TOPICS OFFERED FOR FALL 2020

Classes start September 1st and end December 31st. Holiday periods are adapted to by individual class voting.

1. (AFS) ARCHAEOLOGY FROM SPACE: HOW THE FUTURE SHAPES OUR PAST

Like excitement? Then this S/DG is the one for you.

Join National Geographic Explorer and TED Prize-winner Dr. Sarah Parcak as she gives us a personal tour of the evolution, major discoveries, and future potential of the young field of satellite archaeology. From surprise advancements after the declassification of spy photography, to a new map of the mythical Egyptian city of Tanis, she shares her field’s biggest discoveries, revealing why space archaeology is not only exciting, but urgently essential to the preservation of the world’s ancient treasures.

Our author has worked in twelve countries and four continents, using multispectral and high-resolution satellite imagery to identify thousands of previously unknown settlements, roads, fortresses, palaces, tombs, and even potential pyramids. From there, her stories take us back in time and across borders, into the day-to-day lives of ancient humans whose traits and genes we share. And she shows us that if we heed the lessons of the past, we can shape a vibrant future.

Presentations:

· An in-depth dive of one of the discoveries mentioned in the book

· How satellite imagery is being used in related fields

· How one becomes an archaeologist today

· A guest speaker from the local aerospace community who could flesh out the material

Common Reading: Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past by Sarah Parcak (July 2019)

An Amazon Best Science Book of 2019

A Science Friday Best Science Book of 2019

A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2019

Nature's top ten books of 2019

2. (AHM) ALFRED HITCHCOCK, THE MAN AND HIS MOVIES

In this class, the focus will be on Alfred Hitchcock as a whole – the myth, the reality, the major themes, the incomparable style, the personal idiosyncrasies – all sustaining his achievements over six decades. The class members will be choosing from a plethora of his masterpieces to develop presentations. The movies will be viewed by all at home and the presenters will formulate questions for class discussions.

There is a wealth of films to explore:

Rear Window, The Birds, Rebecca, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Family Plot and, of course, Psycho – just to mention a few.

The opportunity to learn about Hitchcock – the artist, the entertainer, the performer, the icon will be a worthwhile experience not to be missed. As Hitch said himself, "The cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."

Bon Appetit!

Common Reading: Simply Hitchcock, by David Sterritt (2017)

3. (BHV) BEHAVE

Why do we do the things we do?

The first category of explanation is the neurobiological one. What goes on in a person's brain a second before the behavior happens? What sight, sound, or smell triggers the nervous system to produce that behavior? And then, what hormones act hours to days earlier to change how responsive that individual is to the stimuli which trigger the nervous system? And how do these systems interact?

Second: What features of the environment affected that person's brain, going back to the childhood of the individual, and then to their genetic makeup. How culture has shaped that individual's group, what ecological factors helped shape that culture, and on and on, back to evolutionary factors thousands and even millions of years old.

Possible presentation topics include: tribalism, xenophobia, hierarchy, competition, morality, free will, war and peace.

Common Reading: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky (May 2018, paperback)

4. (BSS) BRADBURY SHORT STORIES

The imagination of Ray Bradbury has opened doors into remarkable places, ushering us across unexplained territories of the heart and mind, leading us to a profound understanding of ourselves and the Universe. In this class we will read many short stories chosen by Bradbury himself that still continue to flourish, all forever fresh and vital. The stories will be chosen by the presenters, all will read them at home, and then all will prepare answers to the questions generated by the presenters for thought-provoking discussions in class.

These stories are Bradbury at his very best - golden visions of tomorrow, poetic memories of yesterday and glorious dreams - a grand celebration of humankind. No question that this will be an opportunity to be immersed in his storytelling, as Bradbury is a true giant of American literature.

