| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
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Thursdays 1:00-2:30 p.m. |
Hamlet Hills Club House |
Jean Hood 440-247-4676 |
The course explores the parallel lives of the fictional Willie Stark and the real Huey Long. Good and evil are intertwined in both tales. Are they universal stories or ones limited to a small southern state 90 years ago? Book: Robert Penn Warren. All the King’s Men.
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Wednesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Judson Manor |
Margaret Trenkamp 216-721-1899 |
A bird’s eye view of the U.S. and China in the 20th century. In Nixon and Mao, we will get a fascinating picture of how Nixon broke the barrier of isolation between the United States and China. Wild Swans is the story of three generations of women whose lives and fortunes mirror tumultuous twentieth-century China. It is an historic portrait that brings China alive! Books: Jung Chang, Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China; M. MacMillan, Nixon and Mao, The Week that Changed World.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
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Fridays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church |
Donna Weinstein 216-595-0023 |
A bird’s eye view of the U.S. and China in the 20th century. In Nixon and Mao, we will get a fascinating picture of how Nixon broke the barrier of isolation between the United States and China. Wild Swans is the story of three generations of women whose lives and fortunes mirror tumultuous twentieth-century China. It is an historic portrait that brings China alive! Books: Jung Chang, Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China; M. MacMillan, Nixon and Mao, The Week that Changed World.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Thursdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Cleveland Skating Club Cavalry Room |
JoAnne Lake 216-921-1022 |
We will use Nicholas Wade’s The Faith Instinct and David Brooks’ The Social Animal to explore current science, how and why we make choices, and the evolutionary value of religion. Books: N. Wade, The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why it Endures; and D. Brooks, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
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Mondays 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. |
South Franklin Circle |
Concierge Desk: 440-247-1300 |
For many centuries, philosophers, church leaders, historians, and demagogues portrayed the story of civilization as a chronicle of competition between cultures, ideas and armies, and as the triumph of progressive or godly groups over backward or evil adversaries. Scientists today assert the primacy of Nature and natural history—the forces of the Earth itself, including climate, the regional uniqueness of flora and fauna, and the mutability of microbes—as the true governors of human potential, the rise of certain civilizations, and decline and demise of others. There are compelling links between natural and human history, but do they provide convincing answers to age-old questions about who we are, where we are and how we got here? Book: J. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
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Sundays 5:00-6:30 p.m. |
13803 Cormere Avenue |
Barbara Davis 440-461-0351 |
A master of historical interpretation and lucid prose, Barbara Tuchman provides penetrating insight into pivotal points in history. The Proud Tower, a compelling study of the Edwardian era, examines the collapse of patrician England, the rise of socialism and anarchism, as well as the cultural forces behind the infamous Dreyfus Affair, the impact of Strauss’ violent music, and Nietzsche’s strident philosophy on German culture. In March of Folly she explores critical turning points in history. Tuchman’s examples include the recurrence of governments’ pursuing policies contrary to self-interest. She also considers many disasters that could have been avoided from the fall of Troy to the emergence of the Protestant Reformation, Britain’s loss of her American colonies, and the American debacle in Vietnam. Books: B. Tuchman, The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 and March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. |
Rothstein-Rosskamm Conference Room |
Please call office 216-368-4220 |
As the British Empire continued its slow downward tumble toward the twentieth century, English writers were exploring the darker recesses of the mind. Different ways of reading classic texts might bring us new perspectives. What political and social insights does Carroll offer in his Alice books? How does Stoker manipulate the vampire myth to capture our fascinations? How does James turn the screw? What does the transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde tell us about the human psyche? Read Alice in Wonderland prior to the first session. Books: L. Carroll, Alice in Wonderland; Through the Looking Glass; R. L. Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; B. Stoker, Dracula; H. James, The Turn of the Screw.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Mondays 1:00-2:30 p.m. |
Gates Mills Community Room |
Chelie Eagan 440-338-3357 |
Experience this magnificent chronicle of four generations of a nineteenth-century North German mercantile family in Buddenbrooks, by the celebrated Nobel Prize laureate Thomas Mann. The elegant translation by John E. Woods is a requirement.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
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Fridays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Judson Park |
Margaret Trenkamp 216-721-1899 |
This course is has been canceled.
Pulitzer Prize Winner Blackmon brings to light a shameful chapter in American history, an age of neo-slavery that thrived from the aftermath of the Civil War through the dawn of World War II through the leasing or sale of black convicts to commercial interests. Book: Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Wednesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Breckenridge Village |
Carol Legris 440-946-6977 |
A trio of major American detective novels were made into classic 1940s films by three of our greatest filmmakers. One week will be a lively discussion of the literary value of the book, the next will be a screening of the film, followed by a study of how the filmmaker transforms the book’s ideas and characters into cinema. Techniques will be discussed on how to better appreciate the films we love and the works they are based upon. Clips from “making of” documentaries will also be shown, featuring directors, stars and film experts. Books and films: The Maltese Falcon, D. Hammett, film directed by J. Huston (1941); Laura, V. Caspary, film directed by Otto Preminger (1944); The Big Sleep, R. Chandler, film directed by Howard Hawks (1946).
