Courses: Summer   

**This class will be held on Zoom**

In this 1971 essay, American art historian Linda Nochlin explores the institutional obstacles that prevent women from succeeding in the arts.  It is noted for its contribution to feminist art history and theory. Nochlin also co-curated with Ann Sutherland Harris, Women Artists:  1550-1950, the first international art exhibition created solely by female artists on December 21, 1976. This course will explore several women included in this ground-breaking exhibition beginning in 1550 and concluding in 2020.

Many women of this period were forgotten or misattributed for decades.  Nochlin’s essay has extended beyond her time, as it has inspired a new generation of artists and art historians to explore and reframe the narratives of women in art.

Week 1 "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"
Background of Nochlin’s essay and the artists covered from 1500 to Guerilla Girls. Modern scholarship, prompted in part by feminist critiques like Linda Nochlin’s Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists has restored their place in art history, highlighting both professional achievement and pedagogical influence. Nochlin’s essay has extended beyond her time, as it has inspired a new generation of artists and art historians to explore and reframe the narratives of women in art.

Week 2 Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam 1600-1750
Mention Dutch and Flemish old masters, and people still think of Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer, who continue to overshadow the talented female painters, Judith Leyster, Clara Peeters or Rachel Ruysch who contributed to the visual culture of the Low countries, present day Belgium and the Netherlands, in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Week 3 Women Artists of the Neoclassicism and the French Revolution Era During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Neoclassical movement in France and across Europe coincided with the political upheavals ofthe French Revolution (1789–1799). This era presented both unprecedented opportunities and substantial challenges for women artists, who began to assert professional visibility in a historically male-dominated art world. Despite systemic barriers, a notable generation of female painters and educators Adelaide Labille-Guiard (1749-1803), Marie Denise Villers (1774-1821), Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) and Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842) emerged, blending classical aesthetics with revolutionary ideals. 

Week 4 Ninth Street Women
Five women who dared to enter the male-dominated world of twentieth-century abstract painting--not as muses but as artists. Gutsy and indomitable, Lee Krasner was a leader among artists long before she became part of the modern art world's first celebrity couple by marrying Jackson Pollock. Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell, whose notoriously tough exterior shielded a vulnerable artist within. These women changed American art and society, tearing up the prevailing social code and replacing it with a doctrine of liberation not only fitting in postwar America but the future.

Week 5 Women Impressionists
Male critics, jurors, art dealers, and collectors may have dominated women Impressionists nineteenth century art world, but there were also far more professional women artists than are traditionally assumed. For decades, artists Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond were treated with critical ambivalence and lacked major public exhibitions. Only recently have their innovative styles and contributions to Impressionism been highlighted.

Week 6 Women Sculptors Then and Now
Edmonia Lewis, Camille Claudel and Louise Bourgeois exemplify the historical and contemporary continuum of women overcoming societal, racial, and personal barriers to redefine sculpture.  Their contributions span Neoclassical representation, expressive realism and conceptual modernism.  Each artist not only mastered sculptural form but also incorporated personal, political, and cultural narratives, paving the way for future generations of women I a traditionally male-dominated field.

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

What makes an Oriental rug so captivating—its elegant design, intricate patterns, or the mystery of its origins? In this richly illustrated course, we will discover the stories woven into these remarkable textiles. We will travel through the history and artistry of rug and carpet weaving, a tradition rooted in Asia and North Africa, with examples dating back to the 4th century BCE. Using stunning visuals and expert insights, we will explore major carpet-making cultures and regions including Anatolia, Iran, Transcaucasia, North Africa, and Central Asia. We will learn to recognize defining features of Oriental rugs: weaving traditions (nomadic and settled), key historical periods (from the Early Modern era through the nineteenth-century), purposes (from prayer to decoration), and production contexts (from royal courts to bustling markets). We will also be introduced to basic methods for identifying weave structures and deepen our appreciation of these remarkable works of art.

