TOPICS OFFERED FOR FALL 2010

 

 

Please note that the books listed for each course are only possible candidates. 
Do not buy any until the pre-meeting and a decision on the common reading is made.

Classes start September 1st and end December 31st

Holiday periods are adapted to by individual class voting.

 

 

1.    (CAL) CALIFORNIA DREAMINÕ – 1950 - 1963

This S/DG looks at CaliforniaÕs golden age – 1950-1963. Golden Dreams is the title of Kevin StarrÕs latest and last installment in his eight-volume series on the history of California. Starr, a professor of history at USC and state librarian of California emeritus, chronicles an age of abundance during which CaliforniaÕs natural endowments were transformed into an economic and cultural nation-state. Population almost doubled during this period and, with the booming economy, money was available for transportation, education and other forms of social programs. Golden Dreams ranges across politics, economics and culture – from Aerospace to Zen.

Possible topics for presentations include: the aerospace industry, the Sierra Club, water, the freeway system, jazz, Zen, civil rights, the Times, Dorothy Chandler, Cardinal James Francis McIntyre, Richard Nixon (in California), ÒPatÓ Brown, Ray Bradbury, Earl Warren, the DodgerÕs Walter OÕMalley, UCLAÕs Franklin Murphy, and LAPD Chief William Parker.

Common Reading:      Golden Dreams, by Kevin Starr (2009)

 

 

2.    (CBA)       WHAT TO DO ABOUT CUBA

It has been more than 50 years since Fidel CastroÕs Cuban revolution. The Cold War ended decades ago and China is one of our strongest trading partners, yet we still have no relations with one of our nearest neighbors. Although Barack Obama has made some overtures to Cuba and Raul Castro has indicated a strong desire to start a dialogue, there is still massive resistance to normalization. We do know that our tourist industry and our agricultural interests are anxious to open up trade with Cuba.

In this S/DG, we will examine past and present events in Cuba with an eye to the future. In the common reading, Cuba expert, Daniel Erikson, draws on extensive visits and conversations with Cuban government officials and opposition leaders - plus key players in Washington and Florida - to offer an unmatched portrait of a small country with outsized importance to Americans and American policy. There are many subjects for presentations including not only political and economic topics such as the history of the Revolution, trade policies, refugee policies, and travel policies but also social and cultural topics such as art, music, architecture, medicine, and religion, both prior to the Revolution and currently. Understanding Cuba will help us understand the tough choices that our President will have to make.

Common Reading:   The Cuba Wars: Fidel Castro, the United States and the Next Revolution, by Daniel P. Erikson (Bloomsbury Press, 2008; 368 pp)

3.    (CCS)      THE CAUCASUS

The recent terrorist attack in Moscow is a grim reminder of the turmoil in the Caucasus – the region at the border of Europe and Asia and home to the Caucasus Mountain range, which includes EuropeÕs highest mountain. The Caucasus is an enigma. We donÕt know much about its history and have difficulty remembering which countries make up the area.

This SD/G looks at the history, demographics, mythology, religion and resources of the countries in the region: Russia (including Chechnya and North Ossetia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and South Ossetia. There are more than 50 ethnic groups living in the region and many languages are unique to the area. In ancient times the dominant religion was Zoroastrianism but present day people tend to be Eastern Orthodox Christians, Oriental Orthodox Christians, Sunni Muslims or Shia Muslims. In Greek mythology, the Caucasus was one of the pillars supporting the world, Prometheus was chained there by Zeus and Jason sailed there in pursuit of the Golden Fleece. Throughout most of its history the Northern Caucasus was under Scythian influence while the Southern Caucasus was part of the Iranian world. The region was conquered by the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, the site of the massacre of the Circassian population 150 years ago. The area has many important mineral and energy resources.

