Although he often called himself "Mr. Marilyn Monroe," Arthur Miller remains one of America's preeminent playwrights. We will discuss and view two of his finest works: "All My Sons" and "The Crucible." Moreover, we will discuss how Miller was attempting to awaken the social and political responsibilities of a nation. Members can read any edition of the plays and should read "All My Sons" before the first class.

What could be better than reading cozy mysteries and eating? We will be reading a different mystery novel for each class and members of the class will cook one of the recipes in the book and bring it to class to share. We will discuss the plots while snacking on treats. Recommended reading for this course will be Virginia Rich’s "The Cooking School Murders" (ISBN 9780345345035), Tamar Myers’s "The Crepes of Wrath" (ISBN 978-0-451-20225-3) and Sally Andrew’s "Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery" (ISBN 978-0062397676).

Democracy in America, originally written in the mid 1800s by French political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville after his tour of America, is still required reading in many Political Science classes about American political thought. His keen observations on American democracy remain not only relevant but delightful to read and discuss. Come join this sure-to-be-lively discussion/seminar. Required reading for the course is "Democracy in America" edited by Richard Heffner, A Mentor Book (ISBN-0-451-62320-7). Please read pps 39-90 before the first seminar.

Over the past 30,000 years, the peoples of in sub-Sahara Africa have developed many distinctive artistic modes which Western viewers often struggle to comprehend and appreciate. Understanding cultural underpinnings is important when studying African visual art forms. In this class we will discuss Western, Eastern and Southern regions of African culture and how we can experience it visually through art, with an emphasis on ritual and performance as part of the artistic experience.

This course will view and discuss 8 films covering different traditions, technologies, and perspectives, dating from 1927 through 2015. The films do not have a single theme but all do explore the relationship of the individual to his/her society. We will discuss the background of each film, its thematics and techniques, and why it may be regarded as a Classic. The films include "Metropolis” (the restored version, German silent, 1927); "The Magnificent Ambersons" (USA, 1942); "Nights of Cabiria" (Italy, 1957); "The Shop on Main Street" (Czechoslovakia, 1965); "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" (USSR, 1980); "Taste of Cherry" (Iran, 1998); "Departures" (Japan, 2008) and "The Lobster" (Greece, 2015).

Films have a long history of portraying mental illnesses in its many dimensions. They have shown the patient to be either a monster or a victim; the therapists as either scheming villains, bungling fools or compassionate heroes; and mental institutions either as chambers of cruelty or corridors of caring. In this survey, we will look at eight films revealing the cinematic approach to mental illness and then how each movie helps us to understand mental illness. This year we will offer all the exciting newer films depicting mental illnesses but also revisit some of the classic movies from the first six showings.

An introduction to the fine art of fused glass will allow members to view and ask questions about this rather unique process of creating beautiful permanent images of the world around us, especially the sea and the play of light. The base of fusible glass, powders, inclusions and tools, including the kiln firing, will be discussed and demonstrated to some extent (no firing will be done). Colors can be mixed pre-firing or layered to blend when melted in the kiln. The larger, valuable part of the process is the dichotomy of continuous visual thoughts that work through the techniques and are ultimately the artist's voice. The artist finished works will be shared and the opportunity for local workshops teaching fused glass will be explored. Come to witness a new art form.

This will be an informal opportunity to get a close view of how an organist produces different sounds from this complex and wonderful machine.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Who's the monster? Or is there one? Or two? Or more? Have you ever wondered why an eighteen-year-old woman would (or could) write a horror/science fiction novel that would be as relevant today as it was in 1818 and after? Hopefully, together we’ll come to appreciate this classic. Required reading for the course is any 1831 edition of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (one version is ISBN 9781978421783).

The Big Band era is generally regarded as having occurred between 1935 and 1945. It was the only time in American musical history that the popularity of jazz eclipsed all other forms of music. During this course, we'll listen to and discuss what types of music led to the development of the Big Band, who the most popular Big Bands were at the time, and what types of music ultimately evolved from the Big Band Era. We will also look at what was going on historically during this time frame and how the events of the day influenced the music.

Join us in a well-established OLLI tradition - lively discussions of this chronicle of our times. Started in 1925 as a humor magazine, "The New Yorker" soon became a preeminent forum for serious fiction and journalism. With a circulation above 1 million and content by the most respected writers of fact and fiction, it is one of the most widely read and influential American magazines. Facilitators Jones and Monnelly will choose the first readings; after that, the class decides. You'll need access to the magazine (subscriptions at www.newyorker.com or check with your local library.)

The course consists of a sequence of four sessions, each of which is designed to provide some context about this creative period, suggest connections to other relevant topics, and offer an opportunity for discussion relating to participant experiences. The first session will be a broad introduction addressing several of the significant connections between these cities and the factors that intensified the expressions of creativity in those crisis years between the great world wars. The second session in this sequence will focus on expatriate writers in Paris, primarily Hemingway. We will examine why Paris was such a center of cultural and creative work primarily through "A Moveable Feast." The third will explore the New York example of Rockefeller Center as a way of looking at the Art Deco movement. For this sequence there will be a fourth session and the participants can choose among several topics. It is not necessary to take the Paris-New York parts in order. Required reading for this course is "A Movable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway (ISBN 0-684-82499).

Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844 - 1900) found himself in the awkward position of distrusting almost everything about the cultural world around him. How is it possible to carve out a meaningful life if traditional sources of value and meaning are undercut? Nietzsche thought of himself as a kind of prophet, warning of disasters to come and advocating an individualism founded on psychological insight. His criticisms of his age were incisive, even bitter. But his proposals were meant to go beyond fixed traditions and express a rigorous authenticity. It is not as heavy as it sounds, mostly because of his humor and outrageous imagination. Each session will have a short introduction, but the main focus will be on discussing the readings. Required reading for this course is “Beyond Good and Evil” by Friedrich Nietzsche (ISBN 97806797246650).