If there is one newsworthy story bound to hit every major newspaper in the world on the same day, it is most certainly that of the newly designated Nobel prize winner in literature each year, along with the equally famous Nobel laureates in peace, the sciences, and economics. This millennium year 2001 represents a special milestone in the history of the Nobel prize by marking the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event, begun a century ago thanks to the generosity of a somewhat obscure Swedish inventor and businessman, Alfred Nobel. The University of Kansas Continuing Education is helping commemorate Nobel's vision by offering a series of courses spring and fall 2001 related to the Nobel prize. They will also meet with or correspond by email with the instructor of record at least once.
Participants are responsible for reading all materia on the reading list appended below.
In order to make the course relevant to classroom teaching, participants will be asked to develop a curriculum unit on the Nobel Prize in World Literature using the authors under study. Have students come up with a list of past winners whose works they have read or seen and explain why they received the award. Using one of our novels, look at a specific foreign country or a specific historical period. Have students think about particular cultural or historicalfactors that are reflected in the novel that are unfamiliar to them. Role play a recognition ceremony with the committee president announcing the award, the author's acceptance speech, and testimonials from fans.