日本語 English
| 開講年度/ Academic YearAcademic Year |
20242024 |
| 科目設置学部/ CollegeCollege |
文学部/College of ArtsCollege of Arts |
| 科目コード等/ Course CodeCourse Code |
AM208/AM208AM208 |
| テーマ・サブタイトル等/ Theme・SubtitleTheme・Subtitle |
Ecospirituality II: Welch |
| 授業形態/ Class FormatClass Format |
対面（全回対面）/Face to face (all classes are face-to-face)Face to face (all classes are face-to-face) |
| 授業形態（補足事項）/ Class Format (Supplementary Items)Class Format (Supplementary Items) |
|
| 授業形式/ Class StyleCampus |
演習・ゼミ/SeminarSeminar |
| 校地/ CampusCampus |
池袋/IkebukuroIkebukuro |
| 学期/ SemesterSemester |
秋学期/Fall semesterFall semester |
| 曜日時限・教室/ DayPeriod・RoomDayPeriod・Room |
火4/Tue.4 Tue.4 ログインして教室を表示する（Log in to view the classrooms.） |
| 単位/ CreditsCredits |
22 |
| 科目ナンバリング/ Course NumberCourse Number |
EAL3811 |
| 使用言語/ LanguageLanguage |
英語/EnglishEnglish |
| 履修登録方法/ Class Registration MethodClass Registration Method |
その他登録/"Other" Registration"Other" Registration |
| 配当年次/ Assigned YearAssigned Year |
配当年次は開講学部のR Guideに掲載している科目表で確認してください。配当年次は開講学部のR Guideに掲載している科目表で確認してください。 |
| 先修規定/ Prerequisite RegulationsPrerequisite Regulations |
|
| 他学部履修可否/ Acceptance of Other CollegesAcceptance of Other Colleges |
履修登録システムの『他学部・他研究科履修不許可科目一覧』で確認してください。 |
| 履修中止可否/ Course CancellationCourse Cancellation |
×（履修中止不可/ Not eligible for cancellation） |
| オンライン授業60単位制限対象科目/ Online Classes Subject to 60-Credit Upper LimitOnline Classes Subject to 60-Credit Upper Limit |
|
| 学位授与方針との関連/ Relationship with Degree PolicyRelationship with Degree Policy |
各授業科目は、学部・研究科の定める学位授与方針（DP）や教育課程編成の方針（CP）に基づき、カリキュラム上に配置されています。詳細はカリキュラム・マップで確認することができます。 |
| 備考/ NotesNotes |
This English literature course aims to help students develop their English abilities in the four core skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing through a combination of various texts, media and in-class activities. Students enrolled in this course will have the opportunity to enhance their abilities to analyze a text of literature through close reading of the original text, the provision of supplementary notes, videos or audio to aid students in their reading and interpretation of the source text from various perspectives. This will facilitate their overall understanding of the fields of Beat literature as well as the growing field of Ecocriticism, and the course will also touch upon the legacy of the Transcendentalists upon the ‘Environmental’ poets of the Beat Generation and San Francisco Renaissance, including Lew Welch.
To provide students with a better contextual background, some supplementary materials and information on contemporary Beat writers and poets, as well as Transcendentalist writers, will also be provided to help students better understand both past and contemporary influences on the work of Lew Welch. In each semester, three or four writers will be introduced as a means of comparison against the writings of Lew Welch himself (the same form of comparison will be conducted with Gary Snyder’s work in first semester), to help students deepen their understanding of certain aspects of Ecocriticism in relation to the Beat movement. These writers include Gary Snyder, Joanne Kyger, Philip Whalen, John Muir, and the Chinese poet Tao Ch’ien among others.
In terms of skills related to English ability and proficiency, students will have the opportunity to improve their English listening skills through the interpretations of the text provided by their teacher in class, and listening to recordings of Lew Welch reading from his own poetry and giving short talks and lectures, which were recorded during the 1960s and made available to the public through the University of Pennsylvania’s audio archives website. This will be used not only as a listening-comprehension exercise but as a way to better appreciate the feel and sounds of poetry and literature as a whole.
Group discussions will be held in regular classes on questions directly related to the texts and given to students beforehand to prepare. Students will also have the opportunity to make a presentation in class (towards the end of the course) to help students improve their written proficiency (in preparing for the presentation) and their spoken English proficiency when they give the presentation in class in front of their peers. Students will give a presentation on one Beat or Transcendentalist poet mentioned throughout the course. For those taking English Seminar 7 in Semester
1, students can present on writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Henry Thoreau or a contemporary poet and friend of Snyder’s such as Alan Watts, Philip Whalen or Michael McClure and in Semester 2, they will have the
opportunity to present on writers such as Gertrude Stein, William CarlosWilliams, John Muir or the Chinese hermetic
poet Tao Ch’ien, or Beat poets such as Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Joanne Kyger
and others. Three written homework assignments will be assigned on supplementary materials provided in class.
