Witches in Culture: Salem to the Present [4-weeks, $160 Suggested]

Instructor: Diezyn | Tuesdays October 5-26 | 8:00-10:00 PM ET

Why have witches been trendy for the past few years? Why do powerful people compare their problems to "witch hunts"? What is it that's at once so attractive and repulsive about the figure of the witch? Maybe you're a witch, maybe you want to be a witch, or you're just a fan of witches. This 4-week course will lead you through some historical, literary, and film representations of witches and witchcraft in American culture beginning with Salem right up to today. Let's discuss the history of the American witch, its cultural impacts and aesthetic movements, and why witchy-ness is enduring. We'll also consider the racialized and gendered aspects of what it means to be a "witch," paying attention not just to the feminine but also the masculine representations in fiction, and the men who were accused of witchcraft, too. We'll explore Salem's Tituba and Rebecca Nurse to "Young Goodman Brown," on to Bewitched's Samantha and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and finally W.I.T.C.H. activists and witchcraft in today's mainstream -- and lots in between.

We depend on a mix of direct student donations and supplemental donations to make all classes pay-what-you-can. Please pick the pricing tier that corresponds with your needs and that you are able to pay now. If you would like to pay in installments, make your first payment now and make a note on your check-out form. If you would like to donate more later in the term, you can always come back and use the “Make a One Time Donation” button! To use a full scholarship, just pick the $3 tier to cover site/processor fees.

If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, we will work with you to 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.