This semester’s theme will be ‘Adapting the Penny Dreadful’. With the recent Showtime series, Penny Dreadful, and the focus of our joint symposium with Woode-Walkers on adaptations, we’ll be discussing the adaptive influence of penny dreadfuls (or so-called ‘dime novels’ in America). The genre flourished in the mid-to-late 19th century and benefited from the growing literacy rate, the mechanization of printing, and growth in rail travel. Stanford has a pretty good summary and image collection of their collection of penny dreadfuls and dime novels.
Our meetings for Fall 2015 will take place from 5-6 p.m. in Adorjan 341, with exceptions noted.
Our reading will follow the serialization of The String of Pearls, commonly known today as Sweeney Todd. The novel was serialized in 18 weekly parts, in The People’s Periodical and Family Library issues 7-24, November 21, 1846-March 20, 1847. The Nineteenth Century Collections database has this periodical digitized for reading, with the exception of issue 17. For NCCO, you’ll have to select the 1846 and 1847 publication year and select the issue number. The String of Pearls begins in 1846 with issue 7.
[Note: The chapters in the reading schedule below follow the extended 1850 edition–they are not the same chapter numbers as the 18-part serialization from NCCO.]
September 4: Intro meeting
September 12: Lucas Place Exhibit at the Campbell House (1508 Locust Street)
September 25: The String of Pearls, issues 7-12 (Chapters 1-13, “…good motive to spare you pain?”)
October 9: Publication Roundtable
October 23: The String of Pearls, issues 13-18 (Chapters 13-24, “…let me go alone.”***)
***Note: The expanded version is a little tricky here. NCCO doesn’t have issue 17, which corresponds to chapter 25. It looks like the 1850 edition rearranged chapters, so issue 18 ends with chapter 24 “…let me go alone,” but chapters 25 & 26 correspond to issues 17 and 18 chapter titles.
November 6: The String of Pearls, issues 19-24 (Chapters 24-39)
November 20: State of the Field Roundtable
December 4: Faculty Member Research Talk: Phyllis Weliver–“Liberal Dreaminess on The Golden Stairs: Rethinking Edward Burne-Jones”
December 6, ADJ 142: Trans-temporal Adaptation and Influence Symposium: Athenaeum & Woode-Walkers in Dialogue
December 11, 5-7pm: Screening of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, Episodes 1 & 2 at the Moolah Mini Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd.)–Mixer with WashU
Athenaeum 