**This class will be taught In-Person at the main SFSU Campus**

Watch the preview video

In this course, we will explore the works of 3 contemporary short story writers: Danzy Senna, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Carmen Maria Machado. Although they write from distinct cultural viewpoints - Senna is Black-Mexican-European-American, Adichie is Nigerian, and Machado is Cuban-American -  all three authors portray the richness and complexity of the lives of women who navigate oppressive structures of racism, sexism, and homophobia. We will spend two class sessions on each author, closely reading 2-4 stories from the collections listed below and considering how they reflect the growth of the short story genre in the 21st century.

All stories will be provided electronically.

Week 1: Selections from The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Week 2: Selections from The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Week 3: Selections from Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Week 4: Selections from Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Week 5: Selections from You Are Free by Danzy Senna 

Week 6: Selections from You Are Free by Danzy Senna 

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

In this course, we will trace the evolution of literature specifically written for children - from its earliest forms to the modern era. We will begin with the oral traditions that underpin all storytelling, then follow the shift toward published works created specifically with young readers in mind. We will survey key moments and turning points that shaped the growth of children’s literature as a distinct field. We will conclude by analyzing how a well-known children’s literature has evolved over time.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

Journey through Latin America from the Caribbean and Mesoamerica to the west coast of South  America. Together we will explore the artwork and worldview of pre-Columbian cultures before  examining these cultures' profound transformation during colonization. Prepare to be awed by the  beauty and complexity of artistic masterpieces and moved by the stories they tell us as we witness the  power of art as an act of resistance, a colonial force, and cultural preservation at times within the same  artwork. See these artworks and cultures like never before and examine how they continue influencing  our world today. 

Watch the Preview Video.

Week by Week Outline 

Week 1:  

Taino origins myths, zemis, cojoba, and the formation of a new fertility goddess in the Caribbean. 

Week 2: 

Aztec origin myths amongst hummingbirds, Quetzals, and sacred feathers that create early images of  Christian sacrifice. 

Week 3: 

Power in symbolism, poetry, and music as a colonial force, a form of resistance, and the preservation of an  obscured past. 

Week 4: 

A transatlantic visual culture crosses the Pacific incorporating Asian art as silver from South America circles  the world. 

Week 5: 

Independence in Mexico and the power of the Virgin mass produced today.  

Week 6: 

Inca origin myths and the transformation of collective memory through sculpture, painting, and  procession. 

**This class will be taught In-Person at the main SFSU Campus**

Flannery O’Connor said: “Anybody who has survived childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.”

In this class we will consider that “information” and choose the most compelling aspects of our life stories, memories, joys, regrets, connection and disconnection, and turn those moments into fiction. To transform life events into vital prose, we’ll review and practice the basics of story-telling: character, plot, dialogue, and point of view. We’ll combine life events with imagined material as needed to bring the stories to life. 

In-class writing exercises will pinpoint the skills we need to develop. Our writing work will also be supplemented with stories and essays by admired practitioners for inspiration and direction. Each student will have the opportunity to be workshopped and will receive written feedback from the instructor. 

This class is suitable for beginners and advanced students alike.

First Class:

July 7: Introductions. What in my life would make a good story? The shape of fiction. Creative Wrong Memory exercise.

Homework:

Read: “Silver Water” by Amy Bloom and “Ethical Advice For Writing About Friends and Family” https://electricliterature.com/ethical-advice-for-writing-about-friends-and-family/

Second Class:

July 14: Character. How to make characters round. What brings a character alive on the page. Hand-out Steve Almond essay. In class writing.

Homework: Write about an event in your main character’s life that occurred before your story began.

Read: “How To Practice” by Ann Patchett https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/08/how-to-practice

Third Class:

July 21. Discuss Patchett essay. Discuss writing about medical issues and aging. In class writing exercise. Review workshop etiquette. Workshop.

Homework: Have your character write a letter to another character in the story. Something that might be difficult to say face to face.

Fourth Class:

July 28: Discuss scene and summary. In class writing exercise. Workshop.

Homework: Re-set your story in the future or the past.

