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California

Annual Dickens Universe: A Conference of 19th Century Literature

Program No. 4650RJ
Immerse yourself in the world of 19th-Century literature and learn about the authors through lectures, group discussions, and Victorian events at the annual Dickens Universe.

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itinerary
Please Note:
The itinerary for this program is different on certain dates.
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jul 23 - Jul 29, 2023
Starting at
1,299
Itinerary Note

42nd Annual Dickens Universe will feature 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jul 23 - Jul 29, 2023
Starting at
1,399
Itinerary Note

42nd Annual Dickens Universe will feature 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

At a Glance

The Dickens Universe is an annual gathering of scholars, teachers, and members of the general public who share a love of Dickens’s novels and his era. The festive week-long program includes lectures by distinguished scholars, small seminars, films, teas, and Victorian dancing. Enrollment is limited. Register early!
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to a mile or more each day on a hilly terrain between apartment, dining facilities and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining and lecture halls are all accessible via ramps or elevators. The apartments are not equipped with elevators.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Explore the novel in small discussion groups and lectures by distinguished international faculty.
  • Enjoy afternoon tea served by the Friends of the Dickens Project.
  • Immerse yourself in the world of Dickens at a grand party and an evening of Victorian dancing.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon, a retired children’s librarian from New York City Public Schools, moved to Santa Cruz in 1992. He has been active in educational work his whole adult life and earned a graduate degree from Pratt Institute in Library Science. In Santa Cruz, in addition to being on the board of the Friends of the Dickens Project, Mark is also a very active board member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UC Santa Cruz. He is married with two daughters and three grandchildren.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of John Jordan
John O. Jordan View biography
John Jordan is a research professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the director of The Dickens Project. His primary research interests include Victorian literature and culture, Charles Dickens and narrative theory. John is the author of "Supposing Bleak House" and co-editor, with Robert Patten and Catherine Waters, of the "Oxford Handbook of Charles Dickens."
Profile Image of Jason Rudy
Jason Rudy View biography
Jason Rudy is an associate professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park. A member of the Historical Poets Working Group, Jason’s research focuses on English nineteenth-century literature and its circulation around the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Most recently, Jason has authored “Imagined Homelands: British Poetry in the Colonies" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017) which studies poetry written in colonial spaces by British emigrants.
Profile Image of Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon View biography
Mark Gordon, a retired children’s librarian from New York City Public Schools, moved to Santa Cruz in 1992. He has been active in educational work his whole adult life and earned a graduate degree from Pratt Institute in Library Science. In Santa Cruz, in addition to being on the board of the Friends of the Dickens Project, Mark is also a very active board member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UC Santa Cruz. He is married with two daughters and three grandchildren.
Profile Image of Tricia Lootens
Tricia Lootens View biography
Tricia Lootens is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of English. The author of 'Political Poetess: Victorian Femininity, Race, and the Legacy of Separate Spheres,' (Princeton, 2017), Lootens strongly supports current moves toward "undisciplining Victorian Studies." Transatlantic explorations of nineteenth-century poetry's racialized relations to larger cultural fantasies of patriotism, nationalism, femininity, and race, have shaped her work and have more recently expanded to encompass trans-imperial studies.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens, edited by Richard Maxwell
We recommend the most recent Penguin Classics edition so that everyone can be “on the same page,” but if you already have an edition you enjoy, please bring that.
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7 days
6 nights
17 meals
6 B 5 L 6 D
DAY
1
Registration, RS event, dinner. Evening lecture, then film.
Santa Cruz, CA
D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Registration at College Nine and Lewis College. Temporary parking is available for registration, and then your car must be moved to a Conference lot. Assistance is available for those needing help with luggage. Apartments do not have elevators. The Dickens Universe is different in that you will attend a conference that includes other members of the general public, academics, and students from UCSC. We don't set you apart as a group; you attend the other participants' activities.

Afternoon: Registration & Apartment Check-in: 2:00-5:00 PM. Temporary parking is available for registration, but if you drive to campus, cars must be moved to a conference parking lot. Assistance will be available for those who need help with luggage. Please note that most apartments do not have elevators. During registration, we will disseminate name badges and conference programs and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:15-6:00 PM. The Group Leader and Program Manager will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, and emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID protocols and adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. All meals are cafeteria-style at the nearby Dining Hall. Menu items change daily, but there is always a variety of vegetarian items, including a salad bar. There is also the ever-popular soft-serve ice cream. We share the dining hall with other summer programs, so it is essential to stick to the meal times and not arrive early or stay late.

