Literature & Writing   

The place: a grim Indian urban slum, overshadowed by luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. The time: 2008-2010. The real-life characters: slum residents with aspirations and energy. The plot: how they struggle and face tensions over religion, caste, sex, power, and economic envy, yet emerge with abiding hope. Using the learning through conversation format, we will discuss equity and inclusion, set in a contemporary international context.

The place: a grim Indian urban slum, overshadowed by luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. The time: 2008-2010. The real-life characters: slum residents with aspirations and energy. The plot: how they struggle and face tensions over religion, caste, sex, power, and economic envy, yet emerge with abiding hope. Using the learning through conversation format, we will discuss equity and inclusion, set in a contemporary international context.

Shakespeare is justly celebrated as a masterful poet and dramatist. But do his plays have a larger purpose or intention? What do all those enchanting fairies and mythical Athenians in A Midsummer Night's Dream have to do with that play’s otherwise mundane love story? Which Macbeth is meant by the title of that eponymous play? Why did Shakespeare choose to retell Homer's Iliad through Troilus and Cressida? What do these oddities have to do with Shakespeare's overall point, if any? By closely considering his text, this class explores how such features point to Shakespeare as more than a "mere" playwright but also as a thinker with big ideas.

Each week the class will read poems by an individual poet, a collection of poems on a specific subject, or a collection of poems in a specific style. A wide range of poets and poetry will be presented, from classic to contemporary. We will discuss poetry from the perspective that the poet creates the work but the reader activates it.

This class will explore the works of science fiction and fantasy authors. We will discuss the differences and similarities between the two genres, and note the many crossover authors who write in both realms. We are in for a fun ride with authors who have crafted characters and worlds which will carry us to worlds of adventure far, far away.

It was a time of radical change, a time of violence. England was under siege internally and externally. Being on the wrong side, politically or religiously, could result in torture and death. Into this confusing and disordered world strode a young married man who had left his home of Stratford-upon-Avon to attempt his hand at playwriting for the London stage. His name was William Shakespeare. Join us for a discussion of the TV show Will, described as "Shakespeare on sex, drugs, and rock and roll."

This writer's workshop serves a community of writers interested in sharing their writing and responding to other writers' work. We will focus on fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, poetry, travel writing, stories for children, and other types of writing. Following a workshop format, this class will be an opportunity for students to receive feedback for their written work and provide meaningful support to fellow writers.

Learn to write a short 10- to 20-minute play. We will cover the basics of playwriting, including format, structure, character, conflict, and dialogue. This is a workshop-style class in which we discuss concepts and techniques, share what we have written, and write short exercises to develop skills. Prompts will be offered to stimulate your ideas. There will be an opportunity for some of the plays to be performed in the annual OLLI Play Festival.