Read: “Heirlooms,” by Bryan Washington.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/03/heirlooms

Fifth Class:

August 4: Discuss Washington story and his use of dialogue. Michael Cunningham dialogue exercise. Workshop.

Homework: Start your story where it ends.

Read: “The Little Widow From the City,” by Yohanca Delgado. (See attachment.)

Sixth Class:

August 11: Discuss Delgado story. Plan how to keep the writing energy going after class ends. Discuss publication possibilities. Workshop.

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

In this course, we will explore a wide range of horticultural practices with something to offer no matter our experience level or where we live. We will cover container gardening, aquatic gardens, ornamental and fruiting plants, bonsai, landscape design, and pest management. Each week, we will focus on a theme and examine design ideas, plant choices, and long-term care practices for success. Whether we garden on 10 acres or in an apartment, we will find plenty to learn and enjoy in horticulture.

**This course will be held In-Person at the main SFSU Campus**

Each week brings a vast array of important and complex political and social developments. Analysis and coverage by print, social, and mass media sometimes clarify but often obscure what is really going on and why. It is hard to navigate through this maze. 

Participants will be expected to be up on the latest topics relating to major international and domestic political issues as covered by the media during the weeks of the course. If participants have a specific topic they would like to discuss, they will be expected to let the instructors know by email to OLLI at least four days before the next meeting. The facilitators will work with the results of these selections to choose the topics, identify discussion questions, and to facilitate the analysis of the class. 

Here are the ground rules:
1. Discussions will focus on the major current events topics of each week of the class.

2. In the discussions, all opinions need to be respected.

While we may and should disagree, we must not become disagreeable!

**This class will be taught In-Person at the main SFSU Campus**

Once, all roads led to Rome; for a while all trade seemed tied to London, and most of us were born and raised in “the American Century.” Empires—the projection of power by one people over others—have been around for thousands of years and can be found in every corner of the globe. Modern empires, however, are different in terms of their scope and effect. Some are formal and political; others cultural and economic  (and some overlap). In this course, we will look at the nature and practice of empires: the ancient classics  and the modern varieties, their rise and fall, and how they have shaped our world in the 21C. Is America an  empire? Can China or Russia revive their imperial traditions? Do empires have a future? 

Week by Week Outline 

Week 1: Introduction; Ancient Empires 

Week 2: Early Modern Empires: Spain and Portugal (1450-1830) 

Week 3: Multi-Phase Empires: Britain and France (to 1870) 

Week 4: The New Imperialism to the End of Empire (1870-1970) 

Week 5: Empires of the 20C: Germany, Japan, Russia 

Week 6: America as an Empire, Empires of the 21C 

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

The women included in this course wrote and thought extensively about philosophical topics. They have  been selected because of the significance of their thought. Women who pursued a scholarly life in  Philosophy were frequently regarded as unusual and their work may have been derogated, although some  of them have been very influential during their lifetime. We will articulate what is different about the  contributions of women to philosophical endeavors. And we will concentrate on women who are  considered important philosophers: Simone de Beauvoir, Edith Stein, Simone Weil, and Hannah Arendt.  The goal of this short series is to bring out the indisputable contributions of these four women to the  philosophy of the 20th century. 

Week by Week Outline

Week 1: Introduction 

 Women and philosophical thought through the centuries 

 Introduction of the four philosophers to be discussed 
 

Week 2: Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) 

 The concept of “the other” 

 Literature as a venue to introduce philosophical concepts  

 “The Second Sex” and the condition of women 

 “The Coming of Age”; aging and “othering”
 

Week 3: Simone Weil (1900-1943) 

 The embodiment of philosophical thought 

 Contradictions as a woman and a Jew 

 Mysticism and commitment 

 Attention: “What are going you through?” 
 

Week 4: Edith Stein (1891-1942) 

 Empathy and Phenomenology 

 Catholicism and Jewish identity: “The destiny of this people is my own” 

 Feminist thought: Women’s education and value 

 Auschwitz: Catholic “martyr”? 
 

