READING GROUP
Fall 2025
For the ancient Greeks, everything they made was the product of some art, from the art of fire to the art of poetry, from the art of medicine to the art of theater.
Today’s cars, phones, and computers emerge from the same practical knowledge within a craft. In other words, they are also the products of art, but our technological products have proliferated so pervasively that we are numb to their artistic character. Because they are everywhere, we are often unable to recognize them as pieces of art with a certain effect on us.
In these seminars, we will alternate between close reading poems and analyzing contemporary technology in hopes of learning a deeper level of attention before the screens and circuits that shape our everyday experience. To end the semester we will host a poetry reading by local Texas poet R.S. Gwynn, whose poetry offers raw, satirical insights into our Digital Age.
Led by James Prather
