William Faulkner will be focus of free online course

Southeast Missouri State University's Online Learning, in cooperation with the Center for Faulkner Studies, is offering Faulkner 101, an eight-week Massive Open Online Class open to everyone free of charge, a university news release said.

Led by Robert Hamblin, emeritus professor of English and founding director of the Faulkner Center, and assisted by Dr. Christopher Rieger, associate professor of English and director of the Center, the class will focus on the William Faulkner novels "As I Lay Dying," "The Sound and the Fury" and "Light in August."

Those interested may log on to http://mooc.semo.edu/login/index.php. On the website, participants may view video lectures and discussions by Hamblin and Rieger, as well as helpful hints on reading Faulkner and study guides to the three novels, the release said.

A video tour of Faulkner's hometown of Oxford, Miss., and an interview with the scholars who lead the annual "Teaching Faulkner" sessions at the University of Mississippi are available, the release said.

Participants may interact by posting comments and asking questions on the class' email forum, the release said.