Arts, History, Humanities   

In this course, we will celebrate the music of this volatile decade, while appreciating the context in which it emerged. The music of the 1970s can be understood as a reaction to the advances of the sixties. While rock styles and audiences become irreversibly fragmented, a new generation of fans emerged, throwing off the 60s burden of creative thought and imploding towards disco. 

This course explores the dark places of the soul through a discussion of Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness. The class will conclude with a screening of a modern exploration of Conrad's themes in the 1979 Francis Ford Coppola film, Apocalypse, Now! The film has a run time of 2 hours, 30 minutes, and will be spread between the fourth and fifth meeting along with discussion of both the film and book. Note: this class runs 5 sessions. Required reading: Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad (any edition).

 

Protest songs were an integral part of the peace and anti-Vietnam War movement and the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and '70s, and they play an equally vital role in current sociopolitical events. What makes song such a powerful tool in protest movements? Join us for a dive into protest songs both classic and current! Recommended reading: 33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day, by D. Lynskey, 2011.

What happens when life presents impossible choices? In this story-driven class, we’ll explore real moral dilemmas—some hilarious, some profound—through original comic monologues. Each tale sets up an ethical puzzle, then shifts to the question: “What would you do?” The focus is on YOUR perspectives and the lively discussions that follow. No right answers, no lectures—just great conversations about the choices we all face. This is the class where ethics is entertaining.

This course explores the interaction of American health culture and deliberately rustic recreational activities—cottaging, camping, hunting, and fishing—in the North Woods from the mid-1800s to about 1920. It will offer three lecture-discussions, the first introducing new positive ideas about "wilderness" and its health-giving properties; the second considering the relationship between railroads, boosters, and doctors in selling the health advantages of moving to Minnesota; and the third focusing on women's participation in North Woods play.

Sinclair Lewis'It Can't Happen Here appeared in 1935, shortly after the Nazis gained power in Germany. The title captures both the belief in American exceptionalism and the sudden realization of vulnerability. Together we will read the novel, consider the history, and weigh possible lessons for our world. 

Required reading: It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (several online .pdfs available)

The longer we live, the more personal stories we have to tell. This course will focus on the basics of personal narrative storytelling and the process of adapting those personal stories from written to oral form. By the third session, class participants will have the opportunity to workshop a story in front of the group. No prior performance or creative writing experience necessary.

NO CLASS: JUNE 19