All artists use light strategically to achieve specific goals. But how does the visual language of Turner, Hopper, and Wyeth make them stand out from the others? JMW Turner is known for capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere in his paintings to...
Courses
A Guided Tour Through James Joyce’s Ulysses – Part 2
James Joyce’s Ulysses is widely celebrated as one of the great masterpieces of Twentieth Century literature. Its indelible characters, epic themes, intimate realism, imaginative style, poetic prose, and unparalleled literary connections present a unique reading...
2019-2025-2031, Then—Now—Next [Waitlist Only]
In the fall of 2019, as the LLAIC courses were switching to all Zoom, I gave a course entitled Brave New World Unvisited. It was a course that attempted to capture the new technologies of the time, and to predict what would be happening five years from then — which...
Clean Energy, Nuclear Energy, and our Failing Electric Grid
This topic is in the news every week, and it affects each one of us: our electric supply. We have all seen our electric bills go up! Despite the investment of billions of dollars on wind and solar energy, blackouts are becoming more frequent. Massachusetts is...
The Old Way: Life Lessons from African Bushman Living Outside the Modern World
The class will read and discuss the book, The Old Way by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, who chronicles the life of the Bushmen of the Kalahari shortly before they were forced to abandon a lifestyle like those of the hunter-gathers of 100,000 years ago. She gives a vivid...
Art of the Northern Renaissance
The Northern Renaissance (c. 1400 - 1600) developed in present day Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Major changes were taking place on the economic, social, political and religious fronts. Wealthy merchants became patrons...
Great Decisions: U.S. Foreign Policy
This is a course on current U.S. foreign policy issues. The topics and readings are prepared by The Foreign Policy Association (FPA.org). Class members will purchase a briefing book from FPA and will read the selection for each week’s topic. The reading will be...
Reverberations: Vietnam through Literature and History
Witness the Vietnam War through the eyes of those who lived it—and those who barely survived it. This course plunges you into three searing accounts that strip away the politics and expose the raw human cost: Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, where every item a...
Part 2 of Mystery Fiction Goes to Court: Legal Dramas in Books & Film
This is a different course from Part 1, which we offered in the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 sessions, but it is a repeat of the Fall 2025 course. There were too many great books and movies about legal matters for one class so we decided to offer two different courses....
Great Directors of Classic Hollywood Cinema: John Houston
John Huston was an actor, screenwriter, and director, who over a 45-year career starting as a screenwriter in the beginning days of talking pictures in 1925, directed 37 films, his first in 1941, most of which he wrote. He had a great respect for literature and many...
Jane Austen: First and Last
This class will focus on the first and last books that Jane Austen wrote, one when she was quite young and still practicing the literary satire that made up the bulk of her juvenalia, one when she was middle-aged and quite aware of her approaching death. Both were...
A Primer on Prime Numbers
The ancient Greeks studied prime numbers. Since that era, we have learned interesting facts and characteristics of primes. Nevertheless, there are still open questions about primes that haven’t been answered. Also, why are prime numbers important and relevant in...
Prominent Female Leaders of the 20th Century
This course will be devoted to female leaders of the 20th century who shaped modern history across political, cultural, and religious landscapes. We will focus on six pioneering figures from diverse backgrounds and analyze their leadership styles during pivotal...
Democracy at Risk
Democracies can die as a result of a violent coup, but sometimes they die after an authoritarian leader comes to power and gradually takes control of the potential sources of opposition: the legislature, courts, and the media. This transformation has occurred in...
Puccini’s Heroines—Not All Wind Up Dead! [Waitlist Only]
Puccini’s operas are a staple of the opera repertory, and all have as a central figure a heroine—a soprano who often, but not always, has a tragic death. This course will look at five of his memorable leading ladies, from La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La...
The Way We Were: A Retrospective on the Films of Diane Keaton
In reflecting on the recent passing of Diane Keaton, I was struck with the range and breadth of her films, despite the reputation she had by some as an “airhead actress.” This class will be the opportunity to do an in-depth viewing of five films by Diane Keaton,...
The Films of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
In this class, we’ll examine 10 films from legendary movie stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, including four they made together. The three Hepburn movies we’ll look at are: 1) Stage Door from 1937, a sparkling comedy directed by Gregory La Cava and co-starring...
October 7—Its Traumatic Impact on Jews, Israel, Anti-Semitism, and Zionism [No Longer Available]
We will begin with an analysis of the term “genocide” and the intergenerational trauma experienced by Jews and the traumatic invalidation of Jews after October 7, 2023. We will then discuss the war that began on October 7, 2023, its current status, the repercussions...
Inventions: Creativity, Culture, and the Forces That Shape Our World
In this Age of AI, the world is changing rapidly. Regardless of your technical background, this is a course which will explore inventions and their profound impacts on human society now and in the future. We will start with a brief overview of major inventions which...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
History of Animated Films
A “History of Animated Films” will start from the beginning in the late 19th century up to the present, featuring the movies of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. Technical advancements will also be discussed. Each decade will show how animation has changed over the...
Five Classic Short Stories [Waitlist Only]
We all know the saying that you cannot step into the same river twice. Similarly, you cannot “step into” the same story twice. Reading great literature is an experience, and that experience changes as we notice more and our insights deepen. In that spirit,...
The Lilac Players—A Play Reading Group [No Longer Available]
The Lilac Players will spend five weeks reading a variety of plays for our enjoyment. Experience is not necessary. You just need to be a bit of a “ham” and have a desire for fun. We always enjoy reading, bonding, and emoting. Please sign up as soon as possible, so...
American Protest Songs
The American Protest Song has a long history of singing out against injustice and intolerance through the ages. This course will trace that history and the giants of the genre and their work. Topics include civil rights, native American rights, women’s rights, labor...
The Joy of Spring Birding
Each spring millions of birds migrate from points south and many land in the Bay State as the migrate north or stay here to breed. They flash their colorful feathers – dozens of warblers, orioles, flycatchers, swallows, and tanagers among them. In this class, I will...
Mystery Fiction Goes to Court: Legal Dramas in Books and Film, Part 2
This is NOT THE SAME CLASS we offered in the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 sessions. Too many great books and movies about legal matters for one class! So we are offering Part 2, which includes some lighter and shorter selections. Today there’s even more reason to explore...
Six Prominent Female Leaders of the 20th Century
As a counterpart to last fall’s course on male leaders, this course will be devoted to female leaders of the 20th century, who shaped modern history across political, cultural, and religious landscapes. We will focus on six pioneering figures from diverse backgrounds...
James Joyce’s Ulysses – A Guided Tour, Part 1 (in person-Regis College)
James Joyce’s Ulysses is widely celebrated as one of the great masterpieces of twentieth century literature. Its indelible characters, epic themes, intimate realism, imaginative style, poetic prose, and unparalleled literary connections present a unique reading...
Revelations: The Power of Light in the Art of Turner, Hopper, and A. Wyeth
All artists use light strategically to achieve specific goals. But how does the visual language of Turner, Hopper, and Wyeth make them stand out from the others? JMW Turner is known for capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere in his paintings to...
2019-2025-2031, Then—Now—Next
In the fall of 2019, I gave a course entitled Brave New World Unvisited. It was a course that attempted to capture the new technologies of the time, and to predict what would be happening five years from then — which is now. We looked at the current state and...
Clean Energy, Nuclear Energy, and our Failing Electric Grid (In person and on Zoom)
This is a topic that affects each one of us: our electric supply. Despite the investment of billions of dollars on wind and solar energy, blackouts are becoming more frequent. Massachusetts is committed to wind, while the Trump administration opposes it. Last year the...
Stroke and Brain Functions
Stroke is one of the most feared conditions in the minds of all of us as we get older. What is more frightening and devastating than to suddenly become unable to speak, understand speech, move an arm or a leg, stand, walk, balance, hear, see, read, write, feel, or...
Ashcan School Painting
This five-week course explores the Ashcan School, a group of early 20th-century artists known for their raw depictions of urban life. The focus is on how these artists captured the gritty realities of the city and the struggles of the working class. Through their bold...
