That's Absurd!: Absurdism in the Arts (not “funny ha-ha”, “funny hmm”)

About this class

We will study the philosophical and performance history roots of absurdism from its comic seeds in Ancient Greece to its embrace by Modern artists to its present-day representations including the works of Samuel Beckett, Rene Magritte, Douglas Adams, Franz Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, Salvador Dalí, the Coen Brothers and others.

Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 - 6-8 pm CST

Nita Ritzke has taught a variety of courses from Art History to Yeats.  She earned a B.S. in English and Communication Arts, an M.A. in Theatre and a Ph.D. in Communication Studies.  Most recently, her poem “Mucho Gusto” was included in the 2021 N.D. Human Rights Art Festival.

HND Value Statement

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota.

However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally.

Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University.

To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.