South West Region, Bradninch Court, Castle Street, Exeter, EX4 3PL. Tel. 01392 457300
Fax. 01392 457344 Email southwest@wea.org.uk
Course Title: Americans in Paris
Course Ref: C3524615 Tutor: Dr Allan Phillipson
Venue: Selwyn Hall, Valens Terrace, Box, Wiltshire, SN13 8NT
Start date: 7 th October 2013
Half Term: 28 th October 2013
End date: 2 nd December 2013
Essential materials
Required Text:
—Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable Feast
No of sessions: 8 sessions
Hours per session: 2 hours
Day(s)/time(s): Mondays, 7:15pm -
9:15pm
Course Aims
To provide an overview of Americans in Paris: their reasons for going, and the work they produced in art, literature, and film.
Course Description
Pa ris has been a catalyst for some of America’s finest thinkers and creators. From
Thomas Jefferson to Gene Kelly, this course explores their reasons for going and the work they produced. We will examine art (Sargent, Whistler, Cassat), literature
(James, Wharton, Fitzgerald), and a variety of films.
Required text: Ernest Hemingway A Moveable Feast .
Entry Requirements
Must be able to read English.
Who is the course for?
Anyone with an interest in literature and history. No prior experience necessary.
Main topics covered
[List identifiable topics covered during the course, in order]
1. Introduction: Jefferson in Paris.

2. The American Colony: Henry James and Edith Wharton.
3. John Singer Sargent: The Scandal of Madame X .
4. Des Refusés: James Whistler, Mary Cassat.
5. Ernest Hemingway: A Moveable Feast .
6. F. Scott Fitzgerald “Babylon Revisited” (1931); text into film The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).
7. Wild Girls: Sylvia Beach, Natalie Barney, and Romaine Brooks.
8. “We’ll always have Paris”: Hollywood’s romantic legacy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course learners will be able to:
1. Describe the scandal of Thomas Jefferson’s family.
2. Recount the reaction to Sargent’s Madame X .
3. Assess Hemingway’s presentation of Stein, Ford, and Fitzgerald.
4. Define the Left Bank / Right Bank split.
5. Analyse the contribution of Sylvia Beach and Natalie Barney.
Teaching and learning methods used
This course follows a mixture of lecture / seminar format. A series of short lectures will revolve around PowerPoint presentations, slide shows, and the analysis of film clips. These mini-lectures are complemented by group discussions that focus on set reading material (poems, novels, short stories).
How your work will be assessed
Informal feedback; no formal tests or exams.
Suggested progression routes
Hopefully this course will encourage people to read more on their own and perhaps to take some more courses on literature with the WEA or in higher education.
Pre-course reading/preparation
Required Text:
—Ernest Hemingway A Moveable Feast