Course Prospectus

Symposium Great Books Institute > Course Prospectus

Slow Reading Seminar Prospectus

For a look at our enticing free seminars, click here

2025

Quarter 2: April-June

On the Shoulders of Giants: Euclid’s Elements (January-May)
Benchmark Reading
Mondays + Thursdays 12pm EST

Arc of Modernity: Lorca, Poet in New York (New – 12 weeks)
Benchmark Reading
Tuesdays, 3pm EST

Don Quixote de la Mancha (New – 24 + weeks)
Benchmark Reading
Arc of Modernity with the Great Books of Iberia
Tuesdays 8pm EST

Homer’s Odyssey (Continuing from Q1)
Benchmark Reading
Tuesdays 8pm EST

Shakespeare, Richard II
Benchmark Reading
Wednesdays 2pm EST

Dante’s Divine Comedy: Purgatorio (Continuing from Q1)
Benchmark Reading
Wednesdays 8pm EST

Roots of the Socratic Ethical Tradition: Xenophon’s Memorabilia

(New – 24 Weeks) Benchmark Reading
Wednesdays 8pm EST OR Sunday 9am EST

Aristotle, Politics (Continuing from Q1)
Walking pace slow reading
Thursdays 2pm EST

The Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Continuing from Q1)
Benchmark Reading, 28 weeks
Thursdays, 8 pm EST

Euclid Elements (Books 8-10) (Continuing from Q1)
Walking pace slow reading
Thursdays, 8 pm EST

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (Continuing from Q1)
Walking pace slow reading
Fridays 2 pm EST

Xenophon and Homer in ancient Greek, alternate Sunday evenings

Reading Vergil and Livy in Latin, alternating Monday evenings

Quarter 3: July-September

Euclid, Optics (New)

Benchmark Reading
Mondays 12pm EST – June 23 – August 11, 2025

Don Quixote de la Mancha (Continuing from Q2)
Benchmark Reading
Arc of Modernity with the Great Books of Iberia
Tuesdays 8pm EST

Stories for Our Moment: Euripedes, Bacchae

Walking pace reading, 3 sessions

Wednesday, September 8th through 22nd

Dante’s Divine Comedy: Purgatorio (Continuing from Q2)

Benchmark Reading,
Wednesdays 8pm EST

Roots of the Socratic Ethical Tradition: Xenophon’s Memorabilia

(Concluding in Q3)

Benchmark Reading
Sunday 9am EST

Aristotle, Politics (Continuing from Q2)

Walking pace slow reading
Thursdays 2pm EST

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (Continuing from Q2)

Walking pace slow reading
Fridays 2 pm EST

Xenophon and Homer in ancient Greek, alternate Sunday evenings

Reading Vergil and Livy in Latin, alternating Monday evenings

Quarter 4: October-December

Archimedes, On Spheres and Cylinders; Floating Bodies (New)

Benchmark Reading
Mondays + Thursdays 12pm EST

J.S. Bach “St. Matthew’s Passion” (New)

Benchmark Listening, 2 Quarters, Tuesdays, 12pm EST

Borges (New)

Benchmark Reading, 1 Quarter, Tuesdays, 3pm EST

Don Quixote de la Mancha (Concluding Q4)
Benchmark Reading
Arc of Modernity with the Great Books of Iberia
Tuesdays 8pm EST

Aristotle, Physics (New)
Walking pace reading
Wednesdays, 2pm EST

Divine Comedy: Purgatorio (Continuing from Q3)

Benchmark Reading
Wednesdays 8pm EST

Aristotle, Politics (Continuing from Q3)

Walking pace slow reading
Thursdays 2pm EST

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (Continuing from Q3)

Walking pace slow reading
Fridays 2 pm EST

Xenophon and Homer in ancient Greek, alternate Sunday evenings

Reading Vergil and Livy in Latin, alternating Monday evenings

Subscribe to Slow Reading Pathways

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Slow Reading Subscription(Required)

Which Pathway or Pathways would you like to join?

Total

“I have really enjoyed the insights of others in the group AND the chance to really come to appreciate and better understand the works. You could tackle Shakespeare on your own but… why? With the slow-reading pathway “team approach” you gain so much more understanding through multiple minds at work; sharing insights, asking one another to explain their ideas, hearing your own vague thoughts put concisely into to words by another member, and giving one another positive feedback. And really, it is much more fun this way!!”

~Dawn Smith

“I’ve been participating in conversational reading seminars for nearly 30 years, I’ve been leading seminars in different contexts for about the past 20. Even so, there is a great benefit to Symposium Great Books Institute. Often seminars become a place where different people voice their queries and opinions, such that the conversation becomes disjointed, a kind of usually polite cacophony. At Symposium on Zoom generally seminars find their own fruitful pathways together, and everyone contributes to a common, real, sustained conversation. I attribute this to a combination of three factors: the inexhaustible richness and profundity of our readings, the skills of our facilitators, and the calibre of our participants.”

~ Reynaldo Miranda, Seminar Archon

Slow reading case study: Jim Rice

The slow reading program complements other learning ventures. David Saussy discusses slow reading with long time participant Jim Rice about his experiences at Symposium Great Books Institute.