Literature   

Romance is currently the highest-grossing fiction genre, generating over 1.44 billion in annual revenue (in 2023). We have a bookstore here in Portland devoted entirely to romance: Grump and Sunshine, at 40 Free Street. Notable themes and subgenres include spicy/contemporary, queer romance, YA romance, and historical (among others). In this workshop we’ll bring the books we’ve read and/or would like to read (or just a list of authors and/or titles), and discuss why we are drawn to this genre and who are our favorites.

New in-person workshop. Format includes discussion.

This will be the second of three courses on Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings and will focus on The Two Towers. Needless to say, this is a masterwork. Richard is prepared to build the case from a literary perspective and also to share how Tolkien drew from other great myths of the world: Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Finnish, Greek, and Indian. His goal was to create a myth for his “northern” people, and he did so borrowing from many other traditions. This is not unlike what Homer and other great writers of the past did with their great myths. This will be a page-by-page examination, like you might experience in graduate school.

New remote course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED BOOKS: The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, ISBN 9780547928210 (Mariner Books)

Classic noir short stories — darkness, crime, the bleak side of the city on the Liffey. Come discuss the usual and unusual suspects, the aspects of crime and punishment in what once was known as the eye of the Celtic Tiger, Dublin. Stories by Ken Bruen, Laura Lippman, Olen Steinhauer, and others display that unique Irish blend of cynicism, humor, and despair. “To be Irish is to dance on the Titanic; laughter is indeed the best revenge, it’s our way of evening the score. You won’t find many leprechauns here.”

New in-person course. Format includes discussion.
REQUIRED BOOK: Dublin Noir: The Celtic Tiger vs. The Ugly American; Ed. Ken Bruen; ISBN 139781888451924

Like short stories? Always been wary of them? Avoid them
because they’re not novels? Join a group of enthusiastic
readers and thinkers to explore the short story from a
slightly different angle than we’ve pursued in the past.
This term’s text is Pushcart Prize XLIX - Best Of The Small
Presses. Although it includes much more than short stories,
we will focus on the short stories — and you’ll have quite
a large set of additional things to explore after class
is over (the book numbers 442 pages with an additional
90 or so pages of references!).

New in-person course. Format includes discussion.

REQUIRED BOOK: Pushcart Prize XLIX Best of the Small Presses;
Ed. Bill Henderson, ISBN 9798985469769

Maine has a long literary tradition, past and present. This workshop will highlight some of the well- and lesserknown Maine writers from the 19th and 20th century, including John Cole, Robert P. Tristram Coffin, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Elizabeth Coatsworth. We’ll learn biographical information about each writer, dip into short readings by each, and discuss. Come find your new/old favorite Maine writers!

New in-person workshop. Format includes lecture and discussion.

In this course, we will trace the evolution of literature specifically written for children - from its earliest forms to the modern era. We will begin with the oral traditions that underpin all storytelling, then follow the shift toward published works created specifically with young readers in mind. We will survey key moments and turning points that shaped the growth of children’s literature as a distinct field. We will conclude by analyzing how well-known children’s literature has evolved over time. 

You probably have a favorite poem or two or twelve that have stayed with you like a loyal friend over the years. Would you like to share these with like-minded classmates? Read them out loud? Discuss what they meant and still mean to you? Hear what others have for favorite poems and what they mean to them? We will loosely divide our favorites into subgroups such as: poems that entrance, poems that teach, poems that protest, poems that intoxicate, poems that soothe broken hearts, and poems that delight. No one’s a poetry expert! We’re just sharing what we love. 

New in-person course. Format includes discussion.

Explore how the Transcendentalists created an intellectual and cultural revolution. USM Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Adam delves into this extraordinary intellectual revolution in early- to mid-19th century Concord, Massachusetts. Dr. Tuchinsky will provide an introductory mini-lecture followed by class discussion in a comfortable setting of readings and videos, including segments of original writing and portions of recent histories. This course is specially crafted for OLLI and follows on the successful trip to Walden Pond and the Old Manse this spring (attendance on that trip is not required to participate in this class).

Transcendentalism was the New England branch of the Romantic movement. The Transcendentalists were radical individualists, a stance that would not have been possible without the political revolution of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.

This group of reformers connect directly to issues we face today, including: the importance of nature in our material and spiritual well-being; civil disobedience and its role in motivating cultural and political change; radical egalitarianism regardless of sex or caste; and the cultural tenor of American education as it relates to living in a contemporary society. By looking back, we will get a new perspective on life today.