Seminars that Fulfill WAY-A-II

Aesthetic and Interpretive Inquiry

Every reflective person needs to confront the variety of cultural and artistic efforts to express and understand the human condition.  

Through the study of history, philosophy, literature, the arts, and other cultural practices, you will develop the analytic and interpretive skills to understand both concrete and abstract achievements of human cultures – thereby nurturing a deeper conception of your own place in the universe.

You’ll need to take two courses in Aesthetic and Interpretive Inquiry (A-II)

Learn more about WAY-A-II
Course Titlesort descending Instructor Quarter Notes Fulfills:
Animal Planet and the Romance of the Species Haiyan Lee
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Arts Immersion NYC. Photo by Toni Gauthier. Art in the Metropolis Ivan Lupic
  • Spring
 Deadline extended and instructor change. New sign-up deadline December 10 (5:00 PM). If you apply for this Spring IntroSem by its special deadline, it counts as one of your three Spring Quarter selections in the VCAIS. Seminar rank cannot be adjusted in the VCAIS once status is released for this class and the selection cannot be deleted from the VCAIS. WAY-A-II
Batman, Hamilton, Díaz, and Other Wondrous Lives Jose Saldivar
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Day 36/365: Yes, I see the musical notes! by Giovanni Orlando via Flickr Beethoven Stephen Hinton
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II
IDT_MG_2121b via Flickr Behind the Big Drums: Exploring Taiko Stephen Sano, Linda Uyechi
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II
Winnie-the-Pooh chapter "Christopher Robin leads an expedition". Google art project. Public Domain Childish Enthusiasms and Perishable Manias Scott Bukatman
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
"Crayones cera" by Jorge Barrios - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crayones_cera.jpg#/media/File:Crayones_cera.jpg Comparative Fictions of Ethnicity David Palumbo-Liu
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED, Write-2
Dramatic Tensions: Theater and the Marketplace Amy Freed
  • Autumn
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16403116793_f3631dcf14_z.jpq via Flickr Eight Great Archaeological Sites in Europe Michael Shanks
  • Winter
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, Write-2
Cicero Denounces Catiline, Wikipedia. Eloquence Personified: How To Speak Like Cicero Christopher Krebs
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre. By Raymon Sutedjo-The [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Family Drama: American Plays about Families Margaret Phelan
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
Family Tree, 1585. Ahnentafel von Herzog Ludwig (1568-1593). Jakob Lederlein [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Family Trees: The Multigenerational Novel Austin Smith
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II
Inscription under the statue of Mary Dyer at the Massachusetts Statehouse, Boston, Mass. By Sarnold17 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Famous Last Words Lea Pao
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
Twelve of the most photographed models of the period, 1947, by Irving Penn. Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Fashion and Photography Elizabeth Kessler
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II
Portland Japanese Garden. By John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA (Portland Japanese Garden) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Gardens and Sacred Space in Japan Michaela Mross
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
Miranda, The Tempest, John William Waterhouse, 1916. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Humanities Core: Great Books, Big Ideas—Europe, Medieval to Early Modern Vincent Barletta, Marisa Galvez
  • Winter
 Europe II WAY-A-II
From Yellow Crane Tower see Wuhan (Hubei, China). By 于/Yu 回/Hui from Chengdu, China (Wuhan) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Humanities Core: How to Be Modern in East Asia Haiyan Lee, James Reichert
  • Spring
 East Asia III WAY-A-II
Ilustration of the The Tale of Genji, ch.5–Wakamurasaki, traditionally credited to Tosa Mitsuoki (1617–1691), part of the Burke Albums, property of Mary Griggs Burke. Tosa Mitsuoki [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Humanities Core: Love and Betrayal in Asia Ronald Egan
  • Winter
 East Asia II WAY-A-II
Dubai Sunset from Burj Khalifa. By Simon Bierwald from Dortmund, Germany (Dubai Sunset from Burj Khalifa) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Humanities Core: Middle East III—Future Alexander Key, Burcu Richardson
  • Spring
 Middle East III WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Iranian glazed ceramic tile work, from the ceiling of the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, Iran. Province of Fars. By Pentocelo [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Humanities Core: Middle East II—Classic Alexander Key, Ali Yaycioglu
  • Winter
 Middle East II WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
antique map, yellowed with age Humanities Core: Middle East I—Ancient Alexander Key, Vered Shemtov
  • Autumn
 Middle East I WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Cropped Fresco Image. "Fresco showing a woman so-called Sappho holding writing implements, from Pompeii, Naples National Archaeological Museum (14842101892) restored" by Carole Raddato, P. Herden - https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/14842101892/. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresco_showing_a_woman_so-called_Sappho_holding_writing_implements,_from_Pompeii,_Naples_National_Archaeological_Museum_(14842101892)_restored.jpg#/media/File:Fresco_ Imagining Women: Writers in Print and in Person Valerie Miner
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED, Write-2
PSY performing ‘Gangnam Style’ at Seoul College, Seoul. Author: korea.net, Wikipedia. Kangnam Style: Korea's Soft Power in Our Globalized Economy Dafna Zur
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Group of 100 Stereograph Views of California Nature and Landscapes With a Focus on Yosemite. James Mason Hutchings. Metropolitan Museum of Art [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons Living on the Edge: Language and Landscape of the Western Fringes Elaine Treharne
