Guidelines and Core Texts for Humanities Courses

At Washington State University Humanities courses with a prefix of HUM are meant to offer students multimedia interdisciplinary international exposure to the arts and humanities, including literature, philosophy, art, architecture, music, film, dance, etc. No HUM course should be entirely literature-based, and most texts used are translated from foreign languages. Students seeking traditional English-language literary texts should be directed to ENGL courses instead.

HUM 101, 302, 303, and 304 form a survey of European civilization from ancient times to the present. Although few students take more than one or two of these courses, it is important for these courses to retain their identity to qualify for the H GER designation they have. HUM 101 also has to be distinguished from HUM 103. Note that there is a gap between 302 and 303: you can include material from the 17th century in either course.

HUM 101: The Ancient World
Required core:

• Selections from the Bible (your choice, but the Creation narrative and some Psalms are highly recommended at a minimum)
• Homer's Odyssey (in verse, complete; do not use the Iliad; it is a core text for 103; adding the entire Aeneid is too much for this freshman class)
• Some Greek Tragedies (part or all of the Oresteia recommended)
• Some Plato (the Symposium recommended)
• Some ancient history text (selections OK: Herodotus, Xenophon, or Tacitus recommended)
• Something Roman (may be the history text or something else; Ovid's Art of Love, Roman lyrics or whatever appeals to you; not the Metamorphoses: that is a core text for 103)
• Optional: a comedy by Aristophanes, Greek lyric poetry (including Sappho), other ancient Greek and Roman texts, The Epic of Gilgamesh)
• At least one full class on art and architecture, preferably more. Resources include videotapes and DVDs in the library, the 35mm slide collection in the English Dept. workroom, or the digital presentations on the departmental laptops).

• Homer's Iliad (in verse, the whole epic, though you may skim over some parts; not the Odyssey; it is a core text for HUM 103; adding the entire Aeneid is too much for this freshman-level course)
• Selections from Ovid's Metamorphoses (the source for most later European works based on Classical myths; stress the dramatic, lively nature of his retellings)
• Works of art from all periods based on Classical myths (Resources include videotapes and DVDs in the library, the 35mm slide collection in the English Dept. workroom, or the digital presentations on the departmental laptops).
• Music (opera or ballet) based on Classical mythology. Be aware that Baroque opera was intended as a revival of Greek tragedy, which had been recently rediscovered. A highly recommended production is the Jordi Savall version of Monteverdi's Orfeo, the descent into Hades scene. But there are many possibilities. Look for operas with a single asterisk at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/operas.html.)
• About a quarter of the course should be dedicated to the study of another mythology (Hindu, Norse, Celtic, Native American, etc.) in the arts and literature. Works may be from any period, and can include theater, film, ballet, graphic novels or whatever appeals to you. Some people like to use excerpts from Wagner's Ring.
• Optional: a mythology handbook or introductory text.

• Dante's Inferno, in verse, complete.
• Other continental European literature from the Middle Ages (Marie de France's Lays recommended)
• Art and architecture (illuminations, castles, cathedrals, Renaissance painting, sculpture, architecture, etc. Resources include videotapes and DVDs in the library, the 35mm slide collection in the English Dept. workroom, or the digital presentations on the departmental laptops).
• Music (resources include presentations on the departmental laptops and the CD collection and some DVDs in the library. Go to http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8080/cdsearch.html and search for the following keywords: "Middle Ages" and "Renaissance." There are also huge libraries of online streaming audio available through the library's online services including especially the Classical Music Library and The Naxos Music Library at http://lib6.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8331/pds?; you can set up a course listening list for your students or for playback in the classroom. Ask a librarian to help you).
• Renaissance readings (your choice, but not Shakespeare or other English authors; this is a course on Continental Europe)
• Optional: Medieval and Renaisssance theology or philosophy (Augustine, Machiavelli, etc.)

