Timothy Portice
Associate Professor of Russian
- Office
- FIC 205
- Tel
- (802) 443-5198
- tportice@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Fall 2023: Monday and Wednesday 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Courses Taught
CMLT 0101
Intro to World Literature
Course Description
Introduction to World Literature
This course is an introduction to the critical analysis of imaginative literature of the world, the dissemination of themes and myths, and the role of translation as the medium for reaching different cultures. Through the careful reading of selected classic texts from a range of Western and non-Western cultures, students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the particular texts under consideration, while developing a critical vocabulary with which to discuss and write about these texts, both as unique artistic achievements of individual and empathetic imagination and as works affected by, but also transcending their historical periods. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
CMLT 0201
Upcoming
Science Fiction Global Context
Course Description
The Fictions of Science and Science Fiction: Technological Fantasies in Global Context
In The Human Condition, Hannah Arendt refers to science fiction as “a vehicle for mass sentiments and mass desires” that bears witness to the fact that “science has realized and affirmed what men anticipated in dreams that were neither wild nor idle.” Drawing on a wide range of literary, cinematic, and philosophical texts from Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, in this course we will examine how cultural specificity informs and responds to the demands of technological fantasy, and investigate the challenges and opportunities posed to the concept of “the human” in an age dominated by technology. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
CMLT 0700
Upcoming
Senior Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis
A senior thesis is normally completed over two semesters. During Fall and Winter terms, or Winter and Spring terms, students will write a 35-page (article length) comparative essay, firmly situated in literary analysis. Students are responsible for identifying and arranging to work with their primary language and secondary language readers, and consulting with the program director before completing the CMLT Thesis Declaration form. (Approval required.)
Terms Taught
RUSS 0101
Beginning Russian
Course Description
Beginning Russian
This course is an approach to the language using four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). It provides a firm control of the sound system and the structure of Russian. Although much emphasis is put on the spoken colloquial language, reading, writing, and a conscious understanding of the fundamentals of grammar prepare a strong foundation for work in advanced courses or for reading in specialized fields. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. drill.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0102
Upcoming
Beginning Russian
Course Description
Beginning Russian
This course is a continuation of RUSS 0101. (RUSS 0101 or equivalent)
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0103
Upcoming
Beginning Russian
Course Description
Beginning Russian
This course is a continuation of the approach used in RUSS 0102, but with increased emphasis on reading. (RUSS 0102) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. drill.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0122
The Russian Mind (in English)
Course Description
The Russian Mind (in English)
In this course we will study the dominant themes of Russia's past and their role in shaping the present-day Russian mind. Topics will include: Slavic mythology; Russian Orthodoxy; Russian icons; the concept of autocracy; the legacy of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great; the Golden Age of Russian Literature (Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky); Russian composers, including the "Mighty Five"; Russian theater and ballet; the origins of Russian radicalism; the Russian Revolution; the legacy of Lenin and Stalin; and Russia from Khrushchev to Putin. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0151
Current
Golden Age Russian Literature
Course Description
Russian Literature's Golden Age: 1830-1880 (in English)
Duels, ghosts, utopias, murders, prostitution, and adultery- these are the raw materials Russian authors turned into some of the world's greatest literature. This course is an introduction to Russian literature of the 19th century, from the short stories of Pushkin and Gogol to the great novels of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. The centrality of literature in Russian society and the interrelations among the authors and texts will be discussed. How do the authors combine reality, fantasy, and philosophy to make these works both uniquely Russian and universal? 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0202
Intermediate Russian
Course Description
Intermediate Russian
Continuation of the approach used in RUSS 0201. Reading of contemporary Russian texts, conversation, and written assignments in Russian based on reading assignments. (RUSS 0201 or equivalent) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. drill
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0241
Putinism & Russian Culture
Course Description
Putinism and Contemporary Russian Culture
The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union was hailed in the West as a triumph of democracy over totalitarianism; for some observers the event even signaled “the end of history.” Today however it seems history is “back,” with Russia under Putin once again assuming its former role as enemy and the “other” of the West. In this course we will seek a better understanding of this apparent reversal of vectors from within Russian culture, while situating it within larger illiberal trends in world politics, by analyzing literary works, popular cinema, political theory, journalism, social media, and other forms of cultural production. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0315
Current
Pushkin
Course Description
Pushkin
In this course, we will explore the works of the Russian national poet, Aleksandr Pushkin. Primary readings will be drawn from Pushkin's prose, poetry, drama, and critical writings. Additional readings will include works from 20th and 21st century writers and cultural figures who respond to or challenge Pushkin's ongoing reception within Russian and world literature. No knowledge of Russian required. Open to first year students. 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
RUSS 0500
Current
Upcoming
Advanced Independent Study
Course Description
Advanced Studies in Language and Literature
Supervised individual study for highly qualified students. (Approval required)
Terms Taught
RUSS 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Independent Study
Course Description
Senior Independent Study
(Approval required)
Terms Taught
RUSS 0704
Senior Seminar
Course Description
Senior Seminar (in Russian)
This seminar topic changes every year. Recent seminar titles have included Research, Recast, Relay, The History of Russian Poetry, and Russian Drama. This course will provide students with the skills to identify and utilize Russian sources, provide professional quality written summaries and analyses, make oral presentations in Russian, and produce a substantial written assignment and project. (Senior Majors) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught