nussbaum,
JK Gibson-Graham, and The Sage Handbook of Death and
Dying in order to focus on various cultural approaches,
such as the Native American, Hindu, Muslim, Japanese,
Taoist, and Jewish ways of death.
The Epistemological Relevance of
Social Psychology
PSYC 3475
Gina Philogene
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar is an epistemological exploration of the
duality between the sociological and psychological forms
of social psychology. In fostering the emergence of social
psychology, the psychological perspective encouraged
greater collaboration with the natural sciences and the
pursuit of truth with the use of the scientific method. The
sociological perspectives, however, have recontextualized
social psychology as an interdisciplinary enterprise. Social
psychology is still struggling with how to reconcile this
dichotomy into a more productive synthesis. From its very
beginning, social psychology started questioning its role in
the social sciences, as well as its relevance to everyday life
in discussing the duality between a quantitative approach
and a qualitative approach. We will examine some of these
issues and reassess the role of social psychology in dealing
with the complexities of human aairs in relation to their
social world.
Immigration and Identity
PSYC 3237
Deanna Barenboim
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course asks how contemporary immigration shapes
individual and collective identity across the life course.
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges cross-
cultural psychology, human development, and
psychological anthropology, we will ask how people’s
movement across borders and boundaries transforms
their senses of self, as well as their interpersonal relations
and connections to community. We will analyze how the
experience of immigration is aected by the particular
intersections of racial, ethnic, class, gender, generational,
and other boundaries that immigrants cross. For example,
how do undocumented youth navigate the constraints
imposed by “illegalized” identities, and how do they come
to construct new self-perceptions? How might immigrants
acculturate or adapt to new environments, and how does
the process of moving from home or living “in-between”
two or more places impact mental health? Through our
close readings and seminar discussions on this topic, we
seek to understand how dierent forms of
power—implemented across realms that include state-
sponsored surveillance and immigration enforcement,
language and educational policy, health and social
services—shape and constrain immigrants’ understanding
of their place in the world and their experience of
exclusion and belonging. In our exploration of identity, we
will attend to the ways in which immigrants are left out of
national narratives, as well as the ways in which people
who move across borders draw on cultural resources to
create spaces and practices of connection, protection, and
continuity despite the disruptive eects of immigration. In
tandem with our readings, we will welcome scholar-
activist guest speakers, who will present their current
work in the field. Prior course work in psychology or social
sciences is recommended.
142 Psychology
Children’s Literature: Psychological
and Literary Perspectives
PSYC 3762
Charlotte L. Doyle
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Children’s books are an important bridge between adults
and the world of children. What makes a children’s book
attractive and developmentally appropriate for a child of a
particular age? What is important to children as they read
or listen? How do children become readers? How do
picture-book illustrations complement the words? How
can children’s books portray the uniqueness of a particular
culture or subculture, allowing those within to see their
experience reflected in books and those outside to gain
insight into the lives of others? To what extent can books
transcend the particularities of a given period and place?
Course readings include writings about child development;
works about children’s literature; and, most centrally,
children’s books themselves—picture books, fairy tales,
and novels for children. Class emphasis will be on books
for children up to the age of about 12. Among our children’s
book authors will be Margaret Wise Brown, C. S. Lewis,
Katherine Paterson, Maurice Sendak, Matt de la Pena,
Christopher Paul Curtis, E. B. White, and Vera B. Williams.
Many dierent kinds of conference projects are
appropriate for this course. In past years, for example,
students have written original work for children
(sometimes illustrating it, as well), traced a theme in
children’s books, worked with children (and their books) in
fieldwork and service-learning settings, explored
children’s books that illuminate particular racial or ethnic
experiences, or examined books that capture the challenge
of various disabilities. At the end of each class session, we
will have story time, during which two students will share
childhood favorites.
How Humans Learn Language
PSYC 3205
Sammy Floyd
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
By the time you read this course description, you have
learned more than 40,000 English words. That’s at least
an average of six words per day—and many more if you are
multilingual. How is this possible? Were you born with this
ability? Or did you learn it? This course is about how
humans come to develop language so early and so quickly
among striking environmental variation. For example,
caregivers in the United States often alter and repeat their
words when talking to children, while caregivers in a
Tseltal Mayan community are thought to speak directly to
other adults, not children. And yet, children in both
settings successfully learn language on similar timescales.
Importantly, no two children are alike. We will explore how
the spectrum of neurodiversity sets many learners on their
own communicative path. We will also consider variation
in modality: Babies in deaf communities rapidly learn to
comprehend and produce sign. We’ll begin by looking at
the experimental data: How do you truly unlock and
measure a neonate’s language abilities? Or even an
adult’s? We’ll find out. Next, we’ll use play with gadgets
from experimental methods, such as artificial language
learning and eye-tracking, designing our own ministudies,
implementing them, and collecting data. Then, we’ll
propose theories of the kind of learning mechanism that
can operate under such diverse inputs. We’ll evaluate the
existing proposals and try to generate our own new
theories of language development. We will bring these
ideas beyond the seminar room, drawing connections to
second-language learning in adults, early-childhood
education, and social and economic structures. Students
will develop conference projects that propose their own
theories of language learning rooted in experimental data
and in conversation with existing theories of nature vs.
nurture, domain-specificity, and modality.
Moral Development
PSYC 3855
Carl Barenboim
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: prior course in psychology
For thousands of years, philosophers have struggled with
the questions surrounding the issue of morality. Over the
past hundred years, psychologists have joined the fray.
While many theories exist, a unifying theme centers upon
the notion that childhood is the crucible in which morality
is formed and forged. In this course, we will explore the
major theories dealing with three aspects of the
development of morality: moral thought or reasoning (e.g.,
Piaget, Kohlberg); moral feelings (psychoanalytic
approaches, including Freud, and the modern work on the
importance of empathy and mirror neurons); and moral
actions. In addition, we will investigate the possible
relations among these three aspects of moral
development; for example, how is moral thought
connected to moral action? Throughout the course, we will
relate moral development theory to the results of research
investigations into this crucial aspect of child
development, including the influence of parents and peers.
Further, we will explore the influence of culture in shaping
moral beliefs and attitudes. Conference work may include
direct experience with children or adolescents in the form
of either detailed observations or direct interaction
(interviews, etc.).
THE CURRICULUM 143
Introduction to Research in
Psychology: Data Analysis
PSYC 3082
Kim Ferguson, Sammy Floyd
Intermediate/Advanced, Small seminar—Spring | 3 credits
Prerequisite: Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology or equivalent research methods course and
one open-level psychology, anthropology, sociology, or
science laboratory-based course
Human behavior is complex, comprising stories, words,
narratives, movement, and more. How can we begin to
understand it? This course will introduce central concepts
and practices in the analysis of qualitative and
quantitative behavioral and linguistic data. We will learn
how interview-based and observational data have typically
been collected, organized, and interpreted. Students will
use various coding techniques, such as MAXQDA software,
to organize and interpret meanings and structures in
participants’ narratives and responses. We will also
discuss various thematic analysis approaches, including
interpretive phenomenological analysis, as well as various
coding techniques for observational data. Finally, we will
discuss various tools used in linguistic analysis, including
corpora, LSA, and LIWC. Over the course of the semester,
we will work with existing datasets from classic and
contemporary studies. For example, how can we use data
analysis to determine if people really remember a person,
word, or experience rather than simply feeling recognition
of it? Students will use SPSS and eventually R software to
collate and visualize data and apply traditional
frequentist—as well as modern, parameter-
free—statistical analyses. Students will also apply and
evaluate various thematic analysis approaches and will
have the opportunity to draw on various tools of linguistic
analysis using existing datasets. Ethical research practices
will be discussed in the context of each dataset used. In
collaborative groups, students will build a plan for an
existing interview, observational, or linguistic dataset,
carry out preliminary analyses, and propose possible
interpretations. In addition to the prerequisites for this
course, a prior course in college-level statistics is a plus.
Urban Health
PSYC 3223
Linwood J. Lewis
Intermediate, Workshop—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: health-related class
This community partnership course will focus on the
health of humans living within physical, social, and
psychological urban spaces. We will use a constructivist,
multidisciplinary, multilevel lens to examine the
interrelationship between humans and the natural and
built environment, to explore the impact of social group
(ethnic, racial, sexuality/gender) membership on person/
environment interactions, and to explore an overview of
theoretical and research issues in the psychological study
of health and illness across the lifespan. We will examine
theoretical perspectives in the psychology of health,
health cognition, illness prevention, stress, and coping
with illness; and we will highlight research, methods, and
applied issues. This class is appropriate for those
interested in a variety of health careers or anyone
interested in city life. The community-partnership/
service-learning component is an important part of this
class. We will work with local agencies to promote health-
adaptive, person-environment interactions within our
community.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Childhood Across Cultures (p. 5), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Immigration and Identity (p. 7), Deanna Barenboim
Anthropology
Introduction to Neuroscience (p. 16), Cecilia Phillips Toro
Biology
Neurological Disorders (p. 18), Cecilia Phillips Toro Biology
Intermediate Ethology: Applications and Research in
Animal Behavior (p. 18), Liv Baker Biology
Human-Wildlife Interactions: Analysis, Management, and
Resolution (p. 19), Liv Baker Biology
Introduction to Computer Science: The Way of the
Program (p. 24), James Marshall Computer Science
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Existentialism (p. 119), Roy Ben-Shai Philosophy
A Political Perspective on the Elusive Nature of
Happiness (p. 120), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
144 Psychology
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 177), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Visual
and Studio Arts
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Children’s Literature: A Writing Workshop (p. 189), Myra
Goldberg Writing
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
PUBLIC POLICY
Sarah Lawrence College’s public-policy program
addresses the most pressing public-policy issues of our
time, including promoting peace, protecting the
environment, providing education and health services, and
safeguarding human and workers’ rights. Supported by the
College’s Oce of Community Partnerships, students
partner with unions, community organizations, and legal
groups in the New York City area as a required element of
their course work, gaining direct experience that they can
relate to theoretical issues.
Students also participate in international fieldwork,
such as a labor research exchange in Cuba, a health care
worker conference in the Dominican Republic, a
community-organizing project to help establish a medical
clinic for residents of the impoverished community of
Lebrón in the Dominican Republic, and a study trip to the
United States/Mexico border area of El Paso/Juarez. This
combination of study and direct experience exposes
students to various approaches to problems and builds an
enduring commitment to activism in many forms.
People Power in the History of United
States Policy
PUBP 3212
Noah Shuster
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This yearlong seminar course oers a unique perspective
on the history of the United States, focusing on the social
movements that have significantly influenced this nation
and its policies. Despite the consistent dominance of the
wealthy ruling class, people’s movements have
persistently advanced—and at times achieved—social
justice. We will delve into the formation of these
movements, their tactics, and their lasting eects, making
the course directly relevant to the social issues of today. In
the fall, we will begin by focusing on the revolutionary
Atlantic uprisings of the 18th century that led up to the
revolutionary abolition of slavery throughout much of the
Americas, as well as the Federalist counter-revolution that
preserved slavery in the United States. Considering how
the civil disobedience tradition laid the foundations for
democratic currents in the United States will lead us to a
people’s understanding of abolitionism, including a focus
on the Underground Railroad and the guerrilla warfare that
led up to the Civil War. Our second unit will focus on the
blossoming of the women’s rights movement and the
eventual “progressive” turn in US governance in the early
20th century as a result of a great deal of radical agitation.
We’ll finish the semester focusing on the labor
movement’s major uprisings and strikes, noting how these
movements led up to the New Deal era and the mid-20th
century’s social order. The first half of the spring semester
will then take up the many people’s movements against
this order throughout the 1960s-1970s, including the Civil
Rights movement, Black Power, Chicano rights, prisoner’s
rights, the LGBTQ movement, the antiwar movement,
environmentalism, and second-wave feminism. We’ll then
track these movements forward into the following
decades, as we consider ACT UP, Earth First!, the LA
uprising, the Anti-Globalization movement, and immigrant
rights. Finally, we’ll consider people power in the recent
decades of the 21st century, including recent movements
for economic and racial justice and recent movements
against fascism and colonialism. By the end of the year,
we’ll have established a comprehensive, comparative
understanding of social movements in US history.
Requirements for the course include daily participation,
discussion posts, and group presentations. For the
conference project, the simplest path will be to work on a
final research essay for each semester. We can work out
other options for those students looking for a dierent
path, including a yearlong major essay, visual projects, or
creative work. Major texts may include A People’s History
of the United States by Howard Zinn, The Moral Property of
Women: A History of Birth Control Politics in America by
Linda Gordon, Poor People’s Movements by Frances Fox
Piven and Richard Cloward, Incarcerating the Crisis by
Jordan Camp, Power to the Poor: Black-Brown Coalition
and the Fight for Economic Justice by Gordon Mantler, and
An African-American and Latinx History of the United
States by Paul Ortiz.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
THE CURRICULUM 145
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
First-Year Studies in Environmental Science: Climate
Change (p. 39), Bernice Rosenzweig Environmental
Science
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
A History of Black Leadership in America (p. 69), Komozi
Woodard History
International Law (p. 70), Mark R. Shulman History
Human Rights (p. 71), Mark R. Shulman History
The Strange Career of the Jim Crow North: African
American Urban History (p. 72), Komozi Woodard
History
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 118), David Peritz
Philosophy
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 119), David Peritz Philosophy
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
Deranged Democracy: How Can We Govern Ourselves if
Everyone Has Lost Their Minds? (p. 127), David Peritz
Politics
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 128), David Peritz Politics
Polarization (p. 128), Samuel Abrams Politics
The Political Economy of Democratic Capitalism (p. 130),
David Peritz Politics
Anti-Black Racism and the Media in America (p. 130),
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders, and
Mobilities (p. 155), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Details Useful to the State: Writers and the Shaping of
Empire (p. 192), Suzanne Gardinier Writing
RELIGION
Religious traditions identify themselves with and draw
sustenance from the texts that they hold sacred. In Sarah
Lawrence College religion courses, those texts command
and hold our attention. As students explore the sacred
texts of a particular religion—whether studying Buddhism,
Judaism, Christianity, or Islam—they gain insight into the
social and historical context of its creation. Using critical,
hermeneutical, and intellectual historical approaches,
students enter into the writings in such depth as to touch
what might be the foundation of that religion. In addition,
work with contemporary texts (such as those by religious
activists on the Internet) gives students insight into what
most moves and motivates religious groups today. The
College’s religion courses provide an important
complement to courses in Asian studies and history.
First-Year Studies: The Hebrew Bible
RLGN 1024
Ron Afzal
FYS—Year | 10 credits
The Hebrew Bible stands at the foundation of Western
culture. Its stories permeate our literature, our art...indeed,
our sense of identity. Its ideas inform our laws, have given
birth to our revolutions and social movements, and have
146 Religion
thereby made most of our social institutions possible (as
well as the movements to remove them). What is this
book? How was it written? Who wrote it? Who preserved it
for us? Why has all or part of this body of literature been
considered holy to the practitioners of Judaism and
Christianity? Four thousand years ago, various groups
from small tribe-wandering nomads would get together
and tell stories. These stories were not preserved on stone
tombs but, rather, in the hearts and memories of the
people to whom they belonged. We will read the collection
of traditions in a book called Genesis and compare these
stories with other texts (written in mud and stone), such
as The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Babylonian Creation
Epic, which were contemporary with biblical traditions. We
will read the Biblical epic of liberation, Exodus; the
historical books that weave theology into a history of a
nation; and the oracles of the great Hebrew Prophets of
Israel—those reformers, judges, priests, mystics, and
poets to whom modern culture owes its grasp of justice.
We will trace the social, intellectual, and political history of
the people formed by these traditions from the Late
Bronze Age until the Roman Age. The conferences for this
course will meet weekly until October Study Days and then
biweekly for the rest of the school year.
The Buddhist Tradition in India, Tibet,
and Southeast Asia
RLGN 2024
Grith Foulk
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This introductory course treats the evolution of Buddhism
in India, from the origins of the religion as a group of
“world-renouncing” ascetics through the development of
large state-supported monastic communities and the
emergence of the major reform movements known as
Mahayana and Tantra. The course also focuses on the
Buddhism of two regions of the world—the Tibetan
plateau and Southeast Asia—where the respective
traditions have been most self-consciously concerned
with maintaining precedents inherited from India. Equal
attention is paid to: (1) matters of philosophy and doctrine,
(2) religious rites and practices, and (3) social and
institutional arrangements. The lectures are accompanied
by copious audiovisual materials.
Jewish History I: The People of the
Book
RLGN 2302
Joel Swanson Swanson
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
This course will provide a survey of the history of the
Jewish people, beginning with the destruction of the
Second Temple in 70 CE and ending with the expulsion of
the Jews from Spain in 1492 CE—an event which some
scholars have argued represented the end of the Middle
Ages and the beginning of the modern world. The class will
be focused on two central questions: Firstly, what does it
mean when a community that was once oriented around
the Temple and the Holy Land went into exile and had to
reconstitute itself as a community grounded in the text
and the book? Secondly, what does it mean for the Jews to
be a people; and how does the idea of peoplehood relate to
emergent concepts of nationhood, religion, race, and
ethnicity? The class will focus heavily on the emergence of
the form of rabbinic literary interpretation known as
midrash and the diverse modes of reading Jewish texts
that emerged after the destruction of the Temple; the
place of Jews under both Christian and Muslim rule; and
the forms of Jewish philosophy, literature, and mystical
thought that flourished in these diering cultural contexts.
We will discuss the historical development of Jewish law
(halakhah), how it emerged through contested
interpretations of Jewish texts, and how legal concepts
had to evolve to respond to the changing sociopolitical
conditions under which Jews lived. Though the class will
discuss anti-Jewish persecution and violence across the
centuries, we will also focus on moments of cultural
interchange and cooperation. Students will read both
primary sources, including rabbinic texts and Jewish
philosophical and mystical treatises, as well as selected
secondary source materials. This course is designed to be
taken as part of a two-semester sequence with Jewish
History II in the spring semester, but students are
permitted to enroll in only one semester or the other,
based on interest.
The Buddhist Tradition in East Asia
RLGN 2025
Grith Foulk
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This introductory course focuses on the Buddhism of East
Asia: China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Buddhism first
began to take root in China in the early centuries of the
Common Era, having been transmitted from India via
Central Asia and the maritime states of Southeast Asia. It
initially met with much resistance, being branded an
“alien” cult that was at odds with native Chinese
(especially Confucian) values. Eventually, however, the
Indian religion adapted to Chinese culture and came to
have a profound influence on it, spawning new schools of
Buddhism such as Tiantai, Huayan, Pure Land, and Chan
(called Zen in Japan). The smaller, neighboring countries
that fell under the sway of Chinese civilization—Korea,
Vietnam, and Japan—first imported forms of Buddhism
that had taken shape in China, not India; but each, in turn,
further changed the religion in ways that accorded with
THE CURRICULUM 147
their own indigenous cultures. Equal attention is paid in
this course to: (1) matters of philosophy and doctrine, (2)
religious rites and practices, and (3) social and
institutional arrangements. The lectures are accompanied
by audiovisual materials. The course has no prerequisite
but is suitable for students who have already taken the
companion lecture—The Buddhist Tradition in India, Tibet,
and Southeast Asia—which is oered in the fall.
Jewish History II: What Does it Mean
to be Modern?
RLGN 2802
Joel Swanson Swanson
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
This course will provide a survey of the modern history of
the Jewish people, beginning with the expulsion of the
Jews from Spain in 1492 and continuing until the present
day. In so doing, we will focus heavily on the question of
what modernity itself means and how modern
concepts—such as nationalism and the nation-state, race
and ethnicity, religious liberty, and individualism and
collectivism—were, in many senses, defined in relation to
the Jewish people, with Jewish minority communities
serving as test cases for questions of what it means to be
a modern human. The class will focus extensively on the
process of Jewish emancipation and citizenship and on
the philosophical and cultural changes underpinning this
process. Yet, we will not focus merely on Jews as passive
observers of these historical processes but, rather, as
active agents shaping their own histories and their own
struggles for rights. We will examine ways in which Jewish
law had to be adapted to fit into emergent concepts of civil
law and how Jews responded to and contested some of
those changes. The class will delve into the relationship of
Jews to Enlightenment philosophy, the emergence of
distinctively Jewish political ideologies such as Zionism
and Bundism, and the relationship of Jews to both
European and Middle Eastern nationalisms. We will
discuss the Holocaust, but we will situate it in relation to
broader historical processes of nationalism and violence;
and we will discuss the relationship of Jews in Europe to
Jews in the Middle East and North Africa. Though not
primarily a class on contemporary Israeli politics, we will
discuss the formation of the modern state of Israel and the
way in which the founding of the Jewish state shapes the
identity of Jews who have chosen in remain in diaspora.
Throughout the semester, we will continually ask these
central questions: What does it mean to be a modern
human, and how does the concept of modernity
necessarily construct itself in relation to the Jewish
people? This course is designed to be taken as part of a
two-semester sequence with Jewish History I in the fall
semester, but students are permitted to enroll in only one
semester or the other, based on interest.
Readings in Christian Mysticism: Late
Antiquity
RLGN 3855
Ron Afzal
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Texts commonly seen to contain “mystical elements” have
to do with the desire on the part of the reader to “know,”
experience, or “be with” God, along with the author’s
attempt to properly demarcate the boundaries within
which these desires can be fulfilled. Christian mysticism is
perhaps best thought of as erotic theology; it concerns the
aspect of theology that involves the desire for God.
Recognizing this, we must also be acknowledged that
inherent to this theology is a profound paradox. What is
desired must be conceived. It must be held in the grasp of
one’s understanding in order to be attained. While this is
fine for an orange or even wealth and power, it is much
more problematic when the object of desire is God, the
creator of the universe. Theologians in the Early Church
developed a language of desire and specific sets of
practices involving one’s lifestyle and prayer in order to
resolve this paradox and fulfill the desire. Early Christian
theologians began to ponder this paradox with a synthesis
of a Biblical theology of divine revelation (i.e., the
revelation of God as preserved in the Biblical canon,
symbolized in both the revelation of YHWH on Mt. Sinai
and in the incarnation of the Divine Logos as Jesus of
Nazareth) and Platonic rhetoric with respect to the
expression of a desire for the ultimate good, truth, or
beauty. The mystery is informed, on the one hand, by the
anthropology of desire set forth by Plato in, for example,
the Symposium and the Phaedrus. Educated in the
Hellenistic world, the Early Church Fathers took these
ideas for granted and attempted to find common ground
with their Christian inheritance. As such, we will begin our
study by applying ourselves to this general background,
including the phenomenon of Gnostic Christianity. We will
then move on to encounter the great early Christian
writers—such as Origen and Athanasius of Alexandria,
Gregory of Nyssa, Psuedo-Dionysius, Ambrose of
Milan—and conclude our study with a lengthy look at
what, for Western culture, is the seminal work of
Augustine of Hippo.
148 Religion
Religion in Contemporary Japan
RLGN 3217
Grith Foulk
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
As an examination of religious beliefs, practices, and
institutions in Japanese society today, the course covers
all of the major religious traditions and movements in
contemporary Japan: Shinto, the various schools of
Buddhism, Shugendo, Christianity, and the so-called New
Religions that have flourished in the postwar period.
Issues of historical development are touched on but only
as an aid to understanding the current religious scene. The
approach is thematic, with a focus on elements of
Japanese religiosity that recur in dierent traditions, such
as ancestor worship, beliefs in fate and karma, festivals,
pilgrimages, the sanctification of natural phenomena,
taboos against impurities, exorcisms, and rites of
purification. Extensive use will be made in class of a
variety of audiovisual materials, including animated films,
documentaries, and amateur videos of ritual
performances. The aim of the course is to provide insights
into the intellectual, ethical, aesthetic, and spiritual
wellsprings of contemporary Japanese culture at large,
not simply to familiarize students with the basics of
Japanese religion narrowly conceived. Prior study or
experience of things Japanese (language, literature,
history, etc.) is desirable but not required.
Perspectives on 9/11: Religion,
Politics, and Culture
RLGN 3410
Kristin Zahra Sands
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
It has now been more than 20 years since the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11,
2001. How have perceptions changed about the events
that occurred that day? Shortly after the attacks, then-
President George W. Bush insisted that Islam was not to
blame and, instead, framed the battle ahead as “the war on
terror.” But what about those who insisted that what had
happened was an almost inevitable result of the “clash of
civilizations”? How did Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda
frame the narrative and their part in it? What kinds of
arguments were presented to justify the attack and the US
military interventions that followed? In the wake of the
attacks on 9/11, what has been called the “Islamophobia
industry” developed and flourished, taking full advantage
of new forms of media. What role have both mainstream
and alternative media played in how Muslims have been
portrayed and the discrimination that they have faced in
the years since 9/11? Ten years after the attacks, the 9/11
Memorial and Museum opened in New York City. How have
this site and other memorials shaped the collective
memory of the events, as well as the curriculum being
taught to a generation born after 2001? In addition to the
architects of these memorials, artists, writers, and
filmmakers have explored the many religious, political, and
social dimensions of the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath.
How have these works of imagination expanded the ways
in which people have made sense of, and found meaning
in, painful events? While this seminar is being oered as a
religion course, the approach is an interdisciplinary
one—drawing upon readings and other materials from a
variety of academic, artistic, and literary fields.
The Qur’an and Its Interpretation
RLGN 3455
Kristin Zahra Sands
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
To watch a Muslim kiss the Qur’an is to recognize that this
is not a “book” in the ordinary sense of the word. There is
an art to reciting its verses and an art to its calligraphy.
The uncovering of its meanings has been variously
understood by Muslims to be a matter of common sense,
diligent scholarship, or profound inspiration. In this
seminar, we will begin by studying the style and content of
the Qur’an. Some of the themes that may be discussed are
the nature and function of humans and supernatural
beings, free will and determinism, the structure of this and
other worlds, God’s attributes of mercy and wrath, gender
and family relations, other religions, and the legitimate use
of violence. We will also look at the types of literature that
developed in response to the Qur’an in texts ranging from
the entertaining stories of the prophets, to scholastic
theological and philosophical analysis, to poetic mystical
insights. Contemporary writings written by Muslims will be
included that mine the riches of the classical heritage of
Qur’anic exegesis while grappling with the diculties of
dealing with a text that originated in seventh-century
Arabia.
Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in
Judaism
RLGN 3144
Joel Swanson Swanson
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In recent years, scholarship in Jewish studies has
recognized that much of recorded Jewish history and
writing has centered the male, heterosexual, cisgender
Jew as the normative Jewish figure and has failed to
reckon suciently with the perspectives of Jewish
women, queer Jews, trans Jews, and other Jews holding
marginalized gender and sexual identities. At the same
time, scholars have noted that Jewish literature and
rabbinic sources contain fascinating resources to
THE CURRICULUM 149
interrogate gender norms and, in particular, to explore how
the ambiguity of gender roles contained within rabbinic
sources does or does not map onto contemporary gender
binaries. Building from this perspective, this class aims to
explore the evolution of debates about gender and
sexuality in Judaism, focusing both on textual sources and
on the lived experiences of Jewish people. Topics to be
covered include: the status of women under halakhah
(Jewish law); gender in the Talmud and Jewish religious
texts; constructions of masculinity and femininity;
debates over the proper role of the body and the gendered
nature of religious practice and religious authority; the role
of women in Jewish emancipation and the changing
nature of Jewish gender norms in the modern era; the
relationship of women and queer Jews to nationalisms
and citizenship; Zionist discourses on the relationship
between land, rootedness, and gender; and the gendered
politics of Jewish identity in both Europe and the Middle
East. Throughout the course, we will read both primary
and secondary sources; the primary sources will include
Jewish religious texts, as well as fiction and autobiography
produced by Jewish women and queer Jews. We will ask
the questions: Who claims the right to speak for a
tradition, and what does it mean to say that certain Jewish
bodies are and are not normative? In so doing, we will also
review some of the key debates surrounding gender
studies and queer studies in the field of religious studies
more broadly, and students will gain a basic understanding
of some of the key methodological and theoretical debates
in contemporary queer theory.
Buddhist Meditation
RLGN 3210
Grith Foulk
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Most branches of the Buddhist tradition throughout
history have embraced the idea that a deluded
apprehension of one’s “self” and the “things” that make up
one’s world is the root cause of all suering experienced
by humans and other living beings in the round of rebirth
(sa?sara). On a more mundane level, Buddhists have
generally held that regulating the “mind”—the deep-
seated nexus of habitual responses, proclivities, and
beliefs that filters our perceptions and directs our
actions—is the key to achieving individual satisfaction and
social harmony and justice. Thus, whether the aim is
ultimate salvation, happiness in this life, or simply the
attainment of material benefits, Buddhists have often
prescribed some program of sustained mental
discipline—some kind of “meditation” practice—as the
best means of working toward the goal. But “Buddhist
meditation” is only a loose rubric that covers a wide range
of dierent practices as, for example, techniques for
calming the mind and entering into trance; procedures for
the systematic philosophical analysis of ultimate reality;
mental exercises meant to suppress negative emotions
(e.g., anger) and foster postive ones (e.g., loving
kindness); the cultivation of “mindfulness,” in which one
strives to maintain a constant, detached awareness of
one’s own physical and mental states without trying to
change them; mental exercises for recalling and repenting
bad deeds done in the past; the visualization of deities,
performed in conjunction with devotional prayer; the
“investigation of words” attributed to Zen masters, also
known as koan practice; and so on. In this course, we
examine a selection of texts deriving from the Indian,
Southeast Asian, East Asian, and Tibetan Buddhist
traditions that treat these dierent types of meditation.
Readings are in English translation.
Sufi Sciences of the Soul
RLGN 3408
Kristin Zahra Sands
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Muslim mystics have left us with a vast body of literature
that explains the faculties and capabilities of human
beings. These theoretical writings go hand in hand with the
experiential dimension of Sufi practice, which includes the
careful and diligent cultivation of spiritual, mental,
emotional, and physical disciplines. The purpose of their
path, as they often label their thought and practice, goes
beyond that of religious salvation—at least as understood
in the usual sense. The goal might be best described as a
desire to attain intimate knowledge of the true nature of
reality, as in the saying of the Prophet Muhammad: “Our
Lord, show us things as they really are.” Following another
saying of the Prophet, “He who knows himself, knows his
Lord,” Sufis have insisted that this deeper knowledge can
only be accomplished by a greater understanding of
oneself. This necessarily involves the deconstruction of
any solid or static notions about what is perceived to be
the self. According to Sufis, what we think of as ourselves
is really a cacophony of forces from within and without
that flow through and interact with dierent faculties
within us. The spiritual disciplines in which Sufis immerse
themselves are intended to destabilize the false self by
enabling the practitioner to become more conscious of
these forces and faculties. Furthermore, according to
Sufis, there is a strong relationship between our level of
awareness, our attitudes and behaviors, and the way in
which we perceive reality. Changes within us change the
reality that seems to be outside of us. Through a series of
readings from Sufi figures in both the past and the
present, this course will explore their systematic
exposition of the “sciences of the soul.”
150 Religion
Contemporary Muslim Novels and
Creative Nonfiction
RLGN 3474
Kristin Zahra Sands
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In current global circumstances, Islam is all too frequently
represented solely in terms of political and militant
ideologies. For those who wish to dig deeper, there are the
rich and varied traditions of classical religious scholarship
and jurisprudence. But to look at Islam through these
lenses alone is to miss alternate sensibilities that are just
as important in providing the material from which many
Muslims construct their identities. In 1988, the Egyptian
author Naguib Mahfouz became the first Muslim writer to
win the Nobel prize in literature. Although Mahfouz was
one of the first to adopt the format of the novel, in recent
years many new writers emerging from Muslim majority
and minority areas around the world have found broad
audiences. Their works embrace, resist, reject, transmute,
and/or show nostalgia for the beliefs and practices with
which the authors grew up or have adopted. As natives,
immigrants, third culture, or converts, some of the writers
to be explored here have actively promoted themselves as
Muslim writers, while others question this label or view it
as only one signifier of many. The writings that have been
selected will be ones that deal substantially with issues of
Muslim identity. All of them were either written in English
or have been translated into English. No prior knowledge of
Islam is necessary to take this course.
The Holocaust in Cultural Memory
RLGN 3722
Joel Swanson Swanson
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
The Holocaust is one of the most widely discussed and
studied events of the 20th century, raising vital and
challenging political and philosophical questions about
nationalism, the nature of the modern nation-state, the
human propensity for mass violence, and the possibility of
minority integration. As a result, the Holocaust has
become a sort of canvas upon which a huge array of
postwar and contemporary political, philosophical, and
cultural figures and voices have projected their own
thoughts and messages. This course will examine the way
in which the Holocaust has become a symbol of human
evil and destruction in contemporary cultural memory and
will ask dicult questions about the use of the Holocaust
as a political symbol by both Jewish and non-Jewish
voices. Questions to be examined in the course include:
How has the construction of World War II as the “good
war” shaped contemporary American cultural identity?
How do American Jews relate to the destruction of
European Jewry? How has Germany reckoned with its own
historical guilt through the process of
Vergangenheitsbewältigung (“coping with the past”)?
How have Central and Eastern European nations
confronted or denied their own collaboration and
complicity with the extermination of their Jewish
populations? How are countries such as Poland
attempting to criminalize discussions of their potential
historical complicity in the Holocaust? We will discuss
Zionist and anti-Zionist mobilizations of Holocaust
memory in political debates, the spread of Holocaust
denial, and why political movements such as protestors
against COVID restrictions have compared themselves to
Jews under Nazism. We will also think about how
Holocaust memory has shaped contemporary Jewish
identity, as well as the fraught question of what it means
to live as a Jewish person after more than one-third of the
Jews on Earth were exterminated. The class will include
both philosophical and literary sources, as well as select
films. Students will also gain a basic introduction to some
key texts in memory studies and trauma studies. We will
inevitably confront moral questions about guilt,
culpability, and the obligation to remember; but we will
only pass moral judgment after attempting to understand
the diverse perspectives animating the Holocaust as a
symbol of cultural memory. Though the class will begin
with a brief overview of the history of the Holocaust itself,
it is not primarily a course about Holocaust history but,
rather, about postwar cultural constructions of Holocaust
memory. As a result, some familiarity with Holocaust
history will be helpful for the course, though it is not
required.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Art and Society in the Lands of Islam (p. 10), Jerrilynn
Dodds Art History
Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture (p. 11),
David Castriota Art History
Popular Culture in China (p. 14), Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
Spiritual Autobiography (p. 74), Philip Swoboda History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
Freedom of Mind: Ancient Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham
Anderson Philosophy
Freedom of Mind: Medieval and Modern
Philosophy (p. 119), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Hume and Hume’s
Response (p. 121), Abraham Anderson Philosophy
THE CURRICULUM 151
Astronomy (p. 123), Scott Calvin Physics
Exploring Transnational Social Networks (p. 157), Parthiban
Muniandy Sociology
RUSSIAN
At a time of great crisis in Russia and in Ukraine, the study
of Russian remains essential to the understanding of
Russian politics, history, and culture. It is also an easy
move from Russian to the study of other Slavic languages,
including not just Ukrainian but also Belarusian, Czech,
Slovak, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, etc. The goal
of the Russian language classes at Sarah Lawrence
College is to teach students to speak, comprehend, read,
and write a language with a logic very dierent from that
of English. Oral proficiency is the focus of the first-year
class, culminating in end-of-semester projects where
students write and film skits in small groups. In the
second-year course, reading is also emphasized. Our texts
range from avant-garde plays, children’s literature, and
folk tales to poetry and short stories—often paired with
filmed and recorded versions. Topics, texts, and authors
covered in the advanced class vary widely, and student
input is strongly encouraged. Past syllabi have included
works by authors such as Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy,
Tsvetaeva, Bulgakov, and Pelevin, as well as films. Student
work in class and conference is supplemented by weekly
meetings with the language assistant and by a variety of
extracurricular activities, including a weekly Russian
Table, Russian opera at the Metropolitan Opera in New
York City, and excursions to Brighton Beach.
While students of Russian are strongly encouraged to
spend a semester or, ideally, a year abroad, the war in
Ukraine has significantly changed the possibilities. Prior to
the war, Sarah Lawrence students regularly attended a
variety of programs, including: Middlebury College’s
School in Russia, with sites in Moscow, Irkutsk, and
Yaroslavl; Bard College’s program at the Smolny Institute
in St. Petersburg; the Moscow Art Theatre School
Semester through Connecticut College; ACTR in Moscow,
St. Petersburg, or Vladimir; and CIEE. In the last year, our
students have continued their study of Russian in Bishkek,
Kyrghyzstan, as well as Daugavapils, Latvia; programs in
Georgia, including in both Tbilisi and Batumi, also oer
good options.
The Russian program includes courses taught in
translation as part of the literature curriculum. Current
and recent literature courses include: Double Thoughts
and Double-Consciousness: Russian and African-
American Literature; Signs of the Material World:
Dostoevsky and 19th-Century Science; Dostoevsky and
the West; The 19th-Century Russian Novel; and
Intertextuality in the 20th-Century Russian Novel.
Students of Russian also pursue their interest in
Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia in many other areas of
the College. While conference work can always be directed
toward the student’s field of interest, courses focusing
either entirely or in part on Russia and/or other areas in
Eastern Europe and Eurasia are regularly oered in a
number of disciplines, including history, film history, art
history, and politics.
Beginning Russian
RUSS 3001
Melissa Frazier
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
At a time of great crisis in Russia and in Ukraine, the study
of Russian remains essential to the understanding of
Russian politics, history, and culture. It is also an easy
move from Russian to the study of other Slavic languages,
including not just Ukrainian but also Belarusian, Czech,
Slovak, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, etc. To learn a
new language is to open yourself to another worldview,
both as you gain entry into another culture and as your
own sense of self is transformed. In another language, you
are still you; but the tools that you use to create and
express that identity change. As English speakers find
themselves in Russian, they first need to come to terms
with an often complicated grammar. We will tackle that
aspect of our work through a degree of analytical thought,
a great deal of memorization, and the timely completion of
our often lengthy biweekly homework assignments. Even
as I encourage students to reflect on the very dierent
means of expression that Russian oers, I also ask that
they engage in basic, but fully-functional, conversational
Russian at every point along the way. Our four hours of
class each week will be devoted to actively using what we
know in both pair and group activities, role play, dialogues,
skits, songs, etc. As a final project at the end of each
semester, students will create their own video skits. Note
that students are required to meet with the Russian
assistant weekly in addition to class; attendance at our
weekly Russian Table is strongly encouraged.
Intermediate Russian
RUSS 3510
Melissa Frazier
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: one year of college-level Russian or the
equivalent
At the end of this course, students should feel that they
have a fairly sophisticated grasp of Russian and the ability
to communicate in Russian in any situation. After the first
year of studying the language, students will have learned
the bulk of Russian grammar; this course will emphasize
grammar review, vocabulary accumulation, and regular
152 Russian
oral practice. Class time will center on the spoken
language, and students will be expected to participate
actively in discussions based on new vocabulary. Regular
written homework will be required, along with weekly
conversation classes with the Russian assistant;
attendance at Russian Table is strongly encouraged. While
students are welcome to include films and/or music in
their conference work, my hope is that we will use that
time to focus on the written language. Whatever their
individual focus, students will be asked to read short texts,
including song lyrics and/or screenplays as well as short
stories, with the aim of appreciating a very dierent
culture and/or literature while also learning to read
independently, accurately, and with as little recourse to
the dictionary as possible.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of the USSR and Post-
Soviet Space, 1917-Present (p. 74), Brandon
Schechter History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
Major Figures in 20th-Century European Poetry (in
Translation) (p. 92), Neil Arditi Literature
The 19th-Century Russian Novel (p. 94), Melissa Frazier
Literature
In the Shadow of Russia: Language, Literature, and Identity
in Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus (p. 96), Melissa
Frazier Literature
SARAH LAWRENCE
INTERDISCIPLINARY
COLLABORATIVE ON THE
ENVIRONMENT (SLICE)
The Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the
Environment (SLICE) was developed to allow Sarah
Lawrence College (SLC) students, faculty, and community
partners to study a variety of environmental topics across
the humanities as well as the sciences and social sciences.
As multiple human- and nonhuman-induced
environmental crises unfold and disproportionately aect
vulnerable frontline communities, students in SLICE
courses will engage in a shared dialogue about the human-
environment interaction that seeks to understand
environmental crises and their impacts on organisms and
ecosystems; the social and economic forces contributing
to climate and other environmental injustices; and the
complex relationships of humanity, animality, race, class,
ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the natural world. The
SLICE curriculum includes a unique, Mellon-funded,
cross-institutional pedagogy that brings together students
from Sarah Lawrence College and Bronx Community
College (BCC) for events, workshops, discussions,
collaborative projects, and field trips focused on climate
justice and the humanities. Participants in SLICE cluster
courses come together for two-week interludes, twice
each semester, to focus on interdisciplinary learning,
seeking to understand, historicize, and analyze
relationships between and among humans, animals, the
land, and the environment from the perspectives of the
arts and humanities, as well as mathematics, science, and
social science. SLICE-aliated courses will also
participate in events and workshops while continuing
course meetings throughout the semester. SLC and BCC
students in SLICE-cluster and SLICE-aliated courses
have the opportunity to present their research at an
interdisciplinary symposium each spring.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Evolutionary Biology (p. 17), Michelle Hersh Biology
Research Methods in Microbial Ecology (p. 18), Michelle
Hersh Biology
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
First-Year Studies in Environmental Science: Climate
Change (p. 39), Bernice Rosenzweig Environmental
Science
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
The Machine in the Garden: Cinema and Nature (p. 48),
Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film History
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First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Global Environmental History (p. 77), Matthew Ellis History
Animals and Animality in Medieval Literature and
Culture (p. 95), Gillian Adler Literature
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 119), David Peritz Philosophy
Justice for the Anthropocene, Ethics for a Vulnerable
World: Reconceiving Normative Value for an Era of
Global Catastrophe (p. 128), David Peritz Politics
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
The Sociology of Medicine and Disability (p. 155), Jessica
Poling Sociology
SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Science is a dynamic process by which we seek to improve
our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
We use the language and methods of science and
mathematics on a daily basis. Science and mathematics
nurture a special kind of creativity by enhancing our
abilities to ask concise, meaningful questions and to
design strategies to answer those questions. Such
approaches teach us to think and work in new ways and to
uncover and evaluate facts and place them in the context
of modern society and everyday life. Science and
mathematics classes are oered in a variety of
disciplines—including biology, chemistry, computer
science, mathematics, and physics—and at all levels,
ranging from open courses to advanced seminars and
individual laboratory research projects.
Qualified students have the option of enrolling in a
Science Third program, whereby students simultaneously
register for the seminar component of two science/
mathematics courses that comprise one-third of their
curriculum. Because Science Third students will still be
able to take two additional nonscience courses each
semester, this option is an opportunity for well-prepared
or advanced students to study multiple science courses
without limiting their options in other disciplines. For more
details and information, please contact the faculty group.
Pre-Health Program
Students interested in pursuing further studies in
medicine or other health-related fields may take
advantage of the pre-health program, which prepares
students academically for medical school and assists in
meeting the demands of admission to individual medical
or graduate programs. Students supplement required
courses in biology, chemistry, and physics with additional
courses oered by the program as part of their preparation
for the MCATs and postgraduate education. Conference
work provides students with additional opportunities to
organize original research projects, pursue independent
learning, and critically examine professional
literature—skills fundamental to future success in medical
and graduate schools. Students in the program have
significant contact with the pre-health adviser, as well as
with other faculty members in the program, through
conferences, course work, and independent research;
therefore, faculty members with a thorough and personal
knowledge of the individual student write letters of
recommendation. The pre-health adviser and faculty
members also serve as resources for information
regarding application procedures, research and volunteer
opportunities within the community, structuring of class
work, MCAT preparation, and practice interviews.
See separate entries for specific course descriptions
in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and
physics.
SOCIAL SCIENCE
The social-science program is designed to enrich and
systematize the understanding that we have of our own
experiences in relation to broader societal forces. The
social sciences begin from the premise that no matter how
much we might wish to, we can never detach ourselves
entirely from the social institutions and processes that are
the context for our individual thoughts and actions. Thus,
the purpose of the social-science curriculum is to
contribute to our empowerment by helping us understand
the many ways in which people’s lives—values, goals,
relationships, and beliefs—are aected by and have an
impact on the social world. Most importantly, we can learn
to contextualize our experiences in relation to those of
others whose personal, social, and cultural circumstances
dier from our own. An ability to think critically about our
social environment can enhance our experience of
whatever else we may choose to study or do.
In relation to the humanities, the social sciences
oer empirical and theoretical perspectives that
complement those of history, philosophy, and religion. In
relation to literature and the creative arts, social sciences
provide a context for a fuller understanding of the works
154 Science and Mathematics
that we study and create. In relation to the natural
sciences, social sciences help us analyze the economic,
social, and political implications of modern technological
advances and our complex interaction with the physical
and biological environment. Finally, social-science
disciplines give us access to the information and analytical
tools that we must have in order to evaluate and formulate
alternative public policies and to actively contribute to
intellectual and public life.
For full course descriptions, see anthropology,
economics, environmental studies, politics, public policy,
and sociology.
SOCIOLOGY
Class, power, and inequality; law and society (including
drugs, crime, and “deviance”); race, ethnicity, and gender
issues; ways of seeing...these are among the topics
addressed by Sarah Lawrence College sociology courses.
Increasingly, social issues need to be—and are—examined
in relation to developments in global politics and
economics. Students investigate the ways in which social
structures and institutions aect individual experiences
and shape competing definitions of social situations,
issues, and identities.
While encouraging student research in diverse areas,
courses tend to emphasize the relationship between the
qualitative and the quantitative, the relationship between
theoretical and applied practice, and the complexities of
social relations rather than relying on simplistic
interpretations. Through reading, writing, and discussion,
students are encouraged to develop a multidimensional
and nuanced understanding of social forces. Many
students in sociology have enriched their theoretical and
empirical work by linking it thematically with study in
other disciplines—and through fieldwork.
First-Year Studies: Nations, Borders,
and Mobilities
SOCI 1016
Parthiban Muniandy
FYS—Year | 10 credits
In this FYS seminar, students will be introduced to the
field of borders and migration studies based in the social
sciences. We will start by reading some key sociological
theories that provide students with an overview of
sociology as a discipline and its relevance both within a
liberal-arts education and to a wider social and political
context. We will then focus on readings that provide
students with foundational knowledge in border studies,
globalization, the role of nations, nation-states,
nationalism in society, and, finally, migration and
displacement studies. The readings and discussions for
the seminar adopt a “social problems” approach, looking
at themes such as dimensions of inequality (race, class,
and gender), labor, forced migration, and religious conflict
through a transnational lens. As part of the seminar’s
“practicum” dimension, students will learn the basics of
initiating, designing, and carrying out sociological research
using various methods of data analysis, including surveys,
statistics, interviews, and field research. Throughout the
year, students will have opportunities to engage in new
and ongoing research projects related to the themes of
nationalism, borders, and mobilities by engaging with
cross-campus organizations and community partners in
the City of Yonkers and wider Westchester County. During
the second semester (spring 2025), students will be
expected to engage in fieldwork, either independently or
volunteering with community partners such as the
Yonkers Public Library, Hudson River Museum, Wartburg,
CURB, Center Lane, ArtsWestchester, or another
organization. The fieldwork component will form the basis
for the sociological research and writing that students
produce for their conference work in the seminar. Starting
in the fall, students will be introduced to some of the
resources on campus that are essential for their learning
and academic progress at Sarah Lawrence, such as the
library and the writing center. Students will be expected to
take advantage of these resources as they learn the ropes
of conducting research in the social sciences and refining
their academic writing skills. In addition to our regular
class sessions, students will meet with the faculty
instructor weekly during the fall semester for individual
conferences. Conference meeting times will be used to
discuss the students' progress in the class and, more
generally, during their first semester at Sarah Lawrence. In
the subsequent spring semester, we will move to a
biweekly conference meeting schedule, depending on the
student’s ongoing progress and needs.
The Sociology of Medicine and
Disability
SOCI 2032
Jessica Poling
Open, Lecture—Year | 10 credits
Why do certain social groups have higher rates of
morbidity and mortality than others? How are these
dierences driven by our social environments, as well as
by social practices within health and medicine? These are
some of the many questions addressed by sociologists of
medicine. Unlike the physical sciences, which primarily
study the physiological causes and eects of illness,
sociology addresses health as a practice that is: 1) shaped
by social processes; and 2) constructs dierences
between social groups. This yearlong lecture will overview
major themes within the sociology of health and medicine,
THE CURRICULUM 155
including (among others) the fundamental causes of
disease, medicalization, contested illnesses and
experiences of illness, and health social movements. Our
lecture will ground these concepts through the lens of
disability studies to better understand how health and
medicine create social dierences and shape lived,
embodied experiences. During these conversations, we
will also attend to the intersection of disability with other
social categories, such as sex/gender, race, and class. For
conference, students will choose a theoretical concept to
guide their investigation into a specific empirical context.
For example, students may choose to use Talcott Parsons’
concept of the “sick role” to better understand the varying
perceptions of what it means to contract COVID-19 as a
vaccinated or unvaccinated person.
Sociological Perspectives on
Detention and ‘Deviance’
SOCI 2029
Parthiban Muniandy
Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
In this lecture, students will be introduced to key areas of
study in the sociology of “deviance,” detention, and
illegality. We will be taking a global and transnational
perspective on examining the ways in which social groups
define, categorize, and reinforce deviance and illegality,
from the treatment of minority and persecuted groups to
the detention and expulsion of populations such as
undocumented migrants and refugees. Students will learn
about foundational theories and concepts in the field,
starting with a reading of Émile Durkheim’s classical study
of suicide and the idea of anomie, followed by Robert
Merton’s strain theory and then contemporary ones such
as conflict theory, labeling theory, and the infamous
“broken-windows” theory. The class will take a critical
approach to reflecting and challenging ideas about
deviance and illegality by examining global and
transnational forms of population governance, such as
ongoing mutations to human rights and the technocratic
management of displaced populations through
humanitarianism around the world. We will be reading
about major sectors of transnational deviance and crime,
including industrial fishing and tracking on the high seas
(Ian Urbina’s The Outlaw Ocean), exploitation and
profiteering through international logistics (Carolyn
Nordstrom’s Global Outlaws), and transnational sex work
and tracking (Christine Chin and Kimberly Hoang). This
critical lens is intended to help us understand how
dierent groups and populations are rendered “deviant” or
“illegal” for the purposes of management and control (or
political leverage) and to what extent groups themselves
are able to resist or challenge those categorizations.
Finally, we will be looking at how social movements and
acts of resistance can produce widescale changes in
societies toward the treatment and categorization of
people seen as “deviants,” “criminals,” or
“illegals”—including struggles against apartheid, hunger
strikes in prisons, and protest movements for
undocumented groups. Additionally, we will be discussing
how social transformations wrought by three years of
living under a global pandemic has led to the emergence of
new forms of deviance related to biopolitical and
biotechnological notions of population health and well-
being. For conference work in this lecture, students will
work in groups to produce portfolios of research on an area
of study related to deviance, detention, and illegality. Each
portfolio will include presentations and discussions of the
chosen area of study, as well as critical essays written by
each student that bring in conceptual and theoretical
discussions drawn from the class.
Material Moves: People, Ideas,
Objects
SOCI 4008
Shahnaz Rouse
Advanced, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: prior studies in social sciences, history, and/or
literary theory
In public discourse, we are bombarded with assertions of
the newly “global” nature of the contemporary world. This
assertion assumes that former stable categories of
personhood, ideational systems, nation, identity, and
space are now fragmented and transcended by intensified
travel, digital technology, and cross-cultural contact. This
seminar is based on the premise that people have traveled
throughout history; current global moves are but the most
recent manifestation of a phenomenon that has
historically occurred in many forms and places. This
long(er) view of mobility will allow us to rethink and
reexamine not only our notions of travel but their shifting
connotations and significance across time and space. We
will explore how supposed stable categories—such as
citizen, refugee, nation, and commodity—are constructed
and consider several theoretical approaches that help us
make sense of these categorizations, the processes
accompanying their normalization and dissemination, and
their underlying assumptions. Our questions will include:
What are the political, navigational, and epistemological
foundations that go into mapmaking and schemas of
classification? How do nomads change into settled city
dwellers or wageworkers? How does time become
disciplined? How does travel change into tourism? How do
commodities travel and acquire meaning? What is the
relationship between legal and illicit moves? How do
technologies of violence, such as weapons and drugs,
circulate? What is the meaning of their circulation in
156 Sociology
dierent contexts? How do modern technologies enable
time/space compression? What are the shifting logics of
globalization? What is their relationship to our notions and
constructions of authenticity, subjectivity, and identity?
During the fall semester, we will begin by developing an
analytical approach toward our topic (which we will
continue to develop throughout the year). We will then
consider the implications of classification, categorization,
and mapping. For the remainder of the semester, we will
follow the travel(s) of ideas, commodities, and people. In
the process, we will begin to think about questions of
time/space compression. In the spring, we will return to
some of the themes of the fall semester but examine them
in a dierent context and through a dierent lens. Among
our concerns in the spring semester will be issues of
fusion and hybridization in cultural practices regarding
people and things (e.g., food, music, romance, families);
shifting places (e.g., borders, travel, and tourism); time/
space compression through new technologies of travel and
communication; and drugs, terror, violence, and poverty.
As our sources, we will rely primarily on interdisciplinary
analytical writings but will also include travel narratives,
literature, and films.
Beauty and Biolegitimacy
SOCI 3385
Jessica Poling
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
What does it mean to be “beautiful”? Whose bodies
qualify as beautiful? This seminar will explore the social
construction of beauty as a process imbued with power
and violence. Our investigation begins by overviewing
Michel Foucault’s concepts of “biopower” and
“biolegitimacy” to understand how the state manifests
social hierarchies and control through the construction of
the idealized, beautiful body. We will subsequently explore
in what ways beauty standards are deployed to create
gendered and raced distinctions that uphold colonial
powers and white supremacy. Moreover, students will
study the transformation of beauty standards across time
with the goal of understanding how these changes reflect
broader sociohistorical transformations and political
interpretations of gender and race. Our seminar will
subsequently study the impact of beauty standards on a
microsocial level, including to what degree individuals
come to internalize or resist notions of biolegitimacy and
beauty. Within this conversation, we will study various
forms of body modification and plastic surgery, as both an
ontological tool for self-construction and as a means for
pathologizing deviance from beauty standards. For
conference, students may choose to trace the historical
roots and evolution of a specific beauty standard.
Alternatively, conference work might focus on how
individuals collectively resist a given beauty standard,
potentially within the context of subcultures that
substitute alternative notions of biolegitimacy.
Changing Places: Social/Spatial
Dimensions of Urbanization
SOCI 3127
Shahnaz Rouse
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
The concept of space will serve as the point of departure
for this course. Space can be viewed in relation to the
(human) body, social relations and social structures, and
the physical environment. In this seminar, we will examine
the material (social, political, and economic) and
metaphorical (symbolic and representational) dimensions
of spatial configurations in urban settings. In our analysis,
we will address the historical and shifting connotations of
urban space and urban life and their material dimensions.
In our examination of spatial relations within urban
settings, we will also examine practices and processes
whereby social “space” is created, gendered, revisioned.
“Space,” in this latter sense, will no longer be seen solely
as physical space but also be (re)viewed through the
construction of meanings that impact our use of and
relations in both physical and social settings. While
economic factors will continue to be of significance to our
analysis, we will emphasize extra-economic relations and
constructs—including power, gender, and sexuality. The
focus will encompass both macroanalyses and
interrogation of everyday life, including the significance of
public-private distinctions. In the latter part of the
seminar, particular attention will be paid to attempts by
scholars and activists to open up space both theoretically
and concretely. Although the analytical questions at the
core of this seminar lend themselves to an analysis of any
city, our focus in class will be largely, although not
exclusively, on New York City. Students are encouraged,
however, to examine the relevance of our readings to other
spaces, including places in which they have lived. In their
conference work, students can elect to study space- and
place-making in dierent contexts and/or with respect to
themes that are of particular interest to them.
Exploring Transnational Social
Networks
SOCI 3671
Parthiban Muniandy
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This seminar oers a deep dive into the multifaceted world
of social connections that span across national borders,
challenging the traditional notions of space, identity, and
community. The seminar’s core focus is on understanding
THE CURRICULUM 157
how transnational networks operate within and influence
various spheres of global society, including migration,
economic practices, digital communication, and social
movements. Through a critical examination of these
networks, the course aims to shed light on the
complexities of global interconnectedness, the role of
technology in facilitating transnational ties, and the
implications of these networks for social change and
policy-making. In order to become equipped with a
nuanced understanding of global social dynamics,
students will engage with contemporary sociological
theories and methodologies to analyze the formation,
evolution, and impacts of transnational social networks in
order. The seminar will incorporate a range of scholarly
articles, book chapters, and case studies to explore topics
such as the dynamics of diaspora communities and their
influence on homeland politics; the economic
ramifications of transnational remittances; the role of
social media in fostering transnational activism and
solidarity; and the impacts of transnational networks on
cultural identity and integration processes. Readings
include works by Alejandro Portes and Min Zhou on the
concept of “social capital” within immigrant communities,
Arjun Appadurai's theories on the cultural dimensions of
globalization, Faranak Miraftab's notion of “transnational
relationality,“ and Manuel Castells’ insights into the
network society.
