What is a renegade—a rogue or rebel? An outsider or pioneer? In this course, we will explore the role of the renegade in arts, literature, history, and more from the emergence of Jazz to the modern tale of Timothy Treadwell as told in Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man. Our studies will focus on how renegades challenged the status quo and pushed for change. In particular, we will examine how people throughout centuries and across geography portray and celebrate, or deride, the diversity and dynamism of those that forged their own, new paths, in whatever situation they found themselves—some more ideal than others. We’ll discuss renegades who have reached “success,” and also study those that have met worse fates, perhaps due to their boundary pushing. We will examine renegades who went against the grain for all different purposes, and in varied ways—from the forceful to the quiet. And, we will explore how context works to shape our perception of who is “bad” or “good” in their rebellion. Through our critical written and oral examinations of renegades, we will be able to articulate aspects of our own desires to buck the system.