Week 5: Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) 

 Contradictions (e.g., commitment to Zionism and relationship with Heidegger)  Controversial response to the Eichmann trial (“The banality of evil”) 

 The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) on the nature and historical antecedents of the Nazi and  Stalinist regimes and the totalitarian phenomenon. 

 The Human Condition (1958) and a number of influential essays on the nature of revolution,  freedom, authority, tradition and the modern age.  
 

Week 6: Summary and Conclusions 

Watch the preview video

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

In 1940s England, the legendary partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (who called themselves The Archers) produced some of the most innovative and imaginative films in cinema history. Powell, an English director, brought a bold visual style and love for the British landscape, and Pressburger, a Hungarian screenwriter, contributed narrative and emotional complexity to their original stories. Among their most celebrated films were the ballet drama The Red Shoes and the psychological thriller Black Narcissus, both famous for their dynamic color palettes, sensuality, and surreal qualities. In recent years their reputations have flourished among younger filmmakers, particularly thanks to Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, who both enlisted Powell as consultant to their projects.

Each class will focus on the historical background and themes of a particular film. (All films are available online.) Class discussions will utilize clips and illustrations.

1. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

2. A Canterbury Tale (1944)

3. A Matter of Life and Death (aka Stairway to Heaven) (1945)

4. I Know Where I’m Going! (1945)

5. Black Narcissus (1947)

6. The Red Shoes (1948)

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

**This class will skip July 30th and end on August 20.**

The period between the world wars witnessed dramatic changes in the social fabric of the United  States. In this literary discussion class over Zoom, we will read short stories from this period of transition (all available on the Library of America website or as pdfs from instructor) and explore the ways they reflect and the culture of the times and depict the ways society was changing forever. Stories will encompass a wide array of styles and genres, from literary works of Fitgerald and Anderson to the humor of O'Hara and Lardner, and include work from the Harlem Renaissance, Southern voices, and even dip into noir, science fiction and horror. Participants should read the assigned stories before each  class session. Active participation in the discussion is encouraged in a friendly, stimulating setting. 

Week by Week Outline 

 Week 1 Sea Change: After the Great War 

 Week 2 Hemlines Rising: The Changing Lives of Women

 Week 3 Talking Funny: Uses of the Vernacular

 Week 4 Renaissance: Telling Black Stories

 Week 5 Pulp Fiction: The Weird, Creepy, and Gritty

 Week 6 Horizons: The Coming War

This six-session course examines the modern Middle East through history, governance, and  shifting power dynamics. We begin with the region’s historical foundations and the root  causes of today’s conflicts. Sessions explore the structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran  and the forces shaping its behavior, followed by Israel’s evolving political system in the  context of the Abraham Accords and the events of October 7. We then analyze U.S. Middle  East policy from 1979 to the present, including policy approaches during the Trump  administration and the implications of the current U.S.–Iran war for regional stability. 

Week by Week Outline 

Week 1 — Historical Foundations & Root Causes of Conflict 

A structured overview of Middle East history, borders, identity, colonial legacies, and the  long-term forces that shape today’s conflicts.

Week 2 — The Islamic Republic of Iran: Structure, Power, and Society How the system works, who holds authority, how decisions are made, and how ordinary  Iranians navigate life under the current government, including their ongoing social and  political struggles. 

Week 3 — Iran’s Regional Strategy & the “Axis of Resistance” 

Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other groups; how Iran builds influence; and how  these networks affect Lebanon’s internal struggles with Hezbollah and Palestinian society  under Hamas. 

Week 4 — Israel’s Government: Evolution, Crisis, and Strategic Shifts Israel’s political system, the impact of the Abraham Accords, the aftermath of October 7,  and how Israel approaches Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran-aligned actors. 

Week 5 — U.S. Middle East Policy from 1979 to Today 

Major turning points in American policy, including different administrations’ approaches.  We will also examine a key question raised by many analysts: how seven U.S. presidents  have struggled to influence Iran’s regional behavior while China, without military  involvement, has maintained a functional relationship with Tehran. 