Sociology of Sports
SOCI 3455
Shahnaz Rouse
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This is a course about sports as practice, which is used
here in a multiple sense. As an embodied activity, sporting
practice is felt and experienced in and through the body,
which is its primary but not sole “habitus”—a term the
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu popularized when
elaborating on his notion of “cultural capital.” In this
course, taking the sporting body and Bourdieu’s concept of
habitus (taste, habits, skills, dispositions) as our point of
departure, we will examine sports and its habitation of
worlds that reach far beyond the individual (body) in both
time and space. We will examine sports along multiple
axes: as a collective and/or individuated activity; as a
source of leisure and recreation; as a source of profitable
employment; as a site of identity and nation-building
projects; and as a space that engenders transnational
mobilities and interconnections, as well as ruptures. In its
commoditized contemporary form, sports is more often
than not controlled by big money and/or the state and is
part and parcel of what Debord refers to as the “society of
the spectacle,” a site of production, consumption, and
entertainment. The complex relationship between sports
as experienced through the body and as a set of
disciplinary practices will allow us to think through the
relation of the individual, the collective, and
institutionalized power, linking these to questions of body
politics. Taking seriously the internal dynamics and
meaning of sports, we will engage sports as a
contradictory field, as both a productive space and a space
of consumption. Our readings will include scholarly works,
sports journalism, films, documentaries, and other
primary sources. Possible conference topics include
sports and politics; analysis of particular sports events
(e.g., Olympics, women’s basketball, World Cup);
(auto)biographies and/or oral histories of athletes; sports
and protest; “fitness,” health, and the body; gender, race,
sexuality, (dis)ability and sports; nationalism(s), national
“styles” and sports; and the phenomenology of sports.
Are You a Good Witch? The Sociology
of Culture and Witchcraft
SOCI 3011
Jessica Poling
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In the 1600s, political leaders in Salem, Massachusetts,
infamously executed more than 25 members accused of
witchcraft. Almost 400 years later, the “satanic panic”
swept across America, as parents feared for the spiritual
well-being of their children. More recently, protestors in
the 2017 Women’s March brandished signs reading, “We
are the daughters of the witches you could not burn.” What
do these disparate examples have in common? This
seminar will study the “witch” as a shared cultural symbol.
We will explore why the witch emerges into the American
cultural zeitgeist at particular moments in history and
what their emergence (and public reception) tells us
about the cultural and sociopolitical contexts of our time.
We will draw upon the works of theorists like Karl Marx,
Antonio Gramsci, Emile Durkheim, Sylvia Federici, and
Stanley Cohen to guide our discussions and explore the
capitalist, hegemonic, and gendered meanings of the
witch. In the latter half of the semester, students will
explore contemporary literature within the sociology of
culture, as well as the sociology of social movements, to
understand how the witch has been simultaneously co-
opted and used as a figurehead of collective resistance to
these very same systems. Throughout these
conversations, we will also discuss the ways in which the
witch has been strategically racialized, consequently
villainizing women of color and misrepresenting
indigenous practices such as Voodoo or Santería. For
conference, students may unpack a particular moment in
history when magic or witchcraft emerged in the public
discourse. Alternatively, students may explore how the
witch—or another shared cultural archetype—has been
158 Sociology
used to express group identity during moments of
resistance. Finally, students are encouraged to think about
these topics in non-American contexts, if they so choose.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Introduction to Economic Theory and Policy (p. 36), An Li
Economics
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Introduction to Feminist Economics (p. 37), Kim
Christensen Economics
Money, Finance, Income, Employment, and Economic
Crisis—Macroeconomic Theories and Policies (p. 38),
An Li Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
Making Latin America (p. 69), Margarita Fajardo History
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
The Strange Career of the Jim Crow North: African
American Urban History (p. 72), Komozi Woodard
History
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of the USSR and Post-
Soviet Space, 1917-Present (p. 74), Brandon
Schechter History
“Friendship of the Peoples”: The Soviet Empire From
Indigenization to “Russkii Mir” (p. 78), Brandon
Schechter History
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Decolonial Theory: Philosophical Foundations and
Perspectives (p. 121), Yuval Eytan Philosophy
First-Year Studies: African Politics and International
Justice (p. 127), Elke Zuern Politics
Polarization (p. 128), Samuel Abrams Politics
International Political Economy (p. 129), Yekaterina
Oziashvili Politics
The Political Economy of Democratic Capitalism (p. 130),
David Peritz Politics
The Domestication of Us: Origins and Problems of the
State (p. 131), Yekaterina Oziashvili Politics
Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From
Psychology and Neuroscience (p. 137), Maia Pujara
Psychology
Community Psychology (p. 137), Richard C. Clark
Psychology
The Realities of Groups (p. 138), Gina Philogene
Psychology
Are We Cognitive Misers? Cognitive Biases and Heuristics
in Social Psychology (p. 139), Gina Philogene
Psychology
The Power and Meanings of Play in Children’s
Lives (p. 140), Cindy Puccio Psychology
The Epistemological Relevance of Social
Psychology (p. 142), Gina Philogene Psychology
First-Year Studies: The Hebrew Bible (p. 146), Ron Afzal
Religion
Assemblage: The Found Palette (p. 184), Katie Bell Visual
and Studio Arts
SPANISH
Sarah Lawrence College’s courses in Spanish cover
grammar, literature, film, music, and translation—all with
the aim of making students more capable and confident in
thinking, writing, and expressing themselves in Spanish.
Each of the yearlong courses integrates activities such as
panel discussions, lectures, and readings with classroom
discussion and conference work to provide students with
stimulating springboards for research and study.
THE CURRICULUM 159
Beginning Spanish: Introduction to
Hispanic Popular Cultures
SPAN 3001
Danielle Dorvil
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This course oers an introduction to the Spanish-speaking
world through its popular cultures. Throughout the year,
students without previous knowledge of Spanish will be
continuously exposed to an array of authentic materials to
help them comprehend and communicate at a novice
proficiency level. Students will learn and reflect on the
history of the Spanish-speaking world through a
combination of authentic materials, such as songs, poems,
short stories, and short films. Students will also develop
the necessary skills to navigate basic, everyday situations
while also developing the corresponding cultural
competency. In each unit, the communicative and
vocabulary-building exercises encapsulated in goal-
oriented tasks will encourage students to engage with the
language at various register levels. Group conferences will
provide an opportunity to expand what we have learned in
the classroom and address any additional questions or
concerns that students may have on the materials
presented thus far. Moreover, the weekly conversation
sessions with the language assistant are an integral part of
the course and will help students hone the work that we do
in the classroom.
Advanced Beginning Spanish
SPAN 3110
Eduardo Lago
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This class is meant for students who have already taken
some Spanish in the past but feel that they need to review
the essentials of the grammatical system in order to
secure a solid foundation. The seminar will operate on
several levels: Rigorous, systematic work with morphology
and syntax will be complemented by the acquisition of a
solid body of vocabulary. A great range of practical
exercises and integrated activities will serve the function
of developing eective communicative skills centered on
reading, listening, speaking, and writing. All of these
linguistic practices will be smoothly integrated into a
balanced program. The activities jointly conducted in class
will be based on the use of authentic Spanish-language
materials, including films, documentaries, video clips,
episodes of TV series, podcasts, lyrics of songs, comic
strips, adapted/graded short stories and novellas,
excerpts of graphic novels, poems, newspaper articles, and
brief essays on all aspects of culture. Two important
features of this class are the class journal and the open
syllabus. Students will keep a record of the dierent class
activities in a detailed journal, also known as cuaderno de
clase, or “el book.” Another important characteristic of this
course is the nature of its syllabus, which is open—which
means that it will be jointly created by all class members
in coordination with me. Thus, students will suggest films,
poems, songs, short stories, and other materials to be
jointly explored by the class. Besides the collective
activities shared with the rest of the class, students will
work in small groups to develop small projects. Groups will
consists of three or four students, and students will
participate in three groups in order to create a more varied
linguistic exchange. A third, optional section of the
cuaderno will reflect the dierent activities done by
students individually (additional films they choose to view,
newspaper articles of their interest, songs…). In sum,
Spanish will be present in your lives throughout the entire
academic year. A strongly recommended practice will be
the incorporation of habits such as reading newspapers in
Spanish on a regular basis. At the end of the semester,
each student will have produced their own libro de
español, in which the entire trajectory of the class will be
carefully recorded. In addition to all this, you will complete
a conference project, which can be individual or
collaborative (with one or more class members). The
topics are infinite in their scope and possibilities. One of
the things that has surprised me most when I taught this
class in the past was the creativity and originality of the
projects developed by my students. As a result, at the end
of the year you will be surprised at how intense your
progress will have been. And at that time, you will be
reading your first full-length book in Spanish. You will
begin as an advanced beginner, but you will end at a much
more solid level—ready to conduct sophisticated work in
this language on your own. The contents of the class
activities that follow are indicative, apart from some
structural guidelines related to grammar work. You will be
expected to incorporate Spanish into your daily life and
start thinking in this language. All students will also attend
weekly, hour-long meetings, aimed at further developing
communicative skills, in conversation sessions with the
language assistant.
Intermediate Spanish: Contemporary
Latin American Women Writers
SPAN 3755
Dana Khromov
Intermediate, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: one year of college-level Spanish or more at
high-school level
This course is intended for students who have at least one
year of Spanish at the college level or more in high school.
We will thoroughly review essential grammar concepts
and broaden your vocabulary, improving your verbal and
written communication as we hone your listening and
reading skills. We will read and analyze the work of
160 Spanish
contemporary Latin American writers—such as Fernanda
Melchor, Selva Amada, Lina Meruane, Mónica Ojeda,
Camila Sosa, Samanta Schweblin, and Daniella Sánchez
Russo—with a focus on literary strategies they use to
explore issues such as sexuality, bodily autonomy,
reproductive rights, definitions and redefinitions of
gender, indigineity, violence, and resistance. In addition to
class time, you will complete an individual conference
project each semester and attend a conversation session
each week with a language tutor.
This course is taught entirely in Spanish. Students should
take the placement test prior to registration.
Advanced Intermediate Spanish:
Culture in the Information Age
SPAN 3873
Eduardo Lago
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: placement test
Once students have reached the linguistic command
required to work at an advanced intermediate level, they
are in an ideal position to begin to explore the numerous
resources that can be found on the Internet.
Instrumentally, we will focus on the multiple uses of
Spanish to be found in the virtual world and make use of
its many possibilities, such as blogs, newspapers,
magazines, and other formats. We will identify the most
relevant web pages from the Spanish-speaking world,
extract the adequate information, and exploit it in class
jointly, making the necessary adjustments. Access to
authentic sources from all over the Spanish-speaking
world will give us an excellent idea of the varieties of the
language used in more than 20 countries. We will explore
all forms of culture, paying special attention to audiovisual
resources such as podcasts, films, interviews,
documentaries, TV programs, and other formats—all of
which will be incorporated into the course of study, either
complete or in fragments depending on the level of
diculty. Art, film, music, photography, theatre, science,
politics, comics, video games, gastronomy—all forms and
manifestations of culture, high or low, will be the object of
our attention, as long as their vehicle of expression is
Spanish. We will minimize the use of printed matter, which
will be mainly devoted to a more classical exploration of
grammar. The class as a whole, as well as students on an
individual basis, will be encouraged to locate dierent
kinds of materials on the Internet. Weekly meetings in
small groups with the language assistants will help to
strengthen conversational skills.
Advanced Spanish: Figuring the
Animal in Latin America
SPAN 4020
Dana Khromov
Advanced, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor
The distinction between human and animal is foundational
in Latin American cultural and political history, as well as
in its contemporary social and political discourse,
informing issues from national identity and citizenship to
disputes over land and resources. In this class, we will look
at how the figure of the animal informs, complicates, and
subverts the nature/culture dichotomy as seen in
literature and film. We will analyze how dierent
figurations of the relationship between human and animal
register shifting hierarchies of race, class, and gender in
stories by the likes of Horacio Quiroga, Jorge Luis Borges,
João Guimarães Rosa, Clarice Lispector, and Julio
Cortázar, as well as in films such as La ciénaga (Lucrecia
Martel) and Neon Bull (Gabriel Mascaro)—paying special
attention to alignments/alliances between the animal and
other subjects marginalized because of their race, gender,
sexuality, and class. This course will introduce students to
animal studies and ecocriticism through a survey of 20th
century-21st century Latin American literature and film.
This class is conducted entirely in Spanish.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Arts of Spain and Latin America 1492–1820 (p. 10),
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
Local Oral History: From Latin America to Yonkers (p. 73),
Margarita Fajardo History
First-Year Studies: Talking Back: Techniques of Resistance
in Afro-Latin American Fiction (p. 88), Danielle Dorvil
Literature
Major Figures in 20th-Century European Poetry (in
Translation) (p. 92), Neil Arditi Literature
Advanced Spanish: Figuring the Animal in Latin
America (p. 161), Dana Khromov Spanish
The Freedomways Workshop (p. 195), Suzanne Gardinier
Writing
THEATRE
The Sarah Lawrence College theatre program is a
community of generous and engaged artists who value
diverse, intentional, and rigorous research, process, and
creation. We hold each other and ourselves accountable to
responsibly challenge ourselves and each other to foster
our growth as both individuals and collaborative artists.
THE CURRICULUM 161
We support innovation, not only in the art that we produce
but also in the systems that we make to learn, share, and
create. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that
prioritizes equality, care, and experimentation, we aim to
create an artistic environment steeped in joy in order to
envision and build a better future. This is an open and
inclusive community where everyone is welcome.
The theatre program is focused on deep
collaboration, community building, and interdisciplinarity.
We support performance and theatre artists through a
curriculum crossing the boundaries of design, acting,
directing, management, performing, writing, technology,
producing, voice, movement, and much more. Classes are
taught by working professionals, with the advantage of
additional classes in the music and dance programs.
We encourage students to bring their own histories,
experiences, and stories into the ecosystem of the
program and to share in the development of new
questions, political urgencies, and social engagement.
Together, we will research and practice theatre and
performance to expand the possibilities of critical
togetherness through body, story, and experience.
Curriculum
Students create an individualized Theatre Third with the
guidance of their don and the theatre faculty. Components
are chosen to extend skills and interests, to explore new
areas of the art, and to develop performing and/or
practical experience. Students are encouraged to find the
links between their academic and arts courses, creating a
holistic educational process.
Students have many opportunities to synthesize
their learning by taking part in the Theatre Program
Season. Student-written and/or -created work is a primary
focus, while productions of published plays and classical
texts are also encouraged. A proposal system for student-
directed, -written, and -devised work within the Theatre
Program Season’s production schedule emphasizes the
development of student artists. There are also
opportunities in the seasons and projects organized by
DownStage (a theatre program component) and by
independent, student-run companies. Auditions for
faculty-, student-, and guest-directed productions are
open to the entire SLC community.
Practicum
Classes provide a rigorous intellectual and practical
framework, and students are continually engaged in the
process of examining and creating theatre. The theatre
program helps students build a solid technique based on
established methodologies while also being encouraged to
discover and develop their individual artistic selves.
Students can earn credits from internships or fieldwork in
many New York City theatres and theatre organizations.
The Theatre and Civic Engagement program is a training
program that uses writing, theatre techniques, music, and
the visual arts to embody social and community issues.
Civic Engagement courses have been a vibrant component
in the curriculum for more than three decades,
encouraging the development of original material created
inclusively with local partner institutions, communities,
and neighbors. Several theatre components include an
open class showing or performance in addition to the
multiple performance, design, and production
opportunities that are available to students throughout
the academic year. The College’s performance venues
include productions in the Suzanne Werner Wright
Theatre and the Frances Ann Cannon Workshop Theatre,
as well as work in the student-run DownStage Theatre.
Workshops, readings, and productions are also mounted in
the PAC OpenSpace Theatre, the Film Viewing Room, the
Remy Theatre outdoor stage, and various other
performance spaces throughout the campus.
Students enrolled in FYS in Theatre may take one
additional theatre component as part of their Theatre
Third, if they choose. They are also required to attend
scheduled Theatre Meetings and Colloquiums and
complete a set amount of technical support hours for the
department. IMPORTANT: First-year students are not
required to take FYS in Theatre in order to take theatre
classes. They may enroll in a Theatre Third that does not
include First-Year Studies. FYS in Theatre is an intense
exploration of one area of theatre, and students should
have a strong interest in that area before signing up for the
course.
First-Year Studies in Theatre:
Directing in the Contemporary
Theatre
THEA 1022
William D. McRee
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This course will examine the job of the theatre director as
both artist and artistic collaborator. Dramatic script
analysis, rehearsal preparation and process, actor/director
and writer/director relationships, and the director’s
artistic expression will be covered in both class
discussions and exercises. Students will be exposed to a
variety of directing styles and techniques through trips to
New York City theatrical productions/venues and through
additional field trips. Some of the plays visited will be
analyzed in detail as part of the class work. A solid interest
in the exploration of theatre directing is strongly
recommended for students enrolling in this class. There
will be weekly conferences at least for the first semester.
162 Theatre
London Theatre Tour
Kevin Confoy
Open, Small seminar—Intersession | 2 credits
Students on the London Theatre Tour will attend a wide
range and array of plays, and meet daily in seminar with
Theatre Program faculty as part of a 12-day immersive
theatre/classroom experience. The London Theatre Tour
oers a unique opportunity and course of study. Students
will experience first-hand and up close the distinct history
and current expression of what makes London a world
theatre center. Students will attend up to 10 plays, take
tours of theatre and arts districts, and meet with theatre
professionals, in a dynamic, comprehensive program. The
London Theatre Tour oers ample free time, between
seminars, plays and tours, for students to explore London
on their own or in small groups. Students will attend daily
classes and make presentations on chosen topics as part
of a distinct curriculum built upon the plays, playwrights,
styles and forms, history and expression of British
Theatre, as seen through a collection of contemporary
plays, adaptations, and interactive works of theatre. The
London Theatre Tour runs within the first two weeks of
January, 2025. Preliminary information about the program
can be discussed in registration interviews. Specific
information on application deadlines, logistics and cost of
the program, including academic credits, show tickets and
housing in London, will be discussed in an in-person
introductory meeting early in the fall semester.
First-Year Studies in Theatre: History
and Histrionics: A Survey of Western
Drama
THEA 1025
Stuart Spencer
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This course explores 2,500 years of Western drama and
how dramaturgical ideas can be traced from their origins
in fifth-century Greece to 20th-century Nigeria, with many
stops in between. We will try to understand how a play is
constructed rather than simply written and how each
succeeding epoch has both embraced and rejected
previous ideas of what a drama really is. We will study the
major genres of Western drama, including the idea of a
classically structured play, Elizabethan drama,
neoclassicism, realism, naturalism, expressionism,
comedy, musical theatre, theatre of cruelty, and
existentialism. And we will look at the social, cultural,
architectural, and biographical context for the plays in
question to better understand how and why they were
written as they were. Classroom discussion will focus on a
new play each week, while conference work with be
devoted mostly to the students’ writing about them. In this
FYS course, students will meet with the instructor every
week up through October Study Days and every other
week thereafter through the end of the year. Students will
also have the option of either writing a conventional
conference paper in the spring term or an original play.
Students who choose to write a play will be required to
enroll in the Playwriting Techniques component in the fall
term and my Playwrights Workshop component in the
spring, where their plays will be regularly read and
discussed in class. Our FYS conferences in the spring will
explore the play’s possibilities in further depth.
Acting and Performance
Acting Shakespeare
THEA 5725
Modesto Flako Jimenez
Open, Component—Year
Those actors rooted in the tradition of playing
Shakespeare find themselves equipped with a skill set that
enables them to successfully work on a wide range of texts
and within an array of performance modalities. The
objectives of this class are to learn to identify, personalize,
and embody the structural elements of Shakespeare’s
language as the primary means of bringing his characters
to life. Students will study a representative arc of
Shakespeare’s plays, as well as the sonnets.
This class meets twice a week.
Solo Performance
THEA 5657
Modesto Flako Jimenez
Open, Component—Year
Solo Performance is nothing new. This has been happening
since the dawn of man, and it will continue to happen....
—Nilaja Sun
Discover the story you have to tell and own your voice,
boldly enough to tell it. Unlock your creativity not only for
solo performance but also for every other aspect of your
creative self! This playwriting-into-performance class will
first focus on the actor finding a subject matter that
motivates and sustains him/her. We will discuss the
actor’s strengths and weaknesses throughout the process,
finding the actor’s unique voice through self-observance
and self-discipline. The goal of this class is to catapult
students from summary to interpretation, from
regurgitation to analysis, from the simple act of seeing to
the complex and bold endeavor of examination. Students
are expected to actively measure relevant theoretical
knowledge with critical issues pertaining to social justice
and social change. Solo performance emerges out of a
THE CURRICULUM 163
desire to heal. Students are invited to create their own
performance piece of theatre by developing and
rehearsing a script within the spring term and to have an
intensive self-discovery and process. They will begin with
reading and examining one-character plays. We will read
the works of Spalding Grey, Anna Deavere Smith, Lemon
Andersen, and many more. Then, as a class, we will discuss
techniques, autobiographical subject matter, and themes.
Students will create first drafts, next re-writes, and then
rehearsals, culminating with a final reading and/or
performance of their own work.
Beyond the Proscenium: Radical
Acting, Directing, and Design in the
Post-Internet Age
THEA 5784
Caden Manson
Open, Component—Year
This is an immersive course, designed for actors,
performers, directors, designers, and writers who seek to
push the boundaries of theatre and embrace the bold
world of post-Internet aesthetics—where theatre and
performance meet cutting-edge digital and networked
methods. You'll investigate innovative approaches to
contemporary theatre, exploring new ways of storytelling
that embrace technology’s boundless possibilities.
Through engaging exercises, thought-provoking readings,
and inspiring discussions, you’ll explore the fusion of
theatre with immersive multimedia elements, AI, video
mapping, motion capture, 3D scanning/rendering, game
engine, and networked liveness.
Actor’s Workshop
THEA 5341
Marcella Murray
Open, Component—Year
In this class, students will begin developing their own
artistic practice for performance—supported by
workshops on major acting methods such as Brecht,
Stanislavski, and Hagen, as well as workshops on physical
theatre and performance in the context of devised work.
Through learning the historical and artistic context of
dierent techniques, students will be encouraged to
determine which practices are useful to them in their own
work. These include vocal and physical warm-ups,
relaxation, concentration, sensory awareness, listening,
communication, and collaboration. Students will complete
presentations that will spring from these workshops, as
well as monologues and scene study. Students will work
toward an awareness of their own process so that they
might be confident in their ability to develop characters
outside of the context of a classroom. Students will be
asked to honestly evaluate their own work, along with
feedback from the professor. This class is intended for
first- and second-year Theatre Thirds, as well as others
who have not taken many (or any) acting courses.
Puppet Theatre
THEA 5651
Lake Simons
Open, Component—Year
This course will explore a variety of puppetry techniques,
including bunraku-style, marionette, shadow puppetry,
and toy theatre. We will begin with a detailed look at these
forms through individual and group research projects.
Students will then have the opportunity to develop their
puppet manipulation skills, as well as to gain an
understanding of how to prepare the puppeteer’s body for
performance. We will further our exploration with hands-
on learning in various techniques of construction. The
class will culminate with the creation and presentation of
puppetry pieces of their own making.
This class meets once a week for two hours.
Acting and Directing for Camera
THEA 5560
K. Lorrel Manning
Intermediate, Component—Year
Prerequisite: theatre program acting or directing
component or permission of the instructor
This comprehensive, step-by-step course focuses on
developing the skills and tools that young actors need in
order to work in the fast-paced world of film and television
while also learning how to write, direct, edit, and produce
their own work for the screen. The first semester will focus
on screen acting and on-camera auditions (in person and
taped). Through intense scene study and script analysis,
we will expand each performer’s range of emotional,
intellectual, physical, and vocal expressiveness for the
camera. Focus will also be put on the technical skills
needed for the actor to give the strongest performance
“within the frame,” while also maintaining a high level of
spontaneity and authenticity. Students will act in assigned
and self-chosen scenes from film and television scripts.
Toward the end of the semester, the focus will switch to
on-camera auditions, where students will learn the do’s
and don’ts of the in-person and the self-taped camera
audition. During the second semester, students will learn
the basics of filmmaking, allowing them to create their
own work without the restraints of a large budget and
crew. The basic fundamentals of screenwriting,
cinematography, directing, and editing will be covered,
along with weekly writing, reading, viewing, and filming
assignments. Students will finish class with edited footage
164 Theatre
of their work and clear next steps. For this course,
students must have their own, or access to, a camera
(iPhone, iPad, or other camera) and a computer with
editing software (e.g., iMovie, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut
Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc.).
Puppet, Spectacle, and Parade Studio
THEA 5650
Lake Simons
Intermediate, Component—Year
Prerequisite: Puppetry or permission of the instructor
Drawing from various puppetry techniques, alongside the
practices of Jacques Lecoq, this studio explores and
experiments with puppetry and performance. Throughout
the course, we will work in collaborative groups to create
puppetry performance, including building the puppets and
devising works that utilize puppets and objects. We will
explore large-scale, processional-style puppets; puppets
as objects and materials; puppeteering the performance
space; and the role/relationship of the puppeteer/
performer to puppet.
This class meets once a week.
Actor’s Workshop: Acting the Kilroys
THEA 5341
Kevin Confoy
Open, Component—Fall
This course is a dynamic, script-based, acting/scene study
class that springs from the works and goals of The Kilroys:
“A gang of playwrights...who came together to stop talking
about gender parity in theatre and start taking action.”
Students in Kilroys will perform in plays written in a variety
of styles by female and queer writers, with an emphasis on
how characters, in all plays, craft identity and persona as a
way to survive and thrive. Kilroys is open to serious actors
of any and all identities.
This course meets twice a week.
Character Study
THEA 5306
Kevin Confoy
Open, Component—Fall
A scene-study acting class built upon a deep dive into a
character’s past, their behavior, and the tactics they use to
get what they need, Character Study is a dynamic, on-
your-feet approach to the text that leads to vital and
compelling characters. Students will play a variety of roles
from contemporary plays and adaptations. The course is
open to serious students who have taken an Actor’s
Workshop class or other acting training.
This class meets twice a week.
Actor’s Workshop: Creating a
Character in Film and Theatre
THEA 5341
Christine Farrell
Open, Component—Fall
This class is a laboratory for the actor. It is designed for
performers who are ready to search for the steps to a fully
involved performance. In the first semester, we will explore
characters and monologues that motivate each actor’s
imagination. After analysis of the text, defining the
imagery, and exploring the emotional choices of the actor,
we will work on self-taping our work for auditions. Second
semester will be devoted to scene work: the techniques
used to develop a heightened connection with your scene
partner, the importance of listening, and finding your
impulses as you work on your feet in the rehearsal room.
We will observe the work and read the theories of Declan
Donnellan’s The Actor and the Target and Stephen
Wangh’s An Acrobat of the Heart.
Dramatic Improvisation for Film,
Theatre, and Community
THEA 5564
Christine Farrell
Open, Component—Fall
Theatre is the art of looking at ourselves. —Augusto Boal
The unknown is where we go to find new things, and
intuition is how we find them. —Viola Spolin.
In this course, we will begin with improvisations from
Augusto Boals’ Theatre of the Oppressed. These exercises
are developed to create empathy and connection within
the participants. The goal of this work will be to experience
games that a theatre artist might use to develop
community and theatre material with nonactors. Once we
strengthen the community of the class, we will begin to
work on Improvisations for film and theatre. Through
techniques developed by filmmakers and theatre
directors, our work will focus on developing an actor’s
freedom and emotional truth.
Comedy Workshop
THEA 5310
Christine Farrell
Open, Component—Fall
This class will begin with an exploration of the classic
structures of stand-up comedy. The concepts of set-up
and punch, acting out, and heightened wordplay will be
employed. Techniques for creating and becoming comic
THE CURRICULUM 165
characters will use your past, the news, and the current
social environment to craft a comic routine. Discovering
what is recognizably funny to an audience is the labor of
the comic artist. The athletics of the creative comedic
mind and your own individual perspective on the world
that surrounds you is the primary objective of the first
semester. We will also study theories of comedy through
the writings of Henri Bergson (philosopher), John Wright
(director), and Christopher Fry (playwright). The second
semester will be designed for collaboration through
improvisational techniques, long-form improvisational
games (Harold), and performance techniques for comic
sketch writing and group work, along with exercises to
develop the artist’s freedom and confidence in a
collaborative group setting. The ensemble will learn to
trust the spontaneous response and their own comic
madness, as they write, perform, and create scenarios
together. At the end of the second semester, there will be a
formal presentation of the comedy that will be devised
during the year.
SLC Lampoon: Sketch Writing and
Performance
THEA 5319
Christine Farrell
Intermediate, Component—Fall
Prerequisite: an intro or acting workshop
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked
about, and that is not being talked about. —Oscar Wilde
If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as
well make it dance. —George Bernard Shaw
This course is in the spirit of the Harvard Lampoon, with
a twist from Sadieloo—the use of humor, irony, and
exaggeration to lampoon the solipsism of ourselves, our
culture, artists, and institutions. Create a comic character.
Write a political sketch. Write a satire of college life,
sports, or a celebrity using the events of the day. This class
will begin with improvisation, move to creating material,
and end with a performance of sketch and characters—all
done for the sake of laughter and a better understanding of
the absurdity of life.
Voice-Over Acting Technique
THEA 5728
Lisa Clair
Open, Component—Spring
This class is an introduction to the craft and technique of
voice-over acting in various forms. It is open to performers
with an interest in gaining the necessary skills to perform
in the fields of animation, video games, audio books,
commercials, and more. Actors will learn to dierentiate
between genres and how to adapt their performance
approach to each. We will cover basic skills, such as warm-
ups, common terminology, home-studio setup, and
audition and performance techniques. We will then build
on those skills by learning to break down text, apply
breath, perform copy, develop specific characters, and
receive feedback and direction. Actors will have the
opportunity to dive deeply into a genre of their choice, find
and write their own copy, and practice recording and
editing takes with the goal of creating a demo reel.
Theatre, History, Survey
Far-O, O-O, O, and On
Broadway: Experiencing the Theatre
Season
THEA 5738
William D. McRee
Open, Lecture—Fall
Weekly class meetings in which productions are analyzed
and discussed will be supplemented by regular visits to
many of the theatrical productions of the current season.
The class will travel within the tristate area, attending
theatre in as many diverse venues, forms, and styles as
possible. Published plays will be studied in advance of
attending performances; new or unscripted works will be
preceded by examinations of previous work by the author
or the company. Students will be given access to all
available group and student discounts in purchasing
tickets.
This class meets once a week.
Historic Survey of Formal Aesthetics
for Contemporary Performance
Practice
THEA 5722
Lisa Clair
Open, Component—Year
Once upon a time, a playwright said in a rehearsal, “I just
think that this is the most Cubist moment of this play.”
Everyone in the room fell silent and grew
uncomfortable—because, what in the heck did she mean
by that? And aren’t we already supposed to know? This
interactive lecture course surveys the aesthetic
movements throughout history and teaches you to track
their impact on your work. Ideas behind each movement
are examined in relation to the historical moment of their
occurrence and in their formal manifestations across
visual art, musical, architectural, and performance
disciplines. Each student then places his/her own work
within a wider context of formal aesthetic
166 Theatre
discourse—locating hidden influence and making
conscious and purposeful the political resonance that is
subsequently uncovered. Students are encouraged to find
ways of acknowledging the responsibility that one carries
for one’s work’s impact on the world and to start using
terms like “Post-Modernism” and “Futurist” with
confidence.
In Gratitude for the Dream: Theatre
and Performance in African
Diasporas
THEA 5766
Marcella Murray
Open, Component—Year
In this lecture, we will focus on theatre and performance in
the African diasporas. This class will discuss some of the
dierent experiences of what it means to be of an African
diaspora and to create for performance. How do you
express yourself when, structurally, your environment is
inhospitable to such a self? We understand that the most
commonly expressed histories tend to favor Western
perspectives. How then, do we understand and trust what
we learn of the history of Black performance? How do we
understand and trust what we hear/read about
contemporary Black theatre and performance? What IS
theatre, and how does that word relate to non-Western
traditions of performance? This class is interested in the
connection between ritual and performance, mythology
and truth, house and home. It holds space for oral
traditions and modes of performance not necessarily
called theatre while also maintaining a weekly practice of
reading and discussing published plays, theory, and
criticism.
Protest Plays/Performance Project
THEA 5665
Kevin Confoy
Open, Component—Fall
Theatre is a tool for social change. This one-semester
course looks at a dynamic collection of contemporary
plays written as a means of protest and activism. The
course will culminate in an open-class performance
project that students will devise and create over the
course of the semester. The class includes a range of vital
plays and films, from HAIR, written in response to the
Vietnam War, to compelling new works by Antoinette
Nwandu and Dominique Morisseau that resonate in the
Black Lives Matter Movement, to plays that address
concerns of the LGBTQ+ communities, among others.
Protest Plays is open to actors, directors, playwrights, and
those with a particular interest in theatre as a means of
activism and change.
Theatre and Civic Engagement
Theatre and Civic Engagement:
Methods of Civic Engagement
THEA 5593
Allen Lang
Open, Component—Year
This course is for undergraduate theatre artists interested
in learning and sharing theatre skills in the community.
Using the vocabulary of theatre, we will investigate
methods and techniques, styles, and forms to create and
develop theatre projects designed for specific community
work. The course develops individual collaboration,
experimentation, and understanding of specific
community needs. Students will explore the essentials of
constructing a creative practice for community
engagement. In addition, students will learn to extend
their personal theatre skills by developing detailed
interdisciplinary lesson plans for specific workshops. Each
community project is unique. Lesson plans may include a
combination of theatre games, acting, music, story
making, movement, and drawing. Participants are
encouraged to teach what they already know, step outside
their comfort zone, and learn more as they become aware
of their placement’s educational and psychological needs.
The course focuses on teaching methods, making
mistakes, and becoming aware of individual and personal
processes. This ideal combination explores education and
community problems for those considering a career in
early-childhood, middle-school, and high-school
education and beyond. Course topics will explore
community self-care, lesson planning, curriculum
development, and approaches to learning. In this course,
students will experience crucial connections between
theory and practice through a weekly community
placement. Students will learn by doing, gaining hands-on
experience by collaborating as a team member at an area
school, senior home, museum, or the long-running
Saturday SLC Lunchbox Theatre Program, which is open to
the Sarah Lawrence and Yonkers communities. In addition,
students will gain valuable experience as prospective
teachers and teaching artists by taking this course and
developing lesson plans that will be useful and valuable
beyond the Sarah Lawrence College experience. Students
will better understand how civic-engagement practices
encourage essential dialogues that deepen community
connections and may lead to change. Many former
students of this course are teaching and running
educational programs at schools, theatres, and museums
across the globe. Course readings will include the work of
Paolo Freire, Augusto Boal, Viola Spolin, MC Richards,
Vivian Gussin Paley, Pablo Helguera, and others. Budget-
depending placements may oer an hourly stipend.
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Theatre and Civic Engagement:
Curriculum Lab
THEA 5593
Aixa Rosario Medina
Open, Component—Year
Curriculum Lab is a required weekly course for students
who are sharing their theatre and creative skills in the
Saturday Lunchbox Theatre Program. The Curriculum Lab
will explore the creation and development of an
interdisciplinary teaching curriculum for children ages
6–18. Through this weekly lab, directly connected to
Lunchbox Theatre, students will gain insight into child-
development principles, lesson-planning skills, and
classroom-management strategies. Through inquiry and
reflection, students will expand their critical thinking
processes while utilizing practical teaching methods and
techniques suitable for multiple learning types and levels.
Theatre and Civic Engagement:
Teaching Artist Pedagogy
THEA 5593
Allen Lang
Advanced, Component—Year
Prerequisite: Theatre and Civic Engagement: Methods of
Civic Engagement
Students in this course will develop valuable creative
resources while investigating the intersection of theatre
and community. The course is open to graduate and
upper-level undergraduate students interested in sharing
theatre skills in the community. We will explore
interdisciplinary creative processes, social-justice issues,
and curriculum development focusing on the individual.
We will analyze the crossovers between various teaching
theories, pedagogies, and philosophies. In addition,
students will explore creating theatre in the community
that investigates the connection of art practices in
education while respecting the emotional aspects of
learning. Students will analyze, explore, and investigate
social-justice pedagogies and philosophies and explore
various practices and creative techniques to deepen
awareness and critical thinking. We will look at strategies
for classroom management and teaching methods
suitable for dierent ways of learning. Students will
actively create, develop, and share collaborative theatre
lessons while building community with artists, teachers,
and community organizations. Active class work will
explore ideas for projects that will support lesson planning
and the growth of curriculum concepts. In addition,
students will hold yearlong placements at schools,
community centers, area colleges, museums, LGBTQIA
youth centers, and the long-running SLC Saturday
Lunchbox Theatre Program that combines the SLC and
Yonkers communities. As a result of this course, students
will have a portfolio of designed lesson plans and
educational ideas that will serve as a creative template for
current and future projects. We will explore the work of
Paulo Freire, Augusto Boal, Suzanne Lacy, Ana Mendieta,
bell hooks, and others. Placements may oer an hourly
stipend.
Directing
Director’s Lab
THEA 5606
Lauren Reinhard
Open, Component—Year
In this directing course, we will focus on directing modern
and contemporary plays. Through hands-on exercises and
in-class and out-of-class work, students will explore
directorial strategies and will develop their ability to take a
play from page to stage. Students will learn strategies
around script selection and then how to break down their
chosen performance text. Students will learn how to
analyze a text, how to prepare for the rehearsal process,
and how to craft a directorial concept and work with
designers. Directors will learn casting strategies and
consent-based practices for designing audition and
callback processes. Moving into the rehearsal stage,
directors will learn rehearsal planning strategies, rehearsal
techniques, and the mechanics of directing actors.
Directors will also learn consent-based and trauma-
informed directing practices, as well as basic intimacy
choreography, to create ethical rehearsal spaces. In the
first semester, the class will work together on breaking
down and analyzing one play, with students choosing one
scene from the play to direct. In the second semester,
directors will choose a 10- to 20-minute play to direct,
which will culminate in a showing at the end of the
semester.
Directing Conference
THEA 5602
Kevin Confoy
Open, Component—Fall
This course includes a weekly group conference and
individual rehearsal meetings for students who will be
directing readings, workshops, and productions in the
theatre program and in independent companies in the fall
semester. Students will meet once a week as a full group
and in individual one-on-one conferences with the
teacher, scheduled around their own individual rehearsals.
Students will read and discuss the texts of all selected
plays in the full-class meeting in a shared, hands-on
approach to production. Students will analyze form and
style and context and discuss all aspects of their
168 Theatre
upcoming productions. The teacher will observe
rehearsals for individual director’s projects as the basis of
their one-on-one meetings. Students with an interest in
directing but are not directing in the fall term are welcome
to join Directing Conference.
This class will meet twice a week, either in group or
individual conferences.
Movement and Voice
Singing Workshop
THEA 5601
Thomas Mandel, William D. McRee
Open, Component—Year
We will explore the actor’s performance with songs in
various styles of popular music, music for theatre, cabaret,
and original work, emphasizing communication with the
audience and material selection. Dynamics of vocal
interpretation and style will also be examined. Students
perform new or returning material each week in class and
have outside class time scheduled with the musical
director to arrange and rehearse their material. Students
enrolled in the course also have priority placement for
voice lessons with faculty in the music program and
enrollment in Alexander Technique classes or other
movement courses of their choosing.
This class meets once a week. Audition required.
Choreographic Strategies in Theatre
THEA 5781
David Neumann
Open, Component—Year
This course will explore methods of creating original
theatre through a choreographic lens as a way of
assembling the various building blocks from which theatre
is made (sound, image, movement, language, design, etc.),
as well as through the influence and manipulation of time.
The semester will begin with structured prompts and
assignments largely completed in class, eventually moving
into self-generated collaborative projects with some work
to be completed outside of class. One of the main focuses
of this course is the attempt to articulate, through open
discussions, one’s creative process and choices therein.
Through analysis of said exercises, students will come to
more clearly know one another’s work and methods.
Students will be asked to create movement sequences,
collaborative projects, and other studies as a way of
encountering the use of assembly, juxtaposition, unison,
framing, interruption, deconstruction, and other time-
based art practices. Readings will include manifestos and
selections from an array of artists, essays and excerpts of
various theatre practices from around the world, as well as
watching examples on video. As students will be working
within various levels of physicality, wearing loose,
comfortable clothing is encouraged. No dance or
movement experience is necessary; one only needs
curiosity and a willingness to jump in to find value in this
course.
Stage Combat Unarmed, Section I
THEA 5716
Sterling Swann
Open, Component—Year
Students learn the basics of armed and unarmed stage
fighting, with an emphasis on safety. Actors are taught to
create eective stage violence, from hair pulling and
choking to sword fighting, with a minimum of risk. Basic
techniques are incorporated into short scenes to give
students experience performing fights in both classic and
modern contexts. Each semester culminates in a skills
proficiency test aimed at certification in one of eight
weapon forms.
This class meets once a week.
Stage Combat Unarmed, Section II
THEA 5716
Sterling Swann
Open, Component—Year
Students learn the basics of armed and unarmed stage
fighting, with an emphasis on safety. Actors are taught to
create eective stage violence, from hair pulling and
choking to sword fighting, with a minimum of risk. Basic
techniques are incorporated into short scenes to give
students experience performing fights in classic and
modern contexts. Each semester culminates in a skills
proficiency test aimed at certification in one of eight
weapon forms.
This class meets once a week.
Stage Combat Armed
THEA 5716
Sterling Swann
Open, Component—Year
As a continuation of Stage Combat, this course deals with
more complex weapon styles. The “double-fence” or two-
handed forms (rapier and dagger, sword and shield) are
taught. Students are asked to go more deeply into
choreography and aspects of the industry. Critical thinking
is encouraged, and students will be asked to create their
own short video showing an understanding of basic
THE CURRICULUM 169
principles (use of distance, point of view, storytelling). The
function of the stunt coordinator, essential in a growing
film industry, will also be explored.
Playwriting
Act One, Scene One: Beginning to
Find Yourself in the World of Diverse,
Modern Playwriting
THEA 5616
Jonathan Alexandratos
Open, Component—Year
If you’re new to playwrighting and looking for a safe, warm
classroom to experiment with your burgeoning love of the
craft, this is the place for you. We’ll make our own
plays—but we’ll do it informed by the diversity that is on
our stages right here, right now. Playwrights like David
Henry Hwang, Sarah Ruhl, Dominique Morisseau, Nilaja
Sun, C. Julian Jimenez, and many others will be the voices
that we elevate as we find our own. A combination of
analysis and (primarily) creative workshop, Act One,
Scene One is a great place to start your first (or second, or
third, or fourth) play.
Playwriting Techniques
THEA 5614
Stuart Spencer
Open, Component—Year
You will investigate the mystery of how to release your
creative process while also discovering the fundamentals
of dramatic structure that will help you tell the story of
your play. In the first term, you will write a short scene
every week taken from The Playwright’s Guidebook, which
we will use as a basic text. At the end of the first term, you
will write a short but complete play based on one of these
short assignments. In the second term, you’ll go on to
adapt a short story of your choice and then write a play
based on a historical character, event, or period. The focus
in all instances is on the writer’s deepest connection to the
material—where the drama lies. Work will be read aloud
and discussed in class each week. Students will also read
and discuss plays that mirror the challenges presented by
their own assignments.
This course meets once a week.
Queering Stages With Trans and Non-
Binary Pages: Advanced
Playwrighting With a Focus on Trans
and Non-Binary Work
THEA 5783
Jonathan Alexandratos
Advanced, Component—Year
Prerequisite: one yearlong playwriting class
If you’re a playwright searching for a safe place to create
and/or engage trans and non-binary work, perhaps
inventing your own along the way, then this is a class for
you. We’ll look to myriad texts—from Alok’s Instagram
posts, to C. Julian Jimenez’s plays, to She-Ra, to Joseph
Campbell (critically), to K. Woodzick’s Non-Binary
Monologues Project, to Disclosure, to Vivek Shraya, to
much, much more—in order to synthesize what already
informs some trans and non-binary work with our own
creative desires. As long as you feel invested in trans and
non-binary work and a classroom of respect, you’re
welcome here. Before I came out as non-binary, survey
classes about trans and non-binary work showed me the
breadth of the umbrella. I hope to do the same here.
Playwright’s Workshop
THEA 5625
Stuart Spencer
Advanced, Component—Year
Who are you as a writer? What do you write about, and
why? Are you writing the play that you want to write or
that you need to write? Where is the nexus between the
amorphous, subconscious wellspring of the material and
the rigorous demands of a form that will play in real time
before a live audience? This course is designed for
playwriting students who have a solid knowledge of
dramatic structure and an understanding of their own
creative process—and who are ready to create a complete
dramatic work of any length. (As Edward Albee observed,
“All plays are full-length plays.”) Students will be free to
work on themes, subjects, and styles of their choice. Work
will be read aloud and discussed in class each week. The
course requires that students enter, at minimum, with an
idea of the play on which they plan to work; ideally, they
will bring in a partial draft or even a completed draft that
they wish to revise. We will read some existent texts, time
allowing. Finally, your interest in the workshop indicates a
high level of seriousness about playwriting; and all serious
playwrights should take History and Histrionics. We read
great plays and analyze them dramaturgically. It’s
indispensable for the playwright.
This class meets twice a week.
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Design and Media
Scenography Lab
THEA 5588
Jian Jung
Open, Component—Year
Students will learn how to look at the world with fresh eyes
and how to use imagination to create a theatrical world on
stage. The class covers the fundamental ideas of scenic
design and basic design technique, such as research,
drawing, and scale-model making. We will start from small
exercise projects and complete a final design project at
the end. This class designs the program semester projects.
Students will present most of the projects to the class,
followed by questions and comments from fellow
students. Presentation and critique skills are important in
this course. Students with no experience but interested in
other aspects of theatre making, as well as in visual arts or
architecture, will be able to learn from the basics.
Lighting Lab
THEA 5570
Moneé Mayes
Open, Component—Year
Lighting Lab will introduce students to the basic elements
of stage lighting, including tools and equipment, color
theory, reading scripts for design elements, operation of
lighting consoles and construction of lighting cues, and
basic elements of lighting drawings and schedules.
Students will be oered hands-on experience in hanging
and focusing lighting instruments and will be invited to
attend technical rehearsals. They will have opportunities
to design productions and to assist other designers as a
way of developing a greater understanding of the design
process. The class designs the program semester projects.
This class meets twice a week.
Video and Media Design
THEA 5689
Glenn Potter-Takata
Open, Component—Year
This course, which serves as an introduction to theatrical
video design, explores the use of moving images in live
performance, basic design principles, editing and playback
software, content creation, and basic system design. The
course examines the function and execution of video and
integrated media in theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary
environments. Exercises in videography, nonlinear editing,
and designing sequences in performance software will
provide students with the basic tools needed to execute
projection and video design in a live-performance setting.
Sound Design
THEA 5530
Glenn Potter-Takata
Open, Component—Year
This course serves as an introduction to theatrical sound
design. Students will learn about basic design principles,
editing and playback software, content creation, basic
system design, and sound theory. The course examines the
function and execution of sound in theatre, dance, and
interdisciplinary environments. Exercises in recording,
editing, and designing sequences in performance software
will provide students with the basic tools needed to
execute sound designs in performance.
Costume Design I, Section 1
THEA 5637
Liz Prince
Open, Component—Year
This course is an introduction to the basics of designing
costumes and will cover various concepts and ideas, such
as: the language of clothes, script analysis, the elements of
design, color theory, fashion history, and figure drawing.
We will work on various theoretical design projects while
exploring how to develop a design concept. This course
also covers various design-room sewing techniques, as
well as the basics of wardrobe technician duties; and
students become familiar with all the various tools and
equipment in the costume shop and wardrobe areas.
Students will also have the opportunity to assist a
Costume Design ll student on a departmental production
to further their understanding of the design process when
creating costumes. No previous experience is necessary.
Actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, and theatre
makers of all kinds are welcome.
This class meets once a week. There is a $20 materials fee.
Costume Design I, Section 2
THEA 5637
Liz Prince
Open, Component—Year
This course is an introduction to the basics of designing
costumes and will cover various concepts and ideas, such
as: the language of clothes, script analysis, the elements of
design, color theory, fashion history, and figure drawing.
We will work on various theoretical design projects while
exploring how to develop a design concept. This course
also covers various design-room sewing techniques, as
well as the basics of wardrobe technician duties; and
students become familiar with all the various tools and
equipment in the costume shop and wardrobe areas.
Students will also have the opportunity to assist a
Costume Design ll student on a departmental production
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to further their understanding of the design process when
creating costumes. No previous experience is necessary.
Actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, and theatre
makers of all kinds are welcome.
This class meets once a week. There is a $20 materials fee.
Costume Design II
THEA 5638
Liz Prince
Intermediate, Component—Year
Prerequisite: Costume Design I or permission of instructor
This course expands upon the ideas and concepts set forth
in Costume Design l in order to hone and advance the
student's existing skill sets. Students will further develop
their design and construction abilities, as they research
and realize design concepts for a variety of theoretical
design projects and develop their communication skills
through class discussions and presentations. Students will
also have the likely opportunity to design costumes for a
departmental production, assisted by a Costume Design l
student. This design opportunity allows for a unique
learning experience, as the student collaborates with a
director and creative team to produce a fully realized
theatrical production.
Advanced Costume Conference
THEA 5639
Liz Prince
Advanced, Component—Year
Prerequisite: Costume Design l and Costume Design ll or
permission of the instructor
This course is designed for students who have completed
Costume Design l and Costume Design ll and would like to
further explore any aspect of designing costumes by
researching and realizing a special costume design project
of their own choosing.
This class meets once a week.
Production
Theatrical Producing
THEA 5640
Heather Drastal
Open, Component—Year
Theatrical producers are responsible for understanding
both the creative and the administrative aspects of
theatre. A good producer is tasked with upholding the
artistic goals of the creative team, as well as the logistic
and budgetary needs of a project, and balancing all of
these to create and maintain a successful and financially
viable production. With an emphasis on practicum work,
students will study tiers of producing—including nonprofit
and commercial models—and will work to develop and
implement projects integrating the rich and diverse
production groups both on campus and in the wider
campus community. Using the foundation of existing
models and programming, students will develop
partnerships between the SLC theatre program,
DownStage, independent student groups, other academic
programs on campus, as well as campus civic-engagement
and advocacy groups. Students will work as liaisons
between these entities, curating programming that
amplifies and connects the groups and creating distinct,
cohesive production experiences for the theatre program
and campus community. The course will include a trip to
New York City to a general management/production firm,
as well as a possible trip to see a production in New York
City outside of course hours.
Production Management
THEA 5646
Heather Drastal
Open, Component—Year
Production managers bridge the gap between artistic and
logistic elements of production. They must be problem
solvers, big-picture thinkers, and well-versed in all aspects
of theatre—blending technical, artistic, and managerial
skills. This course is a study of theatre management with
an emphasis on real-world applications to production-
management concepts. Students will develop an
understanding of the relationships among the creative,
administrative, and production departments of a theatre
company and how these funtion collectively to achieve
common organizational and artistic goals. Through
project-based activities, production-management
students will develop a working knowledge of the artistic
and managerial elements of a theatre company and how
these function together to deliver a cohesive season. They
will dialogue with innovators in the field and analyze real-
world applications of production-management concepts.
A theatre management practicum is embedded in the
course curriculum; all students will be assigned as a
student production manager for an SLC theatre
production.
Stage Management
THEA 5745
Heather Drastal
Open, Component—Year
Stage management is a practice grounded in supporting
communication across all departments. A stage manager
acts as a liaison between all members of the
172 Theatre
company—the cast, director, designers, producers, and
technical crew. Stage managers also support the director
and company by helping to set the tone of the room. They
establish clear and specific expectations, develop and
implement systems to help move the process forward, and
manage all technical elements throughout the process.
Good stage managers are flexible and exhibit transparency
and empathy, as they hold space for everyone and curate a
culture of trust and professionalism through their work.
This course will explore the basic techniques and skills of
stage management via the five stages of production:
preproduction, rehearsals, tech, performance, and close/
strike. Students will practice script analysis and develop
systems for rehearsal/performance organization and the
maintenance and running of a production. A theatre-
management practicum is embedded in the course
curriculum; all students will be assigned as a stage
manager or assistant stage manager for an SLC theatre
production.
Tools of the Trade
THEA 5605
Robert Gould
Open, Component—Year
This is a stagehand course that focuses on the nuts and
bolts of light and soundboard operation and projection
technology, as well as the use of basic stage carpentry.
This is not a design class but, rather, a class about reading,
drafting, light plots, assembly and troubleshooting, and
basic electrical repair. Students who take this course will
be eligible for additional paid work as technical assistants
in the theatre department.
This class meets once a week.
DownStage
THEA 5670
Graeme Gillis
Sophomore and Above, Component—Year
DownStage is an intensive, hands-on conference in
theatrical production. DownStage student producers
administrate and run their own theatre company. They are
responsible for all aspects of production, including
determining the budget and marketing an entire season of
events and productions. Student producers are expected
to fill a variety of positions, both technical and artistic, and
to sit as members of the board of directors of a functioning
theatre organization. In addition to their obligations to
class and designated productions, DownStage producers
are expected to hold regular oce hours. Prior producing
experience is not required.
This class meets twice a week.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Dance Partnering (p. 29), John Jasperse Dance
Butoh Through LEIMAY Ludus (p. 30), Ximena Garnica
Dance
Exploration in American Jazz Dance (p. 30), Candice
Franklin Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level I) (p. 30), Catie Leasca
Dance
Hula (p. 30), Makalina Gallagher Dance
Ballet I (p. 31), Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Dance
Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong (p. 31), Sherry Zhang Dance
Alexander Technique (p. 31), Peggy Gould Dance
West African Dance (p. 31), N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal Dance
Hip-Hop (p. 31), Ana Garcia Dance
Improvisation (p. 32), Peggy Gould Dance
Guest Artist Lab (p. 32) Dance
Live Time-Based Art (p. 32), Beth Gill, Juliana F. May, John
Jasperse Dance
Performance Project (p. 33), Ogemdi Ude Dance
Anatomy (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Anatomy Research Seminar (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Choreographing Light for the Stage (p. 33), Judy Kagel
Dance
Ballet II (p. 34), Megan Williams, Susan Caitlin Scranton
Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level 2) (p. 34), Jodi Melnick,
Janet Charleston, Jessie Young, Wendell Gray II
Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Level 3) (p. 34), Jodi Melnick,
Jessie Young, Wendell Gray II, Kayla Farrish Dance
Movement Studio Practice (Levels 2 and 3
Combined) (p. 34), John Jasperse, Jennifer Nugent,
Catie Leasca, Kayla Farrish Dance
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
Introduction to 2D Digital Animation in Harmony (p. 51),
Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 55), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 54), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Screenwriting: Tools of the Trade (p. 57), K. Lorrel Manning
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
THE CURRICULUM 173
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
Theatre and the City (p. 89), Joseph Lauinger Literature
The Early Modern Supernatural (p. 90), Chris Klippenstein
Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Acting Up: Performance and Performativity From
Enlightenment Era London to Golden Age
Hollywood (p. 92), James Horowitz Literature
Toward a Theatre of Identity: Ibsen, Chekhov, and
Wilson (p. 93), Joseph Lauinger Literature
Contemporary Revisions of Shakespearean Tragedy (p. 94),
Chris Klippenstein Literature
Perspectives on the Creative Process (p. 139), Charlotte L.
