“We work in the dark – we do what we can – we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.”

Henry James (1843-1916) put these highly quotable lines into the mouth of a writer named Dencombe, the main character of “The Middle Years” (1893). In this four-session seminar, we’ll read that tale and three others that James wrote about authors. There will also be a trio of stories with James’s noted international theme. The best-known of these is “The Jolly Corner” (1908), featuring a character who has recently returned to his home city of New York, just as James himself had done only four years earlier. The class will begin with James’s novella In the Cage (1898) and will end with the novel The Spoils of Poynton.

This seminar welcomes both seasoned readers of James and newcomers. It takes place over four Wednesdays, each at 11:00 AM in the Whitridge Room:

April 17
May 8
May 29
June 26

Interested, but not yet ready to register? Get a reminder closer to the first date, space permitting.

To register, log in and complete the form below. With registration questions, contact the Events Office.