Newberry Adult Education Seminars will meet virtually via Zoom. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

Seminar Description

This seminar offers a lively survey of some of the artistic techniques, styles, innovations, and traditions that we encounter everyday. Through literary excerpts, film clips, lectures, and discussion, our sessions will explore the importance, in fiction and film, of a good beginning, the depiction of characters’ thoughts and feelings, the effects of patterns and framing, the reliance on “the same old plots,” and the curious nature of representation.

Six sessions. Registration – $230

Steven J. Venturino, PhD, is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. He has led seminars at the Newberry and taught at Loyola University Chicago.

Materials List

Required:

• A selection of shorter materials distributed by the instructor throughout the seminar.

First Reading:

• For the first session, all participants will receive a brief handout from the instructor emailed in advance.

Registration Information

Registration opens at 9 am (CST) on Wednesday, May 19th. Newberry Associates members at the Literati level and above will have access to early registration beginning May 12th at 10am. Learn more about membership benefits and becoming a Newberry Associate.

Please note: For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.