Matthew Walker

Beginning Russian
This course is a continuation of RUSS 0101. (RUSS 0101 or equivalent)

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.

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.

Russian Culture and Civilization II
This course is a continuation of RUSS 0311 but may be taken independently with the approval of the instructor. It offers a bilingual approach to the study of Russian culture. Works of literature, art, film, and music will be examined in their historical and political context. Particular attention will be devoted to the improvement of oral and written skills. As the course topics and emphasis change, depending on the levels of students enrolled, RUSS0312 may be taken a second time with instructor/chair approval. (RUSS 0202 or by permission) 3 hrs. lect.

Gogol and Romantic Melancholy (In English)
In this course we will explore the corpus of one of the canonical figures of nineteenth-century Russian literature, Nikolai Gogol, and situate him within a broader tradition of romantic melancholy in Western, and later, Russian culture (e.g. writers such as Poe, Baudelaire, Benjamin, Dostoevsky, Platonov, filmmakers such as Tarkovsky and Zviagintsev). How does one describe a world where formerly familiar pathways to transcendence have been left in ruins by modernity? Can this loss be remedied in art, or only repeated? Twice weekly discussions of materials in English, though students are encouraged to engage with the original texts. 3 hrs. lect.

The Art of Vladimir Nabokov (in English)
A study of the "perverse" aesthetics of this Russian-American writer. We will expose the hidden plots under the surface of his fiction, follow and arbitrate the ongoing contest between the author and his fictional heroes, and search for the roots of Nabokov's poetics in Western and Russian literary traditions. An attempt will be made to show the continuity between the Russian and English works of this bilingual and bicultural writer. 3 hrs. lect.