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Are texts hiding their true meanings under a surface layer of plot? Is a story a riddle that we have to overcome in order to understand it? As Rita Felski wrote: “the professional reader, whether critic or detective, presses below distracting surfaces to the deeper meaning of signs” (Felski, “Suspicious” 224). What are the hazards of pressing below the surface? We will address this and other questions this semester through the close reading of a variety of texts that make this question central to their plots. We read literary texts where multiple—and often contradictory—levels of story are held in suspension; texts that use images and texts together to tell their story; and, finally, we will look intra-textually at adaptations—in film and graphic novel—of literary texts. As the form of all the texts studied in this class is crucial to its interpretation, participants in the class will also keep a visual notebook as part of their work in the class. All texts are available and taught in English, but students able to read texts in their original language are encouraged to do so. Taught by Shiamin Kwa.

Taught by , this course is a multidisciplinary approach to the biology of plants through their development, physiology, anatomy, and growth and their consequent effects on human society. Course topics include plant biology, anatomy, diversity, morphology, physiology, and ecology, followed by case studies of plants, from cacao to apples. As part of this 360, Botany will emphasize two major case studies: the grapevine, used for winemaking, and flax, used for paper manufacturing. The course will explore the biology, cultivation, production, and evolution of these plants and how they are used by human beings, as examples of key global crops. Particular emphasis will be placed on the science of grape cultivation and wine production, including methods, history, and challenges to the industry—past, present, and future. This course will feature field trips to local vineyards in the Brandywine Valley to meet winemakers and observe grape and wine production firsthand; it will also feature conversation with expert guest speakers. As part of this course, students will be trained in methods of scientific field note taking and will be required to keep a field book (provided by the instructor) of all activities in ENVS 328.

How can art help us understand—and perhaps even change—our material, economic, and social environments? How has our relationship to these materials changed over time? How do environmental and material realities impact cultural production and imagination? This course, taught by Agnès Peysson-Zeiss, aims to create a framework immersing students in historical moments, allowing them to create stories based on culture and context of the time period studied. Global Simulation is a protocol that allows a group of learners to create a universe of reference. In this world, participants create characters and simulate all of the cultural, socio-political and historical context that this made-up world may need.  Students will also learn relevant terminology and create a French-English lexicon for plants. Students will start working on the various stories at the beginning of the semester and discover more stories on the ground when we travel to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. We will focus on the connections between the Old and the New World with stories dealing with port-city life, the story of Marguerite de Navarre, the Acadian Line, Claire de Duras and her travels to Philadelphia, and the story of when New York was called Angoulême. We will use text, images, archives, maps, drawings and films and work on creating stories in a digital format, using Omeka.net.