First Assignment for Thursday, January 27, 2005. Read the first 10 pages of Freud's Dora Case History--come to class ready to read aloud the passages that your believe reveal Freud being a tad "dodgy," as the English put it, a bit evasive and up to NO good. Tuesday February 1, 2005 Class postponed. Thursday, February 3, 2005 Walk into class having read the first 100 pages of the Dora case history; as you read, look for the kind of things we found today--places where Freud  "creates" Dora, outs his act of "creating" her (the meta-textual moment) and, lastly, places where you can apply Freud to Freud; extra-credit if you come to class having written a one page  CRITICAL SUMMARY of the Dora Case history. extra-extra-credit if you memorize and perform a key paragraph from the reading for the class (first three volunteers via email).  Also, while reading Freud, take breaks and delve into Zarate and Appignanesi's Freud for Beginners.   Tuesday, February 8, 2005 As you walk into the room, you turn your cellphone off, make sure you arrive on time, and pick a pen that does not click--you do this as you fear that Professor Nericcio's pathologies with regard to distractions may grow should you dare to have your phone/totem ring, enter tardy, or click your evil pen.  You sit down happy, as you have finished BOTH Freud's Dora case history AND Zarate/Appignanesi's FREUD FOR BEGINNERS.  Be prepared to talk about particular Zarate-penned images that seem particularly adept at communinicating key Freudian theories.   Thursday, February 10, 2005 Review and catch up day with all sorts of texts on the agenda: Zarate's amazing renditions of Freudian theory, Appignanesi's cogent gloss of Freud's work and Freud's life, Marker's meditation on blindness and memory in LA JETEE, and Freud's Oedipus theory. Tuesday, February 15, 2005 As you enter class today, you will have read a good chunk of Jensen's novel GRADIVA and, maybe, perchance, even started the first few pages of Freud's analysis of the same in the edition of the book I have assigned for you.  In class we will screen Alfred Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND--a classic Hollywood classic that focuses on psychoanalysis. In the center of SPELLBOUND lurks a classic dream sequence illustrated by the illustrious, self-loving SURREALIST, Salvador Dali.  In his honor, and before SPELLBOUND, we will screen his classic short (co-authored with the infamous Luis Buñuel), UN CHIEN ANDALOU. 'CHIEN does not feature a dream sequence, it IS a dream sequence.  Come ready to transcribe Dali and Buñuel's surrealist madness and Hitchcock's crazy melodrama into elements of your psychoanalytical training. Thursday, February 17, 2005 In class, we will conclude our screening of SPELLBOUND--time permitting, we will begin our discussion; bring your dreambooks to class and enter your notes from the film screening into its pages--perhaps Hitchcock's leering gazes will weave their way into your unconscious!
7Tuesday | February 22, 2005 Walk into our high-tech lecture amphitheatre having finished both GRADIVA by Wilhelm Jensen AND Freud's DELUSION and DREAM; in class we will discuss Buñuel and Dali's UN CHIEN ANDALOU and Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND first; and then, time permitting, move on to Jensen and Freud.
Thursday | February 24, 2005 In-class writing challenge; also, guest lecture by Professor Taylor Joy Mitchell; Mitchell explores key elements of Jensen's novel and sets the stage for our lecture and discussion of Freud's DELUSION AND DREAM next Tuesday.
Tuesday | March 1, 2005 Today's lecture is on Freud's DELUSION AND DREAM; get ahead on your reading and begin taking in Bonafoux's PASSIONATE EYE on the life and death and art of Vincent Van Gogh.
Thursday | March 3, 2005 A Surprise review day with a visual treat as well.  Don't miss it!
Tuesday | March 8, 2005 Psychoanalysis--we know it through theory and literature; today, we experience it first hand with Herr Doktor Harry Polkinhorn administering a series of psychoanalytic encounters with patients (patients who happend to be your colleagues in the class!!!!).  Brace for the thrills of the talking cure on stage in our very own classroom.
Thursday | March 10, 2005 Read the first three chapters of Pascal Bonafaux's PASSIONATE EYE--as you read spend as much time STUDYING THE PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, AND LETTER-HIEROGLYPHS as you do the commentary. What to key in on in the readings? Pay special attention to the trajectory of VAN GOGH's life--his odyssey from would-be preacher to cloistered artist.  See if you can apply FREUDIAN METHODOLOGY to unlock the secrets of his art and life.
Tuesday | March 15, 2005 Walk into class having read ALL of the Bonafaux's VAN GOGH; it is a powerful and incredibly useful portfolio of a book: one part gallery; one part diary; one part biography; one part autobiography (especially the letter excerpts in the yellow pages). As you read, BE VERY AWARE of what it is you are reading--is it Bonafaux's opinion? Van Gogh's brother Theo's view? A medical report? etc...  In essence, Bonafaux's critical study attempts to immerse us in the material world of Van Gogh and his time.  I hope you enjoy your visit to this aesthetic time machine--but KNOW this, without the power of your curious imagination, this book might evolve before your eyes into a boring textbook.
Thursday | March 17, 2005 Read the first four chapters of Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.  As you read, take everything you learned about painting and the psyche from Van Gogh and use it as a lens to refract your reading of Wilde!
Tuesday | March 22, 2005 Biggest reading day of the semester: read to page 188, the end of chapter 12 in Wilde's wild THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.
Thursday | March 24, 2005 Two big deals in store today--you walk into the room having FINISHED Dorian Gray AND you receive your prompt for your big scary imagination challenge curiosity project.
Tuesday and Thursday | March 29/31, 2005 no class, no analysis, no psychology:spring break! have a good time and work off all those neuroses caused by freud and his fine bastard children!!!