Dr. Bart Thornton
Rising 11th – Rising 12th Graders
July 7 – Aug 1 • 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
$1,095
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, novelists, screenwriters, TV writers and visual artists often practiced the arts of trickery and deception. Because there are so many options for entertainment, creative types attempt to surprise, startle and amuse their audiences. They combine previously distinct genres - horror and comedy, for instance or irreverent sitcoms and hackneyed Hallmark Channel programming - and generally create a kind of healthy havoc. In this course, we will read recent novels and plays, watch scripted and reality TV shows, analyze mainstream and independent films and listen to a variety of musical forms from 1970s punk-rock to this year's hottest singers and bands. Students will have the opportunity to research and share their own passions for graphic novels, internet rabbit holes, binge-worthy streaming episodes ("Stranger Things", anyone?) and much more. They will also have the chance to see what was considered distasteful and inappropriate in more "dainty decades" (like the 1950s and 1960s).
Qualified Collegiate students who have earned an A- average or better in their last two semesters of English — may take this elective for Honors credit. However, this will require additional independent reading and writing.
Dr. Bart Thornton chaired the English department for seven years at Collegiate School and served as the Dean of Faculty. He teaches American literature, Russian literature, Postmodernism and an interdisciplinary course called Anarchy and the Avant-Garde. Previously, he taught at independent schools in Houston and Chicago. In addition to holding a doctorate in English from the University of Texas at Austin, he writes novels and screenplays.
For more information, contact Bart Thornton at bthornton@collegiate-va.org.