Common Reading:   The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus, by Charles King (paperback, November 2009)

 

 

 

4.    (CRL)    CORAL REEFS: LIFE BELOW THE SEA

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and productive living communities in the world. Formed in warm, shallow areas of tropical oceans, the reefs provide a "home" -- both food and shelter -- to sponges, fish, turtles, crustaceans, and other tiny marine creatures. The reefs also serve as an undersea playground for snorkelers and scuba divers. Today, however, pollution of the seas, over-fishing, thoughtless tourists, and global warming are growing threats to the reefs' existence.

Possible presentation topics can include: how reefs are formed; how various types of reefs (there are at least eight kinds) differ from one another; life and death in the reefs; how a reef may prevent shore erosion; the success or failure of the efforts by government and private organizations to protect the reefs; how chemicals produced by reef coral may yield the secrets of new miracle drugs; and, sadly, the slow dying of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Common Reading:   Coral Reefs: Ecology, Threats and Conservation, by Charles Sheppard (World Life Library)

 

 

 

 

      

5.    (DKA)     THE NOT SO DARK AGES

This S/DG begins with a snapshot of the political, social, economic, religious, and cultural conditions at the collapse of the Roman Empire and explores how various conditions that made up western European civilization changed over the period to 1500.

Possible presentation topics: Byzantium and its relationship to Western Europe; The Pope, the Papal states, and Italy; The impact of the Vikings; Charlemagne; The Crusades; The 100 YearsÕ War; The Holy Roman Empire; Hildegard of Bingen; Heloise & Abelard; Feudalism; European states.

Hollister gives a clear and direct exposition of the salient events and major trends of the medieval period from all angles (political, religious, intellectual, social, economic, artistic, and cultural) and Bennett adds a great deal of womenÕs history, as well as expanded sections on socio-economics, and religious history.

Common Reading:   Medieval Europe: A Short History, by C. Warren Hollister and Judith M. Bennett (9th edition, McGraw Hill, 2002 – paperback)

 

 

6.    (DOC)      THE RISE OF THE DOCUMENTARY MOVIE

Not long ago, if you wanted to see a documentary film, you probably had to take a course, go to a movie festival, or catch it on PBS. But the commercial success of recent documentaries has changed all that...nowadays you may have to stand in line to get a ticket to such popular "docs" as March of the Penguins, Bowling for Columbine, Supersize Me, etc. While your basic Hollywood studio movie is primarily made to make money, a documentary is the expression of its creator's personal passion. This S/DG will explore the world of modern masters of the documentary. Presenters will choose a film that class members can view at home before each class session, and discuss the director's purpose, the film's techniques, and its effect on public opinion. Documentary films are available at public libraries, and via Netflix, which stocks over 300 such films in 28 different genres, ranging from biographies (Marlon Brando) to history ( the Alamo), travel/adventure, and -- most fascinating -- Miscellaneous.

No Common Reading.

 

 

7.    (DRM)    DREAMS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

What do dreams mean? Most of us dream while we sleep. When we awaken we often wonder: What did that weird dream mean? Was it prophetic of some imminent disaster, or good fortune? Perhaps the dream was symbolic of some deep-seated longing? Sometimes pleasant, occasionally a nightmare, always intriguing, does the dream give me a message? Does it point me toward creatively solving a baffling problem? Byron put it beautifully in his poem The Dream:

ÒThey pass like spirits of the past,–they speak

Like Sibyls of the future: they have power—

The tyranny of pleasure and of painÉ.

The dread of vanished shadowsÉ.What are they?

Creations of the mind? The mind can make

Substance and people planets of its own

With beings brighter than have beenÉ.Ó

We will be talking about universal images. We will not discuss participant dreams! Sample topics for presentations include: The Rem Factor; Jung v. Freud; Dreams place in different cultures, Dreams in the Old Testament; Dreams in film; Dreams in literature; Dream sharing and interpretation on the Internet; Famous dreams.

No Common Reading.         

Many resources including: Sigmund Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams, Carl Jung: The Practice of Psychotherapy, and Irvin Yalom: Staring at the Sun (dreams from an existential perspective).

 

 

8.    (ECN) THIS WEEK IN The Economist

The British publication The Economist is known for its informative and thought-provoking reporting on political and economic developments around the world. In this S/DG, presenters will select articles or Special Reports as catalysts for informed and lively discussion on the burning topics of our time. Current articles are easily accessed online at no cost at www.economist.com. Recent articles and Special Reports are available at the library or Omniloreans may consider obtaining a student subscription at a reduced price.

Articles run the gamut of global issues. Special Reports cover subjects as diverse as Social Networking, Financial Risk, the Human Genome, Water, and Gambling.

Common Reading:   The Economist.

 

 

9.    (GDR) GREAT DRAMATISTS

There continues to be life after Shakespeare! Explore the creations of other dramatists of western civilization. There will be no designated text. Instead, each participant will choose a playwright for presentation and assign (ahead of time, of course), an easily accessible play of the dramatist to be read by the group. Presentations will include information on the playwright's life and how he reflects the time period in which he wrote as well as a summary/analysis of his major plays. A discussion of the assigned play, led by the presenter, is also an important part of each session. Participants in the first two offerings of this group enthusiastically requested another session; so many playwrights, so little time!!! (Check out the GDR folder on the website to read what went on in the previous sessions.) This one has a blank slate, with the rich possibilities - Aristophanes or Moliere? Ibsen or Shaw? Albee or Pirandello? Chekhov or Synge? O'Neill or Miller? - What do the world's great playwrights have to say about humanity? (Please note: this session is not performance-oriented; it is more a study of drama as literature/art).

No Common Reading

 

 

 

10.    (GOD)     THE CASE FOR GOD

Once again Karen Armstrong, in her latest book (2009) delves into the mythos and logos of religion. She expresses her view of the need for religion and how it was practiced from prehistoric man to the present. While it focuses on Christianity, she does not neglect Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Chinese mysticism. As in previous writings, she emphasizes how sacred texts and stories were mythical and nor reasoned. She believes that applying science to myths has resulted in the anti science religious fundamentalism. She examines why religion plays such a lesser role today. Possible topics could be the various past and present cults, the view of various religious philosophers, the impact of science on religion (Darwin, for example) and the popularity today of atheistic authors as Dawkins, Harris and Hutchens.

Common Reading:   The Case for God, by Karen Armstrong

(September 2009; hardback)

 

 

11.    (HSC)      A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING

Our author is a popular travel writer who decided it was time to learn the difference between a quasar and quark, a proton from a protein or whatÕs really doing with the moon of Pluto. He wanted to understand what happened before the Big Bang and what has been going on ever since to the ascendancy Homo sapiens – and, even more interestingly, how we came to Òknow itÓ. Rejecting dry textbook science he invites us to join him in an armchair travel adventure through science discovery in 500 pages that often read like a chapters in a novel. He covers cosmology, astronomy, paleontology, geology, chemistry, physics and so on.

There will be fascinating opportunities to research and present for discussion BrysonÕs choices of special moments in scientific discovery. These could include how we came to know there was a Big Bang, how we came to measure sizes from particles to atoms, galaxies and the whole cosmos. We could research and present for discussion the many discoveries in the life sciences and in particular the evolution of how we came to be. There will surely be a time to re-capture our youthful sense of wonder at what we know and how we came to know it.

Common Reading:    A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson (Broadway; First Edition, September 2004; 560 pages)

 

 

 

12.    (INT)       ORIGINAL INTENT: THE COURTS, THE CONSTITUTION, AND

                        RELIGION

The First Amendment of our Constitution reads: ÒCongress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....Ó The author argues that the phrase Òseparation of church and stateÓ is a relatively new concept and became a standard only since the 1947 Everson v. Board of Education decision. By merging consideration of the First Amendment (limited to enumerated federal power over individuals) and the Fourteenth Amendment (limited to enumerated State powers over individuals) the Supreme Court imposed new federal authority over States and thus over individuals concerning the freedom of religious expression. He argues that such expansion of federal authority was not intended by the Founders and so jeopardizes the very non-politicized religious freedoms we have cherished and protected for so long.

In this S/DG we have an opportunity to study this issue and examine this argument respectfully from both sides. Do the many court decisions listed by the author really encroach on an individualÕs Òfree exercise [of religion]Ó? What was the FounderÕs Ôoriginal intentÕ and how did they express it? Is it relevant today? Did constitutional Christian religious expression for over 150 years till 1947 really harm the freedom of expression of atheists or individuals of other religious convictions?

Common Reading:      Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion, by David Barton (Wallbuilder Press; 5th edition; August 2008; 552 pp)

 

 

13.    (JUR)      JURIES

A look at juries from a political as well as legal point of view. Does the present system serve us? What are some of its strong and weak points? How about improvements?

These are some of the questions we'll address as we look at the jury system and the purpose it serves in a democratic society. We'll discuss how juries evolved from the local knowledge model to an emphasis on impartiality, how the notion of jury diversity moved from "different walks of life" to questions of race and sex, and how "scientific jury selection" fosters cynicism about the impartiality of juries. Should we allow jurors with knowledge about the case to be on the jury? Presentations may be on these topics, on cases where juries did (or did not) work, jury systems in other countries, legal systems without juries, the court's ability to overturn jury verdicts, the forces that influence juries, how media portrayals affect jury operation, complex expert testimony, death sentence, punitive damages, insanity defense,  etc.

Common Reading:   We, the Jury: The Jury System and the Ideal of Democracy, by Jeffrey Abramson (November 2000; paperback)

 

 

14.    (MAP)   THE MAPMAKERS: GREAT EXPLORATIONS OF SEA, LAND &

   SPACE

This S/DG is about maps and the people who made them, and what it is about their efforts and discoveries that captures the imagination. The subject spans the history of cartography from early civilizations to the present and involves the great contributions of Eratosthenes, Ptolemy and Mercator and the voyages and expeditions of Magellan, Cook, Lewis and Clark and many others who mapped and expanded our world. Many of the accomplishments would not have been possible without major discoveries in mathematics, astronomy, physics and medicine, but above all the history of map-making is a reflection of Òthe wonder that moves the human spirit to explore, encompass, and strive to understand.Ó (John Noble Wilford)

Common Reading:   The Mapmakers, (Revised Edition) by John Noble Wilford (Dec 2001)

 

15.    (MDI) THE HOUSE OF THE MEDICI

While the Medici family was predominant, Florence became the cultural center of Europe and also became the cradle of new Humanism.

Only a few families have ever possessed the wealth, influence and the fascination of the Medici. The embodiment of the Italian Renaissance, the Medici were enormously rich. Through their wealth and character they were able to rule Florence, control the papacy, and influence the policies of an entire continent. 

The Medici are the first princely dynasty to win their status not by warfare, marriage, or inheritance but through commerce. They came to Florence in the 12th century from the nearby countryside. During the next two centuries the family, amassing a fortune through banking and trade, begins also to play a prominent part in Florence's political life. If you love intrigue, if you love Italy, you will love this S/DG.

Possible presentation topics: Cosimo, The First Pater Patriae; Banks, Money and Usury; Piero, The Condottierre and War as Trade; Lorenzo the Magnificent; Catarina de Medici, The Queen of France; Arts and the Medici.

Common Reading:   The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall, by Christopher Hibbert

                                    (May 1999, paperback)

 

 

 

 

16.    (MEX)    MEXICOÕS ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Post-revolutionary art in Mexico had its expression in the works of renowned artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, JosŽ Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo, Federico Cantœ Garza, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O'Gorman. Diego Rivera, the most well-known figure of Mexican Muralism, painted the Man at the Crossroads at the Rockefeller Center in New York City,

The years following MexicoÕs revolutionary period, which is generally considered to have lasted from 1910 to 1920, gave rise to a national spirit of optimism and an unprecedented flowering of culture. The artists who lived through the revolution responded vividly to this tumultuous, bloody period, and numerous foreign artists were drawn to Mexico in the revolutionÕs aftermath by the sensation of social and artistic renewal.