New York – Painting the City (1900 – 1940)
This five-week course examines how early 20th-century artists portrayed the beauty, diversity, and energy of New York City. Various artistic approaches are explored, from the romantic impressionism of Colin Campbell Cooper to the dynamic modernism of John Marin. This...
You Flunk! Our Failing Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities have always been places to get a higher education. A place where the exchange of ideas was encouraged. A place where the freedom to publicly express ideas and beliefs (even very unpopular beliefs) was always sacrosanct. That’s not the case...
Human Intelligence: Controversies
What are the most important mental abilities for success in school, in the workplace, and in creative endeavor? This course will present three quite different perspectives based on psychological research: (1) research on IQ, general intelligence and discrete mental...
The Best of Banned and Vulnerable Children’s Picture Books
This participatory, hands-on, in-person course will examine and discuss picture books that have already been banned or are vulnerable to future censorship. We will try to understand the who, what, why and how of book banning and will consider first amendment rights...
(Some of ) Verdi’s Greatest Operas
Verdi is a towering figure in Italian opera, the dominant composer in the second half of the 19th century. Many of his 28 operas have become the core of the standard opera repertory, and it’s hard to imagine any opera company that does not regularly perform several...
Managing Your Muse: A Creative Writing Workshop
Unlock your creativity and join in a generative writing workshop based on the Amherst Writers and Artists method. Embrace your unique voice and creative genius in a supportive, non-critical environment. Write from prompts or your own inspiration and receive...
Films of Challenge and Resilience
This five-week course will use film to explore adaptation and adjustment to events both momentous and small. The course will look at how coping skills are explored. Many films will be examined through a variety of social lenses. How do individuals cope with change?...
The Films of Edward G. Robinson (In-person and Zoom)
Born in Bucharest in 1893 as Emanuel Goldenberg, screen legend Edward G. Robinson appeared in nearly 100 films between 1916 and 1973. His acting range was phenomenal, playing everything from tough guy gangsters to quiet loners. In this class, we will examine five...
The Films of Barbara Stanwyck (In-person and Zoom)
Born in Brooklyn in 1907 as Ruby Catherine Stevens, screen legend Barbara Stanwyck appeared in nearly 90 films between 1927 and 1973. Her acting range was phenomenal, playing everything from spunky nightclub singers to scheming matriarchs. In this class, we will...
The Constitution Under Siege in Ways our Founders Never Imagined
The course will cover recent conduct by the Trump Administration threatening the United States Constitution and our constitutional democracy. We will also examine recent United States Supreme Court cases that both support Trump and rule against him. In this context,...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of Our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Discussing Movements that Followed Impressionism
Discussing Movements that Followed Impressionism is a new 6-week art history course in which you will have an opportunity to discuss paintings from four beloved art movements that followed Impressionism. We will cover Neo-Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism,...
History of Film Comedy
The course will describe the different types of film comedy, and then explore film comedy through the years starting with silent films and continuing to the advent of sound with movies from the 1930s and up to the present day. Each decade will show how comedy has...
A Taste of Twain
Mark Twain elicits a lot of memories for our generation, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is still a part of many Middle School curricula. A complex man and a prodigious writer of all kinds of material, Twain authored over 60 short stories, numerous essays and...
The Lilac Players—A Play Reading Group
The Lilac Players will spend five weeks rehearsing a radio play which will be performed for the LLAIC community. Experience is not necessary. You just need to be a bit of a “ham” and have a desire for fun. Please sign up as soon as possible so that we can select a...
The Joy of Winter Birding
So, you always wanted to be a bird-watcher (birder)! Now you have no excuse! This course is intended to provide a launching pad for those who are interested in becoming a birder. It will teach you how to identify the common birds in our area in the winter and give...
American Protest Songs
The American Protest Song has a long history of singing out against injustice and intolerance through the ages. This course will trace that history and the giants of the genre and their work. Topics include, civil rights, native American rights, women’s rights, labor...
Transgender Rights—and Wrongs (in person-Regis College)
Transgenderism is the hot spot in the American culture wars. Candidate Trump and affiliated PACs spent over $200M on ads during the 2024 Presidential campaign attacking Kamala Harris on transgender rights. (“Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”) On...
Ghana: History and Literature (in person – Regis College)
Ghana is a country rich in history, stories, and traditions. My 20-day visit there back in the day was very powerful. In 2016 I was one of 15 people at the Harvard Bookstore listening to Yaa Gyasi talk about her novel Homegoing. She signed my book “Hope you enjoy the...
Films of Classic Hollywood Directors: Orson Welles
A young, brash Orson Welles stormed into Hollywood in 1939 on the phenomena of his great Halloween “trick or treat” to America, his radio play based on H. G. Wells War of the Worlds. The realism of the production proved the power of the young mass medium of radio by...
The Birth of Modern Painting: 1900 – 1950
This course explores groundbreaking painting styles that emerged in Europe and North America during the 20th century. From the innovations of Cubism to the emotional power of Abstract Expressionism, participants will examine the key artists and ideas that redefined...
Monsters, Vampires, and Ghosts: Three Classics of Horror Literature
How many of us have seen a Frankenstein movie, whether the Boris Karloff original, the hilarious Mel Brooks parody Young Frankenstein, or the sexy midnight musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, to name but a very few? Or how about a Dracula movie, from the early...
Mythology in our Lives
Why do we need to know about myths? Just consider the many references to them. Politicians suggest a new law would open a Pandora’s Box. Apollo 11 took humans to the moon. My neighbor named her male chihuahua Zeus. A well-known psychologist says that Narcissism is...
Mystery Fiction Goes to Court: Legal Dramas in Books and Film, Part 1
If any profession is dominating the news nowadays, it’s the law. Is it because we’re a litigious society at heart? Or that our view of the US as a “nation of laws” is being challenged? Or just the sheer drama of the courtroom? Come join us to explore these and related...
Films of Classic Hollywood Directors: John Ford
Like most of the Classic Hollywood directors we’ve studied, Ford got his start (1914), in the early days of Hollywood, working at odd jobs for a studio. While he learned movie making on the job from the ground up, it was his older brother, Francis Ford, an established...
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, manage, and respond effectively to emotions in oneself and others. It is important for developing and maintaining good interpersonal relationships and for success in the workplace, especially in jobs involving...
Wine Appreciation from Aglianico to Zinfandel
This course will help you understand and appreciate the wine industry and your own taste for wine. You will learn everything about the wine industry, from history, to farming, fermenting, bottling, marketing, and buying. The course will include understanding terroir...
City Visions: Venice, Paris, and New York as Seen Through the Eyes of the Artists
Cityscapes have been popular since ancient times and are considered treasures by art lovers and historians alike. In this course we will explore three renowned western cities – Venice, Paris, and New York – through the works of some of history’s greatest artists. In...
A Frank Discussion about End-of-Life Decision Making
The course is for people who are personally approaching the end of their lives or who have partners, family members or close friends at this stage. It will address legal preparation (wills, healthcare proxies, power of attorney) and other planning (long term care...
Evil, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Revenge
We have grappled with evil in our history. Theologians and philosophers divide evil into two different categories, evil caused by humans—like the Shoah, and evil in nature—like the flu pandemic of 1918, Covid pandemic, the Lisbon Earthquake of 1705, and typhoons. Over...
Humanism: What it Means, Who They Are, and Why They Always Lose
What does it mean to be a Humanist? I define it as someone who believes that, except for a few natural disasters, such as volcano eruptions or earthquakes, the problems of humans are caused by other humans, and they can only be solved by humans. Also, the solutions...
Italy’s Dark Shadows: Fascism and Organized Crime
To many people, Italy evokes pizza, lasagna, gondolas, mandolins, opera, and art. But it is also a country stained by fascism and organized crime. In order to understand the ills that plague Italy today, we will start with a survey of Italian history since its...
Messy Messiah Machinations: Reading a Nobel Prize Winner
The Swedish Academy called Olga Tokarczuk’s “The Books of Jacob” her magnum opus when they awarded her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2018. We will be reading this great historical novel based on the life of the real self-proclaimed messiah Jacob Frank. The novel...