Common Reading: Bradbury Stories - 100 of Bradbury's Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury (April 2005, paperback)

5. (ECN) THIS WEEK IN THE ECONOMIST

The British weekly publication The Economist is known for its informative and thought- provoking reporting on political and economic developments around the world. In this S/DG, we will discuss several articles selected from the current issue as catalysts for informed and lively discussion on the burning topics of our time. Leadership will rotate.

All articles selected are easily accessed online at no cost FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.  If you want a hard copy or digital access there is of course a cost just like every other SD/G.  Right now The Economist cost is as listed below.

Print + Digital:  Introductory Offer:  12 weeks for only US$69 US$29

Digital:  Introductory Offer:  12 weeks for only US$55 US$25

Common Reading: Current issues of The Economist.

6. (HED) HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM

America’s colleges transformed from prep schools for clergymen and lawyers to centers for research and academic excellence, particularly with WW2 and the postwar “GI bill,” which swelled enrollments and broadened the social structure of the educated populace. In time, a college degree became a necessity for many career paths and opened the door to women’s entry into more occupations. Great, up to a point. In the 1990’s, a dangerous notion took hold, that everyone should go to college. Trade schools were allowed to fade, eliminating training for many jobs found to be “essential” during the present pandemic. Infrastructure and administrative expenditures became dominant. Tuition and other costs, e.g., textbooks, have soared, leaving too many saddled with unsupportable loans. Colleges now charge much higher tuitions than we paid, but also offer substantial financial aid. Low birth rates will reduce the native supply of young Americans, leading to increased dependence on full- tuition foreign students. Many colleges will face financial and other crises. Online approaches to education will have serious impact on the ways education and job training will be supplied. The pandemic will hasten this.

Our common reading expands on these and other issues facing higher education and suggests some possible reforms. Research/presentation topics might include: personal experience on the importance, or not, of higher education in our lives; what you think we should expect of colleges; situations our grandchildren face; effect of education on growing inequalities; perceived benefits and limitations of online courses; potential collapse of need for college instructors; etc.

Common Reading: Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America by Richard K. Vedder (Independent Institute, May 2019)

Supplemental Reading

Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education, by Nathan Grawe (January 2018)

Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much, by Richard Vedder (June 2004)

7. (IDM) INTUITION AND DECISION MAKING

Most people trust their intuition when making many decisions while behavioral research has shown that for certain situations most people are wrong. In a 2011 book Daniel Kahneman presents recent research on when we can and cannot trust our intuition. This Nobel Prize winner’s research shows that there two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. He exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The class will explore how everyday decisions can be best understood by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions. Topics for presentations could include anchoring to earlier knowledge, the law of small numbers, similar research by others in the field of behavioral research, etc. The book has been widely recognized: New York Times Top 10 Book for 2011; one of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year; one of Wall Street Journal's Best Nonfiction Books of the year 2011.

Common Reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (October 2011)

8. (LIZ) THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND

Many of us thoroughly enjoy reading history to try to understand the great changes in human life, such as those caused by wars, plagues, technological innovations, and prominent thinkers and statesmen.

However, if we want to understand the past more fully, we might also take the completely different approach of studying the details of day-to-day life in a particular time and place of the past.

Highly esteemed medieval historian and writer Ian Mortimer has given us a unique opportunity to do just this with respect to one of the most fascinating settings in history. In our common book, The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England, Mortimer has written a "travel guide" for us, as if we were about to travel with him back to that special time and place and want to be ready for our visit.

Dr. Mortimer's light and well-written presentation begins with a broad, yet detailed, overview of the layout and nature of the country, ranging from the geography of England as a whole all of the way down to particular streets of London. We will then be introduced to the people generally, including their ages, looks, and ways of making a living. We will become aware of the political, religious, and cultural climate around us. We will be prepared to dress and groom ourselves, travel around, eat and drink, and do anything else we might do as a visitor to any foreign land (perhaps even catching a play at The Globe Theatre, run by some fellow named Shakespeare?).

