Thursday   

In this course on modern Ireland, students will explore contemporary Ireland through the lens of renowned Irish writers. Participants will explore a curated selection of three impactful books, each offering a unique perspective on the cultural, social, and historical fabric of modern Ireland.

Here is the book list to be read in this order.

1. The Gathering by Anne Enright
      Vintage (UK), paperback — Vintage Books, 2007. ISBN-13: 9780099523826 (ISBN-10: 0099523825); ca. 261 pages. themorgan.org

      A dark, intimate novel about family grief and memory, The Gathering follows Veronica Hegarty as she returns home after her brother Liam’s suicide. Through sharp, lyrical prose, Enright unravels family secrets, sibling rivalries, and the ways personal and collective pasts distort the truth, creating a powerful exploration of loss, culpability, and the messy ties that bind.

2. Long Island by Colm Tóibín
 (Simon & Schuster / Scribner): paperback (Oprah’s Book Club edition), Publisher: Scribner (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), Publication date: 02/25/2025, Pages: 304, ISBN‑13: 9781476785127

Set in contemporary Ireland, Long Island centers on a woman confronting marriage, desire, and the pull of past choices after a chance encounter rekindles old doubts. Tóibín’s spare, observant style illuminates interior life and quiet moral reckonings, rendering a nuanced portrait of longing, fidelity, and the small decisions that shape a life.

3. Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen
     US publication (trade paperback / Algonquin Books): On sale December 1, 2020; trade paperback, 320 pages; ISBN-13 9781643750897. Available also as an eBook and audiobook

      Majella O’Neill, the novel’s deadpan, sharply observant heroine, scrapes by working in a local chip shop and caring for her alcoholic mother in a small Northern Irish border town in the years after the Troubles. Majella lives a regimented, solitary life — same clothes, same meal, same TV shows — until the murder of her granny thrusts her into the town’s gossip and exposes hidden family and community tensions. Told in a darkly comic, highly original voice, the book mixes bleakness and warmth as Majella negotiates grief, identity, and the possibility of escape from a claustrophobic, divided community. 

In this course, you will read and discuss three books. All sessions will be on Zoom. The first book will be West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. The remaining two books will be announced during the first session of the group. Nan Loggains has led book groups for the past 25 years.

Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from participating in a traditional yoga class? Then chair yoga is for you! Chair yoga II is open to new students, but will extend the sequences from Chair Yoga I. You will learn sequences to open and align the body from a seated position that you can make part of your daily routine. We will also explore meditation and breathing practices that decrease anxiety and generate a positive connection to the body.

This is a continuation of the Ukulele 1, 2, and 3 courses. In this course we will continue to have FUN playing ukulele together in class and expanding our ukulele repertoire and techniques. We will especially be focusing on MOVEABLE chords – chord shapes on the uke that do not use any open strings and therefore can be used up and down the fretboard to play in different keys. We will continue to focus on and share how to be independent life-long ukulele players!

Course requirements: a ukulele, a tuner, experience playing in the keys of C, D, F, G, A and a commitment to10 minutes of practice each day at home between classes.

This class is building on what we learned in the September and early October classes. It is open to all who attended before and anyone who has taken Spanish years ago and wants to have FUN with SPANISH with mini-conversations, games, poems and songs. This is a FULL PARTICIPATION CLASS! We will not be “studying” Spanish, we will be using it from day one in class to have FUN and acquire it naturally – following the philosophy that what you can DO with a language is more important than what you KNOW about the language.

This course is designed to teach foundational acting skills through practical exercises. Participants will focus on essential elements such as breath control for projection, voice modulation for emotional range, and physicality to enhance character portrayal. The course covers techniques for character development, script analysis for understanding roles, and scene work to create authentic interactions. The culmination is a showcase where students perform a rehearsed scene, demonstrating their skills. This workshop is suitable for beginners with no prior experience required and emphasizes learning through practical application rather than memorization.