Department of English

The thrust of this course is that there’s more to learn from samurai films than flashing swordplay. Indeed the figure that the samurai cuts might well be seen as writerly, from the discipline with which he holds himself, to, yes, even the prowess of his swordmanship. Whether as a royal warrior serving a feudal lord or as a wandering sword-for-hire, the samurai inscribes himself in a larger cultural history that runs through patronage to free-lance work -- all the while scraping out an existence with his blade and showing us what it takes to do something well while most others do it badly. What better lesson for a writing course? Yosh!