This remarkable artistic outpouring defined and extolled MexicoÕs national character and the countryÕs bright promise as a modern state. According to the artists, the concept of national character had several aspects: that Mexico was comprised of diverse, and ancient cultures, that contending forces prevailed in society as the rebuilding was to begin, and that Mexican art, like its European and North American counterparts, partook of worldwide connections. Art in Post-Revolutionary Mexico, 1920-1950 encompasses themes which derive from this concept, including MexicoÕs pre-Hispanic past, the worker and social reform, modernism and the city, and surrealist trends in Mexican art.

No Common Reading.

 

 

 

17.    (MGA) GENIUS PAYS! THE MACARTHUR GENIUS AWARDS

How would you like to open your mailbox and find $500,000, NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

ThatÕs what the MacArthur Genius Awards are all about. Also known as MacArthur Fellowships they have been awarded since 1981 to individuals who have evidenced creativity, talent, self-direction and a track record of accomplishment. Among the winners were a molecular biologist, mathematician, short story writer, climate scientist, paper maker, investigative reporter É.. and that was just in 2009. The program is based on an investment in their future accomplishments. This SD/G group will give you the chance to look into this organization and the exceptional people that have received grants. Select from one of the many recipients and think about who you might nominate.

No Common Reading.

 

 

18.    (OPR) 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN OPERAS       

The participants would each select a composer, give biographical information and show a few scenes from the opera chosen. A book by Elise K. Kirk, American Opera, could possibly be used, along with Video and CD scenes selected by the participants for their presentations. Composers such as Carlisle Floyd, Berstein, Charles Ives, John Cage, John Adams, Menotti, Rorem, Heggie, Sondeim, Schwartz, Susa and Ash come to mind.

Common Reading:   American Opera, by Elise K. Kirk (October 2005)

 

 

19.    (PHY)      READINGS IN PHYSICS (FOR EVERYONE)

Nobel Laureate Ernest Rutherford said: "All of science is either physics or stamp collecting." Richard Feynman had a similar line (suitable only for adults) which will be revealed in class. We will be drawn into an ongoing inquiry about the natural world. This S/DG is intended for people who have an interest in science, how it is done and the people who did (and do) it. The only prerequisite is an inquiring mind. The suggested common reading is a Great Books publication. It is intended for adult participants at any background level. As such it consists of selections that are rewarding and accessible to readers of any background and that lend themselves to discussion. The selections are from the scientists who made the discoveries, such as Newton, Einstein, Feynman, and Hawking.

Topics for presentation and discussion can include personalities like Newton, Einstein, Hawking, etc. or breakthrough theories like Gravity (Newton and/or Einstein), Electromagnetism, Quantum Theory, etc. Many of these theories have resulted in improved (which we sometimes take for granted) everyday experiences. Presentations on the impact to our lives, computers, nuclear power, cell phones, GPS navigation devices, medical equipment such as MRI scanners, etc. would also be appropriate.

Common Reading:    What's the Matter? Readings in Physics, by Alan Lightman

                                    (March 2006, paperback)

 

20.    (POL)      THE ROSE'S KISS: THE BIOLOGY OF POLLINATION

Most flowering plants use animals to do their sexual bidding. Using the book written by Peter Bernhardt (a professor of biology associated with both the St. Louis University and the Missouri Botanical Garden of St. Louis) The RoseÕs Kiss as a springboard, this course will explore the various ways, both beautiful and bizarre, that flowering plants have evolved to attract and exploit pollinators. We will also, in turn, consider the major groups of pollinating animals—bees, butterflies, and birds—to see how they have evolved a flower-visiting lifestyle. While the bookÕs focus is flowering plants, the class can go beyond that to research other aspects of the topic of pollination, such as the importance of pollination in agriculture, the problems caused by environmental conditions, the beehive collapse, open-pollination, wind pollination, patent issues around seed production and spreading of pollen, the problems of monocultures. Botanists and gardeners of all levels will have much to share and learn in this S/DG.

