Ugly: Aesthetics, Ethics, History [6-weeks, $250 Suggested]
Instructor: Hollis | Mondays 7:00-9:00 PM | September 26-October 31
What does it mean to be ugly? Is it a feeling? An aesthetic? Are ugliness and beauty opposites? Etymologically, the word “ugly” means to dread. Is ugliness frightening or terrifying? Or is it awful in the original meaning of the word: that which is full of awe? In her book Ugliness: A Cultural History, Gretchen E. Henderson describes ugliness as “relational.” She argues that ugliness “constantly rework[s] the space between subject and object” and “resists static figuration and helps us to re-evaluate our shifting perceptions.” Ugliness, then, challenges us to reconsider our views on aesthetics, feelings, even ethics. In this class, we will explore a variety of depictions and experiences of ugliness. Beginning by looking at ugliness in terms of appearance, we will examine how the aesthetics of ugliness have shifted over time. We will explore well-known depictions of ugliness, such as the mythical Medusa or Frankenstein’s creature. We will also examine how ugliness has been used to discriminate against people because of their race, gender, sexuality, or disability. The so-called “ugly laws,” for example, were created to keep those with physical disfigurements out of public spaces. Lastly, we’ll look at “ugly” feelings such as anger or sadness. Texts may include: various myths and fairy tales, critical discussions of the history of ugliness, contemporary discussions of beauty and ugliness, including Tressie McMillan Cottom’s essay “In the Name of Beauty” and excerpts from Roxane Gay’s Hunger, and stories by Flannery O’Connor, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Octavia Butler.
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For each class, four (4) full tuition scholarships and five (5) 80% tuition scholarships are available. Due to limited scholarship funds, we are currently only able to offer one class per term at the full scholarship level to any individual student—if you need a full scholarship, please sign up for the class you most want to take and email us to waitlist for any additional classes. We will add you when funds become available. Direct student donations are a crucial aspect of our funding model, and without them, we are not able to pay instructors a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.
Instructor: Hollis | Mondays 7:00-9:00 PM | September 26-October 31
What does it mean to be ugly? Is it a feeling? An aesthetic? Are ugliness and beauty opposites? Etymologically, the word “ugly” means to dread. Is ugliness frightening or terrifying? Or is it awful in the original meaning of the word: that which is full of awe? In her book Ugliness: A Cultural History, Gretchen E. Henderson describes ugliness as “relational.” She argues that ugliness “constantly rework[s] the space between subject and object” and “resists static figuration and helps us to re-evaluate our shifting perceptions.” Ugliness, then, challenges us to reconsider our views on aesthetics, feelings, even ethics. In this class, we will explore a variety of depictions and experiences of ugliness. Beginning by looking at ugliness in terms of appearance, we will examine how the aesthetics of ugliness have shifted over time. We will explore well-known depictions of ugliness, such as the mythical Medusa or Frankenstein’s creature. We will also examine how ugliness has been used to discriminate against people because of their race, gender, sexuality, or disability. The so-called “ugly laws,” for example, were created to keep those with physical disfigurements out of public spaces. Lastly, we’ll look at “ugly” feelings such as anger or sadness. Texts may include: various myths and fairy tales, critical discussions of the history of ugliness, contemporary discussions of beauty and ugliness, including Tressie McMillan Cottom’s essay “In the Name of Beauty” and excerpts from Roxane Gay’s Hunger, and stories by Flannery O’Connor, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Octavia Butler.
—
For each class, four (4) full tuition scholarships and five (5) 80% tuition scholarships are available. Due to limited scholarship funds, we are currently only able to offer one class per term at the full scholarship level to any individual student—if you need a full scholarship, please sign up for the class you most want to take and email us to waitlist for any additional classes. We will add you when funds become available. Direct student donations are a crucial aspect of our funding model, and without them, we are not able to pay instructors a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.
Instructor: Hollis | Mondays 7:00-9:00 PM | September 26-October 31
What does it mean to be ugly? Is it a feeling? An aesthetic? Are ugliness and beauty opposites? Etymologically, the word “ugly” means to dread. Is ugliness frightening or terrifying? Or is it awful in the original meaning of the word: that which is full of awe? In her book Ugliness: A Cultural History, Gretchen E. Henderson describes ugliness as “relational.” She argues that ugliness “constantly rework[s] the space between subject and object” and “resists static figuration and helps us to re-evaluate our shifting perceptions.” Ugliness, then, challenges us to reconsider our views on aesthetics, feelings, even ethics. In this class, we will explore a variety of depictions and experiences of ugliness. Beginning by looking at ugliness in terms of appearance, we will examine how the aesthetics of ugliness have shifted over time. We will explore well-known depictions of ugliness, such as the mythical Medusa or Frankenstein’s creature. We will also examine how ugliness has been used to discriminate against people because of their race, gender, sexuality, or disability. The so-called “ugly laws,” for example, were created to keep those with physical disfigurements out of public spaces. Lastly, we’ll look at “ugly” feelings such as anger or sadness. Texts may include: various myths and fairy tales, critical discussions of the history of ugliness, contemporary discussions of beauty and ugliness, including Tressie McMillan Cottom’s essay “In the Name of Beauty” and excerpts from Roxane Gay’s Hunger, and stories by Flannery O’Connor, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Octavia Butler.
—
For each class, four (4) full tuition scholarships and five (5) 80% tuition scholarships are available. Due to limited scholarship funds, we are currently only able to offer one class per term at the full scholarship level to any individual student—if you need a full scholarship, please sign up for the class you most want to take and email us to waitlist for any additional classes. We will add you when funds become available. Direct student donations are a crucial aspect of our funding model, and without them, we are not able to pay instructors a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.