English course reveals Holocaust through literature

By Jamie Luchsinger

Death camps, genocide, mass murder and cyanide, usually associated with Nazi Germany, now will be discussed in detail at NIU.

English 360, “Literature of the Holocaust,” formerly an honors-program class, now is available to all NIU students.

Stephen Franklin will teach the class at Fremd High School in Palatine.

“The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is partly responsible for providing off-campus class opportunities for students in NIU’s service region,” Franklin said.

Franklin has taught literature classes in NIU’s English department for 18 years. In addition, he has lectured on the Holocaust for educational institutions, religious organizations and school districts.

“This literature can be disturbing because of its graphic representations,” Franklin said. However, by explaining how the Holocaust has been revealed through literature and how literature has been influenced by its events, Franklin hopes students will understand the immensity of the Holocaust in human history on a greater level.

The semester-long class will meet from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. on Mondays beginning Sept. 8. All bachelor of general studies (BGS) classes, such as English 360, begin the third week of the semester.

There are 35 seats available and enrolled students can earn three undergraduate credit hours.