Literature

  • Analyzes, Interprets, and Critiques Literature
  • Provides Lively Discussion and Debate
  • Develops Cultural Aptitude

These courses provide the opportunity to read and discuss novels, short stories, memoirs, plays, and poetry. You will explore classic and contemporary literature from ancient texts to current bestsellers as you gain skills to analyze, interpret, and critique writing; develop cultural aptitude; and participate in nuanced discussions and lively debates.

This semester, study in-person or from anywhere in the world from the safety and comfort of your home through online or remote instruction.

The Novel Today

We will investigate a dark secret in a small Irish Town; a reclusive artist in Baltimore; a sensitive secretive and brave teenager in Glasgow;...

2023 Spring
+ 1 more semester
5 sections

Brilliant Minds

Read examples of works in which brilliant minds use their gifts to entertain, inspire, engage, and enlighten us. Spring 2023 Readings:...

2023 Spring
1 section

Five African Nobel Laureates

Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. With the award of the 2021 Nobel Prize for...

2023 Spring
1 section

Leo Tolstoy: The Hero is Truth

Read 19th-century classics that have passed the test of time and are still of interest to contemporary readers.

2023 Spring
1 section

The Modern Comic Novel

Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. Though serious literature is often associated...

2023 Spring
1 section

Banned in the USA: Freedom of Expression and the Literary Canon

Explore the history and significance of banning books in the United States and read the top banned books of our era

Greek and Roman Mythology in Popular Culture

Explore Greek and Roman myths in popular contemporary media, including music, books, television, and the internet.

Masterpieces of 20th-Century Literature

Study major modern 20th century novels that now enjoy classic status.

The Gothic Heroine

Become familiar with famous gothic heroines and examine whether they challenge or reinforce gender stereotypes.

The Greatest Journey of Them All: Reading Homer's Odyssey

Relive—or enjoy for the first time—the fabulous adventures of Odysseus as he journeys home to his wife and son after the Trojan War.

Inspired by Real Life: Reading and Writing Exofiction in French

Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. Explore French exofiction—a new literary...

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: The Five Books of Moses (Torah)

Read the first five books of the Bible, tracing the processes by which they were formed and considering the multiple contexts that informed them.