Tchaikovsky’s Ballets
The three Tchaikovsky ballets—Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker—are staples of the ballet repertory. This course will look at them, from overture to the concluding apotheosis. After a brief introduction to the development of ballet and the state of...
Contemporary Short Stories: Compare and Contrast
A good short story can provide the basis for a great discussion, and we will discuss some of the best of the most current stories. Class members will read 10 stories that I choose, two per week, from the 20 included The Best American Short Stories of 2023. The stories...
Americanah: Love in Lagos, Blogging in Baltimore
Americanah, a novel by Chimamanda Adichie, is a love story between Ifemelu and Obinze, two teenagers in love in Nigeria. They each go on to have adventures: she in America and he in London. She studies and starts to blog to understand what “being black” is all about;...
Capturing our World: The Documentary Tradition in Photography
Who are we? How do we live in this world? Documentary photography has been an essential tool for storytelling since the invention of the camera. It’s a form of visual art that captures real-life — the everyday and the extraordinary situations — providing a glimpse...
American Protest Songs
The American Protest Song has a long history of singing out against injustice and intolerance through the ages. This course will trace that history and the giants of the genre and their work. Topics include, civil rights, native American rights, women’s rights, labor...
The Lilac Players—A Play Reading Group
The Lilac Players will spend five weeks reading a variety of plays for our enjoyment. Experience is not necessary. You just need to be a bit of a “ham” and have a desire for fun. We always enjoy reading, bonding and emoting. Please sign up as soon as possible, so that...
History of 1970s Rock ‘n’ Roll
This course is a history of 1970s rock 'n' roll focusing on the breakup of The Beatles, the deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, the decline of psychedelic rock, venue expansion into giant arenas and the arrival of glam rock, punk rock and disco...
The Mysterious and Complex Brain
Have you ever wondered why the brain is characterized as a mysterious and complex organ? This is the question we will consider in this five-week course. What is a brain? One definition is that a brain is a central collection of nervous tissue which regulates all...
Exploring Weird and Wonderful American Idioms
I have always had an interest in the origin of words as well as last names. When I was teaching English as a Second Language a few years ago, a student asked me to explain “under the weather.” She had received a call from her daughter’s teacher saying that and...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of Our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Five Prominent Leaders of the 20th Century
We have all lived through the tumultuous 20th century with its larger-than-life leaders. Some of them, like Stalin and Hitler, we would actually like to forget, if that were possible. In this course, Margaret Dergalis and Margalit Lai will examine five of the most...
Books Become Movies
What happens when a good book is made into a movie? Is one the duplicate of the other? If not, why not? One week we will read a book and discuss its themes, characters, settings, and historical background. The following week, having seen the movie based on the...
Children’s Picture Books: Banned and Bannable
In many parts of the country, children’s picture books are being banned. Why is this happening? This will be an interactive course on banned and bannable children’s picture books. The class will work in groups of 4-6 and will examine and discuss books that have been...
Shared Perspectives: Essays by Great Writers
Essays are an opportunity to explore one's thoughts and to share them for their potential interest to others. They occur in a wide variety of forms: self-reflection, narrative, events, beliefs, descriptions, proposals, humor, and others. We will be discussing essays...
The Elections —2024
The elections that will be held in November 2024 will be one of the most significant in US history. The candidates for president are two men who have both been president and who, except for their age, could not be more different. The down-ballot races will often be...
City Visions: Venice, Paris, and New York as Seen Through the Eyes of the Artists
Cityscapes have been popular since ancient times and are considered treasures by art lovers and historians alike. In this course we will explore three renowned western cities – Venice, Paris, and New York – through the works of some of history’s greatest artists. In...
A Brief History of American Foreign Policy From 1776 to Today
Our foreign policy history includes both major successes (think of such as the Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany and Japan after World War II) and major failures, (think of the Vietnam War and the invasion of Iraq). Our children and grandchildren live in a world with...
Story Comes First: The Craft of Musical Theater
In this class we’ll look at songs/scenes from multiple shows from the past 70 years to learn how music uniquely serves and advances story. In virtually every successful musical, the creators’ compositional choices must demonstrate WHY they write to begin with. We’ll...
Red State, Blue State – The Threat to American Democracy
Each week I will be covering a different aspect of why, as a country, we’re so polarized today politically and socially. Before each of the five weekly sessions, I’ll send out a few YouTube videos and relevant articles focusing on the weekly segment to be discussed....
Mystery Fiction Goes to Court: Legal Dramas in Books and Movies
If any profession is dominating the news nowadays, it’s the law. Is it because we’re a litigious society at heart? Or that our view of the US as a “nation of laws” is being challenged? Or just the sheer drama of the courtroom? Come join our classes (in two parts!) and...
Capturing our World: The Documentary Tradition in Photography
Who are we? How do we live in this world? Documentary photography has been an essential tool for storytelling since the invention of the camera. It’s a form of visual art that captures real-life — the everyday and the extraordinary situations — providing a glimpse...
Films of Classic Hollywood Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
Almost everyone knows Alfred Hitchcock as the “Master of Suspense” (and sometimes horror). He was also a master of film form using its formal elements, especially, editing, to have the camera, above all, tell the story. There are dozens of videos on YouTube by...
Five Prominent Leaders of the 20th Century
We have all lived through the tumultuous 20th century with its larger-than-life leaders. Some of them, like Stalin and Hitler, we would actually like to forget, if that were possible. In this course we will examine five of the most notable leaders from around the...
The 1619 Project — Controversy over the Role of Slavery and Racism in U.S. History
The 1619 Project is a long-term effort by journalists from the New York Times that took a critical view of the Patriots in the American Revolution, America's founding fathers, and other revered figures, including Abraham Lincoln. The book argues that slavery and...
Foreign Affairs 2024 Discussion
For each class several articles from the 2024 issues of Foreign Affairs will be selected for discussion. Foreign Affairs is a prestigious journal featuring articles by academics and policy professionals. Each class will focus on a key issue facing the U.S. President...
American Education – On Life Support?
In this discussion course, we will read about and discuss the most important and controversial issues regarding the goals and content of education. We will primarily focus on primary and secondary education but will also touch on some issues related to preschool and...
The Fall of the Roman Republic: Implications for Modern Democracies
Western democracies, including the United States, are facing serious economic, social, and political problems. Many are experiencing a decline in democratic values or “backsliding” as political scientists call it. This includes loss of faith in institutions, violation...
Shakespeare, Opera, and Ballet: Transforming One Art Form into Another
Shakespeare’s plays have been the jumping-off point for filmmakers, novelists, songwriters, composers, artists, and choreographers. Explore how five of his works have been transformed into other art forms for the theater. We’ll consider the changes made in creating...
The Supreme Court, The Constitution — Current Issues
In this class we will consider recent controversial Supreme Court cases including cases on election ballots, presidential immunity, reproductive rights, Second Amendment, including the pending case dealing with Second Amendment Rights of persons convicted of domestic...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Discussing Impressionism
Discussing Impressionism is a 6-week art history course. You will have an opportunity to discuss paintings from this most beloved movement in modern art. The course will re-introduce you to Impressionist artists. An abundance of art slides will give you ample...
THE LILAC PLAYERS; A Play Reading Group
The LILAC PLAYERS will spend five weeks reading a variety of plays for our enjoyment. Experience is not necessary. You just need to be a bit of a “ham” and have a desire for fun. We always enjoy reading, bonding and emoting. Please sign up as soon as possible, so that...
Understanding Crime and Crime Control Options
This is a 6-week exploration of major crime issues. The purpose is to introduce various approaches to understanding why people commit crimes and what, if anything, can be done to prevent these acts. We will examine major categories of crime, crime control strategies,...
The Joy of Winter Birding
So, you always wanted to be a birdwatcher (birder)! Now you have no excuse! This course will teach you how to identify the common birds in our area in the winter and give you tips to maximize your chance of seeing them, what equipment to have, and which guidebooks and...
History of 1960s Television
In the 1960’s television became a political force, featuring the first televised presidential debate. TV journalism also gained prominence as the civil rights era, the JFK assassination and the space race all unfolded on television. Television shows also began being...
