Centred on the poet, art critic and curator Frank O'Hara, this course roams through visual art (inc. Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell), poetry (inc. O'Hara, Barbara Guest, John Ashbery, Amiri Baraka), music (inc. John Cage, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday), and depending on class interest, architecture and dance. No prior knowledge is assumed, but open-mindedness and a tolerance for perplexity will assist enjoyment. Those interested in more advanced investigation can be supported. Core materials will be accessible online. Frank O'Hara's Selected Poems (pref. edition edited by Mark Ford) would be good to browse in advance, as would the abstract expressionist paintings exhibited at Tate Modern. A short recommended reading list will be circulated.