MOCKINGBIRD AND HARPER LEE— YESTERDAY AND TODAY

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930s, was written in the 1950s and published in 1960. It remains a significant classic more than half a century later. Why? Who is the author Harper Lee, and why has she remained quietly reclusive ever since her one and only book became part of literary, racial and justice history? What relevance does the book have today, and why is it still banned in some communities? We will explore these questions and their relevant ideas and issues through—for many—a re-reading of To Kill a Mockingbird, an examination of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields; a glimpse into past black/white concerns through the play SOLO by Jean-Luc Rey and Len Richman, and moving closer to our current era, a reading of comparison and contrast through The Colour of Water by James McBride. There will be short, selected materials to consider and complement the main texts above.

COURSE LENGTH: 12 weeks
DISCUSSION TEAM: Charlotte Facella, Joyce Macnamara,Len Richman
FIRST SESSION: Friday, January 13, 2012 at 1:30 pm

This course will also be offered in Pointe-Claire