Evening: Post-Prandial Potations (refreshments): 7:00-7:45 PM. Join us for after-dinner beverages and to get to know the other conference participants. Mingle with academics, the general public, and students from around the world. Opening Lecture: 7:45-9:00 PM. The Opening Lecture generally sets the stage for the entire week. Additional information about the conference format will be provided during at the start of this event. At Leisure: 9:00 PM-On -OR- Film Screening [Elective]: 9:15-10:45 PM. For the first four nights of the conference, there will be evening film screenings. The films will relate to the text or the era and may provide additional context about the novel.

DAY
2
Full Day of Lectures, Sale, Evening Lecture, Film Screening
Santa Cruz, CA
B,L,D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartment buildings, dining facilities, and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining, and lecture halls are accessible via ramps or elevators. The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly and built on an incline, with stairs and ramps to navigate between buildings.

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. Morning Coffee and Tea Service: 8:15-10:15 AM.

Morning: Faculty-led Contextual Discussion Groups: 9:00-10:00 AM. Faculty members from a Dickens Project Consortium university or college will provide additional context about the novel in a small group setting. Plenary Lecture: 10:15-11:30 AM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. Graduate Student-led Workshop on the Novel: 11:45-12:45 PM. A pair of graduate students from Dickens Project Consortium universities or colleges will lead workshops on the novel. These workshops offer the graduate student pairs with valuable teaching experience in a small group setting. They may include different areas of their own research as it relates to the novel or time period, and introduction to a variety of literary theories.

Lunch: Lunch: 1:00-1:45 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Afternoon: Dickensian Seminars [Elective]: 2:00-3:00 PM. Can't get enough? Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members (current and former high school teachers) facilitate two small groups, including Community College instructors and others, who want a more in-depth discussion of the novel and the lectures. If you have more to say or want to move to another level, the Dickensian Seminar is the place for you. Repeat Film Screening [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. Repeat of Sunday night’s screening. Victorian Tea: 3:00-3:45 PM. Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members present afternoon tea service Monday-Thursday afternoons. Connect with other conference participants while enjoying hot tea and cold tea punch, home-baked cookies and fresh fruit. Talk: 4:00-5:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present a talk about a topic that focuses on the Victorian era and may be adjacent to the novel. Victorian Dance Lesson [Elective]: 5:15-6:16 PM. On Monday-Friday afternoons, longtime Dickens Universe conference participant/dance instructor will introduce Victorian and English dances. Attend each day or drop in as you’d like to prepare for the Victorian Ball on Friday night.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Evening: Post-Prandial Potations, T-shirt and Book Sale: 7:00-7:45 PM. Join us for after-dinner beverages and to get to know the other conference participants. Mingle with academics, the general public, and students from around the world. Lecture: 7:45-9:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. At Leisure: 9:00 PM-On -OR- Film Screening [Elective]: 9:15-10:45 PM. For the first four nights of the conference, there will be evening film screenings. The films will relate to the text or the era and may provide additional context about the novel.

DAY
3
Full Day of Lectures, Sale, Evening Lecture, Film Screening
Santa Cruz, CA
B,L,D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartment buildings, dining facilities, and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining, and lecture halls are accessible via ramps or elevators. The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly and built on an incline, with stairs and ramps to navigate between buildings.

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. Morning Coffee and Tea Service: 8:15-10:15 AM.

Morning: Faculty-led Contextual Discussion Groups: 9:00-10:00 AM. Faculty members from a Dickens Project Consortium university or college will provide additional context about the novel in a small group setting. Plenary Lecture: 10:15-11:30 AM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. Graduate Student-led Workshop on the Novel: 11:45-12:45 PM. A pair of graduate students from Dickens Project Consortium universities or colleges will lead workshops on the novel. These workshops offer the graduate student pairs with valuable teaching experience in a small group setting. They may include different areas of their own research as it relates to the novel or time period, and introduction to a variety of literary theories.

Lunch: Lunch: 1:00-1:45 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Afternoon: Dickensian Seminars [Elective]: 2:00-3:00 PM. Can't get enough? Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members (current and former high school teachers) facilitate two small groups, including Community College instructors and others, who want a more in-depth discussion of the novel and the lectures. If you have more to say or want to move to another level, the Dickensian Seminar is the place for you. Repeat Film Screening [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. Repeat of Monday night’s screening. Field Trip [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. A field trip led by a local expert will further enhance and enrich our day’s experience. Victorian Tea: 3:00-3:45 PM. Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members present afternoon tea service Monday-Thursday afternoons. Connect with other conference participants while enjoying hot tea and cold tea punch, home-baked cookies and fresh fruit. Talk: 4:00-5:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present a talk about a topic that focuses on the Victorian era and may be adjacent to the novel. Victorian Dance Lesson [Elective]: 5:15-6:16 PM. On Monday-Friday afternoons, longtime Dickens Universe conference participant/dance instructor will introduce Victorian and English dances. Attend each day or drop in as you’d like to prepare for the Victorian Ball on Friday night.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Evening: Post-Prandial Potations, T-shirt and Book Sale: 7:00-7:45 PM. Join us for after-dinner beverages and to get to know the other conference participants. Mingle with academics, the general public, and students from around the world. Lecture: 7:45-9:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. At Leisure: 9:00 PM-On -OR- Film Screening [Elective]: 9:15-10:45 PM. For the first four nights of the conference, there will be evening film screenings. The films will relate to the text or the era and may provide additional context about the novel.