Beyond the Great Gatsby: The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Most of us may think of The Great Gatsby in connection with F. Scott Fitzgerald, but Fitzgerald wrote over 160 short stories during his 20-year career and many reflected the post-World War I era’s newfound prosperity, consumerism, and shifting sexual mores—the period...
Teddy Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was a statesman, author, explorer, cowboy, soldier, naturalist, reformer, and 26th President from 1901 to 1909. He overcame a sickly childhood to evolve into an exuberant personality with a vast range of interests. He became leader of a reform...
Opera 101—Why is that Fat Lady Singing? (in person)
Have you ever wondered about the attraction of a lot of fat (OK, maybe just chubby) people wearing helmets with horns singing on stage about some melodramatic story in an incomprehensible language and thought that opera was not for you? Well, opera singers are no...
Fireside Poets of New England
Among the more famous, beloved, and popular poets of New England are the Fireside Poets. Their poetry was taught in virtually every public school, for the entertainment of parents and the edification of children; the poets/poems sought to instill good manners and...
The History and Legacy of the British Empire – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Have you been wondering why British officials, from King Charles on down, have been traveling the world recently, apologizing halfheartedly for Britain’s brutal colonial history? Why did they feel it necessary? What was the British Empire all about? It lasted for...
The Magic of Magic Squares (in person)
There is a mathematical recreation that appeared in Chinese writings as far back as 300 BCE, and has fascinated people such as the artist Albrecht Dürer, the architect Antoni Gaudi, the scientist/statesman Benjamin Franklin, the composer Peter Maxwell Davies, and the...
Short Books, Great Reading
Enough already with long books. Let’s jump into five short books which have interesting plots, characters, and varied settings. On our own, each week we will read a book penned by an international author and when we meet, share our insights and questions. The five...
Artful Duos: Famous Liaisons in the History of Art
Every so often, an artist encounters a kindred spirit and forges a relationship that incites a flurry of creativity for both parties. American painter Mary Cassatt remarked upon seeing the pastels of Edgar Degas that they “changed my life. I saw art as I wanted to see...
Let’s Discuss What Else is Happening
Each week I will pick three articles or editorials from the New York Sunday Times that will be about things that will be affecting our lives but are not in the headlines. They will not be about politics, wars, or elections. They could be about new medicines,...
A Guided Tour Through James Joyce’s Ulysses – Part 2
James Joyce’s Ulysses is widely celebrated as one of the great masterpieces of Twentieth Century literature. Its indelible characters, epic themes, intimate realism, imaginative style, poetic prose, and unparalleled literary connections present a unique reading...
Our Changing Climate – What Is Happening Now and What Will the Future Hold (in person)
Will our grandchildren face a world drastically altered by climate change? The world is increasingly experiencing the effects of changes in climate patterns from historic norms as we see greater frequency and severity of extreme heat episodes, droughts, fires,...
Molière, His Life and His Plays
2022 was the 400th anniversary of the birth of Molière, a playwright as important in French literature as Shakespeare is in English. There were celebrations of Molière’s plays throughout 2022 in France, especially at the Comédie Française, which he founded. Victor...
Contemporary Short Stories: Compare and Contrast
A good short story can provide the basis for a great discussion, and we will discuss some of the best! Class members will read ten stories I’ve chosen from the 20 included in The Best American Short Stories of 2022, two per week. The stories have actually been...
American Education – On Life Support?
In this discussion course, we will read about and discuss the most important and controversial issues regarding the goals and content of education. We will primarily focus on primary and secondary education but will also touch on some issues related to preschool and...
Mystery Fiction of the Last Decade: the Best of the Latest
“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto” says Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Nor are we, we mystery fiction fans, in the typical English village or manor house. When it comes to contemporary mystery novels, things have changed—in a big way! The world of mystery...
Films of Classic Hollywood Directors: Howard Hawks
Like the first three directors of Classic Hollywood cinema whose films we’ve studied, Howard Hawks got his start by working in various capacities on silent films before moving up to directing his own films. Unlike the previous directors we’ve studied, all immigrants,...
Music and Your Brain
Why do we like music so much? Our ability to perform it or to respond to it originates in the brain, which co-ordinates hearing, motor responses, emotion, memory, and much more to produce the thrill we experience. What is going on in there when you listen to music? ...
Music of Film Noir
What makes the film music of film noir so different from other sorts of Hollywood fare? What musical elements aid in suspense or the sense of foreboding? What are the memorable sounds of some of your favorite noir films? This class will be listening to some music from...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Why Take a Course about the Social Consequences of Technology?
Are humans doomed because of Artificial Intelligence? Has authoritarianism been reinvented by technology to create the Surveillance State? Are there ethical and legal approaches to controlling AI’s negative impacts? Whether you are technologically knowledgeable or...
History of the Movie Musical (in person)
The course is a history of the movie musical from the 1920s to the present day. We will show how the movie musical evolved over the decades, focusing on groundbreaking movies. We will also look at the people who made these movies magical, including the directors, the...
The Lilac Players 2.0; A Play Reading Group (in person)
Join the Lilac Players as we spend a delightful five weeks reading plays together. The pressure is off – no memorizing scripts, no performance anxiety. Join us for readings of different genres of plays and have a chance to read different characters throughout the five...
Hands-On AI Exploration
Curious about Artificial Intelligence and what the heck Large Language Models have to do with your existence now and in the future? Dive into this supportive and encouraging course where learning meets creativity. We will kick things off by demystifying the basics of...
Getting the Most Out of Your Electric Vehicle (EV)
So you have an EV – congratulations, and welcome to the future of automobile travel! But… you have questions. For example, are EVs really better for the environment? They don’t use fossil fuel, but where does all that electricity come from? And what happens when...
The Nineteenth Century Russian Short Story: An Analysis and Close Reading (in person)
This course will attempt to replicate a course given by George Saunders at Syracuse University as described in his book A Swim in a Pond in The Rain. As he describes it, it is a course “in which four Russians give a master class on writing, reading, and life.” This...
A Frank Discussion about End-of-Life Decision Making (in person)
This class is for serious discussions about the end-of-life decision making and is for people who are personally approaching the ends of their lives or who have partners, family members, or close friends at this stage. We will address legal preparation (wills,...
Complicity of Health Care Professionals During the Nazi Regime; Lessons for Today
Recently the Lancet, a British medical journal, set up a commission to review the significant role that health care professionals played in formulating, supporting, and implementing inhumane and often genocidal policies during the reign of the Nazi regime. Based upon...
Zionism, and the Founding and Development of the Modern State of Israel
Initially, we will discuss the War that began on October 7, 2023, its current status, the repercussions on college campuses and demonstrations throughout the U.S., the geopolitical implications of it, and the rise of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in America and...
Navigating and Managing Transitions in Your Life
We are all constantly going through transitions throughout our lives, whether it is with a growing family, health, career, living situations, volunteering, or losing loved ones. This evidence-based course is upbeat, interactive, engaging, and educational. It is...
The Joy of Winter Birding
This course introduces beginning birders to the birds commonly found in MA in the winter. Winter is a wonderful time for birding; the leaves are off the trees, birds on water bodies (ocean, bays and rivers) are easy to see and bird feeders offer a chance to see a good...
History of 1960s Rock ‘n Roll
The course will provide a history of rock 'n' roll in the 1960s beginning in the early years, which sounded like a continuation of the 1950s in terms of style. The course will then explore how rock music changed and developed. Music from the British invasion as well...
The Positive and Negative Social Consequences of Technology
We have all heard about how artificial intelligence could create new and potentially catastrophic implications for humanity. The impact of social technology is complicated and potentially beyond human control. Fear of new technology has a long history. For example,...
Visual Analysis: The Art of Seeing Art
Why does a work of art look the way it does? What choices did the artist make? What's the artist's message? Looking at pictures can be even more rewarding when we learn how to analyze the elements of art, the building blocks used by artists to create a work. The...
Taking Photos with Your iPhone
The goal of this course is for each of the participants to develop the skills and confidence to take photographs with an iPhone. We will first review the photography features of the iPhone. Next, participants will learn how to evaluate a photo. We will study...
