Courses: Summer   

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**

Streaming music, swiping photos, consuming real-time news, reading e-books – all of these activities have be transformed by digital technology. This course will explore how media is created, stored, and experienced in a digitized world. We will demystify fundamentals like text files, encoding, pixels, and algorithms in easy-to-understand ways – no prior computer knowledge needed. Each session examines a different medium, contrasting analog past with digital present, exploring Generative AI’s impact. Topics will include text, images, music, social media, and media ownership.

**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.

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 - elegant design, intricate pattern, or mysterious origins? In this richly illustrated course, we will discover the stories woven into these textiles. We will trace the history and artistry of carpet weaving across Asia and North Africa, with examples dating from the 4th century BCE to the nineteenth century. Using expert insights and vivid images, we will explore carpet-making from Anatolia, Iran, Transcaucasia, North Africa, and Central Asia, and learn to spot weaving traditions, historical periods, purposes, and production.

**This class will be taught In-Person at the main SFSU Campus**
**This is a 3-Week Class**

The coming Season at San Francisco Opera is packed with variety, including standard favorites, more rarely performed repertoire, and contemporary fare. San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg (Scholar in Residence) Emeritus Kip Cranna will draw on his 40 years of experience on the staff of the Company, using video excerpts (with subtitles) to prepare you to get the most enjoyment out of the season, with background information, listening tips, and insights into the casting and productions. No previous opera experience necessary. Just watch, listen, and enjoy.

Watch the Preview Video.

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

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.

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**

Why do so many great violinists also become composers? This five-week course explores the fascinating legacy of violinist-composers across history, from Baroque virtuosos like Heinrich Biber to Romantic legends like Niccolò Paganini and 20th-century innovators like George Enescu and Grazyna Bacewicz. Through listening, discussion, and visual materials, we’ll examine how these artists wrote music tailored to their instrument and to themselves. Taught by a professional violinist, this course offers a behind-the-strings look at how performance and composition intertwine in the hands of the same creative mind. 

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

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.

**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.

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? 

**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. 

**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.

**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. 

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

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. 

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

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. 

Watch The Preview Video

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

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. 

Watch The Preview Video

Membership is active for one year from date of purchase.  

A valid SF State OLLI membership provides you with access to more than 100 programs and events annually.

Benefits include:

• Ability to sign up for any number of 6-week courses and course packages on a variety of topics.
• 20 free lectures a year on the main SFSU campus - see OLLI Plus here: https://olli.sfsu.edu/interest-groups
• Numerous Special Interest Groups: Current Events, OLLI Plus, Art Creativity, SF Adventures, Share A Book, Share A Film, Italian and French language groups, Poetry Writing, OLLI Hikers, Human Evolution Discussion and others. View descriptions and schedules of groups.
• Events such as Faculty Previews, museum tours, monthly Lunch Bunch, Happy Hours 3-4 times a year, and other group outings.
• Participation in travel activities open only to OLLI SF members
• Ability to submit to Vista & Byways, our bi-annual literary magazine online
• Student discounts to SF State Main Gymnasium (Nasser), including access to the weight room during certain hours and FitPlus classes. Learn more here: https://kin.sfsu.edu/fit-plus.
• Weekly E-Newsletter with OLLI updates and upcoming events.
• A place to be in community and make new friends!

You must have a current Annual Membership or have signed in and added the Annual Membership to your cart before you can purchase this discounted course package. A course package entitles you to 3 courses at a discount. The price of the course will be automatically deducted from each course. *Note that if you sign up for a small hands-on course, like a writing course, $30 will still be due beyond the course subtracted from your package.

Course packages are good for one year and can be used with $125 courses in the full (non-Mini Course) sessions available during the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. When the package is purchased will determine which session comes first as a package can be purchased any time during the year.

Any left over classes cannot be carried forward after 12 months.

You must have a current Annual Membership or have signed in and added the Annual Membership to your cart before you can purchase this discounted course package. A course package entitles you to 6 courses at a discount. The price of the course will be automatically deducted from each course. *Note that if you sign up for a small hands-on course, like a writing course, $30 will still be due beyond the course subtracted from your package.

Course packages are good for one year and can be used with $125 courses in the full (non-Mini Course) sessions available during the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. When the package is purchased will determine which session comes first as a package can be purchased any time during the year.

Any left over classes cannot be carried forward after 12 months.

You must have a current Annual Membership or have signed in and added the Annual Membership to your cart before you can purchase this discounted course package. A course package entitles you to 10 courses at a discount. The price of the course will be automatically deducted from each course.

*Note that if you sign up for a small hands-on course, like a writing course, $30 will still be due beyond the course subtracted from your package.

Course packages are good for one year and can be used with $125 courses in the full (non-Mini Course) sessions available during the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. When the package is purchased will determine which session comes first as a package can be purchased any time during the year.

Any left over classes cannot be carried forward after 12 months.