Academy in the Liberal Arts and Sciences

What is the ideal society? How might we achieve it? What happens when society breaks down, pitting humans against one another, often in a ruined landscape, or when a totalitarian government terrorizes its citizens? Great writers have been contemplating these questions for centuries, great filmmakers for decades, building fictional worlds that explore their hopes and fears for their own communities and nations. We invite you to join us to experience the power of their words, images, and ideas in this academy.

You will read and discuss classic and contemporary texts, including works by authors such as Thomas More, Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, Philip K. Dick, and Jonathan Swift. In addition to examining literature, we will study utopian/dystopian films, which may include Metropolis, Blade Runner, and Hunger Games, among others. The Academy will culminate in the creation of your own utopia or dystopia in a piece of creative writing.