• Something representing the French Enlightenment (excerpts from Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary recommended; Candide is fun, but relates mainly to philosophical optimism, which students rarely relate to and it ignores most important issues the Enlightement raised.
• Something representing continental European Romanticism (Goethe's Faust recommended; not English literature; refer to ENGL courses for English Romanticism).
• Something relating to the 19th-century origins of socialism (recommended: Zola's Germinal; Marx & Engels: Communist Manifesto)
• Music of the period (Resources include DVD lectures by Paul Brians. There are also many suitable recordings in the CD collection in the library— Go to http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8080/cdsearch.html and search for the following keywords: "Baroque" and "Classical," "Romantic," "Impressionism," "20th C." There are also huge libraries of online streaming audio available through the library's online services including especially the Classical Music Library and The Naxos Music Library at http://lib6.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8331/pds?; you can set up a course listening list for your students or for playback in the classroom. Ask a librarian to help you. There is also an elaborate set of notes and recordings available through the library's online audio reserves, originally designed for distance-learning students; but these are made available only by your request; contact a librarian for help in using the audio reserves for Hum 303). Music may include British and American composers.
• Art and architecture (recommended: VHS tape series Art of the Western World, and if it ever becomes commercially available, the BBC series The Secret Life of a Masterpiece. There are many individual documentaries on individual arts and art movements in the library. Art and architecture may include British and American examples. The department also has an extensive collection of 35mm slides for use in Hum 303, but they are aging badly.
• Other literary or philosophical works from the period. At least one Russian work is a good idea. See Paul Brians' study guides and syllabus at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/hum_303_study_guides.html for ideas and resources created for this class. Feel free to copy and rework any of the study guides so long as you acknowledge the original source.

• Works of literature and philosophy from Continental Europe in translation from the period (no works originally written in English).
• Music from the era, especially classical, but may include jazz, other genres. There are also many suitable recordings in the CD collection in the library— Go to http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8080/cdsearch.html and search for the keywords "20th C" and for "jazz" as a genre. There are also huge libraries of online streaming audio available through the library's online services including especially the Classical Music Library and The Naxos Music Library at http://lib6.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8331/pds?; you can set up a course listening list for your students or for playback in the classroom. Ask a librarian to help you. British and American music may be included.
• Art and architecture from the period. There are many suitable videos on individual artists and movements in the library. British and American art and architecture may be included.

• The Bible in a good modern translation, including substantial selections from both the Hebrew Bible ("Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures ("New Testament"). Recommended: The Oxford Study Bible.
• A textbook on the Bible as literature. Recommended: Stephen L. Harris: Understanding the Bible.
• Optional: book report on a selected scholarly study of some aspect of the Bible; bibliography at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/bible.html.
• Optional: musical settings of Biblical texts (Psalms, Song of Songs, Passions; presentations available from Paul Brians).
• Optional: art depicting scenes from the Bible; presentations available from Paul Brians).
• Optional: videos on Biblical topics; Testament recommended.
• Optional: an excellent supplementary Web site for the study of early Christianity is PBS's "From Jesus to Christ" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/. The library also has the videos, but they probably go too far beyond the parameters of this course to include more than one or two.

HUM 410: Love in the Arts
Required core:

• Poetry, fiction, drama from any period, any region of the world depicting attitudes toward love. See Paul Brians' Web site at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/love-in-the-arts/ for ideas. The majority of the readings should be from non-English language sources, though English literature may be included.
• Music from various eras; a Romantic opera on DVD is a great idea, Verdi's La Traviata recommended. Look for operas at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/operas.html). Troubadour songs, madrigals, Lieder, Broadway musicals, romantic popular standards, etc. Ballet can also be included. There are many recordings in the library. For CDs see http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8080/cdsearch.html
• Art depicting images of love, including Venus/Aphrodite as goddess of love. Presentations on these themes are available from Paul Brians.
• Optional: Diane Ackerman: The Natural History of Love.

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