David Thorburn's guest appearances

David Thorburn

MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing

Chalk Radio

Justin Reich

Cynthia Breazeal

Cameron Esposito

Jane McGonigal

Lynn Nottage

Toni Morrison

John Jennings

Chris Claremont

Scott McCloud

John Hodgman

Scott Nicholson

Denis Dyack

Aparna Nancherla

James Gleick

Jeff VanderMeer

OwlTail

William Corbett

David Thorburn has been a teacher of literature for 57 years, 46 of them at MIT where he is Professor of Literature and Comparative Media and Director Emeritus of the MIT Communications Forum. Generations of MIT undergraduates have taken his lecture course, “The Film Experience,” which now reaches an international audience on YouTube. He was born in Manhattan and grew up in an old farmhouse in Randolph, New Jersey. He’s written a book on Joseph Conrad and many essays and reviews on literature and media. Knots is his first book of poetry.

David Thorburn: William Corbett Poetry Series

What would Shakespeare have made of today’s popular television shows? He might or might not like them, but he wouldn’t dismiss them simply because they’re popular. In this episode, Professor David Thorburn, who has spent his career challenging conventional assumptions about what kinds of works have artistic merit, speaks eloquently about why popular art forms like film and television belong in the classroom. He explains that in his course 21L.011 The Film Experience, which he has taught at MIT for over 35 years, he strives to reframe classic works for modern audiences—with “classic works” in this context meaning everything from Charlie Chaplin comedies to Technicolor musicals, Hitchcock thrillers, and Japanese samurai movies. Professor Thorburn hopes that his lectures, which are available in full on MIT OpenCourseWare, will help as many students as possible to know how to enjoy the movies more richly, regardless of their intended major. In passing, he talks about topics as various as the usefulness of lectures as an educational technique, the difficulty of imagining a world without iPads, the universality of “All in the Family,” and his admiration for Claude Monet’s paintings of Rouen Cathedral.   Relevant Resources:MIT OpenCourseWareThe OCW Educator Portal Professor Thorburn’s course on OCWA profile of Professor ThorburnKnots, Professor Thorburn’s first book of poetryWikipedia article on Jean RenoirWikipedia article on Claude Monet’s cathedral paintingsMusic in this episode by Blue Dot SessionsConnect with UsIf you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you! On our siteOn FacebookOn TwitterOn InstagramStay CurrentSubscribe to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.

What would Shakespeare have made of today’s popular television shows? He might or might not like them, but he wouldn’t dismiss them simply because they’re popular. In this episode, Professor David Thorburn, who has spent his career challenging conventional assumptions about what kinds of works have artistic merit, speaks eloquently about why popular art forms like film and television belong in the classroom. He explains that in his course 21L.011 The Film Experience, which he has taught at MIT for over 35 years, he strives to reframe classic works for modern audiences—with “classic works” in this context meaning everything from Charlie Chaplin comedies to Technicolor musicals, Hitchcock thrillers, and Japanese samurai movies. Professor Thorburn hopes that his lectures, which are available in full on MIT OpenCourseWare, will help as many students as possible to know how to enjoy the movies more richly, regardless of their intended major. In passing, he talks about topics as various as the usefulness of lectures as an educational technique, the difficulty of imagining a world without iPads, the universality of “All in the Family,” and his admiration for Claude Monet’s paintings of Rouen Cathedral.   Relevant Resources:<a href="http://ocw.mit.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MIT OpenCourseWare</a><a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/educator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The OCW Educator Portal </a><a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/literature/21l-011-the-film-experience-fall-2013/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Professor Thorburn’s course on OCW</a><a href="https://lit.mit.edu/news/literature-profile-david-thorburn/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A profile of Professor Thorburn</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Knots-David-Thorburn/dp/1949966771/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H7UEYYN7DZWV&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=thorburn+knots&amp;qid=1586371042&amp;sprefix=thorburn+knots%2Caps%2C170&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Knots, Professor Thorburn’s first book of poetry</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Renoir" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia article on Jean Renoir</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen_Cathedral_(Monet_series)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia article on Claude Monet’s cathedral paintings</a><a href="http://www.sessions.blue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions</a>Connect with UsIf you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you! <a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/about/contactus/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On our site</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MITOCW/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Facebook</a><a href="https://twitter.com/MITOCW?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mitocw/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Instagram</a>Stay Current<a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/subscribe/index.htm?utm_source=header" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.

Film Is for Everyone with Prof. David Thorburn