Anticipating Fall Classes

by Deborah Lanser

Introduction

Mark your calendar for August 19, when the fall course catalog will be released. That will give you a week to select your courses before preregistration on August 27 and registration on August 28. Zoom classes begin on September 4, and in-person classes start on September 5.

Thanks to the hard work by the Curriculum Committee, the courses cover a broad range of interests. Are you interested in your health and well-being? You can get information from physicians and other healthcare professionals about a variety of conditions and preventive practices. Politics and culture? You can choose courses that discuss the attacks on universities, gender issues, the state of the economy, the intersection of history and the arts, environmental issues, or films that address the decline of democracy. Literature enthusiasts can look forward to courses in poetry, Shakespeare plays, novels, and short stories. Artistic members can foster their creative selves through music, writing, and photography. History enthusiasts can choose from courses on American and European history, as well as the beginnings of Christianity. Math and science buffs can learn from physicists, mathematicians, and chemists. Those with eclectic interests can indulge their appreciation of good food and wine, learn more about Bard College, find ways of making new friends, consider the AI revolution, appreciate different forms of dance, or address ethical decision-making. And energetic hikers can share some of the beauties of the Hudson Valley with other active members.

Here is a little information about what will be on offer. Start looking forward to the first week of September.

Health and Well-Being

In Your Amazing Body: Then and Now, Michael Weinstock will describe how the aging process leads to some system failures. He will also review new research suggesting that some measures can delay or repair the effects of aging and possibly extend life.

Lectures by Northern Dutchess Hospital Specialists will cover some common conditions, such as hernias and reflux, to topics in medicine, such as the future of robotics, movement therapy, establishing health goals, and driving safely. The goal is to help class members recognize early warning signs of incipient problems, make informed health decisions, and take proactive steps toward maintaining independence and well-being.

Kelly Garone will present Gentle Movement for Peak Performance, a gentle, guided series of experiments in movement and awareness. The goal is to enhance coordination, build body awareness, release habits of tension, diminish the effects of stress, and make space for the body’s natural intelligence to emerge.

In a single-session class, Russell Charno will demonstrate a series of exercises to enhance Functional Strength Training. Students will learn how to organize an exercise program that will strengthen the muscle groups and movement patterns used in everyday activities.

Lila Yastion will examine the effects of mindfulness practice on health, particularly the challenges associated with aging. The Mindful Senior will provide class members with tools that enable them to use mindfulness to enhance physical and mental health, deepen relationships, and gain insight into paths of spiritual development.

Artificial Intelligence, For Better or Worse

Now that artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction, are you more curious or concerned about how it is shaping how we work, live, learn, and create? Join Jean-Claude Fouéré to obtain a clear-eyed look at our future in The AI Revolution: How Far We’ve Come and What’s Next.

Topics in the News

Join Martha Honey, Martha Gershun, Felice Gelman, and Pat Keeton as they consider the US Universities Under Attack, Past, Present, and Future. Through conversations with experts, the class will examine how the US and other authoritarian regimes have targeted academic institutions, the impacts of the current administration’s actions on universities, and the response of academics. The class will culminate with a live talk by Bard president Leon Botstein, which will be open to all LLI members, regardless of whether they have signed up for the course.

Andy Weintraub will provide students with some insight into How Economics 101 Applies to Today. In this unpredictable economy, should we expect prosperity? Recession? Inflation? More national debt? More tariffs?

Under the guidance of Barbara Danish and Laura Brown, class members can engage in Six Conversations About Gender. The class will use readings and videos from experts to study the complex forces shaping the gender wars today and explore new perspectives.

The Great Outdoors

Vicki Hoener and Robin Berger will guide outdoor enthusiasts on five beautiful Hudson Valley Walks. To fully enjoy the walks, participants should be able to walk on uneven, rocky terrain and should wear sturdy footwear.

Hikers can also join Laura Connor on Minnewaska: Three Hikes. Each hike will feature education served with a side of scenic views, cultural history, and signs of wildlife. Hikers need to be able to walk the distance of each outing in the allotted time frame.

Literature

The NY School of Poets, Second Generation was a dynamic community of downtown New York poets who met during the 1950s and 1960s. Lee Gould will introduce class members to their witty, experimental, and often outrageous work.

Surely most of us have either read Hamlet or seen at least one production of the play, whether on screen or on the stage. In Hamlet: An Investigation, Victoria Sullivan will guide members to a deeper appreciation of the play, with the understanding that this great tragedy invites multiple interpretations rather than a single truth.

David Offill notes that writers from Edgar Allan Poe to James Baldwin often create unstable, deceptive, or psychologically complex narrative voices to challenge the reader’s perception of truth and reality. The Unhinged Storyteller will consider how the narrative lens forces the reader to evaluate the narrator’s credibility.

F. Scott Fitzgerald launched his career with The Great Gatsby, but what about his other novels? Through examination of the novelist’s lesser-known works, such as Tender Is the Night and This Side of Paradise, Daniel Lanzetta will provide a deeper understanding of this tragic writer in This Side of Tragedy: The Other Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Math and Science

As usual, the multipresenter course Bard Masters of Math and Science provides an opportunity to explore a wide range of topics. This year, class members can embark on a journey investigating the chemistry of photography, practical physics, math and art, some impacts of climate change, artificial intelligence and misinformation, and nanotechnology.

