For the Fall 2021 term, we're offering a mix of virtual and in-person classes. Although we are still primarily virtual, you will find a smaller selection of in-person seminars in the schedule. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. Registration opens on September 1st at 9am (Central time). Registration will take place through our online platform, Learning Stream.

Seminar Description

In this six-session course, we will sample five works by three major figures in medieval Islamic mysticism: Farid al-Din Attar, Jalal al-Din Rumi, and Yunus Emre. Using high-quality English translations of the Persian and Turkish sources, we will explore these mystics’ different approaches to spirituality and the quest for nearness to the divine. While our main emphasis will be on the content of their work, we will also devote attention to literary form. Finally, we’ll observe present-day performances based on these poems, exploring how their universal spiritual insights continue to resonate all over the world centuries after the authors lived.

Six sessions. Registration – $230

Judith Wilks holds a PhD in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago. She has taught Persian, Turkish, and Islamicate literature courses at Northwestern University and has published numerous translations from Persian, Turkish, and Tajik, as well as literary articles.

Materials List

Required:

• Digital Course Packet.

First Reading:

• There is no first reading assignment..