Radically Retold: Fiction as a Tool for Radical Imagination
Young folks and adults alike may enjoy escaping into fictional worlds. Books, TV, and movies give us a way to envision worlds much unlike our own. But what would happen if instead of viewing media as an escape, we began to understand the power of fiction to increase buy-in for visions of a radical future? In this 2-week course, students will explore the power of fiction to solve our collective “imagination problem,” using NBC’s The Good Place—the first & only prime time comedy about prison abolition—as a launchpad.
In-depth Course Overview:
We will spend our time together deepening our understanding of the role of fiction in shaping how we view our world and in imagining new ones. In our first two sessions, we will build a creative community as we share personal experiences of fiction—why do we enjoy it? What does fiction do? What do we think our favorite authors are trying to say about the world around us? For the rest of the week, we’ll learn key frameworks that help us critically analyze fiction, practicing with brief excerpts from speculative fiction in TV, books, movies, and more. We’ll then put our frameworks to the ultimate test: by reading and viewing snippets of NBC’s The Good Place, analyzing the philosophical ideas the show draws from, and discussing together what it might look to apply the show’s teachings to the real world. During the final leg of the course, students will be invited to create their own speculative fiction—the purpose of which is to imagine new and better worlds—considering content, aesthetics, lessons, inspiration, and more. On the final day, each student will have the opportunity to present their project to the class and in doing so, discuss their visions for the future.
Why The Good Place? The Good Place is the First & Only Prime Time Comedy about Prison Abolition
As our communities struggle to contend with the attacks of ICE on migrants and the ongoing police violence against BIPOC and low-income communities, the majority of mainstream media continues to uphold the false narrative that the current criminal punishment system can ever achieve justice. Now, more than ever, it is important that young folks build critical collective consciousness about the harm caused by carceral systems. As a lighthearted sitcom, The Good Place artfully helps young audiences explore these concepts with age-appropriate, engaging, and relatable examples.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
Analyze works of fiction to both understand the author’s intended message and the role of fiction in developing revolutionary ideas
Deepen their understanding of present day abolitionist frameworks through engaging with a variety of media about the subject including pop culture, online news articles, and Youtube videos
Develop speculative fiction that makes clear arguments for the world they want to live in, inspired by the techniques of creators past and present