Zionism, and the Founding and Development of the Modern State of Israel
We will discuss the development of the idea of Zionism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its intellectual bases, the British Mandate, Israel’s Founding, its wars, the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and its international status. We will confront...
What Makes Great Leaders Great?
What kinds of people are drawn to leadership roles? What motivates these people? What skills and personal traits do they need in order to be effective as leaders? How do leadership experiences from childhood through adulthood prepare a person for a major leadership...
Waves of Technology and Human Outcomes
Technology continues to improve the lives of humans. See how technology has changed the lives of our ancestors, from low life expectancy and lives of drudgery to the highest life expectancy with leisure taking most of our time. Topics will include advances in language...
What Can We Learn from Natural Animal Models about Human Diseases?
Evolution represents a natural experimental process for testing animal design features. Driven by environmental pressures, animals have evolved adaptations which can give valuable insights into human biomedical conditions. The giraffe by virtue of its extremely long...
The History and Legacy of the British Empire – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Has watching or just hearing about King Charles’ coronation made you want to learn more about the British empire? It lasted for about 300 years and collapsed in our lifetime. It was a global enterprise that spanned cultures and countries around the world, controlling...
A Sampler of New England Poets and Their Poetry
Famous pastoral poet Robert Frost, who used landscape as a metaphor for meaning in his works, was a complete failure as a real farmer. Emily Dickinson was a recluse who never left her own bedroom in her latter years. This course is an examination of the lives and...
A Writer’s Workshop
In this 10 week adventure our goal will be to strengthen our writing skills, constructively critique each other's work and provide incentive to keep going even when we are blocked. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose, essays, op-ed or expose,...
Artful Duos: Famous Liaisons in the History of Art
Every so often, an artist encounters a kindred spirit and forges a relationship that incites a flurry of creativity for both parties. American painter Mary Cassatt remarked upon seeing the pastels of Edgar Degas that they “changed my life. I saw art as I wanted to see...
A Frank Discussion about End of Life Decision Making
This class is for serious discussions about the end of life decision making and is for people who are personally approaching the ends of their lives or who have partners, family members, or close friends at this stage. It will address legal preparation (wills,...
These are the NYT Opinions — What are Yours?
Each week, we will discuss three or four articles from the Opinion Section of The New York Sunday Times. We will focus on articles that will allow us to have in-depth discussions about issues that are rarely explained in depth in the daily news. We will avoid topics...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Planning for More Fulfillment During Retirement
Are you concerned about how you are (or will be) spending your retirement time? If so, this course may help you to clarify what activities are most important to you and to start allocating your time accordingly. Through reading, watching TED Talks, class discussions,...
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
In this course, we will read Thomas Jefferson’s biography and learn more about the man who was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and the third president. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the first U.S....
Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro”: A Guided Tour
The course will present and discuss the first of Mozart’s great trilogy of operas with librettos by his principal collaborator, Lorenzo DaPonte. First presented in Vienna in 1786, Figaro is thought by many to be the supreme example of comic opera in the repertory, and...
A Guided Tour Through James Joyce’s “Ulysses” – Part 1
James Joyce’s Ulysses is widely celebrated as one of the great masterpieces of Twentieth Century literature. Its indelible characters, epic themes, intimate realism, imaginative style, poetic prose, and unparalleled literary connections present a unique reading...
Foreign Affairs Discussion
Foreign Affairs is a leading magazine for in-depth analysis and debate of foreign policy, geopolitics and international affairs, with articles by academics, policy experts, and government officials. Each class session will focus on three to five articles from one of...
The LILAC Players 2.0: A Play-Reading Group
The Lilac Players will spend five weeks reading a variety of plays for our enjoyment. Experience is not necessary. You just need to be a bit of a “ham” and have a desire for fun. We always enjoy reading, bonding, and emoting. Please sign up as soon as possible, so...
Breaking the Mold: The Unconventional Works of Kate Chopin
In this five- week course, we will delve into the feminist world of Kate Chopin (1851-1904), a woman who defied conventions in both her personal life and in her writings to tell women’s stories. A product of the Midwest and the Creole life of Louisiana, Chopin...
Great Directors of Classic Hollywood Cinema: Frank Capra
Acclaimed in 1938 by Time Magazine. as Hollywood’s greatest director, Frank Capra is today still held in high esteem by movie buffs, critics, and film scholars alike. In his career he won six Oscars for best film and/or production while his films have garnered dozens...
Lifespan, Its Past, Present And Future: Forever Young?
"Forever young?” Although many circumstances and luck play their parts you can certainly influence your own health, quality of life, and longevity, as we shall see in this course. Global life expectancy has doubled over the last century and steadily increases in many...
The LILAC Players
Broadway beckons!! Well, maybe not Broadway, but the Lilac Players need you! We will be meeting the last six weeks of the spring semester to rehearse the play(s) that will be chosen within the next few months. We will perform on week seven, after the semester ends....
Radicals in Victorian Art: from Turner to Art Nouveau
Victorian art consisted generally of portraits of stuffy-looking aristocrats and moralistic genre scenes. But with the growth of industrialism, society was rapidly evolving, and groups of radical young innovators promoted new styles that would turn the British art...
“Take Those Old Records Off the Shelf”: The music of our formative years
Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Drake are certainly major talents who dominate the world of pop music today. I listen to them. I can appreciate why my granddaughter has “Midnights” on a constant loop. But I still get an immediate emotional response to the songs I...
A Romp Through the History of Math
Romp: definition — to move in a brisk, easy and playful manner. This course will move in a brisk manner as we have to cover 6,000 years in 10 weeks. It will be easy as there are no exams, nor will there be any mathematical proofs. Finally, we will adopt a playful...
A Sampler of New England Poets and Their Poetry
Famous pastoral poet Robert Frost, who used landscape as a metaphor for meaning in his works was a complete failure as a real farmer. Emily Dickinson was a recluse who never left her own bedroom in her latter years. This course is an examination of the lives and...
World of Wine: From Grape to Glass
Explore the world of wine from ancient history to modern times. Discover the processes used to create dry, sweet, fortified, and sparkling wine. Get an understanding of terroir, and how it affects wine production around the world. From the comfort of our chairs, we’ll...
Taking Photos with Your iPhone
The goal of this course is for each of the participants to develop the skills and confidence to take photographs with an iPhone. We will first review the photography features of the iPhone. Next, participants will learn how to evaluate a photo. We will study...
Modern American Sacred and Popular Jewish Music
This class will attempt to create a big picture narrative of the last half century of sacred Jewish music in liberal movements (such as Reform, Conservative, Renewal, Reconstructionist) communities. How did we get here? Why is music we sing the way it is? Where did it...
Genes: What are they? How do they work? How are they regulated?
The word gene was coined in 1909 to denote Mendelian factors of inheritance. In this five part series we will explore the structure and function i.e. expression of genes. We will begin with a look at the historical milestones in our understanding of gene structure and...
Einstein – The Life of a Visionary Genius
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born physicist, developed special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. He is best known for developing the theory of relativity. He was the older son of Hermann and Pauline Einstein, who...
Introduction to Music Appreciation
The purpose of this course is to give listeners a deeper appreciation of classical music. Participants will learn the elements of music, how to read music, basic harmony, different formats, different styles, and how to distinguish these different styles. This course...
The Joy of Spring Birding
After one session describing bird species that we are likely to see in the field, there will be four field trips. The first will be at Temple Shalom, the next in a nearby backyard with bird feeders for easy birding and identification of the spring land birds. We...
The Stupidity Paradox: Why Do Smart People Do Stupid Things?
“Stupidity” raises fundamental human questions. What is stupidity? Is stupidity mainly a psychological issue? Are there social roles where stupidity is expected and/or rewarded? Can stupidity be a positive trait or always negative? Who defines that someone is stupid?...
Films of Classic Hollywood Directors: Ernst Lubitsch
Lubitsch is another in a long line of talented German/Austrian Jewish directors, writers, producers, and film technical professionals who, escaping the rise of Nazism, helped create Classic Hollywood Film Art and Industry in the 1920s and 30s. Lubitsch brought a...
