The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
Monday, September 14
A shared home for close reading, seminar preparation, writing, and the common intellectual work of the first year.
Come ready to test the day’s question with evidence and conversation.
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
Current inquiry
Close reading, shared works, seminar preparation, and writing move through the term’s water questions.
Course tools
Student destinations
Canvas
Assignments, announcements, and current course activity
Syllabus
Policies, outcomes, assignments, and the term plan
Egan 1–2: illustrated reading guide
Meet the fish and people; explore the settings, tensions, and emotional moves
Wednesday: Egan 3–4 reading guide
Characters, settings, and key events
Friday: Egan 5–6 reading guide
Characters, settings, and key events
Great Lakes map game
Play the 24-place map challenge
Water in 45 languages
Hear someone say it in each one
Water in the News
Share and browse current stories about water
Water Makes Worlds
Explore the course atlas, shared works, maps, and questions
Coming meetings
29 total
| Mon Sep 14 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
|---|---|
| Wed Sep 16 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Fri Sep 18 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
View all 29 meetings
| Fri Sep 11 | Community event: The Great LakesDiscussion with Andrew Knudsen and Gregory Hitch |
|---|---|
| Mon Sep 14 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Wed Sep 16 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Fri Sep 18 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Mon Sep 21 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Wed Sep 23 | The Death and Life of the Great Lakes |
| Fri Sep 25 | Great Lakes → Flood narrativestransition to confirm |
| Mon Sep 28 | Flood narratives |
| Wed Sep 30 | Flood narratives |
| Fri Oct 2 | Community event: Cultural responses to water and floodsDiscussion with Jeff Clark and Martyn Smith |
| Mon Oct 5 | Flood narratives → Blood Dazzlertransition to confirm |
| Wed Oct 7 | Blood Dazzler |
| Fri Oct 9 | Blood Dazzler |
| Mon Oct 12 | Community event: Patricia Smith via Zoom |
| Wed Oct 14 | Blood Dazzler |
| Fri Oct 16 | Blood Dazzler → Delta Bluestransition to confirm |
| Mon Oct 19 | Delta Blues selections |
| Wed Oct 21 | Community event: The BluesLawrence faculty and special guest Preston Parker |
| Mon Oct 26 | Community event: The Betsy, Schlabach, Equiano |
| Wed Oct 28 | The Interesting Narrative · I & II |
| Fri Oct 30 | The Interesting Narrative · III & IV |
| Mon Nov 2 | The Interesting Narrative · V & VI |
| Wed Nov 4 | The Interesting Narrative · VII & VIII |
| Fri Nov 6 | The Interesting Narrative · IX & X |
| Mon Nov 9 | Rising · Part One |
| Wed Nov 11 | Rising · Part Two |
| Fri Nov 13 | Rising · Part Two |
| Mon Nov 16 | Rising · Part Three |
| Wed Nov 18 | Rising · Part Three |
Course conclusion
Sunday, November 22, 2026