HBO’s ‘The Wire’ topic of class at Johns Hopkins

BALTIMORE – The former HBO series "The Wire" is the topic of a new class at Johns Hopkins University, in the city where the drama was based.

The class was introduced this semester and uses the Baltimore show as a way to look at the problems big cities in America face. Guest speakers have included former Baltimore commissioner Ed Norris, an actor on the show, and show creator David Simon.

The class was taught by Peter Beilenson (BEE'-lihn-suhn), an adjunct professor, and uses the 60 episodes of the show as a textbook. The series ran from 2002 to 2008.

For their midterm assignment, students visited and wrote about needle-exchange sites and juvenile justice centers. And for their final assignments students will write memos suggesting fixes to city problems.

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