Tuesday   

This three-part course explores 1: the Nazi occupation and the Vichy collaboration; 2: the Holocaust in France, including roundups, deportations, murder of 75% of the Jews of France, and networks of resistance; 3: postwar transitional justice in a country divided by Gaullists, Communists, resisters, collaborators, and more. $10 course fee to support World Without Genocide. 

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).

This creative writing class will introduce you to the journal as a site of play, process, and catharsis. Whether you are journaling for the first time, or you have kept a diary for decades, you will be introduced to a range of methods to try in the journal. 

Recommended reading: “On Keeping a Notebook” by Joan Didion from Slouching Towards Bethlehem, FSG, 2008; Reborn: Journals and Notebooks 1947-1963 (journal excerpts) by Susan Sontag, Picador, 2009.

Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald began an intense friendship in 1920s Paris. Over time, their connection unraveled, though it never lapsed. We’ll look closely at the history and dynamics of the relationship between these two icons of American literature.

You are likely familiar with the five senses: sight, smell, taste and touch. Yet in the animal kingdom, we find incredible sensory systems that allow animals to see colors on the ultraviolet spectrum, hear infrasonic sounds that can travel for kilometers, and even tap into electromagnetic energy. Other animals lose certain senses completely, like blind cave fish, and make up for it by expanding their other senses. In this course, we will learn about a few unique animal sensory systems, concluding with an optional field trip to the Cavefish Lab on the Saint Paul UMN campus. 

The last treaty (New START) limiting nuclear arsenals has just expired, yet there is little public demand for negotiating a new one to prevent a nuclear arms race. This is in part a result of misconceptions about the power of nuclear weapons. We will discuss the physics and hardware of nuclear weapons to examine some of these misconceptions, placing nuclear weapons in the historical context of other technological developments that have "made war unthinkable" but not stopped it.

Why are we who we are? Everyone has a worldview, a part of which is political ideology. This class is intended as an interactive discussion to explore the various ideologies from far left to far right and how, according to political psychologists, people acquire their worldviews and ideologies. Bring your thoughts and an open mind.

Recommended reading: “On Being Conservative,” (1956) by Michael Oakeshott, essay online.

The summer term class features morning and afternoon sessions, with time for lunch in between! 

June 2: Session 1 (10-11:30) Merrily Mazza will discuss Anya Varampil’s Corporate Coup: Venezuela and the End of US Empire. The book tells the story of US hybrid warfare on Venezuela harking back to 2019 and the tectonic social and economic shifts reshaping the world. Timely.

June 2: Session 2 (12:30-2:00) Cathy Perme takes the podium to discuss Robert Fritz’ 1984 The Path of Least Resistance: Principles for Creating What You Want to Create. Cathy is a successful entrepreneur who has provided consultative services for businesses and private persons alike.

June 9: Session 1 (10-11:30) Retired social worker Ruth Campbell (MSW, U of Iowa) will take on Father Time: A Natural History of Men and Babies.

June 9: Session 2 (12:30-2:00) Our friend, Dr. John Fredell, reviews Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, by Laura Field.

June 16: Session 1 (10-11:30) Sherrie Gette will present on Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference by Rutger Bregman.

June 16: Session 2 (12:30-2:00) OLLI Program Manager Briana Smith presents on Nobel Prize winning author Svetlana Alexeivich's Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, an oral history about Russian nostalgia for the Soviet years.

June 23: Session 1 (10-11:30) Course Leader Jim Martin thinks American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard is worth a discussion in light of the continuing polarization of 21st century America.

June 23: Session 2 (12:30-2:00) Steve Birch says he’s never been as excited about a book as he is about Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty Tiny Mistakes that Changed the World Forever, by Jared Knott. 

Join scholars from area colleges and elsewhere as they share their specialized knowledge and enthusiasm. It’s like hearing from your favorite college professors again, without worrying about writing papers or taking finals!

June 2: Tshuaj Ntsuab: A Compendium of Hmong Medicinal Plants, Zongxee Lee, Natalie Hoidal, Alex Crum

June 9: Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, Maggie Lorenz, executive director

June 16: TBA

June 23: Supreme Court Docket 2026, Professor Tim Johnson from the U of M

Cutting-edge research as well as anecdotal evidence shows that psychedelic-assisted therapy can be very effective in treating PTSD, depression, anxiety, alcoholism and more. Learn from local practitioners in this exciting course facilitated by a “psychonaut” who has used psychedelics to heal.

Are you carrying the weight of resentment, grudges, or betrayal? These emotions drain our energy and keep us tied to the past. In this two-part online workshop, Louisa Hext—life coach and storyteller—will create a safe, supportive space for reflection and growth. Through storytelling, dialogue, and exercises, you’ll explore how resentment takes root, why it holds you back, and how to release it. This isn’t about excusing or forgetting—it’s about freeing yourself and stepping into a lighter, more empowered self.

Our visit will begin with a short talk about the history of the conservatory. Then, a member of the conservatory staff will lead us on a walking tour of the facility, taking us behind the scenes into places that the public doesn't see. 

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden forest trails are filled with woodland wildflowers all spring long. As summer approaches, the wetland and meadow begin to shine! Join naturalists for a tour of the three garden areas — woodland, wetland, and meadow – to see the shift from spring to warmer season blossoms. If the timing is right, we may glimpse our state flower, the showy lady's slipper, blooming by the trail. Meet at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden parking lot. Course fee: $10.00

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden forest trails are filled with woodland wildflowers all spring long. As summer approaches, the wetland and meadow begin to shine! Join naturalists for a tour of the three garden areas — woodland, wetland, and meadow – to see the shift from spring to warmer season blossoms. If the timing is right, we may glimpse our state flower, the showy lady's slipper, blooming by the trail. Meet at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden parking lot. Course fee: $10.00

Have you ever wondered how the lights stay on across 15 states? Join us for an exclusive tour of the MISO Regional Control Center. Step inside the high-tech "nerve center" of the Midcontinent’s electrical grid, where expert operators manage a massive real-time energy market and coordinate the flow of electricity for 45 million people. See the giant video walls, witness the technology that balances supply and demand in seconds, and learn how MISO is leading the transition to a cleaner energy future.

Join OLLI members for a behind-the-scenes look at the Como-Harriet car barn where historic streetcars are stored and repaired. Ride an historic streetcar as it follows its old route between Lake Harriet and Bde Maka Ska and share stories with an experienced volunteer conductor. Meet at Station House, 42nd Street, Mpls MN 55410. Slightly uphill from the lakeside bandshell & parking lot. Optional lunch at the beautiful Lake Harriet pavilion. Course fee: $10, not including lunch.

Have you ever tried fluted pumpkin vine (Ugu)? Smelled African blue basil? Added waterleaf to your smoothie? Join us for a tour of the Global Garden at the University of Minnesota to learn about these and other unique African vegetables. Course leader will share garden location with registered members. Meet near the Equine Center on the St. Paul campus of UMN. Park in Gortner Ramp.