Assignment #1 will be based on Lew Welch’s collection of essays, How I Work as a Poet & Other Essays ;
Assignment #2 will be based upon an excerpt of Welch’s thesis on Stein How I Read Gertrude Stein ; and
Assignment #3 will be about one of Welch’s short stories, also taken from How I Work as a Poet & Other Essays
. Assignment #4 will be held over two weeks towards the end of term, during which students will give a 3-minute
presentation (on one of the writers mentioned above). Supplementary materials will be provided either in class or by
email to help students complete ALL assignments. Some guidelines on how to complete these assignments will also be
provided by the teacher, to help students improve their abilities in English written composition and expression.
Successful completion of this course should indicate an understanding of …
1. the historical background and contexts of the Beat Generation writers (with a particular focus upon the West Coast
Beat scene) and the Transcendentalist writers;
2. the style, structure, aesthetics, aims and various complexities of Lew Welch’s writings, with a particular focus on
his major poems;
3. several ways of analyzing a text, through supplementary readings, slides and recordings provided in or after class.
4. a better background knowledge of Welch’s life, times and ongoing legacy upon American letters as a whole (Ewan
Clark’s recently published comprehensive biography on Welch He, Leo will be used extensively as a source
and reference for generating background notes, details and commentary.)
This course also involves the development of the following skills …
1. the ability to interpret and discuss a text, based on its historical and cultural context and milieu;
2. the ability to inform an original text through the use of secondary sources;
3. the ability to interpret and understand the literary analysis of other critics and writers;
4. the ability to present an argument or summary of one’s opinion on a literary work both in writing and orally.
This course, predominantly conducted in English, will offer enrolled students the opportunity to read and discuss Lew
Welch’s poetry, collected in the volume Ring of Bone , a body of work which has been sadly neglected since
Welch’s disappearance into the Sierra Nevada in 1971. We will also talk about some of the Beat Generation writers
(both from the East Coast such as Kerouac & Ginsberg, as well as West Coast beats such as Snyder, Whalen, Kyger &
McClure) who share something in common with Lew Welch’s style of writing and spirituality.
Most supplementary notes have been drawn from three very helpful texts: Ewan Clark’s recent critical biography on
Welch’s life and times, He, Leo , a festschrift / collection of testimonies, memoirs and stories about Welch
collected in Hey Lew and also from the short but early work on Lew Welch by Rod Philips and published
by Boise State University called simply, Lew Welch . Finally, where possible, the teacher will use any
audio files by or on the writer. The aim of sharing these materials is twofold: to enrich students’ knowledge of Lew
Welch, his writing and his perceptions of the world; and to help them enjoy studying poetry and prose through audio materials, not just the written page. As Welch was known as much by the excellent performances of his own poetry and writings at the various events where he was invited to read, as much as for his publications, this is also an important aspect of the man that students should attempt to comprehend.
| 1 | Lesson 1 ‒ An Introduction to Beat literature, Ecocriticism & Lew Welch In our first class for the course, Ecospirituality II (Welch), we will begin by discussing the historical contexts and backgrounds of the Beat Generation, with a particular focus on the West Coast Beats and what has usually been referred to as the San Francisco Renaissance, among which Welch stands as an important poet. We will also take a look at some of the major Transcendentalist writers, such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and particularly John Muir, who had a strong influence on Welch’s life and writings. The second half of the class will focus on a brief overview of Lew Welch’s life and career and introduce students to his major works of prose and poetry, which we will read over the course of the semester. Each of the 4 assignments will also be concisely explained as well as the methods of evaluation for each respective one. Gary Snyder’s foreword to Ring of Bone will also be discussed in this opening lesson. If time permits, short videos of friends and fellow poets (including Snyder) discussing Welch’s life, work and legacy, recorded at the publication party/event celebrating the new and expanded edition of Ring of Bone in 2012 (the students’ textbook) will also be shown and discussed. |
