Gatsby at 100 with Adam Kitzes

Gatsby at 100 with Adam Kitzes

• This is a 4-meeting virtual class using the Zoom platform
• Thursdays, April 3, 10, 17, and 24 
• 6:30-8pm CT
• Our classes are taught asynchronously, which means you can watch a recording of the class later if you miss the live session

This April marks the 100 year anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. Anniversaries are an occasion for taking measure: what we hold on to, why we value it, how we should take care of it. They're also a cause for celebration. We'll do this by looking at the novel and considering how Gatsby's story -- really, Nick Carraway's -- comes across to us as readers today. We'll put it alongside some of the other stories Fitzgerald wrote while he composed his best known work (readers who like Gatsby might really enjoy "Absolution," etc.). We'll take stock of Gatsby's journey among formats: from stage play to film, from classroom reading to comic book. And maybe we can ask what needs to happen if we want to keep the story alive for the next hundred years.

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Adam Kitzes is a Professor of English at the University of North Dakota. Originally from Chicago, he bounced around various parts of the midwest until winding up in beautiful Grand Forks. Aside from English and American literature, his enthusiasms include distance running and juggling.

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities