‘I fell upon Shakespeare suddenly, and I was struck as though by lighting’. So wrote the nineteenth-century French composer Hector Berlioz in his Mémoires, reflecting on his first encounter with Hamlet, followed days later by Romeo and Juliet.
What he describes is not mere admiration but devastation: art experienced as shock, grief, and prolonged emotional disorientation. This opening lecture in the Case for Unhappiness series explores the paradox of tragedy—the pleasure found in the representation of suffering—and the enduring human attraction to stories that unsettle and wound us. From Ancient Greek drama to modern literature, music, and visual art, artists have repeatedly turned to pain as a source of beauty, truth, and insight.
Grounded in aesthetic theory, literary studies, and philosophy, this lively and accessible lecture—the first in the series, The Case for Unhappiness: Arts Against the Tyranny of Positivity—examines drama, fiction, and contemporary dance to explore why suffering remains central to artistic expression and emotional meaning. Designed for curious minds, no prior knowledge is required.
Select Pieces
- Antigone (Sophocles)
- King Lear (Shakespeare)
- The Awakening (Kate Chopin)
- Betroffenheit (Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young)
Lectures are offered independently, allowing attendees to register for individual sessions.
Lecture Format
Each 90-minute session is delivered online, beginning with a 50-minute lecture followed by a short break and a 30-minute Q&A and discussion moderated by an expert facilitator. Attendees’ microphones and cameras remain off during the lecture but are welcome during the Q&A for interactive discussion.
About the Lecturer
Dr. Julie Sutherland is a lecturer and published author with 25 years of experience researching and teaching the humanities and nearly a decade of experience in critical and applied humanities. She holds an MA and PhD in English Studies and Modern European Languages from the University of Durham (UK), and a BA (honours) degree in English and Drama. Dr. Sutherland draws on her lived experience at the intersection of oppression and privilege to explore the complex, often overlooked dimensions of ‘reading for well-being’, speaking on the topic internationally. An award-winning educator and entrepreneur, she is also recognized for her contributions to anti-racism initiatives.
Dr. Michelle DiMeo is VP of research and digital strategy and Arnold Thackray Director of the Othmer Library at the Science History Institute. She has held leadership roles in the cultural heritage sector for over 15 years and is the author of Lady Ranelagh: The Incomparable Life of Robert Boyle’s Sister (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Since 2025, she has served as associate editor of Endeavour, an international journal dedicated to the history and philosophy of science. She holds a PhD in English and History from the University of Warwick.
The Series
The Case for Unhappiness: Arts Against the Tyranny of Positivity
Lectures for curious minds
The Case for Unhappiness explores why art so persistently returns to suffering, failure, and dissatisfaction—and what these experiences reveal about meaning, value, and the human condition. Challenging the assumption that happiness, success, and emotional comfort are the highest goods, the lectures examine how literature, music, dance, and visual art confront pain not as something to be resolved, but as something to be understood. Drawing on aesthetic theory, philosophy, literary studies, and cultural history, The Case for Unhappiness invites participants to reconsider what art teaches us about living well in a world marked by loss, limitation, and moral pressure.
Lecture 1: Art that Breaks Us – Why stories of suffering endure
(Sun., May 3, 1-2:30 pm ET)
Lecture 2: The Poetics of Failure – How art rewrites meaning
(Sun. Sept. 27, 1-2:30 pm ET)
Lecture 3: Ode to Sorrow – Confronting the limits of happiness
(January 2027)