| 2 | Lesson 2 ‒ This Book is for Magda ‒ A Parable of Wasps pp. 23-54 In Lesson 2, we will focus on the first 30 pages of poems from Ring of Bone . We will discuss Welch’s relationship to the Beats (especially Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac), the San Francisco Renaissance poets (such as Robert Duncan) and his relationship to the Hippies and the Diggers (including Richard Brautigan). Lew Welch is typically described as a ‘beat poet’ or ‘San Francisco Renaissance poet’ but we will also explore his close ties and points in common with the Hippie Movement. Kerouac’s portrayal of Lew Welch as ‘Dave Wain’ in his 1962 classic novel, Big Sur , will also be briefly touched upon. Assignment #1 (about one of Welch’s essays) will also be distributed in this class or sent out by email. Students will also be informed of the deadline for Assignment #1 in this class. Finally, we will discuss the first of the ‘guest writer’ Transcendentalists for this course, John Muir. |
| 3 | Lesson 3 ‒ You Can’t Burlesque It Any More ‒ I Rate My Fury With The pp. 55-78 In Lesson 3, we will begin by quickly reviewing content from the previous lesson before continuing on with the next sequence of poems from Ring of Bone . We will briefly discuss Welch’s unfinished novel, I Leo , published a few years after his disappearance, as well as Welch’s application for a grant to study in Japan. Although Welch did not receive the grant, his interest in Japan, especially Zen Buddhism (an important element of his life), will be touched upon. Where possible, supplementary notes taken from Clark’s biography on Welch as well as Cregg’s and Philips’ books on Welch will be provided as well. We will continue discussing the first of the ‘guest writer’ Transcendentalists for this course, John Muir, carrying on from the previous week and particularly focusing on the meaning of the ‘mountain’ to both Welch and Muir. |
| 4 | Lesson 4 ‒ Hermit Poems & The Way Back pp. 81-115 In Lesson 4, probably the heaviest week of reading for the semester, we will focus on the next two small books of poetry from Lew Welch. The first of these, Hermit Poems , is considered by some critics to contain some of Welch’s strongest work. We will take a break from discussing the influence of John Muir this week (this topic will be taken up again in a later lesson). Instead, in line with the content of the poems this week, we will focus on another ‘guest writer’, the Chinese hermetic poet, Tao Ch’ien, who wrote on similar themes and tropes as those contained in the verse collected in Hermit Poems . |
| 5 | Lesson 5 ‒ Din Poem & Courses pp. 115-135 In Lesson 5, we will review briefly what we have read so far. A reminder will be given that Assignment #1 is due at the end of this week. Penalties for late submissions after the deadline will also be repeated and emphasized. If ready, Assignment #2 on Welch’s thesis, How I Read Gertrude Stein , will also be distributed and briefly explained. In this class, we will have a listen to Welch’s reading of the poems published in Courses , his rarest chapbook and discuss Welch’s humor, which these poems amply illustrate. Welch was an excellent performer and reader of his own poetry so the theme of ‘Welch as performer’ will also be a focus of our discussions this week. |
| 6 | Lesson 6 – The Song Mt. Tamalpais Sings pp. 135-154 In Lesson 6, we will take a look at the final collection of poems by Welch published in his lifetime, The Song Mt. Tamalpais Sings. We will also return to a discussion on John Muir’s writing, especially his essays on mountains, including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Tamalpais, to discuss what the significance of these geographical locations meant to the two men. Welch defined his own life in relation to three key concepts: the man, the mountain and the city and therefore our focus upon the importance of mountains in Welch’s life and literary aesthetics will be crucial to understanding his work on a larger scale. |
| 7 | Lesson 7 – Uncollected Poems: Part 1 pp. 155-175 In Lesson 7, we have reached the halfway point of the course. The following 4 lessons, including this one, will focus on poems that were previously uncollected in the first edition of Ring of Bone, originally published in the early 1970s, but now brought together in the expanded edition of Ring of Bone published in 2012. We will briefly discuss the timeframe when these poems were written and how the content of the poems relates to what was occurring in Welch’s life at the time. This will be conducted by reading some supplementary materials taken from Clark’s biography on Welch. |
| 8 | Lesson 8 – Uncollected Poems: Part 2 & Joanne Kyger pp. 176-199 In Lesson 8, we will look at the next sequence of previously uncollected poems by Lew Welch. In this particular week, we will also focus on Welch’s friendship with female beat poet, Joanne Kyger (Gary Snyder’s first wife and a previous resident of Japan and a practicing Buddhist). There are two poems that we will read this week that were either about Kyger or addressed to her. In addition, Students are expected to submit their answers for Assignment #2 by the deadline, which comes up this week. Students will be reminded of penalties for late submissions once again. |
