Service Description

From Victorian crime narratives to twentieth-century “nonfiction novels” and contemporary podcasts like Serial and In the Dark, true crime has become a pop culture phenomenon, yet this popular genre has a long history and deserves serious critical attention. In contrast to detective fiction, true crime stories investigate, narrativize, and even profit from real crimes affecting real people, raising a whole new set of ethical questions. As we read, discuss, and think with selected examples of true crime across a range of genres and media, we’ll investigate questions at the core of the true crime genre—and the societies that love it. What are the ethics of a genre that thrives on violence committed against real people? Where is the line between truth and fiction? How have the tropes and narratives of detective fiction informed the genre of true crime? How have new technologies changed the science of detection and the stories we tell about it? In investigating such questions, we’ll explore why true crime has become so culturally pervasive that even Saturday Night Live has satirized America’s obsession with “Murder Shows.” Designed for high school students seeking a taste of college, undergraduates looking to keep sharp in the summer, or adult learners keen to explore an interest, this course will simulate a college seminar. While there will be no formal assignments, participants will be encouraged to do short readings (or occasionally viewings or listenings) in between classes in order to get the most out of our discussions. SAVE MONEY WITH STUDENT POWER At learnallot.com, our student-powered pricing model makes it so that students can band together and lower the price of this service. See how much you could save in the chart below!