Monday PM   

America has been defined by maps, investing knowledge with meaning by translating information into visual forms. Maps capture what people know, what they thought they knew, what they hoped for, and what they feared. Maps offer unrivaled windows into five centuries of our past. We will have lectures, discussion, and three trips to the Osher Map Library to see original maps illustrated in the course textbook by Susan Schulten, A History of America in 100 Maps (2018). Repeat in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

SUGGESTED MATERIALS: Magnifying glass

REQUIRED BOOK: A History of America in 100 Maps, Susan Schulten, 13:9780226458618 (cloth)

In this age of increased world conflict, we want to high- light the work of cooperation and understanding among groups and individuals featuring the diverse religions. We will focus on the example of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict where existing groups of diverse religious adher ents work toward achieving peace between the warring parties. We will have presentations by members of these three monotheistic religions to emphasize the possibility of cooperation in the interest of peaceful outcomes. New remote course. Format includes lecture.

In this class, you will learn mindfulness practices to help you cultivate a sense of well-being and even happiness in the midst of all the troubling personal, local, national, and world events. Every session will include a talk, discussion, a guided meditation, and additional mindful ness exercises to practice during the week. There is no required reading. A bibliography will be provided for diving more deeply into any of the practices we learn in class. New in-person course. Format includes hands-on learning, lecture, discussion, and movement.

The public often sees the art world as the domain of wealth, trendsetters, and high rollers, yet deception lurks behind the façade. After weapons and drugs, art is the third most lucrative illicit trade, with reports suggesting that more than half of artworks are fake or misattributed. In this course, we will ask: When is a copy simply a copy, and when is it a forgery? What techniques do master forgers use? Does a collector hold true title, and how important is provenance? What can science tell us about art authenticity? We will uncover riveting stories of criminal art activity, gallery closings, and master forgeries.

People throughout time and across cultures have looked to the mountains as powerful symbols. The Buddhists of the Himalayas, the Inca of the Andes, the Inuit of the far north, and the Romantics of Europe all created unique stories of what mountains mean and how they are to be approached. This course will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of the beliefs, traditions, and mythologies that have been inspired by the world’s mountains. Through richly illustrated lectures, short readings, and open discussion, this course will open a window into the world’s sacred mountains and encourage exploration of our relationship with the Earth’s high and wild places.

This course examines royal succession through acclaimed British films that explore power not as ceremony, but as moral and political crisis. We will trace the monarchy’s evolution from personal rule to institutional authority, beginning with the Plantagenet struggles in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968). We will then examine the moral costs of kingship and the performance of national leadership through two Shakespeare adaptations: Chimes at Midnight (1965) and Henry V (1989). The course will conclude with the Tudor rupture: A Man for All Seasons (1966) and the consolidation of legitimacy Elizabeth (1998).

Route 66 is as much an idea as it is a place. Since its creation in 1926, America’s most famous highway has evolved from a 2,400-mile transportation corridor into a powerful symbol of nostalgia, travel, and the American road. Today, it functions as a kind of pilgrimage route, marked by neon signs, roadside attractions, and preserved motels, cafés, and gas stations. In this course, we will explore the history, cultural meaning, and enduring appeal of Route 66. Together, we will examine its origins, rise and decline, late-20th century revival, the role of nostalgia and car culture, preservation efforts, and the possible futures of this iconic highway.

Since the 1890s, when Americans were beginning to develop their own traditions in classical music, composers have recognized the dilemma of creating the American sound. We will explore how classical musicians, and Broadway and Hollywood composers, most of them Jewish, followed parallel paths in creating sounds that reflect these lands and its people. Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, William Grant Steel, Florence Price, Alex North, Elmer Bernstein and others will be the protagonists of this lecture.

This course is the same format as the Spring 2026 course, “Star Trek the Original Series & What It Says About Us” but will feature different episodes. You do not have to have attended the previous course to participate. The best science fiction always holds a mirror up to its audience and allows issues to be considered from a safe distance. Star Trek was no exception, so we’ll take a look at seven episodes from the original series that had something to say and discuss whatever aspects we see in the mirror. We will watch a complete episode and then spend the rest of the class in discussion each week. New in-person course. Format includes discussion.

The Rule of St. Benedict has been in use since it was first introduced in the 6th century as a way to help serious Christian seekers live in community. In today’s modern, diverse, and troubled world, the Rule’s appeal is still very practical because of its flexibility to incorporate a strongly contemplative perspective through the prayer of silence of Christian Meditation, as well as its ability to adapt to a secular “monastery without walls” environment, regardless of anyone’s religious affiliation or background. Experience and learn about the vision of the Rule through topic discussions and the Benedictine practice of Christian Meditation. Repeat in-person course. Format includes hands-on learning.

SUGGESTED BOOK: Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today, Joan Chittister, ISBN 0060613998

On va lire ce roman de l’auteure Annie Ernaux qui s’agit de sa mère. Pour ce qui ont déjà lu la Place, au sujet de son père, cel livre complète la représentation de sa famille. Vous allez lire le livre en français et les discussions seront toutes en français. New in-person course. Format includes discussion.

REQUIRED BOOK: une femme, Annie Ernaux Folio, ISBN 9782 070382118