Doyle Psychology
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Shakespeare for Writers (and Others) (p. 195), Vijay
Seshadri Writing
URBAN STUDIES
Urban studies is a field dedicated to the study of cities
across disciplines, focusing on the fabric of cities and the
culture, society, and economy particular to cities and to
those who live within them. Some of the topics that urban
studies may explore are: the histories of cities; space,
design, and power; cities and suburbia; the city and the
country; megacities; casino urbanization; cities
remembered (memoirs based on urban space); and cities
of the future (real and science-fiction cities). Among the
many themes addressed in urban studies are space and
sociability, including urban planning, public and private
space, social relations and structures, the right to city
space, gender and power, urban social movements, and
public art. Among the many disciplines that oer courses
related to urban studies are anthropology, architecture,
economics, environmental studies, politics, public policy,
and sociology.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
First-Year Studies: Anthropology and Images (p. 4), Robert
R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Spaces of Exclusion: Places of Belonging (p. 6), Deanna
Barenboim Anthropology
Exploration in American Jazz Dance (p. 30), Candice
Franklin Dance
Hip-Hop (p. 31), Ana Garcia Dance
Law and Political Economy: Challenging Laissez
Faire (p. 36), Jamee Moudud Economics
Controversies in Microeconomics (p. 37), Jamee Moudud
Economics
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 38), An Li
Economics
Natural Hazards (p. 40), Bernice Rosenzweig
Environmental Science
From Haussmann's Paris to Hurricane Katrina: Introduction
to Sustainable and Resilient Cities (p. 41), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
From Horses to Tesla: The History and Future of
Sustainable Transportation (p. 42), Judd
Schechtman Environmental Studies
Environmental Justice and Yonkers: The Political Economy
of People, Power, Place, and Pollution (p. 42), An Li
Environmental Studies
Arcades, Trains, Hysterics: 19th-Century Foundations of
Film (p. 47), Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film History
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Food, Agriculture, Environment, and Development (p. 63),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
The Rise of the New Right in the United States (p. 64),
Joshua Muldavin Geography
A History of Black Leadership in America (p. 69), Komozi
Woodard History
Racial Soundscapes (p. 70), Ryan Purcell History
Screening the City (p. 71), Ryan Purcell History
Local Oral History: From Latin America to Yonkers (p. 73),
Margarita Fajardo History
New York City in the 1970s: Politics and Culture (p. 74),
Ryan Purcell History
Socialist Stu: Material Culture of the USSR and Post-
Soviet Space, 1917-Present (p. 74), Brandon
Schechter History
The Power of Place: Museums, Monuments, and Public
History in Yonkers (p. 77), Mary Dillard History
The Queer and Trans 1990s (p. 85), Amalle Dublon
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Acting Up: Performance and Performativity From
Enlightenment Era London to Golden Age
Hollywood (p. 92), James Horowitz Literature
The City in Modern Japanese Literature (p. 96), Julia Clark
Literature
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and
Analysis (p. 100), Daniel King Mathematics
Polarization (p. 128), Samuel Abrams Politics
Environmental Psychology: An Exploration of Space and
Place (p. 139), Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
174 Urban Studies
Introduction to Research in Psychology:
Methodology (p. 141), Maia Pujara Psychology
Ethics in Community Partnerships (p. 141), Linwood J.
Lewis Psychology
Urban Health (p. 144), Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
Sociological Perspectives on Detention and
‘Deviance’ (p. 156), Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
Changing Places: Social/Spatial Dimensions of
Urbanization (p. 157), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Sociology of Sports (p. 158), Shahnaz Rouse Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Transcending the American Dream: Redefining
Domesticity (p. 175), Nick Roseboro Visual and Studio
Arts
Children’s Literature: A Writing Workshop (p. 189), Myra
Goldberg Writing
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
VISUAL AND STUDIO ARTS
The visual and studio arts program is dedicated to
interdisciplinary study, practice, experimentation, and
collaboration among young artists. Students focus on
traditional studio methods but are encouraged to bridge
those ideas across disciplines, including experimental
media and new techniques. The program oers courses in
painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture,
video art, installation, creative programming, interactive
art, interventionist art, games, and simulation. Students
pursue a multidisciplinary course of study while gaining
proficiency in a wide range of methods and materials.
Working within a liberal-arts context, students are also
encouraged to form collaborations across fields of
practice and often work with musicians, actors, and scenic
designers, as well as biologists, mathematicians,
architects, philosophers, or journalists. Conference work,
senior show, and senior thesis allow the integration of any
combination of fields of study, along with the opportunity
for serious research across all areas of knowledge.
The Heimbold Visual Arts Center oers facilities for
woodworking, plaster, printmaking, painting, video
making, and installation. Advanced studios oer individual
work areas. In addition to art studios, students have
access to presentation rooms and exhibition spaces.
Courses are taught in the traditional seminar/conference
format, with studio classes followed by one-on-one
conferences with faculty. All students are encouraged to
maintain a presence through social media and are
especially encouraged to supplement their work in studio
through participation in the program’s ongoing series of
special topic workshops—small three-to-five session
minicourses that cover current thought in art theory,
discipline-specific fundamentals, new technologies, and
professional practices. Past workshops have included
woodworking, fiber arts, metalwork, printmaking,
letterpress, figure drawing, printing for photographers,
creative coding, virtual reality, MAX/MSP, online portfolio
design, writing an artist’s statement, navigating the art
world, the art of critique, applying for grants, and more.
Students who invest significant time in the program are
encouraged to apply for a solo gallery show in their senior
year and may take on larger capstone projects through a
yearlong, practice-based senior thesis.
In addition to these resources, the Visiting Artist
Lecture Series brings a wide range of accomplished artists
to campus for interviews and artist talks. In a feature
unique to the program, faculty routinely arrange for one-
on-one studio critiques between students and guest
faculty or artists who are visiting campus through the
lecture series. Art vans run weekly between campus and
New York City museums and galleries. Visual-arts
students typically hold internships and assistantships in
artist studios, galleries, museums, and many other kinds
of arts institutions throughout the city.
Architecture
Transcending the American Dream:
Redefining Domesticity
ARTS 3159
Nick Roseboro
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Traditionally, we refer to the house as the structure to
protect the intimacy of the family. It provides shelter and
separates us from work but also supports it. The house is
the space that protects the biological life of the occupants
and encompasses an envelope with subdivisions into
smaller spaces—what we call rooms. Such rooms present
a defined hierarchy—what we call privacy, set forth by the
homeowner, allowing individuals to separate from the rest
of the occupants—a value directly connected to the notion
of the “traditional family.” The division of rooms and their
functions reiterates the nuclear-family structure. It allows
for the separation of the family from the outside world and
of each individual within the house. This course explicates
the house, home, and housing as a space we all inhabit and
sometimes take for granted. We live in times of housing
scarcity, climate adjustments, new family structures, and
real-estate development that hinder architects, planners,
and designers from proposing spaces for non-
homogenized living based on the traditional family and the
work-life paradigm that fuels our current housing. This
course aims to question the house, its form, sustainability,
temporality, production, and reproduction, as well as how
to answer, propose, and study its elements for better living
not only for “one family” but for all.
THE CURRICULUM 175
Urban Voids: The Commons and
Collectivity
ARTS 3304
Nick Roseboro
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course reexamines the notion of the void not as land
ripe for building real-estate capital but as space for
cultural expression. Students choose a void from
infrastructural areas, parks, empty unused buildings, or
land that has often transformed with histories of erasure
and dispossession. We can discover the urban void in
many forms, from abandoned retail spaces to empty lots.
Urban planner Bernardo Secchi in 1984 described urban
voids concerning industrial typologies as “urban fractures,
areas with no current function or use or character,” while
architect Ignasi de Sola-Morales in 1995 described them
as “terrain vague,” which were abandoned “land in its
potentially exploitable state.” How can we define “the
void” without understanding a solid? The solid and void
relationship can be observed in the Nolli Map of Rome,
with a solid-void/figure-ground representation of urbanity.
One can argue that this fundamental tool is also used in
suburban and rural areas to record and derive data for our
use to plan, build, design, and destroy more buildings and
irresponsibly inhabit the land. The idea of representing a
solid as private and void as public is key, given that the
public has a notion of belonging to the people of society
and perhaps their perception of the environment that they
shape. On the other hand, private is not private. An
individual or a group can own a specific property. Is this
true? And if so, how can we elaborate on these
relationships toward a definition of the void that
transgresses this limited solid-void notion? The course will
unfold, analyze, and investigate the primary case study
through its history, present, and eventual future by
developing research through exercises that include, but
are not limited to, drawing representation, experimental
collages, and photomontages using the readings at its
core. Questions arise about the aspects that characterize
the voids and the contextual clues related to the
community and cultural sedimentation. The goal is to put
forth a project to design an intervention as a response to
the research and promote commoning practices, whether
it be housing, economic solidarity, or a place of care. What
does the context need? Who is it for, and why? Responses
could interface with political, economic, and social
concerns with the varying matters that exist but also with
an underlying conceptual underpinning of their
interconnectedness of site, land, and the collective.
Drawing
1,001 Drawings
ARTS 3057
John O’Connor
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This will be a highly rigorous drawing class that pushes
young artists to develop a disciplined, sustainable, and
experimental drawing practice with which to explore new
ways of thinking, seeing, and making art. Each week, you
will make 50 to 100 small works on paper, based on varied,
open-ended, unpredictable prompts. These prompts are
meant to destabilize your practice and encourage you to
interrogate the relationship between a work’s subject and
its material process. You will learn to work quickly and
flexibly, continually experimenting with mediums and
processes as you probe the many possible solutions to
problems posed by each prompt. As you create these daily
drawings, you will simultaneously work on one large,
ambitious, labor-intensive drawing that you revisit over
the entire semester. That piece will evolve slowly, change
incrementally, and reflect the passage of time in vastly
dierent ways from your daily works. This dynamic
exchange will allow you to develop dierent rhythms in
your creative practice, bridging the space between an
idea’s generation and its final aesthetic on paper. This
course will challenge you to ambitiously redefine drawing
and, in doing so, will dramatically transform your art-
making practice.
Drawing the Body in the 21st Century
ARTS 3049
Marion Wilson
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: any drawing or painting class
This drawing class creates works on paper in watercolor,
ink, and collage using the human form while considering
the ways in which the body has been depicted in art of the
21st century. Feminist artists and BIPOC artists have
transformed the way we see and construct the world and
how the figure is used in art. Borrowing a conceptual
frame, in part from an exhibition curated by Apsara Di
Quinzio at Berkeley Art Museum (2022), student
assignments will include the following: returning the gaze,
the body in pieces, absence and presence, gender
alchemy, activism, domesticity, and labor. In the first half
of the class, students can draw directly with a model
present in the classroom; the second half will introduce
alternative substrates, including medical textbooks,
fashion magazines, and collage. Artists will be introduced
to the work of Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer, Lynn
Hershman Leeson, Luchita Hurtado, Sarah Lucas, Mary
Minter, Kiki Smith, Lorna Simpson, Karen Finley, Kara
176 Visual and Studio Arts
Walker, Rona Pondick, Simone Leigh, Zanele Muholi,
Wangechi Mutu, Mary Kelly, Janine Antoni, Carolee
Schneeman, Kerry James Marshall, Lyle Ashton Harris,
Bob Flanagan, and Féliz Gonzalez Torres.
Figure Drawing
ARTS 3020
Vera Iliatova
Open, Concept—Fall | 2 credits
In this course, students will draw from a live model using a
variety of drawing materials, techniques, and artistic
approaches. The purpose of this course is to help students
obtain the basic skill of drawing the human form, including
anatomy; observation of the human form; and
fundamental exercises in gesture, contour, outline, and
tonal modeling. In the shorter drawings, students will
explore the fundamentals of drawing, such as
measurement, mark-making, value structure, and
composition. Observational drawing will be used as a point
of departure to examine various strategies to construct a
visual world. Students will proceed to develop technical
and conceptual skills that are crucial to the drawing
process. The work will fluctuate between specific in-class
and homework assignments.
Interdisciplinary
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and
an Artist Walk Into a Class: Laughter
Across Disciplines
ARTS 2162
John O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Open, Lecture—Spring | 5 credits
Why is the topic of laughter so often siloed or scorned in
discussions of high art, literature, and the sciences? Why
don’t we take laughter seriously as a society? How many
professors does it take to teach a course on laughter?
(Two more than usual!) In this lecture-seminar, students
will develop a highly interdisciplinary understanding of
laughter as a human behavior, cultural practice, and wide-
ranging tool for creative expression. Based on the
expertise of the three professors, lectures will primarily
investigate laughter through the lens of psychology, film
history, and visual arts. The goal of the course is to think
and play across many disciplines. For class assignments,
students may be asked to conduct scientific studies of
audience laughter patterns, create works of art with
punchlines, or write close analyses of classic cinematic
gags. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the
building blocks of laughter; classic devices of modern
comedy; and laughter as a force of resilience, resistance,
and regeneration. Topics to be discussed include the
evolutionary roots of laughter as a behavior; the
psychological substrates of laughter as a mode of
emotional and self-regulation; humor in Dada, surrealism,
performance art, and stand-up comedy; jokes and the
unconscious; comic entanglements of modern bodies and
machines; hysterical audiences of early cinema; and how
to read funny faces, word play, spit takes, toilet humor, and
sound gags.
Senior Studio
ARTS 4112
John O’Connor
Advanced, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
Prerequisite: 25 credits in visual arts; other creative credits
will be considered
This course is intended for seniors interested in pursuing
their own art-making practice more deeply and for a
prolonged period of time. Students will maintain their own
studio spaces and will be expected to work independently
and creatively and to challenge themselves and their peers
to explore new ways of thinking and making. The course
will incorporate prompts that encourage students to make
art across disciplines and will culminate in a solo gallery
exhibition during the spring semester, accompanied by a
printed book that documents the exhibition. We will have
regular critiques with visiting artists and our faculty,
discuss readings and myriad artists, take trips to galleries
and artist’s studios, and participate in the Visual Arts
Lecture Series. Your art-making practice will be
supplemented with other aspects of presenting your
work—writing an artist statement, writing exhibition
proposals, interviewing artists, and documenting your
art—along with a series of professional-practices
workshops. This is an immersive studio course meant for
disciplined art students interested in making work in an
interdisciplinary environment.
Visual Arts Fundamentals: Our Eight
Senses
ARTS 3000
John O’Connor
Open, Concept—Spring | 1 credit
This class is open to all students of any experience level,
including those currently enrolled in a creative arts FYS,
and serves as an introduction to fundamental areas of the
visual arts via the human senses. Roughly every two
weeks, you will be given an open-ended prompt based on
select senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, balance,
temperature, proprioception) from which you will be asked
to experiment with materials and follow your ideas in new
directions. Our artwork will cross disciplines, combining
THE CURRICULUM 177
elements of drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture,
sound art, digital collage, and all areas between. We’ll
discuss each prompt through image presentations, videos,
and a gallery/museum visit. Materials will be provided, and
you’ll be encouraged to follow your ideas and intuition
across mediums. Emphasis will focus on developing your
creative imagination and building visual literacy. This class
culminates in an end-of-semester exhibition.
New Genres
Art From Code
ARTS 3392
Angela Ferraiolo
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
A “live-coding,” practice-based introduction to
computational art for students with no prior experience in
computer programming, the course will focus this
semester on small ecosystems and simulations—including
in-class code sessions covering color, shape,
transformations, objects, and motion. We will also read a
bit on the social, cultural, and ontological nature of
software art and programming cultures. This class is
taught in Processing/Java.
New Genres: Art from Artificial
Intelligence
ARTS 3348
Angela Ferraiolo
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
A live demo, practice-based introduction to the uses of
artificial intelligence (AI) as an artistic medium, students
will create three small skills projects and one conference
work using AI processes, including prompt generation,
image synthesis, and style transfer. We’ll also explore the
art history of AI and discuss the critical questions
surrounding AI in art and society through weekly screening
meetings. No prior technical or art experience is
required—just a willingness to explore new genres and
their creative potential.
New Genres: Fold and Transform
ARTS 3345
Angela Ferraiolo
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
While sculpture adds and subtracts, folding transforms. In
fact, folding is everywhere in nature, science, and
especially the art studio. In this class, we'll turn to the
experimental world of paper mechanisms through an
exploration of folding, pleating, and crumpling, using a
range of materials such as paper, fabric, and filament.
We’ll dive into the world of ordered space, kinetic devices,
reconfigurable objects, and auxetics, using paper to
explore the new technologies of transformation important
to contemporary artists and scientists.
New Genres: Abstract Video
ARTS 3350
Angela Ferraiolo
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Although amateurs often confuse the terms, abstract
video is a new art form that is very dierent from the
experimental film movement of the 1970s and ’80s. Often
drawing from the digital worlds of games, signal
processing, 3D modeling, and computational media,
abstract video has become an important new aspect of art
installation, site-specific sculpture, and gallery
presentations. This small-project class is an introduction
to the use of video as a material for the visual artists.
Using open-source software and digital techniques,
students will create several small works of video
abstraction intended for gallery installation, ambient
surrounds, and new media screens. Artists studied include
Refik Anendol, Light Surgeons, Ryoji Ikeda, and more.
New Genres: Diary Forms Artificial
Intelligence
ARTS 3351
Angela Ferraiolo
Open, Concept—Spring | 2 credits
The class will examine the abilities of artificial intelligence
(AI) to visualize personal and historical memory. Students
are asked to find a diary fragment from their own diary or
from a text donated by an individual or one found in an
archive, historical diary, or public domain resource. After a
brief overview of generative AI and its applications in
creating visual art, students will create several visual
representations of this past event using AI and note any
challenges, insights, or surprises encountered during the
experiment. Students will also be asked to reflect on the
nature of memory and ethical witness, visual storytelling,
and the impact of technology on artistic expression.
178 Visual and Studio Arts
Painting
Introduction to Painting
ARTS 3060
Claudia Bitrán
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this introduction to painting course, students will learn
about color and composition through observation and
imagination—exploring value, intensity, hue, temperature,
vectors, edges, shapes, translating volume to a 2D surface,
and more. Projects will focus on direct observation from
still life, collage, the live model, and imagination. Students
will learn the basics of painting: using acrylic paint and
other water-soluble painting materials, mixing and
desaturating paint colors on a palette, and using a variety
of brushes and mediums. Demos and dynamic in-class
exercises will be the pillar of this experience. Students will
develop basic knowledge of art history and contemporary
painting through thematic slide lectures and assignments.
Skin in the Game: Intermediate
Painting
ARTS 3058
Marion Wilson
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: a college level painting class or intermediate
drawing
Using the human form as a site of inquiry, students will
build their own vocabulary, image bank and method of
working with acrylic paint. Each
assignment will begin with a prompt and a PowerPoint
introduction of contemporary and historical artworks.
Students will then develop an
individualized response to the prompt. While realism is an
option, abstraction, distortion, metaphor and other ways
of manifesting the body are
welcome. The emphasis of the class is on students
developing confidence in their own voice and to build a
committed, highly engaged studio
practice that engages risk. This class will use acrylic paint.
Each assignment will begin with a series of fast paper
paintings exploring color mixing,
composition and the material properties unique to acrylic
before students moving towards a larger individualized
response to the prompt. The
second half of the semester will introduce gels and
mediums and o the stretcher skins and substrates. This
is an intermediate level class and
assumes college level pre-requisites of drawing and
painting. The assignment prompts will include but are not
limited to curtain, skin, five
senses, intimacy, absence, morning, and dysmorphia. As
much as is possible students will cull images from life,
their own photoshoots or family
archive. From these prompts, the students’ greatest
strength and interests will develop and a conference
project will emerge - resulting in either
10 small/ 3 medium-sized or one large painting on a topic
of their own choosing. Homework assignments, individual
and class crits, and building
a language to talk about painting is an important and
required part of class.
Introduction to Painting
ARTS 3060
Claudia Bitrán
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In this course, students will learn about color and
composition through observation and imagination,
exploring value, intensity, hue, temperature, vectors,
edges, shapes, translating volume to a 2D surface, and
more. Projects will focus on direct observation from still
life, collage, the live model, and imagination. Students will
learn the basics of painting: using acrylic paint and other
water-soluble painting materials, mixing and desaturating
paint colors on a palette, and using a variety of brushes
and mediums. Demos and dynamic in-class exercises will
be the pillar of this experience. Students will develop basic
knowledge of art history and contemporary painting
through thematic slide lectures and assignments.
Materiality, Play, and Possibilities in
Painting
ARTS 3036
Yevgeniya Baras
Intermediate, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: Beginning Painting and Beginning Drawing or
equivalents
This is a project-based painting intensive. Students will be
given specific prompts, which will lead to investigations
and experimentations in abstraction. The prompts will
result in students generating work that is theirs. Each
assignment encourages visual and personal research in
preparation for making. Technical exploration, perception,
development of ideas, intuition, invention, representation,
and communication are at the core of this class. We will
have a chance to explore dierent ways of working with
acrylic paint and expand on the idea of what painting is by
integrating alternative painting materials. The paintings
made in this class will consider the meaning of materials;
transformation of materials through touch; and working
with found, as well as repurposed, materials. Paintings
may be three-dimensional and may not stay within a
rectangle. Curiosity and giving yourself permission to
travel to unexpected places, rather than merely relying on
THE CURRICULUM 179
skills and experiences which are part of you already, is an
important part of this class. This class is for people who
are interested in surprising themselves! Participants will
engage in critical group dialogues and individual critiques
to hone the fundamental aspects of their work and deepen
their understanding of contemporary art practice. This
class is for people who are interested in learning to work
abstractly. In the context of this class, abstraction is
grounded in specificity, research, and in looking for
personal, particular ways to communicate through a
chosen language of abstraction. Classwork is
accompanied by the creation of a separate group of
conference work. This intermediate painting class is a
rigorous painting environment, where you will be
producing a lot of work: sketches, collages, and variations
on paintings. You will also be considering how to best
install work in order for the work to communicate most
clearly.
From Collage to Painting
ARTS 3071
Yevgeniya Baras
Open, Concept—Spring | 2 credits
In this two credit class, we will explore the process of
collage as a method of creating dynamic compositions.
Collage is a way to communicate complex emotions,
layered ideas, and nonlinear stories. We will be learning
dierent techniques of collage, using found materials,
photographs, and craft supplies. Collage in this class will
be utilized as a preparation toward making a series of
paintings but will also become part of paintings. At the
core of this class is openness to material experimentation,
interest in learning how to communicate through paint as
well as nontraditional painting materials, and learning
about other artists who have used collage and assemblage
in their work. The class follows a series of prompts or
visual problems that are posed by the instructor. By the
end of class, a series of works will be produced. Each
student will investigate topics of interest to them through
methods of collage and painting. Some of the visual
materials that we will reference are stained-glass
windows, quilts, tiles, mail art, and book art, as well as
artists who have used/use collage in their paintings/
drawings/sculpture today.
Painting Pop
ARTS 3079
Claudia Bitrán
Open, Concept—Fall | 2 credits
In this experimental studio class, we will explore how to
digest, appropriate, reconfigure, and rewrite popular
media using mostly, but not only, painting, drawing, and
collage and also open to video, animation, sculpture, and
performance. We will examine how artists operate as
consumers and as catalysts, motors, and destroyers of TV,
film, music, social media, and advertisement. Slideshows,
readings, and presentations will exemplify the tight
relationship between art and popular media throughout
history, and contemporary art and will serve as inspiration
for students to create their own works. Students will be
encouraged to deconstruct their own spectacles of
adoration and critique and celebrate images that are
impactful to them. We will promote generative group
conversations, studio time, experimentation,
collaboration, creativity, and improvisation.
Performance
Performance Art Tactics
ARTS 3428
Dawn Kasper
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Experiment and explore contemporary performance art.
Through surveying a range of important artworks and
movements, we will review the histories, concepts, and
practices of performance art. Born from anti-art,
performance art challenges the boundaries of artistic
expression through implementing, as material, the
concepts of space, time, and the body. Examples of artists
that we will review are John Cage, Joan Jonas, Adrian
Piper, Bruce Nauman, Martha Rosler, Simone Forti, Mike
Kelley, Paul McCarthy, Pope.L, Laurie Anderson, Joseph
Beuys, Janine Antoni, Suzanne Lacy, Aki Sasamoto, and
Anna Halprin, to name a few. We will review dialogues and
movements introducing performance art, such as art
interventions, sculpture, installation art, institutional
critique, protest art, social media, video art, happenings,
dada, comedy, sound art, graphic notation, scores,
collaboration, and dance/movement. Students will be able
to relate the form and function of performance art through
research, workshopping ideas, experimentation, and
improvisation—thereby developing the ability to
confidently implement any method of the performance art
genre.
Performance Art
ARTS 3424
Cliord Owens
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Since the early 20th century, artists have explored
performance art as a radical means of expression. In both
form and function, performance pushes the boundaries of
contemporary art. Artists use the medium for institutional
critique, for social activism, and to address the personal
180 Visual and Studio Arts
politics of gender, sexuality, and race. This course
approaches performance art as a porous, transdisciplinary
medium open to students from all disciplines, including
painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture,
video, filmmaking, theatre, dance, music, creative writing,
and digital art. Students learn about the legacy of
performance art from the 1970s to the present and explore
some of the concepts and aesthetic strategies used to
create works of performance. Through texts, artists’
writings, video screenings, and slide lectures, students are
introduced to a range of performance-based artists and
art movements.
Photography
The Ideas of Photography
ARTS 3140
Joel Sternfeld
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
This is an untraditional course, as I will be oering it
separately for both fall and spring; however, students are
more than welcome to take both semesters in sequence
for the year, as each semester will cover dierent material.
Every week, a dierent photographic idea or genre will be
traced from its earliest iterations to its present form
through slide lectures and readings. And each week,
students will respond with their own photographic work
inspired by the visual presentations and readings. Topics
include personal dress-up/narrative, composite
photography/photographic collage, the directorial mode,
fashion/art photography, new strategies in documentary
practice, abstraction/“new photography,” the typology in
photography, the photograph in color, and the use of words
and images in combination. In the second semester, the
emphasis will shift, as students choose to work on a
subject and in a form that coincides with the ideas that
they most urgently wish to express. No previous
experience in photography is necessary nor is any special
equipment. A desire to explore, to experiment, and to
create a personally meaningful body of work are the only
requirements.
Photographing Friendship
ARTS 3106
Ege Okal
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This introductory photography studio class provides
students with essential training in camera techniques and
workflows, covering topics such as lighting, editing, and
printing. Friendship—a voluntary relationship—provides a
fertile ground for examining the idea of community. What
is friendship? Do friends have to be similar, or can they
exist in dierence? Can a strong friendship come to an
end? Can humans and animals be friends? How do we deal
with the loss of a friendship? Are we each other's
storytellers? By examining artists and texts from diverse
disciplines, such as Sharon Lockhart and Elena Ferrante,
students will develop the skills to deeply investigate and
portray the essence of “one friendship of their choice”
through photography.
The New Narrative Photography
ARTS 3111
Joel Sternfeld
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
A photograph presented alone and without a description in
words is a simple utterance. “Ooh,” “Aah,” and “Huh?” are
its proper responses. When pictures are presented in
groups with accompanying text (of any length) and
perhaps in conjunction with political or poetic conceptual
strategies, any statement becomes possible. The
photographs can begin to function as a sentence, a
paragraph, or an entire treatise. Whether working in
fiction, nonfiction, or in a fictive space, artists such as
Robert Frank, Jim Goldberg, Roni Horn, Dorothea Lange,
Susan Meiselas, Alan Sekula, Taryn Simon, Larry Sultan,
and numerous others have been in the process of
transforming photography with their work. Or perhaps
they have created a medium: the new narrative
photography. In this course, students will initially study
the work of these “narrative” photographers and either
write about their work or make pictures in response to it.
The culmination of this experience will be students’
creation of their own bodies of work. If you have a story to
tell, a statement to make, or a phenomenon that you wish
to study and describe, this course is open to you. No
previous photographic experience or special equipment is
necessary. The opportunity to forge a new medium is rare.
This course aims to create the forum and the conditions
necessary for all to do so in a critical and supportive
workshop environment.
Introduction to Digital Photography
ARTS 3112
Genesis Báez
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
We are interconnected in complex webs of relation. The
camera is a tool of relation. This studio course introduces
students to a creative practice in photography rooted in an
engagement with their lives and our world. We begin by
exploring our body’s relationship to our camera and
materials, with an emphasis on understanding light and
photographic form. Picture-making prompts will facilitate
slower, thoughtful engagements with our experiences and
THE CURRICULUM 181
environments. We’ll delve into the implications of social
documentary (LaToya Ruby Frazier, Dorthea Lange, Robert
Frank); our body’s inextricable ties to Earth and biosphere
(Laura Aguilar, Jenny Calivas, Ana Mendieta); expressions
of family, community, and cultural identity (Eduardo
Rivera, Roy de Carava, Ka-Man Tse); and spiritual, inner, or
unseen worlds (Graciela Iturbide, Keisha Scarville).
Technically, this course covers exposure, light,
composition, a digital post-production workflow, and
inkjet printing. Through weekly discussions, the study of
artworks, images, field trips, and technical workshops,
students will create a series of photographs on a topic of
their choice.
The New Narrative Photography
ARTS 3111
Joel Sternfeld
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
A photograph presented alone and without a description in
words is a simple utterance. “Ooh,” “Aah,” and “Huh?” are
its proper responses. When pictures are presented in
groups with accompanying text (of any length) and
perhaps in conjunction with political or poetic conceptual
strategies, any statement becomes possible. The
photographs can begin to function as a sentence, a
paragraph, or an entire treatise. Whether working in
fiction, nonfiction, or in a fictive space, artists such as
Robert Frank, Jim Goldberg, Roni Horn, Dorothea Lange,
Susan Meiselas, Alan Sekula, Taryn Simon, Larry Sultan,
and numerous others have been in the process of
transforming photography with their work. Or perhaps
they have created a medium: the new narrative
photography. In this course, students will initially study
the work of these “narrative” photographers and either
write about their work or make pictures in response to it.
The culmination of this experience will be students’
creation of their own bodies of work. If you have a story to
tell, a statement to make, or a phenomenon that you wish
to study and describe, this course is open to you. No
previous photographic experience or special equipment is
necessary. The opportunity to forge a new medium is rare.
This course aims to create the forum and the conditions
necessary for all to do so in a critical and supportive
workshop environment.
The Landscape of America Now
ARTS 3230
Joel Sternfeld
Open, Concept—Fall | 2 credits
What does contemporary America really look like? What
does it mean? Perhaps no single photograph can describe
the zeitgeist, particularly now; but, cumulatively, a
grouping of photographs might. This is a picture-maker’s
course—whether you would like to look at the social
landscape, the political landscape, the built landscape, the
psychological landscape, or the poetic landscape. This is a
course that will welcome such eorts. No previous
photographic experience is necessary, just a willingness to
work at getting to the heart of the matter—which is
essential. The teaching method will be weekly discussions
and critiques of student work.
Printmaking
Relief Printmaking
ARTS 3207
Katie Garth
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this studio course, students will learn a range of relief
printmaking techniques, using linoleum cutting, jigsaw
printing, collographs, and more to develop original
imagery. While demonstrations will instill familiarity with
fundamental carving and printing skills, meetings and
critiques will challenge students to analyze their creative
approaches across art historical, social, and theoretical
contexts. Readings and discussions will integrate basic
print history and highlight notable artists using relief
media.
Introduction to Printmaking
ARTS 3201
Vera Iliatova
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is designed to introduce students to a range of
printing techniques while also assisting them in
developing individual visual imagery through the language
of printmaking. Students will work with intaglio, relief,
monotype, and monoprint techniques. As means to explore
their individual idea, students will investigate a wide range
of possibilities oered by printmaking techniques and will
experiment with inks and paints, stencils, multiple plates,
and images altered in sequence. Students will develop
drawing skills through the printmaking medium and
experiment with value structure, composition, mark-
making, and interaction of color. Students will begin to
develop a method to investigate meaning, or content,
through the techniques of printmaking. There will be an
examination of various strategies that fluctuate between
specific in-class assignments and individual studio work.
In-class assignments will be supplemented with
PowerPoint presentations, reading materials, video clips,
group critiques, and homework projects. Students will
182 Visual and Studio Arts
explore the history of printmaking media, the evolution of
subject matter and technique, and the relationship of
graphic arts to the methods of mechanical reproduction.
Alternative Methods in Printmaking
ARTS 3206
Katie Garth
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Students in this course will be challenged to use
approaches outside conventional printmaking, instead
adopting experimental techniques (e.g., plaster printing,
cyanotypes, and relevant monotype variations). Instructor
demonstrations will emphasize practical material
applications, while group critiques will broaden critical
understanding in visual arts both formally and
conceptually. Projects will support the development of
individual artistic inquiry, analyzing how meaning changes
according to media, material, and audience.
Intermediate/Advanced Printmaking
ARTS 3275
Susan Ziegler
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: one previous course in printmaking
This course is designed for students to develop an
individual body of work and studio practice through
printmaking. Each semester, there will be an in-depth
focus on two techniques, including both traditional and
digital approaches. Students will use printmaking as a
means to develop strategies and thought processes that
expand approaches to making art in an individual studio
practice. We will discuss the possibilities of the
printmaking medium in the context of contemporary art.
Technical demonstrations will be given throughout the
semester in addition to group and individual critiques,
slide lectures, discussions of reading materials, and
museum visits.
Critical Dialogues in Print Media
ARTS 3132
Katie Garth
Intermediate/Advanced, Concept—Fall | 2 credits
Prerequisite: critique experience commensurate with
meaningful engagement in university-level art courses
Theoretical readings will complement exposure to
contemporary print artists in this discussion-based
course. The class will consider both established and
speculative concepts in print media, developing an
understanding of the field based on materiality,
technology, and social dynamics. As students gain footing
in these new frameworks, they will be asked to apply their
learning in the form of analysis.
Sculpture
Sculpture and the Future
ARTS 3313
Joseph Buckley
Open, Seminar—Spring | 2 credits
Taking the planning and design of an exhibition as its
conceptual departure point, this class will come together
to consider the role that sculpture might play in the near to
long-term future. What do we, as artists, owe to a
changing world? How will the structures in which we have
invested change? What can we do to prepare? Working
through contemporary, historical, speculative, and
fantastic examples, we will explore and negotiate the roles,
risks, and responsibilities of artmaking in a world that
lurches endlessly and unrecognizably, with ever greater
speed, from one extreme crisis to the next.
Figurative Sculpture
ARTS 3354
Joseph Buckley
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This class will explore the potential of figuration within
contemporary sculptural practice. What can we achieve by
incorporating a humanoid figure into our sculptural works?
How far can the human form be pushed while remaining
legible? Who controls and is invested in this legibility?
What do histories of figuration have in common with
objectification and dehumanization? And can we extract
utility, today, from these dynamics? Alongside material
demonstrations, lectures, readings, and critiques, we will
investigate unpopular media in order to explore the work
of contemporary artists alongside ideas and genres such
as the uncanny valley, hHorror, science fiction, and more.
Moldmaking: As Metaphor and as
Process
ARTS 3139
Joseph Buckley
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This class will explore various methods and techniques for
sculptural moldmaking, ranging from the traditional to the
experimental. Alongside the technical development of
skills and workflows, there will be a series of lectures,
readings, and discussions wherein we tease out the
conceptual, poetic, and psychic implications and potential
THE CURRICULUM 183
of moldmaking in a radical and expanded sense. What
does the mold represent as an object? Is it a tool or a work
unto itself? How far can we stretch the definition of
moldmaking? How widely can we apply its processes?
Free-Standing: Intro to Sculptural
Forms
ARTS 3305
Katie Bell
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This introductory course will explore the fundamentals of
sculpture, with an emphasis on how objects function in
space and the connections between two-dimensional and
three-dimensional forms. This class will focus on the
process of building and constructing and working with
varied materials and tools. Students will explore various
modes of making, binding, building, fastening, and
molding, using wood, cardboard, plaster, and found
materials. Using Richard Serra’s Verb List as inspiration,
students will use verbs as a guide for building. Technical
instruction will be given in the fundamentals of working
with hand tools, as well as other elemental forms of
building. This course will include an introduction to the
critique process, as well as thematic readings with each
assignment. Alongside studio work, the class will look at
historical and contemporary artists, such as Jessica
Stockholder, Martin Puryear, Judith Scott, Rachel
Whiteread, Simone Leigh, Louise Nevelson, Alexander
Calder, Donald Judd, Robert Morris, Eva Hesse, and Louise
Bourgeois, among others.
Introduction to Rhino and Digital
Fabrication
ARTS 3476
Momoyo Torimitsu
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is a comprehensive introduction to Rhino7 for
Mac OS X and additive digital fabrication. 3D software and
digital fabrication have a variety of uses in contemporary
art and the real world. The course covers basic model
manipulation, rendering operations, and 3D printing; we
will also explore ways of adapting more advanced 3D
modeling techniques. In the first half of the semester,
students will gain the technical knowledge needed for a
rigorous exploration of 3D modeling in Rhino through a
series of small projects. The second half of the course will
focus on working toward the student’s approved project of
their choosing. By course end, students will have the
opportunity to output their work via 3D printing, 2D
rendered visualization, and more. This multidisciplinary
digital sculpture studio is open to interdisciplinary
projects. Although not required, students are welcome to
pursue the digital fabrication of the whole or part/s of their
final projects.
Push and Pull: SubD Modeling in
Rhino
ARTS 3470
Momoyo Torimitsu
Open, Concept—Spring | 2 credits
This course suits students seeking to create organic forms
in 3D modeling—for free-form jewelry, furniture,
architecture, sculptural objects, and more. By the time the
course ends, students will have the opportunity to output
their work via 3D printing. If you enjoy pull-and-push
components as in clay modeling, SubD is the method for
your 3D modeling. It is a new geometry type that can
create editable, highly accurate shapes. In this course,
students will learn SubD basic commands through small
modeling projects such as simple characters, jewelry, or
other organic shapes (TBA). The second half of the course
will focus on working toward the student’s approved
project of their choosing. Ideally, you should have basic
knowledge of Rhino NURBS modeling—but it is not
required.
Assemblage: The Found Palette
ARTS 3319
Katie Bell
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Layered, built, found, saved, applied, collected, arranged,
salvaged...Jean Dubuet coined the term “assemblage” in
1953, referring to collages that he made using butterfly
wings. Including found material in a work of art not only
brings the physical object but also its embedded narrative.
In this course, we will explore the various ways in which
the found object can aect a work of art and its history
dating back to the early 20th century. We will look at
historical and contemporary artists, such as Joseph
Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Hannah Höch, Betye Saar,
Richard Tuttle, Rachel Harrison, and Leonardo Drew. This
course will tackle various approaches, challenging the
notions of “What is an art material?” and “How can the
everyday inform the creative process?”
184 Visual and Studio Arts
Introduction to Rhino and 3D
Fabrication
ARTS 3476
Momoyo Torimitsu
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course is a comprehensive introduction to Rhino7 for
Mac OS X and additive digital fabrication. 3D software and
digital fabrication have a variety of uses in contemporary
art and the real world. The course covers basic model
manipulation, rendering operations, and 3D printing; we
will also explore ways of adapting more advanced 3D
modeling techniques. In the first half of the semester,
students will gain the technical knowledge needed for a
rigorous exploration of 3D modeling in Rhino through a
series of small projects. The second half of the course will
focus on working toward the student’s approved project of
their choosing. By course end, students will have the
opportunity to output their work via 3D printing, 2D
rendered visualization, and more. This multidisciplinary
digital sculpture studio is open to interdisciplinary
projects. Although not required, students are welcome to
pursue the digital fabrication of the whole or part/s of their
final projects.
Experiments in Sculptural Drawing
ARTS 3316
Katie Bell
Open, Concept—Spring | 2 credits
This course is an open-ended exploration of the links
between drawing and sculpture. Students will explore
drawing as a means of communicating, brainstorming,
questioning, and building. Assignments will promote
experimentation and expand the ways that we use and talk
about drawing by interrogating an inclusive list of
materials. The course will consider unusual forms of mark
making, such as lipstick left on a glass and a tire track on
pavement. Each student will cultivate a unique index of
marks, maintaining his/her own sketchbook throughout
the course. The class will provide contemporary and
historical examples of alternate means of mark making,
such as John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Ana Mendieta,
Robert Smithson, Fred Sandback, Gordon Matta-Clark,
David Hammons, and Janine Antoni, among others.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
First-Year Studies: Art and History (p. 9), Jerrilynn Dodds
Art History
Histories of Modern Art (p. 10), Sarah Hamill Art History
Global Histories of Postwar and Contemporary Art (p. 10),
Sarah Hamill Art History
History of the Museum, Institutional Critique, and Practices
of Decolonization (p. 12), Sarah Hamill Art History
Introduction to Computer Science: The Way of the
Program (p. 24), James Marshall Computer Science
Guest Artist Lab (p. 32) Dance
Live Time-Based Art (p. 32), Beth Gill, Juliana F. May, John
Jasperse Dance
Anatomy Research Seminar (p. 33), Peggy Gould Dance
Choreographing Light for the Stage (p. 33), Judy Kagel
Dance
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 45), Robin Starbuck Film History
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 46), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film
History
Experimental Animation: Finding Your Inner Vision (p. 51),
William Hartland Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Introduction to 2D Digital Animation in Harmony (p. 51),
Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 50), Robin Starbuck Filmmaking and
Moving Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation
II (p. 55), Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation I (p. 53),
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Writing for TV: From Spec Script to Original TV Pilot (p. 56),
Marygrace O’Shea Filmmaking and Moving Image
Arts
Time to Tinker (p. 124), Merideth Frey Physics
Psychology of Children’s Television (p. 136), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
Technology and Human Development (p. 138), Jamie Krenn
Psychology
A Film Historian, a Psychologist, and an Artist Walk Into a
Class: Laughter Across Disciplines (p. 138), John
O’Connor, Maia Pujara, Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen
Psychology
Perspectives on the Creative Process (p. 139), Charlotte L.
Doyle Psychology
Children’s Literature: Psychological and Literary
Perspectives (p. 143), Charlotte L. Doyle Psychology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Urban Voids: The Commons and Collectivity (p. 176), Nick
Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
Transcending the American Dream: Redefining
Domesticity (p. 175), Nick Roseboro Visual and Studio
Arts
THE CURRICULUM 185
Free-Standing: Intro to Sculptural Forms (p. 184), Katie Bell
Visual and Studio Arts
First-Year Studies: Forms, Fictions, and Revisions (p. 186),
Myra Goldberg Writing
Children’s Literature: A Writing Workshop (p. 189), Myra
Goldberg Writing
Words and Pictures (p. 188), Myra Goldberg Writing
Poetry Workshop: On Collecting/Collections (p. 197),
Matthea Harvey Writing
WRITING
Sarah Lawrence College oers a vibrant community of
writers and probably the largest writing faculty available
to undergraduates anywhere in the country. We oer
courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and encourage
students to explore an array of perspectives and
techniques that will extend their writing ability whatever
their preferred genre. In workshops, students share their
writing in a supportive atmosphere. In conferences,
teachers provide students with close, continual mentoring
and guidance. Visits from guest writers, who give public
readings and lectures throughout the year, are an
important component of the curriculum.
Our writing classes are equitable forums for free and
open expression that encourage experimentation, play,
and risk-taking in students’ writing and reading.
Accordingly, faculty members do not provide trigger or
content warnings. We believe that students are
invigorated, not harmed, by contact with art and ideas that
challenge and disturb. We favor inquiry over censure,
discussion over suppression, and understand both to be an
important part of a student’s education in the art of
writing. We seek to foster a community of writers whose
members draw inspiration from their artistic and
intellectual dierences as much as from their areas of
agreement.
Sarah Lawrence College also takes full advantage of
its proximity to the New York City literary scene, with its
readings, literary agencies, publishing houses, and
bookstores, as well as its wealth of arts and culture. The
city provides fertile ground for internships in which
students can use their writing training in educational
programs, schools, publishing houses, small presses,
magazines, and nonprofit arts agencies.
First-Year Studies: Hybrids of Poetry
and Prose
WRIT 1005
Jerey McDaniel
FYS—Year | 10 credits
One of the exciting literary developments in recent years is
the plethora of work that disrupts the notion of genre—by
writers such as Eula Biss, Jenny Oll, and Ben Lerner. In
this workshop, we will read a book each week and consider
architecture, diction, association, metaphor, and other
issues of craft. Students will be required to bring in a new
piece of writing each week and to write critical responses
to the reading. This class will be a good fit for students
who are comfortable reading 100-200 pages a week, in
addition to generating their own creative writing. For
workshop, students may submit poetry, fiction, creative
nonfiction, or anything in between. We will aim to locate a
piece’s heat—its linguistic, figurative, and musical
energy—and consider how that energy might be
developed, or maximized, in subsequent drafts. Half of
each class will be devoted to discussing the weekly
reading; the other half will be spent discussing student
work. Occasionally, we will also do in-class writing
exercises. There will be weekly writing prompts, and
students will work on their own hybrid projects. At the end
of each semester, students will turn in a revised, final
portfolio with at least two earlier drafts for each piece, as
well as their hybrid project. There will be biweekly
conferences.
First-Year Studies: Forms, Fictions,
and Revisions
WRIT 1304
Myra Goldberg
FYS—Year | 10 credits
This FYS version of Forms and Fictions begins with the
reading and writing of folk and fairy tales; moves on to
incidents, episodes, stories, poetic translations, frame
stories, personal essays, graphic novels, and lyrics; and,
finally, plans for a novel, its opening, end, and first chapter.
The emphasis here is on trying on forms, learning which
form works best for which kind of content, which works
best for each student, what your aesthetic is, what you
have to say, as well as how you might say it. There will be
weekly readings and exercises in each form, in dialogue,
pacing, editing, portraiture, plot and its philosophical
underpinnings. Also, students will send each other
100-word pieces every week. Conference work will be
planned, written, and revised over the course of the
semester. The emphasis in conference work is on vision,
revision, editing, finishing, and presentation, a process
useful for any course or endeavor. In addition to classes,
we will meet every other week for individual conferences
and every week for a group session to talk about whatever
comes up: campus activities, procrastination, New York
City, dropping or adding classes, laundry, food, internships,
sports, roommates, whatever students and their don need
or want to explore.
186 Writing
First-Year Studies: Fiction and
Creative Nonfiction
WRIT 1114
Brian Morton
FYS—Year | 10 credits
A novelist once began a lecture by asking how many
people in the audience wanted to be writers. When almost
everyone raised a hand, he said, “So, why the hell aren’t
you home writing?” The novelist was asking the right
question. The only way to improve as a writer is to write a
lot. You might have all the talent in the world, and you
might have had a thousand fascinating experiences; but
talent and experience won’t get you very far unless you
have the ability to sit down, day after day, and write.
Accordingly, my main goal is to encourage you to develop
or sustain the habit of steady writing. You’ll be sharing a
very short piece with the class every week in response to
prompts that I’ll provide, and you’ll also be writing longer
stories and essays that we’ll discuss in one-on-one
conference meetings. In the fall semester, students will
read and write short fiction; in the spring, students will
read and write personal essays. Writers whose work we’ll
study include James Baldwin, Anton Chekhov, Joan
Didion, Jennifer Egan, Percival Everett, Carmen Maria
Machado, Katherine Mansfield, Haruki Murakami, George
Orwell, Philip Roth, George Saunders, and Zadie Smith.
Given the range of writers that we’ll be reading, it’s safe to
say that everyone in the class will be encountering stories
they find disturbing and ideas they find objectionable at
some point during the year. If you believe you can be
harmed by exposure to points of view that dier starkly
from your own, it would be best not to register for this
class. We will meet in individual conferences every week
until the October Study Days break, after which our
conferences will meet every other week.
First-Year Studies: Is Journalism
What We Think It Is?
WRIT 1027
Marek Fuchs
Open, FYS—Year | 10 credits
This class will both investigate journalism as a social,
cultural, and historical phenomenon and employ
journalism as a practice by which to encounter the world.
We will immerse ourselves in journalism’s intricacies and
complexities, its strengths and faults, and come to
understand it not only as a working trade and history’s
first draft but also as a literary art in its own right—one
with as many deep imperatives and as rich a tradition as
poetry or fiction. We will survey the best (and a little bit of
the worst) of short- and long-form journalism and, over
the course of the year, craft everything from brief profiles
to ambitious investigative pieces. How does a writer know
which details to highlight and which to subordinate? What
is the nature of good interviewing technique? How does
one interview a willing source as opposed to a resistant
one? When should one write concisely, and when is it
appropriate to expatiate? What are the ways in which a
journalist interacts with—and runs the danger of
contaminating—his or her subject? We will ask and
answer these and many other questions and spend
significant time puzzling out the ways in which
fundamental journalistic practice leaps from print to
television to new media. Prominent journalists will be
invited to talk to us and tell us what they do. Readings will
range from H. L. Mencken, George Orwell, Janet Malcolm,
Joseph Mitchell, and Truman Capote to Joseph Roth.
Weekly individual conferences, first semester; biweekly
individual conferences, second semester.
Fiction
The Art of the Short Story
WRIT 2024
Brian Morton
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
After reading a story by an older writer, the young James
Joyce wrote, “Is this as near as [he] can get to life, I
wonder?” You could say that Joyce was pointing toward a
goal for which many great fiction writers strive: the goal of
bringing to the page one’s unique way of apprehending life
rather than relying on formula and convention. Something
like this striving lay behind Chekhov’s revolt against
traditional plot, Woolf’s search for new ways to render the
subtleties of consciousness, Stein’s experiments with
language, and Garcia Marquez’s adventures in magical
realism. In this lecture class, we’ll read short stories old
and new, with the aim of learning both from those who’ve
come before us and those who are working now. Writers
we’re likely to encounter include Isaac Babel, Anton
Chekhov, Percival Everett, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary
Gaitskill, Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka, D. H. Lawrence,
Carmen Maria Machado, Katherine Mansfield, Lorrie
Moore, ZZ Packer, Grace Paley, George Saunders, and
Virginia Woolf. Though formally a lecture, this will heavily
be a discussion-based class; so please consider
registering for it only if you’re interested in sharing your
thoughts about the readings every week.
Fiction Workshop
WRIT 3303
Melvin Jules Bukiet
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” poet John Keats said. He’s
right that those are the two main qualities to which art
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aspires, but they’re not as identical as his statement
implies. Maybe we can think of truth as content and
beauty as form. Good writing requires both. In this class,
we will seek those qualities as displayed by student stories
and perceived by student critiques. You write what you
want—or need—to write, and together we consider it. That
process makes your writing better. There’s the goal.
Fiction Workshop
WRIT 3310
April Reynolds Mosolino
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
All great stories are built with good sentences. In this
workshop, students will create short stories or continue
works-in-progress that will be read and discussed by their
peers. Class sessions will focus on constructive criticism
of the writer’s work, and students will be encouraged to
ask the questions with which all writers grapple: What
makes a good story? Have I fully developed my
characters? And does my language convey the ideas that I
want? We will talk about the writer’s craft in this
class—how people tell stories to each other, how to find a
plot, and how to make a sentence come to life. This
workshop should be seen as a place where students can
share their thoughts and ideas in order to then return to
their pages and create a completed imaginary work. There
will also be some short stories and essays on the art of
writing that will set the tone and provide literary fodder for
the class.
Fiction Workshop: Art and Activism:
Contemporary Black Writers
WRIT 3365
Carolyn Ferrell
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Toni Morrison once wrote, “If writing is thinking and
discovery and selection and order and meaning, it is also
awe and reverence and mystery and magic.” She referred
to the interior life of her ancestors as being a large
(perhaps the largest?) charge that she, as an author,
faced; the characters she created—in part from pictures,
in part from the act of imagination—yielded “a kind of
truth.” We are experiencing a new age of Black artists and
activists, charging the world to heed their truths; as
writers, we’ll delve into the fullness of their experiences.
Nana Ama Adjei-Brenyah brings magical realism to the
doorstep of our daily lives; Edward P. Jones establishes
setting as character, garnering comparisons to James
Joyce. Ta-Nehisi Coates posits large questions about
writing and Black identity, while Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
uses satire to address themes of class and culture; and
both Danielle Evans and Jamel Brinkley write in a charged
realist tradition that is RIEBY (my new acronym: right in
everybody’s back yard!). Class readings will include essays
on craft and technique, as well as short stories and
memoir. This workshop will also have at its heart the
discussion of student manuscripts and the development
of constructive criticism. Talking about race, talking about
craft, and talking about our own fiction should occur in an
environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
The road may be bumpy at times—but how else to get to
that truth that Toni Morrison so prized?
Words and Pictures
WRIT 3324
Myra Goldberg
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This is a course with writing at its center and other
arts—mainly, but not exclusively, visual—around it. We will
read all kinds of narratives, children’s books, folk tales,
fairy tales, graphic novels...and try our hand at many of
them. Class reading will include everything from ancient
Egyptian love poems to contemporary Latin American
literature. For conference work, students have created
graphic novels, animations, quilts, a scientifically accurate
fantasy involving bugs, rock operas, items of clothing with
text attached, nonfiction narratives, and dystopian fictions
with pictures. There will be weekly assignments that
involve making something. This course is especially suited
to students with an interest in another art or a body of
knowledge that they’d like to make accessible to
nonspecialists.
Fiction Workshop: The Novella
WRIT 3305
Nicolette Polek
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Situated between the short story and the novel, this
workshop will explore the elusive yet powerful genre of the
novella. We will read a wide selection of texts, which will
include works by Stefan Zweig, Cesar Aira, Maggie Nelson,
Louisa May Alcott, Fleur Jaeggy, Ivan Turgenev, Tao Lin,
and Adalbert Stifter. We will discern how fullness can be
created within compressed spaces and identify the kinds
of stylistic and narrative choices that are distinct to the
form, with particular emphasis on place, conflict, pacing,
and experimentation. Students will be expected to submit
short reading responses each week and complete writing
exercises designed to help them write their own novellas,
which will be discussed within a workshop setting. Class
time will be divided among discussing the assigned
reading, engaging in generative writing exercises, and
discussing drafts.
188 Writing
The Voice (Expanded Edition)
WRIT 3031
Nelly Reifler
Open, Large seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This large seminar looks at the ineable nature of voice
and its intertwining relationships with narrators, authors,
and interpretations. We will build stories and their
inhabitants using source material that is meaningful to
each of us: literature, of course, but also music, film and
video, visual art, semiotics, fashion, architecture, games,
urban myths, podcasts and voiceovers, family lore and
history, and more. Through this process, we’ll identify and
deepen voice as the vernacular of our imaginations.
Students’ writing will be workshopped in small-group
conferences. We will read work by writers such as Samuel
Beckett, James Hannaham, Garielle Lutz, Carmen Maria
Machado, Bhanu Kapil, Edouard Leve, Philip K. Dick,
Robert Lopez, William Saroyan, Denis Johnson, and Shelly
Oria. We will also listen to music, watch videos and
excerpted films, look at art, and examine popular culture
and our own families as if we were anthropologists. We will
work to shed ideas of what we should be writing and
discover what’s already inside us ready to be written.
Grow Up! Depicting Childhood in
Literary Fiction
WRIT 3155
Domenica Ruta
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this generative creative-writing class, we will study the
way child narrators and child protagonists are made real
on the page through a close reading of authors like
Jesamyn Ward, Jeanette Winterson, Joy Williams, Ha Jin,
Mariana Enriquez, Sandra Cisneros, Truman Capote, and
others. Through experimentation and play, we will write
short fiction featuring dierent child narrators and
protagonists. A portfolio of exercises, including at least
one completed story, will be our output. This course is
great for students curious about creative writing and
fiction but don't know where to start, as well as committed
creative writers looking for a laboratory to try something
new and outside-the-box of a traditional workshop.
Speculative Fiction Workshop
WRIT 3370
Chandler Klang Smith
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Speculative fiction is a blanket term for writing that
speculates on a world unlike our own. Sci-fi, fantasy, and
horror are a few of the best-known categories; but
speculative fiction also encompasses the
uncategorizable—work that challenges our understanding
of causality, time, the self, the mind, and the cosmos…or
that just barely cracks the surface of the familiar, allowing
the weird to seep through. At its best, speculative fiction
uses imagination and metaphor to explore ideas and
facets of the human experience that would otherwise
remain unexpressed. In this course, we will read short
stories and novels by mostly contemporary speculative-
fiction authors, with a writerly eye for technique. We will
also workshop fiction by students; discuss process and
goals; and form a supportive, constructive community
where even the wildest visions can flourish.
Sentence and Story
WRIT 3162
Victoria Redel
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Prerequisite: one prior SLC fiction workshop
The story begins, “Once upon a time,” or the story begins,
“Call me Ishmael,” and with this initiating sentence a
fictional world unspools. The word and the sentence are
our first tools as writers; and, in this class, we will study
how sentences shape story. We will also consider how the
story requires more than great sentences. This is a class
heavy on writing and reading. We will develop our craft
through weekly exercises and experiments in form,
character, narrative, stance, authority, point of view,
dialogue, scene, situation, style, tropes, and syntax.
Additionally, memory as a tool will be considered—both
the writer’s memory as it is reimagined, reinvented in a
work of fiction (family memory, historical memory), as
well as the use of memory inside a work of fiction
(character memory, place memory, historical memory).
Students will develop stories from first draft through at
least one extensive revision.
Children’s Literature: A Writing
Workshop
WRIT 3021
Myra Goldberg
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Who doesn’t love Frog and Toad? Have you ever wanted to
write something like it—or like Charlotte’s Web or A Snowy
Day? Why do our favorites work so well and so (almost)
universally? We will begin by reading books we know and
books we missed and discuss what makes them so good.
We will be looking at read-to books, early readers,
instructional books for children, rude books, chapter
books, books about friendship, and (possibly) young adult
books. We may consider what good children’s history and
biography might be like. We will talk about the place of the
visual, the careful and conscious use of language, notions
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of appropriateness, and what works at various age levels.
