Ahead of the upcoming course, Ways of Reading: understanding literary theory, Lecturer and Editor Jenny Stevens tells Literature Programme Coordinator Patricia Sweeney about her passion for teaching and why Shakespeare’s works and Great Expectations are so special.
What courses do you teach at City Lit?
At the moment I’m teaching a course on Shakespeare’s Afterlives, which is a course about the theory of adapting Shakespeare into different media. For example in film, in the novel and thinking about the way authors have adapted Shakespeare in their own time and for a modern audience.
I’ll be teaching a course in Literary Theory this term (and again next year). It is a 6-week whistle stop tour through some of the major developments in the way we think about the literary text that have happened since the 20th century. It takes in a variety of other disciplines such as history, psychoanalysis, and political theory but we also examine a variety of different literature texts for pleasure as well, but with a different critical lens in mind.
In the coming academic year, in addition to the Literary theory course I’ll be teaching across the three main genres, looking at the development of the sonnet from its early Renaissance days right through to the present. Later in the year I’ll be looking at the circadian novel - novels that take place over 24 hours. I’m particularly looking forward to teaching two companion texts – Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and a late 20th century rewriting – The Hours by Michael Cunningham
What do you enjoy most about teaching at City Lit?
I taught here in the early 2000s, in fact it was a course on Literary Theory that I’m now teaching but from a different perspective. I always felt that I wanted to return when I had more time. Now that I no longer have childcare issues to work around, and I’m not hampered by an examination syllabus, I can devote more of my time to shape courses in an original way.
The other thing I love about the City Lit is the range of students you will get in a class, so you might have someone who has never read a Shakespeare play in the same class as someone who has acted in Shakespeare on the professional stage, so making sure that everyone is allowed to have their voice and bring their own life experiences to the class study – it is both challenging to me as a tutor but also quite unpredictable and exciting.
What do you find most rewarding about being a literature tutor?
I particularly appreciate those moments of breakthrough in a class, perhaps when someone who hasn’t spoken in a couple of weeks begins to contribute and from that moment on go from strength to strength.
I also enjoy seeing and hearing students engaging with each other in ways that are really kind of unique moments, maybe in their own day to day lives.
Can you give us examples of literary works that you study on a City Lit course?
At the moment we are studying Othello, which continues to be a highly controversial text and still divides scholars and stage directors, most especially in the questions it raises about race.
What are some of your all-time favourite books or authors, and why do they resonate with you?
Most of my academic work is devoted to Shakespeare and he will always have a place in my heart but in terms of books and novels in particular, the novel that I could not do without is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I think for its humanity and for what it says about social class, it still rings very true for me.
Can you share a memorable reading experience from your childhood or adolescence that shaped your love for literature?
I’m from a working-class background and remember reading Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence when I was about 13 and it was like reading about my community in some ways, the expressions rang true for me and reminded me of things my grandparents said.
If you could invite any author past or present to dinner, who would you invite and why?
Seamus Heaney, because I met him a couple of times and he was the most generous and warm-hearted person, and I still mourn his loss every time I read one of his poems.
What would you say to anyone that’s wondering, 'is literature for me'?
Literature is for everybody – for example, as mentioned on Woman’s Hour, poetry can support people with caring responsibilities, it can help people think about the experiences they are having through a different perspective that might help them cope with difficult circumstances.
What tips do you have for anyone who doesn't enjoy reading but would like to start reading or read more?
I think sometimes it is perhaps like romantic relationships, you haven’t met the right book. Try out as many books as you can and join a library and eventually you will find something that will fire your imagination and interest.
About Jenny Stevens
Jenny Stevens has taught English at both pre-university and degree level. A former Head of English, she currently combines part-time teaching with academic writing and series editing for Methuen Modern Drama editions. She has an MA in Victorian Studies and a PhD in late-Victorian literature. Her publications include ‘Faith, Fiction and the Historical Jesus’ (2010) and three co-authored Arden Shakespeare guides for undergraduate readers. Jenny is a Founding Fellow of the English Association.
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