S/DG topics might include: Any aspect of Elizabethan English life; other histories written on the subject; a critique of Dr. Mortimer's approach; aspects of Elizabethan life in other countries; how the real history compares to the view of Elizabethan life we have received from television, movies, and other popular cultural sources.

Common Reading: Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England, by Ian Mortimer (Penguin Books; Reprint edition, August 2014)

9. (LTT) LEADERSHIP IN TURBULENT TIMES

How often do we examine the leadership in any organization – at work, in volunteer organizations, and especially of our political leaders. Nowhere is leadership more important than in the office of the President of the United States. Here is a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of the most respected historians in the country, looking at four presidents: Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, and LBJ. She shows how very differently these four approached not only their political careers but how they developed the character traits that helped them see—or make—a path toward a critical response that many others disagreed with. While the proposed text provides a basis for discussing four leaders, the class may elect to also encourage presentations about other presidents and other modern leaders. For example, a book on the same subject by retired four-star general Stanley McChrystal would provide another perspective on leadership.

Common Reading: Leadership: In Turbulent Times, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (September 2018)

Supplemental Reading:

Leaders: Myth and Reality, by Stanley McChrystal and Jeff Eggers (October 2018)

10. (MTY) MONTY PYTHON: CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT?

What do Sacha Baron Cohen (D’Ali G Show, Borat, Bruno), Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, The Book of Mormon), Mike Myers (Saturday Night Live, Austin Powers, Shrek), Matt Groening (The Simpsons), and Lynwood's world renowned master of song parody, Weird Al" Yankovic, all have in common?

Answer: All were among the throngs of professional humorists who were heavily influenced and inspired by the classic British comedy ensemble, Monty Python.

Comprised of three former Cambridge students (John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Eric Idle), two former Oxford students (Michael Palin and Terry Jones), and one former Occidental College student (Terry Gilliam), Monty Python was a surreal comedy troupe behind the sketch comedy television show “Monty Python's Flying Circus” which ran for 45 shows on the BBC starting in 1969 and was soon imported to American television via PBS.

Starting from that show's great popular and critical success, the Python phenomenon eventually developed into touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, and several books and musicals, including the recent hit musical, “Spamalot” (written by Eric Idle and based on the Python's comedy movie masterpiece, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.)

The common reading for the course will be Monty Python Speaks, a history of Monty Python, created from interviews of each of the Pythons. It is suggested that the S/DG also consider watching, as a group, a compilation of bits from the original TV show, and at least some of “The Holy Grail”.

Possible S/DG topics include: What it means to be "Pythonesque"; how Monty Python connects with previous, contemporary, and subsequent comedy in Britain and America; the various films of the Pythons, including several significant films directed by Terry Gilliam (such as “Brazil”, “Twelve Monkeys”, and “Time Bandits”); how Monty Python changed television; the individual careers and/or lives of one or more of the Pythons; favorite sketches from the television show.

Common Reading: Monty Python Speaks, Revised and Updated Edition: The Complete Oral History, by David Morgan (January 8, 2019; paperback)

11. (PAN) PANDEMIC!

This S/DG will look at the history of pandemics as well as the responses to the current Covid_19 pandemic. Pandemics have occurred through history and their effects have rewritten history in many cases. Subjects to be considered include individual pandemics like the Black Death in Asia and Europe, and the Spanish Flu’s influence in the United States, as well as characteristics and results common to pandemics. Presentations could focus on the medical aspects of specific pandemics, societal responses to pandemics, recent African pandemics, lesser known historical pandemics, the early responses to Covid_19, proposed preparations for the “next” pandemic, etc.

Common Reading: Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, by Sonia Shah (February 2017; paperback)

Supplemental Reading:

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, by John M. Barry

(October 2005; paperback)

Pandemic History: The Worst Pandemics That Changed History, by John Muan

(March 2020)

The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It, by Dr. Jonathan D. Quick (January 2018)

12. (PHL) BRUSH UP ON YOUR PHILOSOPHERS

This S/DG offers a survey of Philosophy with the opportunity to delve deeper into any one of the significant philosophers covered in the text, or to branch out and do a presentation on one not covered at all (e.g., current philosophers).