| 9 | Lesson 9 – Uncollected Poems: Part 3 & Philip Whalen pp. 200-220 In Lesson 9, we will continue reading the next sequence of previously uncollected poems by Welch. This time we will look at the relationship and friendship between Lew Welch and Philip Whalen, another San Francisco beat poet, whom Welch described once as “the most intelligent poet in America.” Welch’s poem “Maitreya” among others, indicates the influence of Whalen’s writing on Welch’s own poetry. The third and final assignment for this class (apart from the presentation), on Welch’s short stories, will be distributed and explained in this week. |
| 10 | Lesson 10 – Uncollected Poems: Part 4 & Jack Kerouac pp. 221-249 In Lesson 10, we will read the final section of the textbook. One of these poems is about the Beat legendary novelist, Jack Kerouac, who was also a close friend of Lew Welch’s. We will briefly discuss various Welch-Kerouac connections such as their time together at Big Sur, their co-publication of haiku and recollections of a trip taken together across the American continent, recorded in Trip Trap, their struggle with alcoholism, and their interest in Buddhism, among other topics. As presentations are fast approaching (in Lesson 11 and 12), students will be given a reminder to start preparing their scripts and slides if they have not done so already. Students will have the chance to consult their teacher about a possible topic as well. |
| 11 | Lesson 11 – Presentations I In Lessons 11 and 12 students will have a chance to present on ONE of the Beat writers or Transcendentalist writers we have discussed over the course of the semester. It may be one of the Beat or Transcendentalist writers we discussed in detail in class (Snyder, Whalen, Watts, Kyger, or Muir etc.) or it may be another writer we discussed in passing (such as Emerson, Thoreau, Kerouac or Ginsberg). Students are asked to prepare a 3-minute presentation (PPT presentations are recommended) and students will be asked a couple of questions at the end of the presentation either by the audience or by the teacher. Depending on the size of the class, we will try to cover at least half to two-thirds of the presentations in this lesson, in order to shore up more time for a comprehensive review of the course contents at the end of Lesson 12, as well as in Lesson 13. |
| 12 | Lesson 12 – Presentations II In Lessons 11 and 12 students will have a chance to present on ONE of the Beat writers or Transcendentalist writers we have discussed over the course of the semester. It may be one of the Beat or Transcendentalist writers we discussed in detail in class (Snyder, Whalen, Watts, Kyger, or Muir etc.) or it may be another writer we discussed in passing (such as Emerson, Thoreau, Kerouac or Ginsberg). Students are asked to prepare a 3-minute presentation (PPT presentations are recommended) and students will be asked a couple of questions at the end of the presentation either by the audience or by the teacher. |
| 13 | Lesson 13 – Comprehensive Review This lesson will be devoted to covering the main points and themes throughout the course that we have covered in Ring of Bone and the various Welch-related materials that students read while completing their assignments, to prepare students for the final examination in Lesson 14. If we run out of time, review questions will be provided either by email or through a video recording shared by the teacher. |
| 14 | Lesson 14 – Final Examination In Lesson 14, students will take their final examination. All parts of the textbook will be covered in the final exam, including some of the supplementary materials used in Assignments 1-3. There will be three sections to the final examination: 1) in the first section students will answer multiple-choice questions (10 pts.); in the second section students will write short answers (10 pts.); 3) in the third section, students will write one essay on topics relating to Welch’s poetry covered in Ring of Bone or the general topic of Beat or Transcendentalist writing or something related to Ecocriticism in general. |
板書 /Writing on the Board
スライド（パワーポイント等）の使用 /Slides (PowerPoint, etc.)
上記以外の視聴覚教材の使用 /Audiovisual Materials Other than Those Listed Above
個人発表 /Individual Presentations
グループ発表 /Group Presentations
ディスカッション・ディベート /Discussion/Debate
実技・実習・実験 /Practicum/Experiments/Practical Training
学内の教室外施設の利用 /Use of On-Campus Facilities Outside the Classroom
校外実習・フィールドワーク /Field Work
上記いずれも用いない予定 /None of the above
Study Required Outside of Class
In addition to the weekly reading assignments from the textbook, students will also be encouraged to read and explore other supplementary sources of information. Some of the supplementary reading materials will be provided by the teacher (either photocopies handed out in class or sent by email or uploaded onto a Google Classroom webpage, set up specifically for this course) and extra 'recommending reading' sections will be suggested by the teachers to help them enrich their understanding of the poems, the writer, the field of Ecocriticism, and the course overall. Many of the extra articles on Lew Welch will be taken from Beat Scene magazine as well as excerpts from Ewan Clark’s biography on him, He, Leo and the celebration of Welch’s life and work, collected by Magda Cregg in the volume, Hey Lew.