Invariably, we will talk about childhood, our own and as
part of an ever-changing set of social theories. We will try
our hand at writing picture books, early readers, friendship
stories, collections of poems like Mother Goose.
Conference work will involve making a children’s book of
any kind, on any level. Classes will be in both lecture and
conversational mode, and group conferences will involve
looking at our writing.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised:
Writing and Producing Audio Fiction
Podcasts
WRIT 3351
Ann Heppermann
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
The goal of this class is to start an audio fiction revolution.
In this class, students will learn to write and produce
groundbreaking contemporary audio dramas, while also
experimenting with the form, and ask what it means to
create the audio fiction of their dreams. We will listen to
works from venerable podcasts like Welcome to Night
Vale, Magnus Archives, The Truth, Radiotopia, and other
podcasts from around the world. We will listen to audio
fiction from collectives like Mermaid Palace that explicitly
address identity and sexuality to challenge the status quo.
We will also create our own critical discourse for
contemporary audio drama—analyzing writings and
essays from the fields of screenwriting, sound art,
contemporary music, and literature—to help understand
and analyze the works that we are creating. Creators from
Welcome to Night Vale, Audible, and others will join our
discussions to talk about their stories and production
processes. Throughout the semester, students will make
works and create their own podcasts. At the end of the
semester, students will pitch their fiction ideas to audio
executives at Audible.
13 Ways of Looking at a Novel
WRIT 3005
Brian Morton
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
What is a novel? Dierent writers have defined the form
dierently. D. H. Lawrence said that the novel is “the one
bright book of life.” Stendhal said that a novel is “a mirror
carried along a high road. At one moment it reflects the
azure skies, at another the mire of the puddles at your
feet.” Randall Jarrell, admitting that even the greatest
novels are flawed in some way, said that a novel is “a prose
narrative of some length that has something wrong with
it.” In this class, we’ll be reading a wide variety of novels
published after 1970 in order to gain an appreciation of the
richness and flexibility of the form. Writers whose work
we’ll consider include Nicholson Baker, Octavia Butler,
Italo Calvino, Teju Cole, Jennifer Egan, Milan Kundera, Ben
Lerner, Sigrid Nunez, Jenny Oll, Padgett Powell, Mary
Robison, Fran Ross, and George Saunders. I don’t have a
treasure chest of craft lessons to oer; my hope is that if
we spend the semester reading ambitious novels and
talking about them as fellow writers, we’ll all learn
something by the end. In conference, we’ll be looking at
your writing. You’ll be asked to give me a finished short
story or novel excerpt every two weeks.
Dream Logic
WRIT 3718
Stephen O’Connor
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Stories are immensely complex mechanisms. When we
talk about how they work, we often confine our discussion
to their most straightforward elements: the relationship
between conflict and suspense, for example, or between
verisimilitude and believability. But stories also derive a
substantial proportion of their meaning and force from
elements not so easily pinned down: from the potency of
their images, from their surprising and suggestive
juxtapositions, or from other qualities more easily
apprehended by the unconscious than the conscious mind.
The villagers in Kafka’s A Country Doctor strip the doctor
naked and place him in bed with his grotesquely wounded
patient—an action with little clear connection to the
conflicts established in the story and little to recommend
it in regard to verisimilitude. And yet it is precisely weird,
suggestive, and not entirely interpretable images such as
this that make Kafka’s writing so feverishly compelling and
grant it its measure of beauty and truth. During the first
half of the semester, students will read, discuss, and write
two- to three-page imitations of folk tales and myths, as
well as short stories, by some of the great fabulists of the
modern era, including Donald Barthelme, Teju Cole,
Percival Everett, Nikolai Gogol, Allegra Hyde, Franz Kafka,
Haruki Murakami, Karen Russell, Bruno Schulz, and Barry
Yourgrau. The second half of the semester will be devoted
to workshopping students’ own stories. All readings will be
from a PDF packet.
Fiction Workshop: Architecture and
Narrative
WRIT 3224
Nicolette Polek
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
“Our house is our corner of the world…it is our first
universe,” writes the French philosopher
Gustav Bachelard in his influential text, The Poetics of
190 Writing
Space. What is the connection between physical spaces,
literature, and the imagination? How can our experiences
of spaces inform the way that we read and write? This
course will use Bachelard’s text as a guide to a larger
discussion of architectural structures within fiction, which
will begin with works by Shirley Jackson, William Maxwell,
and Kathryn Davis and end with the contemporary short
story. Students will be expected to complete an
observation journal, in which they will record and analyze
past and present spaces from their own lives, complete
two working drafts of short stories that will be discussed
within a workshop setting, and turn in as a final portfolio at
the end of term.
The Present
WRIT 3465
Nelly Reifler
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Writing begins with our bodies in present time and space:
Our minds are nestled in our bodies, and our imaginations
are nestled in our nervous systems. In this class, we will
consider present bodies as mediums, sources, oracles, and
anchors. From autofiction to high fantasy, all our stories
are born this way; speculation itself is imaginative
projection. Every aspect of writing—from the sounds of
our words to the objects of our characters’ desires to the
use of punctuation—can be found in our own present
embodiment. We will generate new writing through
experiments during and outside of class. These include
experiential exercises such as immediate sensory
awareness work, dream logs, and studies of inexplicably
vivid memories. We will explore ways to release our writing
from cerebral control while mindfully steering it: breaking
fallback linguistic patterns, collaborating with other
writers, and working outside our usual forms. In individual
and small-group conferences, we will discuss your fiction,
along with your writing processes and practices. Authors
we will read may include Franz Kafka, Yasunari Kawabata,
Eugene Ionesco, Karin Tidbeck, Philip K. Dick, Octavia
Butler, Uchida Hyakken, Carmen Maria Machado, Paul La
Farge, and Rivka Galchen. Texts by Pema Chodron, Peter
Levine, Richard Schwartz, Natalie Goldberg, and others
will support our projects.
Fiction Workshop: Writing the
Experience
WRIT 3301
David Ryan
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Why do certain stories produce a physical ache as we read
them—feeling as if we've “experienced” them rather than
simply read them? In this workshop, we’ll discuss each
other’s stories as we would in a traditional roundtable
setting—but I’d like to do more than that. If writing a lot
and getting feedback from peers is important, I believe we
develop our unique voice—and our writing becomes far
more interesting—by better understanding the spirit of
human engagement. That means drawing ideas from
psychology, philosophy, linguistics, cultural anthropology,
and beyond. So, this class will take a hybrid approach to
the workshop. We'll do that. But we’ll set also aside time to
discuss work from published writers and ideas from
narratology, critical theory, film studies, psychology,
dream theory, reader-response theory, memory theory, the
uncanny, and conceptual metaphor. The combination will
foster a gestalt of skills and understanding of
expressiveness that move well beyond the semester. You’ll
have new ways of entering the broader world with your
words, writing work that readers won’t ever forget because
you’ve created a mirror in which they find themselves
alongside the spirit of your intentions.
In a World They Never Made: Creating
Character in the Speculative Novel
WRIT 3134
SMITH-CHANDLER-KLANG
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Do you have an idea for a sci-fi, fantasy, horror, dystopian,
or just plain weird novel...but find yourself struggling to
find a way into the story? Do you want to transport your
readers to a glittering future, a mythic kingdom, a haunted
house, or an apocalyptic wasteland...but don't know the
best narrator and/or protagonist to guide them? Fear not!
In this writing workshop, we'll examine a handful of
contemporary speculative novels to unlock the secrets of
how they bring their characters—and therefore their
narratives—to such uncanny life. Then you'll apply those
lessons to writing your own fiction that your peers will
read, discuss, and then provide feedback. By the end of the
semester, when you turn in a revision of the excerpt that
you workshopped, you'll have your main character’s voice,
motivation, backstory, internal conflict, and deepest fears
coming across vividly on the page.
Speculative Fiction Workshop
WRIT 3370
Chandler Klang Smith
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Speculative fiction is a blanket term for writing that
speculates on a world unlike our own. Sci-fi, fantasy, and
horror are a few of the best-known categories; but
speculative fiction also encompasses the
uncategorizable—work that challenges our understanding
THE CURRICULUM 191
of causality, time, the self, the mind, the cosmos…or that
just barely cracks the surface of the familiar, allowing the
weird to seep through. At its best, speculative fiction uses
imagination and metaphor to explore ideas and facets of
the human experience that would otherwise remain
unexpressed. In this course, we will read short stories and
novels by mostly contemporary speculative-fiction
authors, with a writerly eye for technique. We will also
workshop fiction by students; discuss process and goals;
and form a supportive, constructive community where
even the wildest visions can flourish.
Nonfiction
Details Useful to the State: Writers
and the Shaping of Empire
WRIT 2027
Suzanne Gardinier
Open, Small Lecture—Fall | 5 credits
What might it mean for a writer to be useful to a state?
How have states used writers, witting and unwitting, in
projects aimed at influence and hegemony? How might a
state make use of language as a weapon? What might it
mean for a writer to attempt to avoid being useful to a
state? How might a state inflect and influence the
intimacy between a writer and what we may write? In this
class, we’ll discuss an array of choices that writers have
made in relation to state power, focusing particularly on
the United States from just after World War II until the
present. You'll be asking to read excerpts from five books:
Joel Whitney’s Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best
Writers; Frances Stonor Saunders’s The Cultural Cold War:
The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters; Eric Bennett’s
Workshops of Empire: Stegner, Engle, and American
Creative Writing During the Cold War; Vivian Gornick’s The
Romance of American Communism; and Peter Dale Scott’s
long poem, Coming to Jakarta. Group conferences will
function as writing workshops and to oer feedback on
your letters in progress, in addition to various writing
exercises. This is not a history or a literature class; our lens
will be that of a writer, using deep study and playful
practice to figure out the dilemmas and best practices of
the present.
Notebooks and Other Experiments
WRIT 3734
Kate Zambreno
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
There is such an alive quality to reading a notebook—a
laboratory of interrupted and ongoing consciousness,
whose very irregularities or imperfections give it a
wildness unmatched by more plotted or studied works. In
this yearlong writing seminar, we will begin in the fall by
reading writers’ and other artists’ notebooks: some that
were meant to be published and considered as formal
works; others, not. We will consider journals that are
circling around an activity or process (gardening, trance,
the bus, drawing) and others that are more open. Besides
the notebook, we will also read and think through first-
person or documentary texts that use their own diary as a
significant archive. In the fall, notebooks we will read
include Sei Shonagan, May Sarton, Eva Hesse, Hervé
Guibert, Annie Ernaux, Lauren Elkin, Franz Kafka, Susan
Sontag, Sylvia Plath, Derek Jarman, David Wojnarowicz,
Renee Gladman, and Bhanu Kapil. Every week, writers will
keep a notebook. Conference will involve writers shaping
and editing their notebooks, thinking of the notebook
practice as its own serious and lively endeavor. In the
spring, we will focus on long-form prose projects that are
inspired by and taken from the notebook, works enthralled
to the rhythms of the daily, the problem of the person in
time and space, and the process of creation. We will read
texts that borrow from the notebook but exist as essay,
meditation, poem, address book, travelogue—including
works by Sophie Calle, T. Fleischmann, Aisha Sabatini
Sloan, Jazmina Barrera, Heike Geissler, and Moyra Davey.
This class is a yearlong prose class open to all genres but
especially to those interested in the nonfiction impulse.
Narrative Podcasting and Production
WRIT 3752
Ann Heppermann
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
For 10 years, narrative podcasting has dominated the
media space. Shows like This American Life, Serial,
Radiolab, and numerous other story-driven shows have
become the paradigm for podcasts such as 99% Invisible,
Love + Radio, and many others. We’ve also entered the age
of the serialized podcast, with limited-run series and
others put out by podcast companies such as Audible,
iHeart, Wondery, and so many others. This class will teach
students the practicalities of how narrative audio
podcasting works, while we explore what this narrative
movement means. Students will learn practicalities; e.g.,
pitching both multipart and narrative stories, using the
actual “call for stories” from studios and shows; the
fundamentals of how to record and mix stories, using the
latest digital-editing technology; what narrative editors
expect in a series; and the skills necessary for a podcast
internship. We will also reflect on the theoretical and
ethical considerations of narrative podcasting. We will ask
questions such as: How do imposing narrative structures
aect nonfiction storytelling? How do narrative shows
deal with ethical missteps? What does it mean to have “a
voice”? Does it matter who gets to tell the story? (Answer
on the last question is “yes.” We’ll discuss why.)
192 Writing
Producers, editors, and freelancers for This American Life,
Audible, Radiolab, and others will visit the class to provide
insight into their shows and answer student
questions—and students will pitch audio executives their
ideas at the end of the course.
Nonfiction Laboratory
WRIT 3702
Stephen O’Connor
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is for students who want to break free of the
conventions of the traditional essay and memoir and
discover a broader range of narrative and stylistic
possibilities available to nonfiction writers. During the first
half of the semester, students will read and discuss
examples of formally innovative nonfiction that will serve
as the inspiration for brief assignments. Completed
assignments will also be read aloud and discussed each
week. During the second half of the semester, students
will workshop longer pieces, which they will have written in
consultation with the instructor as a part of their
conference work. Required texts: The Next American
Essay, edited by John D’Agata, and Multiple Choice by
Alejandro Zambra. All other readings are in a photocopied
handout.
The Fantasy of Reality
WRIT 3023
Joseph Thomas
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course is for students interested in the relationship
between nonfiction and reality; that is, how nonfiction
writers—that’s us—construct reality on the page rather
than assume its coherence. Each week, in class, we will
discuss nonfiction by writers like Ursula Le Guin and
Samuel Delany, alongside a wide array of writers who
trouble the distinction of what we consider possible. Our
aim in reading as writers will be in metabolizing the formal
strategies of language situated across “genres” in order to
make something new through short exercises and longer
workshops. Likely writers we will read include Jami Lin
Nakamura, Saidiya Hartman, Tanya Tagaq, and Fernanda
Melchor, among others. We will pay special attention to
the relationship between dierence and truth across a
range of perspectives, making diculty our focus and
vantage point.
Game Life
WRIT 3047
Joseph Thomas
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In addition to being the title of Michael Clune’s memoir or
a theory in the hands of McKenzie Wark, video games have
now invaded social space—and, therefore, our literary
imaginations—in a way that would have been unthinkable
30 years ago. And yet, how do we write about games?
About the experience both of playing these aesthetic
objects and living in an arguably gamified world with the
same intensity, curiosity, and rigor that we might
otherwise bring to any centuries-old ekphrastic attempt?
In this course, we will query the limits, techniques, and
new forms of nonfiction writing made possible through
video games, taking the anthology Critical Hits: Writers
Playing Video Games as a springboard for our own
experiments through short exercises and workshop. We
will focus on the interplay between social position and
form where, rather than an escape, video games pose new
questions of diculty in prose and in life. No experience
playing video games will be required, though this will
certainly not hurt; smaller indie games may be used as
examples.
Nonfiction Workshop: Reading and
Writing Personal Essays
WRIT 3763
Cliord Thompson
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course will be divided into three units, each of which
will involve reading published essays and writing our own.
In the first unit, People You Know, students will write
personal narratives involving people in their lives and read,
as models, published examples of such works; for example,
Phillip Lopate’s portrait of his family in the essay “Willy.” In
the second unit, Place, we will read and write essays about
authors’ relationships to particular places—less
travelogues than investigations of the dynamic between
the person and the place; examples of published essays we
will read for this unit are “Stranger in the Village,” by
James Baldwin, and Annie Dillard’s essay, “Aces and
Eights.” For the third unit, The Personal in the Critical/
Journalistic (or PCJ), a work in that genre combines
personal reflection with consideration of an outside
subject, such as a favorite movie or an event like 9/11—the
interaction of the personal and the outside subject yields a
third element, an insight that would not be possible
without the first two elements—for example, Jonathan
Lethem’s personal essay about the movie The Searchers.
THE CURRICULUM 193
Sports Storytelling
WRIT 3004
Jerey McDaniel
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this one-semester class, we will explore the intersection
of sports and literary writing and journalism. We will read a
mixture of books and essays by writers such as Mitchell
Jackson, John McPhee, Ross Gay, and Hanif Abdurraqib,
along with a sports poetry anthology edited by Natalie
Diaz. There will be weekly critical responses. Writing
assignments will include: an interview/portrait of an
athlete, a first-person sports essay, a sports short story,
and a sports poem. For conference work, each student will
write an in-depth story about a local sports issue on the
high-school or collegiate level. Students will be expected
to interview the main characters in their piece and write
multiple drafts, finding the story within the story and
exploring it from multiple angles.
Tell the Truth (Mostly): A Memoir
Workshop
WRIT 3129
Domenica Ruta
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In this course, we will examine and experiment with all of
the craft tools of dynamic writing—scene, setting,
characterization, dialogue, mood, and voice—to tell our
own (mostly) true stories. If you are an ambitious writer
with a life goal to become a published author, this course
is for you. If you have never written creatively, never
written about yourself, never written for fun, this course is
equally for you. We will spend the first half the of the
semester building our strength and stamina as writers
through generative exercises and close readings of
published works, as well as building a safe artistic
community within the classroom; the second half of the
semester will be a nontraditional writing workshop based
on antiracist, anticolonial practices.
Workshop in Personal Essay
WRIT 3739
Jacob Slichter
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
We write personal essays to learn about ourselves, to face
our demons, to understand what entangles us, to expose
the lies that we have allowed ourselves to believe, to
recognize what we are running away from, to find insight,
and/or to tell the truth. This workshop is designed for
students interested in doing that work and learning to
craft what they have written so that their readers can
share in that learning. We will learn to read as writers,
write as readers, and, where relevant, draw connections
between writing and other creative fields such as music
and film.
Nonfiction Workshop: The World and
You
WRIT 3767
Cliord Thompson
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
This course will be divided into three units, each of which
will involve reading published essays and writing our own.
The first unit, Demons, will focus on writers’ personal
challenges, from mental illness (as in Suzanna Kaysen’s
memoir, Girl, Interrupted) to migraines (the subject of
Joan Didion’s essay “In Bed”). The second unit focuses on
braided essays; the class will read essays whose authors
juxtapose seemingly disparate topics in forming coherent
works. Melissa Febos’s “All of Me,” for example, reveals
how writing, singing, tattoos, and heroin addiction all
relate to the need to deal with pain. For the final unit,
Critical Survey, we will read and write critical takes on
works or figures in particular fields; for example, B. R.
Myers’ “A Reader’s Manifesto,” his take on the novelists of
the day, and James Baldwin’s book, The Devil Finds Work,
about the movies of his youth.
A Question of Character: The Art of
the Profile
WRIT 3728
Alice Truax
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Any writer who tries to capture the likeness of
another—whether in biography, history, journalism, or art
criticism—must face certain questions. What makes a
good profile? What is the power dynamic between subject
and writer? How does a subject’s place in the world
determine the parameters of what may be written about
him/her/them? To what extent is any portrait also a self-
portrait? And how can the complexities of a personality be
captured in several thousand—or even several
hundred—words? In this course, we will tackle the various
challenges of profile writing, such as choosing a good
subject, interviewing, plotting, obtaining and telescoping
biographical information, and defining the role of place in
the portrait. Students will be expected to share their own
work, identify what they admire or despise in other writers’
characterizations, and learn to read closely many
recognized practitioners of the genre. We will also turn to
shorter forms of writing—personal sketches, brief
reported pieces, physical descriptions—to further
illuminate what we mean when we talk about “identity”
194 Writing
and “character.” The goal of this course is less to teach the
art of profile writing than to become better readers and
writers generally.
Shakespeare for Writers (and
Others)
WRIT 3020
Vijay Seshadri
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
From Milton (Satan) to Dryden to Dr. Johnson to Coleridge
to De Quincey to Melville (Ahab) to Woolf to Auden to
Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen
Sondheim to Kurosawa (Throne of Blood and Ran) to Peter
Brook (The Mahabharata) to Julie Taymor to Taylor
Swift...writers, artists, performers, and thinkers in the
West, the East, and the South have gained enormous
mileage by appropriating, purloining, replying to, adapting,
being enraged by, and escaping Shakespeare—or merely
by living under his shade. We will plunge into the
enormous and still billowing artistic energy generated by
this person. We will look at eight major plays, one a week,
from every phase of his career—with a sampling of their
critical and scholarly paraphernalia—and examine the
writerly problems he faced and how he solved them and
examine closely his incomparable rhetorical skills. We will
try to pluck the heart out of the mystery of this most
mysterious artist in order to help ourselves as artists.
Conference projects, designed to be presented to the
class, can comprehend poetic responses, fictive or
dramatic responses, films and multimedia concoctions, or
critical or essayistic responses to the entire body of work
or to one of its many elements. It has been said that
Shakespeare invented the idea of the human. We will think
about this. Sonnet sequences are welcome.
Poetry
The Freedomways Workshop
WRIT 3123
Suzanne Gardinier
Open, Seminar—Year | 10 credits
The Iowa Writers Workshop was founded by Wilbur
Schramm in 1936. Schramm went on to a many-faceted
career, which included writing a postwar manual for the
Army, called The Nature of Psychological Warfare. He saw
the writing workshop as a way to train “the kind of young
persons who can become the kind of writers we need” in a
future framed by the dominance of the United States. In
much American poetry, the consequences of this project
of domination are unseen. As is often not true elsewhere,
the prison is seen (or unseen) from the point of view of the
free. This course looks for the traces of this project of
domination and asks what might happen for writers when
the domination is seen from the point of view of the
dominated and the free from the point of view of the
prison. Why are censorship and incarceration such central
facts of what it’s meant to be a poet elsewhere? Why
hasn’t that been true in the United States? How does
Archibald MacLeish’s “a poem should not mean but be” or
T. S. Eliot’s “like a patient etherized upon a table” sound
beside Adam Wazyk’s “how many times must one wake
you up before you recognize your epoch?” or Suzanne
Césaire’s surrealism as a tool to recover stolen power,
“purified of colonial stupidities”? What is real freedom?
What are its ways? What might the poetry be that comes
from it? Our text will be an anthology and workbook, The
Most Beautiful Sea: Poems & Pathways Toward Poems,
including the work of Nas, Elizabeth Bishop, Refaat
Alareer, Nazim Hikmet, Marie Howe, Joshua Bennett,
Lucille Clifton, Nipsey Hussle, Mahmoud Darwish, Dionne
Brand, and the greatest of all poets: Anonymous. You’ll be
asked to do in-class writing exercises, write letters with a
partner, and bring drafts to conference. Each term, you’ll
be required to make an anthology and a chapbook. In the
words of Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, we’ll look together
for “The most beautiful sea” that “hasn’t been crossed
yet”—aka “the most beautiful words I wanted to tell you/I
haven’t said yet.”
Poetry Workshop: Kitchen Sink
Poetics
WRIT 3511
James Hoch
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
“Lacks one, lacks both,” Whitman says. “Just throw in the
kitchen sink, why don’t ya,” my mother used to say. This is
a poetry-writing wonder romp through a series of polar
tensions that pervade modern and contemporary poetry.
Through exercises, readings, and your own work, we will
explore a variety of dichotomies/tensions that might
enable us to engage our poems with a greater sense of
presence and emotional possession. Occasion and
directionality, intensity and intimacy, figure and ground,
speech and writing, line and syntax, structure and body,
eye and I...there are plenty of concepts and mechanics,
concerns of craft and art, to throw into this course. Are
they false dichotomies? Sure, but falsity has its own use;
and the central use of falsity is to move us toward truth, to
inhabit, to nest there. Primarily, we will be investigating
and claiming the best ways that serve our poems—our
sense of belonging with poetry—that either narrow our
concern or expand our vision, or both.
THE CURRICULUM 195
Poetry Workshop : The Human Song
WRIT 3531
Marie Howe
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
Poetry is as old as humans. We sang to our babies. We
sang to cast spells, to bless, to seduce, to celebrate, to
mourn, to survive, to instruct, to imagine. This class is
open to anyone who wants to read and write poetry.
Beginners and experienced writers are welcome. (We are
all beginners.) We will read contemporary poems and
poems written many years ago. We will practice observing
the outer and inner worlds. We will practice the poetic
arts: creating images, making metaphors, and employing
o rhyme and assonance. We will practice organic forms.
We will experiment with ecopoetry, ekphrastic poetry, and
persona poetry. You will meet with me in an individual
conference every other week and with each other in
weekly poetry dates. Each of you will revise your weekly
poems so that, at the end of our semester, you should have
a deeper sense of the art and a revised collection of your
work. I ask for your curiosity, care, and commitment. We
will have a wonderful time.
Ritually, I’m Right Here
WRIT 3530
Chessy Normile
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
In this poetry class, we will engage actively with the
PRESENT MOMENT in our writing and reading by shifting
ourselves out of the familiar and into a position where time
can better reveal to us its nonlinear nature. Going from
rote to wrote, as they say, haha. We will read, write, and
share poems with one another, as well as engage with a
variety of funky practices and materials—such as creating
and exchanging our own rituals and prompts; practicing
some of CAConrad’s (soma)tic rituals; and using pencils,
sticks, rocks, dirt, water, light, darkness, music, books,
juice, and so on—to better understand what poems can do
when we get out of their way. You will meet with me in an
individual conference every other week and, by the end of
the semester, assemble a chapbook of poems/
experiences.
The Distinctive Voice in Poetry
WRIT 3528
Dennis Nurkse
Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits
This course will focus primarily and humanistically on
participants’ own work. Roughly a third of discussion time
will be devoted to seminal contemporary poems, with
attention to poets of color and marginalized voices.
We’ll examine poetics, prosody, and issues of form, pace,
voicing, and tone in contemporary poetry and in radically
experimental texts. We’ll focus on the revision
process—how do artists push themselves toward new
worlds? How do poets achieve spontaneity without
sacrificing rigor? How do texts reconcile clarity and
unpredictability? How do poets develop their own
exploration tools—and how do we go beyond intent? Our
emphasis is on craft and individual style, not
judgment. Expect to read widely, to approach texts in new
ways, and to create many wild drafts and a finished
portfolio of six-to-infinity poems. There is no formal
prerequisite, but I’m not conceiving of this as an
introductory course. There will be a paper, as well as
creative writing.
This course will be taught on-line
Contemporary American Poetry
WRIT 3552
Jerey McDaniel
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In this one-semester class, we will look at contemporary
American poetry (1980 to the present) through the lens of
the Pitt Poetry Series, published by the University of
Pittsburgh Press. We will read a book each week. Students
will write a critical response to each book and also have
weekly writing prompts. Authors to be read include:
Etheridge Knight, Sharon Olds, and Larry Levis from the
1980s and ’90s and Paisley Rekdal and Ross Gay from the
2000s. Roughly half of each class will be spent discussing
published work; the other half will be spent discussing
student work. The semester will culminate with each
student turning in a portfolio of at least seven
poems—three drafts for each poem. Students will also
write a paper comparing a more recent Pitt poet with a
writer from the syllabus.
Poetry Workshop: Feminist Poetry
WRIT 3509
Lynn Melnick
Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In this poetry-writing workshop. we will focus on feminist
poetry: what it is, where it’s been, and what’s next. Using
each week’s reading assignments as inspiration, students
will write poem drafts in the style of, or inspired by, poets
across eras. We will begin with protofeminist poets like
Phillis Wheatley, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Christina
Rossetti and then move on to works by poets writing in the
decades before second-wave feminism, such as Gertrude
Stein, Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, Edna St. Vincent Millay,
H.D., Sylvia Plath, and Gwendolyn Brooks. We’ll look at
second-wave poets like Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, June
Jordan, and Ai and then continue with the third-wave
196 Writing
poets such as Lorna Dee Cervantes, Marilyn Chin, Joy
Harjo, Danielle Pafunda, and Carmen Giménez Smith.
Finally, we’ll read an array of emerging feminist voices,
including Tarfia Faizullah, Chase Berggrun, and Vanessa
Angélica Villarreal. As we dive into the poetry, we will also
look at the political and cultural movements surrounding
women and feminism that influenced the poets writing in
their era, including our own. Each week, students will be
expected to read 50-100 pages and be prepared to discuss
what they’ve read. Students will write poems based on a
prompt inspired by the week’s reading, which we will
workshop in class; a poetry portfolio of these revised
assignments will be due at the end of the semester.
Students may also write poems outside each week’s
prompt and share these with me during our conferences.
Poetry Workshop: The Most Beautiful
Sea
WRIT 3506
Suzanne Gardinier
Sophomore and Above, Small seminar—Spring | 5 credits
In this class, we’ll look together for, in the words of Nazim
Hikmet, “The most beautiful sea” that “hasn’t been
crossed yet” and “the most beautiful words I wanted to tell
you/I haven’t said yet.” We’ll search as readers, via our
class workbook text, The Most Beautiful Sea: Poems &
Pathways Toward Poems, and as writers, using in-class
exercises, weekly letters with a partner, and weekly drafts.
You’ll be required to work as partners and to make a
chapbook of at least 10 pages by the end of the course.
The only prerequisites are: a desire to be challenged, a
thirst for reading that equals your thirst for writing, the
courage to give up spectatorhood for active participation,
and a willingness to undertake whatever labors might be
necessary to read and write better on our last day of class
than on our first.
This class combines Sarah Lawrence students and
students from the Bedford Correctional Facility and takes
place at Bedford one night a week. In order to participate,
you must be 21 years old. Because of the extensive State
paperwork, TB test, and fingerprinting involved, the roster
for this class must be complete by mid-October 2024. And
because Sarah Lawrence students constitute only half of
this class, registration is limited to eight students.
Poetry Workshop: On Collecting/
Collections
WRIT 3548
Matthea Harvey
Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits
Prerequisite: previous poetry workshop
Collecting expresses a free-floating desire that attaches
and reattaches itself—it is a succession of desires. The
true collector is in the grip not of what is collected but of
collecting. —Susan Sontag, The Volcano Lover
I’m always looking for new lenses to use with the writing
and reading of poetry. As poets, we are natural
collectors—collecting images, bits of dialogue, phrases,
titles. In this poetry workshop, we will discuss and write
about our collections (collections of facts, objects,
memories) while looking at how collections of poems and
prose are constructed/corralled/arranged. Books
discussed will include, among others: The Book of
Delights by Ross Gay, Obit by Victoria Chang, Frank
Sonnets by Diane Seuss, Hoarders by Kate Durbin, The
Octopus Museum by Brenda Shaughnessy, and various
essays and handouts on collecting and artists who use
collection as part of their practice. This semester, you
might collect dreams or facts or an object that you
regularly encounter on the street. How this informs your
writing can be organic. You might become obsessed with a
collector’s collection and write about it. You might use
your collected delights to add a new color to your
emotional palette. You might start looking at the objects in
your poems in a dierent way, writing about them with
greater specificity. Most weeks, there will be a collecting
or poem prompt. Each student will give a 10- to 15-minute
presentation on one of their collections.
Courses oered in related disciplines this year are listed
below. Full descriptions of the courses may be found under
the appropriate disciplines.
Speaking of Race: Language Ideologies, Identities, and
Multicultural Realities (p. 4), Katherine Morales Lugo
Anthropology
Understanding Experience: Phenomenological
Approaches (p. 5), Robert R. Desjarlais Anthropology
Live Time-Based Art (p. 32), Beth Gill, Juliana F. May, John
Jasperse Dance
Workshop on Sustainability Solutions at Sarah Lawrence
College (p. 41), Eric Leveau Environmental Studies
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 45), Robin Starbuck Film History
First-Year Studies: Image, Sound, and Time (p. 49), Jazmín
López Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Character Design (p. 50), Scott Duce Filmmaking and
Moving Image Arts
THE CURRICULUM 197
Introduction to 2D Digital Animation in Harmony (p. 51),
Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Catching Emotion: Trauma and Struggle in Auteur
Animation (p. 50), Robin Starbuck Filmmaking and
Moving Image Arts
Concept Art: Exploring Preproduction for Media Arts
Projects (p. 52), Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Documentary Filmmaking and Music as Liberation
II (p. 55), Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 55), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Opening Scene: Filmmaking for First-Timers (p. 54), Daniel
Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Screenwriting: Tools of the Trade (p. 57), K. Lorrel Manning
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
First-Year Studies: Introduction to Development
Studies—The Political Ecology of
Development (p. 62), Joshua Muldavin Geography
Readings in Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek
(Ancient)
Intermediate Greek (p. 67), Emily Anhalt Greek (Ancient)
History of South Asia (p. 70), Erum Hadi History
History of the Indian Ocean (p. 77), Erum Hadi History
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia (p. 82), Tristana
Rorandelli Italian
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and
Literature (p. 82), Tristana Rorandelli Italian
First-Year Studies: Romanticism to Modernism in English
Language Poetry (p. 87), Neil Arditi Literature
First-Year Studies: Life Writing (p. 87), Emily Bloom
Literature
First-Year Studies: 19th- and 20th-Century Italian Women
Writers: Rewriting Women’s Roles and the Literary
Canon (p. 89), Tristana Rorandelli Literature
What Should I Do? Democracy, Justice, and Humanity in
Ancient Greek Tragedy (p. 91), Emily Anhalt Literature
Major Figures in 20th-Century European Poetry (in
Translation) (p. 92), Neil Arditi Literature
Perspectives on the Creative Process (p. 139), Charlotte L.
Doyle Psychology
Children’s Literature: Psychological and Literary
Perspectives (p. 143), Charlotte L. Doyle Psychology
Material Moves: People, Ideas, Objects (p. 156), Shahnaz
Rouse Sociology
Performance Art Tactics (p. 180), Dawn Kasper Visual and
Studio Arts
Performance Art (p. 180), Cliord Owens Visual and Studio
Arts
198 Writing
GRADUATE COURSES OPEN TO
ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS
In addition to our undergraduate curriculum, we oer
select graduate courses across our graduate degree
programs in the arts; health, sciences, and society;
and children, childhood, and education. Limited spaces in
these courses are open to juniors and seniors with some
prior experience in related areas of study at the
undergraduate level. Interested students should email
faculty instructors for additional information on these
courses and/or to schedule an interview. Most graduate-
level courses are between one and three credits, although
some are five credits.
Visit MySLC for more information.
THE CURRICULUM 199
FACULTY
Colin Abernethy Chemistry
BSc (Hons), Durham University, England. PhD, The
University of New Brunswick, Canada. Current research
interests include the synthesis of new early transition-
metal nitride compounds and the development of practical
exercises for undergraduate chemistry teaching
laboratories. Author of publications in the fields of
inorganic and physical chemistry, as well as chemical
education. Recipient of research grants from The Royal
Society, Nueld Foundation, Research Corporation for the
Advancement of Science, and American Chemical Society.
Received postdoctoral research fellowships at the
University of Texas at Austin and at Cardi University,
Wales. Previously taught at: Strathclyde University,
Scotland; Western Kentucky University; and Keene State
College, New Hampshire. SLC, 2010–
Julie Abraham Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Studies
BA (Hons.), University of Adelaide, Australia. MA, MPhil,
PhD, Columbia University. Special interest in lesbian/gay/
queer studies, 20th-century British and American
literature, contemporary feminisms, and literatures of the
city; author of Are Girls Necessary?: Lesbian Writing and
Modern Histories, Metropolitan Lovers: The Homosexuality
of Cities, and numerous essays; editor of Diana: A Strange
Autobiography; contributor to The Nation and The
Women’s Review of Books. SLC, 2000–
Samuel Abrams Politics (on leave Spring 25)
AB, Stanford University. AM, PhD, Harvard University.
Visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in
Washington, DC; faculty fellow at George Mason’s
Institute for Humane Studies; faculty fellow at Center for
Advanced Social Science Research at NYU; and member of
the Council on Foreign Relations. A graduate of Harvard
University’s Kennedy School of Government Program on
Inequality and Social Policy and a former aliate of
Harvard’s Canada Program and Institute for Quantitative
Social Science. Main topics of research include social
policy, inequality, international political economy, and
comparative and American politics; special interest in
network analysis, the media, Congress, political behavior,
urban studies and cities, public opinion and survey
research, political communication and elections, and the
social nature of political behavior. Conducted fieldwork
throughout Europe and North America. Authored three
books and numerous peer-reviewed and popular press
works. Two substantial projects are presently in progress:
a deep-dive into American political tradition and local
community and an empirical study aimed at
understanding the political culture on college and
university campuses. SLC, 2010–
Kameron Ackerman French
BM, University of Central Oklahoma. BA, University of
Central Oklahoma, Hunter College, Oregon State
University. MS, New York University. MFA, University of
California–Los Angeles. MA, Montclair State University.
MPhil, Graduate Center at City University of New York.
Currently writing PhD dissertation at the Graduate Center
at CUNY. Primary area of specialization: Sub-Saharan
African literature. Other research and teaching interests
include: 19th century French, American, and British
realism; 20th-century literature of Spain, Latin America,
France, and the United States; second language
acquisition; and film studies. SLC, 2023–
Gillian Adler Esther Raushenbush Chair in
Humanities—Literature (on leave for Fall 24)
BA, Barnard College. MA, University of York, UK. PhD,
University of California, Los Angeles. Special interest in
Chaucer, Dante, Old English and Middle English literature;
the history of the book; romance, epic, hagiography, and
mystical and contemplative writings. Author of two books,
as well as essays published in the Journal of Medieval
Religious Culture, Arthuriana, Medieval Feminist Forum,
Carte Italiane, and Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and
Renaissance Studies. Her recent co-authored book, ‘Alle
Thyng Hath Tyme’: Time and Medieval Life (Reaktion
Books, 2023), recreates medieval people’s experience of
time: as continuous and discontinuous, linear and cyclical,
embracing Creation and Judgment, shrinking to “atoms”
or “droplets,” and extending to the silent spaces of
eternity. Her first book, Chaucer and the Ethics of Time
(Cardi: University of Wales Press, 2022), examines
Chaucer's philosophical ideas of time and strategies of
narrative time. SLC, 2018–
Ron Afzal Religion
BA, Grinnell College. MA, McGill University. MDiv, Yale
University. PhD, Columbia University. Active member of
the Society of Biblical Literature and the American
Academy of Religion, as well as the Catholic Biblical
Association; has written on the Apocalypse of John and
has taught broadly in the fields of New Testament and
Early Christianity, Judaism in the Second Temple Period,
the Hebrew Bible, and Late Antique Christian Mysticism.
SLC, 1992–
N’tifafa Akoko Tete-Rosenthal Dance
BA, Grand Valley State University. MFA, Sarah Lawrence
College. Born in Tsévié, Togo, and raised in Togo, Ithaca,
NY, and Flint, MI, Akoko Tete-Rosenthal is an artist and
performer based in New York City. She began her formal
dance training in Flint through a youth ballet company.
Later, as an independent study student at the Alvin Ailey
School of Dance, she was introduced to traditional
Guinean and Senegalese dance forms—which molded her
choice of study for the next 10 years. She now performs as
an independent artist and has worked with companies
200 Faculty
such as the Maimouna Keita Dance Company and Fusha
Dance Company and tours internationally with Gala
Rizzatto. Her performance work is rooted in a traditional
and contemporary West African dance, influenced by
classical and modern aesthetics. SLC, 2023–
Hamid Al-Saadi Music
Maqam scholar, singer, artist and writer, Al-Saadi learned
the art of singing and performing the Iraqi maqam from
the legendary Yusuf Omar (1918-1987); Omar's own
teacher, Muhammed Al-Gubbenchi
(1901-1989)—probably the most influential maqam
reciter in history—said that he considered Al-Saadi to be
the “ideal link to pass on the maqam to future
generations.” Al-Saadi is also author of al-maqam wo
buhoor al-angham, a comprehensive text on the Iraqi
Maqam and its poetry. SLC, 2019; 2022-
Tea Alagic Theatre
BFA, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. MFA, Yale
School of Drama. An internationally acclaimed,
multilingual director based in New York City, Alagić’s
credits include O-Broadway, regional, and international
productions of both traditional theatre and devised work.
At Yale School of Drama, she received the Julian Milton
Kaufman Prize in Directing. She serves as a professor of
directing and collaboration at The New School for Drama,
having taught there since 2012; from 2016–2020, she
served as that school's Head of the Directing Department
for BFA and MFA. SLC, 2022-
Glenn Alexander Music (Guitar)
BA, Wichita State University. A composer, guitarist, and
vocalist, Alexander has received extensive airplay and
critical acclaim from around the world on his recordings
Stretch, Glenn Alexander, The Connection, Rainbow’s
Revenge, Oria, The Coalition, Northern Lights (Scott
Healy~Glenn Alexander Quartet), Glenn Alexander &
Shadowland, and Knockin’ On The Door (Glenn Alexander
& Shadowland). He has played everywhere from bars to
theaters, to concert halls, to stadiums, and live on both
radio and television. He has performed and/or recorded
with some of the biggest names in music, including: Chico
Hamilton, L. Shankar, Jan Hammer with The Mahavishnu
Project, The Max Weinberg 7 (Late Night With Conan
O’Brien), Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, Jon
Bon Jovi, Randy Brecker, Bruce Springsteen, Levon Helm,
Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, Tom Scott, Brenda
Russell, Regina Bell, Liza Minnelli, Deniese Williams,
Manolo Badrena (Weather Report), Dave LaRue and T
Lavitz (The Dixie Dregs), Gary U.S. Bonds, and many, many
others. Glenn has recorded on countless albums as a
sideman, recently appearing on jazz saxophone great Jon
Arabagon’s “Outright, Unhinged,” to which Downbeat gave
five stars and singled out the guitar work, calling it
“fusionistic, face-melting guitar solos.” Alexander has
served on the faculty of his alma mater, Wichita State
University, and The New School. SLC, 2017–
Jonathan Alexandratos Theatre
Alexandratos (they/them) is a non-binary storyteller
based in New York City, whose work typically lives at the
intersection of pop culture, queerness, and catharsis.
Being an Ingram New works Playwright at Nashville
Repertory Theatre from 2015- 2016, Alexandratos
explored their paternal ancestral past by bringing bootleg
superhero action figures alive onstage to tell the
immigration story of their maternal grandmother in an
immersive theatre experiment called We See What
Happen. When that season ended, their animal allegory
about friendship and Star Wars action figures, titled Duck,
opened in Strasbourg, France, which allowed them to work
with an international team on their deeply personal story.
In the following year, We See What Happen won the
Greenhouse Award from Strange Sun Theater, and they
received a New Works Grant from the Queens Council on
the Arts to tell their mother's immigration story. In doing
so, Alexandratos explored what it means to be Burrnesha,
an Albanian gender in which someone assigned female at
birth transitions to take on a socially masculine
comportment and status. Out of that, they devoted an
entire play, Turning Krasniqi, to the experience—one
deeply close to Alexandratos's life as a non-binary person
who is partly of Albanian descent. This play won the 2020
Parity Commission from Parity Productions and is now in
development. Beyond the stage, Alexandratos writes
academic essays about toys. They created the first edited
collection devoted entirely to scholarly work around action
figures, Articulating the Action Figure: Essays on the Toys
and Their Messages, out now from McFarland. They are
currently working on a book about the cultural impact of
fast-food kid’s meal toys. All of this serves Alexandratos's
belief that the small, neglected, or marginalized aspects of
life are actually among the most important threads in its
tapestry—and they use all tools at their disposal to
highlight that. SLC, 2022–
Andrew Algire Music (African Percussion)
University of Wisconsin. Currently, musical director of the
New York-based Feraba African Rhythm Tap; works with a
number of groups, including The Mandingo Ambassadors,
Kakande, The Afro-yorkers, Saida Fikri, and others.
Performs locally and internationally with several African
recording artists, including Sekouba Bambino and Oumou
Dioubate. Traveled to Europe, Cuba, Guinea, and Mali to
study and perform; received composition grants from
various New York arts foundations. Residencies
throughout New York and New England. SLC, 2017–
Bruce Alphenaar Mathematics
BS, Trinity College. PhD, Yale University. Author of
publications and patents in the fields of nanoscale device
FACULTY 201
physics, optoelectronic characterization of novel
materials, photovoltaics, and advanced concepts for logic
and memory applications. Recipient of research grants
from the National Science Foundation, US Department of
Defense, US Department of Energy, and NASA. Previously
taught at the University of Louisville and the University of
Cambridge, England. Industrial research experience at
Philips Research Laboratories (Eindhoven, The
Netherlands) and Hitchi (Cambridge, England and Tokyo,
Japan). SLC, 2022–
Abraham Anderson Philosophy
AB, Harvard College. PhD, Columbia University.
Fellowships at École Normale Supérieure and the
University of Munich. Interests in philosophy and history
of science, history of modern philosophy, and the
Enlightenment. Author of The Treatise of the Three
Impostors and the Problem of Enlightenment, as well as
articles on Kant, Descartes, and other topics. Contributor
to the new Kant-Lexikon. Has taught at the Collège
International de Philosophie, St. John’s College, Instituto
de Investigaciones Filosóficas, and elsewhere. SLC, 2007–
Chris Anderson Music (Trumpet)
BM, Manhattan School of Music. Lead trumpet and horn
arranger: Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, Allman
Brothers Band; Beacon Theater Residency, 2003-2015.
Co-founder, New York Horns. Lead trumpet: Donald Fagen
New York Rock and Soul Revue, 1991-92; Hector Lavoe,
1986-88; Ray Barretto, 1981-1986. Touring: Bruce
Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony,
Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Little Kids Rock Gala House
Band, Michael Bolton, Shadowland, S’Killit. Broadway:
Movin’ Out, In The Heights, Swing, The Full Monty, Beehive,
Bring in ‘da Noise Bring in ’da Funk. SLC, 2017–
William Anderson Music (Guitar)
BA, SUNY-Purchase. Performed at Tanglewood Festival
and with the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Players,
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and New York
Philharmonic. Guest on WNYC Leonard Lopate Show.
Featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, where excerpts
of his composition were broadcast throughout the United
States. His Djuna Barnes settings were orchestrated and
performed by the Riverside Symphony in 2015. Founder of
Cygnus Ensemble. SLC, 2017–
Emily Anhalt Classics, Literature, Greek (Ancient), Latin
AB, Dartmouth College. PhD, Yale University. Primary
interests are Greek epic and lyric poetry, Greek
historiography, Greek tragedy, and Greek and Roman
sexuality. Publications include: Embattled: How Ancient
Greek Myths Empower Us to Resist Tyranny (Stanford
University Press, 2021), Enraged: Why Violent Times Need
Ancient Greek Myths (Yale University Press, 2017), Solon
the Singer: Politics and Poetics (Lanham, MD, 1993), as
well as several articles on the poetics of metaphor in
Homer and on narrative techniques in Herodotus. SLC,
2004–
Yoshimi Arai Japanese
BA, Japan Women’s University, Tokyo. Japanese language
teaching certification, Aoyama Language School, Tokyo. A
passionate educator with myriad expertise—most
prominently in Japanese language and culture, including
cooking, art, and calligraphy as well as physical
fitness—Yoshimi is also a Zumba instructor, certified by
Zumba Fitness; an aqua exercise instructor, certified by
the Aquatic Exercise Association; and was a cooking
assistant to nationally acclaimed chef and cooking
instructor Tokiko Suzuki in Tokyo. In the United States, she
was a private Japanese language teacher for more than 70
students age 4 through 75, with proficiency ranging from
beginner to N1 (near native fluency) level, and a workshop
facilitator of Japanese cooking, calligraphy, and art for
workshops hosted throughout Westchester, including at
Sarah Lawrence College, the Hammond Museum and
Japanese Stroll Garden, and more than 10 public libraries
in the county. She is founder of Magokoro New York; her
original artwork features Yuzen Washi (mulberry paper).
From 2008-present, Yoshimi has been a Japanese
language tutor at Sarah Lawrence College; from
2008-2017, a private flute teacher; from 2015-present, a
Zumba exercise instructor at Fort Fitness, Fort
Montgomery, NY; from 2016-present, an aquatic exercise
instructor at Premier Athletic Club, Montrose, NY; and
from 2020-present, founder and lead instructor of the
original online exercise “Rejuvex.” In 2016, she was
translator for the documentary film Sense the Wind; and
from 2008-2018, she was a contributing writer for the
bimonthly magazine You-You in Osaka, Japan. Since
2008, Yoshimi has been chairman of the New York
Alumnae division of Japan Women’s University in Tokyo;
and since 2010, she has been a board member and
treasurer of the Croton Council on the Arts. SLC, 2022–
Neil Arditi Literature
BA, Yale University. MA, PhD, University of Virginia.
Special interests in British Romantic poetry; Romantic
legacies in Victorian, modern, and contemporary poetry;
aestheticism, pragmatism, and Jewish literary culture in
the 19th and 20th centuries. Essays and reviews published
in Raritan, Parnassus, Keats-Shelley Journal, Philosophy
and Literature, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Jewish
Review of Books, and Jewish-American Dramatists and
Poets. SLC, 2001–
Brandon Arroyo Film History
BA, Brooklyn College. MA, New York University. PhD,
Concordia University. Co-editor (with Tom Waugh) of I
Confess!: Constructing the Sexual Self in the Internet Age
(McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2019), as well as
articles published in Porn Studies, Queer Studies in Media
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& Popular Culture, MedisCommons, Communication,
Culture and Critique, ScreeningSex, Synoptique, and a
chapter in Handbook of Adult Film and Media (Intellect
Press, forthcoming). Primarily interested in theorizing
about adult media, aect theory, queer theory, and new
media. Currently working on a monograph about Cruising
(1980) and teaching at Queens College. SLC, 2023–
Masanori Asahara Dance
Nicole Asquith French
BA, Swarthmore College. Maîtrise, Université de Picardie.
PhD, Johns Hopkins University. Specialization in French
modern poetry, with an emphasis on poetry as a form of
social and political action. Other research and teaching
interests include cultural studies, environmental
humanities, ecocriticism, French theatre, opera, and hip-
hop. Articles published on Rimbaud, grati and French
hip-hop. SLC, 2024–
Genesis Báez Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. MFA, Yale
School of Art. An artist and educator based in Brooklyn,
New York, Báez's works are held in the public collections of
the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney
Museum of American Art, and Yale University Art Gallery,
among others. She has exhibited her work internationally,
most recently at the Whitney Museum. Báez is the
recipient of a recent NYFA Photography Fellowship and the
2022 Capricious Photo Award. Her first monograph is
slated to be published with Capricious in 2024. SLC,
2024–
Damani Baker Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. BA, MFA, University of
California-Los Angeles, School of Film and Television.
Baker’s more than 20-year directing career includes work
that spans museum exhibits, feature documentaries,
music videos, and advertising. Most recently, in his
critically acclaimed feature, The House on Coco Road
(acquired by Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY RELEASING), Baker
combines family Super-8 with archival news and family
interviews to weave his mother’s personal story with
broader historical threads to tell a story of migration and
the Grenada Revolution. The House On Coco Road and his
first feature, Still Bill, on the life and music of the
legendary Bill Withers have been critically acclaimed and
have enjoyed worldwide distribution on Showtime, Netflix,
and BBC. With Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Damani has
directed more than 20 films for museums worldwide,
featuring notables such as President Bill Clinton, Kofi
Annan, and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—all stories
rooted in understanding the human story and its
connection to place. Baker has been featured in The New
York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and Time
Out. His upcoming projects include a series for MAX
Network and a new feature documentary that spans the
globe, building connections within the African diaspora. A
tenured professor at Sarah Lawrence College, he teaches
filmmaking to a diverse group of creatives, ensuring that
the stories from all communities continue to be told with
grace, dignity, and power. SLC, 2003–
Jen Baker Music (Trombone)
BM, Oberlin Conservatory. MFA, Mills College. Trombonist/
composer. Awards: ASCAP Plus Award, 2012, 2013; Meet
the Composer award, 2012. Member, International
Alliance of Women Musicians, International Society of
Improvised Music, and International Trombone
Association. Author: Hooked on Multiphonics. (July 2016).
Collaborates with artists throughout the world in site-
specific, mixed-media performances, concert halls, solo
and chamber commissions. Featured on the soundtrack to
Werner Herzog’s Oscar-nominated Encounters at the End
of the World. Toured with Arijit Singh, Karole Armitage,
Mansour, new music ensembles S.E.M. and TILT brass, and
the mobile ensemble Asphalt Orchestra (founding
member). SLC, 2017–
Liv Baker Biology
BA, Mount Holyoke College. MSc, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst. PhD, University of British
Columbia, Vancouver. A conservation behaviorist and
expert in wild animal wellbeing, her research focuses on
human-animal relationships and how individual animals
engage with their environments; the roles wild animals
have in the health of their social groups, cultures, and
populations—exploring the similar patterns of well-being
and behavior seen across the animal kingdom; seeing that
animals want to learn about and hold sway over their lives;
that good psychological health corresponds to good
physical health; that social context matters; and that
positive emotions and challenges are not luxuries but are
integral elements to being alive. Conservation and well-
being research involves a range of wild animals, including
elephants, primates, arachnids, rodents, and macropods.
Select recent publications include, “Psycho-ecological
autonomy and wildness: An observational study of
rewilded Asian elephants in Thailand (forthcoming);
“Conservation, Animal Well-being, and Indigenous
Participation at an Elephant Sanctuary in Mondulkiri,
Cambodia” (2023); “Ethics, Well-being, and Wild Lives
(2023); “Asian elephant rescue, rehabilitation, and
rewilding” (2020). SLC, 2023–
Yevgeniya Baras Visual and Studio Arts (on leave Fall 24)
BA, MS, University of Pennsylvania. MFA, School of the Art
Institute of Chicago. An artist working in New York, Baras
has exhibited her work at galleries that include: White
Columns, New York; The Landing, Los Angeles; Reyes Finn
Gallery, Detroit; Gavin Brown Enterprise, New York; Nicelle
Beauchene, New York; Mother Gallery, New York; Inman
Gallery, Houston; Sperone Westwater Gallery, New York;
Thomas Erben Gallery, New York; the Pit, Los Angeles; and
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Soco, Charlotte—as well as internationally at NBB Gallery,
Berlin; Julien Cadet Gallery, Paris; and Station Gallery,
Sydney. She is represented by Sargent’s Daughters in New
York and Los Angeles. Baras received the Pollock-Krasner
grant in 2023 and 2018 and was named Senior Fulbright
Scholar for 2022/2023. She was a recipient of the New
York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in 2021 and
Guggenheim Fellowship in 2019; was selected for the
Chinati Foundation Residency in 2018 and the Yaddo
Residency in 2017; and received the Artadia Prize and was
selected for the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program and the
MacDowell Colony residency in 2015. In 2014, Baras was
named a recipient of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation’s
Emerging Artist Prize. Her work has been reviewed in The
New York Times, Los Angeles Times, ArtForum, The New
York Review of Books, and Art in America. She co-founded
and co-curated Regina Rex Gallery on the Lower East Side
of New York (2010-2018). SLC, 2018–
Sophie Barbasch Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Brown University. MFA, Rhode Island School of Design.
A New York-based photographer, Barbasch has exhibited
internationally. Her selected grants and residencies
include Light Work, the Bemis Center for Contemporary
Arts, and a Fulbright Fellowship to Brazil. SLC, 2021-
Carl Barenboim Psychology
BA, Clark University. PhD, University of Rochester. Special
interest in the child’s developing ability to reason about
the social world, as well as the relation between children’s
social thinking and social behavior; articles and chapters
on children’s perspective-taking, person perception,
interpersonal problem solving, and the ability to infer
carelessness in others; past member, Board of Consulting
Editors, Developmental Psychology; principal investigator,
grant from the National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development. SLC, 1988–
Deanna Barenboim Anthropology, Psychology, Child
Development
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MA, PhD, University of
Chicago. Special interests in political/legal anthropology
and medical/psychiatric anthropology; transnational
migration, diaspora, and mobilities; race, ethnicity, and
indigeneity; urbanism, space, and place; expressive
culture; new media; Maya peoples, languages, and
cultures; Mexico and Latin America; North America.
Recipient of grants and fellowships from US Department
of Education, Fulbright, and National Science Foundation.
SLC, 2009–2017; 2018–
Itziar Barrio Theatre
A multimedia artist and educator based in New York City,
Barrio's survey exhibition, By All Means, was curated by
Johanna Burton (director of The Museum of
Contemporary Art, MOCA, in Los Angeles and former
curator at the New Museum) at Azkuna Zentroa, Bilbao
(2018). Barrio’s long-term project, The Perils of Obedience
(2010 - 2022), merges dierent media to generate a
movie in real time—participating in a larger debate about
labor conditions and subjectivity—and It recently
premiered at Participant Inc. in New York City. Her work
has been presented internationally at MACRO Museum
(Rome), Matadero Madrid, MACBA Museum (Barcelona),
Belgrade's Contemporary Art Museum, Museo del Banco
de la República (Bogotá), Abrons Arts Center (NYC),
Anthology Films Archives (NYC), Salzburger Kunstverein,
Espacio ODEÓN (Bogotá), Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk
(Poland), tranzit (Romania), European Network for Public
Art Producers (ENPAP), ARTIUM Museum (Vitoria-
Gasteiz), and the Havana Biennial, among many others.
