Print this page Across a Crowded Room - Stories of Love, Lust & Longing

Love stories permeate our culture and, we would hope, our own lives. The love stories in this course challenge stereotypes and archetypes, while examining unexpected manifestations of love, and its consequences. All of the books, songs, plays and poems in this course take a different, and sometimes shockingly contrary view of love as we read about statues and bears, cowboys and beautiful boys. Books and sources include Monkey Grip by Helen Garner; Normal People by Sally Rooney; The Offing by Benjamin Myers; Bear by Marian Engel; and Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream. Includes Book Box (see list below under 'Supplied Materials').

This is a Discussion Group course, if you aren’t already part of a group please see ‘Getting Started’ below.

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Author: Alison Halliday

Course Code: D249

Supplied Materials: Course Booklet

• Monkey Grip by Helen Garner
• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• The Offing by Benjamin Myers
• Bear by Marian Engel

Units & Pricing: 6 units / $78 per person

GETTING STARTED

Start your Group: Anyone can start a Discussion Group – seek out some like-minded friends or put up a notice in your local library, bookshop or workplace. Please note a minimum of 6 people is required to start a new discussion group.

Arrange the Meetings: New groups need to decide where and when to meet, and for how long – whatever best suits members' particular situations.

Run your Group: Choose a secretary to liaise with WEA and your tutor, a Discussion Leader to chair meetings, a reporter to take discussion notes to send to your tutor, and maybe a librarian to look after the books.

Start the Course: Contact WEA Sydney to enrol. Bookings can be made for one year, divided into two terms – Term 1 commences in February, Term 2 in July (Groups may make forward bookings for popular choices). Please indicate in what order your Group wishes to study the courses, if more than one course is booked.