by Deborah Lanser
Introduction
When the fall catalog arrives on August 22, many of us will find so many interesting classes that we will feel spoiled for choice. This is why we joined LLI. Are you interested in medicine and navigating the healthcare system? Current and past politics, history, or immigration? What about literature or music? The human mind or spirituality? Protecting yourself against cyberhackers? Hiking or simply moving more easily to counter the effects of aging? Learning to tap dance or write legacy letters?
Here is a brief overview of the many options for you to consider. Mark your calendar for the starting dates: Zoom classes will begin on Thursday, September 5, and in-person classes on Friday, September 6. Thanks to the Curriculum Committee for their hard work in putting together such an excellent selection of courses.
Medicine
For those who have difficulty Navigating the Healthcare System in Dutchess County, various healthcare professionals from Northern Dutchess Hospital will provide essential strategies for dealing with it. Among the topics will be effective self advocacy, managing expectations, and learning about the latest digital healthcare innovations, all of which were chosen with the goal of giving members the tools needed for healthy aging.
In The Changing Face of Medicine, Michael Weinstock (LLI) will delve into the significant research that will directly affect the approach to clinical care now and in the future. At the end of the class, participants will have a better understanding of the current approach to cancer care and inflammatory disease.
The Visual Arts
Gary Miller (LLI) notes that women photographers, cinematographers, photojournalists, and editors have often produced works unlike their male counterparts on topics ranging from current events, cultural issues, science, and the arts. In The Female Eye, he will introduce us to the works and processes of some timeless icons as well as many newly discovered artists.
Join fellow LLI members to take a Deep Dive Into Abstract Art: Studio Discussions with Contemporary Artists. Every Tuesday, local abstract artists will welcome visitors to their studios for a discussion of their materials, process, and recent work.
In Olana, Frederic Church, and the Inspiration of Place, Carolyn Keogh, who is director of Education and Public Programs, will offer a series of virtual tours of the estate culminating with an in-person tour of the house and grounds. Participants will gain a new perspective on the artist’s relationship with the Hudson River and the inspiration Church drew from his surroundings.
The Great Outdoors
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy Walking in the Scenic Hudson Valley with Vicki Hoener (LLI) and Robin Berger (LLI). The five different hikes will take place on rail trails on both sides of the Hudson River.
Laura Conner will lead Three Fall Hikes at Minnewaska over level, gravel-surfaced carriage roads and footpaths. Each naturalist-led outing will offer scenic views, cultural history, and signs of wildlife.
Politics and History
Barbara Danish (LLI) and Laura Brown (LLI) will offer a reading-intensive course to examine the rise of authoritarianism in our multiracial democracy. Dangerous Times: Authoritarianism Challenges Democracy in America will evaluate the authoritarian playbook here and abroad and the strengths and frailties of democracy, including the fault lines in the Constitution.
In Political Trials in America, Mark Lytle returns to discuss seven trials in which politics, more than law, seemed to motivate the prosecution. The class will consider the light these cases shed on recent politically charged trials.
Kris McDaniel Miccio will guide class consideration of The Banality of Evil: 21st Century Thinking of Morality, Law, and Politics. Will the questions about culpability that Hannah Arendt raised in her seminal book EIchmann in Jerusalem prove relevant to understanding law, morality, and politics in 21st-century America?
Spirituality
Throughout history, human beings have assigned sacred qualities to certain landscapes and buildings. Students will explore The Power of Sacred Sites with Lyla Yastion by considering examples of sacred land, sacred architecture, and the sacred space in the heart.
Robin Bernstein (LLI) will offer an Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation, which will focus on four aspects of practice: seeing things as they are, learning to be here in the present moment, noticing how things change, and non-judging awareness. Each class will include a talk on the week’s topic, a guided meditation session, and a discussion period for participants to share their observations.
Meredith Caplan (LLI) believes that humans are born with an innate spirituality that can be cultivated through deliberate awareness and practice. In her experimental workshop The Spiritual Capacity as Core Human Potential, she will teach practices that help augment participants’ awareness of the spiritual guidance system within and all around them.
