ArtsEntertainmentAthleticsMedia Odyssey August 28, August 28, ThursdayMoser Family Writing Series, Odyssey, Dagan Brown, Catullus, Moser, Creative Writing,Course Title: Kisses To Curses: Catullus and the Boundaries of LyricInstructor: Dagan Brown, A&S '22 (MFA)Brought to you by Odyssey August 28, 2025 - September 11, 2025Thursdays, 4:30PM - 6:30PM ET (3 Sessions)Virtual via Zoom Course Description: Catullus, a lyric poet of the late Roman Republic, wrote work that veers from the tender to the obscene, from the heartwrenchingly vulnerable to the furiously indignant. His effusive love poems to Lesbia are some of the most celebrated in the lyric tradition (“Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred, / Then another thousand, then a second hundred, / Then still another thousand…”), but just as iconic are his spittle-mouthed invectives—mocking friends who doubt his virility, thieving dinner guests, and even his contemporary Julius Caesar! And there were more sides to Catullus, still. Aside from his formal dexterity, Catullus’ genius, his radical poetic act, was to make poetry a way to metabolize nearly all experience. His elegies, his heartfelt party invitations, his jocular fraternal diss, as well as his searing self-rebukes all issued from the all-encompassing poetic field that was his life.This course invites you into Catullus’ fearless, many-sided poetics, where nothing is off-limits and everything is worth a poem. We’ll read his poems (only 116 extant) while making passing reference to modern and contemporary writers whose works sometimes bear his stamp, such as Glück, Bidart, Mayer, O’Hara, Notley and Pound.In addition, you’ll create original work inspired by what we read—allowing ourselves the Catullan license to be gossipy, petty, and outrageous, in addition to romantic, sorrowful, nostalgic and all that other good, poetic stuff.No knowledge of Latin is required; we’ll work closely with a variety of English translations and oral performances of the original Latin to get us closer to Catullus’ unique tone, sonics and rhythm.Note: Catullus is explicit, offensive, and complicated—just like the world he wrote about. No “wink-nudge” Shakespearean punning here. This stuff is nasty. Class not for the feint of heart and/or easily offended._____________________________________________________________________________________________________Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies Johns Hopkins alumni, staff, faculty and their spouse or domestic partners are eligible for tuition remission for Odyssey lifelong learning courses. Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for the course. Eligibility details can be found here.Withdrawals & Refunds:If a course is canceled or closed, the registrant is notified immediately, and a full refund is processed automatically unless another course is requested. Registrants who wish to withdraw from an active course must complete the online Odyssey Refund Request Form. Attach any documentation to support your request (e.g., medical documentation, family crisis documentation, etc.).100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.For single-session courses:100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.kisses-to-curses-cattallus-and-t
Aug 28, 2025
04:30 PM EDT
Kisses To Curses: Catullus and the Boundaries of Lyric with Dagan Brown, A&S '22 (MFA)