Climate Change: Causes, Impacts, and Remedies
We are increasingly experiencing worldwide climate variations from their historical patterns and how they relate to both human activity and the natural world. The man-made causes, in terms of sources and impacts of greenhouse gases will be discussed. We will examine...
(Three) Heralding Books by Geraldine Brooks
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks is a master of historical fiction, weaving from bits of historical information gripping tales and fascinating characters. Her prose is gorgeous. We will read and discuss three of her novels – March, a Civil War era...
Tai Chi: Basic Movements, History, Philosophy, and Benefits
A focus of the classes will be instruction in a shortened version of Tai Chi movements (the Form), supplemented by an introduction to the history, philosophy, and health benefits of Tai Chi and related practices, such as Qi Gong. In its earliest formulations, Tai...
What Makes Great Leaders Great?
What kinds of people are drawn to leadership roles? What motivates these people? What skills and personal traits do they need in order to be effective as leaders? How do leadership experiences from childhood through adulthood prepare a person for a major leadership...
Great Decisions: Foreign Policy
The Foreign Policy Association annually prepares a course and course materials on what it believes to be the most topical areas of U.S. foreign policy. It produces a briefing book that contains eight topics, setting out the challenge to be faced and providing a good...
The Mysterious World of Art Crime, Fictional and Factual
Do you love mysteries? Do you love fine art? How about the fine art of murder? Or crime and fine art all at the same time?! This course is for you. We’ll read and discuss seven new and classic crime fiction novels with art at their core, revisiting some favorite...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
The Medium is the Message: Exploring Five Different Artistic Media
This course on painting media is for both those interested in their historical development as well as those who want to learn about how they are made and used. Some members have considered painting and don’t know which medium to choose. Throughout the five weeks, I...
The Supreme Court, The Constitution – Current Issues
In this class we will consider recent controversial Supreme Court cases including cases on reproductive rights, Second Amendment, First Amendment Religious Issues, and the Electoral College. We will discuss these cases and cases pending on voting rights and their...
Visual Analysis: The Art of Seeing Art
Why does a work of art look the way it does? What choices did the artist make? What's the artist's message? Looking at pictures can be even more rewarding when we learn how to analyze the elements of art, the building blocks used by artists to create a work. The...
Russia’s History of Aggression
If you, like me, have been wondering how a country, which is already the biggest country in the world, by far (with eleven time zones !!!), still feels insecure in its borders, then join me on an amazing journey through a fascinating history of contradictions. How can...
Romanticism and Impressionism: A Humanistic Tradition
As a result of the French Revolution, which fostered a political revolution, a new artistic and intellectual revolution takes place, which is manifested in a new desire for freedom and liberalism from the constraint of rules and regulations from the past. The 19th...
Come See With Me…
This is not a painting course. It is a course about what makes a good painting. We will study works such as Paul Klee’s abstract “Three Houses,” Arthur Dove’s “Me & the Moon,” and Jane Frielicher’s sweet still life “Roses & Chrysanthemums,” noting how they...
Opera’s Villains
Every drama needs a villain—or else, who would the hero and heroine be able to vanquish (sometimes!). And since opera is a medium of excesses, operatic villains are especially villainous. This course will look at a variety of opera’s evil characters—starting with...
The History of Anti-Semitism: From the Greco-Roman World to Our Own
In this class, I will discuss the origin of Anti-Semitism or Anti-Judaism in the Greco-Roman World and its intellectual foundation in the Christian Canon and writings of Saint Augustine. We will study major events of Anti-Semitic violence against Jews from the...
The Joy of Winter Birding
This course follows on from Joy of Birding given in Spring 2022. The course will introduce the beginner birder to the birds found in eastern Massachusetts in the winter. After two sessions on November 15 and November 29, describing bird species that we are likely to...
A Taste of Twain
Mark Twain elicits a lot of memories for our generation, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is still a part of many Middle School curriculums. A complex man and a prodigious writer of all kinds of material, Twain authored over 60 short stories, numerous essays,...
Drawing as a Meditative Practice (in person in Lane’s Sudbury studio)
Mindful mark making can lead the mind to a quiet contemplative place - left brain, please be still - right brain, welcome. Together we will explore, through multiple drawing experiences, the world of mindful drawing or mark-making. We will create visual mantras with...
Louis Brandeis – People’s Lawyer
Louis Brandeis, known as the people's lawyer, had four very successful careers: lawyer, reformer, judge, and jurist. He grew up in a socially and intellectually nurturing family with the added benefit of a supportive extended family. The first Jew named to the Supreme...
The LILAC Players
Broadway beckons! Well, maybe not Broadway, but the Lilac Players need you, especially you men! We will meet the last five weeks of the fall semester to rehearse the play(s) that will be chosen within the next few months. We will perform after the semester ends, on or...
Conversos: Keeping a Jewish Identity During the Inquisition
Let us enter the fascinating and tragic world of those forced converts who were Catholic on the outside but Jewish on the inside. This is a story of religious identity, definitions of racial purity, battles between church and state and, in a more contemporary...
The World We Live In…A Look At Our Commercial Environment
We live in astonishing times. There is an endless array of new products, services and technologies available to us on a daily basis. What are the resources that allow this to happen? Who are the inventors…and what are the processes that allow this to happen? We...
Justice and Morality
At a time when American voters and their leaders are highly polarized over issues that are fundamentally about justice and morality, it is helpful to understand the philosophical and psychological roots of differences in fundamental values. This course will draw on...
World of Wine: From Grape to Glass (in person)
Explore the world of wine from ancient history to modern times. Discover the processes used to create dry, sweet, fortified, and sparkling wine. Get an understanding of terroir, and how it affects wine production around the world. From the comfort of our chairs, we’ll...
The Medium is the Message: Appreciating Painting in Five Different Mediums
This course on artistic mediums is for both those interested in their historical development, as well as those who want to try painting and don’t know which medium to choose. I will discuss the benefits and difficulties of each. Artists’ materials have changed over...
Great Directors of Classic Hollywood Cinema: Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (1906 – 2002) is one on the many Jewish German/Austrian directors who, fleeing Hitler’s rise to power, brought their talents to Hollywood in the 1930’s to help to create the style of Classic Hollywood Cinema. Born of Polish-Jewish parents in a small...
The Mysterious World of Art Crime, Fictional and Factual
Do you love a mystery? Do you love fine art? How about the fine art of murder? Or crime and fine art all at the same time?! This course is for you. We’ll read and discuss seven new and classic crime fiction novels with art at their core, revisiting some favorite...
Russia’s Long History of Aggression
If you, like me, have been wondering how a country, which is already the biggest country in the world, by far (with eleven time zones!!!), still feels insecure in its borders, then join me on an amazing journey through a fascinating history of contradictions. How can...
Forever Young
“I wanna be forever young!” You can certainly influence your own health, quality of life, and longevity, as this course will examine. Global life expectancy has doubled over the last century and is steadily increasing in many countries. We will look at factors...
The Russia – Ukraine Conflict Examined
The war has been fast-moving, heartbreaking, and difficult to process. The Russian invasion will upend the lives of 44 million Ukrainians. But the relevance of Ukraine, on the edge of Europe and thousands of miles from the United States, extends far beyond its...
10 Great Short Stories from 2021
Edgar Allan Poe has been called the godfather of the short story. He said they can be read in one sitting. But when stories are engrossing (as were Poe’s), AND also come with issues and themes we grapple with on a daily basis, I believe they should be read twice,...
Memoir Writing: Reflections of our Lives Past and Present
Each week we share writings about our lives. We look at how the past and major current events shape us. We also do a short spontaneous write based on an in-class prompt. We let our “Magic Pens” take over. We also share these brief writes. Each participant’s...
Mirrors, Palettes, and Art Movements in Self Portraiture (in person in Lane’s Sudbury studio)
We are going to discuss and to practice the art of self-portraiture. We’ll read about the role of self-portraiture in women’s art generally, then focus closely on the work of five women: Hilma Af Klint, Remedios Varo, Alice Neel, Lee Krasner, and Georgia O’Keeffe. As...
