Reading (With) Borges

This course is devoted to the writings of the Argentine Jorge Luis Borges, one of the best and most important fiction writers of the last century. Famous for his erudite fictions that speculate on time, history, knowledge, identity, reality, and the imagination, Borges taught us to think literature. He also delighted in spoofing erudition, in the conspiratorial wink against the purveyors of Culture. This playful side has its shadow, for much of his writing revolves around violence?iniquity, to cite one of his early titles. We will explore this duality of seriousness and fun selectively in his stories, poems and essays. Film adaptations of his writings will be screened outside of class. Students with a working knowledge of Argentine will be encouraged to read the original texts.