Some live the love, and others write of it, but the most intriguing characters in literary history must surely be those who do both. Let’s explore the lives and work of four couples over the centuries who have battled the world (and sometimes each other) and survived (or not) illness, and injury, poverty and madness, to create something that can live long after they are dust: Heloise and Abelard, Barrett and Browning, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and Ruth Park and Darcy Niland.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

The authors will be studied and discussed in regard to their:

• Individual lives; How they met and why they fell in love
• Time together; Challenges to their relationship
• Their writings and subsequent careers
• Their influence on each other
• Literary and cultural significance
• Representations in popular culture

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe the life story of each of these writers, their influences, characters, dynamic as couples, books and legacy.
2. Discuss similarities and differences between the four couples, evaluating the quality of their work, their personal characters, and relationship decisions.