Film and Politics

In “Do Not Obey in Advance: Fascism and Resistance:” Cinematic Representations, Peter Scheckner will focus on how cinema around the world portrays fascism and the resistance to it. Class members will view one to two films a week.

Craig McCaughrin will examine the Dynamics of Democracy through a series of feature-length films that exemplify the political changes in democratic states that can lead to their collapse. He will focus on the collapse-prone foundations of democracy itself rather than on exogenous threats like war or depression.

United States and European History

Robert Beaury will revisit the Civil War from the perspective of the South, which believed the fight was about its independence from the North. The War of Northern Aggression will acquaint class members with the social, economic, political, and military landscapes of the South during this tumultuous period.

According to Mark Lytle, the executive branch has grown so powerful over time that it has overwhelmed the founders’ original concept of checks and balances among the three co-equal branches of government. His class will evaluate how Six Presidents Who Expanded Executive Authority navigated the line between forceful executive action and constitutional constraints.

A Century of Peace: Europe from 1815 to 1914 will explain how the Congress of Vienna forged a stable diplomatic order that minimized great-power war while accelerating industrial, social, and economic transformation. Tom Walker will describe how peace was maintained through adaptation rather than stagnation.

Galina Vromen will give a single lecture titled “The Birth of the Atomic Age: Los Alamos in 1945 and Its Impact Today.” On this 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, she will bring that momentous period alive and discuss its impact on nuclear proliferation today.

Politics and the Arts

The Fabulous and Frightening 50s was an era filled with contrasts and cultural change, characterized by a tug-of-war between conformity and rebellion as well as tradition and innovation. Chuck Mishaan will introduce class members to the resulting wealth of artistic expression and cultural richness found in the era’s literature, music, visual arts, film, television, fashion, and architecture.

Politically, the Weimar Republic was a disaster, characterized by hyperinflation and chaos. Yet it is best known for its artistic exuberance in art, literature, film, and music. Shelley Wiener will explore both aspects of that period in Weimar: Political Failure and Cultural Icon.

The Creative Impulse

In Smartphones, Smart Photographers, Smart Pictures, Gary Miller will encourage the class to examine the creative factors in good photography and how to apply them to their own smartphone efforts. The class will be open only to members who have not taken it before.

Have you ever wanted to write a song but didn’t know how to begin? If you have, The Songwriter in You: A Journey for Beginners may be the class for you. Sharon Klein will guide aspiring songwriters, even those with no musical experience, through a series of exercises and prompts to help them create their unique contribution to music.

Ann Hutton believes that everyone has a unique story that is worth telling. Her writing workshop, What’s Your Story—and How to Uncover It, will enable participants to create powerful material that may provide a deep understanding of their own story.

Stimulating the imagination is life-affirming, according to Lois Walden. In The Creative Self, she will help students tap into their imagination and creativity through sound, movement, process-oriented writing exercises, discussion, and active imagining.

Devotees of dance will be able to indulge in A Dancing Smorgasbord: Ballet, Modern, and Theater Dance. Judith Nelson will introduce class members to the techniques of each style, learn relevant choreography, and experience how fundamental movement concepts of space, time, and energy apply to each style.

Ethics and Religion

In Ethics on the Fly: How We Make Decisions by the Seat of Our Pants and (Usually) Survive, Ed Inebretsen will remind us that we make ethical choices all day long, usually as the immediate situation warrants. Participants will examine the ways in which we can become more aware and intentional about the decisions we make, as we balance our values, obligations, and relationships in real time.

Steve Bassin will present The History of Jesus and Early Christianity. Rather than being a Christian theology class, the course will review primary source material as well as research done by historians of religion.

Culture and the Environment

Understanding the connection between culture and nature depends on the shifting makeup of natural forces, human interactions, and the processes responding to these dynamics, notes Achva Benzinberg Stein. Culture, Landscapes, and Design on the Land is designed to help everyone better understand our environment, improve our ability to make informed decisions regarding environmental control, and enhance our adaptation to changing climatic conditions.

The Inner Workings of Bard College offers a unique insider’s look at the arts, culture, and operations that keep the college vibrant, creative, and resilient. Kornelia Tamm, with talks by the artistic directors, staff members, and fundraisers, will take class members beyond the classroom to explore the inner workings of Bard College.

Food and Drink

Mark Weider asks, “Why Drink Water When You Can Drink Wine?” Casual sippers and long-time oenophiles can explore the world of wine in a relaxed setting with weekly blind tastings of three to four wines, each themed by grape varietal or region. (Fee, $40 to cover wine and snacks).

Harvey Monder will introduce hungry diners to The Cuisine of Southeast Asia. The course will demonstrate the uses of ingredients and cooking styles through the preparation of various dishes from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and South China/Singapore.

Making Connections

If you are looking to expand your circle of good friends, join Jan Malthaner Nolte in a discussion of How to Talk to Anyone: Making New Friends in New Circumstances. She will explore genuine, easy ways to start a conversation when meeting a classmate, a new neighbor, a fellow volunteer, or a person in line at the store.