If you’ve had a “liberal” education, you’d know all about Zeno, Socrates, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche. But, if you’re like most of us, these sound only vaguely familiar and we wish we had had the time, or interest, to take such courses in college. This course will be an overview of Western philosophy from the 6th Century B.C. on. It will cover the philosophers of these periods. All of those names dropped at cocktail parties, and more, will be covered.

This study/discussion group will use a very short text as an aid for organizing the flow of ideas developed over centuries from pre-Socrates to the 20th Century. The text covers all the major philosophic schools in the context of contemporaneous religious and historical movements. The emphasis will be on key ideas and the relationships between them. Some suggestions for research presentations: philosophers and their lives, philosophies and their arguments, periods and regions, pertinence to our lives today, current philosophers, etc.

Common Reading: A Passion for Wisdom: A Very Brief History of Philosophy by Robert C. Solomon and Kathleen M. Higgins (May 1997)

13. (POL) POLARIZATION IN AMERICA

Our country is more polarized than previously in our lifetimes. Polarization is the natural state of political systems. The American political system is unique in that the presidential form, with a separation of powers, doesn’t exist for long periods of time anywhere else. This leads to conflicts between branches of government that have independent democratic legitimacy. During the second half of the 20th century, the parties sorted – by ideology, racially, geographically, religiously – making previous coalitions and compromise much more difficult, and some think impossible. The actions of the current president and the stress of the pandemic are exacerbating the situation. Is there a workable path back to E Pluribus Unum?

Possible research/presentation topics include: Is there still a center? Might the country break apart and if so, how? Why did some supporters for one extreme vote for the other extreme candidate in 2016? Are both sides arming for possible conflict? What constitutional changes might lead to greater unity? Would a moderate president lead to resolution or simply delay and inevitable political schism? Is it the fault of only one side? Might a new, third party arise as in France? Etc.

Common Reading: Why We’re Polarized, by Ezra Klein (January 2020)

14. (PVP) PALOS VERDES AND THE SOUTH BAY

Palos Verdes and the South Bay's dramatic beauty is mirrored by a dramatic history. Feuding over claims to the Rancho San Pedro continued for seventy-three years. The Vanderlip family's forty-year development of the Palos Verdes Peninsula resulted in one of California's wealthiest and most well-kept enclaves of coastal cities. Marineland of the Pacific on the Peninsula's end was one of the West Coast's more popular tourism draws before its controversial closing. In this exciting compilation of articles, authors Bruce and Maureen Megowan reveal some of the intriguing secrets and little-known facts nestled within the hills, valleys and nearby cities of this beautiful area. Discover some of the fascinating stories about the development of the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Topics could include any of the historical characters or sites in the area.

Common Reading: Historic Tales from Palos Verdes and the South Bay by Bruce L. and Maureen D. Megowan (July 2014, paperback)

15. (REN) THE UGLY RENAISSANCE

Most Renaissance (1300 – 1550) discussions concern art, music and architecture while ignoring Renaissance daily life and the new philosophical theories. While the Renaissance world is normally viewed through the eyes of the very rich, the actual world was filled with poverty, disease, intolerance, wars and violent crimes. Corrupt officials who murdered political opponents (including family members) and mercenaries who massacred whole cities were common. While women are portrayed with little power, there were many women who held tremendous power and were in conflict with each other (e.g., Catherine de Medici and her daughter Marguerite). All philosophy was linked to the Church but it was a time when the Church’s views were being challenged. The Church taught that people were evil and life should be filled with misery while the Renaissance said that people were good and life should be enjoyed. It was the time of the rising merchant bankers whose wealth conflicted with the Church’s view that poverty was the path to goodness. How does a religious person make these conflicting views compatible?

