Do you relish the idea of in-depth study with dynamic and enlightening faculty? Have you ever wanted to take advantage of the many resources on Yale`s campus that you haven`t had time to explore? This summer, you’re invited to an immersive and all-inclusive on-campus experience designed to give you insider access to the University’s unique treasures with dedicated professors as your partners in exploration.

About the Course Topic
This course, co-sponsored by Yale’s Humanities Program, and led by Director of Undergraduate Studies and Lecturer, Paul Grimstad, looks closely at detective stories, novels and films, with attention to the narrative structure of criminal enigma, logical investigation and denouement (whodunit, howdunit), and considers “genre” more broadly.

Starting with the proto-detective story Oedipus Rex—in which tragic drama takes the form of a murder mystery—we move on to Edgar Allan Poe’s invention of the genre proper in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Purloined Letter.” From there we go to Poe’s “golden age” inheritors Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Sayers, as well as the adaptation of Doyle’s tales for the BBC series Sherlock. We also spend time on American “hard boiled” writers (Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon and John Huston’s 1941 film adaptation of the novel; Chester Himes` The Real Cool Killers); fiction which draws upon the conventions of detective stories without being genre fiction (Nabokov, Borges), non-fiction works which have the structure of a detective story (Freud’s “Wolf Man” case study); neo-noir film (Chinatown); works that fuse detective fiction and science-fiction (Minority Report) and recent film homage to “golden age” whodunnits (Knives Out).

Yale Alumni Academy’s immersive summer seminars feature themes in the humanities for a small group of passionate learners. The select group of alumni who join these courses will be treated to an intensely engaging, participatory, social, and scholarly adventure as Yale students. You’ll dive into a residential experience together, enjoying exclusive meals and events with faculty, exploring the University’s private collections and indulging in the libraries, the museums and the campus’ newest facilities. There are no papers, assignments or tests; just a passion for learning adventures. Comfortable hotel accommodations, vibrant and delicious meals at local restaurants, and course materials are all included in the one registration price.

Course Format
The immersion experience begins as soon as you register and receive your books. By June, you will be ready for one week of intensive study with a collegial group of dedicated learners, a passionate faculty leader and special guest presenters.

The main course sessions will include daily small-group seminars held on campus and led by faculty and guest speakers. Alumni participants will come together for a scholarly endeavor that hearkens to the days of being a student again. Group discussions provide ample opportunity to engage with experts and peers, informed by comprehensive readings and complementary materials from Yale collections: galleries, libraries, and museums. Special guest speakers add context to the themes of the syllabus, and evening salons create space to share new ideas and understandings from the lectures and readings. This program has been specially designed for Yale Alumni Academy by Professor Grimstad and The Humanities Program at Yale. We invite you to enjoy the privilege of an intimate and bespoke classroom experience with an excellent study leader.

*This schedule is subject to change to accommodate the needs of the group. Free time has been built into the itinerary to accommodate independent study. This time gives you the opportunity to visit the Sterling Library, enjoy the courtyards or the student lounge at the Humanities Quadrangle (HQ 131), or alternatively choose another favorite space to read.

All course materials are included in the cost of registration. Materials will be sent to participants after registering.