In this course, students will be introduced to the history and practice of an enduring, stubbornly analog technology: letterpress printing. In letterpress, information isn't just something we download, and language isn't just something we read and write. Quite literally built out of metal and wood, texts produced by letterpress encourage a visual, sculptural, and tactile relationship to language and image. Throughout the course, we will consider how this insistently material technology and process dating back more than half a millennium bears upon our own experience of information in the 21st century. The course will involve three main modalities: a textual component (readings in historical and literary texts), an archival component (work in Special Collections with rare books), and a practical component (hands-on work in the Davidson letterpress lab). By the end of the course, students will have assembled a small portfolio of letterpress work (individual as well as group productions) representing their engagement with these three modalities over the duration of the course.
Students participating in July Experience take one morning class and one afternoon class each day, Monday through Friday. Classes meet for 90 minutes, with the possibility of additional laboratory sessions in selected courses. July Experience courses although taught with college-level rigor, do not carry any secondary school or college credit. This allows students to take risks and explore curriculum without the pressure of impacting his or her permanent record. Courses are graded on an Honors/Pass/Fail basis and a detailed written letter to parents/guardians is provided by each professor after the conclusion of the program. Students will have the opportunity to select their class preferences after they have been admitted to the program. To ensure small class sizes, students may be assigned second or third choices.
The total cost of July Experience 2019 is $4,000. Tuition covers the following areas: Room and board (all meals and self-service laundry), Textbook(s) for use during the duration of the program, and Scheduled activity costs/fees. Tuition does not include travel expenses and personal spending money.
Application process includes: online application, transcript, school profile, counselor recommendation form, teacher recommendation form, essay. Students must complete the Online Application in its entirety and submit it in one online session. Financial aid is available with the completion of an additional scholarship application.