This S/DG will discuss the Renaissance world outside art, music and architecture. Possible topics include daily life, banking evolution, diseases, wars, philosophy, social levels, politics, women, or the rise of merchants and trade.

Common Reading: The Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Greed, Violence and Depravity in an Age of Beauty, by Alexander Lee (October 2015, paperback)

16. (RNG) RANGE

“Are you a generalist or a specialist? Do you strive for breadth or depth in your career, in your life? After all, you can’t have both. Your time on earth is finite, as are your energy and attention. If you concentrate on doing one thing, you might have a chance of doing it really well. If you seek to do many things, you’ll taste a wider variety of human goods, but you may end up a well-rounded mediocrity - a dilettante.

“Folk wisdom holds the trade-o_ between breadth and depth to be a cruel one: ‘jack-of- all-trades, master of none,’ and so forth. And a lot of thinking in current pop-psychology agrees. To attain genuine excellence in any area - sports, music, science, whatever - you have to specialize, and specialize early: That’s the message. If you don’t, others will have a head start on you in the 10,000 hours of ‘deliberate practice’ supposedly necessary for breakout achievement.

“But this message is perversely wrong - so David Epstein seeks to persuade us in Range. Becoming a champion, a virtuoso or a Nobel laureate does not require early and narrow specialization. Quite the contrary in many cases. Breadth is the ally of depth, not its enemy. In the most rewarding domains of life, generalists are better positioned than specialists to excel.” The New York Times

Epstein compares Tiger Woods, who started playing golf at the age of 2, with Roger Federer, who skied, played basketball and soccer, before he focused on tennis. He also discussed Vincent van Gogh, who was a pastor, teacher, and bookseller before he finally became a painter.

Presentation topics might compare child prodigies like Mozart contrasted with generalists like Leonardo da Vinci, how the author’s theories compare or conflict with theories of parenting, the advantages and/or disadvantages of being a generalist or specialist.

Common Reading: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein (May 2019)

17. (SAR) SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

This S/DG will delve deeply into the mystery of life, the ongoing revolutions in our understanding of how we got here, and bring us closer to answering one of the great questions - was life on earth inevitable…or was it all an accident? It is based on the fact that we have now arrived at a remarkable moment—prehistoric fossils coupled with new DNA technology have given us the tools to answer some of the basic questions of our existence: How do big changes in evolution happen? Is our presence on Earth the product of chance?

Expanding on his previous two best sellers (Your Inner Fish; The Universe Within), the author of our common reading shows how evidence from fossils combines with discoveries from DNA to promote new understandings of evolution. Charles Darwin would applaud Dr. Shubin's clear explanations and insightful rendering of the incontrovertible evidence for the evolution of all life on planet Earth.

We will explore the latest discoveries in paleontology and genetics to tackle some of the biggest mysteries of evolution. A journey of discovery will be taken spanning centuries, as explorers and scientists sought to understand the origins of life's immense diversity. We will proceed with a lively and accessible account of the great transformations in the history of life on Earth–a new view of the evolution of human and animal life that explains how the incredible diversity of life on our planet came to be. This new science reveals a multibillion- year evolutionary history filled with twists and turns, trial and error, accident and invention. The genetic constructions of all creatures are variations on a theme; we are all related.

Class participants will make a presentation and lead a discussion of a portion of the text. Possible presentation topics are how evidence from fossils combine with discoveries from DNA to promote new understandings of evolution; how the mechanics of evolution fits with current thoughts in scientific development; how DNA technology has enabled scientists to understand and even tinker with evolution; specific areas in DNA that turn genes on and off during fetal development; what viruses are and how they work; the careers and achievements of great researchers, including women such as the long-neglected Julia Platt and Barbara McClintock; and how big changes in evolution happen.