Week 6 — The Current U.S.–Iran War & Future Scenarios 

What is next for the Middle East? 

Is peace in the Middle East possible? 

What are policy options for the United States? 

What options are there for Israel?  

Can Palestinians achieve self-governance and a stable homeland?  

Can Lebanon overcome Hezbollah’s dominance and reclaim its historic role as the “Paris of  the Middle East”?  

And will the Iranian people ultimately succeed in pursuing a secular democracy form of  government? 

**This class is a Hybrid. This section of class will be taught on Zoom.**

Watch The Preview Video

Joni Mitchell established herself as one of the top singer-songwriters of her  generation with classics like "Both Sides Now," "Woodstock," and "Help Me." This  course traces her evolution during her peak years from the mid-1960s through the  end of the 1970s, when she rose to stardom by forging a path through folk and folk rock before branching into jazz. Featuring common and rare film and audio clips, the  class also puts her work into the context of the era's thriving folk-rock scene, when  she influenced and sometimes collaborated with stars like Crosby, Stills, Nash &  Young, Judy Collins, and James Taylor. 

Week by Week Outline 

Week One 

Canadian Folk Roots 

Born and raised in Saskatchewan as Joan Anderson, Mitchell began her professional  career as a traditional folk singer in the mold of Judy Collins. By the mid-1960s she 

was writing most of her repertoire and developing not just a distinctive personal  storytelling compositional style, but also innovative and creative guitar work with  unusual tunings. Her voice also expanded in range far beyond the usual folk singer  approach, and though a short-lived marriage to Chuck Mitchell didn't last, she took  his last name and moved to the US to build a following on the folk circuit. 

Week Two 

Move to California and Her First Album 

Although Mitchell had composed a formidable body of songs by 1966, including  classics like "The Circle Game," she waited until early 1968 to record her debut  album, in part because she insisted on creative control rare for new and relatively  unknown artists. After moving from Detroit to New York and Florida, she settled in  Los Angeles and her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend David Crosby produced her first album,  1968's Song to a Seagull. This haunting and fine record didn't sell well initially, but  made a considerable impact on fellow musicians and set the groundwork for her  next album. 

Week Three 

Clouds and Woodstock 

Although there had already been intepretations of her songs by noted artists like  Tom Rush, Dave Van Ronk, Ian & Sylvia, and Buffy St. Marie, Judy Collins's version of  "Both Sides Now" was a Top Ten 1968 hit that gave Mitchell's work more exposure  than ever before. Mitchell's own version was on her second album, 1969's Clouds,  which sold much better than her debut and also featured another of her most  famous songs, "Chelsea Morning." With constant touring on the folk and rock circuit,  Mitchell was gaining a bigger rock than folk audience, boosted by her song  "Woodstock," which was covered for a hit by both Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young  and Matthews Southern Comfort. 

Week Four 

Lady of the Canyon and Blue 

Mitchell's audience continued to grow in the early 1970s with her third and fourth 

albums, Ladies of the Canyon and Blue. Ladies of the Canyon featured some of her  most famous songs with "The Circle Game," "Big Yellow Taxi," and her own version  of "Woodstock." Blue was her first album to use significant folk-rock arrangements.  A set at one of the biggest rock festivals in 1970 at the Isle of Wight increased her  crossover appeal to the rock audience. 

Week Five 

For the Roses and Court and Spark 

With 1972's For the Roses, Mitchell made growing but subtle use of rock  instrumentation, and got her first hit single with "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio."  1974's Court and Spark, however, marked her breakthrough to a mass audience,  with her biggest hit, "Help Me," and backing that made far more prominent use of  top rock and jazz session musicians. In 1976 she appeared in The Last Waltz, one of  the most popular concert film documentaries, staged in San Francisco.  