Barrio is a New Museum’s cultural incubator, NEW INC
member (2020-2022), and was a 2018-2019 recipient of
the Spanish Academy in Rome Fellowship (Rome prize).
She has received awards and grants by institutions that
include the Brooklyn Art Council, Ministry of Culture of
Spain, New York City Department of Cultural Aairs,
Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York Foundation
for the Arts, and BBVA Foundation. She has been an artist
in residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and
Sculpture, the International Studio & Curatorial Program
(ISCP), La Escuelita Nicaragua, and the Hudson Valley
Center for Contemporary Art. She teaches at the School of
Visual Arts and has lectured at New York University,
Hunter College, MICA, Montclair University, and the New
School, among many others. SLC, 2022–
Katie Bell Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Knox College. MFA, Rhode Island School of Design. Bell
has shown her work at a variety of venues, including
Spencer Brownstone Gallery (New York City), Kavi Gupta
Gallery (Chicago, IL), Smack Mellon (Brooklyn, NY),
Locust Projects (Miami, FL), Hallwalls Contemporary Arts
Center (Bualo, NY), the Brooklyn Academy of Music
(Brooklyn, NY), and the deCordova Sculpture Park and
Museum (Lincoln, MA). Her work has been written about
in BOMB Magazine, Whitewall, Hyperallergic, Artnet,
Sculpture Magazine, and Art in America. In 2011, Bell was
an artist-in-residence at the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art
Foundation’s Space Program. She was awarded a
fellowship in painting by the New York Foundation for the
Arts and, in 2016, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial Fellowship.
Bell lives and works in New York, NY. She is currently
teaching at Drew University and Sarah Lawrence College.
SLC 2021–
Roy Ben-Shai Philosophy (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Tel-Aviv University. MA, PhD, New School for Social
Research. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship, Haverford
College. Interests in 19th- and 20th-century Continental
philosophy—in particular, Nietzsche, Heidegger,
existentialism, and poststructuralism—and in the history
of philosophy more broadly. Author of Critique of Critique
204 Faculty
(Stanford University Press, 2023); co-editor of
Synontology: The Ontology of Relations, a special issue of
Philosophy Today (2023); and co-editor of The Politics of
Nihilism: From the Nineteenth Century to Contemporary
Israel (Bloomsbury Academic, 2014). Published essays in
Telos, The European Legacy, and The Journal of French and
Francophone Philosophy, among others. SLC, 2018–
Claudia Bitrán Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, Universidad Catolica de Chile. MFA, Rhode Island
School of Design. Bitrán, who works primarily through
painting and video, has exhibited individually at Cristin
Tierney Gallery in NY (2022), Walter Storms Galerie in
Munich (2020-2021), Spring Break Art Show in NY
(2020), Muhlenberg College Gallery (2018-2019)
and Practice Gallery in PA (2018), Brooklyn Bridge Park in
NY (2018), Roswell Museum and Arts Center in New
Mexico (2017), and Museo de Artes Visuales in Santiago
Chile (2016), among others. She has also participated in
numerous group exhibitions and screenings
internationally. Bitrán has held residencies at Pioneer
Works (2021), Skowhegan School of Painting and
Sculpture (2014), Bemis Center for Contemporary
Arts (2014), Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program (2016),
Smack Mellon Studio Program (2017), Outpost
Projects (2018), and Pioneer Works (2020-2021). Grants
and awards include: The New York Trust Van Lier
Fellowship; Hammersley Grant, Emergency Grant for
Artists Foundation for Contemporary Arts; Jerome
Foundation Grant for Emerging Filmmakers; first prize,
Britney Spears Dance Challenge; first prize,
UFO McDonald’s Painting Competition; first honorable
mention, Bienal de Artes Mediales, Museo de Bellas Artes,
Santiago, Chile. She currently teaches in the painting
departments at Rhode Island School of Design and at Pratt
Institute and is a guest critic at NYC Crit Club in NY and
at SIA in Beijing. SLC, 2022-
Emily Bloom Literature
BA, Washington University in St Louis. MA, Boston College.
PhD, University of Texas at Austin. Special interests
include 20th-century British and Irish literature, media
studies, the history of technology, and disability studies.
Author of The Wireless Past: Anglo-Irish Writers and the
BBC, 1931-1968 (Oxford University Press, 2016), which
was awarded the First Book Prize by the Modernist
Studies Association, and, most recently, I Cannot Control
Everything Forever: A Memoir of Motherhood, Science, and
Art (St. Martin’s Press, 2024). SLC, 2021–
Tei Blow Theatre
A performer and media designer born in Japan, raised in
the United States, and based in Brooklyn, New York, Blow’s
work incorporates photography, video, and sound with a
focus on found media artifacts. He has performed and
designed for The Laboratory of Dmitry Krymov, Mikhail
Baryshnikov, Jodi Melnick, Ann Liv Young, Big Dance
Theater, David Neumann, and Deganit Shemy & Company.
He also performs as Frustrator on Enemies List Recordings
and is one-half of Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble. Blow’s
work has been featured at Hartford Stage, Dance Theater
Workshop, Lincoln Center Festival, The Kitchen, BAM, The
Public Theater, Kate Werble Gallery, Baryshnikov Arts
Center, Wadsworth Atheneum, and at theatres around the
world. He is the recipient of a 2015 New York Dance and
Performance “Bessie” Award for Outstanding Sound
Design. Blow composed the sound score for I Understand
Everything Better by dancer and choreographer David
Neumann, in which Blow also performed; the piece won a
2015 New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award
for Outstanding Production. Blow’s most recent
production with Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, The Art of
Luv Part I: Elliot, premiered in The Public Theater’s Under
the Radar Festival in January, 2016; it was reviewed in The
New York Times. Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble is the
recipient of a 2016 Creative Capital award. SLC, 2016–
Kirsten Brown Music
Joseph Buckley Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Goldsmiths, University of London. MFA, Yale School of
Art. An artist based in New York City, Buckley’s work
brings a formidable knowledge of science-fictional
premises, traumas, and catastrophes into uncomfortable
proximity with contemporary class and race politics.
Through a critical sculptural practice, he foregrounds the
violence of fabrication as an analogue for the social
reproduction of inequality, bigotry, and ecological collapse.
Selected solo projects include Despair Engine, Island
Gallery, New York City; Cannibal Galaxies, Specialist
Gallery, Seattle; Letter From the Home Oce, Lock Up
International, London; Traitor Muscle, Art in General, New
York; and Brotherhood Tapestry, The Tetley, Leeds.
Selected group exhibitions include: The Secret Realm of
Thrills and Concealment, Afternoon Projects/BROWNIE
Project, Shanghai; Phantom Sculpture, Warwick Arts
Centre, Coventry; Poor Things, Fruitmarket, Edinburgh;
Friends & Family, Anton Kern Gallery, New York; Trouble in
Outer Heaven: Portable Ops Plus, Southwark Park Gallery,
London; and I Don’t Know Whether The Earth is Spinning
or Not..., Museum of Moscow, Moscow. In 2021, he
received a Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship. Buckley also
teaches in the Sculpture Departments at Brooklyn College
and Yale School of Art. SLC, 2024–
Melvin Jules Bukiet Writing
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MFA, Columbia University.
Author of Sandman’s Dust, Stories of an Imaginary
Childhood, While the Messiah Tarries, After, Signs and
Wonders, Strange Fire, and A Faker’s Dozen; editor of
Neurotica, Nothing Makes You Free, and Scribblers on the
Roof. Works have been translated into a half-dozen
languages and frequently anthologized; winner of the
Edward Lewis Wallant Award and other prizes; stories
FACULTY 205
published in Antaeus, The Paris Review, and other
magazines; essays published in The New York Times,
Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other
newspapers. SLC, 1993–
Scott Calvin Physics
BA, University of California-Berkeley. PhD, Hunter College.
Taught courses or workshops at Lowell High School,
University of San Francisco, University of California-
Berkeley, Hayden Planetarium, Southern Connecticut
State University, Hunter College, Stanford Synchrotron
Radiation Lightsource, Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Argonne National Laboratory, Ghent University in Belgium,
the Synchrotron Light Research Institute in Thailand,
Sarah Lawrence College, and Lehman College. Currently
Pre-Health Program Director at Lehman College of the City
University of New York. Authored XAFS for Everyone, a
textbook on X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Beyond
Curie: Four Women in Physics and Their Remarkable
Discoveries, 1903 to 1963. Co-authored Cartoon Physics: A
Graphic Novel Guide to Solving Physics Problems and
Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry, a best-
selling chemistry-test prep book. Co-designed and
produced an artisanal pop-up book promoting the National
Synchrotron Light Source II facility. SLC, 2003–2017;
2022–
Lorayne Carbon Director, Early Childhood
Center—Psychology
BA, State University of New York-Bualo. MSEd, Bank
Street College of Education. Lorayne Carbon has been the
Director of the Early Childhood Center since 2003.
Lorayne is a graduate of SUNY Bualo and holds a MSEd
from Bank Street College of Education. Her prior work
includes teaching Head Start, preschool and kindergarten
and directing childcare programs in Westchester County.
Lorayne was an adjunct for many years at Westchester
Community College, teaching coursework in early
childhood foundations and curriculum. She has facilitated
the graduate advisement seminar in the Art of Teaching
graduate program and is a faculty advisory member of the
SLC Child Development Institute. Supporting children and
families within a caring, kind community, coupled with the
ability to nurture the progressive, play based program at
the Early Childhood Center is what keeps Lorayne excited
about the work she does on a daily basis. SLC, 2003–
David Castriota Art History
BA, New York University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Special interests in Greek art of the classical
and Hellenistic periods, Roman art of the late republic and
early empire, and the art of prehistoric Europe; author of
Myth, Ethos, and Actuality: Ocial Art in Fifth-Century B.C.
Athens, The Ara Pacis Augustae and the Imagery of
Abundance in Later Greek and Early Roman Imperial Art,
and a critical commentary on Alois Riegl’s Problems of
Style: Foundations for a History of Ornament; editor of
Artistic Strategy and the Rhetoric of Power: Political Uses
of Art from Antiquity to the Present; recipient of
fellowships from the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Early
Christian and Byzantine Art and the Society of Fellows of
Columbia University and of grants from the National
Endowment for the Humanities and the American
Philosophical Society. SLC, 1992–
Mallory Catlett Theatre
An Obie and Bessie award-winning creator/director of
performance across disciplines from opera to installation
art, Catlett’s work in New York has premiered and been
performed at 3LD, HERE, Ontological-Hysteric, PS122,
Abrons, Chocolate Factory, and EMPAC; featured at COIL,
Prototype, and BAM’s Next Wave; developed at
CultureHub, Barishnykov Arts, Pioneer Works, Watermill
Center, McDowell, Performing Garage, HERE, Mabou
Mines, LMCC, EMPAC, and Yaddo; and toured
internationally to Canada, France, United Kingdom,
Ireland, and Australia. She has received three MAP Fund
grants, two NYSCA Commissions, a 2016 Creative Capital
Grant, and a 2015 Foundation for the Contemporary Arts
Grants to Artists Award. Catlett is the founder of Restless
Production NYC (restlessproductionsnyc.org), an
associate artist at CultureHub, a member of the
Collapsable Hole (an artist-run development and
performance venue), and the newly appointed co-artistic
director of Mabou Mines. She has written about her work
in Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre
Magazine, Performance Research, and PAJ. Her first book,
co-written with Aaron Landsman and called No One Is
Qualified: a Primer for Participation, will be published in
2022 by Iowa University Press. SLC, 2021–
Janet Charleston Dance
MFA, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Charleston has enjoyed working for many years in dance
as a performer, teacher, choreographer and rehearsal
director. She is currently dancing with Baye & Asa,
Christopher Williams, Douglas Dunn, and Taylor Stanley/
Alec Knight. Charleston danced with the Lucinda Childs
Dance Company for many years and performed in the 1992
world tour of Einstein on the Beach. Other artists she has
worked with include Chamecki/Lerner, Kota Yamazaki,
David Parker, RoseAnne Spradlin, Stephen Koester, and
June Finch. Invited by Merce Cunningham to teach at his
studio in 2001, she currently teaches for the Cunningham
Trust and independently, and is on faculty for the
Cunningham Technique Teacher Training Program. Other
teaching engagements have included Sarah Lawrence
College, Barnard College, SUNY Purchase, the Jorey Jazz
and Contemporary Trainee Program, SEAD (Salzburg,
Austria), and El Centro Cultural Los Talleres (Mexico City).
Charleston has also taught yoga and movement for
children and the elderly. Her work has been presented at
venues in New York City, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa,
206 Faculty
Arizona, and South America. A Fulbright Scholar in
Santiago, Chile in 2008, she subsequently served as Peer
Reviewer in Dance for the Fulbright organization. SLC,
2019–
Eileen Ka-May Cheng Sara Yates Exley Chair in Teaching
Excellence—History (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Harvard University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale University.
Special interest in early American history, with an
emphasis on the American Revolution and the early
American republic; European and American intellectual
history; and historiography. Author of The Plain and Noble
Garb of Truth: Nationalism and Impartiality in American
Historical Writing, 1784-1860 and Historiography: An
Introductory Guide; editor, Classic Texts in Context,
Bloomsbury History: Theory and Method Digital Resource;
author of articles and book reviews for History and Theory,
Early American Studies, Journal of American History,
Reviews in American History, Journal of the Early Republic,
American Historical Review, and Women’s Review of
Books. SLC, 1999–
Kim Christensen Economics
BA, Earlham College. PhD, University of Massachusetts-
Amherst. Taught economics and women’s/gender studies
(1985-2010) at SUNY-Purchase, where she received the
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished College
Teaching. Christensen has taught economics, labor
history, gender studies, and public policy at Sarah
Lawrence since 2008. Her research focuses on the
intersection of economics with public-policy issues, with a
particular emphasis on issues of race, gender, class, and
labor; e.g., the changes in diverse women’s occupational
positions in the postwar era, the economics of campaign-
finance regulation, organizing precarious/gig workers, and
proposals for worker representation in US corporations.
SLC, 2008–
Una Chung Literature
BA, University of California-Berkeley. PhD, Graduate
Center of the City University of New York. Published
essays in Beyond Biopolitics: Essays on the Governance of
Life and Death (Duke University Press, 2011), Journal for
Comparative Philosophy, and Women’s Studies Quarterly.
SLC, 2007–
Lisa Clair Theatre
BA, Bard College. Certificate of Completion in Clown, The
Burlesk Center, Locarno, Switzerland. MFA, Brooklyn
College. A New York based playwright, performer and
educator, Clair makes work under the name Lisa Clair
Group—a collective of performers, musicians, and
designers who collaborate across disciplines to create live,
experimental performance. Clair is a New Georges-
aliated artist and a 2020/21 New Georges Audrey
Resident, as well as an aliated artist with Immediate
Medium/AGENCY. Her work has been presented at The
Collapsable Hole, Target Margin Theater, SPRING/BREAK
art show, The SFX Festival@The Wild Project, The
Bushwick Starr Reading Series, Ars Nova, Dixon Place,
JACK, The Performance Project at University Settlement,
and The Silent Barn. Her play, Willa's Authentic Self, is
slated to have a 2023 world premiere in partnership with
Immediate Medium. She is also a voice over artist, having
voiced numerous animated and commercial characters.
SLC, 2022-
Julia Clark Japanese
BA, Carleton College. PhD, University of California, Los
Angeles. Primary area of specialization: postwar and
contemporary Japanese literature. Special interests
include the cultural production of ethnic minorities in
Japan, literary multilingualism and “Japanophone”
literature, representations of urban space, and
transnational feminisms. Articles include “‘Poems of
Flesh’: Rethinking Zainichi Women’s Literary History
Through the Works of So Shugetsu” (2023) and “Ikaino’s
Afterlives: The Legacies of Landscape in the Fiction of Kim
Yujeong” (2023). SLC, 2024–
Richard C. Clark Psychology
University of California Santa Cruz. PhD candidate, CUNY
Graduate Center. Clark (they, she, her) is a community
activist, researcher, and professor whose work broadly
deals with engaging in collective forms of resistance and
holding human complexity. Her current work interrogates
what it means to decenter whiteness while navigating
experience, identity, standardization, hierarchy, and other
social systems. Clark uses organizing, teaching, and
research in order to heal from, resist against, and dream
beyond the legacies of violence we exist in. She also
teaches at City College of New York. SLC, 2022-
Heather Cleary Spanish, Literature (on leave for 24-25)
BA, MA, New York University. PhD, Columbia University.
Special interests include contemporary Latin American
culture and the theory and practice of translation.
Scholarly publications include The Translator‘s Visibility:
Scenes from Contemporary Latin American Fiction
(Bloomsbury, 2021) and essays published in Hispanic
Review and Mutatis Mutandis; translations include more
than a dozen volumes of poetry and prose by Brenda
Lozano, Sergio Chejfec, Betina González, Mario Bellatin,
and Oliverio Girondo, among others. SLC 2015–
Shamus Clisset Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, The College of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Digital artist
and master printer working with 3D modeling, rendering,
and multidisciplinary digital media. Exhibitions include
Galerie Jette Rudolph and Galerie Thomas Flor, both in
Berlin, and Tracy Williams, Ltd. in New York. Recent
projects include Empties at Caesura Gallery (Caesura.cc)
and FakeShamus: Manifest Destinaut, featured in
BEAUTIFUL/DECAY Book 8: Strange Daze. As a master
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printer, he has produced exhibition prints for galleries and
museums all over the world, including MoMA, The
Guggenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and
SFMoMA. Recent highlights include prints for the Maurizio
Cattelan retrospective at The Guggenheim and the first
solo show of photographs by the late war photographer,
Tim Hetherington, at Yossi Milo in New York. SLC, 2012–
Kevin Confoy Theatre, Theatre MFA Program (on leave
Spring 25)
BA, Rutgers College. Certificate, London Academy of
Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Graduate, The
Conservatory at the Classic Stage Company (CSC),
Playwrights Horizons Theatre School Directing Program.
Actor, director, and producer of O Broadway and regional
productions; resident director, Forestburgh Playhouse;
producer/producing artistic director, Sarah Lawrence
theatre program (1994-2008); executive producer,
Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York (1992-94); associate
artistic director, Elysium Theatre Company, New York
(1990-92); manager, development/marketing
departments of Circle Repertory Company, New York.
Recipient of two grants from the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation; OBIE Award, Outstanding Achievement O
and O-O Broadway (producer, E.S.T. Marathon of One-
Act Plays); nomination, Drama Desk Award, Outstanding
Revival of a Play (acting company); director, first (original)
productions of 13 published plays. SLC, 1994–
Matthew Cooper German
BA, University of California–Riverside. MA, PhD, University
of California–Irvine. Special interests include German
idealism, with emphasis on aesthetic idealism and
Schelling’s philosophy of art; Naturphilosophie; German
Romanticism; and representations of nature in German
tragic drama. Current research is in the environmental
humanities, ecocriticism, and ecophenomenology. SLC,
2023–
Michael Cramer Film History
BA, Columbia University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale University.
Author of several articles on European cinema and
television and the book Utopian Television: Roberto
Rossellini, Peter Watkins, and Jean-Luc Godard Beyond
Cinema (University of Minnesota Press, 2017). Special
interests in film and media theory, European cinema of the
1960s and ’70s, contemporary world cinema, the
relationship of cinema and television, documentary and
nonfiction cinema, and the politics of aesthetics. SLC,
2015–
Drew E. Cressman Biology (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Swarthmore College. PhD, University of Pennsylvania.
Special interest in the molecular basis of gene regulation
and the control of gene expression; specifically focused on
the control of antigen-presenting genes of the immune
system and the subcellular localization of the regulatory
protein CIITA; author of papers on mammalian liver
regeneration and CIITA activity; recipient of grants from
the Irvington Institute for Biomedical Research and the
National Science Foundation. SLC, 2000–
Timothy Cryan Theatre
MFA, NYU Tisch Design. As a New York-based lighting
designer specializing in dance and theatre, whose work
has been seen in the United States and Europe, Cryan has
had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of artists,
including: the Berkshire Fringe, BodyStories Teresa Fellion
Dance, Bryn Cohn + Artists, Caborca Theatre Company,
Danspace Project, Delirious Dances, Fiasco Theatre
Company, Fusionworks Dance Company, Erwin Maas, the
Nature Theatre of Oklahoma, and Netta Yerushalmy. He
has toured as a lighting supervisor for the Martha Graham
Dance Company, as well as Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel
Performance Group and Bridgeman Packer Dance. Cryan
has taught classes on design and collaboration at Hunter
College, Providence College, the Dalton School, Bard
College at Simon’s Rock, and LIU Brooklyn. SLC, 2023–
Stephen Tyler Davis Theatre
BA, University of Alabama. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
A New York-based multi-hyphen artist from Huntsville,
Alabama, committed to connecting communities and
inspiring joy through theatre and music, Davis has worked
over the past decade as a director, teacher, writer,
performer, producer, and designer at colleges, regional
theatres, New York Musical Theatre Festival, and New York
International Fringe Festival. He is the author of plays,
poetry, and original musicals, such as Huckleberry
Haywood, Bird Brain, Bad Kiss, Little Trees, Rusty the
Robot, Stargazing With Helen Keller, and Lights Out in
Cootah County, as well as an original shadow puppetry
adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Davis has toured the
United States for three seasons with TheatreWorks USA
and can be found daily as a singing hologram on Broadway
at Ripley’s Museum in Times Square. He is a founder and
artistic director of CitySalt Theatricals, an ordained
minister, ASCAP songwriter, and a member of the Actors
Equity Association. SLC, 2017–
Cat Dawson Art History
BA, Smith College. MBA, IE Business School, Madrid,
Spain. PhD, University of Bualo. Dawson works at the
intersection of an art historian and a scholar of gender and
sexuality studies and explores the relationships of culture,
technology, and subjectivity. They are currently working on
their second book, Trans Form, which articulates a trans
method for art history. Their first book, Monumental: Race,
Representation, Redress, will be published by MIT Press in
2024. SLC, 2023–
Lauren DeLeon Theatre
BA, SUNY Purchase. MA, New York University. DeLeon is
an American-Uruguayan intimacy director/coordinator,
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director, and teacher from Miami, Florida. As an intimacy
choreographer, she has worked with Queens College,
Weston Playhouse Theatre, New York University, The New
School, BRIC, Columbia University, and Downstage at SLC,
as well as multiple short films. As a director, her work has
been presented at INTAR, The Wild Project, Nuyorican
Poets Cafe, The Flea, Pregones Theater, Harlem 9 Inc., and
Adelphi University. DeLeon teaches intimacy direction
with IDC Professionals and has taught and co-taught
introductory intimacy workshops at The American
Academy for Dramatic Arts and New York University. She
worked in Development at both The Lark Theatre and
Manhattan Theatre Club and was a resident director at
The Flea, a member of Roundabout Theatre’s 2019-2020
Emerging Director’s Group, and part of Roundabout’s
Refocus Project Artistic Council. Currently, she is the co-
captain of Culture and Accountability, as well as the
resident intimacy director at The Fled Collective. SLC,
2021–
Alessandra Di Croce Art History
BA, University of Rome La Sapienza. MA, University of
Rome La Sapienza and Columbia University; PhD,
Columbia University. Di Croce works in the area of early-
modern visual and material culture, investigating how
artifacts and art objects can help address historical
questions regarding ideology, power, cultural and religious
identity. She has published in Italian journals and in the
edited volume Re-Thinking, Re-Making, Re-Living
Christian Origins (Rome 2018). She is currently
completing an article, “Negotiating Truth in Post-
Tridentine Culture: Ars Historica, Rhetoric, and Narrative
Art in late Cinquecento Rome.” Her book project, entitled
Fragments of Truth. Evidence and Imagination in post-
Tridentine Representation of Christian Antiquity, was
awarded a competitive research grant from the University
Grant Committee (UGC) of Hong Kong in June 2021.
Before joining Sarah Lawrence, Di Croce was research
assistant professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong
and lecturer in Art History at Columbia University. She has
also taught several courses in Western art history at New
York University School for Professional Studies and at
Parsons School of Art and Design in New York, as well as
seminars on Latin paleography at the Frick Art Reference
Library. From 2015 to 2018, she collaborated as research
assistant with the Frick Collection. Before moving to New
York, she worked at the Superintendence for the Artistic
Patrimony in Rome, where she was involved in many
curatorial projects that included large-scale exhibitions
and cataloguing campaigns. SLC, 2022–
Ellen Di Giovanni French
BA, Tufts University. Licence ès Lettres, Université Paris 8.
MA, Columbia University. Special interest in the use of
literary texts as source material for the stage. Creator of
How to Write a Letter, an ensemble-based theatre piece
based on the 17th-century letters of Marie de Rabutin-
Chantal, Madame de Sévigné. SLC, 2019-
Mary Dillard History
BA, Stanford University. MA, PhD, University of California,
Los Angeles. Major Cultures Fellow, Columbia University
Society of Fellows in the Humanities. Special interests
include West African social history, the history of science
in Africa, women’s history; gender, health care, and
education. Courses in oral history and public history.
Recipient of grants from the Spencer Foundation, National
Endowment for Humanities at the Library of Congress for
“American Immigration Revisited,” Mellon Public
Humanities in partnership with the Hudson River Museum.
Director of SLC’s Graduate MA Program in Women’s
History, 2016-2021. Commissioner, Yonkers Commission
for Human Rights, 2023-. SLC, 2001––
Sarah DiMaggio Philosophy
BA, Lebanon Valley College. PhD, Vanderbilt University.
DiMaggio specializes in environmental philosophy and
ethics, with a focus on feminist approaches to animal
ethics, environmental ethics, and climate justice. Her
current book project explores the notion of kinship in
animal ethics and environmental ethics. SLC, 2022-
Beth Ann Ditko Biology
BA, Yale University. MD, The Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine. Former surgical oncologist at New York-
Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical
Center; Department of Surgery, College of Physicians &
Surgeons, Columbia University. Author of The Thyroid
Guide (HarperCollins, 2000) and Why Don’t Your
Eyelashes Grow? Curious Questions Kids Ask About the
Human Body (Penguin, 2008). SLC, 2010–
Natalia Dizenko Russian
Jerrilynn Dodds Art History
BA, Barnard College. MA, PhD, Harvard University. Dodds's
scholarly work is centered on transculturation in the arts
and how religious groups—in particular Christians, Jews,
and Muslims—form identities through art and
architecture. Among her publications are: Architecture and
Ideology in Early Medieval Spain; NY Masjid: The Mosques
of New York; and, as co-author, Arts of Intimacy:
Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Making of Castilian
Culture. Dodds edited the catalogue Al Andalus: The Arts
of Islamic Spain and co-curated that exhibition at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Alhambra in
Granada; she was curatorial consultant of the exhibition
The Arts of Medieval Spain at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, and co-curated Convivencia: The Arts of Jews,
Christians and Muslims in Medieval Iberia, among other
publications and exhibitions. She has written and directed
films in conjunction with museum exhibitions and for
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wider audiences. In 2018, she was knighted by the
government of Spain as the recipient of the Cruz de la
Orden de Mérito Civil (Cross of the Order of Civil Merit).
Dean of the College, 2009-15. SLC, 2009–
Roland Dollinger German, Literature
BA, University of Augsburg, Germany. MA, University of
Pittsburgh. PhD, Princeton University. Special interest in
20th-century German and Austrian literature; author of
Totalität und Totalitarismus: Das Exilwerk Alfred Döblins
and several essays and book reviews on 19th- and 20th-
century German literature; co-editor of Unus Mundus:
Kosmos and Sympathie, Naturphilosophie, and Philosophia
Naturalis. SLC, 1989–
Danielle Dorvil Spanish
BA, Drew University. MA, PhD, Vanderbilt University.
Special interests include Caribbean and Latin American
literatures and cultures since the 19th century; Afro-Latin
American, Caribbean, and Latinx fictions; women’s and
gender studies; ethnic and race studies; nationalism; film
studies; ecocriticism; and ecofeminism. Scholarly
publications appeared in A Contracorriente and Journal of
Haitian Studies. SLC, 2023–
Charlotte L. Doyle Psychology
BA, Temple University. MA, PhD, University of Michigan. A
generalist in psychology with special interests in the
creative process, psychological theory, and children’s
literature. Articles written on the creative process in art,
the fiction-writing episode, facilitating creativity in
children, and the definition of psychology. Books include
Explorations in Psychology (a textbook) and seven picture
books for children: Hello Baby, Freddie’s Spaghetti,
Where’s Bunny’s Mommy?, You Can’t Catch Me, Twins!,
Supermarket!, and The Bouncing Dancing Galloping ABC.
Her most recent book in psychology, The Creative Process:
Stories from the Arts and Sciences, was published in 2022.
SLC, 1966–
Heather Drastal Theatre
BA, BS (with Honors), C. W. Post Long Island University.
MA, New York University. Drastal served as general
manager for LIU Post Theatre Company since 2005, where
she oversaw all aspects of production and supervised
management students. She recently managed
international productions of Thou Art Thou (IUTA-
Manizales, Colombia), Conditions of Love (Edinburgh
International Fringe Festival), and Re-Membering
Antigone, (winner of five national awards at the 2012
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival,
touring to Woodstock Playhouse and The International
Theatre Festival in Montreal, Canada). She also managed
Third Child: Orestes Revisited at the New York
International Fringe Festival (as well the IUTA Conference
in Urbino, Italy, and The Prague International Fringe
Festival). As education director for several New York City-
based classical theatre companies—including LITC:
Classics On Tour, The American Globe Theatre, and The
National Shakespeare Company—Drastal structured
programming, trained and mentored teaching artists, and
developed and managed touring performances and
workshops. She has worked as a teaching artist, theatre
teacher, actor, stage manager, technician, and group life
counselor for at-risk teenage girls. She has presented
workshops on new techniques for teaching Shakespeare
at Stage The Change, NYSTEA (New York University) and
Balanced Mind and has been a guest lecturer at both
Brooklyn College and LIU Post. As coordinator for the
Institute for Arts & Culture at LIU, she worked to establish
a satellite of Lincoln Center’s Institute for Aesthetic
Education on Long Island. he holds a BA Education and BS
in Theatre (with Honors) from C.W. Post Long Island
University, and MA in Educational Theatre from New York
University. Drastal has served as a mentor for high-school
theatre students through the NYCDOE and is New York
State-certified to teach both English and theatre to grades
K-12. SLC, 2022-
Amalle Dublon Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Studies
BA, Swarthmore College. PhD, Duke University.
Publications include essays in GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian
and Gay Studies, TDR: The Drama Review, Art in America,
and Movement Research Performance Journal. Dublon
also helps organize I Wanna Be With You Everywhere, a
serial gathering of disabled artists and writers. SLC 2024–
Scott Duce Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BFA, University of Utah. MFA, Boston University. Visual
artist with multiple awards and grants, including a
National Endowment for the Arts artist grant. Exhibitions
include solo exhibits in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta,
Boston, and internationally in Paris, Barbizon, Florence,
and Lima. Notable collections include Random House,
General Electric, IBM, McGraw-Hill, Petroplus Holdings
(Switzerland), Seagram’s (Montreal), and US Embassy
(Stockholm). Currently producing work for exhibitions,
creating hand-drawn animated shorts, and developing a
series of e-book artist catalogues. SLC, 2012–
Glenn Dynner Religion (on leave yearlong)
BA, Brandeis University. MA, McGill University. PhD,
Brandeis University. Scholar of East European Jewry, with
a focus on the social history of Hasidism and the Haskalah
(Jewish Enlightenment). Author of Men of Silk: The
Hasidic Conquest of Polish Jewish Society, which received
a Koret Publication Award and was a National Jewish Book
Awards finalist. Received textual training in several Israeli
yeshivas and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Additional interests include Polish-Jewish relations,
Jewish economic history, and popular religion. Recipient
of the Fulbright Award. Member (2010-11), Institute for
Advanced Study, Princeton University. SLC, 2004–
210 Faculty
Jason Earle French, Literature (on leave Spring 25)
AB, University of Chicago. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Area of primary specialization: 20th-century
French literature. Other research and teaching interests
include 19th- and 21st-century French and francophone
literature, the history and theory of the novel in French,
literature and politics, and the avant-garde. Articles
published on conspiracy theories, surrealism, Céline,
interwar journalism, and William S. Burroughs. SLC, 2012–
Matthew Ellis Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation
Chair in Middle Eastern Studies and International
Aairs—History (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Williams College. MPhil, University of Oxford. MA,
PhD., Princeton University. Dr. Ellis specializes in the
social, intellectual, and cultural history of the modern
Middle East. His first book, Desert Borderland: The Making
of Modern Egypt and Libya (Stanford University Press,
2018), examines lived experiences of territoriality in the
Eastern Sahara in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
and the role these experiences played in facilitating the
emergence of Egypt and Libya as modern, bordered
political spaces. His broader intellectual and teaching
interests include: the politics and culture of nationalism;
modernity and identity formation in the Ottoman and
post-Ottoman Middle East; cities and imagined urbanism;
nostalgia and the politics of collective memory; popular
culture; British, French, and Italian imperialism and
decolonization; and the history of mass media and
propaganda. Dr. Ellis has published articles in The
International Journal of Middle East Studies and History
Compass and contributed a chapter to The Long 1890s in
Egypt: Colonial Quiescence, Subterranean
Resistance (Edinburgh University Press, 2014). He has
received several fellowships supporting his research,
including grants from Fulbright, the Social Science
Research Council, and the American Research Center in
Egypt. Most recently, he was the recipient of the Paul
Mellon/Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Rome Prize in
Modern Italian Studies, awarded by the American
Academy in Rome for the 2020-21 academic year. Dr. Ellis
is currently at work on two research projects. The first is a
study of Italian imperial citizenship in Libya, with a
particular focus on the ways the colonial government
responded to the challenge of Libyan mobility as tens if
not hundreds of thousands of Libyans fled Italian rule and
took refuge in neighboring countries such as Tunisia and
Egypt. The second aims to provide an intellectual
genealogy of American mass media and propaganda in the
middle decades of the 20th century, paying special
attention to how social scientists conceived the
relationship between mass persuasion and nation-building
in the era of decolonization. SLC, 2012–
Brian Emery Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. Technical director of Sarah
Lawrence College’s filmmaking and moving image arts
program since 2008, where he became a guest professor
in 2018 teaching postproduction. Emery has been on the
faculty at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at
Brooklyn College since 2020. He is an Apple-certified
trainer in both Final Cut Pro and Blackmagic DaVinci
Resolve. He has also taught camera, editing, and
production workshops at the New York International Film
Institute since 2006. His freelance filmmaking and editing
clients include TED, Almond Cow, and Kodak, among
others. Recent editing projects have screened at the
United Nations and have garnered film festival success.
When not working with students, Emery tends to jump
from corporate work, music videos, and web series to both
short and feature films, including shooting the feature film
Red Monsoon, shot on location in Kathmandhu, Nepal, as
well as editing the feature film Martin Eden, based on the
novel by Jack London. Most recently, he filmed a
documentary in Tanzania about women wildlife scientists
working with local communities, which he is currently
editing. He finds great joy in working with students and
helping them find their passion in filmmaking. SLC, 2018–
Sadah Espii Proctor Theatre
An XR director and sound/media designer for live
performance and immersive experiences, Espii was
recognized by American Theatre Magazine for multimedia
storytelling in the "Six Theatre Artists to Know" series.
She also received a Barrymore Award for Outstanding
Media Design. Her work encompasses global stories of
women, social issues, and the African Diaspora, often with
an Afrofuturist/Cyberpunk lens. SLC, 2021–
Yuval Eytan Philosophy
BA, College of Management. MA, PhD, Tel Aviv University.
Visiting Scholar, Emory University. Fulbright postdoctoral
Fellowship, Columbia University. Eytan's interest is in the
complex relationship between authenticity and happiness
in modern philosophy; in particular, Kant, Hegel, and Marx.
Essays published in Rethinking Marxism, Symposion,
Philosophical Papers, Journal of Theoretical and
Philosophical Psychology, and Journal of Philosophy of
Education. Previously taught at Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic
College, Tel Aviv University, Reichman University, and
Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology, and the Arts.
SLC, 2024–
Emily Fairey Classics, Greek (Ancient), Latin
MA, Pratt Institute. PhD, CUNY. Fairey has taught Latin,
Greek, and classical studies at CUNY colleges, Drew
University, Rutgers University, Stern College, and Sarah
Lawrence College. She has also managed digital
humanities projects, such as the L'Année Philologique
(2000-2008), and has worked at the Brooklyn College
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Open Educational Resources Project, performing website
building, digital pedagogy, and instructional design
(2015-present). SLC, 2023–
Margarita Fajardo History (on leave spring 25)
BA, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. PhD,
Princeton University. Fajardo is the author of The World
That Latin America Created: The United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America in the Development Era,
published in early 2022 by Harvard University Press. In
recent years, she has received fellowships from Duke
University’s Center for the History of Political Economy
and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She work
has been published in the Latin American Research Review
and will soon appear in the American Historical Review and
in series of edited volumes about the developmental state
in Latin America, the Cold War social science and the
global social sciences. She is interested in the history of
Latin American and global capitalism, as well as the in the
history and political economy of ideas, science, and
expertise. SLC, 2015–
Christine Farrell Theatre (on leave Spring 25)
BA, Marquette University. MFA, Columbia University. One-
Year Study Abroad, Oxford, England. Actress, playwright,
director. Appeared for nine seasons as Pam Shrier, the
ballistics detective on Law and Order. Acting credits on TV
include Saturday Night Live and One Life to Live; films, Ice
Storm, Fatal Attraction; stage: Comedy of Errors, Uncle
Vanya, Catholic School Girls, Division Street, The Dining
Room. Two published plays: Mama Drama and The Once
Attractive Woman. Directed in colleges, as well as O
Broadway, and was the artistic director and co-founder of
the New York Team for TheatreSports. Performed in
comedy improvisation throughout the world. SLC, 1991–
Kayla Farrish Dance
BFA, University of Arizona. A New York-based dancer,
choreographer, director, and photographer, Farrish is a
North Carolina native born into a dance-loving family. At
the University of Arizona, she was awarded the Gertrude
Shurr Award for excellence in modern dance and
passionate dancing. Since moving to New York, she has
freelanced with various artists and companies, including
Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More NYC; Kyle Abraham/
Abraham. In. Motion; Kate Weare Company; Helen
Simoneau Danse; Rashuan Mitchell/Silas Reiner; Aszure
Barton and Artists; Madboots Dance; Nicole Von Arx;
Danielle Russo Performance Project; Chris Masters Dance
Company; Elena Vazintaris/Dance Projects; and others.
Both independently and through companies, Farrish has
worked as a rehearsal assistant and teaching artist,
instructing at various programs including University of
North Carolina School of the Arts, University of the Arts,
The Juilliard School, New York University Tisch Dance
Program, local dance organizations and studios, and
beyond. SLC, 2024–
Kim Ferguson Dean of Graduate and Professional
Studies—Psychology
BA, Knox College. MA, PhD, Cornell University. Special
interests include sustainable, community based
participatory action research, cultural-ecological
approaches to infant and child development, children at
risk (children in poverty, HIV/AIDS orphans, children in
institutionalized care), community play spaces,
development in Southern and Eastern African contexts,
and the impacts of the physical environment on children’s
health and wellbeing. Areas of academic specialization
include southern African and North American infants’
language learning, categorization, and face processing, the
physical environment and global children’s health and
wellbeing, community adventure play experiences,
adolescents’ remote acculturation in southern African
contexts, and relationships between the quality of
southern African orphan care contexts and child
development and health. SLC, 2007–
Angela Ferraiolo Mary Griggs Burke Chair in Art & Art
History—Visual and Studio Arts
BLS, SUNY–Purchase. MFA, CUNY Hunter College. MFA,
Brown University. Professional work includes RKO, H20
Studios, Westwood Studios, Electronic Arts. Solo and
group screenings in the United States and Europe,
including SIGGRAPH (Los Angeles), ISEA (Vancouver,
Hong Kong), EVA (London), ArtMachines2 (Hong Kong),
New York Film Festival (New York), Courtisane Festival
(Ghent), Collectif Jeune Cinéma (Paris), Copacabana
Media Festival (Ghent), Australian Experimental Film
Festival (Melbourne), International Conference of
Generative Art (Rome), Digital Fringe (Melbourne), Die
Gesellschafter Filmwettbewerb (Germany), Grano
Center for the Arts (Providence), Microscope Gallery
(Bushwick), Nouspace Gallery (Vancouver), D-Art Gallery
(London), Interests include open-endedness,
morphogenesis, and adaptive systems. SLC, 2010–
Carolyn Ferrell Writing (on leave Spring 25)
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MA, City College of New York.
Author of the novel Dear Miss Metropolitan (Holt, 2021),
which was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for
Debut Novel and the PEN Faulkner Award for Fiction. Her
story collection, Don’t Erase Me, was awarded the 1997 Art
Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction of the Los Angeles
Times Book Prizes, the John C. Zacharis First Book Award
given by Ploughshares, and the Quality Paperback Book
Prize for First Fiction. Ferrell's stories and essays have
been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories
2018 and The Best American Short Stories 2020, edited by
Roxane Gay and Curtis Sittenfeld, respectively; The Best
American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John
Updike; Children of the Night: The Best Short Stories by
Black Writers, 1967 to the Present, edited by Gloria Naylor;
Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents, edited by Lise
212 Faculty
Funderburg; and other places. She is the recipient of
grants and awards from the Fulbright Association, the
Bronx Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the
Arts, the Corporation of Yaddo, and Sarah Lawrence
College. SLC, 1996–
Modesto Flako Jimenez Theatre
A Bushwick-raised artist and educator, Modesto Flako
Jimenez is a 2015 HOLA Best Ensemble Award Winner, an
ATI Best Actor Award Winner 2016, a HOLA Outstanding
Solo Performer 2017, a 2016 Princess Grace Honorarium in
Theatre, and has been profiled in The New York Times. He
has taught theatre/poetry in New York City public schools
for 10 years. Flako Jimenez has toured internationally and
has appeared on TEDxBushwick and in Early Shaker
Spirituals (Wooster Group), Richard Maxwell’s Samara
(Soho Rep.), Kaneza Schaal’s Jack & (BAM), and Victor
Morales Esperento (Sundance). In 2018, he became the
first Dominican-American lead artist in The Public
Theatre’s UTR Festival for ¡Oye! For My Dear Brooklyn. SLC,
2020–
Sammy Floyd Psychology
BA, Smith College. PhD, Princeton University. Postdoctoral
Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Psychologist with a focus on child development,
linguistics, quantitative and computational methods, and
neurodiversity. Author of papers on language
interpretation in machine models, communication in child
development, and language learning in autistic youth.
Current special interests include historical language
change, eye-tracking methods, dead words, and children
learning language from peers (rather than caretakers).
SLC, 2023–
Emma Forrester Psychology
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. PhD, Derner School of
Psychology, Adelphi University. Clinical psychologist with
special interests in complex trauma, post-traumatic
growth, trauma recovery across the lifespan, and
psychodynamic approaches to working with trauma and
neurodevelopmental delays. SLC, 2018–
Emily Foster Literature
BA, Cornell University. MA, Stanford University. MA, MPhil,
Columbia University. Special interests include 19th-
century literature, Victorian literature and culture, gender
studies, reader-reception theory, genre studies, and
intersections between the Victorian and the Early Modern
periods. SLC, 2022–
Grith Foulk Religion
BA, Williams College. MA, PhD, University of Michigan.
Trained in Zen monasteries in Japan; active in Buddhist
studies, with research interest in philosophical, literary,
social, and historical aspects of East Asian Buddhism,
especially the Ch’an/Zen tradition. Co-editor in chief, Soto
Zen Text Project (Tokyo); American Academy of Religion
Buddhism Section steering committee, 1987–1994,
2003–; board member, Kuroda Institute for the Study of
Buddhism and Human Values. Recipient of Fulbright,
Eiheiji, and Japan Foundation fellowships and grants from
American Council of Learned Societies and National
Endowment for the Humanities. SLC, 1995–
Blair Fowlkes Childs Art History
BA, Princeton University. MA, PhD, Institute of Fine Arts,
New York University. Fowlkes Childs is a specialist in
Roman art, archaeology, and religions. She is currently
adjunct professor at Columbia University and at the
Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and curator of
the 2023 exhibition, “Stories of Syria‘s Textiles: Art and
Heritage Across Two Millennia,” at the Katonah Museum of
Art. Her current book project is on Syrian and Phoenician
sanctuaries in Rome; support for her research includes a
2019-2020 fellowship at the Yale Institute of Sacred
Music, where she was also guest curator of the 2022
exhibition, “Photographs From Dura-Europos: 1922-2022
and Onward.” At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, she was
co-curator of the award-winning 2019 exhibition, “The
World Between Empires: Art and Identity in the Ancient
Middle East,” and co-author of the catalogue. SLC 2023–
Candice Franklin Dance
Franklin, born and bred in live jazz music and jazz dance, is
a New York-based professional dancer, choreographer, and
producer, as well as artistic director for the live urban jazz
music and dance production, JAZZ AIN’T DEAD®, and also
for Cumbe RISE, an open community dance company and
performance workshop series produced by Cumbe Center
for African and Diaspora Dance. Franklin received her
conservatory training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Center and has continued her studies with the Ballroom
Dance Teachers College of New Mexico. She is currently an
IDTC certification candidate in Katherine Dunham
technique. A 2024 NYSCA grant winner, Franklin’s
choreography has been presented by Jazzmobile, Lincoln
Center “Summer in the City,” Yale University, Joyce SoHo,
Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Harlem Arts Festival, Harlem
Summerstage, BAMcafé Live, New York City Department
of Education DECC, Webster Hall, and MTV/Viacom, as
well as at several casinos, including Turning Stone,
Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Borgata, and Caesar’s. She has
also choreographed for Bollywood recording artist
SHAKTI, singer Art Auré, and Grammy award-winning
recording artist MACY GRAY. Currently, Miss Franklin is
earning her MBA with a concentration in Music Business
at Berklee College of Music/SNHU’s joint business
program and is on the faculty and audition tour team of
Jorey Ballet School. She continues to teach throughout
the US and abroad. SLC, 2024–
FACULTY 213
Melissa Frazier Russian, Literature
AB, Harvard University. PhD, University of
California–Berkeley. Special interests include the 19th-
century novel and literature and the literary marketplace.
Author of articles and books on topics including Pushkin,
Senkovskii, Gogol, Tolstoy, and Russian Formalism.
Awarded the 2007 Jean-Pierre Barricelli Prize for “Best
Work in Romanticism Studies,” by the International
Conference of Romanticism, for Romantic Encounters:
Writers, Readers, and the “Library for Reading” (Stanford
University Press, 2007). SLC, 1995–
Merideth Frey Physics
BA, Wellesley College. PhD, Yale University. Past research
in novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for
3D imaging of solids and using optical magnetometry for
low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Current
research involves building a low-field magnetic resonance
setup to explore cross-disciplinary MR applications and
develop new MR techniques at low magnetic fields.
Previously taught courses at Wesleyan University and
Princeton University, including helping develop
investigative science learning environment physics labs.
SLC, 2016–
Marek Fuchs Writing
BA, Drew University. Executive Director of The
Investigative Journalism and Justice Institute at Sarah
Lawrence College. “County Lines” columnist for The New
York Times for six years and also wrote columns for The
Wall Street Journal’s “Marketwatch” and for Yahoo!.
Author of A Cold-Blooded Business, a book called
“riveting” by Kirkus Reviews. His most recent book, Local
Heroes, also earned widespread praise, including from
ABC News, which called it “elegant…graceful…lively and
wonderful.” Recipient of numerous awards and named the
best journalism critic in the nation by Talking Biz website
at The University of North Carolina School of Journalism
and Mass Communication. Regularly speaks on business
and journalism issues at venues ranging from annual
meetings of the Society of American Business Editors and
Writers to PBS and National Public Radio. When not
writing or teaching, he serves as a volunteer firefighter.
SLC, 2010–
Izumi Funayama Japanese
BA, Waseda University, Japan. MA, Ohio University. PhD,
The University of Texas-Austin. Doctoral Dissertation:
Intercultural experiences and practices in a Chinese-
Japanese joint venture: A study of narratives and
interactions about and beyond “Chinese” and “Japanese.”
Associate professor, Kumamoto University, Japan;
certified professional co-active coach, Coach Training
Institute; certified designer and facilitator of LEGO Serious
Play Method; certified instructor, Omotesenke tea
ceremony. Recipient of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific
Research, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology, Japan. Interests include
intercultural communication, ethnography, narrative
analysis, discourse analysis, intercultural training, and
intercultural coaching. SLC, 2014–
Makalina Gallagher Dance
BA, Fordham University. Born in the South Pacific,
Gallagher has lived in the Marianas, Caroline and Hawaiian
islands; she has studied ballet, jazz, modern, and tap in
New York City. Gallagher was under scholarship with Rod
Rodgers Dance Company and has performed with Linda
Diamond’s Dance Company, as well as with Denisa Reye’s
& Friends. She has appeared in several theatrical
productions as Liat in South Pacific, summer stock, and
was on the national tour of The King & I with Yul Brynner.
While she has worked on films, television, commercials,
and daytime television, Gallagher has always returned to
her first love—Polynesian dance. With her background,
she became a member of the ALLNATIONS Dance
Company, a multiethnic group of dancers from various
cultures around the world. Gallagher represented the
South Pacific Islands of Tahiti, New Zealand, and Hawaii
and toured throughout the Eastern United States, Alaska,
Asia, Guam, and Hawaii. She has also performed with
various Polynesian Revues in the New York Tri-State area
and at the world-famous Hawaii Kai under the artistic
direction of Uilani Walton and Leonaka Cagata. Gallagher
is the organizer of the New York City Ukulele MeetUp
group and was involved with the New York Uke Fest; she
also played with The All Borough Ukulele Ensemble. She
has participated in celebrating Asia Pacific Heritage
Month by performing with her students and dancers at the
CAPA (Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans) Festival,
Mayor Bloomberg's Asian Pacific Heritage event, New York
City Dance Parade, New York City Halloween Parade, as
well as various Asian Heritage events in Manhattan and
Brooklyn. Gallagher and her husband were members of the
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, an organization whose
goal is to preserve and promote Hawaiian music and
dance. She is a teaching artist and has given lecture-
demonstration workshops on Polynesian dance. During
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, she taught a basic
Zoom hula class at Sarah Lawrence College. She has on-
going hula classes on Zoom. SLC, 2020–
Ana Garcia Dance
A New York City native who has represented women in
hip-hop dance professionally over the past three decades,
“Rockafella” Garcia co-founded Full Circle Prod Inc, New
York City’s only nonprofit hip-hop dance theatre company,
with her husband, Kwikstep, generating theatre pieces,
dance training programs, and New York City-based dance
events. She directed a documentary highlighting the Bgirl
lifestyle, entitled “All The Ladies Say,” with support from
Third World Newsreel and Bronx Council of the Arts. She is
hired internationally to judge break-dance competitions
214 Faculty
and to oer her unique workshops aimed at evolving and
preserving its technique and cultural aspects. She has
worked within the New York City public-school system and
various City-based community centers, setting up
programs that help expose young students to the
possibility of a career in dance. In May 2017, she launched
“ShiRoka”— a T shirt fashion line with Shiro, a Japanese
grafitti artist. She has been featured in pivotal rap music
videos, tours, film, fashion shows, and commercials,
including the NetFlix Series The Get Down. “Rokafella” has
choreographed for diverse festivals/concerts, such as The
New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s Firebird in 2022, The
Kennedy Center, Momma’s Hip-hop Kitchen, and the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Branching out of her dance
lane, she has also recorded original songs/poetry and
performed at NJPAC’s Alternate Routes in Newark and
Lincoln Center Out of Doors. She received the Joyce award
to collaborate with True Skool in Milwaukee and received
the American Dance Festival’s National Dance Teacher
Award. Presently, she is an adjunct professor at The New
School and a content creator for Bronx Net TV, producing
her own TV series, entitled Kwik2Rok. “Rokafella” is a
multi-faceted, Afro Latin hip-hop artist who references
Nuyorican culture as her foundation. SLC, 2024–
Suzanne Gardinier Anita Staord Chair in Service
Learning—Writing
BA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst. MFA, Columbia
University. Author of 12 books, most recently Amérika: The
Post-Election Malas 1-9 (2017), Notes from Havana
(2016), Carta a una compañera (2016), Homeland (2011),
Iridium & Selected Poems (2010), & Letter from Palestine
(2007). Her poetry has appeared in Grand Street, The New
Yorker, and the Wolf magazine in the United Kingdom; her
fiction in The Paris Review & Fiction International’s
“Artists in Wartime” issue; and her essays in The
Manhattan Review, The Progressive, & Siècle 21 in Paris.
Served on an American Studies Association Panel called
“American Jews, Israel, & the Palestinian Question,” and
as resident director of the Sarah Lawrence College study
abroad program in Havana. A recipient of awards from the
New York Foundation for the Arts and the Lannan
Foundation. SLC, 1994–
Ximena Garnica Dance
A Colombian-born multidisciplinary artist, director, and
choreographer, Garnica—along with her partner, Shige
Moriya—are the co-founders of LEIMAY and the LEIMAY
Ensemble. Their works include live installations,
performances, sculptures, publications, research, and
community projects and have been presented at BAM, The
New Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, The Watermill
Center, HERE, Japan Society, and The Asian Museum of
San Francisco, as well as in Colombia, France, Japan,
Mexico, Spain, and The Netherlands. Garnica has also
been nominated for the USA Artists Fellowship and the
Herb Alpert Award and was a recipient of the Van Lier
Fellowship for extraordinary stage directors. She has
participated in the Bessie Schoenberg Individual
Choreographers Residency at The Yard, the Watermill
Center Residency Programs, and the HERE Artist in
Residency Program. She was a Distinguished Visiting
Professor at the University of California, Riverside, and
was recently published in The Routledge Companion to
Butoh Performance for her article, “LEIMAY, CAVE, and the
New York Butoh Festival.” SLC, 2022–
Katie Garth Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, University of Wisconsin–Madison. MFA, Tyler School
of Art. Select exhibitions include International Print Center
(New York), The Painting Center (New York), Morgan
Conservatory (Cleveland), Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
(Maryland), Fairmount House (Philadelphia), and
Seacourt Print Workshop (Ireland). Her work has been
written about in the Washington Post, PRINT, Poets &
Writers, The Hartford Courant, and Forbes. She has been a
resident at Anderson Ranch Arts Center and co-founded
Quarantine Public Library. Garth has taught at Tyler
School of Art, Moore College of Art & Design, and
Kutztown University. SLC, 2022–
Emmaia Gelman Public Policy
BA, Columbia University. MCP, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. PhD, New York University. American studies
scholar, specializing in the political history of ideas about
race, queerness, and rights with a practitioner focus on
public history and scholar-activism. Her book manuscript
(in development) on the Anti-Defamation League is based
on archival research and collaborations with Black,
Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and queer grassroots organizations.
SLC, 2022-
Beth Gill Dance
BA, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. A
choreographer, Gill has been making contemporary dance
and performance in New York City since 2005. Her body of
work critically examines issues within the fields of
contemporary dance and performance studies through a
focused exploration of aesthetics and perception. Gill has
been commissioned by New York Live Arts, The Chocolate
Factory Theater, The Kitchen, and Dance Theater
Workshop. Her performances have toured nationally and
internationally at Fusebox, the Nazareth College Arts
Center Dance Festival, and Dance Umbrella. She is a 2012
Foundation for Contemporary Art grant recipient, a current
member of The Hatchery Project ,and a 2015-2016 Lower
Manhattan Cultural Council Extended Life Artist in
Residence. In 2011, Gill was awarded two New York State
Dance and Performance “Bessie” Awards for Outstanding
Emerging Choreographer and the Juried Award for “the
choreographer exhibiting some of the most interesting and
exciting ideas happening in dance in New York City today.”
She was also awarded a 2013-2015 New York City Center
FACULTY 215
choreography fellowship. In 2012, Dance Magazine named
Gill one of the top 25 artists to watch. Guest artist at
Barnard College, Eugene Lang College at the New School
for Liberal Arts, and Arizona State University. SLC, 2017–
Graeme Gillis Theatre
Artistic director of Youngblood, the company of emerging
playwrights at Ensemble Studio Theatre (2012 Obie
Award). Director of the E.S.T./Sloan Project, a $1.5 million
program that fosters plays about science, technology, and
economics. Worked as a playwright at theatres throughout
the United States and Canada, including E.S.T.
(Youngblood, Marathon of One-Act Plays), Rattlestick,
Cherry Lane, Vampire Cowboys, Williamstown Theatre
Festival, Source Theatre (DC), Tarragon Theatre (Toronto).
Published by Dramatists Play Service and Applause Books.