Common Reading: Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA, by Neil Shubin (March 17, 2020)

18. (SFI) THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES

The best anthology of the best science fiction writers ever known -- Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, Clarke, Knight, Del Rey – and more! Twenty-six short stories to choose from, everyone a gem.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame series was established to recognize quality SF writing before the era of the Hugo and Nebula awards. What a wonderful gift to the early SF pioneers who were shamefully treated by the mainstream of creative writers. Of course, SF writers themselves changed these negative impressions by the higher literary standards achieved in the 1950s and beyond by such writers as Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Roger Zelazny, Ursala Le Quin, Joanna Russ, and Frank Herbert. This first volume is framed by two stories of a journey to Mars: "A Martian Odyssey" from 1934 and "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" from 1963. In those intervening 29 years SF writing matured from Stanley Weinbaum's rather primitive pulp fiction to Roger Zelazny's stunning modernist prose. The first story is just an action fantasy, with little science and the most rudimentary fiction techniques. Still it's a great read! It has action, humor, suspense and one of the great alien characters in the whole genre, the bird-like and noble-hearted Martian, named Tweel. The later distinction between “hard” SF and “soft” SF did not yet exist. However, three decades later, we have a very professional and polished writer in Roger Zelazny, who had internalized the main currents of modern literature as his references to Hart Crane, Rainer Maria Rilke, the Mahabharata, Shakespeare, Rimbaud attest. For Zelazny, SF is literature and occupies its own niche in world literature.

Common Reading: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame; Volume 1: 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg (January 2005)

19. (SHK) SHAKESPEARE: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE …

The Omnilorean New Globe Players plan a fun September-December 2020 season —reading and studying a selection of Shakespeare’s plays. Did you know that of the 38 plays generally credited to the Bard, almost half (18) of them are Comedies? Thus, in an occasional trimester we read all Comedies. This Fall we will read “Four Great Comedies”— The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest (all in one Signet Classics book.)

With players standing and with a few props and costumes, we will do reading walk-throughs and discussions of the four plays.

In this S/DG you will learn how to research all perspectives of Shakespeare’s works — sources of each play upon which the Bard builds rich characters and enhances the plots, how to play each character “in character,” themes, symbols, images, motifs, commentary on issues of the day, and all manner of rhyme and reason. Class members each serve on one play’s Board of Directors, responsible for casting roles for the repertory and leading discussions based on the research — optionally adding videos, music, and costumes. For a glimpse of how we live the Bard in this S/DG, check out http://omnilore.org/members/Curriculum/SDGs/20a-SHK-Shakespeare to view the Winter/Spring Shakespeare class’s website of links to references relevant to our plays and downloadable organizing artifacts.

There are no prerequisites, theatrical or otherwise. You will find that the Bard of Stratford- on-Avon will teach us, just as he’s taught others for four hundred years. With plenty for the novice as well as the veteran, it is a foregone conclusion members will leave this class with a fuller understanding of the masterful story construction, realistic characters with depth and humanity, and the rich, evocative language which have earned William Shakespeare the title of greatest writer in the English language.

SHK will be limited to the first 24 enrollees and will not split.

Common Reading: Selected Plays

20. (SNW) BEST SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING 2019

This S/DG will read and study some of the best science and nature writing published during calendar year 2018.

Possible presentation topics: Presentations can expand upon articles included in the common reading. Examples of articles include: Why are black mothers and babies dying at more than twice the rate of white mothers and babies? The extinction of the world’s smallest porpoise; What if the Placebo Effect is not a Trick; The search for alien life.

Common Reading: The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019 edited by Sy Montgomery (October 2019, paperback)

21. (SOM) LIVING ON A FINITE PLANET EARTH – THE STORY OF MORE

Every day, babies are born, we have food to eat, water to drink, and are able to travel from place to place or stay at home to view the world through TV or internet. And there are seven billion people also doing this with us.

In the common reading - The Story of More - Hope Jahren illuminates the link between human habits and our imperiled planet. In concise, highly readable chapters, she takes us through the science behind the key inventions—from electric power to large-scale farming to automobiles—that, even as they help us, create consequences for the earth’s sustainability and what we can do about it.