The Music of Max Stern and Composers of the Current Israeli Generation
So much of Israeli modern art music is unknown in America. For one thing, it’s difficult, in general, for any living composer to get their works performed by major organizations, like symphony orchestras, which tend to be quite conservative in terms of repertoire....
Climate Change; Causes, Impacts, and Remedies (in person)
We are increasingly experiencing worldwide climate variations from their historical patterns and how they relate to both human activity and the natural world. The man-made causes, in terms of sources and impacts of greenhouse gases will be discussed. We will examine...
Why Sing Plays? – An Exploration of the Craft of Musical Theater
In this course, we'll study in some depth three extraordinary mid-20th-C. American musicals: A Little Night Music, 1776 and She Loves Me, with one session on Hamilton. Taken together, these pieces offer significant insight into the remarkable craft by which...
Developing and Delivering a Dynamite Lifelong Learning Course
What are lifelong learning participants looking for from a course experience? What makes a course effective? How do you select a topic, map out a course, and deliver it in an impactful way? We will draw on our 10+ years of experience as participants, course designers,...
The Tchaikovsky Ballets
The three Tchaikovsky ballets—Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker—are staples of the ballet repertory. This course will look at them, from overture to the concluding apotheosis. After a brief introduction to the development of ballet and the state of...
Women and Art: Ancient to Modern
Perceptions of femininity have been transformed into visual arts since antiquity. How does the representation of women, whether by men or by women, reflect the customs and mores of diverse cultures, from the ancient through to the modern? We will explore women both as...
Tai Chi: Basic Movements, History, Philosophy, and Benefits (in person)
A focus of the classes will be instruction in a shortened version of Tai Chi movements (the Form), supplemented by an introduction to the history, philosophy, and health benefits of Tai Chi and related practices, such as Qi Gong. In its earliest formulations, Tai Chi...
The Shirt Off Your Back…The History and Influence of Textiles
Why was purple reserved for royalty? Did you know that silk was used as money? And that the secrets of how to make it were sneaked out of China by industrial espionage? That the Industrial Revolution came about because we needed better ways to manufacture cotton? ...
2025 Isn’t That Far Away
I cannot remember a time when the future of everything looked so opaque. There are so many different trends gaining momentum, but many of them push the world in opposite directions. This class will examine and discuss what is happening in many areas of our lives. We...
Radicals in Victorian Art: From Turner to Art Nouveau
At the beginning, Victorian art consisted mainly of portraits of stuffy-looking aristocrats posing in front of thick velvet curtains. But with the growth of industrialism, society was rapidly evolving, and groups of radical young innovators promoted new styles that...
Great Decisions: U.S. Foreign Policy
This is a course on U.S. foreign policy presented around the United States on topics and readings prepared by The Foreign Policy Association (FPA.org). Class members will purchase a briefing book from FPA and will read the selection for each week’s topic. Topics this...
Five Wise Men and their Epiphanies: From Dante to Proust
This course will introduce the work (and world) of five original and extraordinarily creative individuals whose explorations of man’s understanding of himself and his relationship to others and to his world enriched western civilization. Dante Alighieri and the Divine...
More Favorite American Artists (5b)-repeat of first five week course
More Favorite American Artists is a new, stand-alone, five-week art history course. This course is a continuation of Favorite American Artists, which was offered last spring. The 2021 course is not a prerequisite. In this course, we will study the life and discuss...
More Favorite American Artists (5a)
More Favorite American Artists is a new, stand-alone, five-week art history course. This course is a continuation of Favorite American Artists, which was offered last spring. The 2021 course is not a prerequisite. In this course, we will study the life and discuss...
Mavericks: Five Artists Who Sailed Against the Wind
While all artists create works that reflect their unique visions of the world, it takes courage and determination to successfully challenge the artistic standards of the day. In this course, we’ll consider five who did. Sandro Botticelli stood apart from most...
Women and Art: Ancient to Modern
Perceptions of femininity have been transformed into visual arts since antiquity. How does the representation of women, whether by men or by women, reflect the customs and mores of diverse cultures, from the ancient through to the modern? We will explore women both as...
Justice and Morality
At a time when American voters and their leaders are highly polarized over issues that are fundamentally about justice and morality, it is helpful to understand the philosophical and psychological roots of differences in fundamental values. This course will draw on...
A History of the Jews of America, Continued
We will continue our look at the history of the Jews of America, beginning with the period of World War I. This was a time of great change, and great challenges, for America’s Jews. A huge immigrant community and patriotic fervor between the two world wars resulted...
Memoir Writing: Writing About Your Life One Story at a Time
Has a family member or friend ever said, “You should write these stories down!” The memories of our lives are precious; they are entertaining and instructive and are a gift to those who urge you to write, as well as to yourself. The hardest part is getting started, to...
Mozart’s Magic Flute: A Guided Tour
This course will be a detailed, non-technical, five-week presentation of Mozart's final opera, The Magic Flute. This opera has been a great favorite with audiences of all ages ever since its first performance, shortly before Mozart's death. It is unique among Mozart's...
When We Cease to Understand the World
When We Cease to Understand the World is the name of a five-session discussion course I will be leading in the spring of 2022. It is also the name of the book that will be the focus of the course. It is written by Benjamin Labatut, a 41-year-old Chilean writer. The...
Iconic French Singers of the 20th Century
Most Americans have heard of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel (Belgian), but few know of the most popular and significant French singers of the last century. Some of these are cultural icons, as important in France as Bob Dylan is in the US. Some are revered for the...
The Human Quest for Meaning Viewed Through Philosophy and Art
This course will serve as an introduction to the western intellectual and artistic output from the Romantic era to the present. We leave the world of reason and enter the world of emotions and individualism. We juxtapose the philosophical vision of Voltaire to that...
Baseball Fiction in Literature and Film
It’s amazing how many writers of note have used baseball as a vehicle for fiction. From Ring Lardner to James Thurber to Bernard Malamud to Phillip Roth to Robert Coover, the list is seemingly endless. (And that does not include those novelists who have written...
Zionism examined from both a Palestinian and an Israeli perspective
I will try to demonstrate consistently throughout the course, the complexity of the history of Zionism and Israel. The classes will reflect the diverse ideas and experiences of the Zionist movement and Israelis. Participants will have the opportunity to examine...
Frances Perkins, Architect of FDR’s New Deal
"I won't accept your offer to be Secretary of Labor in your cabinet unless you support my social programs for social security, unemployment insurance, child labor laws and others," is what she told FDR. Perkins, a social worker, with intelligence and perseverance...
Reconstruction (1865-1877): Its Legacy in Our Time
A common expression frequently stated has been “The North won the war but the South won the peace.” Following the Civil War, the era of Reconstruction was fraught with immense challenges, intense debates and significant violence. Slavery had been abolished and the...
Light and Color in Painting
Painter and teacher Hans Hoffman said “…in nature, light creates the color. In pictures, pigment creates the light.” However, light and pigment are not parallel. The painter must find a correspondent universe for light using color. One of the most exciting adventure...
Get Reel – Film Appreciation
What makes a film great? Conversely, what makes a film fail? For the former, the key elements of filmmaking, including directing, acting and writing, align to create a cinematic perfect storm. For the latter, nearly all these elements are missing in action. In each...
The Imaginative Short Stories of Jorge Luis Borges
The fiction of Jorge Luis Borges addresses themes of time, labyrinths, infinity and more in philosophical and fantasy terms. This Argentinian writer shared the first Prix International with Samuel Beckett in 1961, and in at least three different years he was a...
Five issues that deeply divide the Israeli electorate and their effect on the government
Following two years and four elections Israel has finally been able to form a unity government. Why did it take so long?? This course will attempt to explain the deep divides in Israeli society and the various factions that have made forming stable governments so...
Jane Austen Goes to the Movies
Jane Austen’s novels have proved irresistible to film makers. This course will look at three of her novels—Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion in both the original novel and film versions to see how, and what, changed in the transition from...