Member of the Actors Studio and E.S.T. SLC, 2013–
Myra Goldberg Writing
BA, University of California–Berkeley. MA, City University
of New York. Author of Whistling and Rosalind: A Family
Romance; stories published in journals, including The
Transatlantic Review, Ploughshares, Feminist Studies, The
Massachusetts Review and The New England Review, and
in the book anthologies Women in Literature, Powers of
Desire, and The World’s Greatest Love Stories and
elsewhere in the United States and France; nonfiction
published in Village Voice and elsewhere; recipient of
Lebensberger Foundation grant. SLC, 1985–
Martin Goldray Marjorie Le Miller Faculty Scholar in
Music—Music
BA, Cornell University. MM, University of Illinois. DMA,
Yale University. Fulbright scholar in Paris; pianist and
conductor, with special interests in 17th- through 20th-
century music. Performed extensively and recorded as
pianist, soloist, chamber musician, and conductor;
performed with most of the major new music ensembles,
such as the New Music Consort and Speculum Musicae;
worked with composers such as Babbitt, Carter, and
numerous younger composers and premiered new works,
including many written for him. Toured internationally as a
member of the Philip Glass Ensemble from 1983-1996;
conducted the premieres of several Glass operas and
appears on many recordings of Glass’s music. Conducted
film soundtracks and worked as producer in recording
studios. Formerly on the faculty of the Composers
Conference at Wellesley College. 2010 Recipient of the
Lipkin Family Prize for Inspirational Teaching. SLC, 1998–
Jonathan González Dance
BA, Trinity College. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
Certificate in Dance Theatre, Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
An artist working at the intersections of choreography,
sculpture, text, and time-based media, González's practice
speculates on circumstances of land, economies of labor,
and the conditions that figure Black and contemporary life
through research-based processes synthesized through
performance.González's writings have been published by
Contact Quarterly, Cultured Magazine, and deem journal,
among others. González has received fellowships from the
Rauschenberg Foundation, Art Matters Foundation,
Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the Jerome
Foundation and was an artist in residence at the Lower
Manhattan Cultural Council, Maggie Allesee National
Center for Choreography, Trinidad Performance Institute,
Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Shandaken Project
on Governors Island. SLC, 2024–
Peggy Gould Dance
BFA, MFA, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Certified teacher of Alexander Technique; assistant to
Irene Dowd; private movement education practice in New
York City. Other teaching aliations: Smith College, The
Ailey School/Fordham University, Dance Ireland/IMDT,
92nd St. Y/Harkness Dance Center, SUNY Purchase
(summer), Jacob’s Pillow. Performances (1978-present)
in works by Patricia Hobauer, Leimay Ensemble, Sara
Rudner, Joyce S. Lim, David Gordon, Ann Carlson, Charles
Moulton, Neo Labos, T.W.E.E.D., Tony Kushner, Paula Josa-
Jones. Choreography presented by Dixon Place, The Field,
PS 122, BACA Downtown (New York City); Big Range
Dance Festival (Houston); Phantom Theater (Warren,
Vermont); Proctor’s Theatre (Schenectady, 2008/09
Dangerous Music Commission). Grants: Meet the
Composer, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Harkness
Dance Center. Fulbright Specialist in Dance (2017-2021),
Ecuador multi-city Fulbright project incorporating
functional anatomy into dance training in professional,
university and community settings (2019); Presenter/
panelist UMass Amherst Dance Science Symposium,
“Utilizing Functional Anatomy Concepts in Dance Training:
Observations, Inspirations & Notes from the Field” (2021);
Performance collaborations with Sondra Loring
(2022-present), Guest Artist with Leimay Ensemble
(2023-present); SLC, 1999–
Robert Gould Theatre
MFA, Sarah Lawrence College. Active in performance art
and theatre since the mid-1980s, starting as technical
director at The Franklin Furnace performance space. Co-
founded DSR, a sound performance group, and toured
Japan and Europe in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Assistant Technical Director for the SLC theatre program
prior to starting his own sound design company. Sound
design credits include: work for O Broadway theatre
companies, including Naked Angels, Clubbed Thumb,
Cucaracha and Gabrielle Lansner; in-house sound
designer for Ensemble Studio Theatre (1999–2003) and
designed most of its yearly Marathon series productions of
one-act plays during those years; created sound for dance
216 Faculty
choreographers Jeanine Durning, Hetty King, Lans Gries,
and Lisa Race; and currently is an audio engineer for CBS
News. SLC, 2008–
Wendell Gray II Dance
BFA, University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Gray, a Brooklyn-
based dance artist, choreographer, and teacher, has
performed in the works of artists that include Tere
O'Connor, Joanna Kotze, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Miles
Greenberg, Kevin Beasley, Pavel Zustiak, Maria Bauman,
Jonah Bokaer, Christal Brown, J Bouey, and more. As a
maker, he has shown his work at Kinosaito Arts Center,
Gibney, Center for Performance Research (CPR),
Movement Research at Judson Church, La Mama Galleria,
and Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. Gray has also been
supported by residencies with Sightlines Dance Festival,
STUFFED at Judson Church, Chez Bushwick, Work Up 6.0
at Gibney, and the Black Diaspora Space Grant. He has
additionally set work on companies including Michiyaya
Dance, Pennsylvania Ballet II, Philadanco II, and Periapsis
Music and Dance. SLC, 2023–
Maggie Greenwald Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Film writer and director. Her award-winning film, Sophie
and the Rising Sun, premiered at Sundance 2016 at the
Salt Lake City Gala; it was her third theatrical feature film
at the festival. At Sundance 2000, Songcatcjer garnered a
Special Jury Award for Ensemble Performance before
winning awards at film festivals around the world. Her noir
classic, The Kill-O—adapted from a novel by Jim
Thompson—has been described by the British Film
Institute as one of the “100 Best American Independent
Films.” Greenwald’s groundbreaking western, The Ballad of
Little Jo, is taught in college courses on western film and
feminist cinema and is soon to be re-released by Kino
Lorber Films. Greenwald’s numerous TV movies as director
include the Lifetime, GLAAD-awarded, What Makes a
Family, for which she did an uncredited rewrite. Also for
Lifetime, Greenwald directed Tempted and the Christmas
classic, Comfort and Joy. She directed Get a Clue for
Disney Channel and Good Morning, Killer for TNT. Recent
forays into episodic directing include Madam Secretary
and Nashville. Greenwald’s original spec TV pilot, Higher
Ground, was nominated by Writers Guild of America as the
one of the five Best Unsold Pilots of 2019. Greenwald has
taught film directing at Columbia University Graduate Film
School (1997-2009), screenwriting at NYU Tisch
Graduate Film School (2010), and both disciplines at
Sarah Lawrence College. SLC, 2010–
Erum Hadi History
MPH, Boston University. Doctoral Candidate, St. John’s
University. Hadi specializes in world history, focusing on
South Asia in the Indian Ocean from the early to modern
periods. Her dissertation develops the cultural history of
the northwestern Indian communities involved in the
Indian Ocean trade, with an analysis of their material
culture. She received various fellowships, including the
History Doctoral Fellowship and the Nikolas Davatzes
Summer History Research Fellowships at St. John’s
University. Recently, she was awarded the Laura Bassi
Editorial Scholarship for her dissertation. In spring 2024,
Professor Hadi presented her paper, “Sustaining Fragrant
Fires Across the Indian Ocean: The Parsi Artisanal Acumen
and Evolving Religious Material Culture,” at the Arts of the
Indian Ocean Conference in Toronto, Canada. Her
forthcoming publications include an article on the Ismaili
merchants in the Persian Gulf trade in the Thematic
Dossier on the Indian Ocean for Al-’Usur al-Wusta, 2025,
and a chapter titled, “Traveling Inkwell: The Northwest
Indian Merchants’ Writing Material Culture in the Colonial
Era,” in the book Writing Artifacts. Her broader intellectual
interests include the cultural identity, material culture,
and intellectual history along the Indian Ocean littoral,
with a future research focus on southern Pakistan’s
coastal region and its transnational connections with the
Persian Gulf and
East Africa during the colonial period. SLC, 2024–
Sarah Hamill Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art
and Noble Foundation Chair in Art and Cultural
History—Art History
BA, Reed College. MA, University of California, Berkeley.
PhD, University of California, Berkeley. Specializes in
modern and contemporary art history, with a focus on
sculptural aesthetics, postwar American sculpture, and
contemporary photography. Author of David Smith in Two
Dimensions: Photography and the Matter of Sculpture
(University of California Press, 2015) and, with Megan R.
Luke, co-editor of Photography and Sculpture: The Art
Object in Reproduction (Getty Publications, 2017). Her
new book project explores sculptural abstraction, feminist
politics, and media in the 1970s through the work of Mary
Miss. Before coming to Sarah Lawrence, Hamill taught at
Oberlin College. She has received fellowships from the
American Council of Learned Societies, the Getty
Research Institute, Villa I Tatti, the Harvard Center for
Italian Renaissance Studies, and the Clark Art Institute.
SLC, 2017–
William Hartland Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design. MFA, Corcoran School
of the Arts (George Washington University). Hartland is a
New York City-based writer, director, and animator with a
distinguished career in animated film. He is a recipient of
the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Film
and winner of many international film awards. His latest
film, New York City Sketchbook, is currently doing the
festival circuit. While Hartland produces independent
work, he has also worked as a storyboard artist on feature
films and on numerous TV series—among them, MTV’s
Beavis and Butthead and Daria. He continues to curate
animation programs for The Nitehawk Cinema in
FACULTY 217
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Hartland has taught animation at
the Maryland Institute College of Art, Parsons School of
Design, and The City University of New York. SLC, 2024
Matthea Harvey Writing
BA, Harvard College. MFA, University of Iowa Writers’
Workshop. Poet and author of Pity the Bathtub Its Forced
Embrace of the Human Form; Sad Little Breathing
Machine; Modern Life (winner of the Kingsley Tufts Award,
a New York Times Notable Book of 2008 and a finalist for
the National Book Critics Circle Award); and If the Tabloids
Are True What Are You? Author of two fables for children
and adults, The Little General and the Giant Snowflake
(illustrated by Elizabeth Zechel) and When Up and Down
Left Town (illustrated by Amy Jean Porter), and a picture
book, Cecil the Pet Glacier (illustrated by Giselle Potter). A
recipient of the Kingsley Tufts Award and a Guggenheim
fellowship, she most recently collaborated on a musical
oratorio, The Temp, with Taylor Ho Bynum, creating the
libretto by erasing The Tempest. SLC, 2004–
Mark Helias Music (Contrabass)
Ann Heppermann Writing
A Peabody award-winning audio journalist, editor,
educator, and media artist with more than 20 years of
experience in the field, Heppermann has reported,
produced and edited for numerous audio shows, including:
This American Life, Radiolab, 99% Invisible, Marketplace,
Studio360, WNYC, and numerous other outlets. She also
has been the senior producer and editor for narrative
podcast series like Heaven's Gate and No Man's Land.
Heppermann is also a dedicated educator, having taught
audio journalism and podcasting at Sarah Lawrence
College since 2009. Her fellowships include being a 2011
Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow. That
same year, she was also named a United States Artist
Rockefeller Fellow for her media innovation. In 2015, she
founded The Sarah Awards—an international audio fiction
award. She is currently an executive producer at Audible.
SLC, 2010–
Luisa Laura Heredia Joanne Woodward Chair in Public
Policy—Public Policy (on leave for 24-25)
BA, University of Notre Dame. MA, PhD, Harvard
University. Research interests include Latino and
immigration politics, with special interests in migration
control regimes, social movements, inequalities in
citizenship, and religion in the United States and Spain.
Current work compares the development of US and Spain
enforcement regimes, their constructions of racialized
“illegal” bodies, and their radical movements to dismantle
the state’s migration control practices. Her first book
project, Illegal Redemption, investigates the crucial yet
contradictory role that the Catholic Church has played in
challenging a growing and restrictive regime of
immigration control in the United States in the
contemporary period. Author of “From Prayer to Protest:
The Immigrant Rights Movement and the Catholic
Church,” a chapter in the edited volume, Rallying for
Immigrant Rights, by Irene Bloemraad and Kim Voss. SLC,
2014–
Michelle Hersh Biology
AB, Bryn Mawr College. PhD, Duke University. Postdoctoral
Research Associate, Bard College, Cary Institute of
Ecosystem Studies. Community ecologist with a special
interest in the connections between biodiversity and
disease. Author of articles on how fungal seedling
pathogens maintain tree diversity in temperate forests
and how animal diversity alters the risk of tickborne
diseases. Recipient of grants from the National Science
Foundation. Previously taught at Bard College and Eastern
Michigan University. SLC, 2013–
Abbe Herzig Mathematics
MPhil, Yale University. PhD, University of
Wisconsin–Madison. A statistician and mathematics
educator, Dr. Herzig teaches courses in mathematics,
statistics, research methods, and social justice in
education. Her research documented successful practices
and policies for supporting equity and diversity in
mathematics education, and she has worked with
scientists and attorneys on health care quality and safety,
equity and inclusion in education, and voting rights. She
spends most of her time working to expand access to
STEM education for students of all personal, professional,
and social identities through teaching, research, advocacy,
and faculty professional development. SLC, 2023–
Niko Higgins Music
BA, Wesleyan University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Ethnomusicologist and saxophonist. Interests
in South Indian classical music and fusion, jazz, world
music, improvisation, globalization, cosmopolitanism,
sound studies, and ecomusicology. Author of two articles
on South Indian fusion and leader and producer of two
recordings. Taught at Columbia University, Montclair State
University, and The New School. Fulbright and Fulbright
Hays recipient. SLC, 2015–
Leana Hirschfeld-Kroen Film History
AB, Princeton University. MA, PhD, Certificates in
European Cultural Studies and Visual Art, Yale University.
Hirschfeld-Kroen works on 19th- to 20th-century US and
European film, literature, media, and culture, with
specializations in classical Hollywood, feminist film theory
and history, media archaeology, and cinematic allegories
of media labor and technology. She has taught courses at
Yale and Sarah Lawrence on the movie musical, Hollywood
from the margins, feminist film history, 19th-century
foundations of film, machines of modern gender from the
spindle to Siri, and the working girl around the world in
film. Hirschfeld-Kroen is currently adapting her
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dissertation into a book. Rise of the Modern Mediatrix: The
Feminization of Media and Mediating Labor, 1865-1945
assembles a vast archive of fictional telegraph, telephone,
and typewriter girls to illustrate how the feminization of
low-level information labor shaped modern media.
Through readings of newsreels, ads, novels, plays and
films from four national contexts (US, France, Germany,
England), she oers a new take on the relationship
between film and media studies, showing how old cultural
conceptions of feminine mediation and new feminized
media infrastructures like the switchboard and typing pool
shaped film form. An article based on this work, “Weavers
of Film: The Girl Operator Mends the Cut,” won the 2021
Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) Gender
and Feminisms Caucus Graduate Student Writing Prize
and was published in Feminist Media Histories: An
International Journal (summer 2021). Hirschfeld-Kroen’s
research interests include media archaeology (modern
discourse networks, female information workers, cyborgs,
androids, ties between communications and
entertainment media); Classical Hollywood and European
film history (especially through gender/race/ethnicity,
intermediality/intertextuality, sound/voice studies, star
studies, fan/spectator studies, studio authorship,
apparatus theory, the history of film editing and other
gendered forms of technical mediating labor); French and
US silent and sound film comedy (especially slapstick,
screwball, romantic); critical theory (psychoanalysis,
Marxism, Frankfurt school, feminist literary/film/media
theory and techno-science), feminized genres/forms (esp.
domestic novel, sentimental fiction, melodrama, “women’s
films,” and the musical); modernism/modernity studies
(new cultural illnesses, allegories of alienated machine
labor, proto-cinematic media, cosmological imaginaries/
mass media from Edisonades to planetaria and geodesic
domes); disability studies (especially deaf and blind
studies); and cultural histories of ventriloquism,
childhood, play, and semiotics of popular culture/everyday
life. Her research interests are intertwined with an abiding
interest in film curation and preservation. While pursuing
her PhD at Yale, she was a frequent speaker at screenings
and programmed film series for the Graduate Film
Colloquium, Films at the Whitney, and Yale’s annual
European film conference. She also interned in film
programming at the Museum of the Moving Image. From
years of inspecting and repairing 8mm and 16mm reels in
the Yale Film Archive, she learned a material approach to
film and media history, which she brings to the classroom.
SLC, 2023–
Kyle Hittmeier Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, University of California. Davis. MFA, Rhode Island
School of Design. Hittmeier is an interdisciplinary artist
and curator, whose work integrates computer-assisted
design and rendering with physical media such as painting
and drawing. He has exhibited nationally and
internationally at Nancy Margollis Gallery, Boston Center
for the Arts, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Ontario College of
Art and Design, SPRING/BREAK, Arlington Arts Center,
Transfer Gallery, Coherent Gallery, High Noon Gallery, and
the Austrian Cultural Forum, among others. He is a
founding member of Below Grand Gallery (formerly Super
Dutchess Gallery) in New York City. Hittmeier teaches at
Lehman College and Pratt Institute, as well as at Sarah
Lawrence College. SLC, 2023–
James Hoch Writing
BA, Millersville University of Pennsylvania. MFA,
University of Maryland. Hoch is the author, most recently,
of poetry collections Miscreants (Norton) and A Parade of
Hands (Silverfish Review Press). Last Pawn Shop in New
Jersey (LSU Press, finalist for The Paterson Prize) and
Radio Static (Green Linden Press appeared in spring 2022.
His poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, The New
Republic, Washington Post, Slate, Chronicle Review of
Higher Education, American Poetry Review, New England
Review, Kenyon Review, Tin House, Ploughshares, Virginia
Quarterly Review, and many other publications and were
selected for inclusion in Best American Poetry 2019. Hoch
has received fellowships from the NEA, Bread Loaf, and
Sewanee writers conferences, as well as St Albans School
for Boys, The Frost Place, and Summer Literary Seminars.
Currently, he is professor of creative writing at Ramapo
College of New Jersey, as well as guest faculty member at
Sarah Lawrence College. SLC, 2012–
David Hollander Writing (on leave Fall 24)
BA, State University of New York-Purchase. MFA, Sarah
Lawrence College. Hollander is the author of the novels
Anthropica, a finalist for The Big Other Award for Fiction,
and L.I.E., a finalist for the NYPL Young Lions Award. His
short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous
print and online forums, including McSweeney’s, Fence,
Conjunctions, Post Road, The New York Times Magazine,
Poets & Writers, Lit Hub, and Unsaid. He has co-authored
the book for a full-length musical, The Count, and his work
has been adapted for film and frequently
anthologized—notably in Best American Fantasy. SLC,
2002–
James Horowitz Literature
BA, New York University. MA, PhD, Yale University. Special
interests include Restoration and 18th-century literature,
the history of the novel, film and film theory, political
history, Henry James, and gender studies. SLC, 2008–
Jesse Horst Director, Sarah Lawrence Program at
Havana, Cuba—History
BA, St. Olaf College. MA, PhD, University of Pittsburgh.
Historian of modern Latin America—especially Cuba, with
interest in Brazil, the Caribbean, and Afro-Latin America
more generally—Horst specializes in the history of urban
informality and social movements in the Global South.
FACULTY 219
Director of Sarah Lawrence in Cuba, the longest
consecutively running US academic exchange program in
Havana, he has lived in Havana full-time since 2016. His
book manuscript (in progress) centers on slum clearance,
urban planning, and city politics in Havana from
1930-1970, the decades before and after the Cuban
Revolution of 1959. The book engages with historical
debates over issues like the so-called “culture of poverty”
and connects to contemporary issues like gentrification.
Horst was awarded the University of Pittsburgh’s Eduardo
Lozano Memorial Dissertation Prize for best doctoral
dissertation in Latin American studies. His previous work
has appeared in the Hispanic American Historical Review,
the Journal of Urban History, and other journals. SLC
2016–
Marie Howe Writing
BS, University of Windsor, Canada. MFA, Columbia
University. Author of four books of poetry, the most recent
Magdalene (WW Norton and Company). Howe was New
York State Poet Laureate from 2012-2016. She is currently
a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the
poet-in-residence at The Cathedral Church of St John the
Divine. She has received grants and awards from the
Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the
Arts, The Bunting Institute at Radclie/Harvard, and The
Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. Her poems have
appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The American
Poetry Review, POETRY, and other magazines. Her New
and Selected Poems is forthcoming from Norton in
2024. SLC, 1993–
Vera Iliatova Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Brandeis University. MFA, Yale University.
Represented by Nathalie Karg Gallery, New York City. Work
included in numerous exhibitions in the United States and
abroad at venues that include: Katonah Museum, NY;
Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; Fahrenheit
Madrid Gallery, Spain; New Langton Art Center, San
Francisco; Artist Space, New York City; Monya Rowe
Gallery, New York City; and David Castillo Gallery, Miami.
Previously held full-time teaching appointments at
Massachusetts College of Art, University of
California–Davis, and University of New Hampshire.
Recipient of residencies at Skowhegan School of Art and
Vermont Studio Center; awarded free studio space in The
Space Program at the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation,
2007/2008, and NYFA Grant 2018. SLC, 2014–
Melvin Irizarry-Gelpi Physics
BS, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. PhD, Stony Brook
University. Previously taught physics at Westchester
Community College (Valhalla) and the College of Mount
Saint Vincent (The Bronx). SLC, 2021–
John Isley Music
Meghan Jablonski Director of Embedded
Education—Psychology, Practicum
BA, Muhlenberg College. MA, PhD, The New School for
Social Research. A clinical psychologist and educator with
over 20 years of experience, Jablonski has worked in a
range of professional and academic settings—including
nine years teaching in psychology at SLC. Common
threads throughout her work include an emphasis on
experience-based learning: integrating academic
knowledge and experiential engagement; applying skills in
dynamic, intersectional contexts; and building community
through collaboration and shared experiences. Jablonski’s
work aims to center opportunities for experience-based
learning that is supported by an inclusive community. As
Director of Embedded Education, Jablonski values
collaborative partnerships on campus and
beyond—including those with students, alumni, faculty
groups, campus resources, and community partners—in
growing opportunities for experience-based learning and a
thriving, engaged community. SLC, 2013–
John Jasperse Director, Dance Program—Dance
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. Founded John Jasperse
Company, later renamed John Jasperse Projects, in 1989
and has since created 17 evening-length works through
this nonprofit structure, as well as numerous commissions
for other companies, including Baryshnikov’s White Oak
Dance Project, Batsheva Dance Company, and Lyon Opera
Ballet. John Jasperse Projects have been presented in 24
US cities and 29 countries by presenters that include the
Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Joyce Theater, New York
Live Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, Walker
Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago,
American Dance Festival, La Biennale di Venezia, Dance
Umbrella London, Montpellier Danse, and Tanz im August
Berlin. Recipient of a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award, two
Bessie awards (2014, 2001), and multiple fellowships
from US Artists, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Tides/
Lambent Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, New York
Foundation for the Arts, and National Endowment for the
Arts, in addition to numerous grants and awards for John
Jasperse Projects. On the faculty and taught at many
distinguished institutions nationally and internationally,
including Hollins University MFA, University of
California–Davis, Movement Research, PARTS (Brussels,
Belgium), SEAD (Salzburg, Austria), Centre National de la
Danse (Lyon, France), and Danscentrum (Stockholm,
Sweden). Co-founder of CPR (Center for Performance
Research) in Brooklyn, NY. SLC, 2016–
James Jeter Music
Elizabeth Johnston Margot C. Bogert Distinguished
Service Chair—Psychology (on leave Spring 25)
MA, St. Andrew’s University, Scotland. DPhil, Oxford
University. Special interests in human perception of three-
dimensional shape, binocular vision, and the perception of
220 Faculty
depth from motion; author of articles and book chapters
on shape perception from stereopsis, sensorimotor
integration, and combining depth information from
dierent sources. SLC, 1992–
Jian Jung Theatre
MFA, New York University. MFA, Ewha Women's University
(Korea). Born and raised in Korea, Jung is a New York-
based set designer whose design has been acclaimed as
“innovative,” “inventive,” “genius,” and “spectacular” by
major press such as The New York Times, Los Angeles
Times, Time Out, and many others. Her theatre work has
been in numerous downtown New York City
theatres—including Classic Stage Company, ART/NY, The
Kitchen, The Bushwick Starr, The Flea, Abrons Arts Center,
Theater Row, and Soho Rep—as well as outside of New
York City and in Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Korea, and
Los Angeles. Her opera work has been in Long Beach
Opera (CA), Lincoln Center Juilliard School, Huntington
Theatre (Boston), among many venues. Jung received the
2015 Edith Lutyens & Norman Bel Geddes Design
Enhancement Award and was nominated for the 2019
Henry Hewes Design Award. Her design in Venezuela was
presented at Prague Quadrennial 2015, the world’s largest
scenography exhibition. SLC, 2020–
Judy Kagel Dance
BFA, SUNY–Purchase. Kagel (she/her) is a New York City-
based lighting designer for theatre and dance, with a
passion for new works. Her designs have been seen at The
WP Theater, The Wild Project, Dixon Place, Access
Theater, Arts on Site, LPAC Rough Draft Festival, and NY
Fringe Festival, among others. Kagel also works extensively
as a theatre educator. Recently, she has been a guest
teaching artist at Emerson Jr./Sr. High School, Livingston
High School, Eastchester High School, and Friends
Seminary. She is a technical advisor for Arts Connection’s
Broadway Jr. and Broadway Bound Kids programs in New
York City's public schools. SLC, 2022-
Rosie Kaplan Music
Dawn Kasper Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University. MFA, University
of California, Los Angeles. Select solo and group
exhibitions: Portikus (Frankfurt), 57th Venice Biennale
(Italy), Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
(Portland), Tang Museum, Skidmore College (New York),
Grano Center for the Arts (Providence), ADN Collection
(Italy), CCS Bard College (New York), Issue Project Room
(New York) David Lewis (New York), American Academy in
Rome (Italy), 2012 Whitney Biennial (New York), Tramway
(Scotland), Hammer Museum (Los Angeles), Los Angeles
County Museum of Art (Los Angeles), Pacific Standard
Time Public and Performance Art (Los Angeles), Public Art
Fund, (Miami), Migros Museum fur Gegenwartskunst
(Zurich). Kasper is represented by David Lewis (New York)
and has work included in the collections of the Whitney
Museum of American Art, (New York) ADN Collection
(Italy), and Aïshti Foundation (Beirut). She has been
visiting faculty and guest critic at Temple University Tyler
School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia), Yale
University (New Haven), Städelschule (Frankfurt), Brown
University (Providence), Rhode Island School of Design
(Providence), Parsons (New York), California Institute of
the Arts (Valencia), and Otis College (Los Angeles). SLC,
2020–
Aysegul Kayagil Sociology
BS, Middle East Technical University, Turkey. MA, Koc
University, Turkey. PhD, The New School for Social
Research. Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for
Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society (REMESO),
Sweden (2016-2017). Research interests include race,
ethnicity, gender, Turkish nationalism, legacies of slavery
in the Middle East and North Africa, and 19th-century
Orientalist art. Published on semantics of racial and ethnic
identifications in Turkey. Current research explores the
erasure of the history of slavery under the Ottoman rule in
light of its coexistence with racialized and gendered
notions of the dominant ethno-national identity in Turkey,
as well as in the larger Mediterranean basin. Recipient of
grants and fellowships from Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, Swedish Institute, Turkish American Society
and Turkish Fulbright Commission. SLC 2023–
Sibyl Kempson Theatre, Theatre MFA Program
MFA, Brooklyn College. Kempson’s plays have been
presented in the United States, Germany, and Norway. As a
performer she toured internationally from 2000-2011 with
Nature Theater of Oklahoma, New York City Players, and
Elevator Repair Service. Her own work has received
support from the Jerome Foundation, the Greenwall
Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Dixon
Place. She was given four Mondo Cane! commissions from
2002-2011 for The Wytche of Problymm Plantation, Crime
or Emergency, Potatoes of August, and The Secret Death of
Puppets). She received an MAP Fund grant for her
collaboration with Elevator Repair Service (Fondly,
Collette Richland) at New York Theatre Workshop
(NYTW), a 2018 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation
for Theater Award for American Playwright at Mid-Career
(specifically honoring “her fine craft, intertextual
approach, and her body of work, including Crime or
Emergency and Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag”), and a
2014 USA Artists Rockefeller fellowship with NYTW and
director Sarah Benson. She received a 2013 Virginia B.
Toulmin Foundation commission for Kyckling and
Screaming (a translation/adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild
Duck), a 2013-14 McKnight National residency and
commission for a new play (The Securely Conferred,
Vouchsafed Keepsakes of Maery S.), a New Dramatists/
Full Stage USA commission for a devised piece (From the
FACULTY 221
Pig Pile: The Requisite Gesture(s) of Narrow Approach),
and a National Presenters Network Creation Fund Award
for the same project. Her second collaboration with David
Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group, I Understand
Everything Better, received a Bessie Award for
Outstanding Production in 2015; the first was Restless Eye
at New York Live Arts in 2012. Current and upcoming
projects include a new opera with David Lang for the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston for 2018,
Sasquatch Rituals at The Kitchen in April 2018, and The
Securely Conferred, Vouchsafed Keepsakes of Maery S.
Kempson is a MacDowell Colony fellow; a member of New
Dramatists; a USA Artists Rockefeller fellow; an artist-in-
residence at the Abrons Arts Center; a 2014 nominee for
the Doris Duke Impact Award, the Laurents Hatcher
Award, and the Herb Alpert Award; and a New York
Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. Her plays are published
by 53rd State Press, PLAY: Journal of Plays, and
Performance & Art Journal (PAJ). In addition to Sarah
Lawrence College, she teaches and has taught
experimental performance writing at Brooklyn College and
the Eugene Lang College at the New School in New York
City. Kempson launched the 7 Daughters of Eve Theater &
Performance Co. in April 2015 at the Martin E. Segal
Center at the City University of New York. The company’s
inaugural production, Let Us Now Praise Susan Sontag,
premiered at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. A new
piece, Public People’s Enemy, was presented in October
2018 at the Ibsen Awards and Conference in Ibsen’s
hometown of Skien, Norway. 12 Shouts to the Ten
Forgotten Heavens, a three-year cycle of rituals for the
Whitney Museum of American Art in the Meatpacking
District of New York City, began on the vernal equinox in
March 2016 to recur on each solstice and equinox through
December 2018. SLC, 2016–
Julia Kennedy Psychology
BA, Gettysburg College. PhD, The New School for Social
Research. Postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai Behavioral
Health Center in the Department of Psychiatry. Interests
include clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, the
impact of traumatic stress on autobiographical memory,
future thinking and identity, protective mechanisms to
prevent and treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dissertation investigates the mediating role of future self-
continuity after exposure to a traumatic event in the
development of PTSD and other clinical disorders,
including anxiety and depression. Through the analysis of
longitudinal data collected during the first few months of
the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating how a perceived
connection to a future version of yourself can decrease the
severity of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms
following significant distress and trauma exposure as a
direct consequence of the pandemic. Recipient of the
Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award in
Cognitive Neuroscience. Published on topics in global
mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
autobiographical memory. Presented research at national
and international conferences. SLC, 2024–
Paul Kerekes Music (Composition)
BMus, CUNY Queens College. MM, MMA, Yale School of
Music. New York-based composer and pianist whose
music has been performed by American Composers
Orchestra, Da Capo Chamber Players, and New Morse
Code, in Merkin Hall, (le) poisson rouge, and The Winter
Garden. He attended The Bang on a Can Summer Music
Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and The Young Artists
Piano Program at Tanglewood. Member of Grand Band, a
six-piano ensemble featured in The Bang on a Can
Marathon and the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.
Award recipient from ASCAP, the Academy of Arts and
Letters; recipient of the 2015 JFund award from the
American Composer’s Forum. SLC, 2017–
Dana Khromov Spanish
BA, Ithaca College. MA, PhD, University of Pennsylvania.
Special interests include contemporary Latin American
literature and film, new materialism, animal studies, and
postanthropocentric theories. Scholarly publications
include articles in the Journal of Latin American Cultural
Studies and Revista Iberoamericana (forthcoming);
critical essays published in Asymptote Journal. SLC,
2022-
Yeong Ran Kim Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
BA, Seoul NationalUniversity. MA, The New School
University and New York University. PhD, Brown
University. An interdisciplinary artist and researcher, Kim
sees aesthetic practices as central means to build social
movements that create unique moments of coming
together. Her interdisciplinary projects draw together her
research in the contemporary queer culture with
performance theory, Asian/American studies, gender and
sexuality studies, and film and new media studies. Kim is a
visual/sonic media composer and a member of “The Urban
Mythfits,” a performance-artists collective based in New
York City. Her work has been showcased at Re/Mixed
Media Festival, Queens Museum, and the Martin E. Segal
Theatre Center at CUNY Graduate Center. SLC, 2020–
Daniel King Mathematics
BS, Lafayette College. MS, PhD, University of Virginia.
Special interests in mathematics education, game theory,
history and philosophy of mathematics, and the outreach
of mathematics to the social sciences and the humanities.
Author of research papers in the areas of nonassociative
algebra, fair-division theory, and mathematics education;
former chair and governor of the Metropolitan New York
Section of the Mathematical Association of America;
former member of the Board of Editors, The College
Mathematics Journal. SLC, 1997–
222 Faculty
Chris Klippenstein Literature
BA, McGill University. MA, University of Toronto. MA,
MPhil, PhD, Columbia University. Special interests include
early modern drama, theatre history, neighborship, animal
studies, medieval and early modern paleography (the
study of ancient handwriting). Performance reviews
published in Shakespeare and Shakespeare Bulletin; essay
about white nationalism in The Ethical Implications of
Shakespeare and Appropriation (ed. Geddes, Vomero
Santos, Way; Edinburgh UP); essay forthcoming in
Shakespeare Studies; NextGenPlen panelist in 2023. SLC,
2024–
Jamie Krenn Psychology
MA, MA, MPhil, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia
University. BS, CW Post Long Island University (Honors).
Krenn’s research interest includes cognitive media
processing, creative preschool curriculum preparation,
and culinary cognition. Krenn teaches at several
institutions as an adjunct associate professor, including
Columbia University’s Teachers College and Siena College,
as well as Sarah Lawrence College. She previously worked
as an educational media consultant for media entities
such as Disney, Nickelodeon, YouTube Originals, and
PBSKids. Krenn is an expert who knows firsthand that
there aren’t many tools to support work-from-home
parents like her and wants to help change that. She looks
to share her experience and training with others in food,
parenting, psychology, and product development. SLC,
2022–
Eduardo Lago Spanish, Literature
MA, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. PhD,
Graduate Center, City University of New York. Special
interests: Spanish and Latin American literature, US Latinx
writers, European literature. Author of the award-winning
novel, Call Me Brooklyn (2006), translated into 18
languages. Other fiction works include short-story
collections Scattered Tales and Map Thief and I Always
Knew I Would See You Again, Aurora Lee, a novel
(2013)—all in Spanish. Translator into Spanish of works
by John Barth, Sylvia Plath, Henry James, Junot Díaz,
Hamlin Garland, William Dean Howells, and Charles
Brockden-Brown. Recipient of the 2002 Bartolomé March
Award for Excellence in Literary Criticism for his
comparative analysis of James Joyce’s Ulysses
translations into Spanish. Director of the Cervantes
Institute in New York, 2006–2011. Holder of a Chair of
Excellence at Carlos III University, Madrid, in 2008. His
most recent books are Walt Whitman No Longer Lives
Here: Essays on North American Literature (2018) and We
Are All Leopold Bloom: Reasons To (Not Read) Ulysses
(2022). SLC, 1993–
Kevin Landdeck The Merle Rosenblatt Goldman Chair in
Asian Studies—Asian Studies, History
BA, Valparaiso University. MA, University of Michigan-Ann
Arbor. PhD, University of California-Berkeley. Recipient of
a Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation dissertation grant for
archival research in Chongqing, China. Research concerns
20th-century China, specifically Kuomintang war
mobilization and interior society during the Sino-Japanese
War (1937-45). Dissertation, “Under the Gun: Nationalist
Military Service and Society in Wartime Sichuan,
1938-1945,” presently being revised for future publication,
examines the state-making projects embedded within
conscription and voluntary enlistment in Chiang Kai-
shek’s army. Translating the confessions and jottings of a
captured KMT spy, who spent 16 years undergoing self-
reform in a communist prison, is a side project currently in
progress. Key areas of interest include China’s transition
from a dynastic empire to a nation-state; the role of war in
state-making; modes of political mobilization and their
intersection with social organization; and private life and
selfhood, including national, regional, or local and personal
identities. Broadly teaches on modern (17th century to
present) East Asian history, with a focus on politics,
society, and urban culture. In addition to a course on war
in 20th-century Asia, a personal involvement in
photography has inspired a course on photographic
images and practice in China and Japan from the 19th
century through the present. Member of the American
Historical Association, Association of Asian Studies, and
Historical Society for Twentieth-Century China. SLC,
2011–
Allen Lang Director, Theatre Outreach—Theatre
BA, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. MFA, SUNY-
Empire State College. Published plays include Chimera,
White Bualo, and The Wading Pool. Recipient of the
Lipkin Playwright Award and Drury College Playwright
Award. Plays produced in New York City at Pan Asian Rep,
Red Shirt Entertainment, La Mama, The Nuyorician Poets
Cafe, and other venues. In New York, directed new plays by
Richard Vetere, Adam Kraar, Diane Luby, and Michael
Schwartz. Established The River Theatre Company in
Central Wisconsin with a company of local players.
Directed, toured with the work of Samuel Beckett, Eugene
Ionesco, Slawomir Mrozek, David Lindsay Abaire, and John
Patrick Shanley, among others. Performances presented
on NPR and in shopping malls, street festivals, bus stops,
parking lots, and abandoned stores, as well as more
traditional venues. Conducted theatre workshops for
participants of all ages in New York City, Yonkers,
Westchester County, and throughout the United States
and abroad. Wrote, directed, and performed in original
plays presented in schools, community centers, and
museums in Yonkers, Westchester County, and beyond.
Recipient of grants from the National Endowment of the
Arts, The Wisconsin Council of the Arts. Sarah Lawrence
FACULTY 223
College Theatre Outreach co-director; artistic director of
the Sarah Lawrence College theatre program, 2007-2010.
SLC, 1998–
Rattawut Lapcharoensap Writing (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Cornell University. MFA, University of Michigan.
Fiction writer. Author of Sightseeing, a collection of short
stories, which received the Asian American Literary Award
and was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. His
work has appeared in Granta, One Story, The Guardian,
Zoetrope, Best New American Voices, and Best American
Non-Required Reading, among others. He is a recipient of a
Whiting Writer’s Award, a DAAD Artist-in-Berlin
fellowship, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honor,
and an Abraham Woursell Prize through the University of
Vienna; he was named by Granta magazine to its list of
“Best of Young American Novelists.” SLC, 2018–
Robert LaRue Literature
BA, MA, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington. Special
interests include 20th- and 21st-century literatures of the
African diaspora, queer literature and culture, gender
studies, and film studies. Articles published on Black
American masculinity, Jordan Peele, Black queerness, and
postcolonial queer African literature. SLC, 2024–
Joseph Lauinger Literature
BA, University of Pennsylvania. MA, Oxford University. MA,
PhD, Princeton University. Special interest in American
literature and film, the history of drama, and classical
literature; recipient of the New York State Teacher of
Excellence Award and a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities; fiction and poetry
published in Epoch, Lost Creek, Georgetown Review,
Confrontation, and Pig Iron; plays performed throughout
the United States and in the United Kingdom, Australia,
and India; member of the Dramatists Guild. SLC, 1988–
Catie Leasca Dance
BFA, The University of the Arts. A dance artist currently
based in Brooklyn, NY, and with roots in Massachusetts,
Leasca has traveled and danced abroad in Israel, France,
Belgium, and Germany. She has worked professionally
with Netta Yerushalmy, Helen Simoneau Danse, Jessie
Young, Ambika Raina, Janessa Clark, MG+Artists, and
others. She has been awarded choreographic residencies
at Gibney Dance through Work Up 5.0, New Dance Alliance
through LiftO, and was a 2019 Space Grant Recipient as
well as an Upstart artist at Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
Leasca has shown her work at Movement Research
through Judson Church, FAILSPACE at The Woods, Center
for Performance Research, Dixon Place, and WIP IV at
STUDIO4, among others. She has also assisted Netta
Yerushalmy at Princeton University. Leasca's writing can
be found in Dancegeist Magazine. SLC, 2022–
Sean Leo Theatre
A media designer and creative producer for live
performance, Sean Byrum Leo makes work that is deeply
rooted in storytelling, that investigates the use of media as
a performative tool, and that uses technology to explore
minimalist spectacle. In addition to his practice as a
designer, Leo has worked in New York City’s cultural sector
for several years. He has produced festivals of exciting,
genre-defying performances; managed venues and
welcomed audiences all over New York; supported artists
in the creation of new projects; and helped fill a hotel with
bespoke murals in every room. SLC, 2020–
Andrea Lerner Dance
BA, Summa Cum Laude, Pontifical Catholic University of
Paraná, Brazil. Shortly after arriving in New York City,
Lerner, a native of Curitiba, Brazil, became co-artistic
director of chameckilerner, an artistic duo collaboration
with Rosane Chamecki. Working together for 27 years,
they created a body of work that includes dance
performances, video, and installation pieces. Lerner has
received fellowships and grants that include the
Guggenheim Fellowship, The Foundation for
Contemporary Arts, NYFA Fellowship, NYSCA, NEFA,
Jerome Foundation, Rockefeller MAP Fund, SIEMENS,
ALTRIA, and Greenwall Foundation, among others. In
2007, the boundaries of her work blurred when
chameckilerner displaced the choreographic work from
stage to screen. This new body of work was featured in
group shows including, The Contemporary Art Festival
SESC-VideoBrasil, Tupi or Not Tupi at Museum Oscar
Niemeyer in Curitiba, Brazil, BLUEPRINT at MOCA Tucson,
Boca Raton Museum of the Arts in Florida, Wexner Center
for The Arts in Ohio, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,
SOFT POWER-Arte Brasil at Kunsthal KAdE in The
Netherland, PERFORMA 09, INVISIBLE DOG, and THE
BOILER- PIEROGI GALLERY, NY, to name a few.
chameckilerner video work also was part of an extended
list of film and dance dilm festivals in the United States,
Canada, Brazil, and Europe. Flying Lesson won the 36th
Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center (2008) and
Best Experimental Film Award at the Brooklyn
International Film Festival(2008). Samba #2 won the
Honorable Prize at the Inshadow Festival in Portugal and
at the San Francisco Dance Film festival, both in 2014.
Recently, Samba #2 was acquired by the Voorlinden
Museum In The Netherlands Together with Rosane
Chamecki, Lerner was a resident at Robert Wilson’s
Watermill Center in 2009; at EMPAC (Curtis R. Priem
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at
Rensselaer), Troy, New York, in 2014–15; and the YADDO
Foundation in 2018. Lerner was a 2019 artist-in-residence
at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and a Gibney DIP
residency artist. Most recently, she received a fall 2020
fellowship at The Bogliasco Foundation In Italy. Lerner
has been teaching contemporary dance, improvisation,
224 Faculty
and dance making for more than 25 years. Since 2014, she
has added Moving Bodies in Frame to her classes at Sarah
Lawrence College (2018, 2020), Bennington College,
Movement Research, Danca em Foco and Casa Homann
in Brazil, WASP in Romania, and Inshadow Dance Festival
in Portugal, to name a few. SLC, 2018, 2020, 2024–
Andrea Lerner Dance
A choreographer and videomaker, Lerner—together with
Rosane Chamecki—has been the co-artist director of
chameckilerner. During the 25-year collaboration,
chameckilerner has created a body of work that includes
dance performances, video, and installation pieces;
chameckilerner started experimenting with film in 2008.
Their first short video, Flying Lesson, won the Dance on
Camera Festival at Lincoln Center. Other videos include
The Collection, commissioned by Robert Wilson’s
Watermill Center; Conversation with Boxing Gloves
between Chamecki and Lerner, commissioned by
PERFORMA 09; Samba#2 and Eskasizer (a four-channel
installation) through a residency at EMPAC, Troy, NY;
among others. Their video work won a series of prizes at
international film and dance festivals around the world.
Lerner is the recipient of various fellowships and grants,
including the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, The
Foundation for Contemporary Arts, NYFA, NYSCA, NEFA,
Jerome Foundation, Rockefeller MAP Fund, among others.
Most recently, she was a 2019 artist in residence at the
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, a Gibney DiP Residency
Artist, and finished a commission to Barnard College
students in spring 2019. SLC, 2019; 2023-
Billy Lester Music (Jazz Piano)
BA, Lehman College. Manhattan School of Music. Taught
at Diller-Quaile Music School; music appreciation at
Lehman College; private teaching, 1976-present. Solo
concert: Heineken Jazz Festival, 1984. Six recordings.
“Storytime” nominated by NPR as one of the best in jazz of
2013. Performs in the United States and in Europe. SLC,
2017–
Eric Leveau French, Literature (on leave Fall 24)
Graduate, École Normale Supérieure, Lyon, France.
Agrégation, Doctorate, Paris-Sorbonne. Special interest in
early modern French literature, with emphasis on poetics
and the evolution of notions of writer and style during the
period. Current research in environmental criticism,
theory, and literary representations of the environment in
the Western tradition. SLC, 2003-2006; 2008–
Beth Levison Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Middlebury College. An Emmy- and Peabody Award-
winning filmmaker, Levison has worked in film and
television for more than two decades and is the founder of
Hazel Pictures, LLC. She is also a co-founder of the
Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA), a former
producing faculty member with the School of Visual Arts
MFA program in social documentary film, and a member of
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Levison
is a producer of The Martha Mitchell Eect, a 40-minute
film that premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
and will launch on Netflix in June 2022. She is also the
director—alongside cinematographer Jerry Risius—and
producer of Storm Lake, which was nominated for a 2021
Peabody Award, shortlisted by the International
Documentary Association as one of the best films of the
year, and broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens series.
Levison has produced many other award-winning, feature-
length documentaries, including: Women in Blue, Made in
Boise, Personal Statement, The Trials of Spring, and
Lemon—which she also codirected. Prior to her work in
independent film, she was a producer for HBO, the
Sundance Channel, and THIRTEEN/WNET’s “EGG the arts
show,” which received a 2002 Peabody Award, four 2002
National Emmy Awards, and five 2001 New York Emmy
Awards. Levison is an author of Best Practices in
Documentary Crediting, published by the Documentary
Producers Alliance, and Documentary Producers Alliance
Unveils Crediting Guidelines. She has been a guest lecturer
at Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism;
the Sundance Collab; Hunter College, Integrated Media
Arts MFA program; Chicken & Egg Pictures Accelerator
Lab; and An-Najah National University, Nablus, West Bank.
SLC, 2022–
Linwood J. Lewis Psychology
BA, Manhattanville College. MA, PhD, City University of
New York. MS, Columbia University. Special interests in
the eects of culture and social context on
conceptualization of health and illness; eects of the
physical environment on physical, psychological, and
social health; multicultural aspects of genetic counseling;
the negotiation of HIV within families; and the
development of sexuality in ethnic minority adolescents
and adults. Recipient of a MacArthur postdoctoral
fellowship and an NIH-NRSA research fellowship. SLC,
1997–
Judi Lewis Ockler Theatre
BFA, New School. A professional intimacy director, fight
director, stunt performer, teaching artist, and clown.
Ockler’s directing work has found collaboration with
Signature Theater, WP Theater, New World Stages, The
Flea Theater, Classic Stage, Dixon Place, Here Arts Space,
The Wild Project, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Stunt credits include feature films—The Wolf of Wall
Street, Enchanted, Across the Universe—and television
shows—30 Rock, Gotham, Big Dogs, House of Cards,
Boardwalk Empire. She is a founding member of Kendall
Cornell’s Clowns Ex Machina, an all-female clown troupe
in residency at LaMama, ETC. Ockler is a certified Intimacy
Director with Intimacy Directors International and
Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. She teaches/directs
FACULTY 225
intimacy and violence in performance at Tisch Drama, The
Meisner Studio, Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater
School, National Theater Institute, The New School for
Drama, HB Studios, Stella Adler Studios, The American
Academy of Dramatic Arts, and The American Musical and
Dramatic Academy, NYC. SLC, 2021-
An Li The John A. Hill Endowed Chair in Economic
Analysis—Economics
BA, MA, Renmin University of China, Beijing. PhD,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Teaching areas
include microeconomics and macroeconomics,
environmental economics, political economy, urban and
regional economics, international trade, and economics of
public policy. Current research interests include the
political economy of environmental justice, environmental
justice in developing countries, property-right regimes and
the environment, the global outsourcing of pollution-
generating activities, and the interaction between
economic inequality and the environment. Recipient of
Sun Yefang Economic Science Award for theoretical and
empirical research on economic crisis. SLC, 2019–
Izzy Lockhart Literature
PhD, Princeton University. A 2022-24 Mellon Fellow in the
Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the
Environment (SLICE). Lockhart works on 20th-century
and contemporary literature across the fields of the
environmental humanities, the energy humanities, and
Indigenous studies. SLC, 2022–
Jazmín López Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires. MFA, New York
University. A filmmaker, visual artist, and professor. López
participated in the WhitneyISP program. Her work has
been featured in venues such as Fondation Pernod Ricard,
San Jose Museum, OCAT, Tabacalera, Kadist, Istanbul
Biennial, Orizzonti ocial competition Venezia Biennial,
Rotterdam Film Fest, Viennale, New Directors New Films
at MoMA and Lincoln Center, Centre George Pompidou,
and KW institute Berlin, among many other world film
festivals, and has been featured in Variety and The New
York Times. SLC, 2023–
Karintha Lowe History
BA, Macalester College. MA, Harvard University. PhD,
Harvard University. Special interests include Asian
American literature and history, ethnic studies, 20th-
century immigration policy, and media studies. An
interdisciplinary scholar and curator, Lowe has also
worked at the New York Historical Society and the
Museum of Chinese in America, where she developed
public programming and exhibitions on Asian American
multimedia art. SLC, 2023–
Greg MacPherson Theatre
BA, University of Vermont. Studio and Forum of Stage
Design, New York City. Designed lighting for hundreds of
plays and musicals in New York and around the United
States, as well as in Europe, Australia, Japan, and the
Caribbean. Designs have included original plays by Edward
Allan Baker, Cassandra Medley, Stewart Spencer, Richard
Greenberg, Warren Leight, Lanford Wilson, Romulus
Linney, Arthur Miller, and David Mamet. McPherson
continues to design the Las Vegas production of Penn &
Teller and to work as resident designer for the 52nd Street
Project. He received an American Theatre Wing Maharam
Award nomination for his lighting design of E.S.T.’s
Marathon of One-Act Plays. SLC, 1990–
Michael Malin Chemistry
BS, City College of New York, PhD, Rutgers University.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Rutgers University, Brandeis
University. Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Western
Connecticut State University (WCSU); T. J. Lipton, Inc, tea
chemistry; Technicon Instruments Corp/Bayer
Diagnostics, hematology automated analyzer methods/
reagents, photocurable adhesives, chemiluminescence,
ceramic hardware degradation, phthalocyanine dyes;
Bayer Technical Achievement Award, Automated
Hemoglobin Detection Methods. Author of 20 publications
and patents in biochemistry and chemistry. WCSU
chemistry adjunct, 2010-2022. Author of The Chemistry
and Mechanism of Art Materials: Unsuspected Properties
and Outcomes, 2021. SLC, 2003 (guest), 2007-2009,
2023–
Thomas Mandel Theatre
BA, Bowdoin College. Songwriting with Paul Simon, New
York University, 1969; taught Singing Workshop with John
Braswell at Sarah Lawrence (1971-77); scored musicals at
Sarah Lawrence, Astor Place Theatre, and Cafe LaMaMa,
New York City; composed, orchestrated, and musical-
directed three rock operas O-O Broadway and at Sarah
Lawrence. (The first, Joe’s Opera, was twice optioned for
Broadway production; animated the second, The Sea of
Simile, on a full-length DVD.) Toured and recorded
(1977-1998) from Vietnam to Vienna, New York City to
Sun City, with Dire Straits, Bryan Adams, Cyndi Lauper,
Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, B-52s, the Pretenders, Nils Lofgren,
Little Steven, Peter Wolf, Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson, two
former NY Dolls, Live at CBGB’s, the Spinners, Shannon,
John Waite, and Pavarotti. Returned to Sarah Lawrence in
2000 to work with Shirley Kaplan, William McRee, and
Thomas Young. Fields of expertise: Hammond organ, rock-
and-roll piano, synthesizer programming and sequencing,
piano accompaniment, popular and progressive music of
the 1950s-1990s. SLC, 1971-77, 2000–
226 Faculty
K. Lorrel Manning Theatre, Filmmaking and Moving
Image Arts
MFA, Columbia University. BFA, University of Georgia.
Award-winning filmmaker and theatre artist. Film festivals
and awards include: South By Southwest (World premiere,
Narrative competition); Hamptons Film Festival (New York
premiere); Discovery Award & Best Actor Award, Rhode
Island International Film Festival; Audience Award–Best
Feature, Oldenburg International Film Festival; Jury
Award–Best Film, Beaufort International Film Festival;
David Horowitz Media Literacy Award, Santa Fe Indie Film
Festival; Best Film, North Country Film Festival; Best Film,
Peace On Earth Film Festival; Opening Night Film, Kansas
City Film Festival; Voice Award, Nominee. As a theatre
director and playwright, Manning has worked extensively
O-Broadway and O-O Broadway. Most recently, he
wrote, directed, and starred in the critically-acclaimed O-
Broadway play AWAKE, which received its world premiere
at the Barrow Group Theatre Company. Other recent
theatre directing work includes: a new, critically-
acclaimed adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the
People (co-written with Seth Barrish) and John Yearley’s
The Unrepeatable Moment. Manning is currently
developing his second feature film, a television series, and
a full-length documentary on young Cameroonian painter
Ludovic Nkoth. SLC, 2018–
Caden Manson Director, Theatre Program—Theatre
A performance maker (Big Art Group), curator
(Contemporary Performance and Special Eects Festival),
and educator SLCTheatre), Manson’s performance
work—through the company Big Art Group—creates
radical queer narrative structures and embodiments to
construct and aid transitory generative critical space for
both participants and audience. Their work is dense, fast,
and multilayered and traverses multiple genres and forms,
often using interference, slippage, and disruption
strategies. Manson’s work has been presented throughout
14 countries and more than 50 cities in Europe, Asia, and
North America. Their work has been co-produced by the
Vienna Festival, Festival d’Automne a Paris, Hebbel Am
Ufer, Rome’s La Vie de Festival, PS122, and Wexner Center
for The Arts. Manson is a Foundation For Contemporary
Art fellow, Pew fellow, and a MacDowell fellow. Their
writing, with Jemma Nelson, can be found in the
publications PAJ, Theatre Magazine, Theatre der Zeit, and
Theatre Journal. BA, MFA. SLC, 2019–
Adil Mansoor Theatre, Theatre MFA Program
A theatre director and educator centering the stories of
queer folks and people of color, Mansoor has directed
projects that include Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
(Hatch Arts), Chickens in the Yard by Paul Kruse (Hatch
Arts and Quantum Theatre), Desdemona’s Child by
Caridad Svich (Carnegie Mellon University), Dark Play or
Stories for Boys by Carlos Murillo (Carnegie Mellon
University), and an upcoming ensemble-generated piece
with Pittsburgh Playhouse. Mansoor’s solo performance
adapting Sophocles’s Antigone as an apology to and from
his mother, Amm(i)gone, is being co-commissioned by
Kelly Strayhorn Theater in partnership with The Theater
Oensive and National Performance Network. Mansoor
has developed and directed new work through New York
University, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, The Frank-
Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, and PearlArts
Studio. He is a founding member and resident director
with Pittsburgh’s Hatch Arts Collective, a member of
DirectorsLabChicago, a Gerri Kay New Voices Fellow with
Quantum Theatre, and a 2050 fellow with New York
Theatre workshop. As an educator, Mansoor has worked
with Middlebury College, Carnegie Mellon University, The
Mori Art Museum, and The Warhol. He led educational
programming at Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQA+ youth arts
organization in Pittsburgh, for more than five years. SLC,
2020–
Rona Naomi Mark Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. MFA, Columbia
University. Award-winning writer, director, and producer.
Festivals and awards include: Best of Fest, Edinburgh
International Film Festival; Audience Choice Award,
Filmmaker Magazine; Scenario Award, Canadian
International Film and Video Festival; Best Short (second
place), Galway Film Fleadh; Best Comedy/Best of Night,
Polo Ralph Lauren New Works Festival; BBC’s Best Short
Film About the Environment, Tel Aviv International
Student Film Festival; opening-night selection, Three
Rivers Film Festival; Hong Kong International Jewish Film
Festival; Irish Reels Film Festival; Seattle True
Independent Film Festival; New Filmmakers Screening
Series; Hoboken International Film Festival; Miami Jewish
Film Festival; Munich International Student Film Festival;
Palm Beach International Jewish Film Festival; Pittsburgh
Israeli Jewish Film Festival; Toronto Jewish Film Festival;
Vancouver Jewish Film Festival; finalist, Pipedream
Screenplay Competition; third prize, Acclaim TV Writer
Competition; second place, TalentScout TV Writing
Competition; finalist, People’s Pilot Television Writing
Contest; Milos Forman Award; finalist, Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences Student Film Awards. Current
feature film projects include: screenwriter/director/
producer, Strange Girls, Mdux Pictures, LLC; screenwriter/
director, Shoelaces. SLC, 2007–
James Marshall Computer Science (on leave Spring 25)
BA, Cornell University. MS, PhD, Indiana University-
Bloomington. Special interests in robotics, evolutionary
computation, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science.
