by Ashley Wolfgang '14

Following their studies in a literature course about Samuel Beckett during winter term, Knox College students expanded on their classroom experience by traveling to Europe to visit the many places Beckett called home during his lifetime.

The course focused on the literary works and life of Beckett, an author of poetry, fiction, and drama, and delved into a majority of his works along with a biography of him, Damned to Fame, written by James Knowlson. The Beckett course was taught by Knox faculty member Robin Metz, director of the Creative Writing Program and Philip Sidney Post Professor of English.

"Beckett chose the opposite approach of [fellow Irish writer] James Joyce to writing literature," explains Ian Tully '16, one of the students on the trip. "While Joyce integrated real places and situations into his works, Beckett created abstract environments to showcase the human condition." (Photo at top: Michelle Steffens '14, Ian Tully '16, Jen Keilhack '16, and Andrew Purvis '15 at St.Paul's Cathedral in London.)

Nine students from the class travelled with Professor Metz to Dublin, Ireland; London, England; and Paris, France; to explore the regions and cultures that inspired Beckett. Spending three days in each city, the students were able to balance immersing themselves into the writing, theatre, and art scenes that Beckett was a part of in each city, as well as taking the time to explore independently.

"All had a unique experience in each city," explains Tully. The trip "was really beneficial to the class in achieving a context to his work."

This was sophomore Jen Keilhack's first time traveling abroad. Because of this, she explains, "I thought it was very meaningful to have this purpose to the trip and be able to tie it back to something academic."

A few of the trip highlights were a three-hour workshop with the Lir Theatre in Dublin; touring Beckett's alma mater, Trinity College, in Dublin; and seeing museums such as the Tate Modern in London.

"We saw a traditional Irish play while in Dublin, which was interesting because it was everything that Beckett was trying to get away from and everything that he didn't want to be, so it was interesting to see those in contrast," explains Jen Keilhack '16. 

It was ultimately Professor Metz who merged the context of the class with the sights and sounds the students discovered overseas. 

"Robin is a walking tome of wisdom," says Tully. "Specifically, Robin's expertise helped tie in the degrees of separation between historical artists. We had a literary walking tour of downtown Paris where Robin teamed up with an expert of literary culture in France, [and] the two combined to exponentially enlighten us."