Conversos/Marranos/Secret Jews: Keeping a Jewish Identity During the Inquisition
Let us enter the fascinating and tragic world of those forced converts who were Catholic on the outside but Jewish on the inside. This is a story of religious identity, definitions of racial purity, battles between church and state and, in a more contemporary...
The Joy of Birding Redux
The course will introduce the beginner birder to the birds found in eastern Massachusetts in the spring. After two sessions in April describing bird species that we are likely to see in the field, there will be three field trips during the first three weeks in May....
The LILAC Players
Broadway beckons! Well, maybe not Broadway, but the Lilac Players need you, especially you men! We will meet the last five weeks of the spring semester to rehearse the play(s) that will be chosen within the next few months. We will perform after the semester ends, on...
Tai Chi: Basic Movements, History, Philosophy, and Benefits
A focus of the classes will be instruction in a shortened version of Tai Chi movements (the Form), supplemented by an introduction to the history, philosophy, and health benefits of Tai Chi and related practices, such as Qi Gong. In its earliest formulations, Tai Chi...
Cuba: Stuck in a Time Warp
Cuba is close enough to the US to receive television transmissions from Miami, but so far away from what we consider normal life as to seem stuck in a time warp: American cars from the 1950s, empty highways, travel on horseback, crumbling buildings, an educated...
The LILAC Players (no fee)
Broadway beckons!! Well, maybe not Broadway, but the Lilac Players need you! We will be meeting the last five weeks of the fall semester to rehearse the play(s) that will be chosen within the next few months. We read the parts, so no need to memorize. We will perform...
The Joy of Winter Birding (Class and field trips starting 11/16)
This course follows on from Joy of Birding, given in Spring 2021, but that course isn’t a pre-requisite. This course will introduce the beginner birder to the birds found in eastern Massachusetts in the winter. After two sessions describing bird species that we are...
Beneath the Surface: Exploring America’s Caste System (**not being offered this semester)
The United States and the world is gripped with turmoil over the place and treatment of minority groups in modern society. During this 10-week course, we will read Isabelle Wilkerson’s Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents, as a basis for exploring this long-standing...
Painting – Keeping it Simple!
This is a painting course (limited to eight members) and it is designed to simply be fun. Come with experience or with none at all. If you are a beginner, this is a good place to start: painting, no matter the style, involves finding and creating some specific things:...
Choices and Consequences: Responses to Saving Jews During the Holocaust
This course focuses on the behavior of individuals during the Nazi period.
Madeline Albright, Pioneer
Madeline Albright is the story of a woman whose life was dominated by feelings of separation and striving for legitimacy and was intent on proving she was just as smart as a man. She was born in Czechoslovakia and grew up in a loving family as one of three siblings....
Evolution: From Darwin To Today
This course looks at the principles of evolution—which is important since all biology is now understood through an evolutionary lens. I will start with Darwin’s theory of evolution described in his book On the Origin of Species, published in 1859. I will include the...
The Death of Privacy
Your privacy is dying or already dead. Why? This course will provide an overview of central concepts of privacy as well as how they do or do not function today. The major focus of the course is to show how privacy requirements serve as models of what can, should, will...
Memoir Writing: Writing About Your Life One Story at a Time
Has a family member or friend ever said, “You should write these stories down!” The memories of our lives are precious; they are entertaining and instructive and are a gift to those who urge you to write, as well as to yourself. The hardest part is getting started, to...
Lyrics of Love and Luck: The Life and Work of Dorothy Fields
One of the first women who was successful as a songwriter and lyricist in Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood was Dorothy Fields. She wrote the words to over 400 songs of the most iconic American hits from the heyday of classic Broadway and Hollywood. Some of her best-known...
The History of the Jews in America, Part 1: From New Amsterdam to World War I
Jews have lived in what became the United States for 366 years. The contribution by American Jews to this nation has been extraordinary, in large part because of the freedom afforded to not only Jews but to other minority communities, as well. There has been a...
Five Wise Men and their Epiphanies: From Dante to Proust
This course will introduce the work (and world) of five original and extraordinarily creative individuals whose explorations of man’s understanding of himself and his relationship to others and to his world enriched western civilization. Dante Alighieri and the Divine...
Unraveling the Mystery of Human Consciousness
For centuries, scientists and philosophers have struggled to understand and explain the phenomenon of human consciousness. Even the definition of consciousness is controversial. Over the past few decades, the dramatic advances in neuroscience are bringing us closer to...
Political Polarization in America Today
We have all read or heard that America has become much more polarized, politically, over the course of our lifetimes. It has become much more difficult for our elected representatives to compromise and work together to do the work of government. How great is our...
Great Short Stories from 2020
Are short stories the perfect form of literature for these times? With concerns that range from a world pandemic to a threatened democracy, it can be challenging for us to find the mental bandwidth for longer fiction. And when the stories are engrossing, with themes...
Why Nations Fail
Is it culture, genetics, history, geography, or something else? Despite living in an interconnected world, we still see huge differences in standards of living and basic freedoms among countries and societies. How do we explain that? In this course we will be reading...
Something to Chew On: Food and Those Who Cook, Grow, and Write About It
Our course features food-related memoirs and much, much more. We will look at food from many different aspects—professional chefs and the challenges (chaos?) of running restaurants; restaurant reviewers; cuisine in favorite destinations such as France, Italy, and...
Mixed Doubles and Other Dynamic Duos in Crime Fiction
Two heads are better than one, right? That’s especially true when it comes to solving the most puzzling crimes. We’ll look at five detective “teams” to see how the interplay of perspectives advances the plot and enhances the enjoyment of works by five very different,...
Novellas: Women Deceived, Duped, and Destroyed
Meet five woman who are betrayed, hoodwinked, and destroyed: a 16th century woman whose husband leaves their home promising to return, but when he does, who really is he?; a Victorian-age post-partem mother who slowly slips into madness; a sister of a “slow” brother...
Photography and Painting: A Sibling Rivalry in Focus
“FROM NOW ON, PAINTING IS DEAD!” exclaimed French painter Paul Delaroche upon seeing the first photograph in 1839. Before photography, painters had the sole role in visually recording the world. With the camera taking over that role with such clarity of detail, most...
High Impact Issues in the Supreme Court – 2021 cases
Former President Donald Trump added three conservative Justices to the Supreme Court who might serve until 2050 (or beyond). In the introductory lecture, I will explore their likely impact on the law. We will then discuss leading cases decided last term. These...
The Complicated Relationship Between Palestinians and Israelis
The course will look at the complicated relationship of the Palestinians and Israelis by focusing on several historic eras including the history of the Middle East; the history of Zionism and the formation of the State of Israel; the various wars; the current...
Italy’s Dark Shadows: Fascism and Organized Crime
Italy evokes pizza, lasagna, gondolas, mandolins, opera, and Renaissance art. But it is also a country stained by fascism and plagued by organized crime. We will examine the roots of Italian fascism, how and why it lasted so long. We will start with the Italian...
Iconic French Singers of the 20th Century
Most Americans have heard of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel (Belgian), but few know of the most popular and significant French singers of the last century. Some of these are cultural icons, as important in France as Bob Dylan is in the US. Some are revered for the poetry...
What A Difference A Year Makes–November 2020 to November 2021
Did you think that once 2020 ended the virus would disappear, the economy would rebound, and peace and prosperity would return to the land? I hope that by November we will have some clarity about how the US and the world are coping with all of the current chaos. In...
Moving Beyond Your iPhone: Learning More About Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras (not being offered this semester)
What is your photographic vision? Go beyond smart phones and the automatic settings on your digital SLR camera and learn how adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO can result in more creative images. In five online Zoom classes, participants will learn about RAW...
Five Artists Who Sailed Against the Wind
While all artists create works that reflect their unique visions of the world, it takes courage and determination to successfully challenge the artistic standards of the day. In this course, we’ll consider five who did. Sandro Botticelli stood apart from most...
Freedom of Speech – Is it Really Free?
Freedom of Speech is under assault! Or so we hear in the press. But what is Freedom of Speech? Is it free? Should it be? Should hate speech be free? Inflammatory speeches in front of the White House? And what is speech anyway? Is money speech? Violent video games?...