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• The Chicago Novel as Historical Artifact: Teaching LC Students the History of Our City through its Great Literature

The Chicago Novel as Historical Artifact: Teaching LC Students the History of Our City through its Great Literature

10-10:50 a.m.

Location: Warhol A

Type: Informative/panel

Audience: Linked Courses, Coordinated Studies

Presenters: Timothy Henningsen and Sam Mitrani, College of DuPage

The history and growth of Chicago is reflected in the communities and neighborhoods that make up the city, and the rich literature made throughout Chicago's tenure also captures this dynamism. This session will provide an overview of an Honors Learning Communities Seminar taught at the College of DuPage by Professor of History V. Sam Mitrani, and Professor of English Timothy Henningsen. Two courses, taught in a singular modality, highlight the city's proud, though troubled, history. Called "The Literary History of Chicago," the course asks students to read a wide array of novels written in Chicago, about Chicago, by Chicago writers. Professors Mitrani and Henningsen will describe their course, their multidisciplinary approach, and the benefits to a community of students who are taught to discern history through reading fiction.