Trips That Are Real Page-Turners

Programs such as “One Book, One Chicago” and “If All Seattle Read,” in which entire cities are encouraged to read the same piece of literature at the same time, have spread from coast to coast. From Providence, R.I., to Honolulu, cities have plans for their populations to take the time to read the same book.

Some groups of literary enthusiasts are taking their love a step further and devoting vacation time to opening their minds through study, thought and discussion. No Danielle Steel or fluffy “beach books” on these trips. Participants are more likely to delve into the classics, ancient (Homer’s “Odyssey”) and modern (Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”), or to join a lively discussion of the history of U.S. foreign policy.

This summer you have a range of brain-based vacations to choose from, and most options will cost less than a week at a crowded beach resort. Here are a few possibilities:

Each August, Colby College of Waterville, Maine, plays host to a Great Books Summer Institute, an intensive analysis of four outstanding books that participants have read before arrival. This year’s session is Aug. 4 to 10; the fee is $475 per person, single or double occupancy, including dormitory lodging and all meals (one of them a Maine lobster bake), tuition and books. This summer’s theme is “Live and Learn,” and it features works such as Shakespeare’s “Henry IV: Parts I and II” and “The Pupil,” by Henry James. For information, contact Colby Summer Institute, 824 Thomas Road, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-1107; (215) 836-2380, fax (215) 836-7158, www.dol.net/~greatbooks/colby.htm.

St. John’s College of Santa Fe, N.M., is a stalwart guardian of the classics. Small humanities seminars that trace the great writers and thinkers throughout history are required classes in all four undergraduate years. Each summer, St. John’s re-creates this intense seminar experience for visiting adults of all ages in its Summer Classics program, consisting of three one-week sessions in July and early August.

This summer there will be discussions of works by Virgil and Plato, as well as texts from the 20th century, such as William Faulkner’s “Go Down, Moses.” A week’s tuition is $800, which includes registration, books, lunches and some excursions. Room and full board at campus dorms cost $475 per week, or you could splurge and stay at a hotel in town. For information, contact Summer Classics, St. John’s College, 1160 Camino Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87505-4599; (505) 984-6104, fax (505) 984-6003, www.sjcsf.edu/classics/classic.htm.

Ann Kirkland attended three summer sessions of the St. John’s program and was so impressed that in 1998 she launched a similar Classical Pursuits program at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, where she is a resident professor.

The 2002 session is scheduled for July 7 to 13. Participants can choose one of 10 seminars, including Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” and Thomas Mann’s “Dr. Faustus.” Classes have 15 people maximum, so there is plenty of opportunity to voice your thoughts and to get to know classmates.

The program price for the week is about $635. That rate includes enrollment in one seminar, lunches, receptions and some excursions, but not lodging. For singles, the most affordable place to stay is on campus in single rooms with shared bath, for about $210 for the week; that price includes a hot breakfast every morning. If you want a private bathroom, try the Bay Bloor Executive Suites near campus, (800) 263-2811, fax (416) 968-7385, www.baybloorexec.com, where one or two people will pay about $395 for those six nights (or about $450 for a suite with separate bedroom). For more information about St. Michael’s Classical Pursuits program, contact St. Michael’s College, Continuing Education, 81 St. Mary St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1J4; (877) 633-2555, fax (416) 693-4157, www.utoronto.ca/classicalpursuits.

There are also shorter trips for people who can spare no more than a weekend to indulge their bookish side. The Great Books Foundation helps organize short, reasonably priced discussion seminars around the country every year. A late June program at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., costs as little as $160 for two nights’ accommodations, six meals, all your books and a Saturday-night social. Single-night “mini-retreats” are held at other locations on scattered dates. Look up the Great Books Foundation on the Web at www.greatbooks.org or call (800) 222-5870 to find out more.

Study vacations are not limited to literature. Many universities open their doors each summer to inquisitive minds of all kinds and ages. You’ll find one of the best summer programs in Ithaca, N.Y., at Cornell’s Adult University in July and August. In each of four one-week sessions, about 150 to 200 adults live on campus and attend a variety of classes, such as “Ethics in Modern Warfare,” “Introduction to Fly Fishing,” “Web Page Design Studio” and “The Wine Class.” The price is $960 or $1,020 per week, per adult based on double occupancy, including tuition and full room and board ($580 for tuition only). A range of children’s programs, from day care for infants to outdoor and educational programs for teenagers, is also available, priced from $366 to $526 per child. Contact Cornell’s Adult University, 626 Thurston Ave., Box W, Ithaca, NY 14850-2490; (607) 255-6260, fax (607) 254-4482, www.sce.cornell.edu/CAU.