Courses for Winter-Spring 2008
This is the latest term of courses; to register for courses in this term, start by choosing whether you'd like to register one or two members of your household: One or Two.More information about these courses may be available on this external site: TLC Handouts
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When the Conquistadors landed in the New World, they did not find naked savages living in Stone Age ignorance. Rather they came upon large cities cleaner and grander than most of the cities of Europe. How did this happen? Readings and videos in this class will bring to life the great civilizations of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca people. Instructor: Barbara Hesse | ||||
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Fear not, this course has nothing to do with politics! "On the Right" refers to the right side of the brain, the spatial, holistic, non-lingual side. We will exercise our brains by focusing on the problems that artists face whenever they set out to do a painting in watercolors. We will practice various techniques to create still life and landscape scenes. Our goal is to experiment in class-not to launch you on a career as a painter. In fact, if you were an experienced painter, this class would be a bore. Conversely, if you haven't drawn anything beyond stick figures for twenty years, this class would be difficult. If you are somewhere in the middle, this is the class for you! If you attended the previous course on "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" you will be very comfortable with the approach, but this is not a requirement. This is NOT a lecture course-no passive observers please! (There will be a modest fee for materials). Instructor: Garrett Richardson | ||||
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Hindsight is always 20/20! This course will focus on six sets of critical decisions that had a profound effect on our history. We will look at the background, the decision makers themselves, their alternatives, and the immediate and long-term consequences of their actions. The events to be addressed are: Rome and the Visigoths (fourth century AD); Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt (1415); Great Britain's Lake Champlain Campaigns (1776/7); Andrew Jackson and the Second Bank of the U.S. and Nullification (1830's); Hitler's attack on Russia (1942); and the Battle of Midway (1942). Instructor: Tom Key | ||||
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Come, relax, and enjoy video highlights from past programs on Shakespeare, mythology, Mozart, and Baroque opera. New programs in tribute to Beverly Sills and Luciano Pavarotti! Instructor: Robert Julien | ||||
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The course will deal with eight U.S. foreign policy issues. Individual class members will lead each session. Purchase of a textbook ($15-$20) is required. A summary of our conclusions will be sent to the Secretary of State for her information and edification. Instructor: John Leich | ||||
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This play was written in 1604 when Shakespeare was approaching the peak of his career. Although there have been three filmed versions and a New York City production as recently as last year, this play remains one of the least known and least performed of Shakespeare's comedies. Our course will include scene-by-scene readings, a sampling of scholarly opinions, group discussion, and viewing at least one of the filmed versions. This play is the featured production this summer at the Shakespeare and Company Theater in nearby Lenox and the class will go as a group to see a performance. Please come to class with an annotated edition of the play such as those available from Bantam, Pelican, or Penguin. The instructor has ordered six copies. Call him if you would like to reserve one. Instructor: Bill DeVoti | ||||
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This class is a gathering of people who enjoy reading plays just for the fun of it- no performance skills required! The participants make the decision about what to read and share their thoughts about the works as they read through them. We like to find new plays and reread those we have enjoyed in the past. Our spring session will begin with Thornton Wilder's Our Town, so please bring a copy of the play to the first session. Instructor: Marcia Friedman | ||||
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We need to recognize that this is a social tool that legitimizes the control of the many by the few, a disguise that operates in any social milieu. "As bureaucracies satisfy, delight, pollute, and satiate us with goods and services, they also shape our ideas, our very way of conceiving of ourselves, control our life chances, and even define our humanity." (Perrow). This course will attempt to stand outside organizations (even TLC) and see how they influence our values, beliefs, and how we think and reason. Instructor: Jack O'Malley | ||||
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This course is for beginners and those who may think they used to know some German. Using a multi-media approach we will emphasize conversation about contemporary German culture and daily life. An inexpensive textbook will be required. Instructor: John Leich | ||||
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What are we doing here? What are we supposed to do with our lives? These are two of the most basic philosophical questions human beings have to ask themselves. Students in this class will consider how six significant philosophers understand the challenge of being human. Some of their views are complementary and others opposed. Reading materials will be handed out before each class and students should anticipate at least 1-hour worth of reading each week. The six philosophers will be chosen from the following list: Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Sigmund Freud, Jean Paul Sartre, John Dewey, and Martin Buber. Instructor: Lyn Mattoon | ||||
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This course will involve extensive student participation both in discussion and reading poems aloud. Students should provide themselves a copy of either The Norton Anthology of Poetry or The Top 500 Poems (Columbia U. Press). There will also be handouts of other poems resulting from student requests or the inspiration of the moment. Instructor: Edward Nickerson | ||||
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This museum has an extensive collection of American masterpieces dating from the Colonial Period to the present, with emphasis on the Hudson River School and American Impressionism. Our visit will coincide with a special exhibit of California Impressionist paintings on loan from the Irvine Museum collection. For those who have visited this outstanding museum in the past, this trip will present the opportunity to see the new building addition. Space is limited for this trip. If you would like to participate, please send in your registration with a check for $25 made out to Taconic Learning Center. Marcia Friedman, who has organized this trip, will contact you to acknowledge your registration and provide additional details. Instructor: Marcia Friedman | ||||
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This course will involve discussion of the Celts, Vikings, and Mongols. We will savor a liberal sprinkling of myths, some of which still pervade our lives. Instructor: Jim Bates |
