Adam Kotsko

I have signed the contract and submitted the final manuscript for my next book, Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era, to be published by University of Minnesota Press as part of the Mass Markets series edited by Gerry Canavan and Benjamin Robertson. A description of the project follows “below the fold.”

Continue reading “It’s official!”

I have posted my syllabi for the spring semester on my teaching history page. This is the first semester in a long time when I do not have a new prep, though I am offering one course in a new format.

• Ethics (syllabus): This is a large lecture course offered through the Philosophy Department, though I try to incorporate as much text-centered discussion as possible. Compared to previous years, this time around I have tried to streamline the course to focus on a few key books, with fewer side articles.
• What is Matter? (syllabus): This is a Shimer discussion seminar on the history of chemistry. It is a sentimental favorite for me because it was my first foray into Shimer’s natural sciences curriculum, and sadly my initial outing was disrupted by the pandemic. At the risk of jinxing it, I’m looking forward to finally offering this course — which I audited as part of my training at the independent Shimer and absolutely loved — in its intended format.
• Deals With the Devil (syllabus): I taught a version of this course several times as an interdisciplinary first-year seminar, but this will be my first opportunity to offer it as an upper-level course in the context of the Shimer program. I am particularly excited to follow up on my experience teaching comic books in my honors seminar on Watchmen last semester by incorporating the sections of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman that deal with Lucifer and his unexpected retirement.

I have posted the syllabi for my fall courses on my teaching history page. This time I am teaching two courses on logic — one in a conventional format using the Copi/Cohen textbook and the other in a Shimer seminar format using a range of primary sources. I also have the unique opportunity to teach a half-semester honors seminar on Watchmen.

My translation of Agamben’s Pinocchio: The Story of a Puppet, Doubly Commented Upon and Triply Illustrated is now available for purchase. It marks my tenth published book-length translation, and wow, it’s a weird one!