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In the third week of June of 2016, we will begin our adventure in Edinburgh, visiting a medieval castle, which is architecturally similar to the one described in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. During the three days we spend in Scotland, we will go on a guided tour, celebrating Rowling and other Scottish greats, and tour the Edinburgh underground. In addition to climbing Arthur's seat, we will visit several museums and honor the Scottish Bard by experiencing a traditional Robert Burns' Supper.
Our next stop is Haworth, the birthplace of the Brontes, where we will stay at a bed and breakfast, visit the Parsonage Museum, ride a steam train, and venture out into the high moors. After spending two days in this quaint village, we will board the train and head to the coastal town of Brighton to enjoy the seaside and visit the Royal Pavillion, Arundel Castle, and Monk's House, which was the garden cottage home of Virginia Woolf in Lewes. Next, we are off to London to spend a week in the University College of London dormitory, situated right in the heart of the city. We will visit Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey; peruse the artwork in the British Museum that led Keats to write "Ode on a Grecian Urn"; explore the Tower of London, the National Galleries, and the British Library; walk in the footsteps of Dickens and Shakespeare; and catch a performance at the famous Globe Theatre, just as both gentry and "groundlings" did over 400 years ago. In a day trip to Canterbury, we will explore a Norman Castle, take a pilgrimage to the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral, and learn more about Marlowe and Chaucer on our journey there. Toward the end of our trip, we will visit Jane Austen's home and museum in Chaworth, have high tea at Cassandra's Cup, and spend time in the village of Winchester where we will pay homage to the historical church where the great lady was laid to rest.
The lecture component of the course will be conducted during the first three weeks in June-- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-8 p.m. at the Highland Campus-- and delivered as we visit the great landmarks of these two countries. We will study a diverse selection of works that will include Shakespeare, Marlowe, Malory, Pepys, Chaucer, Lord Byron, Beowulf, the Romantics, Victorians, Moderns, Mary Shelley, the Brontes, and Jane Austen. Our experiences abroad will be incorporated into projects that will be completed while we are in the UK.
There is such a plethora of places and activities that we will take in during this fortnight that it is impossible to name them all. However, our primary purpose will be to learn about the people, the art, the culture, the history, and the architecture that has laid the foundation for British literature.
Becky Villarreal, Adjunct Professor of English
bvillarr@austincc.edu, Cypress Campus
Damon Caraway, Adjunct Professor of English
dcarawa2@austincc.edu, Reagan High School
Brit Lit II 2016 Syllabus (Becky's Class)
Brit Lit I 2016 Syllabus (Damon's Class)
Click here to view highlights from the 2009 trip to England
Check out the digital short created by a 2014 UK Traveler
Check out the journal by a 2015 UK Traveler
Haworth, Yorkshire, England
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