This S/DG will discuss the many aspects of modern life that cumulatively contribute to climate change. The book is structured around four parts – life, food, energy, and earth with an appendix on the difference an individual can make. Many topics, touched upon in each section, would make an excellent presentation focus. Possibilities include: corporate farming; sustainable fishing; energy usage and trends; solar energy; carnivore/omnivore/vegetarian; population imbalance around the world; recycling; forestry changes; rising temperatures.

Common Reading: The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here, by Hope Jahren (March 2020)

22. (SSZ) BROADWAY'S STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

Stephen Schwartz is among the rare American composer-lyricists whose Broadway musicals have inspired passionate followings resulting in blockbuster hits like Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin. Movie musical fans know that Disney’s pairing of Stephen Schwartz (for lyrics) with composer Alan Menken (for music) led to award-winning movie musicals Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted.

In this class we will learn about behind-the-scenes stories of this legendary songwriter. It will be the choice of the classmates to choose a musical that Schwartz has worked on and present findings to the class. The chapters of the book, Defying Gravity, will be divided among the class and questions will be generated for discussions. Anyone interested in the development of stage and film musicals will enjoy multiple insights from this backstage journey, from Godspell to Wicked, and beyond.

Common Reading: Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked, by Carol de Giere (biographer) (October 2018)

23. (TMO) TONI MORRISON

Toni Morrison was a novelist, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor emeritus at Princeton University. In 1977 she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Song of Solomon, and in 1988 she won the Pulitzer Prize and American Book Award for Beloved. She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. President Obama presented Morrison with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Morrison passed away on August 5, 2019.

Margaret Atwood said this about Beloved - “Indeed, Ms. Morrison’s versatility and technical and emotional range appear to know no bounds. If there were any doubts about her stature as a pre-eminent American novelist, of her own or any other generation, Beloved will put them to rest. In three words or less, it’s a hair- raiser.”

Presentation topics could discuss any one of Morrison’s books, could compare her books, or review her life outside of her writings.

Common Reading: The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations, by Toni Morrison (February 2019)

24. (WCH) WINSTON CHURCHILL – THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE

Winston Churchill is inexorably linked to the history of Britain and his role in leading that country through World War II. This S/DG will take a close look at the broader picture of his life, family, and role during the Blitz. This was a very dramatic and desperate time in Britain before the United States entered the war. Beyond just looking at the war efforts, discussion will look at what the leaders of the time were asking of the British people to manage and endure as Churchill taught “the art of being fearless”.

The reference book for this S/DG – The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson – will serve as a discussion basis for this period in British history on Churchill, his family, friends, and associates. Further presentations could be focused on the shortages facing the country in food, materials, and equipment; the efforts taken to survive the air attacks; the public spirit; how the country pulled together.

Common Reading: The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson (February 2020)

25. (WSF) WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE

2020 is the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote. For nearly 150 years, American women did not have the right to vote. On August 18, 1920, they won that right, when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified at last. To achieve that victory, some of the fiercest, most passionate women in history marched, protested, and sometimes even broke the law—for more than eight decades. It the largest political mobilization of women to date. It drew on the time, talent, and energy of three generations of women, and yet few Americans could name more than a single suffragist. The centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment seems like a good chance to rectify that. It is a consequential reform since the majority of current voters are women. For nearly a hundred years, from the mid-nineteenth century onward, countless American women fought for the right to vote. While some of the leading figures of the suffrage movement have received deserved appreciation, the crusade for women’s enfranchisement involved many individuals, each with a unique story to be told. We might not know as much as we should about the history of American women. This course will investigate the lives of nineteen activists, most of whom have long been overlooked.

Possible Presentation Topics: ERA, CEDAW Treaty, the international bill of rights for women, sexism and gender bias, the power of women’s vote, women in powerful positions, gender wage gap, under-representation of women in political life, etc.

Common Reading: Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Susan Ware (May 6, 2019, hardcover)