• May 8, 2024
          Incite: Queer Writers Read – May
          May 16, 2024
          Slamlandia
          May 21, 2024
          Oregon Literary Fellowship Reading
          June 5, 2024
          One Page Wednesday: June
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James Cohn

James Cohn

Jim received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in French and German. After a Fulbright scholarship in Germany, he went on to complete an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from the University of Chicago under the direction of Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow. As a tenured professor at St. John’s College, he spent 15 years teaching the Great Books curriculum in Santa Fe. In 2006, Jim moved to British Columbia to help found and then lead Quest University Canada, a new liberal arts and sciences college. He has traveled extensively in Europe, and has been fortunate enough to study Russian in Moscow, and to have had Visiting Professor positions in Germany, Bhutan, and Hong Kong.

Twenty years ago, when living in Portland, Jim founded the Delve program with the Chairman of the Board and the Director of Literary Arts. He taught the first seminars in the pilot project, which has since flourished into the wonderful Portland institution it is today. He is delighted to return to Portland and to Delve.

Events, Classes, and Seminars

Our events, classes, and seminars bring the community together to hear, learn, and discuss the most compelling issues and ideas of our day. We hope you will join us in our downtown Literary Arts space, online, and at partnering venues across Portland and Oregon.

Sunday

Apr 16

Delve Readers Seminars   In-person   Spring 2023  

Introduction to Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past

Proust’s magnum opus is often considered to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. It richly repays the careful attention it demands, and becomes unforgettable. First-time readers, however, may find the style and size of the work daunting. This seminar is intended for participants who have always wanted to read Proust, but who would

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Sunday

Jul 30

Delve Readers Seminars   In-person  

Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past: Within a Budding Grove

Proust’s magnum opus is often considered to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. It richly repays the careful attention it demands, and becomes unforgettable. First-time readers, however, may find the style and size of the work daunting. This seminar is intended for participants who have always wanted to read Proust, but who would

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Sunday

Sep 24

Sunday

Jan 7

Delve Readers Seminars   In-person   Winter 2024  

Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past: The Guermantes way

Proust’s magnum opus is often considered to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. It richly repays the careful attention it demands, and becomes unforgettable. First-time readers, however, may find the style and size of the work daunting. This seminar is intended for participants who have always wanted to read Proust, but who would

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Wednesday

Jan 10

Delve Readers Seminars   In-person   Winter 2024  

Selling your Soul for Fun and Profit: Faustian Bargains

The Faust Legend takes up the question of selling your soul to the devil for magical success in this world. This Delve seminar looks at the legend in three famous instantiations: in the German chapbook, in Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy, and in Goethe’s iconic drama. We can trace these authors’ evolving view of evil, sin, the

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