DAY
4
No Evening Lecture, Early Film Screening
Santa Cruz, CA
B,L,D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartment buildings, dining facilities, and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining, and lecture halls are accessible via ramps or elevators. The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly and built on an incline, with stairs and ramps to navigate between buildings. Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartments, dining facilities, and lecture rooms.

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. Morning Coffee and Tea Service: 8:15-10:15 AM.

Morning: Faculty-led Contextual Discussion Groups: 9:00-10:00 AM. Faculty members from a Dickens Project Consortium university or college will provide additional context about the novel in a small group setting. Plenary Lecture: 10:15-11:30 AM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. Graduate Student-led Workshop on the Novel: 11:45-12:45 PM. A pair of graduate students from Dickens Project Consortium universities or colleges will lead workshops on the novel. These workshops offer the graduate student pairs with valuable teaching experience in a small group setting. They may include different areas of their own research as it relates to the novel or time period, and introduction to a variety of literary theories.

Lunch: Lunch: 1:00-1:45 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Afternoon: Dickensian Seminars [Elective]: 2:00-3:00 PM. Can't get enough? Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members (current and former high school teachers) facilitate two small groups, including Community College instructors and others, who want a more in-depth discussion of the novel and the lectures. If you have more to say or want to move to another level, the Dickensian Seminar is the place for you. Repeat Film Screening [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. Repeat of Tuesday night’s screening. Field Trip [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. A field trip led by a local expert will further enhance and enrich our day’s experience. Victorian Tea: 3:00-3:45 PM. Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members present afternoon tea service Monday-Thursday afternoons. Connect with other conference participants while enjoying hot tea and cold tea punch, home-baked cookies and fresh fruit. Talk: 4:00-5:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present a talk about a topic that focuses on the Victorian era and may be adjacent to the novel. Victorian Dance Lesson [Elective]: 5:15-6:16 PM. On Monday-Friday afternoons, longtime Dickens Universe conference participant/dance instructor will introduce Victorian and English dances. Attend each day or drop in as you’d like to prepare for the Victorian Ball on Friday night.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Evening: At Leisure: 7:15 PM-On -OR- Early Film Screening [Elective]: 7:15-9:00 PM. For the first four nights of the conference, there will be evening film screenings. The films will relate to the text or the era and may provide additional context about the novel.

DAY
5
Last Day Afternoon Tea, Evening Entertainment, Grand Party
Santa Cruz, CA
B,L,D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartment buildings, dining facilities, and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining, and lecture halls are accessible via ramps or elevators. The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly and built on an incline, with stairs and ramps to navigate between buildings.

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. Morning Coffee and Tea Service: 8:15-10:15 AM.

Morning: Faculty-led Contextual Discussion Groups: 9:00-10:00 AM. Faculty members from a Dickens Project Consortium university or college will provide additional context about the novel in a small group setting. Plenary Lecture: 10:15-11:30 AM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. Graduate Student-led Workshop on the Novel: 11:45-12:45 PM. A pair of graduate students from Dickens Project Consortium universities or colleges will lead workshops on the novel. These workshops offer the graduate student pairs with valuable teaching experience in a small group setting. They may include different areas of their own research as it relates to the novel or time period, and introduction to a variety of literary theories.