Week Six 

On her final albums of the 1970s, Mitchell delved deeper into jazz. This had always  been a part of her work in her swooping and sometimes scatting vocal style, but now  became more jazz than rock or folk, including collaborations with the top jazz  bassists Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius. Although these were not among her  most popular recordings, they reinforced her determination to take artistic risks and  expand beyond the folk music with which she first made her mark. 

**This class is a Hybrid. This section of class will be taught In-Person at the main SFSU Campus.**

Watch The Preview Video

Joni Mitchell established herself as one of the top singer-songwriters of her  generation with classics like "Both Sides Now," "Woodstock," and "Help Me." This  course traces her evolution during her peak years from the mid-1960s through the  end of the 1970s, when she rose to stardom by forging a path through folk and folk rock before branching into jazz. Featuring common and rare film and audio clips, the  class also puts her work into the context of the era's thriving folk-rock scene, when  she influenced and sometimes collaborated with stars like Crosby, Stills, Nash &  Young, Judy Collins, and James Taylor. 

Week by Week Outline 

Week One 

Canadian Folk Roots 

Born and raised in Saskatchewan as Joan Anderson, Mitchell began her professional  career as a traditional folk singer in the mold of Judy Collins. By the mid-1960s she 

was writing most of her repertoire and developing not just a distinctive personal  storytelling compositional style, but also innovative and creative guitar work with  unusual tunings. Her voice also expanded in range far beyond the usual folk singer  approach, and though a short-lived marriage to Chuck Mitchell didn't last, she took  his last name and moved to the US to build a following on the folk circuit. 

Week Two 

Move to California and Her First Album 

Although Mitchell had composed a formidable body of songs by 1966, including  classics like "The Circle Game," she waited until early 1968 to record her debut  album, in part because she insisted on creative control rare for new and relatively  unknown artists. After moving from Detroit to New York and Florida, she settled in  Los Angeles and her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend David Crosby produced her first album,  1968's Song to a Seagull. This haunting and fine record didn't sell well initially, but  made a considerable impact on fellow musicians and set the groundwork for her  next album. 

Week Three 

Clouds and Woodstock 

Although there had already been intepretations of her songs by noted artists like  Tom Rush, Dave Van Ronk, Ian & Sylvia, and Buffy St. Marie, Judy Collins's version of  "Both Sides Now" was a Top Ten 1968 hit that gave Mitchell's work more exposure  than ever before. Mitchell's own version was on her second album, 1969's Clouds,  which sold much better than her debut and also featured another of her most  famous songs, "Chelsea Morning." With constant touring on the folk and rock circuit,  Mitchell was gaining a bigger rock than folk audience, boosted by her song  "Woodstock," which was covered for a hit by both Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young  and Matthews Southern Comfort. 

Week Four 

Lady of the Canyon and Blue 

Mitchell's audience continued to grow in the early 1970s with her third and fourth 

albums, Ladies of the Canyon and Blue. Ladies of the Canyon featured some of her  most famous songs with "The Circle Game," "Big Yellow Taxi," and her own version  of "Woodstock." Blue was her first album to use significant folk-rock arrangements.  A set at one of the biggest rock festivals in 1970 at the Isle of Wight increased her  crossover appeal to the rock audience. 

Week Five 

For the Roses and Court and Spark 

With 1972's For the Roses, Mitchell made growing but subtle use of rock  instrumentation, and got her first hit single with "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio."  1974's Court and Spark, however, marked her breakthrough to a mass audience,  with her biggest hit, "Help Me," and backing that made far more prominent use of  top rock and jazz session musicians. In 1976 she appeared in The Last Waltz, one of  the most popular concert film documentaries, staged in San Francisco.  

Week Six 

On her final albums of the 1970s, Mitchell delved deeper into jazz. This had always  been a part of her work in her swooping and sometimes scatting vocal style, but now  became more jazz than rock or folk, including collaborations with the top jazz  bassists Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius. Although these were not among her  most popular recordings, they reinforced her determination to take artistic risks and  expand beyond the folk music with which she first made her mark.