Course Details

964: American Originals: How World War II Affected the Work of JD Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut

February 3-5, 2020
9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
In-Person

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Salinger and Vonnegut were two of our greatest postmodern authors. Both had intense and life-changing experiences in the War that are reflected in their writing. This short course will address the experiences themselves and trace them to the novels and stories that best incorporate them. In particular, we will focus on Salinger’s short stories "For Esme–with Love and Squalor" and "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," both of which are found in the paperback volume entitled Nine Stories. We will also consider Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five as well as parts of his other novels.

Class Type: Reading and Discussion

Class Format: TBA

Hours of Reading: 1-2 hours/session

Study Group Leader(s):

Bruce Eisen

Bruce Eisen, a retired attorney, has been a study group leader for many semesters concentrating on opera. He has been deeply interested in American literature since college and has taken and participated in a number of writing and literature courses.

Reading List: