Neal Vasishth

Awardee: Neal Vasishth

Institution: Shoreline Community College

Department/Discipline: English

Course Title: Storytelling across Asia: from Stone Carvings, to the Written Page, to the Cinema Screen

Description: Students explore a variety of narrative theories and discover the elements of narrative that transcend the medium. At the same time, students explore the unique characteristics and aesthetic of each medium. We explore the stories found in the key art forms of various Asian cultures: stone-carvings, paintings, manga, fiction, poetry, drama, and cinema. Special attention is paid to the contrast between stories represented by words and stories represented by images.

We examine the arts of many Asian countries, but focus mostly on India, Japan, and China. Much attention is paid to the philosophical, political, and historical background of the countries explored.  We examine the relationship between this background and the aesthetic of each country.