Lunch: Lunch: 1:00-1:45 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Afternoon: Dickensian Seminars [Elective]: 2:00-3:00 PM. Can't get enough? Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members (current and former high school teachers) facilitate two small groups, including Community College instructors and others, who want a more in-depth discussion of the novel and the lectures. If you have more to say or want to move to another level, the Dickensian Seminar is the place for you. Repeat Film Screening [Elective]: 2:00-4:00 PM. Repeat of Wednesday night’s screening. Victorian Tea: 3:00-3:45 PM. Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members present afternoon tea service Monday-Thursday afternoons. Connect with other conference participants while enjoying hot tea and cold tea punch, home-baked cookies and fresh fruit. Talk: 4:00-5:00 PM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present a talk about a topic that focuses on the Victorian era and may be adjacent to the novel. Victorian Dance Lesson [Elective]: 5:15-6:16 PM. On Monday-Friday afternoons, longtime Dickens Universe conference participant/dance instructor will introduce Victorian and English dances. Attend each day or drop in as you’d like to prepare for the Victorian Ball on Friday night.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Evening: Post-Prandial Potations, T-shirt and Book Sale: 7:00-7:45 PM. Join us for after-dinner beverages and to get to know the other conference participants. Mingle with academics, the general public, and students from around the world. Entertainment: 7:45-9:00 PM. Our program was planned far in advance when details of the performance were not available. When confirmed, the information will be posted on the Road Scholar website under this program number and will also be included in the preparatory materials sent following enrollment. Grand Party: 9:00-10:30 PM. The Friends of the Dickens Project will host a dessert party featuring home-baked pies, cakes, and a plethora of cheeses, crackers, nuts, and other tasty treats. Beer and wine are also served. This is a great time to connect with fellow conference attendees.

DAY
6
Usual morning activities, Auction, and Victorian Dance
Santa Cruz, CA
B,L,D
College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartments

Activity note: Walking up to a mile around campus throughout the day between apartment buildings, dining facilities, and lecture rooms. Classrooms, dining, and lecture halls are accessible via ramps or elevators. The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly and built on an incline, with stairs and ramps to navigate between buildings. Dancing (optional) at this evening's Victorian Dance.

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. Morning Coffee and Tea Service: 8:15-10:15 AM.

Morning: Faculty-led Contextual Discussion Groups: 9:00-10:00 AM. Faculty members from a Dickens Project Consortium university or college will provide additional context about the novel in a small group setting. Plenary Lecture: 10:15-11:30 AM. A Dickens Project Consortium faculty member or guest faculty member will present an academic lecture about an aspect of the novel that is also the subject of their research. Graduate Student-led Workshop on the Novel: 11:45-12:45 PM. A pair of graduate students from Dickens Project Consortium universities or colleges will lead workshops on the novel. These workshops offer the graduate student pairs with valuable teaching experience in a small group setting. They may include different areas of their own research as it relates to the novel or time period, and introduction to a variety of literary theories.

Lunch: Road Scholar Luncheon: 1:00-1:45 PM. This is a special catered lunch for Road Scholars to enjoy each other’s company. Share favorite experiences and enjoy the camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell lunch.

Afternoon: Dickensian Seminars [Elective]: 2:00-3:00 PM. Can't get enough? Friends of the Dickens Project Board Members (current and former high school teachers) facilitate two small groups, including Community College instructors and others, who want a more in-depth discussion of the novel and the lectures. If you have more to say or want to move to another level, the Dickensian Seminar is the place for you. Fireside Chat with John O. Jordan (UC Santa Cruz) and Renée Fox (UC Santa Cruz): 4:00-5:00 PM. Hear stories from past Dickens Universe events, learn about the Dickens Project, discuss current programs and future plans, and ask the Project’s Co-Directors questions. Victorian Dance Lesson [Elective]: 5:15-6:16 PM. On Monday-Friday afternoons, longtime Dickens Universe conference participant/dance instructor will introduce Victorian and English dances. Attend each day or drop in as you’d like to prepare for the Victorian Ball on Friday night.

Dinner: Dinner: 6:15-7:00 PM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall.

Evening: Post-Prandial Potations, T-shirt and Book Sale: 7:00-7:45 PM. Join us for after-dinner beverages and to get to know the other conference participants. Mingle with academics, the general public, and students from around the world. Friends of the Dickens Project Fundraising Auction: 7:45-8:30 PM. Join fellow Universe participants for friendly bidding on Dickens, and ‘A Tale of Two Cities’-related items. When you give to the Friends of the Dickens Project, you are helping to sustain the very future of the Dickens Project. Your contribution goes beyond helping to bring world-renowned speakers to the Dickens Universe each summer who would not otherwise be able to attend. It ensures that the Project can continue its important outreach to high schools and community college teachers. The auction concludes with the announcement of the 2024 Dickens Universe novel. Copies will be available for sale. Victorian Ball: 8:30-11:00 PM. The final night of the Dickens Universe ends with Victorian Dancing to a live band. Our dance mistress will lead the festive event and offer beginner-friendly instruction to dance the night away. Costumes are welcome, but not required.

DAY
7
Departures After Breakfast
Santa Cruz, CA
B

Breakfast: Breakfast: 8:00-8:45 AM. The meal is served cafeteria-style at the dining hall. This concludes our program.






Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.