Explore the tumultuous life, genius work, and tragic suicide of one of the most brilliant authors in contemporary fiction. Together, we'll read and discuss a selection of Wallace's journalism, essays, and shorter fiction. Wallace's work is known to be as difficult as it is rewarding, so you'll do best in this class if you're a bright reader and a thoughtful writer. Come ready to begin a literary relationship with an author that will afford you serious intellectual credibility in college. ;) Serious students only, please.

How does hearing work? Why can we tell the difference between a C and a C#? Why do your ears feel like they're stuffed with cotton after a loud concert and then normal the next day? In this class we'll talk about the cochlea, the organ that is responsible for turning sound into an electrical signal for the brain. We'll also talk about recent research on our ability to hear after loud concerts and what scientists think it's actually doing to our hearing.