Author of research papers on developmental robotics,
neural networks, and computational models of analogy;
author of the Metacat computer model of analogy. SLC,
2006–
FACULTY 227
Matthew Mastromatteo Theatre
Juliana F. May Dance
BA, Oberlin College. MFA, University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee. A Guggenheim and NYFA Fellow, for the past
15 years she has taught dance and choreography at
numerous institutions in K-12 and university settings,
including at Trevor Day School, Barnard College, The New
School, and, most recently, at The American Dance
Festival in Durham, North Carolina. She has created nine
works since 2002, including seven evening-length pieces
with commissions and encore performances from Dance
Theatre Workshop, New York Live Arts, The Chocolate
Factory Theatre, Barnard College, The New School, Joyce
SoHo, and The American Realness Festival. She has been
awarded grants and residencies through The Map Fund,
The Jerome foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural
Council, and Gibney DIP. SLC, 2017–
Moneé Mayes Theatre
BFA, Savannah College of Art and Design. MFA, Ohio
University. A second-generation Caribbean immigrant,
born and raised in Long Island, New York, Mayes is an
established, award-winning lighting designer with a keen
eye for detail and a passion for transforming spaces
through light. She states, “the ability to tell unique stories
through design is an example of how theatre is a medium
to express oneself. It has the power to make people laugh
or cry, learn new things, empathize or sympathize and
encourage people to think about life.” Beyond theatrical
lighting design, she utilizes her various skills in production
design, themed entertainment design, art direction,
program project management, and event coordination and
planning in order to have a well-versed career working
with A2 Collective. Recently, she designed The Black That I
Am (Braata Productions), The Amen Corner, (The Lovinger
Theatre), and 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,
(Epic Players NYC). Additionally, Mayes has had the
opportunity to collaborate with companies such as EPIC
Players NYC and The Anthropologists and has worked with
well-known theatres such as The Cleveland Public
Theatre, Delaware Repertory Theatre, and Indianapolis
Repertory Theatre. SLC, 2024–
Daniel McCarthy Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Studies
BM (magna cum laude), Catholic University of America.
MM, Boston University. Performer’s Diploma, Southern
Methodist University. DMA, University of Illinois Urbana-
Champaign. McCarthy’s interdisciplinary scholarship
draws upon their experiences as both a classically-trained
musician and a scholar of feminist, queer, and transgender
thought. Recent publications include their essay,
“Queering Abuelita: Reconciling Loss Through the
Speculative,” published in the Winter 2022 issue of
Departures in Critical Qualitative Research. McCarthy’s
versatile music career includes collaborations with
members of the Borromeo, Emerson, Escher, and Miró
quartets and performances in venues such as the National
Arts Centre (Ottawa, Canada), Harpa (Reykjavík, Iceland),
Theresienstadt (Czech Republic), the Embassy of Austria,
the residences of the ambassadors to Romania and
Portugal, and the White House. Before arriving at Sarah
Lawrence College, McCarthy taught in the Department of
Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign and the Institute for Women’s, Gender
and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University. SLC
2023–
Jerey McDaniel Writing
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MFA, George Mason
University. Author of six books of poetry, most recently
Holiday in the Islands of Grief (University of Pittsburgh
Press, 2020). Other books include Chapel of Inadvertent
Joy (Pittsburgh, 2013), The Endarkenment (Pittsburgh,
2008), The Splinter Factory (Manic D Press, 2002), The
Forgiveness Parade (Manic D Press, 1998), and Alibi
School (Manic D Press, 1995). McDaniel’s poems have
appeared in numerous places, including The New Yorker,
The New York Times, and Best American Poetry in 1994,
2010, and 2019. Recipient of an NEA fellowship. SLC,
2001–
William D. McRee Theatre
BA, Jacksonville University. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
Co-founder and artistic director for Jacksonville’s A
Company of Players, Inc.; productions with The Actor’s
Outlet, Playwrights Horizons, Summerfest, and the
Ensemble Studio Theatre. SLC, 1981–
Aixa Rosario Medina Theatre
For the past two decades Aixa has been living in
Westchester and fully engaged in sharing her skills with
numerous community organizations, including but not
limited to: Youth Theatre Interactions, The Hudson River
Museum, Yonkers Public Schools, The Gateway Program
and Wartburg Senior Center. Professional experience
includes: Broadway, regional and international theaters;
industrials, TV, film, commercials, choreographer,
assistant choreographer, dance instructor and dance and
theatre director and coordinator. She also owns a Pilates
studio in Yonkers, Mind-Body Pilates, teaches Pilates for
the Lion King Company on Broadway and works as a
faculty member for the Civic Engagement Theatre
Program in the Sarah Lawrence College Theatre Program.
SLC, 2019–
Jodi Melnick Dance
BFA, State University of New York–Purchase.
Choreographer, performer, and teacher. A 2012
Guggenheim fellow and recipient of the Jerome Robbins
New Essential Works grant (2010-2011), a Foundation for
Contemporary Arts award, 2011 Grants to Artists award,
and two Bessies (2001 and 2008). Her dances have been
228 Faculty
performed at The Joyce Theatre and City Center in New
York City; her works have been commissioned and
presented by The Kitchen (Fanfare, with set décor by Burt
Barr), Dance Theater Workshop, La Mama for OtherShore
Dance Company, Jacob’s Pillow, The American Dance
Festival, Barnard College, Bennington College, Dance Box,
Kansai, Japan, and opening the Dublin Dance Festival
(2011) at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. She has worked
with a vast array of dance artists such as Twyla Tharp and
Mikhail Baryshnikov and continues to perform with
choreographers Sara Rudner, Vicky Shick, Jon Kinzel, John
Jasperse, Liz Roche, and Susan Rethorst. Currently, she
also teaches at Barnard College at Columbia University,
New York University (in the Experimental Theatre Wing),
and Trevor Day School. SLC, 2013–
Lynn Melnick Writing
BA, University of California at Santa Cruz. MFA, Columbia
University. Melnick is the author of the memoir, I've Had to
Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and
Dolly Parton. She is also the author of three poetry
collections: Refusenik, the winner of the Julie Suk award
and a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award;
Landscape With Sex and Violence, and If I Should Say I
Have Hope. Her work has appeared in APR, LA Review of
Books, The New Republic, The New Yorker, The Paris
Review, Poetry, A Public Space, and the anthology Not That
Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. Melnick has received
grants from the Cafe Royal Cultural Society and the
Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. She is a former fellow at the
New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and
Writers. SLC, 2024–
Roberta Michel Music (Flute)
BA, University of Colorado at Boulder. MM,
SUNY–Purchase. DMA, City University of New York
Graduate Center. Recipient of the Artists International
Special Presentation Award, debuted at Carnegie Hall’s
Weill Recital Hall. Winner, National Flute Association’s
Graduate Research Competition, Purchase College
Baroque Concerto Competition. Bang on a Can Summer
Institute fellow. Participant in the Institute and Festival of
Contemporary Performance at Mannes College, Ban
Festival, and Domaine Forget. SLC, 2017–
Nicolaus Mills Literature
BA, Harvard University. PhD, Brown University. Special
interest in American studies. Author of: Every Army Man is
With You: The Cadets Who Won the 1964 Army-Navy
Game, Fought in Vietnam, and Came Home Forever
Changed; Winning the Peace: The Marshall Plan and
America’s Coming of Age as a Superpower; The Triumph of
Meanness: America’s War Against Its Better Self; Their
Last Battle: The Fight for the National World War II
Memorial; Like a Holy Crusade: Mississippi 1964; The
Crowd in American Literature; and American and English
Fiction in the 19th Century. Editor of: Getting Out:
Historical Perspectives on Leaving Iraq; Debating
Armative Action; Arguing Immigration; Culture in an Age
of Money; Busing USA; The New Journalism; and The New
Killing Fields. Contributor to: The New Republic, The Daily
Beast, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, New York
Daily News, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle,
Newsday, The Nation, Yale Review, Commonweal, National
Law Journal, Journal of American Studies, Western
Humanities Review, and The Guardian; editorial board
member, Dissent magazine. Recipient of fellowships from
the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, American Council of
Learned Societies, and the Rockefeller Foundation. SLC,
1972–
Nike Mizelle German
BA, Queens College. MA, MPhil, Graduate Center of the
City University of New York. Special interests in New
German Cinema, German Romanticism, contemporary
German authors, and 20th-century art history. Translator
of articles on German music; contributor to Pro Helvetia
Swiss Lectureship. Monika Maron Symposium
chairperson, Ghent University, Belgium. SLC, 1987–
Lucy Mookerjee Literature
BA, Trinity College, Hartford. MA, PhD, New York
University. Special interests include Chaucer, medieval
aesthetics, reception of Classics, history of the English
language, history of the book, and translation. SLC, 2024–
Katherine Morales Lugo Anthropology
Lugo is a recipient of the National Endowment for the
Humanities (2020) Faculty Award and currently conducts
research on bilingualism, ideologies, and identities of
Latinx in Puerto Rico and the United States. She is
currently working on a monograph under contract by
Multilingualism Matters. A recent core committee member
of the Language and Social Justice Group for the Society
of Linguistic Anthropology and American Anthropological
Association, Lugo has taught English sociolinguistics in
United States, Europe, and Puerto Rico and most recently
held full-time faculty positions at Teachers College,
Columbia University and University of Puerto Rico
Mayaguez (2019–2022). Her research uses qualitative
methods from anthropology and sociolinguistics to
examine the language practices of second-language
speakers of English in the United States. She is specifically
interested in documenting the linguistic outcome of
language planning and instructional policies (in
education) in the lives, identities, attitudes, and social
practices of bilingual and multilingual speakers. By
documenting language use, she aima to answer larger
questions of best practice in language education and
policy and the role of learner identities and ideologies in
language use and socialization, as well as to partake in the
legitimatization of bilingual and non-native English
practices from a Global English perspective. SLC, 2024–
FACULTY 229
Bill Moring Music (Bass, Jazz Ensembles)
Indiana State University. Taught at Montclair State
University, NJPAC Jazz for Teens, Long Island University.
Lectures and concerts with Staten Island Chamber Music
Players Jazz Quartet. Adjudicator at numerous high
schools and universities across the United States and
Europe; private teacher and ensemble coach. Recipient:
National Endowment for the Arts Study Grant, Rufus Reid.
Performances, notable festivals, and concerts:
Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow; Monterey Jazz Festival,
California; JVC Jazz Festival, New York; Carnegie Hall, Nee
York; Wigan Jazz Festival, England; Estoril Jazz Festival,
Portugal. SLC, 2017–
Bari Mort Music
BFA, State University of New York–Purchase. MM, The
Juilliard School. Pianist, winner of Artists International
Young Musicians Auditions; New York recital debut at
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Member of New York
Chamber Ensemble; performed with International String
Quartet, Musica de Camera, Da Capo Chamber Players,
Colorado String Quartet, American Symphony Orchestra,
Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts. Broadcasts
include PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center and NPR in New
York and San Francisco. Recorded for ERM Records and
Albany Records. Faculty member, Bard College,
1997-2006. SLC, 2008–
Brian Morton Writing
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. Author of five novels,
including Starting Out in the Evening and Florence Gordon,
and the memoir Tasha; editorial board member of Dissent
magazine. Recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, the
Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts
and Letters, the Koret Jewish Book Award for Fiction, and
the Pushcart Prize. Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award
and the Kirkus Prize for Fiction. SLC, 1998–
April Reynolds Mosolino Writing
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. Taught at the 92nd Street Y
and New York University. Her short story, Alcestis,
appeared in The Bluelight Corner: Black Women Writing on
Passion, Sex, and Romantic Love; her fiction work has
appeared in the anthology Mending the World With Basic
Books, 110 Stories: New York Writes After September 11
(New York University Press) and in The Heretics Bible
(Free Press). Her first novel, Knee-Deep in Wonder, won
the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Award.
Her second novel, The Book of Charlemagne, is
forthcoming (Free Press/Simon & Schuster). SLC, 2003–
Jamee Moudud Economics
BS, MEng, Cornell University. MA, PhD (Honors), The New
School for Social Research. Moudud is a board member of
the Association for the Promotion of Political Economy
and the Law and a co-founder and on the editorial board of
the Journal of Law and Political Economy. He is also on the
editorial board of the journal, Money on the Left. As a
contributor to the contemporary Law and Political
Economy intellectual movement, his work focuses on
understanding the nature of corporations and money and
the ways in which constitutional clauses structure
socioeconomic inequalities. Professor Moudud is currently
working on a book entitled, Legal and Political Foundations
of Capitalism: The End of Laissez-Faire?, to be published
by Routledge as part of its Economics as Social Theory
series. He is a Fellow in the Political Economy of
Corporations Curriculum Project, University of California
Berkeley. SLC, 2000–
Patrick Muchmore Music
BM, University of Oklahoma. Composer/performer with
performances throughout the United States; founding
member of New York’s Anti-Social Music; theory and
composition instructor at City College of New York. SLC,
2004–
Joshua Muldavin Geography
BS, MA, PhD, University of California-Berkeley. Special
interests in China, Japan, and Asia policy, rural
development, international aid, agriculture and food,
climate change, political economy, and political ecology.
Current research projects analyze global resource and
development conflicts via capital flows to Africa, Latin
America, and South/Southeast Asia; international
environmental policy and impacts on local resource use
and vulnerability in the Himalayan Region; climate-change
policy; socialist transition’s environmental and social
impacts in China; sustainable agriculture and food
systems; and aid to China since 1978. Forty years field
research, primarily in rural China. Recipient of grants from
National Science Foundation, Social Science Research
Council, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and
Fulbright. Invited lecturer at Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Johns
Hopkins, National University of Singapore, US
Congressional Commission, European Parliament. Founder
of the Action 2030 Institute. Contributor to The Political
Geography Handbook, Economic Geography, Geopolitics,
Environment and Planning A, Geoforum, Annals of the
Association of American Geographers, International Herald
Tribune, BBC World News, and other media outlets. SLC,
2002–
Parthiban Muniandy Sociology
BA, PhD, University of Illinois. Research focuses on
temporary labor migration in Southeast Asia and South
Asia; particular interest in exploring how new regimes of
migration are emerging, under which “temporary labor”
migrants are becoming increasingly commonplace in fast-
developing societies in Asia, and how informality and
informal practices become important elements that aect
the lives of migrant women and men. Author of Politics of
the Temporary: Ethnography of Migrant life in Urban
Malaysia (2015) and peer-reviewed articles in
230 Faculty
International Sociology, Journal of Ethnic and Migration
Studies and Asian Journal of Social Science. Former
appointments: Lecturer of Global Studies, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. SLC, 2017–
Marcella Murray Theatre
A New York-based theatre artist from Augusta, Georgia,
Murray is a playwright, performer, collaborator, and
puppeteer. Her work is heavily inspired by the observed
ways in which people tend to segregate and reconnect. Her
work tends to focus on themes of identity within a
community and (hopefully) forward momentum in the
face of trauma. Performances include The Slow Room, a
piece directed by Annie Dorsen at Performance Space
New York; a workshop of Ocean Filibuster, which was co-
created by the team Pearl D’Amour (Lisa D’Amour and
Katie Pearl) with composer Sxip Shirey at Abrons Arts
Center; the work-in-progress, I Don’t Want to Interrupt You
Guys, created in collaboration with Leonie Bell and Hyung
Seok Jeon during RAP at Mabou Mines; New Mony,
created by Maria Camia at Dixon Place; and Shoot Don’t
Talk at St. Ann’s Warehouse/Puppet Lab, created by
Andrew Murdock. Along with David Neumann, Murray
recently co-created Distances Smaller Than This Are Not
Confirmed (Obie Special Citation for Creation and
Performance), which opened at Abrons Arts Center in
January 2020. Murray is part of an artist collective called
The Midwives. SLC, 2022–
Ellen Neskar Asian Studies
BSc, University of Toronto. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Special interest in the social and cultural
history of medieval China, with emphasis on the
intersection of politics and religion; author of Politics and
Prayer: Shrines to Local Worthies in Sung China; member,
Association of Asian Studies; recipient of an American
Council of Learned Societies grant. SLC, 2001–
David Neumann Theatre
As artistic director of the Advanced Beginner Group,
Neumann’s work has been presented in New York City at
PS 122, Dance Theatre Workshop, Central Park
SummerStage (collaboration with John Giorno), Celebrate
Brooklyn, and Symphony Space (collaboration with Laurie
Anderson). Featured dancer in the works of Susan
Marshall, Jane Comfort, Sally Silvers, Annie-B Parson &
Paul Lazar’s Big Dance Theatre, and club legend Willi
Ninja; previously a member of Doug Varone and Dancers
and an original member and collaborator for eight years
with the Doug Elkins Dance Company. Over the past 20
years, choreographed or performed with directors Hal
Hartley, Laurie Anderson, Robert Woodru, Lee Breuer,
Peter Sellars, JoAnn Akalaitis, Mark Wing-Davey, and Les
Waters; recently appeared in Orestes at Classic Stage
Company, choreographed The Bacchae at the Public
Theatre, and performed in a duet choreographed with
Mikhail Baryshnikov. SLC, 2007–
Philipp Nielsen Adda Bozeman Chair in International
Relations—History (on leave fall 24)
BSc, London School of Economics and Political Science.
PhD, Yale University. Philipp Nielsen specializes in the
intellectual, cultural, and political history of modern
Europe, with particular emphasis on German and Jewish
history. Research addresses the history of democracy and
its relation to emotions, constitutional law, and
architecture. His first monograph, Between Heimat and
Hatred: Jews and the Right in Germany, 1871-1935 (Oxford
University Press, 2019) traces the involvement of German
Jews in nonliberal political projects from the founding of
the German Empire to the Nuremberg Laws. He also also
co-edited volumes on the connection between
architecture, democracy and emotions, and emotional
encounters in history. He is currently working on a
manuscript on “democratic architecture” in postwar
Germany, and on a short history of compromise. SLC,
2016–
Chessy Normile Writing
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MFA, The Michener Center
for Writers at University of Texas-Austin. Author of Great
Exodus, Great Wall, Great Party (2020 APR/Honickman
First Book Prize). Normile's poems have appeared in The
Nation, The American Poetry Review, jubilat, Poets.org,
Narrative, and elsewhere. Recipient of the 2022-23 Ronald
Wallace Poetry Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute
for Creative Writing at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
SLC, 2024–
Jennifer Nugent Dance
Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Nugent has been living
and working in New York City since 1998. Her practices are
profoundly inspired by Daniel Lepko, Wendell Beavers,
Patty Townsend, Thomas F. DeFrantz, and Paul Matteson.
Through performing and teaching, she aims to nurture the
proposition of physicality as a theoretical and complex
language that resides inside a rejuvenating container of
possibility. Nugent continues to augment these practices
through sharing and refining ideas in front of others—a
transmission of spoken and gestural language. Since living
in New York City, she has performed most notably with Bill
T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (2009-2014), Paul
Matteson (2002-2020), David Dorfman Dance
(1999-2007), and Martha Clarke (2007-2008). She is
currently a teaching artist at Gibney Dance (NYC), Sarah
Lawrence College, and the virtual platform freeskewl,
where she hosts a monthly series called Pedagogy/Poetic
Entry. SLC, 2017–
Dennis Nurkse Writing
BA, Harvard University. Author of twelve books of poetry
(under “D. Nurkse”), including the forthcoming A Country
of Strangers, Love in the Last Days, The Border Kingdom,
Burnt Island, The Fall, The Rules of Paradise, Leaving Xaia,
Voices Over Water, and A Night in Brooklyn; poems have
FACULTY 231
appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and in six
editions of the Best American Poetry anthology series.
Recipient of a literature award from the American
Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim fellowship, a
Whiting Writers’ award, two National Endowment for the
Arts fellowships, two New York Foundation for the Arts
fellowships, two Pushcart Prizes, two awards from The
Poetry Foundation, and a finalist for the Forward Prize for
best poetry book published in the UK. SLC, 2004–
John O’Connor Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Westfield (Mass.) State College. MFA, MS, Pratt
Institute. Attended Skowhegan School of Painting and
Sculpture. Recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts
grant in painting and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation
grant. Taught at Princeton University, Pratt Institute, and
New York University. Recent exhibitions at Pierogi Gallery
in Brooklyn, Martin Asbaek Projects in Copenhagen,
Fleisher Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia, and The Lab in
Dublin (Ireland). His work is included in the collections of
the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American
Art, Southern Methodist University, and New Museum of
Contemporary Art. SLC 2010–
Stephen O’Connor Writing
BA, Columbia University. MA, University of
California–Berkeley. Author of Quasimode, a poetry
collection; the novel Thomas Jeerson Dreams of Sally
Hemings; two collections of short fiction, Here Comes
Another Lesson and Rescue; two works of nonfiction, the
memoir Will My Name Be Shouted Out? and Orphan Trains;
and The Story of Charles Loring Brace and the Children He
Saved and Failed, history/biography. Fiction and poetry
have appeared in The New Yorker, Harpers, Conjunctions,
The Quarterly, Partisan Review, and many other places.
Essays and journalism have been published in The New
York Times, DoubleTake, The Nation, AGNI, Chicago
Tribune, Boston Globe, and New Labor Forum, among
others. Recipient of the Cornell Woolrich Fellowship in
Creative Writing, from Columbia University; the Visiting
Fellowship for Historical Research by Artists and Writers,
from the American Antiquarian Society; the DeWitt
Wallace/Reader’s Digest Fellowship, from the MacDowell
Colony; and the Crooks Corner Best First Novel Award.
SLC, 1997, 2002–
Ege Okal Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Sabanci University, Istanbul. MFA, Cornell University.
A New York-based artist, curator, and cultural worker,
Okal's work reimagines and reconfigures the material and
experiential qualities of violence, space, gender, language,
diplomacy, memory, and humor through moving-image
and installation. Her methodology is in the act of hand-
working the artistic process. Both her artistic and
curatorial practices involve collaborative thinking,
participation, storytelling, and care. Okal created and
conducted the course Food: Culture, Cultivation, Design at
Bilgi University in Istanbul. She has also worked as a
photojournalist at the United Nations. Okal's recent
exhibitions include: Home Alone, Pera Museum in Istanbul;
How to Build an Ocean, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York
City; Tourist, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Or High Water,
Safe Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. Her collaborative animated
short film, Merkür, was screened in Istanbul Film Festival,
DOK Leipzig, Anifilm, Melbourne International Animation
Festival, Helsinki Film Festival, Stockholm Experimental &
Animation Film Festival. SLC, 2022–
Philip Ording Mathematics (On leave 2024-25)
BA, PhD, Columbia University. Research interests in
geometry, topology, and the intersection of mathematics
with the humanities. Mathematical consultant to New
York-based artists since 2003. Author of 99 Variations on
a Proof (Princeton, 2019), a compendium of mathematical
style. SLC, 2014–
Magdalena Ornstein-Sloan Psychology
MA, Columbia University, Teachers College. MPH, Hunter
College. PhD, CUNY, The Graduate Center. During 15 years
of work in the nonprofit sector and 20 years as a personal
health care advocate, Dr. Ornstein’s experience
encompasses individual and public-policy advocacy
related to the delivery of long-term and end-of-life care.
She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) and has
served on advisory boards of the New York State Oce for
the Aging Family Caregiver Council, New York State
Caregiving and Respite Coalition, Caregiving Youth
Research Collaborative, and American Association of
Caregiving Youth. A public health geographer, her research
focuses on the experiences of family caregivers,
specifically related to their experiences of their home
environments and interactions with the health care
system. Special interests include brain injury, caregiving
youth and qualitative methods. SLC, 2015–
Marygrace O’Shea Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Haverford College. MFA, Columbia University,
Graduate School of Film. A film and television writer, with
credits that include: NBC Universal/Wolf Films: Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal
Intent; HBO: In Treatment, Season 2; Fox Television:
Golden Parachutes/Thieves Like Us (creator/writer); and
others. Member, Writers Guild of America East. Recent
awards: 2022 winner, Writer’s Guild of America East Pilots
Interrupted Reading Series (multiple years); winner, New
York Women In Film Screenplay Readings; winner,
American Accolades Screenwriting Competition. Honors:
Hudson Valley Short Film Festival, Manhattan Short Film
Festival, Austin Film Festival. Author: Conversations with
Women Showrunners. SLC, 2013–
Cliord Owens Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. MFA, Mason
Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. Postgraduate,
232 Faculty
Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Owens is an
interdisciplinary artist; he makes photographs,
performance art, drawings, videos, and texts. His art has
appeared in many solo and group exhibitions, both
nationally and internationally. Solo museum exhibitions
include Anthology at MoMA PS1; Better the Rebel You
Know at the former Cornerhouse (Manchester, England);
and Perspectives 173: Cliord Owens at the Contemporary
Arts Museum in Houston, Texas. Group exhibitions include
Freestyle, Greater New York 2005 and Performance Now:
The First Decade of the New Century, Walker Arts Center,
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Kitchen, Museum of
Modern Art, and others. Owens’s performance-based
projects and performances have been widely presented in
museums and galleries, including the Museum of Modern
Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, Brooklyn Academy of
Music, Performa05, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and
elsewhere. His collections are in the Museum of Modern
Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Baltimore Museum
of Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, and in private
collections. Owens has received numerous fellowships and
awards, including: Guggenheim Fellowship, William H.
Johnson Prize, Louis Comfort Tiany Award, Art Matters,
New York Foundation for the Arts, Ralph Bunche Graduate
Fellowship. Publications: Anthology, edited by Christopher
Y. Lew, including contributions by Kellie Jones, Huey
Copeland, and John P. Bowles; reviews and interviews in
The New Yorker, The New York Times, Artforum, Art in
America, Bomb, The Drama Review, New York Magazine;
articles published in The New York Times, PAJ: A Journal
of Performance Art, Artforum, and exhibition catalogues.
Artist in residence: Artpace International Artist in
Residence (San Antonio, Texas), MacDowell Colony
(Peterborough, New Hampshire), Sharpe-Walentas Studio
Program (Brooklyn, NY), Studio Museum in Harlem (New
York, NY), and others. Owens served as a critic at
Columbia University and Yale University and visiting artist
faculty member at Cooper Union, Virginia Commonwealth
University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
SLC, 2019–
Yekaterina Oziashvili Politics
BA, Barnard College. PhD, Graduate Center, City University
of New York. Research and teaching interests include
ethnic conflict, ethnofederalism and multinational states,
political economy, revolutions and social movements,
politics of Eastern Europe and post-Soviet states,
American constitutional law, and American political
development. Recent awards include Fulbright/IIE
Dissertation Fieldwork Fellowship and the Social Science
Research Council’s International Dissertation Research
Fellowship. Conducted field research in Russia. Taught
courses in comparative and American politics at City
University of New York. SLC, 2012–
Galen Pardee Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Brandeis University. MArch, Columbia University
Graduate School of Architure, Planning, and Preservation
(GSAPP). Pardee directs the design and research studio
Drawing Agency, which explores dimensions of
architectural advocacy, material economy, adaptive reuse,
and expanded practice through writing, exhibitions, and
design commissions in New York City, California, and
Colorado. Research projects have been funded by The Ohio
State University, Columbia University GSAPP, and the
Graham Foundation and published in Avery Review, Faktur
Journal, Urban Omnibus, and Thresholds, among others.
Drawing Agency’s work has been included in solo
exhibitions, group shows, and symposia in the United
States and abroad, including the Chicago Architectural
Biennial and Venice Architecture Biennale. Pardee has
taught at Columbia University GSAPP, Barnard University,
University of Tennessee, and The Ohio State University,
where he was the LeFevre Emerging Practitioner Fellow.
SLC, 2022–
Ross Parker Mathematics
BA, Bowdoin College. PhD, Brown University. NSF RTG
postdoctoral fellowship, Southern Methodist University.
Research interests in dynamical systems, bifurcation
theory, and mathematical neuroscience. Author of
research papers on coherent structures in Hamiltonian
systems, nonlinear optics, and neural network
models. SLC, 2023–
David Peritz Politics
BA, Occidental College. DPhil, Oxford University. Special
interests in democracy in conditions of cultural diversity,
social complexity and political dispersal, critical social
theory, social contract theory, radical democratic thought,
and the idea of dispersed but integrated public spheres
that create the social and institutional space for broad-
based, direct participation in democratic deliberation and
decision-making. Recipient of a Marshall scholarship.
Taught at Harvard University, Deep Springs College, and
Dartmouth College; visiting scholar at Erasmus University
in Rotterdam and the London School of Economics. SLC,
2000–
Mary Phillips Music
BA, Rhode Island College. MM, Yale University School of
Music. Phillips, a mezzo-soprano, has worked in the
theatre for more than 30 years. Her Broadway debut was
in the first revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd.
Her talents led her into opera and oratorio. In the early
’90a, she started performing with the Bronx Opera, Santa
Fe Opera, and San Francisco Opera and has never stopped.
She is closely associated with the music of Wagner and
Verdi. She has sung roles in Wagner's Der Ring Des
Nibelungen with The Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera,
Scottish Opera, Seattle Opera, Hawaii Opera, and Dallas
Opera. She won a Grammy Award for her solo work in The
FACULTY 233
Met’s 2012 recording of The Ring Cycle; she made an
acclaimed role debut as Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde for
Dallas Opera and sang the role with the Winnipeg
Symphony. As a Verdi mezzo, Phillips has sung mezzo-
soprano solos in Verdi’s Requiem, Eboli in Don Carlos,
Amneris in Aida, Azucena in Il Trovatore, and Preziosilla in
La Forza del Destino. Concert highlights include numerous
performances of Handel’s Messiah with The Dallas
Symphony, Teatro Massimo Bellini in Italy, Oratorio
Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, The New Jersey
Symphony, and Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon; Mahler’s
Symphony No. 8 with New York Philharmonic; and
Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Atlanta Symphony
(recorded for Telarc), Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Hong
Kong Philharmonic. Upcoming performances of
Beethoven‘s Symphony No. 9 with The Seattle Symphony
will be December 2021. Philipps is working on a new opera
with New York City Opera, with a production scheduled for
January 2022. SLC, 2019–
Gina Philogene Psychology
PhD, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris.
Interests in social and cultural psychology, history of
psychology, race, and social identity, as well as social
representations. Author of From Black to African
American: A New Representation, The Representations of
the Social: Bridging Theoretical Traditions (with Kay
Deaux), Racial Identity in Context: The Legacy of Kenneth
B. Clark, and the forthcoming How the Right Made It
Wrong: Names in the Shadow of the Political Correctness.
Recipient of several grants, including the National Science
Foundation and the American Psychological Association.
Published several articles in professional journals and
currently an associate editor of the Journal of Community
and Applied Social Psychology. SLC, 1998–
Kevin Pilkington Writing Coordinator—Writing
BA, St. John’s University. MA, Georgetown University.
Author of nine books of poetry, including: Spare Change
(1997), which was the La Jolla Poets Press National Book
Award winner; Ready to Eat the Sky (2004); In the Eyes of
a Dog (2009), which won the New York Book Festival
Award; and The Unemployed Man Who Became a Tree
(2011), which was a Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award
finalist. Poems have appeared in numerous magazines,
including: The Harvard Review, Poetry, Ploughshares,
Boston Review, Columbia, North American Review. His
debut novel, Summer Shares, was published in 2012; his
collection Where You Want to Be: New and Selected
Poems, in 2015. SLC, 1991–
Nicolette Polek Writing
BA, Bennington College. MFA, University of Maryland. MA,
Yale Divinity School. Author of Bitter Water Opera
(Graywolf Press, 2024) and Imaginary Museums (Soft
Skull Press, 2020), which was long-listed for the PEN/
Robert W. Bingham award, Polek is the recipient of a Rona
Jae Writers’ Award. She has published fiction, nonfiction,
and poetry in Harper's Magazine, The Atlantic, BOMB, The
Paris Review, and elsewhere. Polek writes about
representations of faith, despair, and the possibilities/
limitations of art. She is based in New York and also
teaches creative writing at Bennington College. SLC,
2024–
Jessica Poling Sociology
BA, Haverford College. MA, PhD, Rutgers, the State
University of New Jersey. Academic specialization in
culture/cognition, gender, and the sociology of the body.
Current research projects investigate how embodied
identities and institutional contexts shape experiences of
bodily change and what strategies individuals construct to
rationalize corporeal disruptions. Author of peer-reviewed
articles in Sociological Forum and the American Journal of
Cultural Sociology, among others. Former appointments
include: managing editor of Sociological Forum and
instructor of sociology at Iona University. SLC 2023–
Mary A. Porter Anthropology (on leave Spring 25)
BA, Manchester University. MA, PhD, University of
Washington. Ethnographic studies in East Africa, the
United Kingdom, and the United States. Areas of expertise
include kinship theory, postcolonial studies, feminist
anthropology, queer anthropology, educational studies,
and oral history. Current work examines discourses of
race, class, and kinship embedded in foster care and
adoption, both domestically and transnationally. Co-
author of Winds of Change: Women in Northwest
Commercial Fishing and author of articles on gender,
kinship, education, and sexuality. Grants include Fulbright-
Hays Doctoral Research fellowship and Spencer
fellowship. Consultant, UNESCO. Associate Dean of the
College, 2007-12. SLC, 1992–
Glenn Potter-Takata Theatre
MFA, Sarah Lawrence College. Potter-Takata is a Bronx-
based artist of Japanese descent working at the
intersection of Japanese religious ritual and butoh. His
work, which centers on Japanese-American experience, is
preoccupied with the consumer culture runo from the
Japanese archipelago. Born into a Buddhist family in Los
Angeles, Potter-Takata was raised in the Shingon and
Jodo-Shin traditions of Buddhism and, as an adult, has
become a practicing Shingon monk. Shingon is notable for
its extensive pantheon of buddhas and bodhisattvas, as
well as its intricate ritual practices. His work reinterprets
these practices in ways that reflect the values of his
American context. By utilizing Buddhist ideas of
embodiment to create performances around the body as a
historical site, Potter-Takata's work uproots latent
narratives of Japanese internment through performance.
He is a 2022 Bronx Dance Fund Award recipient, a current
Movement Research artist-in-residence, and has been
awarded residencies through Rogers Art Loft, Gibney
234 Faculty
Dance Center, amandaplusjames, and Lehman College/
CUNY Dance Initiative. His performances have also been
shown at Triskelion Arts, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place,
Arts On Site, Abrons Art Center, WestFest, and with
Pioneers Go East at Judson Church. When studying at
Sarah Lawrence College, Potter-Takata focused oin
multimedia performance and studied butoh under Kota
Yamazaki and Mina Nishimura. SLC, 2017–
Liz Prince Theatre, Dance
A designer of costumes for theatre, dance, and film,
Prince’s recent work includes designing the set installation
and costumes for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s
Curriculum l and Curriculum ll. She has designed
numerous productions for Bill T. Jones since 1990,
including the opera We Shall Not Be Moved, which Jones
directed for Opera Philadelphia with music by Daniel
Bernard Roumain and librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph.
Other recent design collaborations include designing
multiple works for choreographer and founder of the Bronx
Academy of Arts and Dance Arthur Avilez’s 2023 and
2024 seasons; she has collaborated with Avilez since
1987. Other past collaborations include designing for Doug
Varone’s In The Shelter of the Fold for BAM’s Next Wave
Festival and his Half Life, commissioned by the Paul Taylor
Company; she has designed numerous works for Varone
since 1997. She has also collaborated with Gabriel Barre
(director of Pippin at Goodspeed Opera House), Karen
Bernard, Jane Comfort, Lenora Champagne, Mark Dendy
(Dendy Dance, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Dortmund
Theater Ballet), David Dorfman, Irondale Ensemble, Koosil
Ja Hwang, Lawrence Goldhuber, Keely Garfield, Mimi
Goese, Neil Greenberg, Patricia Hobauer, Liz Gerring,
Larry Keigwin, Ralph Lemon, Diane Martel (PBS Alive From
O Center), Bebe Miller, Trey McIntyre (ABT, Houston
Ballet, Washington Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet), Jennifer
Munson, Bridgeman/Packer Dance, Aileen Passlo,
Pilobolus, Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project,
Nancy Savoca’s 2011 film Union Square, George Emilio
Sanchez, Stephanie Skura, Meg Stuart, Sekou Sundiata
and Fiona Templton, and Zvi Gotheiner. These works have
premiered in venues such as Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn
Academy of Music, New York City Center, Berlin Opera,
Opernhaus Dortmund, Seattle’s Marion Oliver McCall Hall,
Houston’s Wortham Center, The Kennedy Center, Fisher
Center at Bard, New York Live Arts, The Joyce Theater,
Goodspeed Opera House, La Mama Experimental Theater,
The Baryshnikov Arts Center, Wexner Center for the Arts,
Jacob’s Pillow, The Ohio Theater, and The Irondale
Theater. Prince’s own performance work has been
presented at various venues through New York City,
including: Performance Space 122, LaMama, Caroline’s
Comedy Club, Steve McGraw’s Supper Club, Dixon Place,
8BC, and King Tut’s Wawa Hut. Her costumes have been
exhibited at The New York Public Library for the
Performing Arts; Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art;
the 2011 Prague Quadrennial of Performance, Design, and
Space; Snug Harbor Cultural Center; and Rockland Center
for the Arts. Prince received a 1990 New York Dance and
Performance Award (BESSIE) and a 2008 Charles Flint
Kellogg Arts and Letters Award from Bard College. She has
taught costume design at SUNY Purchase College
(2010-2015), Manhattanville College (1999-2018), and
appeared as a guest speaker in costume design at
University of Massachusetts–Amherst, The Ohio State
University, and Texas Women’s College. SLC, 2017–
Ben Pryor Theatre
A curator and producer working across independent and
institutional contexts, Thomas Benjamin Snapp Pryor
(Ben Pryor) has produced more than 150 performance
engagements of 22 evening-length dance, theatre, and
performance works by artists including Miguel Gutierrez,
Trajal Harrell, Ishmael Houston-Jones/Dennis Cooper/
Chris Cochrane, and Deborah Hay (among others) and
realized with 83 museums, performing-arts centers,
festivals, and cultural institutions in 54 cities across 16
countries. Pryor created American Realness, an annual
festival of performance and discourse, to call attention to
the proliferation of choreographic practices transcending
the historic notions of American dance. From 2010–2019,
the festival served as a launching pad for artists entering
the national and international performing-arts field. Pryor
has curated programs for Centre National de la Danse
(Pantin, France), Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse, France), Les
Subsistances (Lyon, France), Wiener Festwochen (Vienna,
Austria), and Hollins University MFA Dance program
(Roanoke, Virginia). He is currently senior producer for
Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. SLC,
2021–
Cindy Puccio Psychology
BA, Middlebury College. MA, Sarah Lawrence College.
MSW, New York University. PhD, Fielding Graduate
University. Developmental psychologist and clinical social
worker. Areas of speciality and interest in autism and
developmental disorders, infancy and early childhood
mental health, child-centered play therapy, humor
development, therapeutic work with parents, and sensory
processing and integration in young children. SLC, 2017–
Maia Pujara Psychology
BA, Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina). PhD,
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Postdoctoral Fellow,
National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of
Health (Bethesda, Maryland). Neuroscientist with a focus
on the eects of emotion (aect) on decision-making and
positive mood inductions to improve decision-making,
well-being, and mental health. Author of papers on the role
of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and its interactions
with subcortical brain areas in guiding learning about
rewards and making adaptive choices. SLC, 2020–
FACULTY 235
Ryan Purcell History
BS, MA, Rutgers University. MA, PhD, Cornell University.
Special interests in US cultural and intellectual history,
public history, 20th Century popular music and cinema,
and history of the City of New York. Purcell’s work on
history and popular culture has been recognized in
the Journal of Urban History, Rethinking History, Los
Angeles Review of Books, and Hyperallergic. In addition to
his academic work, he has served as a consultant on
public programs and exhibitions at the New York Historical
Society and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. A
member of the editorial board at the Gotham Center for
New York City History at the City University of New York,
Purcell is finalizing the Columbia University Press’s
publication of his debut book, which explores the queer
origins of punk rock in New York City in the 1970s. SLC,
2022–
Sarah Racz Physics
Jeremy Randall Film History
BA, Colgate University. MA, American University of Beirut.
PhD, The Graduate Center, City University of New York.
Randall works on 20th-century Middle East studies, with a
focus on the Levant, cinema, leftist movements, and
internationalism. He is the author of the article "Aective
Alternatives to Sectarianism in Maroun Baghdadi’s
Documentaries" and forthcoming articles on solidarity
between Palestinian movements and Japanese
counterparts. SLC, 2023–
Arpita Ray Biology
MSc, University of Mumbai. PhD, SUNY Health Sciences
University. Postdoctoral Fellow, Mount Sinai School of
Medicine. Ray has taught various undergraduate and
graduate-level courses in biochemistry, immunology,
microbiology, systems biology, and cell biology at
Quinnipiac University, Manhattanville College, and Kean
University and has published papers and research
abstracts in areas of cancer biology. SLC, 2024–
Victoria Redel Writing
BA, Dartmouth College. MFA, Columbia University. Author
of four books of poetry and five books of fiction, including
her most recent, Paradise (2022). For her collection of
stories, Make Me Do Things (2013), Redel was awarded a
2014 Guggenheim fellowship for fiction. Her novels
include The Border of Truth (2007) and Loverboy
(Graywolf, 2001/Harcourt, 2002), which was awarded the
2001 S. Mariella Gable Novel Award and the 2002 Forward
Silver Literary Fiction Prize and was chosen in 2001 as a
Los Angeles Times Best Book. Loverboy was adapted for a
feature film, directed by Kevin Bacon. Swoon (University of
Chicago Press, 2003) was a finalist for the James
Laughlin Award. Her work has been widely anthologized
and translated and has appeared in numerous
publications, including Granta, Harvard Review, The
Quarterly, The Literarian, The New York Times, Los Angeles
Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, Elle, BOMB, More, and
NOON. SLC, 1996–
Cara Reeser Dance, Dance
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MFA, New York University,
Tisch School of the Arts. Reeser created a regional dance
company in Denver and directed it for 10 years. She served
for more than 15 years on the faculty at Naropa University
in Boulder, where she taught Dance Technique,
Improvisation, 20th-Century Performance History, and
Experiential Anatomy. In 1994, she was certified as a
Pilates instructor and has been teaching Pilates and
running Pilates continuing education ever since. In 2020,
she moved back to New York and currently teaches Pilates
and co-directs a movement education platform called
Movement Science Made Simple. SLC, 2024–
Nelly Reifler The Ellen Kingsley Hirschfeld Chair in
Writing—Writing
BA, Hampshire College. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
Author of: See Through, a story collection; Elect H. Mouse
State Judge, a novel; fiction in magazines and journals,
including Guernica, Electric Literature, Story, Tweed’s,
BOMB, McSweeney’s, Black Book, The Milan Review, and
Lucky Peach, as well as in the anthologies 110 Stories: New
York Writes After September 11, Lost Tribe: New Jewish
Fiction From the Edge, Found Magazine’s Requiem for a
Paper Bag, and No Near Exit: Writers Select Their Favorite
Work From Post Road Magazine. Fiction also read on NPR’s
Selected Shorts and as an Audible à la carte edition.
Recipient of a Henfield Prize, a UAS Explorations Prize, and
a Rotunda Gallery Emerging Curator grant for work with
fiction and art. Writer in Residence, Western Michigan
University, 2014. SLC 2002-
Lauren Reinhard Theatre
MFA, Sarah Lawrence College. Director, movement
director, and experimental playwright focusing on devised
theatre in New York City. Reinhard’s work seeks to usher in
a new epoch of feminine mythology with magic, symbols,
and ritual as constant creative companions. Selected
directing credits include: Iphigenia and Other Daughters,
(Trojan) Women: Redux, Orson’s Shadow, The Inferno
Project, House of Yes, Trojan Women 2.0, Rumors, ’night
mother, Damnee Manon Sacree Sandra, and The
Changeling. Selected performance credits include: 4.48
Psychosis, Crave, The Bakkhai, Midsummer Night’s Dream,
and her solo show, All the Tiny Pieces. As a playwright,
Reinhard’s plays have been performed in and around New
York City. She has served on the advisory and literary
board of Rapscallion Theatre Collective, as director of
development for TheatreRats, and has worked in casting
for Horizon Theatre Repertory. She is an audition coach in
Manhattan and a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab
236 Faculty
and The Magdalena Project, an international network of
women in theatre. She is the founder of Lauren Reinhard
Performance Works. SLC, 2022–
Elise Risher Director, Dance/Movement Therapy
Program—Dance/Movement Therapy
BA, Trinity College. MS, Hunter College. MA, PhD, Long
Island University. Board-certified dance/movement
therapist, licensed clinical psychologist. Clinical
experience includes working with infants, children, adults
and elderly populations in both psychiatric and community
settings. Taught at Mercy College, Westchester
Community College, Long Island University, and The New
School. Research interests include the impact of
neurological disorders on time perception and the
intersection of psychotherapy and Eastern philosophies.
SLC, 2012–
Cat Rodríguez Theatre
BFA, Yale University. MFA, Carnegie Mellon. Rodríguez
(she/ella) werqs in theatre and media, serving
collaboration, community, and lqqks, and wears many
wigs: She acts, directs, and dramaturgs. A co-foundress of
the queer collective Fake Friends, Rodríguez recently
performed in the company’s O-Broadway production of
Circle Jerk (2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Finalist). A
“people person” with a politic and a love for the Ridiculous,
she’s all about bringing discernment, critical rigor,
playfulness, specificity, and laughter to process. Black/
Latinx feminisms, as well as collectivist organizing
experiences, fundamentally inform her artmaking and
pathtaking. She lives and labors in both english y español,
talks with her hands, and also anda con ganas. Formally
trained at Yale School of Drama and Carnegie Mellon
(where she’s taught, too), Rodríguez stays
undomesticated and undisciplined; she's a feral force. A
freelancing femme, she considers herself a nomad but
always names New Orleans and Nicaragua home. 2022
Latine Fellow, Sundance Institute. 2021-22 Art of Practice
Fellow + Community Leader, Sundance Interdisciplinary
Program. SLC, 2022–
Elias Rodriques Literature (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Stanford University. MA, PhD, University of
Pennsylvania. Special interest in African-American
literature, critical prison studies, Black feminism, and
Black Marxist thought. Essays published or anthologized
in Best American Essays, The Guardian, The Nation,
Bookforum, n+1, and other venues. First novel is All the
Water I’ve Seen Is Running. His current academic book
project considers representations of police violence in the
African-American novel after 1945. SLC, 2021–
Tristana Rorandelli Hyman H. Kleinman Fellowship in the
Humanities—Italian, Literature
BA (Magna cum laude), Università degli Studi di Firenze,
Italy. MA, PhD (with distinction), New York University.
Areas of specialization: 20th-century Italian women’s
writings; modern Italian culture, history, and literature;
fascism; Western medieval poetry and thought. Recipient
of the Julie and Ruediger Flik Travel Grant, Sarah
Lawrence College, for summer research, 2008; Penfield
fellowship, New York University, 2004; and Henry Mitchell
MacCracken fellowship, New York University, 1998-2002.
Publications: Nascita e morte della massaia di Paola
Masino e la questione del corpo materno nel fascismo in
Forum Italicum (Spring 2003). Translations: The Other
Place, by Barbara Serdakowski, and Salvation, by Amor
Dekhis, in Multicultural Literature in Contemporary Italy
(editors Graziella Parati and Marie Orton, Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press, 2007). SLC, 2001-2002;
2004; 2005–
Nick Roseboro Visual and Studio Arts
BFA, The New School. MSCCCP, Columbia University,
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and
Preservation. Roseboro is a designer, musician, and co-
founder of the international research and design agency
Architensions, a studio based in Brooklyn and Rome. The
studio work and research are deeply concerned with
commons and collectivity, ranging from small- to large-
scale projects, exhibitions, curatorial work, publishing, and
essays. The work and research are directly related to
domesticity and housing, labor and leisure, and bringing
forth new public-space perspectives in urban, suburban,
and rural contexts. Roseboro’s interests include redefining
design and research practice through curatorial,
pedagogical, and cross-disciplinary exploration toward
new creative and cultural production at multiple scales. He
has recently been researching tensions between labor and
leisure in the post-World War II period to unveil the
creation of other places, methods of cultural identity, and
production under the theme of architecture and leisure.
Recent projects of his studio include curating the Common
Visions Festival: Links in San Ferdinando, Calabria, Italy
(2023); research and design of the large-scale installation
The Playground, Coachella (2022); and the
transformation of a typical suburban home in Babylon,
New York. He has shown at the a83 Gallery in New York
City (2022), Modest Commons in Los Angeles (2023),
and Center for Architecture (2022). His oce was
recently listed in the Wallpaper* Guide to Creative
America: 300 Names to Know Now (2023). He has taught
at Barnard + Columbia College, Syracuse University, and
the New School. SLC, 2023–
Andrew Rosenthal Politics
BA, University of Denver. Rosenthal retired in June 2016
from his position as editorial page editor of The New York
Times, after overseeing the newspaper’s opinion sections
for more than nine years. As editorial page editor, he
created the Op-Docs series, a forum for short
documentaries that was the first of its kind and has won a
FACULTY 237
Peabody Award, three Emmy Awards, and two Academy
Award nominations. The editorial department also created
a pioneering space for transgender Americans to share
their stories and be seen, part of a series on transgender
rights that changed Pentagon policy. Rosenthal was a
podcaster and Op-Ed columnist for the Times until 2018
and the editor of The New York Times Book of Politics: 167
Years of Covering the State of the Union, published in
October 2018. In the fall of 2017, he was the Visiting
Edward R. Murrow Lecturer of the Practice of the Press
and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government, where he taught a class on Race, Politics, and
the Media. In the spring of 2017, he co-taught a class in
international reporting at the City University of New York’s
Graduate School of Journalism and was professional in
residence at the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the
University of Pennsylvania, also in 2017. In 2015,
Rosenthal led the creation of a series of editorials on the
scourge of firearms in the United States, including the first
page-one editorial that The Times had published in nearly
a century; the series was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in
editorial writing. He was also the primary editor of The
Times’s special daily section, “A Nation Challenged,”
following the 9/11 attacks; that section won the Pulitzer
Prize for Public Service in 2002. Before serving as editorial
page editor of The Times, Rosenthal was deputy editorial
page editor starting in August 2003; assistant managing
editor for news from September 2001; and the foreign
editor beginning in May 1997. While foreign editor, he also
served as national editor of The Times for six months in
2000, supervising coverage of the presidential election
and the postelection recount. He joined The Times in
March 1987 as a Washington correspondent and was the
paper's Washington editor beginning in November 1992.
While in Washington, he covered the first Bush
administration, the 1988 and 1992 presidential elections,
and the Persian Gulf War. He also supervised coverage of
the 1994 and 1996 national elections. Before arriving at
The Times, Rosenthal worked at The Associated Press,
where, since July 1986, he was its bureau chief in Moscow
after three years there as a correspondent for the wire
service. His other assignments with The AP included
editor on the foreign desk in New York from April 1982
until June 1983 and reporter in the Denver bureau from
October 1978 until April 1982. Born in New Delhi,
Rosenthal attended high school in New York. In college, he
was a sports stringer for the Associated Press from
January to April 1976 and a police reporter for The Rocky
Mountain News from October 1976 to June
1977. Rosenthal is currently at work on a memoir about his
life and career while also teaching graduate and
undergraduate courses. He is also editor-in-chief of
Bulletin, an online news startup in Sweden. SLC, 2022–
Bernice Rosenzweig The OSilas Endowed Professorship
in Environmental Studies—Environmental Science
BS, Rutgers University. PhD, Princeton University.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Environmental Sciences
Initiative, City University of New York. Earth scientist with
a special interest in urban hydrology and climate change
resilience. Author of articles on green stormwater
infrastructure, adaptation to extreme rain, pluvial flooding,
ecosystem-based nitrogen regulation, and resilience
indicators. Previously taught at Queens College and the
City College of New York. SLC, 2020–
Shahnaz Rouse Joseph Campbell Chair in the
Humanities—Sociology
BA, Kinnaird College, Pakistan. MA, Punjab University,
Pakistan. MS, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Special student, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Academic specialization in historical sociology, with
emphasis on the mass media, gender, and political
economy. Author of Shifting Body Politics: Gender/Nation/
State, 2004; co-editor, Situating Globalization: Views from
Egypt, 2000; contributor to books and journals on South
Asia and the Middle East. Visiting faculty: Lahore School of
Economics-Graduate Institute of Development Studies,
University of Hawaii at Manoa, and American University in
Cairo. Editorial Board member and book review editor,
Dialectical Anthropology. Past member, editorial advisory
board, and contributor to Indian Sociology. Past member,
editorial committee, of the Middle East Research and
Information Project. Past consultant to the Middle East
and North Africa Program of the Social Science Research
Council, as well as to the Population Council West Asia
and North Africa Oce (Cairo). Recipient of grants from
Fulbright-Hays Foundation, Social Science Research
Council, American Institute of Pakistan Studies, and
Council on American Overseas Research Centers. SLC,
1987–
Misael Sanchez Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BFA, New York University. Certificate in Producing, The
New School. Co-founder and director of instruction at The
International Film Institute of New York, currently working
in collaboration with Sarah Lawrence College. Recent
production credits include a feature-length documentary,
Last Call (director and cinematographer), now in post-
production and producer on the feature-length narrative,
Central Avenue, scheduled to cast Marisa Tomei and
Lorraine Bracco. A book-in-progress on cinematography
lighting techniques is titled Lighting Tricks and ShortCuts.
Sta member, faculty member, and head of the
cinematography concentration at Columbia University’s
Graduate Film Division, where he supervises students on
thesis productions. Past work includes four one-hour
specials on Latinos in the media for network television,
short documentary projects, films, music videos, and
industrials. SLC, 2009–
238 Faculty
Kristin Zahra Sands Frieda Wildy Riggs Chair in Religious
Studies—Religion
BA, The New School. MA, PhD, New York University.
Special interests include Sufism, Qur’anic exegesis,
religion and media, and political theology. Author of Sufi
Commentaries on the Qur’an in Classical Islam and
numerous articles on mystical exegesis. Translator of
Abu’l-Qasim al-Qushayri’s Subtle Allusions (Part I) for The
Great Commentaries on the Holy Qur’an Project. SLC,
2003–
Nyoman Saptanyana Music
Brandon Schechter History
BA, Vassar College. PhD, University of California at
Berkeley. Schechter is a cultural historian, whose
scholarship focuses on the Soviet Union. His research
interests include material culture, comparative history,
gender, violence, and imperial diversity. Schechter's first
book, The Stu of Soldiers: A History of the Red Army in
the Second World War Through Objects (Cornell, 2019),
received the Paul Birdsall prize from the American
Historical Association in 2020. The book tells the story of
how the Red Army defeated fascism through objects from
spoons to tanks. He serves as academic advisor to the
Blavatnik Archive and is writing a comparative history of
chaplains in the US Army and Communist Party political
workers in the Red Army during World War II. SLC, 2024–
Judd Schechtman Environmental Studies
BA, Emory University. JD and MUP, University of Illinois.
PhD, Rutgers University. Schechtman is an environmental
planning and land-use scholar, who works at the
intersection of a sustainable and resilient built and natural
environment with interests climate change, environmental
justice and sustainable transportation. He has
professional experience serving as an environmental and
land-use specialist with the Brooklyn Borough President’s
Oce, Sustainable Long Island, and the Putnam County
(NY) Planning and Development Department.
Schechtman has taught and conducted research at New
York University's Tandon School of Engineering since
2013. He served as the research lead for the NYU Poly-
New York State Resilience Institute for Storms and
Emergencies project on “Assessment of Economic
Vulnerabilities and Investment Strategies in Community
Reconstruction Zones” (post-Hurricane Sandy), was a
fellow with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration studying coastal resilience in communities
from Maine to Virginia, and was a NY Metropolitan
Transportation Council Sept. 11th fellow studying transit-
oriented development in Westchester County.
Schechtman has published in journals that include Ocean
& Coastal Management, Washburn Law Journal, and the
Journal of the American Planning Association. He taught at
NYU in the BA program in sustainable urban environments
since 2015. He has also taught at Rutgers University and
Hofstra University. SLC, 2024–
Carsten Schmidt Music
Künstlerische Abschlussprüfung “mit Auszeichnung,”
Folkwang University, Germany. MM, Artist Diploma,
Indiana University. MMA, DMA, Yale University. Extensive
performance and broadcast activities as soloist,
conductor, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras
throughout Europe, North America, and Japan; repertoire
ranging from the Renaissance to the music of today,
including more than 100 premieres and numerous master
classes, lectures, and workshops at educational and
research institutions. Special interests include: keyboard
literature and performance practices, early keyboard
instruments, and the interaction of poetry and music in
song repertoire. Since 1998, artistic director, Staunton
Music Festival; former artistic director, International
Schubert Festival, Amsterdam; research fellow, Newberry
Library; fellow, German National Scholarship Foundation.
