Discussions focusing on the theme of “Mirth, Merriment, and Mockery” held monthly from September through May, are offered online and in-person in Annapolis, MD., Santa Fe, NM, and Washington, D.C.

Annapolis, MD/Santa Fe, NM [June 4, 2024] — St. John’s College today announced that registration is open for the Year of Classics seminar series. Year of Classics is a nine-month journey online or in-person in Annapolis, Washington and – for the first time – in Santa Fe – with fellow lovers of intellectual inquiry. Together they examine great works inspired by the ideals and curriculum of the St. John’s College program, based on the premise that the “books are the most important teachers.” The seminars, led by faculty, begin with an opening question and move into a respectful, cooperative dialogue among participants. Participants invariably find that discussion with others offers surprising new insights and deepens the reading they did on their own.

“Year of Classics is an opportunity for anyone to explore the fundamental and perennial questions we ponder daily at St. John’s,” says St. John’s College faculty member Michael Dink, who will be leading the sessions in Washington, D.C.

Past participant Amanda Leath added, “A once a month dose of intellectual discussion, providing a unique opportunity to learn and study with others.”

Seminars will explore the theme of “Mirth, Merriment and Mockery,” and include readings from such authors as Aristophanes, Chaucer, Molière, Chekhov and Twain. The full reading list is here.

Year of Classics seminars meet monthly from September through May online, at times convenient for those across various time zones, or in person on the St. John’s College Annapolis campus, the college’s Santa Fe campus or at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Tuition ranges from $850 to $1,450 for nine seminars, and generous tuition discounts are available for K-12 educators. For more information and to register, visit sjc.edu/year-classics.

In addition to Year of Classics, St. John’s offers a slate of non-degreed seminars that are open to the public. Each July, participants come together online or in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for weeklong seminars at Summer Classics. To learn more or to register for one of the remaining spaces, visit sjc.edu/summer-classics. Later in the year, Winter Classics provides an opportunity for weeklong seminars online. Registration for Winter Classics will open in November 2024.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE

St. John’s College is the most distinctive liberal arts college in the country due to our interdisciplinary program, in which 200 of the most revolutionary great books from across 3,000 years of human thought are explored in student-driven, discussion-based classes for undergraduates, graduates, and lifelong adult learners. By probing world-changing ideas in literature, philosophy, mathematics, science, music, history, and more, students leave St. John’s with a foundation for success in such fields as law, government, research, STEM, media, and education. Located on two campuses in two historic state capitals—Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico—St. John’s is the third-oldest college in the United States and has been hailed as the “most forward-thinking, future-proof college in America” by Quartz and as a “high-achieving angel hovering over the landscape of American higher education” by the Los Angeles Times. Learn more at sjc.edu.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sara Luell, Senior Director of Communications and Operations, Annapolis Campus, sara.luell(at)sjc.edu

Frank O’Mahony, Santa Fe Campus, fomahony(at)sjc.edu