ENG 4615 Fall 2024 - Faulk

Media Theory and Practice ENG 4615
New media presents us with a paradox: its forms seem liberating and revolutionary and at the same time restrictive and controlling. This course will introduce you to contemporary media theory that critically examines the limits and potentialities of digital culture. We will also learn about the analog “backstory” to our new communication technologies. Featured authors include Wendy Chun, William Burroughs, Marshall McLuhan, Alison Harvey, Byung-Chul Han, and Bernard Stiegler. We’ll read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 as well and also consider its mediatized versions: French “New Wave” director Francois Truffaut’s 1966 film adaptation and the update by Iranian-American director and screenwriter Ramin Bahrani, originally made for HBO.