Literature & Writing   

This class explores Hamnet – Maggie O'Farrell's historical novel and its recent Oscar-nominated film – alongside Shakespeare's life and his most enduring work, Hamlet. How did the death of Shakespeare's son Hamnet influence his writing of Hamlet? We will compare short scenes from the film, excerpts from the novel, and passages from the play to investigate how this personal loss resonates throughout Hamlet, offering profound reflections on grief, memory, and the transformative power of art.

A half-hour walk immersed in nature prepares us to sit with our sketchbook journals and observe, question, draw, paint, and write about what we see, hear, and feel – focusing on our senses, curiosity, and the observation process over perfecting an end product. We'll explore Upper and Lower Bidwell Park, Indian Fishery, and the Genetic Resource & Conservation Center (Chico Tree Farm). Participants provide their own art materials and choose their subjects. There is no official art instruction. Some basic techniques and many online supplemental materials are provided.

Ireland is well known for its great writers, from Jonathan Swift to W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Becket, Seamus Heaney, J.M. Synge, and George Bernard Shaw, among many others. Today that tradition is carried on by a growing list of excellent modern Irish writers. We will read and discuss one book by each of four authors. We will also examine the social, political, and economic environment that shaped their writing. Reading these authors will provide a useful introduction to Irish literature today and hopefully spark your interest to explore more Irish writers and their works.

W.B. Yeats, in his essay "The Celtic Element In Literature," spoke of visions of a world expressed by people who "believed that trees were divine, and could take a human or grotesque shape and dance among the shadows." Once a powerful people who dominated much of Europe, the Celts were reduced to a few small groups after the Roman invasions. However, their mythology survived, thanks largely to the efforts of medieval Irish and Welsh monks who wrote down the stories.

Reading poetry helps you to know things more fully; it commands your attention; and it can sustain good conversation. In this class, participants select poetry from favorite sources to read aloud with fellow enthusiasts.

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.

Socrates spent his life "examining" men in public places: the agora (marketplace) and Lyceum (a gymnasium). He became a celebrity and was, at the age of 47, rudely caricatured by the comic poet Aristophanes in Clouds. In his 60s, Socrates met a handsome young nobleman, Plato, then in his late teens, and convinced him to give up poetry in favor of philosophy. In 399 BC, Socrates was convicted of impiety and corrupting the youth and sentenced to death. After the death of Socrates, Plato wrote some 26 dialogues, four of which touch on the last days of Socrates.

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.

Based primarily on Judith Viorst's book Making the Best of What's Left: When We're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered, this class will be a combination reading and discussion group about the situation we occupy in our last years. What kind of plans should we make? Would we prefer the single life, marriage, or some other arrangement? If we seek guidance, what kind is good, and where will we likely find it?

Ever watch a movie and think, "I could write something better"? Now's your chance! This hands-on workshop for beginners delivers practical techniques from working screenwriters in a supportive environment. You'll learn structure that works, create compelling characters, and master visual storytelling. Whether you're adapting your novel or exploring that idea rattling around your brain, you'll gain the skills to write your screenplay and working knowledge of what it takes to get from page to screen. No experience necessary – just stories to tell.