SLC, 1998–
Daniel Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BFA, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Schmidt has written, directed, and edited moving-image
works that traverse the boundaries of commercial cinema,
independent cinema, and fine art—often working in close
collaboration with other artists, including Alexander
Carver, Gabriel Abrantes, Raul de Nieves, Susan Cianciolo,
and ANOHNI. His films have screened around the world at
film festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, BFI London, Sitges,
New York, Karlovy Vary, Rotterdam, AFI, Toronto, Viennale,
Hong Kong, BAFICI, Sarajevo, CPH:DOX, and Venice; in
fine-art contexts, including Tate Modern, MoMA, Centre
Pompidou, Whitechapel Gallery, KunstWerke, Serralves,
and the Institute of Contemporary Art in London; and a
commision by Hans Ulrich Obrist for the Biennale of
Moving Images. Schmidt has been the recipient of a
number of awards, including top prizes at the Locarno Film
Festival and the Cannes Critics’ Week. His most recent
feature, Diamantino, was theatrically released in a dozen
countries, screened in two dozen more, and subsequently
streamed on platforms that include Mubi, HBO, and
Criterion. SLC, 2024–
Daniel Schmidt Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Susan Caitlin Scranton Dance
BA, Smith College. A New York City-based dancer, teacher,
and producer, Scranton has worked with Cornfield Dance,
Mark Dendy, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Paul Singh,
Phantom Limb, Ramon Oller, Mark Morris Dance Group,
and Christopher Williams since coming to the City in
2005. She joined the Lucinda Childs Dance Company as a
soloist in 2009 and continues to perform and produce for
the company. She is currently touring Netta Yerushalmy’s
FACULTY 239
Movement and will appear in The Hours, a new production
at the Metropolitan Opera choreographed by Annie B.
Parson. Scranton has toured numerous operas, including
the 2012 revival of Einstein on the Beach. She teaches
master classes internationally and has been on faculty at
the Taylor School, Gibney Dance Center, and Point Park
University. In 2015, Scranton co-founded The Blanket, a
dance production organization. SLC, 2023–
Rakia Seaborn Dance
BA, Oberlin College. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
Seaborn, a native of Detroit, is a writer, choreographer,
educator, and performer whose work has appeared at
JACK, Dixon Place, La Mama E.T.C., The Tank, AUNTS,
chashama, and Brooklyn Studios for Dance. She has
worked with Kathy Westwater, Dianne McIntyre, Rashaun
Mitchell, Jodi Melnick, and Meta-Phys Ed. Seaborn
teaches Movement for Trinity College's Experimental
Performing Arts Program at La Mama, E. T. C. She is a 2018
Mertz Gilmore Late Stage Creative Stipend recipient. Her
latest work, A RUIN, had its world premiere at JACK in May
2022. SLC, 2023–
Shelley Senter Theatre
Vijay Seshadri Writing (on leave Fall 24)
BA, Oberlin College. MFA, Columbia University. Author of
Wild Kingdom, The Long Meadow, The Disappearances
(New and Selected Poems; Harper Collins India), 3
Sections (September, 2013), and That Was Now, This Is
Then (October, 2020); poetry editor at The Paris Review;
former editor at The New Yorker; essayist and book
reviewer in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book
Review, The Threepenny Review, The American Scholar,
and various literary quarterlies. Recipient of the 2014
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, James Laughlin Prize of the
Academy of American Poets, MacDowell Colony’s
Fellowship for Distinguished Poetic Achievement, The
Paris Review’s Bernard F. Conners Long Poem Prize; grants
from New York Foundation for the Arts, National
Endowment for the Arts, John Simon Guggenheim
Memorial Foundation; and area studies fellowships from
Columbia University. SLC, 1998–
Mark R. Shulman History
BA, Yale University. MSt, Oxford University. PhD,
University of California–Berkeley. JD, Columbia University.
Served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Transnational
Law at Columbia and received the Berger Prize for
international law. Served as associate dean for global
admissions at New York University and assistant dean for
Graduate Programs & International Aairs at Pace Law
School. Created and directed the Worldwide Security
Program at the EastWest Institute and practiced law at
Debevoise & Plimpton. A long-time leader of the
Association of the Bar of the City of New York, he currently
chairs the Committee on Asian Aairs and serves on the
Council on International Aairs and the Task Force on
National Security and the Rule of Law. He previously
chaired the City Bar’s Committee on International Human
Rights and the Council on International Aairs. He has
taught the laws of war at Columbia Law School; military
history at Yale, the Air War College, and Columbia (SIPA);
and human rights at Sarah Lawrence and Hunter colleges.
He has published widely in the fields of history, law, and
international aairs. His books include The Laws of War:
Constraints on Warfare in Western
World (1994), Navalism and the Emergence of American
Sea Power (1995), An Admiral’s Yarn (1999), and The
Imperial Presidency and the Consequences of 9/11 (2007).
His articles have appeared in the Columbia Journal of
Transnational Law, Journal of National Security &
Policy, Fordham Law Review, Journal of Military History,
Intelligence and National Security, and The New York
Times, among others. SLC, 2009–
Scott Shushan Philosophy
BA, Loyola University New Orleans. PhD, New School for
Social Research. Research interests in aesthetics, moral
psychology, and, broadly, the history of philosophy.
Current book project, Aesthetic Education: On the Moral
Eects of Art, investigates the variety of ways in which art
can be thought to not only further our individual moral
development but also help us appreciate what morality is.
Forthcoming articles are on G. W. F. Hegel and Iris
Murdoch. Previously taught at Eugene Lang College,
Fordham University, and Pratt Institute. SLC, 2019–
Noah Shuster Economics
BA, Binghamton University. PhD, New School for Social
Research. Taught English and political science at the New
School and several CUNY campuses, particularly Brooklyn
College (2013-). Shuster has taught about US social-
movement history, criminal justice/pre-law, labor history,
and current New York City. His research has focused on
ethnographic understandings of retail workers,
particularly their daily practices of resistance and
desertion. His future research is planned around
qualitative understandings of precarious workers and
social-movement history. SLC, 2023-
Michael Si Computer Science
BA, BSE., MSE, University of Pennsylvania. PhD, University
of Wisconsin-Madison. Special interests in programming
languages, cryptology, and software engineering; author of
research papers on interplay between type theory and
software engineering. SLC, 1999–
Lake Simons Theatre
BFA, University of North Carolina School of the Arts. École
Jacques Lecoq, Paris. Theatre work includes designing
sets, puppets, and costumes and directing,
choreographing, and performing. Drawn to incorporating
puppetry, movement, and live music into the theatre,
240 Faculty
shows are frequently made from the ground up. Work seen
in many New York theatres, including HERE Theatre, La
Mama E.S.T., P.S. 122, St. Mark’s Church, Dixon Place, and
One Arm Red. Past collaborative work includes Electric
Bathing, Wind Set-up, White Elephant, Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland, What’s Inside the Egg?, How I Fixed My
Engine With Rose Water, and Etiquette Unraveled. As an
artistic associate with the Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort
Worth, Texas, designed sets and puppets for a multitude of
productions over the years, presented seven collaborative
theatre pieces, performed in more than 30 world
premieres, and launched its Cowtown Puppetry Festival.
Puppet/mask designer for New York Shakespeare Festival,
Signature Theatre Company, My Brightest Diamond,
Division 13, Kristin Marting, Doug Elkins, Cori Orlinghouse,
Daniel Rigazzi, and various universities; puppetry
associate for War Horse on Broadway. Awarded a variety
of grants and awards for theatre work. SLC, 2012–
Kanwal Singh Provost and Dean of Faculty—Physics
BS, University of Maryland–College Park. MA, PhD,
University of California–Berkeley. Postdoctoral research
associate, University of Oslo, Norway. Special interests in
low-temperature physics, science education and
education policy, and scientific and quantitative literacy.
Author of articles in theoretical condensed-matter physics
(models of superfluid systems) and physics teaching.
Taught at Middlebury College, Wellesley College, and
Eugene Lang College at The New School University. SLC,
2003–
Lyde Cullen Sizer Associate Dean of the College—History
BA, Yale University. MA, PhD, Brown University. Special
interests include the political work of literature, especially
around questions of gender and race; US cultural and
intellectual history of the 19th and early 20th centuries;
and the social and cultural history of the US Civil War.
Authored The Political Work of Northern Women Writers
and the American Civil War, 1850-1872, which won the
Avery O. Craven Award from the Organization of American
Historians. The Civil War Era: An Anthology of Sources,
edited with Jim Cullen, was published in 2005; book
chapters are included in Love, Sex, Race: Crossing
Boundaries in North American History; Divided Houses:
Gender and the American Civil War; and A Search for
Equity. SLC, 1994–
EmmaGrace Skove-Epes Dance
A Brooklyn-born and based movement, sound, and text-
based artist, performer, and educator, Skove-Epes's
performance work has lived at venues including the Center
for Performance Research, the 92nd Street Y, Nothing
Space, Gibney, TheaterLab, Theater for the New City,
Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn Studios for Dance, New
York Live Arts, AUNTS/Arts@Renaissance, Brooklyn
Bridge Park, Riverside Park, Triskelion Arts, and the School
of Contemporary Dance and Thought (MA). She is
currently an artist in residence at MOtiVE Brooklyn and
has previously been in residence at Chez Bushwick Inc.,
the Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Gowanus Arts, Gibney (Work
Up), New York Live Arts (Fresh Tracks, with collaborator
Jonathan González), the Sable Project (VT), and Arts on
Site (Kerhonkson, NY). As a performer, Skove-Epes
currently works with choreographers Edisa Weeks and
Julie Mayo and has previously been a collaborating
performer in the works of choreographers RoseAnne
Spradlin, Jill Sigman, Kathy Westwater, Mariangela Lopez,
Jon Kinzel, Dianne McIntyre, Jodi Melnick, Peniel Guerrier,
Jesse Phillips-Fein, Jonathan González, Mor Mendel,
Nadia Tykulsker, Sondra Loring, Noemie LaFrance, Leslie
Boyce, Maria Simpson, and Aileen Passlo—and has
performed as a vocalist with the band SCHOOL. Skove-
Epes currently teaches dance technique, improvisation,
and dance composition at DanceWave and is a practitioner
of the MELT Method, a self-treatment technique and form
of bodywork. She has previously taught dance and
somatics through the American Dance Festival, New York
Live Arts, Movement Research, James Baldwin High
School, Brooklyn Studios for Dance, Stella Adler/NYU
Tisch Drama Department, NYU Tisch Summer Dance
Residency Festival and Bard College. Skove-Epes is a new
member of Bodies For Bodies, a collective of queer and
trans bodyworkers who oer sliding-scale and free-of-
charge bodywork to queer and trans clients in Brooklyn,
NY. They have organized with Creating New Futures, Artist
Co-Creating Real Equity, European Dissent, Breaking
White Silence, and Resource Generation. SLC, 2023-
Jacob Slichter Writing
BA, Harvard College. Author of So You Wanna Be a Rock &
Roll Star (Broadway Books, 2004) and the drummer for
the band Semisonic. He has written for The New York
Times, has been a commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition,
and he blogs about connections between music, writing,
and other art forms at portablephilosophy.com. SLC,
2013–
Chandler Klang Smith Writing
MFA, Columbia University. Smith’s genre-bending novel,
The Sky Is Yours (Hogarth/Penguin RH, 2018), was listed
as a best book of 2018 by The Wall Street Journal, New
York Public Library, Locus, LitHub, Mental Floss, and
NPR—which described it as “a wickedly satirical synthesis
that underlines just how fractured our own realities can be
during periods of fear, unrest, inequality, and instability.”
She has served twice as a juror for the Shirley Jackson
Awards, worked in book publishing and as a ghostwriter,
and taught creative writing at institutions that include
SUNY Purchase, New York University School of
Professional Studies, and the MFA program at Sarah
Lawrence College. SLC, 2018, 2021, 2022–
FACULTY 241
Patrick Smith Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A New York-
based animator, Smith is known for his metaphorical
hand-drawn and stop-motion films. He is a member of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has
worked as a storyboard artist for Disney and animation
director for MTV’s Daria and the Emmy-nominated
Downtown. His 2019 film, Pour 585, is one of the five
most-viewed animated shorts on YouTube, and he
sustains a dynamic film-festival release schedule. Smith’s
films have screened at Tribeca Film Festival, Slamdance,
Ottawa, Annecy, and hundreds of other festivals
worldwide. His most recent stop-motion short, Beyond
Noh, is currently part of the traveling showcase, “The
Animation Show of Shows.” Smith is a fellow of the New
York Foundation of the Arts and a curator for multiple
international film and animation festivals. He has taught
as a professor in the graduate film program for New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts in Singapore and with
Pratt Institute and the School of the Visual Arts in New
York City. SLC, 2024–
Fredric Smoler Literature
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Central interest in European history and
culture, with special emphasis on military history and
literature. Writes regularly for First of the Month and
Dissent; occasional contributor to The Nation, The
Observer (London); former editor, Audacity; contributing
editor, American Heritage Magazine. SLC, 1987–
Charles Snyder Philosophy
BA, The Catholic University of America. MA, PhD, New
School for Social Research. Postdoctoral Fellowships at
Bard College, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and
Humanities; Bard Prison Initiative; and the University of
Hamburg, Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies.
Research Interests in the history of Ancient Greek and
Roman philosophy, especially the early Hellenistic period,
and social and political philosophy. Author of Beyond
Hellenistic Epistemology (Bloomsbury, 2021) and
published papers in Ancient Philosophy, Bochumer
Philosophisches Jahrbuch für Antike und Mittelalter,
Review of Metaphysics, and Études platoniciennes. SLC
2023–
George Southcombe Director, Sarah Lawrence Program
at Wadham, Oxford—History, Literature
BA, MA, DPhil, University of Oxford. Fellow of the Royal
Historical Society. Special interests in nonconformist
religion, early modern literature, Restoration England,
satire and laughter. Author of, among other works, The
Culture of Dissent in Restoration England: The Wonders of
the Lord; co-author of Restoration Politics Religion and
Culture: Britain and Ireland, 1660-1714; editor of English
Nonconformist Poetry, 1660-1700. SLC, 2014–
Marion Lorrain Spencer Theatre
Stuart Spencer Theatre
BA, Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin). MFA,
Sarah Lawrence College. Author of numerous plays
performed in New York and around the country, including
Resident Alien (Broadway Play Publishing). Other plays
include In the Western Garden (Broadway Play
Publishing), Blue Stars (Best American Short Plays of
1993-94), and Sudden Devotion (Broadway Play
Publishing). A playwriting textbook, The Playwright’s
Guidebook, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in
2002. Recent plays are Alabaster City, commissioned by
South Coast Rep, and Judy Garland Died for Your Sins.
Former literary manager of Ensemble Studio Theatre;
fellow, the Edward Albee Foundation; member, Dramatist
Guild. SLC, 1991–
Robin Starbuck Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts (on
leave spring 25)
BA, Salem College (North Carolina). MFA, School of the
Art Institute of Chicago. Post-Graduate Certificate, New
York University Tisch School of the Arts. An award-
winning filmmaker and artist who produces experimental
nonfiction films, installations, and animated media for
theatre and opera, Starbuck employs a mixture of
documentary and reflexive film styles in her work. By
working in a nontraditional form, she strives to create a
cinematic space in which the world is perceived rather
than known. In response to her work, viewers are invited to
interact with what they see on the screen and to create
meaning by reflecting on their own experiences, ideas, and
truths. She has exhibited works at the Boston Center for
the Arts, The Walker’s Point Art Center, Milan
Biennale, Indie Open in New York City, Anthology Film
Archives, Deluge Contemporary Art & Antimatter,
Collected Voices Chicago, XVI Cine Pobre Cuba, the
Madrid Film Festival, the Ethnograpfia Film Festival in
Paris, The Stockholm Experimental and Animation Film
festival, and other festivals, art centers, and galleries in
the United States, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, her
film, How We See Water, was nominated for four
international documentary awards at the X Short Film
Festival in Rome. Starbuck is currently an active member
of the Women in Animation Association. She is a professor
of Experimental film and Animation and the current Chair
of Filmmaking & Moving Image Arts. SLC, 2003–
Joel Sternfeld Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Dartmouth College. Photographer/artist with
exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of
Chicago, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships and a Prix de
Rome. Author of American Prospects, On This Site,
Stranger Passing, and 10 other books. SLC, 1985–
242 Faculty
Stew Stewart Theatre
As a Tony Award- and two-time Obie Award-winning
playwright/co-composer of the ground-breaking musical
Passing Strange, critically acclaimed singer/songwriter
and veteran of multiple dive-bar stages, Stewart’s classes
are hothouses of multi-disciplinary, self-challenging
experimentation that encourage celebratory
transformation via myth-making and song. His courses are
equally informed by the spontaneous immediacy of rock-
club survival tactics and the human grandeur of theatre.
As an instructor, he strives to demystify the songwriting
process while simultaneously inviting students to create
myths out of their truths so that those truths might reach
deeper and shine brighter. Stewart's works:
2019—“Maybe There's Black People in Fort Greene,”
composed for Spike Lee’s TV show, She’s Gotta Have
It. 2018—“A Klown With the Nuclear Code,” composed for
Spike Lee’s TV show,She’s Gotta Have It. 2017—“Resisting
My Resistance to the Resistance," Metropolitan Museum
of Art. 2016—“Mosquito Net” (NYUAD Arts Center, Abu
Dhabi). 2015—“Notes of a Native Song," commissioned by
Harlem Stage and performed worldwide. 2015—“Wagner,
Max!!! Wagner!!!,” Kennedy Center. 2013—“Chicago
Omnibus,” commissioned by and debuted at Museum of
Contemporary Art, Chicago. 2012—Southern California
Analog," UCLA. 2010—“Brooklyn Omnibus," Brooklyn
Academy of Music. 2010—“Making It,” St Ann’s
Warehouse, Brooklyn. 2009—Spike Lee’s Passing Strange
(film) 2008—Passing Strange, Tony Award for Best Book
of a Musical, Broadway. 2007—Passing Strange, Obie
Award for Best New Theater Piece and Best Ensemble,
Public Theater. 2006—Passing Strange, world premiere,
Berkeley Repertory. Stew & the Negro Problem have
released 12 critically acclaimed albums between 1997 and
the present. Stewart is the composer of “Gary Come
Home,” of SpongeBob SquarePants fame—which,
honestly, is all anyone cares about anyway. SLC, 2022–
Rachelle Sussman Rumph Associate Dean of
Studies—History
MA, Sarah Lawrence College. PhD, New York University.
Rumph’s research and teaching interests include visual
culture theory, media history, critical race theory, and
gender studies. For many years, she taught media and
communication studies courses at New York University
and worked with students as an administrator in the areas
of academic advisement and student support. She is
currently a guest faculty member in the Women’s History
program and an Associate Dean of Studies at SLC. SLC,
1996–
Sterling Swann Theatre
BA, Vassar College. Postgraduate training at London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), at Sonia
Moore Studio, and with David Kaplan (author, Five
Approaches to Acting). President and artistic director,
Cygnet Productions, National Equity Theatre for Young
Audiences Company; leading performer, Boston
Shakespeare Company; guest faculty at Storm King
School, Western Connecticut State University, and at
Vassar College; certified instructor, Society of American
Fight Directors (SAFD); winner of the Society of American
Fight Directors’ 2006 Patrick Craen award; designated
practitioner, Stough Institute of Breathing Coordination;
certified teacher, Alexander Technique. SLC, 1991–
Joel Swanson Swanson Religion
BA, Swarthmore College. MA, PhD, The University of
Chicago. A scholar of modern Jewish intellectual history,
with a focus on both philosophical and literary sources,
Swanson is particularly interested in questions of trauma
and Jewish collective memory; racialization, gender
identity, and the Jewish body; tensions between religious,
ethnic, and national understandings of Jewish identity;
and how the history of the Jewish people complicates and
challenges the structures of philosophical universalism
and the modern nation-state. He is currently working on
adapting his dissertation into a book that examines an
array of little-studied francophone Jewish writers and
philosophers in the prewar period, suggesting that those
figures' marginal and ambivalent relationships to Jewish
memory and identity formation complicates our
understanding of the relationship between Jewish and
Christian thought during the period. Swanson has received
extensive textual training in Jewish traditional sources in
both Hebrew and Aramaic and is also well-versed in queer
theory, gender studies, disability studies, and postcolonial
studies. He has taught both Jewish history and
continental philosophy of religions at The University of
Chicago and University of Illinois Chicago and has spoken
at an array of conferences and universities across three
continents. An active member of the Association for
Jewish Studies, he has published articles on topics as
diverse as Jewish contributions to French deconstruction
and psychoanalytic debates; competing Zionist and
diasporist politics of memory; German Jewish philosophy;
and Yiddish poetry. In addition to his academic writing,
Swanson is a widely-published commentator on Jewish
political issues in publications such as Haaretz, The Times
of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, and The Forward. He has served as a researcher
for the Leo Baeck Institute in Jerusalem and helped
develop resources for a national curriculum on
antisemitism education for the Anti-Defamation League.
SLC, 2024–
Philip Swoboda Alice Stone Ilchman Chair in
Comparative and International Studies—History
BA, Wesleyan University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Special interest in the religious and intellectual
history of early modern Europe and in the history of
Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Poland. Author of
FACULTY 243
articles on early 20th-century Russian philosophy and
religious thought; served on the executive committee of
the Mid-Atlantic Slavic Conference. Previously taught at
Columbia University, Hunter College, Lafayette College,
University of Wisconsin–Madison. SLC, 2004–
Annemarie Tamis-Nasello Italian
PhD, New York University. Tamis-Nasello's research area is
Italian colonial cinema, with a focus on the ethnographic
component in 1930s feature films. Her article, entitled “Kif
tebbi: visions of colonial Libya in novel and film,” appeared
in the Journal of Romance Studies. “Re-Imagining the
Colonial Landscape: Notions of Faith, Healing, and Prestige
in Goredo Alessandrini’s Abuna Messias” was published
in Italica. Her review of “If Only I Were That Warrior,”
Valerio Ciriaci’s award-winning documentary film on
Italian colonial war crimes, was published in Italian
American Review.Tamis-Nasello is an adjunct associate
professor of Italian at the Fashion Institute of Technology,
SUNY. She recently taught a course at FIT, entitled “Rome:
the eternal city,” in which students explored varying
perspectives of the city of Rome—from its founding to the
present day—through history, literature, cinema, art,
tourism, fashion, and the like. She also led the short-term
study abroad program in Florence, Italy, for five years;
served as a member of FIT’s Diversity Council & Outreach
Subcommittee; and is an LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Ally. SLC,
2023–
N’tifafa Tete-Rosenthal Dance
BA, Grand Valley State University. MFA, Sarah Lawrence
College. Born in Tsévié, Togo, and raised in Togo, Ithaca,
NY, and Flint, MI, Akoko Tete-Rosenthal is an artist and
performer based in New York City. She began her formal
dance training in Flint through a youth ballet company.
Later, as an independent study student at the Alvin Ailey
School of Dance, she was introduced to traditional
Guinean and Senegalese dance forms—which molded her
choice of study for the next 10 years. She now performs as
an independent artist and has worked with companies
such as the Maimouna Keita Dance Company and Fusha
Dance Company and tours internationally with Gala
Rizzatto. Her performance work is rooted in a traditional
and contemporary West African dance, influenced by
classical and modern aesthetics. SLC, 2023–
Mia Theodoratus Music (Celtic Harp)
BFA, University of Texas–Austin. MFA, California Institute
of the Arts. Teacher, Irish Arts Center; president, Metro
Harp Chapter of the American Harp Society; founder, NYC
Harp Orchestra. Performed at Lincoln Center Outdoors,
Congressional Building by invitation of President Obama,
Irish Arts Center (NY), and Carnegie Hall. SLC, 2017–
Joseph Thomas Writing
BA, Arcadia University. MA, Saint Joseph’s University.
MFA, University of Notre Dame. PhD, University of
Pennsylvania. Author of Sink, A Memoir, winner of the
Chautauqua Janus Prize; the forthcoming novel, God Bless
You, Otis Spunkmeyer; as well as the short-story
collection, Leviathan Beach. Thomas’s short fiction,
essays, and poetry can be found in The Kenyon Review,
The New York Times, Gulf Coast, Dilettante Army, and
elsewhere. SLC, 2024–
Storm Thomas Theatre
MFA, Sarah Lawrence. A mixed-Black-trans drummer from
Los Angeles, Thomas writes musicals: Notes on the Past
(Trans Theatre Fest), Ancient Future (Polyphone Festival),
and Be Like Bone (in progress). Co-founder: Theatre, But
Dance. Teacher: Black Musical Theatre (Uarts), Music for
Performance (Playwrights), New Musical Theatre Lab
(Uarts), Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, Completely
Ridiculous Productions (Anti-Racist Musical Theatre),
Queer Musical Theatre ( NYU Tisch/Theatre Studies
Department. Performances: Animal Wisdom album, The
Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA), Futurity (Soho Rep/Ars Nova),
2017 Obie Awards. Recognition: New Visions Fellowship
Finalist, Baltimore Center Stage finishing commission,
NYSCA Grant Recipient FY2022. In residence with Musical
Theatre Factory. SLC, 2022–
Cliord Thompson Writing
BA, Oberlin College. Author of What It Is: Race, Family, and
One Thinking Black Man’s Blues (2019), which Time
magazine called one of the “most anticipated” books of
the season, and the graphic novel Big Man and the Little
Men (2022), which Thompson wrote and illustrated. He is
a recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award for nonfiction. His
essays and reviews have appeared in The Washington
Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Best
American Essays, The Times Literary Supplement,
Commonweal, and The Threepenny Review, among other
places; and his essay “La Bohème” was selected for the
2024 Pushcart Prize Anthology. A painter, Thompson is a
member of Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City. SLC,
2016–
Melisa Tien Theatre
BA, University of California–Los Angeles. MFA, Columbia
University. Diploma, French Culinary Institute. A New York-
based playwright, lyricist, and librettist, Tien is the author
of the plays Untitled Landscape, The Boyd Show, Best Life,
Yellow Card Red Card, Familium Vulgare, and Refrain.
Mary, her musical co-written with composer Matt Frey, will
have a workshop at New Dramatists in fall 2019. Her play
Best Life was selected to participate in the 2018 Bushwick
Starr Reading Series and will be part of JACK’s inaugural
season in its new space in Brooklyn. Her play Yellow Card
Red Card was presented as part of the Ice Factory Festival
in 2017 at the New Ohio Theatre and had a workshop
production at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in
2016. In addition to being a resident playwright at New
Dramatists, she is a New York Foundation for the Arts
244 Faculty
fellow in playwriting/screenwriting, a Walter E. Dakin
fellow at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and a recipient
of the Theater Masters Visionary Playwright Award. She
has been a resident of the MacDowell Colony and the
Millay Colony and was a member of the 2010-2012
Women’s Project Lab. She has presented work at the Great
Plains Theatre Conference, the Women Playwrights
International Conference, and the National Asian
American Theatre Conference and Festival. SLC, 2019–
Momoyo Torimitsu Visual and Studio Arts
Born in Japan, Torimitsu has lived and worked in New York
City since 1996, when she arrived for the PS1 International
Studio Program. Torimitsu uses a variety of forms to
create her work, including kinetic sculpture, time-based
installation, inflatable balloons, video, photographs,
performance, media art, and site-specific projects. Her
work is inspired by the hypocritical imagery of corporate
culture and media stereotypes of cuteness and happiness
reexamined through the lenses of irony and humor.
Torimitsu has been showing her works internationally,
including at Hawai’i Triennial 2022; Honolulu, frei_raum
Q21 exhibition space/MuseumsQuartier Wien (2019);
ArtScience Museum, Singapore (2019); Manifesta11,
Zurich, (2016); Shenzhen Biannual of Urbanism/
Architecture 2009, Shenzhen China; ZKM,
Karlsruhe(2007); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2007);
Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, (2004); De Apple,
Amsterdam (2000); Tate Gallery, London. SLC, 2022–
Cecilia Phillips Toro Biology (on leave Spring 25)
BA, Reed College (Portland, Oregon). PhD, Brown
University. Postdoctoral Fellow, Oregon Hearing Research
Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science
University. Neurobiologist with a special interest in
sensory hair cell function. Author of papers on dopamine
in the zebrafish lateral line, voltage-gated calcium
channels, and synaptic physiology. Recipient of grants
from the National Institutes of Health. Previously taught at
Linfield College. SLC, 2018–
Alice Truax Writing
BA, Vassar College. MA, Middlebury College. Editor at The
New Yorker, 1992-2002; book editor, 2001-present. Book
reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book
Review, The New Yorker, Vogue, and The New York Review
of Books. Edited books include Random Family by Adrian
Nicole LeBlanc, Aftermath by Joel Meyerowitz, The
Surrender by Toni Bentley, The End of Your Life Book
Club by William Schwalbe, Far From the Tree by Andrew
Solomon, and The Shadow in the Garden by James Atlas.
SLC, 2004–
Ogemdi Ude Dance
BA, Princeton University (magna cum laude). A Nigerian-
American dance and interdisciplinary artist, educator, and
doula based in Brooklyn, Ude’s performance work focuses
on Black femme legacies and futures, grief, and memory.
Her work has been presented at Danspace Project, Abrons
Arts Center, BRIC, ISSUE Project Room, Recess Art,
Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Center for Performance
Research, Movement Research at the Judson Church,
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, La Mama Courthouse,
and BAM's DanceAfrica festival. As an educator, Ude
serves as Head of Movement for Theater at Professional
Performing Arts School and has taught at Princeton
University, MIT, and University of the Arts. In collaboration
with Rochelle Jamila Wilbun she facilitates AfroPeach, a
series of free dance workshops for Black postpartum
people in Brooklyn. She is a 2022-2023 Smack Mellon
Studio Artist, 2022-2024 Movement Research Artist-in-
Residence, and 2022 Center for Performance Research
Artist-in-Residence. Ude has been a 2021 danceWEB
Scholar, a 2021 Laundromat Project Create Change Artist-
in-Residence, and a 2019-2020 Center for Ballet and the
Arts at New York University Resident Fellow. In January
2022, she appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine for
their annual “25 to Watch” issue. Her upcoming work
includes a commission for Gibney. SLC, 2024–
Nicholas Utzig Literature
BS, US Military Academy, West Point. MA, New York
University. PhD, Harvard University. Special interests
include Shakespeare, early modern English drama, history
of the book, and war & literature. Scholarly work appears
in Shakespeare Bulletin and The Journal of War and
Culture Studies. He occasionally reviews military-themed
work for the Los Angeles Review of Books. SLC, 2022–
Neelam Vaswani Theatre
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Vaswani spent the last 18
years working as a production stage manager and
production manager in New York City. She currently serves
as the director of production at Sarah Lawrence College. In
her freelance career, she has worked on a wide range of
shows, including Mabou Mine’s Peter and Wendy and
Mine’s Song for New York by the late Ruth Maleczech. She
has stage-managed the majority of Basil Twist’s
repertoire, including, Arias With A Twist, Master Peter’s
Puppet Show, Petrushka, Dogugaeshi, La Bella Dormente
nel Bosco, and Sister’s Follies. Other credits include The
Adventures of Charcoal Boy, Wind Set-up, Don Cristobal,
and Wind-up Bird Chronicle, which was presented at the
International Edinburgh Festival and the Singapore Arts
Festival. Vaswani’s work in the theatre has brought her all
over the United States, as well as overseas to France,
Stockholm, Edinburgh and Singapore. Currently, she is
also a member of the Alphabet Arts collective, whose
focus is to continue arts education through poetry and
puppetry—specifically to underprivileged communities.
And when not working in a dark theatre, she is the project
FACULTY 245
manager for Emdee International, a textile company where
she designs, builds, and does all the visual merchandising
for six annual trade shows. SLC, 2016–
Larissa Velez-Jackson Theatre
A choreographer and hybrid artist who uses improvisation
as a main tool for research and creation, focusing on
personhood and the dancing/sound-making body, Velez-
Jackson (LVJ) employs a deep humor to grant audiences
universal access to contemporary art’s critical discourse.
Of her critically-acclaimed, 2010 show at Danspace
Project, The New York Times said, “Ms. Velez-Jackson
demonstrates her own formidable presence as she bursts
into the space….A choreographer who is not afraid of being
(or showing) ugly onstage, she disarms her audiences with
humor….” In 2011, she launched with her husband, Jon
Velez-Jackson (Yackez), a song-and-dance collaboration
called, “The World's Most Loveable Musical Duo." For
more info on Yackez, visit www.yackez.com. Velez-Jackson
is also the artistic director of the LVJ Performance Co. Her
works have been performed widely in New York City,
including at The Bushwick Starr, The Chocolate Factory,
Roulette, Museum of Art and Design, Danspace Project,
New Museum, American Realness Festival at Abrons Arts
Center, and Martin E. Segal Theatre. In May 2014, LVJ
performed S.P.E.D. THE BX, an exciting mobile outdoor
work, with the support of the Bronx nonprofit, Pepatían
and Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education. S.P.E.D.
THE BX was a durational, site-speciific work that
culminated for an audience of 70 children and BRONXNET
cable television. Later in 2014, LVJ premiered “Star Crap
Method” at Chocolate Factory Theater. The piece was the
culmination of three years of studio and stage research in
LVJ’s improvisational performance practices for a cast of
four people. The piece also featured lighting designer
Kathy Kaufmann, who improvised the lighting design anew
each performance. Talya Epstein, a member of the cast,
was nominated for a 2015 New York Dance and
Performance “Bessie” award for her performance in “Star
Crap Method.” SLC, 2020–
Giancarlo Vulcano Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts,
Music
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. MA, Queens College.
Composer for the following: Briarpatch (2020), network
anthology series, starring Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming,
and Jay Ferguson; Modern Persuasion (2019),
independent feature; State of Stress with Sanjay Gupta
(2018-2019), documentary for HBO; Unbreakable Kimmy
Schmidt, Netflix series; Great News (2016-2018), NBC
series created by Tracey Wigfield (2014-2018); Getting
Naked: A Burlesque Story (2017), feature-length
documentary by James Lester; 30 Rock (2007-13), NBC
series created by Tina Fey, starring Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan,
Alec Baldwin, and Jane Krakowski; Keith Broke His Leg
(2015-present), web series by Keith Powell; Unfinished
Spaces (2012), feature-length documentary by Alysa
Nahmias and Ben Murray; Reise nach Tulum (2011),
feature film by Eduardo Villanueva; What’s the Harm?
(2010), short film by Steve Reese; Under the Cover of
Darkness: The Work of Michael Flomen (2009), feature-
length documentary by André Cornellier; Love and Roadkill
(2008), short film by John David Allen; and Red Angel
(2007), short film by Matthew Ross. Orchestrator for Les
Traducteurs (2018), French feature film directed by Regis
Roinsard, score by Jun Miyake. Orchestra score supervisor
for Gangs of New York (2002), feature film starring
Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Daniel Day-Lewis
and directed by Martin Scorcese. Score producer for Baby
Mama (2008), feature film produced by Universal,
starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Score production for
The Aviator (2004), feature film starring Leonardo
DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, and Kate Beckinsale and
directed by Martin Scorcese. Music score coordinator for
The Departed (2006), feature film starring Jack
Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin,
and Martin Sheen and directed by Martin Scorcese. Music
preparation for the following: A History of Violence
(2005), feature film starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria
Bello, and Ed Harris and directed by David Cronenberg;
and The Lord of the Rings (2000-02), feature film trilogy
directed by Peter Jackson; Saturday Night Live
(2000-08)...among others. SLC, 2022–
Seth Watter Film History
BA, Binghamton University. PhD, Brown University. Author
of The Human Figure on Film: Natural, Pictorial,
Institutional, Fictional (SUNY Press, forthcoming), as well
as articles in Grey Room, JCMS, Camera Obscura, Film
International, Millennium Film Journal, Eects, NECSUS,
the volumes Seeing Science: How Photography Reveals the
Universe (Aperture, 2019), and Holisms of
Communication: The Early History of Audio-Visual
Sequence Analysis (Language Science Press, 2021).
Special interests in film theory, media theory, cultural
techniques, nonverbal communication, and the history of
the behavioral sciences. Currently at work on a book
called Nothing Never Happens: The Study of Interaction
Since 1900, which was supported by a NOMIS
Postdoctoral Fellowship at the eikones – Center for the
Theory and History of the Image, University of Basel,
Switzerland (2020-21). Previous appointments include
Brooklyn College, School of Visual Arts, and Pratt Institute.
SLC, 2021–
Megan Williams Dance
BFA, The Julliard School. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College.
An independent dance artist, choreographer, teacher and
repetiteur, Williams guest-taught in a variety of settings in
2020-21, choreographed two films for the Young People’s
Chorus of New York City, and made two commissioned
dance films for the Katonah (NY) Museum of Art, where
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she recently premiered a new site-adaptive work, “Beauty
Persists.” Her choreography has been produced by 92nd St
Y, DanceNOW NYC at Joe’s Pub and Dance Theater
Workshop, 10Hairy Legs, as well as by the Rivertown
Artist’s Workshop, Barnspace, MIXT Co., Purchase College,
Marymount Manhattan College, Connecticut College, and
Interlochen Arts Academy. In addition to performing her
own work, Williams was recently dancing with
choreographer Rebecca Stenn and in Netta Yurashalmy’s
Paramodernities project. In the early ’80s, Williams
performed and toured internationally with the companies
of Laura Glenn, Ohad Naharin, and Mark Haim; and in
1988, she joined the Mark Morris Dance Group—dancing
for 10 years, touring worldwide, teaching, and appearing in
several films, including Falling Down Stairs (with YoYo
Ma), The Hidden Soul of Harmony, The Hard Nut, and Dido
and Aeneas. She continues her aliation with Morris as a
guest performer (creating the role of Lady Capulet in
Morris's 2009 Romeo and Juliet: On Motifs of
Shakespeare), guest rehearsal director, and content
specialist in the MMDG archives. Williams has staged
Morris's work on the Purchase Dance Company, Vassar
Repertory Company, Fieldston Dance Company, the
Boston Ballet, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and on
students at The Juilliard School, George Mason University,
Les Étés de la Danse (Paris), among many others. Williams
has been Morris’s assistant in a variety of settings,
including ballet, Broadway, and television. From
2000-2013, she served on the modern dance faculty of
the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY, and
was a guest lecturer at Connecticut College from
2016-2018 and at Hunter College and Marymount
Manhattan College in 2018-2019. She has taught Dance
for Parkinson’s Disease in Rye, NY, since 2011 and is on the
renowned Dance for PD flagship teaching team. She
taught professional-level ballet at the Gibney Dance
Center for the last four years and is currently teaching
ballet at Sarah Lawrence College and a yoga-based
somatic practice at Purchase College and at Tovami
Studio. Williams founded Megan Williams Dance Projects
(MWDP) in the summer of 2016. MWDP was a DANCE
NOW Commissioned Artist in 2018, premiering Williams’s
first full evening work, “One Woman Show,” to great
acclaim at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in NYC. In
September 2018, MWDP performed a work-in-progress at
the 92nd St Y Fridays at Noon series in a shared bill with
Molissa Fenley and Claire Porter. MWDP performed an
encore of “One Woman Show” in January 2019 at Joe’s
Pub and took it on the road in April 2019. MWDP was part
of the Dance O the Grid series at the Emelin Theater in
Mamaroneck, NY, in May 2019. Williams was an Artistic
Partnership Initiative (API) Fellow at The Center for Ballet
and the Arts at New York University in August/September
2019. MWDP’s evening-length work, in collaboration with
composer Eve Beglarian at Danspace Project, NYC, was
scheduled for a March 2020 debut but is being
rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SLC, 2019–
James Wilson Music (Cello)
BM, University of Michigan. MM, The Peabody Institute of
The Johns Hopkins University. Recitalist and chamber
musician, member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra;
appeared at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy
Center, Musikverein in Vienna, Koelner Philharmonie,
National Concert Hall in Taipei, and Sydney Opera House.
Performed at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, City of London
Festival, Deutches Mozartfest in Bavaria, Kuhmo Chamber
Music Festival in Finland, Mostly Mozart Festival in New
York, and Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. Former
member of the Shanghai and Chester String Quartets and
the Da Capo Chamber Players. Currently artistic director
of the Richmond-based Chamber Music Society of Central
Virginia. Teaches cello and chamber music at Columbia
University in New York City and faculty member of the
Bennington Chamber Music Conference in Vermont. SLC,
2017–
Marion Wilson Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Wesleyan University. MA, Columbia University. MFA,
University of Cincinnati. Recipient of national grants,
including NEA Artworks Grant with WPU Galleries,
Paterson, NJ; ARTPLACE with McColl Center, Charlotte
NC; and Mural Arts Project/ Restored Spaces. Completed
residencies at ISCP (NYC), Millay Colony, McColl Center
(NC), Golden Paints (NYC) and Lightwork (NY). Wilson
Instituted a New Direction on social sulpture curriculum
as a professor at Syracuse University (until 2017) and
spearheaded several public art and architecture projects,
including: MLAB; MossLab, 601 Tully; and now 100 Lagoon
Pond, a floating studio and public platform on Martha’s
Vineyard. Wilson drove a renovated RV from Upstate New
York to Miami with PULSE art fair. She has shown with
Frederieke Taylor (NYC) and Cheryl Pelavin (NYC); New
Museum of Contemporary Art (NYC); and Herbert
Johnson Museum; her work has been published by
Hyperallergic, BOMB Magazine, Art in America, Time Out,
and The New York Times. SLC, 2021–
Matthew Wilson Music (Percussion)
New York-based drummer, Grammy nominee, celebrated
jazz artist universally recognized for his musical and
melodic drumming style, as well as being a gifted
composer, bandleader, producer, and teaching artist.
Performed at the White House as part of an all-star jazz
group for a state dinner concert hosted by President
Obama. Featured on the covers of Downbeat and
JazzTimes magazines in November 2009. Voted #1 Rising
Star Drummer in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll. Committed to
jazz education, he travels the world with the Matt Wilson
Quartet to inspire children. SLC, 2017–
FACULTY 247
Heather Winters Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. University of London, School
of Visual Arts. An American film producer, director, and
writer and a two-time Sundance winning executive
producer. Credits include: Oscar-nominated Super Size
Me; TWO: The Story of Roman & Nyro; The Rest I Make Up
(Best Movies of 2018, The New Yorker), Anywhere, u.s.a.;
Class Act; Convention; Google Me; ThunderCats;
Silverhawks; The Comic Strip; MTV’s Real World. Select
project awards include: Academy Award nomination, Best
Documentary; winner, Best Director, Documentary,
Sundance Film Festival; winner, Special Jury Prize,
Dramatic Competition, Sundance Film Festival; winner,
Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary Feature,
Nashville Film Festival; winner, HBO Hometown Hero
Award, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival; nominee,
Audience Award, Best Documentary, Palm Springs
International Film Festival; winner, Audience Award, Best
Documentary, Frameline Film Festival; winner, AARP Silver
Image Award, Reeling Film Festival; winner, Jury Award
Best Documentary, OUTshine Film Festival; winner, Jury
Award Best Documentary Feature, Reeling: Chicago
LGBTQ+ International Film Festival; winner, Best Feature,
Artivist Film Festival; winner, Best Documentary, Rhode
Island International Film Festival; TELLY® Award; Platinum
Best in Show, Aurora Award; first place, Chicago
International Film Festival; Creative Excellence Award, U.S.
International Film and Video Festival. Professional
awards/aliations include: Sarah Lawrence College
Alumnae/i Citation for Achievement; Hall of Fame, Miami
Beach Senior High School Alumni Association; Producers
Guild of America; International Documentary Association;
IFP; Women in Film. Founder, White Dock and Studio On
Hudson production companies. SLC, 2011–
Komozi Woodard History
BA, Dickinson College. MA, PhD, University of
Pennsylvania. Special interests in African American
history, politics, and culture, emphasizing the Black
Freedom Movement, women in the Black Revolt, US urban
and ethnic history, public policy and persistent poverty,
oral history, and the experience of anti-colonial
movements. Author of A Nation Within a Nation: Amiri
Baraka and Black Power Politics and reviews, chapters,
and essays in journals, anthologies, and encyclopedia.
Editor, The Black Power Movement, Part I: Amiri Baraka,
From Black Arts to Black Radicalism; Freedom North;
Groundwork; Want to Start a Revolution?; and Women in
the Black Freedom Struggle. Reviewer for American
Council of Learned Societies; adviser to the Algebra
Project and the PBS documentaries, Eyes on the Prize II
and America’s War on Poverty; board of directors, Urban
History Association. SLC, 1989–
John Yannelli Director, Program in Music and Music
Technology; William Schuman Scholar in
Music—Music
BPh, Thomas Jeerson College, University of Michigan.
MFA, Sarah Lawrence College. Composer, innovator in the
fields of electronic music and music for theatre and dance,
composer of traditional and experimental works for all
media, specialist in improvisational techniques, and
director of the Sarah Lawrence Improvisational Ensemble.
Toured nationally with the United Stage theatre company
and conceived of, and introduced the use of, electronic
music for the productions. Freelance record producer and
engineer; music published by Soundspell Productions.
SLC, 1984–
Mali Yin Chemistry
BS, Shaanxi Normal University, China. PhD, Temple
University. Postdoctoral research associate, Michigan
State University. Researcher and author of articles in
areas of inorganic, organic, and protein chemistry; special
interests in synthesis and structure determination of
inorganic and organometallic compounds by X-ray
diraction and various spectroscopic techniques, protein
crystallography, environmental chemistry, and material
science. SLC, 1996–
Jessie Young Dance
A Brooklyn-based choreographer, performer, and teacher
originally from Port Angeles, WA, Young uses dance as a
way to integrate movement training and exploratory
structures to craft containers for dis/orientation,
atmospheric awareness, and embodied imagination. She
works choreographically to direct conditions of exploration
that render themselves as dances, collages, photographs,
sound scores, and pedagogical structures. Her teaching
approaches a range of practices in contemporary dance
forms, choreography, and performance. Young crafts
choreography as a poetic provocation, viewing dance as a
form that must constantly redefine itself in relation to
shifting sensorial, emotional, political, and cultural
circumstances. She has been an artist in residence at New
York Live Arts (Fresh Tracks), Brooklyn Studios for Dance
(NY), The Floor on Atlantic (NY) and Centrum (WA). As a
performer, she has worked with Abby Z and the New
Utility, Julie Mayo, Stephanie Acosta, and Khecari Dance
Theatre, among others. Currently, she is collaborating with
Julie Mayo, Same As Sister, and Kendra Portier. Young has
been on faculty at Lion’s Jaw Performance + Dance
Festival, Mark Morris Dance Center, and Gina Gibney
Dance Center. In addition, she has taught master classes
and leads workshops at Bard College, Pieter Performance
Space, Beloit College, University of Utah, University of
Wisconsin at Madison, Base: Experimental Arts + Space
(Seattle), and University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign—where she was recently received the Beverly
Blossom/Carey Erickson Alumni Award for 2021. She is on
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faculty at Rutgers University and American Dance Festival,
contributes to the online teaching platform freeskewl, and
has a virtual pilates studio through the platform Core to
Coeur. SLC, 2024–
Thomas Young Music
Cleo & Grammy award-winning lyric tenor—and
recognized as the foremost interpreter of tenor roles in
contemporary opera—Young has performed in concert
halls, opera houses, and jazz venues in more than 40
countries. Known for his peerless versatility, he has been
seen in operas by Anthony Davis, Tan Dun, John Adams,
Schoenberg, Zimmermann, Stravinsky, Shostakovich,
Handel, and Rossini—from San Francisco Opera and
Chicago Lyric Opera to New York City Opera, Netherlands
Opera, Opera de Lyon, Maggio Musicale, Opera de la
Monnale, Covet Garden, Hong Kong Festival, and Bergen
International Festival, to name a few. Young has sung
under the baton of distinguished conductors, including
Zubin Mehta, Roger Norrington, Simon Rattle, and Esa-
Pekka Salonen and with directors Peter Sellars, Pierre
Audi, and David Poutney. His music theatre credits include
national tours and regional appearances in Jesus Christ
Superstar (Judas), Pippin (Leading Player), Evita (Che),
and more. He received critical and public acclaim in Stand
Up Shakespeare, directed by Oscar and Tony award winner
Mike Nichols, which was recently remounted with
Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago with actor Je Perry.
Young’s orchestral appearances from tenors Cook Dixon &
Young to solo work—both classical and theatre—are
known internationally. His jazz credits include concert
work with legends such as Tito Puente, Clark Terry, Nancy
Wilson, J. D. Perren, James Carter, Julius Hemphill, Mike
Renzi, Michael Wol, and Grady Tate. In addition to his
work at SLC, Young is in demand internationally as a
clinician and master class specialist. His discography is
extensive. SLC, 1989–
Kate Zambreno Strachan Donnelley Visiting Professor in
Environmental Writing—Writing
BSJ, Northwestern University. MA, University of Chicago.
Author of ten books, most recently of The Light Room, a
meditation on art and care (Riverhead), as well as Tone, a
collaborative study with Sofia Samatar (Columbia
University Press). Forthcoming is Animal Stories as part of
Transit Books' Undelivered Lectures series. Her fiction and
reports have been published in The New Yorker, The Paris
Review, Astra, Granta, Virginia Quarterly Review, and
BOMB. She is at work on a trilogy about precarity and
interiors. Her books have been translated into nine
languages. Zambreno also teaches in the graduate
nonfiction program at Columbia University. She is a 2021
Guggenheim Fellow in Nonfiction. SLC, 2013–
Hannah Zaves-Greene Religion
BA, Sarah Lawrence College. PhD, New York University.
Zaves-Greene’s research focuses on the intersection of
American Jewish history, migration studies, disability
studies, gender and women’s history, and American legal
and political history. Her current book project, Able to Be
American: Disability in U.S. Immigration Law and the
American Jewish Response, explores how American
Jews addressed federal law’s discrimination against
immigrants premised on health, disability, and gender, and
is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for
the Humanities and the New York Public Library. Hannah
sits on the Academic Advisory Council for the Jewish
Women’s Archive, and advises the National Museum of
Immigration, at Ellis Island, regarding the role of health
and disability in immigration history. She has taught at
Cooper Union and the New School, presented at national
and international conferences, and lectured for academic
and activist groups. Hannah's public history writing
appears online at the Jewniverse, the Activist History
Review, and the Jewish Women’s Archive. Her academic
work has been published in American Jewish History,
the Journal of Transnational American Studies, and AJS
Perspectives, and appears in the edited volume Forged in
America: How Irish-Jewish Encounters Shaped a
Nation from NYU Press. SLC, 2022-
Benjamin Zender Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Studies
BA Syracuse University. MA, University of Massachusetts
and Northwestern University. PhD, Northwestern
University. Zender is a multidisciplinary teacher,
researcher, and performer who explores why we collect,
care for, and publicly exhibit objects. In their current
research, they collect stories of queer, trans, and women
of color archivists who curate grassroots archives. This
work showcases libraries, museums, and archives as key
sites for understanding how marginalized communities
build knowledge, history, and community in a world that is
ambivalent about their survival. They join SLC as a Public
Humanities Fellow, developing public workshops, exhibits,
and events with the Yonkers Public Library. SLC, 2023–
Francine Zerfas Theatre
BFA, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. MFA,
New School University. Teacher of voice and speech at
New York University’s Playwrights Horizons Theater
School and Atlantic Theater Acting School; adjunct
professor at Brooklyn College. Conducted Fitzmaurice
Voicework™ and Shakespeare workshops in Melbourne,
Australia (2005), and at the Centro Em Movimento in
Lisbon, Portugal (1997, 1998), where she also coached
Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra. Served as
vocal consultant on 666 Park Avenue TV series and was
vocal coach for The Play What I Wrote (directed by
Kenneth Branagh) on Broadway, Me Myself and I by
Edward Albee (directed by Emily Mann) at Playwrights
Horizons Theater, and The Family Weekend by Beth Henley
(directed by Jonathan Demme) for Manhattan Class
FACULTY 249
Company Theater, as well as Stanley, an O-O Broadway
production (directed by Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa
D’Amour) at HERE Arts Center. Master teacher of Chuck
Jones Vocal Production and an associate teacher of
Catherine Fitzmaurice Voicework and Level I, Alba
Emoting Certification. Studied yoga in New Dehli, India;
trained extensively in ballet and modern dance and
performed with various independent choreographers and
dance companies in Minneapolis. Co-founder of Tiny
Mythic Theatre Company in New York City and both an
actor and a writer for the company. Other past
performances include leading roles in A Dream Play by
August Stringberg, When We Dead Awaken by Henrick
Ibsen, Apocrypha by Travis Preston and Royston
Coppenger at the Cucaracha Theatre, Two Small Bodies at
the Harold Clurman Theatre, The Eagle Has Two Heads at
the Ohio Theatre in Soho, and Democracy in America at the
Yale Repertory Theatre and Center Stage. She has
appeared in several films, including Irony, In Shadow City,
and The Smallest Particle by Ken Feingold and The
Madness of the Day by Terrance Grace. As a writer, she has
collaborated with both The Private Theatre and Tiny
Mythic Theatre, creating original works. SLC, 2013–
Sherry Zhang Dance
Sherry Zhang is a certified Tai Chi and Qi Gong instructor
by the China Physical Education and Sports Committee, a
well as a faculty member at the Pacific College of Oriental
Medicine in NYC, teaching Tai Chi Quan and Qi Gong. A
native of Hubei (China), she holds a bachelor’s degree in
physical education from Chengdu Physical Education
Institute in Sichuan and was an associate researcher in
the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in Beijing. Zhang
began to acquire an outstanding martial arts background
at the age of 6. She has been a pioneer for China Wushu
Association and was selected for the “List of China Wushu
Celebrities” an honor the People’s Republic of China
bestowed on its top martial arts practitioners in 1998.
SLC, 2021–
Susan Ziegler Visual and Studio Arts
BA, Amherst College. MFA, University of Pennsylvania.
Post-Baccalaureate Studio Arts Program, Brandeis
University. Ziegler has presented her work in solo
exhibitions at the One River School of Art + Design
(Larchmont, NY); Resnick Gallery, Long Island University
(Brooklyn, NY); Gross McCleaf Gallery (Philadelphia, PA);
and Nahcotta (Portsmouth, NH). Her work has been
included in group exhibitions at Equity Gallery (New York,
NY), Long Beach Island Foundations of Arts and Sciences,
(Loveladies, NJ), Hayes Valley Art Center (San Francisco,
CA), Contemporary Art Center (Peoria, IL), and York
College Art Gallery (Queens, NY), among others. Her
paintings can be found in private and public collections,
including GlaxoSmithKline, SAS Institute, The Watermark
Group, and the US Department of State. Ziegler lives and
works in Brooklyn, NY. She teaches at the City College of
New York, CUNY, in the Macaulay Honors College. She has
taught at Long Island University Brooklyn, New York
University School of Continuing and Professional Studies,
Muhlenberg College, University of New Hampshire, and
University of Pennsylvania. In 2017, she was an artist-in-
residence in the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s
Process Space on Governor’s Island in New York City. SLC,
2024–
Carol Zoref Director, The Writing Center—Writing
BA, MFA, Sarah Lawrence College. Fiction writer and
essayist. Author of Barren Island (University W. Michigan).
National Book Awards Longlist, winner of AWP
(Associated Writing Programs) Novel Award, National
Jewish Book Award, Harold U. Ribalow Award for Fiction.
Essays and stories in Best of the Bellevue Literary Review,
The New York Times, Global City Review, Christian Science
Monitor, and on various websites. Recipient of fellowships
and grants from Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hall
Farm Center for Arts, and In Our Own Write. Winner of
IOWW Emerging Artist Award and finalist for the Henfield
Award, American Fiction Award, and Pushcart Prize. SLC,
1996–
Elke Zuern Politics
AB, Colgate University. MA, MPhil, PhD, Columbia
University. Research interests include social movements
in new democracies, popular responses to poverty and
inequality, violence in democratization processes,
reparations, collective memory, memorials, and
reconciliation. Regional specialization: Sub-Saharan
Africa, with extensive fieldwork in South Africa and
Namibia. Author of The Politics of Necessity: Community
Organizing and Democracy in South Africa (University of
Wisconsin Press, 2011) and co-author of Public
Characters—The Politics of Reputation and Blame (Oxford
University Press, 2020). Former Van Zyl Slabbert Chair at
the University of Cape Town and visiting scholar at the
University of Johannesburg. Articles published
in Democratization, Comparative Politics, African Aairs,
Journal of Modern African Studies, Politique Africaine,
Transformation, and African Studies Review, among
others. SLC, 2002–
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