Courses for Winter 2016
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Camelot Without Julie Andrews or Richard Burton -- nA reading of the great medieval romance "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight";nnWithout a doubt, this poem is the very heart of the romance genre: a (tall) tale of green giants, headless knights, witchcraft, dark forests, King Arthur, and a lonely, lying knight trying to reclaim his honor in, of all places, bed. We'll look at the poem from several angles -- and as usual, have a lively discussion about what it all means (or even if it means anything at all). nnStudents should come the first day with $15 to purchase the facing-page translation.nnNOTE: No class on Monday, Jan 25 Instructor: Mark Scarbrough See this instructor's bio | ||||
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We will continue to explore the stories which have helped to shape our culture beginning with the story of "Rebekah at the well" and concluding with "Joseph and his many colored coat." NOTE: Do not forget to bring a Bible. Instructor: Richard Taber See this instructor's bio | ||||
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The Nineteen Thirties- A Decade We Could Have Done Without (except that many of us were born then)nnSession one-: The Stock Market Crash of 1929nThe game, the field and some major players. Time line of the market collapse. Greed and foolishness. Results and consequences.nnSessions two, three and four: The Great DepressionnMajor theories of the causes, including: agricultural over production, weak independent banking, the Smoot Hawley Tariff, errors and inaction by the Federal Reserve, money supply mismanagement, etcnnSome major events of the early Depression years: the Dust Bowl, The Bonus Army, threat of Communism in this country, etc.nnCoolidge and Hoover's economic policies, Hoover's mitigating actions, the presidential election of 1932, the First One Hundred DaysnnSession five: A Look at the New DealnOver view with emphasis on the NRA, TVA and CCCnnSession six-: The Rise of Fascism and Its Evil ChildrennF. Franco, B. Mussolini, A. Hitlern Instructor: Thomas Key See this instructor's bio | ||||
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Leonard Bernstein is universally recognized as one of the leading figures in the history of music of the last century. As composer, conductor, performer and teacher, his wonderful combination of exceptional performances and clear, inspired lectures superbly conveyed his excitement about music. His "Young Peoples Concerts," televised on CBS in prime time, in 1962, which introduced an entire generation to classical music, will be at the core of this semesters program. Celebrated performances from "The Bernstein Omnibus" will also be presented. The finale: Beethovens Ninth Symphony, performed Christmas Day, 1989 - to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. For this occasion, Bernstein assembled an orchestra with musicians from the most important orchestras in the world. The "Ode to Joy," with which Beethoven concluded his symphony. became "The Ode to Freedom." (Note: For those who enjoyed "Keeping Score" by Michael Tillson Thomas - a student of Bernstein - this should be of interest). Instructor: See this instructor's bio | ||||
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We will continue our reading of contemporary works by American playwrights. This term we will read plays by a female Pulitzer Prize winner, Beth Henley. Please obtain "The Collected Plays of Beth Henley, Volume I, 1980-1989". Instructor: Rosemary Farnsworth See this instructor's bio | ||||
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"The Emperor of all Maladies" by Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist. When I started reading this 571 page book published in 2010 I had no idea how it would capture me. It was almost impossible to put down. Consequently, I wish to share my enthusiasm for and the knowledge provided by this book with you, the participants, in this journey though "The Biology of Cancer".nnEach participant in the war on cancer stands on the shoulders of those who went before. The book describes four thousand years of mankind's grappling with the mystery of cancer with each person relying on his or her predecessors. The ups and downs, the fears and joys, the cures and failures are all presented in the book and I only hope that I am able to present Dr. Mukherjees superb writing in an exciting and understandable fashion.nnCome along for the journey with me through these six sessions. The goal is to understand how we have arrived at the gate of a new way to approach cancer. n Instructor: Lynn Whelchel See this instructor's bio | ||||
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Reading Shakespeares plays can present special challenges. The unfamiliar words, peculiar spellings and opaque allusions often throw us a curve, but much of this confusion may be eliminated when Reading Shakespeare - Aloud! Often, the sound of the words being spoken carries the meaning along even when one might stumble over individual word meanings. In this course, we will read two plays: "Much Ado about Nothing" and "Romeo and Juliet". There will be some discussion of interpretation, but mostly we will seek the pleasure of hearing these memorable characters through our own efforts to, as Hamlet would put it, speak the speech! To warm up we will read a sonnet or two each meeting. Finally, this course welcomes both the listener and the speaker; if you love to hear the language but would rather not read, by all means join us anyway, for you might just find the challenge irresistible! Instructors: Mark Alan Liebergall and Sarah Tames. Mark Liebergall has been a member of the Taconic Learning Centers Shakespeare class for several years and a Shakespeare enthusiast for a long time. He is looking forward to another season of speaking the words of the Bard with the other members of the class and helping lead the course with Sarah Tames. Sarah Tames formerly taught English and was Director of Theatre at The Hotchkiss School. Instructor: Tames_&_ Liebergall See this instructor's bio | ||||
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This meditation group grew out of the fall semester course, "Indian Philosophy and Meditation". In it we will practice a variety of meditations in the Buddhist tradition with emphasis on the vipassana mindfulness meditation practice. No prior experience in meditation is necessary.nInstruction is available and every one is welcome.n Instructor: See this instructor's bio |