Moving More Easily
Did you ever hope to dance like Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly or Eleanor Powell? Even if you didn’t, why not try Tap, Flap, and Shuffle Off to Buffalo, as Judith Nelson (LLI) demonstrates the basics of tap for hopeful hoofers of all skill levels.
Somatic movement therapist Kelly Garone will describe six principles for safe, functional regenerative movement. These principles can be applied to exercise and activities of daily living to enhance coordination and prevent injury. As a result, participants will Learn to Move Smarter, Not Harder.
Wendy Rothkopf (LLI) suggests participants can restore the mind-body balance with Yoga. The mixed-level practice will use standing poses, mat work, and meditative breathing to calm the nervous system.
History and Culture
For a perspective on the beginning of the Cold War and the confrontations and frictions of the New World Order, Chuck Mishaan (LLI) will present War and After: Arts and Culture in the 1940s. Participants will examine this pivotal decade through its creative arts, politics, achievements, and threats.
Tom Walker (LLI) returns with a series of lectures on America from the War of 1812 to Reconstruction. The course will cover the effects of the War of 1812, westward expansion, the rise of sectionalism, the Civil War, and the Reconstruction period on American society, politics, and the economy.
Cyber Self-Defense
Most of us know that malefactors who access our personal data can cause major disruptions of our lives. That’s where RIvka Tadjer comes in. Her class Defeating Cybercrime 102 will teach participants the process and protocols for preventing hackers from leveraging breached data to target people for theft, fraud, and impersonation.
Music and Literature
Ray Erickson will encourage music lovers to appreciate Debussy’s Orchestral Music in the context of his milieu. The works that will be discussed include a very early symphony, the iconic Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Nocturnes, and the steamy late ballet Jeux.
Victoria Sullivan (LLI) will lead participants in an exploration of Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Flannery O’Connor, and Tim O’Brien. An essential part of the course will be class discussions.
Moby-Dick: or the Whale is considered one of the great American novels. Daniel Lanzetta (LLI) and David Offill (LLI) will take readers on Melville’s literary voyage that explores religion, alienation, and madness in Chasing the White Whale—Adventure and Obsession. Since the book is so long, they recommend starting to read the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition, published in 2006, before the first class.
The Dark Side of the Gilded Age
The Gilded Promise of freedom after the Civil War inspired hope in formerly enslaved people, other migrants, and millions of immigrants. Robert Beaury (LLI) will examine the social, economic and political impacts of the period between 1865 and 1920 on people who were in search of a new life.
The brilliant architect Stanford White is remembered as much for his public murder as for his work (e.g., Washington Square Arch). Shelley Weiner (LLI) is interested in why his life and designs still matter. Mansions and Murder: Stanford White and His World will offer a glimpse into why high society revered him and the dark secrets he hid.
Human Nature
A significant percentage of human decisions are driven by unreasoned and illogical factors such as emotion, uncertainty, and avoidance of effort. John Retts (LLI) will challenge his audience to confront Our Irrationalities and to provide real-world examples of irrational choices and beliefs.
Behind the Scenes at Bard
Participants in Around Bard: An Insider’s View will enjoy talks from some of the creative people at the college about how they bring their programs to life. Each week, participants will visit a different program and building on campus to get an overview of the educational experience that comes to life there.
Immigration
Immigration Policy: Too Hot to Handle will showcase various presenters who have different perspectives on immigration issues. Among the topics will be a brief history of immigration, national immigration policies, immigrants in the Hudson Valley, and whether immigrants benefit the US economy.
As Peter Scheckner (LLI) points out, there are three times as many migrants today as there were in 1960. His course We Were All Once Foreigners: Global Immigration through Cinema and Poetry will consider what world migration looks like in one to two movies and one to two poems each week.
Telling Our Stories
In a series of reading and writing sessions that focus on self-expression, Ann Hutton will ask participants What’s Your Story? Class members will write from prompts, both in class and at home between sessions, and respond to each other with encouragement.
Beverly LeBov Sloane believes that a legacy letter reflects a “voice of the heart,” a love letter to your family. In From Memoir to Legacy Letters: Passing Your Values from the Stories of Your Life to the Next Generation, she will help class members write their legacy letter based on assignments and the feedback she and other class members provide.
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