Students will have the opportunity to travel to 13th-century Norway, live on the frontier, and sail the high seas on a pirate ship next semester. All within the comfort of a classroom.
The Collegiate Scholars Program offerings include seminars on “Kristin Lavransdatter,” Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Literary Genius, and Pirates. The classes are taught by Christy Maier, a Lecturer in Business and Academic Counselor, Dedra Birzer, substitute teacher from Hillsdale Academy, and Associate Professor of Education Daniel Coupland, respectively.
“Kristin Lavransdatter” is a Norwegian trilogy written by Sigrid Unset in 1920.
“It’s set in 13th-century Norway and it follows the life of one woman from early childhood through death,” Maier said.
According to Maier, Kristin Lavransdatter is an underappreciated classic.
“I feel like it’s a classic but not one that people read,” Maier said. “I think partly because there’s something very removed from our experience about the subject matter. There’s also a very strong Christian tone to the work so I can see why that might not be as compelling to certain sectors of a modern audience. I also think the length — roughly 1,100 pages — is certainly daunting.”
Maier said the book shaped her and she wants to be able to share it with students.
“This is a book that was so transformative for me that I want other people to have the opportunity to read it and I don’t think people will,” Maier said. “It’s a long book and it’s not something that people are teaching in an academic context. I’m just excited about getting to do this.”
Birzer said she is excited for the opportunity to give Hillsdale a taste of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“I want students to take Laura Ingalls Wilder seriously, as a writer and an intellectual,” Birzer said. “Partly what we’ll be doing is looking at the things she wrote before the Little House series. And thinking about larger truths that are in there and how. You start to see things that you didn’t see as a child. And for people who haven’t read the book before, it’s the joy of discovering American classics. It’s fun to talk about why they resonate so much with us as children and as adults.”
Birzer said she wants to use the class to discuss Wilder’s impact on American culture.
“There is this flurry of books about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her writings because they play such a central role in American childhood,” she said. “For my generation, we grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. It’s a major part of American popular culture and American literary culture.”
Coupland’s seminar on pirates will deal with history and popular and literary culture.
“We’re going to look at pirates in great stories and great literature, and we’re also going to look at pirates in pop culture as well,” Coupland said. “For some reason pirates have a special place in the imagination, and that’s why I want students to take it, so we can talk about it and think about these ideas and come to more of a firm conclusion as to why.”
Coupland expects his students will be fascinated with the subject.
“The student body should not be alarmed if they see the Jolly Roger flag raised up above campus,” he said, “because I anticipate that students here, like readers for hundreds of years, will get captivated.”