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Wednesdays 7:30-9:00 p.m. |
Westlake United Methodist Church |
Don Larsen 440-937-2769 |
Discover the fascinating lives of some of America’s most influential women, the wives of our Presidents. Learn how they gave critical support to their husbands, from the time of our Founding Fathers through the 1950s, in times of peace and war. These outstanding women served as hostess and representative and had successful causes of their own. Appreciate their personal challenges and triumphs, their marriages, families, and time in history. Book: B. Harris and L. Ross, The First Ladies Fact Book: Revised and Updated! The Childhoods, Courtships, Marriages, Campaigns, Accomplishments, and Legacies of Every First Lady from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. Please use the 2009 edition.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Tuesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
The Renaissance |
Sue Bennett 440-235-3507 |
We will use Nicholas Wade’s The Faith Instinct and David Brooks’ The Social Animal to explore current science, how and why we make choices, and the evolutionary value of religion. Books: N. Wade, The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why it Endures; and D. Brooks, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Thursdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Westlake United Methodist Church |
Sandra Berendt 440-892-4931 |
Tolstoy examines virtually every aspect of nineteenth-century czarist Russia in this magnificent series of short novels. Explore why many consider Tolstoy the greatest European fiction writer. The Pevear-Volokhonsky translation is required for The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Mondays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Bay Village Branch Library |
Marianne Wagner 440-808-0076 |
A trio of major American detective novels were made into classic 1940s films by three of our greatest filmmakers. One week will be a lively discussion of the literary value of the book, the next will be a screening of the film, followed by a study of how the filmmaker transforms the book’s ideas and characters into cinema. Techniques will be discussed on how to better appreciate the films we love and the works they are based upon. Clips from “making of” documentaries will also be shown, featuring directors, stars and film experts. Books and films: The Maltese Falcon, D. Hammett, film directed by J. Huston (1941); Laura, V. Caspary, film directed by Otto Preminger (1944); The Big Sleep, R. Chandler, film directed by Howard Hawks (1946).
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
|
Mondays 1:00-2:30 p.m. |
Rocky River Public Library |
Kathy Wendling 440-331-4052 |
Using David Halberstam’s colorful and anecdotal narrative, we will reexamine the politics and diplomacy of this crucial decade and evaluate the prevailing cultural norms. Cold War confrontations, McCarthyism and the loyalty trials of Alger Hiss, the Rosenbergs, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the burgeoning civil rights movement, and the journey from Betty Crocker to Elvis Presley will all be part of our fresh look at this time in our history. Much has been revealed about this era since the fall of the Soviet Union. Our text will be supplemented with recent scholarship on this era. Book: D. Halberstam The Fifties.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Thursdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Middleburg Heights Church |
Wanda Ullman 440-884-3119 |
Rudyard Kipling’s Kim embarks on a journey of spirituality and espionage and reveals a detailed portrait of the people, culture, and religions of India. Willa Cather depicts the life of a French missionary priest as he brings order to the vast diocese of mid-nineteenth-century New Mexico. Jonathan Safran Foer creates a nine-year old boy who is forced to confront tragedy in contemporary New York City as a result of September 11. It has been said that one should exercise great care before wishing for a particular thing. We will examine the ways in which our protagonists’ wishes are realized. Books: R. Kipling, Kim; W. Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop; and J. Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Tuesdays 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. |
Brecksville United Church of Christ |
Betty Gifford 440-526-4831 |
As we live longer, and with heart disease in retreat, cancer is emerging as the scourge of old age. Cancer is still a much-feared diagnosis even though scientific advances have, in many cases, a chronic condition that can be successfully managed for years. Using as a text the Pulitzer Prize winning The Emperor of All Maladies: a Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, we will look at cancer from many sides. We will examine the biology of cancer in a non-technical way and look at the history of treatment regimens and advances in care. Importantly, we will consider the impact of politics and economics. The course requires no special knowledge of biological sciences or medicine. The text, one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010, can be easily understood by the non-scientist. Book: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, S. Mukherjee
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Tuesdays 1:00-2:30 p.m. |
6814 Rosemont Avenue |
Jane Petrie 440-526-1725 |
This course is currently unavailable for registration.
Pulitzer Prize Winner Blackmon brings to light a shameful chapter in American history, an age of neo-slavery that thrived from the aftermath of the Civil War through the dawn of World War II through the leasing or sale of black convicts to commercial interests. Book: Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
| Starting Date: | Location: | Class Coordinators: |
|---|---|---|
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Wednesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m. |
Rosemont Country Club |
Carolyn Portman 330-867-3673 |
The course examines our hopeless addiction to petroleum using The Prize by Daniel Yergin. Like all addicts, we hate our suppliers even as we goad them to give us more. The story began in Cleveland one hundred forty-five years ago. Is it possible to break free? Are we destined to continue along the current path? Book: D. Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power.
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10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44106 216-368-2000 (legal notice)