| 種類 (Kind) | 割合 (%) | 基準 (Criteria) |
|---|---|---|
| 平常点 (In-class Points) | 100 |
Assignment #1(10%) Assignment #2(10%) Assignment #3(10%) Assignment #4 (Presentation)(10%) In-class participation(30%) 最終テスト(Final Test)(30%) |
| 備考 (Notes) | ||
| No | 著者名 (Author/Editor) | 書籍名 (Title) | 出版社 (Publisher) | 出版年 (Date) | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welch, Lew. | Ring of Bone: Collected Poems | City Lights/Grey Fox | 2012 | 9780872865792 |
| No | 著者名 (Author/Editor) | 書籍名 (Title) | 出版社 (Publisher) | 出版年 (Date) | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welch, Lew. | How I Work As a Poet & Other Essays | Grey Fox Press | 2001 | |
| 2 | Welch, Lew. Shaffer, Eric, Paul (ed.) | How I Read Gertrude Stein | Grey Fox Press | 1995 | 9780912516233 |
| 3 | Cregg, Magda. | Hew Lew: Homage to Lew Welch | Magda Cregg | 1997 | |
| 4 | Clark, Ewan. | He, Leo: The Life and Poetry of Lew Welch | Oregon State University | 2023 | |
| 5 | Phillips, Rod. | Lew Welch | Boise State University | 2006 |
Students should come prepared to each lesson, which means they are expected to have read the required reading assignments each week, in order to participate in the group discussions around the poems and texts. Students also should come read to proactively engage in discussions held in English and should keep in mind that in-class participation accounts for 30% of their final grade and score.
Students should prepare a short, condensed PowerPoint slide presentation when they are asked to present in Lesson 11 or 12.
This English literature course aims to help students develop their English abilities in the four core skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing through a combination of various texts, media and in-class activities. Students enrolled in this course will have the opportunity to enhance their abilities to analyze a text of literature through close reading of the original text, the provision of supplementary notes, videos or audio to aid students in their reading and interpretation of the source text from various perspectives. This will facilitate their overall understanding of the fields of Beat literature as well as the growing field of Ecocriticism, and the course will also touch upon the legacy of the Transcendentalists upon the ‘Environmental’ poets of the Beat Generation and San Francisco Renaissance, including Lew Welch.
To provide students with a better contextual background, some supplementary materials and information on contemporary Beat writers and poets, as well as Transcendentalist writers, will also be provided to help students better understand both past and contemporary influences on the work of Lew Welch. In each semester, three or four writers will be introduced as a means of comparison against the writings of Lew Welch himself (the same form of comparison will be conducted with Gary Snyder’s work in first semester), to help students deepen their understanding of certain aspects of Ecocriticism in relation to the Beat movement. These writers include Gary Snyder, Joanne Kyger, Philip Whalen, John Muir, and the Chinese poet Tao Ch’ien among others.
In terms of skills related to English ability and proficiency, students will have the opportunity to improve their English listening skills through the interpretations of the text provided by their teacher in class, and listening to recordings of Lew Welch reading from his own poetry and giving short talks and lectures, which were recorded during the 1960s and made available to the public through the University of Pennsylvania’s audio archives website. This will be used not only as a listening-comprehension exercise but as a way to better appreciate the feel and sounds of poetry and literature as a whole.
Group discussions will be held in regular classes on questions directly related to the texts and given to students beforehand to prepare. Students will also have the opportunity to make a presentation in class (towards the end of the course) to help students improve their written proficiency (in preparing for the presentation) and their spoken English proficiency when they give the presentation in class in front of their peers. Students will give a presentation on one Beat or Transcendentalist poet mentioned throughout the course. For those taking English Seminar 7 in Semester
1, students can present on writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Henry Thoreau or a contemporary poet and friend of Snyder’s such as Alan Watts, Philip Whalen or Michael McClure and in Semester 2, they will have the
opportunity to present on writers such as Gertrude Stein, William CarlosWilliams, John Muir or the Chinese hermetic
poet Tao Ch’ien, or Beat poets such as Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Joanne Kyger
and others. Three written homework assignments will be assigned on supplementary materials provided in class.
Assignment #1 will be based on Lew Welch’s collection of essays, How I Work as a Poet & Other Essays ;
Assignment #2 will be based upon an excerpt of Welch’s thesis on Stein How I Read Gertrude Stein ; and
Assignment #3 will be about one of Welch’s short stories, also taken from How I Work as a Poet & Other Essays
. Assignment #4 will be held over two weeks towards the end of term, during which students will give a 3-minute
presentation (on one of the writers mentioned above). Supplementary materials will be provided either in class or by
email to help students complete ALL assignments. Some guidelines on how to complete these assignments will also be
provided by the teacher, to help students improve their abilities in English written composition and expression.
Successful completion of this course should indicate an understanding of …
1. the historical background and contexts of the Beat Generation writers (with a particular focus upon the West Coast
Beat scene) and the Transcendentalist writers;
2. the style, structure, aesthetics, aims and various complexities of Lew Welch’s writings, with a particular focus on
his major poems;
3. several ways of analyzing a text, through supplementary readings, slides and recordings provided in or after class.
