Huzzah!

I just registered for next quarter's classes, and I hit the jackpot. Not only am I only on campus 2 days a week, but I got all the classes I wanted. Yay!

Comparative Studies 377: Contemporary Folklore in the Arab World
    "This course will introduce students to a wealth of Arabic folklore, including the lore of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Arabs as well as Berbers, Kurds and other Arab world communities. Folklore is defined here as traditional expressive culture: verbal art (e.g., myths, legends, folktales, riddles, jokes); material culture (e.g., the construction of shrines, homes, boats as well as production of pottery, jewelry, embroidery, carpets, and calligraphic art); visual presentation of self (e.g., applications of henna, tattoos, dress, hairstyles); folk religion, rituals, and festivals; and folk music (e.g., lullabies). Emphasis will be not on finished products but on cultural process. We will look at what Arab world "Folk," from different regions, religions, and language and ethnic traditions have in common in regard to ethos, world view, practical and aesthetic needs and how they differ, as well as at national and international appropriations of local lore."

German 250: The German Experience in America: German Literature and Popular Culture
    "This course serves as an introduction to the literature, culture, and history of German immigrants to North America, especially to the Midwest and Ohio, from the seventeenth century into the twentieth. We will study selected settlements (like Schoenbrunn, Zoar, and German Village in Columbus) and selected individuals (from Ohio missionary David Zeisberger to Wernher von Braun and Henry Kissinger) and their (auto)biographies and letters, as well as stories and tales of German pioneer authors (like Sealsfield and Therese Robinson). A field trip to German Village in Columbus will provide a first-hand encounter with the culture and life of the settlers—and what is left of it."

English 577.02: The Ballad (Folklore Genres)
    "This course will study development of the traditional folk ballad (songs like 'Barbara Allen' and 'The Gypsy Laddie') from its origins in the British Isles down to its continuing presence in contemporary North America. The primary focus will be thematic (Tragic Ballads, Supernatural Ballads, Outlaw Ballads, Humorous Ballads, etc), but there will some opportunity to discuss the traditional ballad in relation to related types like the broadside, and the literary ballad. There will be a strong emphasis upon the ballad in performance"

As you can see by the classes I get excited about, I'm a huge nerd, and I love it.