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II
A 2016 replica of Walter Schulze-Mittendorff's "Maria". By Jeremy Tarling from London, United Kingdom (Metropolis robot) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Making of the Modern Woman: Robots, Aliens, and the Feminine in Science Fiction Melissa Stevenson
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Page from Canterbury Tales, Stanford collection. Making the Middle Ages Rowan Dorin
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
Mark Twain and American Culture Shelley Fishkin
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Woman in Ecstasy, 1911. By Ferdinand Hodler (Musees d'art et d'histoire de la Ville de Genève) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Modern "Meanings of Life": Aestheticism, Perfectionism, Ecstasy Mark Greif
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Other People's Words: Folklore and Literature Gabriella Safran
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, Write-2
150401-3819.TIF by Linda Cicero via SALLIE Performing America: The Broadway Musical Thomas Grey
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
Bench inscription by Tramp Poet. CC0 Creative Commons Political Poetry Solmaz Sharif
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
The art studio at San Quentin State Prison. Photograph by Peter Merts. Courtesy of San Quentin State Prison. http://sfaq.us/2016/12/san-quentin-state-prisons-art-studio/ Prisons and Performance Janice Ross
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Portrait of Bessie Smith holding feathers, 1936 by Carl Van Vechten, restored by Adam Cuerden [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Reading and Writing the Gendered Story Valerie Miner
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED, Write-2
Religion in Anime and Manga Michaela Mross
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Russia's Weird Classic: Nikolai Gogol Lazar Fleishman
  • Autumn
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Illustration from The American Magazine March 1933 printing of 13 For Dinner, a novel by Agatha Christie; this is the first of six issues that serialized the novel Lord Edgware Dies under this alternate title. The illustration presents a notable early depiction of Hercule Poirot, in the only Agatha Christie novel first printed in serialized form in The American Magazine. By Crowell Publishing Company, illustration by Weldon Trench [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Serial Storytelling Michaela Bronstein
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II
"ShrewKatePetrucio" by Smatprt - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ShrewKatePetrucio.jpg#/media/File:ShrewKatePetrucio.jpg Shakespeare, Playing, Gender Patricia Parker
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II
Mexico City. Palacio de Bellas Artes: Mural "El Hombre en la encrucijada" ( 1934 ) by Diego Rivera (part). By Wolfgang Sauber [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Socialism vs. Capitalism: Russian and American Writers’ Responses Yuliya Ilchuk
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
DSC_0775 by Daniel Hartwig via Flickr Sports Writing John Evans
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
Example of a translated text. Texts and Contexts: Spanish/English Literary Translation Workshop Cintia Santana
  • Winter
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By © Dietmar Rabich, rabich.de, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30517858 The American Road Trip Kai Carlson-Wee
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
cdcovers/ella fitzgerald/the irving berlin songbook.jpg by Jason Hickey via Flickr The American Songbook and Love Poetry Kenneth Fields
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
The Artist in Ancient Greek Society Jody Maxmin
  • Spring
 WAY-A-II
Detail of "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde poster" by Chicago : National Prtg. & Engr. Co. - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3g08267. The Detective and the City Frederic Stout
  • Spring
 Moved to Spring Quarter! WAY-A-II
Female Robot, 1964. Kiki Kogelnik [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons The Future Is Feminine? Shannon Pufahl
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
Race of women with beards - miniature from folio 042r from Der naturen bloeme (KB KA 16) by Jacob van Maerlant. Thomas of Cantimpré [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The Literature of Lost Identity Christine Lee
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II
King Kong movie poster, Italian, Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) The Missing Link Jessica Riskin
  • Winter
 WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
breathless still shots of smoking jean seberg. By torbakhopper on Flickr. The New Wave: How the French Reinvented Cinema Cecile Alduy
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
The Operas of Mozart Karol Berger
  • Winter
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Suprematist Composition, 1916. Kazimir Malevich [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The Popular Culture of Abstract Art Nancy de Wit
  • Winter
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Il David di Michelangelo by Marco Crupi via Flickr, 14595353622_c09b077f5e_h The Renaissance: Culture As Conflict Ivan Lupic
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
Thinking about Photographs Terry Castle
  • Winter
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Forbidden City under the pollution of present day Beijing. Photo via <a href="https://www.goodfreephotos.com/">Good Free Photos</a> Utopia/Dystopia in Chinese Literature and Culture Chenshu Zhou
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II
The Garden of Eden by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Google Art Project. What Didn't Make It in the Bible Michael Penn
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
215823385_15a8b0cbbb_o via Flickr Zionism and the Novel Russell Berman
  • Autumn
 WAY-A-II, WAY-ED, Write-2
Learn more about the Aesthetic and Interpretive Inquiry Way