Wednesday PM   

Mel Brooks is a comic, writer, actor, director, and producer, and has been a mainstay in American comedy for nearly eight decades. From his earliest days with Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, his creative partnership with Carl Reiner, his co-creation of Get Smart with Buck Henry, and his many films, Mel has never taken his foot off the accelerator in making us laugh. As he turns 100 this June, let’s celebrate and revisit six of his films to remind ourselves of the work of this comedy icon.

New in-person course. Format includes film.

Often overlooked in traditional design and architecture courses, twentieth century women designers profoundly shaped the way we perceive, experience, and enjoy our built environments, interiors, and decorative objects. In this course, we will explore the work and influence of such designers and architects as Elsie de Wolfe, Eileen Gray, Lilly Reich, Charlotte Perriand, Dorothy Draper, Ray Eames, Zaha Hadid, and others. Their lives and the beauty of their enduring designs are documented within the context of the social and political issues they faced, as they left their unmistakable imprints upon twentieth century design. 

One of Christianity’s best kept secrets is the “pure prayer” of silence originating from the time of Jesus, the
early Desert Fathers and Mothers, and the 6th century monasticism of Benedict of Nursia. This six-part series explores this re-emerging contemplative tradition through the prayer of Christian Meditation by the Benedictine monks John Main and Laurence Freeman and is now practiced in over 100 countries. The historical roots, characteristics of Benedictine Christian contemplative tradition and current practice will be the focus of this series.

Repeat in-person course. Format includes lecture and discussion.

SUGGESTED BOOK: The Hunger for Depth and Meaning, ed. Peter Ng, ISBN 9781933182636