4. a better background knowledge of Welch’s life, times and ongoing legacy upon American letters as a whole (Ewan
Clark’s recently published comprehensive biography on Welch He, Leo will be used extensively as a source
and reference for generating background notes, details and commentary.)
This course also involves the development of the following skills …
1. the ability to interpret and discuss a text, based on its historical and cultural context and milieu;
2. the ability to inform an original text through the use of secondary sources;
3. the ability to interpret and understand the literary analysis of other critics and writers;
4. the ability to present an argument or summary of one’s opinion on a literary work both in writing and orally.
This course, predominantly conducted in English, will offer enrolled students the opportunity to read and discuss Lew
Welch’s poetry, collected in the volume Ring of Bone , a body of work which has been sadly neglected since
Welch’s disappearance into the Sierra Nevada in 1971. We will also talk about some of the Beat Generation writers
(both from the East Coast such as Kerouac & Ginsberg, as well as West Coast beats such as Snyder, Whalen, Kyger &
McClure) who share something in common with Lew Welch’s style of writing and spirituality.
Most supplementary notes have been drawn from three very helpful texts: Ewan Clark’s recent critical biography on
Welch’s life and times, He, Leo , a festschrift / collection of testimonies, memoirs and stories about Welch
collected in Hey Lew and also from the short but early work on Lew Welch by Rod Philips and published
by Boise State University called simply, Lew Welch . Finally, where possible, the teacher will use any
audio files by or on the writer. The aim of sharing these materials is twofold: to enrich students’ knowledge of Lew
Welch, his writing and his perceptions of the world; and to help them enjoy studying poetry and prose through audio materials, not just the written page. As Welch was known as much by the excellent performances of his own poetry and writings at the various events where he was invited to read, as much as for his publications, this is also an important aspect of the man that students should attempt to comprehend.
| 1 | Lesson 1 ‒ An Introduction to Beat literature, Ecocriticism & Lew Welch In our first class for the course, Ecospirituality II (Welch), we will begin by discussing the historical contexts and backgrounds of the Beat Generation, with a particular focus on the West Coast Beats and what has usually been referred to as the San Francisco Renaissance, among which Welch stands as an important poet. We will also take a look at some of the major Transcendentalist writers, such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and particularly John Muir, who had a strong influence on Welch’s life and writings. The second half of the class will focus on a brief overview of Lew Welch’s life and career and introduce students to his major works of prose and poetry, which we will read over the course of the semester. Each of the 4 assignments will also be concisely explained as well as the methods of evaluation for each respective one. Gary Snyder’s foreword to Ring of Bone will also be discussed in this opening lesson. If time permits, short videos of friends and fellow poets (including Snyder) discussing Welch’s life, work and legacy, recorded at the publication party/event celebrating the new and expanded edition of Ring of Bone in 2012 (the students’ textbook) will also be shown and discussed. |
| 2 | Lesson 2 ‒ This Book is for Magda ‒ A Parable of Wasps pp. 23-54 In Lesson 2, we will focus on the first 30 pages of poems from Ring of Bone . We will discuss Welch’s relationship to the Beats (especially Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac), the San Francisco Renaissance poets (such as Robert Duncan) and his relationship to the Hippies and the Diggers (including Richard Brautigan). Lew Welch is typically described as a ‘beat poet’ or ‘San Francisco Renaissance poet’ but we will also explore his close ties and points in common with the Hippie Movement. Kerouac’s portrayal of Lew Welch as ‘Dave Wain’ in his 1962 classic novel, Big Sur , will also be briefly touched upon. Assignment #1 (about one of Welch’s essays) will also be distributed in this class or sent out by email. Students will also be informed of the deadline for Assignment #1 in this class. Finally, we will discuss the first of the ‘guest writer’ Transcendentalists for this course, John Muir. |
| 3 | Lesson 3 ‒ You Can’t Burlesque It Any More ‒ I Rate My Fury With The pp. 55-78 In Lesson 3, we will begin by quickly reviewing content from the previous lesson before continuing on with the next sequence of poems from Ring of Bone . We will briefly discuss Welch’s unfinished novel, I Leo , published a few years after his disappearance, as well as Welch’s application for a grant to study in Japan. Although Welch did not receive the grant, his interest in Japan, especially Zen Buddhism (an important element of his life), will be touched upon. Where possible, supplementary notes taken from Clark’s biography on Welch as well as Cregg’s and Philips’ books on Welch will be provided as well. We will continue discussing the first of the ‘guest writer’ Transcendentalists for this course, John Muir, carrying on from the previous week and particularly focusing on the meaning of the ‘mountain’ to both Welch and Muir. |
