Class dates: Fridays, September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16  (5 weeks)

Class time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Location: Online (via Zoom)

Eric Blair met Ernest Hemingway for the first time in Paris. He introduced himself as “Eric Blair”. “What the f*ing hell do you want?” came the reply. “I’m George Orwell.” “Why the f*ing hell didn’t you say so?” It was Blair, son of a retired Assistant Sub-Deputy Opium Agent, third grade, who could open a small shop in a village south of London and barely be noticed by the townsfolk, but it was Orwell whose name became a famous dystopian adjective. It was almost the best of both worlds. We will read works by Orwell and reflect on the life of Blair.

Required reading:

"Why I Write" and "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell; both essays are available on the Orwell Foundation website at https://www.orwellfoundation.com/

Recommended (optional) reading:

1984 by George Orwell

Orwell: The Authorized Biography by Michael Shelden

Instructor: Karl Hakkarainen is a long-time WISE instructor who has taught courses on literature, history, technology, music, and political science.