TheWriter as Witness
Prague, Czech Republic

Spring semester: 2009

Naropa University's study abroad program in Prague joins contemplative education and 21st-century global citizenship. We approach international education from a wide perspective—one that brings together intellect, intuitive insight, the vividness of the senses and a willingness to explore with mind and heart together.

The program asks students to take on writing as their daily contemplative practice. What does it mean to make writing a daily practice? What does it mean to commit and recommit to the page every day?

The 15 to 16 credit Naropa University program in Prague offers a unique opportunity to explore Czech culture through writing and poetics. Students are academically immersed in the history, culture, politics and language of the Czech Republic.

Prague is a lively, international center for poetry and the arts. Like Paris in the 1920s, it is a place where young artists, writers and musicians gather.

Naropa University’s Kerouac School has a history of promoting social change through active artistry. The Czech Republic’s recent history of social and political struggle, and the role of artists in that struggle, make it an ideal location for this creative writing program and an exciting place for any young artist.

Vaclav Havel, one of the most celebrated Czech playwrights, was central to the Velvet Revolution and became the first President of the Czech Lands after the fall of Communism. In exploring the theme of “The Writer As Witness,” we’ll immerse ourselves in the intersection of politics and art and take up the banner of Shelley in his claim that “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”

At the center of the Prague program students engage in an ongoing writing workshop, designed to heighten their awareness of themselves and their surroundings through an exploration of poetics. Students also study travel writing, literature, culture, and the history and lore of the region, as well as Czech language.

After an initial orientation period covering academic and intercultural issues, students begin the core classes. In addition to academic coursework, there are opportunities for students to engage with the local culture through independent study, class trips to Vienna, Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, and Kutna Hora.

Admissions are open for the spring 2009 program in Prague. Please click here to access the study abroad application.

See also:

Course Descriptions