| 4 | Lesson 4 ‒ Hermit Poems & The Way Back pp. 81-115 In Lesson 4, probably the heaviest week of reading for the semester, we will focus on the next two small books of poetry from Lew Welch. The first of these, Hermit Poems , is considered by some critics to contain some of Welch’s strongest work. We will take a break from discussing the influence of John Muir this week (this topic will be taken up again in a later lesson). Instead, in line with the content of the poems this week, we will focus on another ‘guest writer’, the Chinese hermetic poet, Tao Ch’ien, who wrote on similar themes and tropes as those contained in the verse collected in Hermit Poems . |
| 5 | Lesson 5 ‒ Din Poem & Courses pp. 115-135 In Lesson 5, we will review briefly what we have read so far. A reminder will be given that Assignment #1 is due at the end of this week. Penalties for late submissions after the deadline will also be repeated and emphasized. If ready, Assignment #2 on Welch’s thesis, How I Read Gertrude Stein , will also be distributed and briefly explained. In this class, we will have a listen to Welch’s reading of the poems published in Courses , his rarest chapbook and discuss Welch’s humor, which these poems amply illustrate. Welch was an excellent performer and reader of his own poetry so the theme of ‘Welch as performer’ will also be a focus of our discussions this week. |
| 6 | Lesson 6 – The Song Mt. Tamalpais Sings pp. 135-154 In Lesson 6, we will take a look at the final collection of poems by Welch published in his lifetime, The Song Mt. Tamalpais Sings. We will also return to a discussion on John Muir’s writing, especially his essays on mountains, including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Tamalpais, to discuss what the significance of these geographical locations meant to the two men. Welch defined his own life in relation to three key concepts: the man, the mountain and the city and therefore our focus upon the importance of mountains in Welch’s life and literary aesthetics will be crucial to understanding his work on a larger scale. |
| 7 | Lesson 7 – Uncollected Poems: Part 1 pp. 155-175 In Lesson 7, we have reached the halfway point of the course. The following 4 lessons, including this one, will focus on poems that were previously uncollected in the first edition of Ring of Bone, originally published in the early 1970s, but now brought together in the expanded edition of Ring of Bone published in 2012. We will briefly discuss the timeframe when these poems were written and how the content of the poems relates to what was occurring in Welch’s life at the time. This will be conducted by reading some supplementary materials taken from Clark’s biography on Welch. |
| 8 | Lesson 8 – Uncollected Poems: Part 2 & Joanne Kyger pp. 176-199 In Lesson 8, we will look at the next sequence of previously uncollected poems by Lew Welch. In this particular week, we will also focus on Welch’s friendship with female beat poet, Joanne Kyger (Gary Snyder’s first wife and a previous resident of Japan and a practicing Buddhist). There are two poems that we will read this week that were either about Kyger or addressed to her. In addition, Students are expected to submit their answers for Assignment #2 by the deadline, which comes up this week. Students will be reminded of penalties for late submissions once again. |
| 9 | Lesson 9 – Uncollected Poems: Part 3 & Philip Whalen pp. 200-220 In Lesson 9, we will continue reading the next sequence of previously uncollected poems by Welch. This time we will look at the relationship and friendship between Lew Welch and Philip Whalen, another San Francisco beat poet, whom Welch described once as “the most intelligent poet in America.” Welch’s poem “Maitreya” among others, indicates the influence of Whalen’s writing on Welch’s own poetry. The third and final assignment for this class (apart from the presentation), on Welch’s short stories, will be distributed and explained in this week. |
| 10 | Lesson 10 – Uncollected Poems: Part 4 & Jack Kerouac pp. 221-249 In Lesson 10, we will read the final section of the textbook. One of these poems is about the Beat legendary novelist, Jack Kerouac, who was also a close friend of Lew Welch’s. We will briefly discuss various Welch-Kerouac connections such as their time together at Big Sur, their co-publication of haiku and recollections of a trip taken together across the American continent, recorded in Trip Trap, their struggle with alcoholism, and their interest in Buddhism, among other topics. As presentations are fast approaching (in Lesson 11 and 12), students will be given a reminder to start preparing their scripts and slides if they have not done so already. Students will have the chance to consult their teacher about a possible topic as well. |
