History, literature combine in new humanities course series

Rather than teach a literature class that relies solely on William Shakespeare or a class on political theory that focuses purely on Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, two professors have teamed up to start an interdisciplinary study of Europe and its colonies.

Peter Lake, a history professor who specializes in early modern England, and Nigel Smith, an English professor who recently joined the University faculty from Oxford University in 1999, will spend the next four years in collaboration. The new program will span from the Renaissance to the French Revolution.

The Behrman Senior Fellows program — under the aegis of the Council of the Humanities — will sponsor the curriculum, the first such initiative that is led by two faculty members. Lake and Smith have known each other for more than 10 years and even play cricket together, Smith said.

The first course will focus on revolutionary England, Smith said, and will juxtapose the canonical texts with unfamiliar reportage and journalism from the period.

One of the primary goals of the endeavor is to present history through the lens of literature and vice versa to develop a broad cultural understanding.

The following year, Lake will teach the course, and the last two years the two professors will share the classroom.

The program is directed toward all undergraduate students, and Smith said he is most interested in engaging people in seminars and encouraging interest in the humanities.

"I think it will develop a dedicated following and a very solid background" in European history, Smith said.

The fellows program was founded with the bequest of Howard Behrman and has enabled faculty to research and develop new courses, often courses outside traditional departmental constrictions.