| 11 | Lesson 11 – Presentations I In Lessons 11 and 12 students will have a chance to present on ONE of the Beat writers or Transcendentalist writers we have discussed over the course of the semester. It may be one of the Beat or Transcendentalist writers we discussed in detail in class (Snyder, Whalen, Watts, Kyger, or Muir etc.) or it may be another writer we discussed in passing (such as Emerson, Thoreau, Kerouac or Ginsberg). Students are asked to prepare a 3-minute presentation (PPT presentations are recommended) and students will be asked a couple of questions at the end of the presentation either by the audience or by the teacher. Depending on the size of the class, we will try to cover at least half to two-thirds of the presentations in this lesson, in order to shore up more time for a comprehensive review of the course contents at the end of Lesson 12, as well as in Lesson 13. |
| 12 | Lesson 12 – Presentations II In Lessons 11 and 12 students will have a chance to present on ONE of the Beat writers or Transcendentalist writers we have discussed over the course of the semester. It may be one of the Beat or Transcendentalist writers we discussed in detail in class (Snyder, Whalen, Watts, Kyger, or Muir etc.) or it may be another writer we discussed in passing (such as Emerson, Thoreau, Kerouac or Ginsberg). Students are asked to prepare a 3-minute presentation (PPT presentations are recommended) and students will be asked a couple of questions at the end of the presentation either by the audience or by the teacher. |
| 13 | Lesson 13 – Comprehensive Review This lesson will be devoted to covering the main points and themes throughout the course that we have covered in Ring of Bone and the various Welch-related materials that students read while completing their assignments, to prepare students for the final examination in Lesson 14. If we run out of time, review questions will be provided either by email or through a video recording shared by the teacher. |
| 14 | Lesson 14 – Final Examination In Lesson 14, students will take their final examination. All parts of the textbook will be covered in the final exam, including some of the supplementary materials used in Assignments 1-3. There will be three sections to the final examination: 1) in the first section students will answer multiple-choice questions (10 pts.); in the second section students will write short answers (10 pts.); 3) in the third section, students will write one essay on topics relating to Welch’s poetry covered in Ring of Bone or the general topic of Beat or Transcendentalist writing or something related to Ecocriticism in general. |
板書 /Writing on the Board
スライド（パワーポイント等）の使用 /Slides (PowerPoint, etc.)
上記以外の視聴覚教材の使用 /Audiovisual Materials Other than Those Listed Above
個人発表 /Individual Presentations
グループ発表 /Group Presentations
ディスカッション・ディベート /Discussion/Debate
実技・実習・実験 /Practicum/Experiments/Practical Training
学内の教室外施設の利用 /Use of On-Campus Facilities Outside the Classroom
校外実習・フィールドワーク /Field Work
上記いずれも用いない予定 /None of the above
Study Required Outside of Class
In addition to the weekly reading assignments from the textbook, students will also be encouraged to read and explore other supplementary sources of information. Some of the supplementary reading materials will be provided by the teacher (either photocopies handed out in class or sent by email or uploaded onto a Google Classroom webpage, set up specifically for this course) and extra 'recommending reading' sections will be suggested by the teachers to help them enrich their understanding of the poems, the writer, the field of Ecocriticism, and the course overall. Many of the extra articles on Lew Welch will be taken from Beat Scene magazine as well as excerpts from Ewan Clark’s biography on him, He, Leo and the celebration of Welch’s life and work, collected by Magda Cregg in the volume, Hey Lew.
| 種類 (Kind) | 割合 (%) | 基準 (Criteria) |
|---|---|---|
| 平常点 (In-class Points) | 100 |
Assignment #1(10%) Assignment #2(10%) Assignment #3(10%) Assignment #4 (Presentation)(10%) In-class participation(30%) 最終テスト(Final Test)(30%) |
| 備考 (Notes) | ||
| No | 著者名 (Author/Editor) | 書籍名 (Title) | 出版社 (Publisher) | 出版年 (Date) | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welch, Lew. | Ring of Bone: Collected Poems | City Lights/Grey Fox | 2012 | 9780872865792 |
| No | 著者名 (Author/Editor) | 書籍名 (Title) | 出版社 (Publisher) | 出版年 (Date) | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welch, Lew. | How I Work As a Poet & Other Essays | Grey Fox Press | 2001 | |
| 2 | Welch, Lew. Shaffer, Eric, Paul (ed.) | How I Read Gertrude Stein | Grey Fox Press | 1995 | 9780912516233 |
| 3 | Cregg, Magda. | Hew Lew: Homage to Lew Welch | Magda Cregg | 1997 | |
| 4 | Clark, Ewan. | He, Leo: The Life and Poetry of Lew Welch | Oregon State University | 2023 | |
| 5 | Phillips, Rod. | Lew Welch | Boise State University | 2006 |
Students should come prepared to each lesson, which means they are expected to have read the required reading assignments each week, in order to participate in the group discussions around the poems and texts. Students also should come read to proactively engage in discussions held in English and should keep in mind that in-class participation accounts for 30% of their final grade and score.
Students should prepare a short, condensed PowerPoint slide presentation when they are asked to present in Lesson 11 or 12.