Common Reading:    The RoseÕs Kiss: A Natural History of Flowers, by Peter Bernhardt (University of Chicago Press, 2002)

 

21.    (RFR)      ROAD FROM RUIN

We are at an economic crossroads. Everyone from the CEOs of the worldÕs biggest companies to the consumers of their products and services – seems to be asking whether capitalism as we know it will survive as our economic system.

This SD/G looks at prescriptions for a reformed capitalism that benefits not only America, but positively impacts the economic health of the entire globe. Using Road From Ruin as a common reading, class participants will discuss the lessons to be learned from past financial blunders and plot a course forward between ill-designed regulation and political cronyism. Authors Matthew Bishop is the U.S. business editor of The Economist and Michael Green is a writer, professor of Economics and senior official in the British government.

Possible presentation topics: Bubbles; Smoot Hawley Tariff; Glass-Steagall Act; Bretton Woods; Long Term Capital Management (LTCM); Enron; Irrational exuberance; Sovereign wealth funds; Gold, dollar or SDR standard; Japanese Stagnation; Asian crisis of 1990s; ChinaÕs mercantilism; European Monetary Union; Derivatives: Òfinancial weapons of mass destruction;Ó Media Mania.

Common Reading:      Road From Ruin: How to Revive Capitalism and Put America Back on Top, by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green (January 2010)

 

 

22.    (SHK) SHAKESPEARE: ALL THE WORLDÕS A STAGE É

The Omnilorean New Globe Theater re-opens this fall to present 3 of the BardÕs greatest plays. With players standing and with a few props, we propose to do reading walk-throughs of: Henry VI (Part 3), Othello, and Much Ado About Nothing — a repertory exploration of the full history- tragedy-comedy mix.

In this S/DG you will learn how to research all perspectives of ShakespeareÕs works — sources of each play upon which the Bard builds rich characters and enhances the plots, how to play each character Òin character,Ó themes, symbols, images, motifs, commentary on issues of the day, and all manner of rhyme and reason. Class members will serve on one playÕs Board of Directors, responsible for casting roles for the repertory and leading discussions based on the research optionally adding videos, music, and costumes. For a glimpse of how we do the Bard in this S/DG, check out http://omnilore.org/members/ Curriculum/SDGArchive/09c-SHK_Shakespeare/ to view last fallÕs Shakespeare classÕs website of links to internet references relevant to our plays and downloadable organizing artifacts.

There are no prerequisites, theatrical or otherwise. You will find that the bard of Stratford-on-Avon will teach us, just as heÕs taught others for four hundred years. With plenty for the novice as well as the veteran, it is a foregone conclusion members will leave this class with a fuller understanding of the masterful story construction, realistic characters with depth and humanity, and the rich, evocative language which have earned Shakespeare the title of greatest writer in the English language.

Common Reading:   Selected Plays

 

 

23.    (SSC)  BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE 20th CENTURY

The Best American Short Stories of the Century brings together the best of the best-55 extraordinary stories that represent a centuryÕs worth of unsurpassed accomplishments in this quintessentially American literary genre. The collection includes Hemingway, Faulkner, Richard Wright, Tennessee Williams, Willa Cather, Saroyan, Flannery OÕConnor, Cheever, Eudora Welty, Joyce Carol Oates, Carver, Ozick, Isaac Bashevis Singer as well as other famous and not-as-famous authors.

Common Reading:   The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike and Katrina Kenison

 

 

24.    (TED) TED TALKS: IDEAS WORTH SPREADING

A click on www.ted.com will take you to an unusual and fascinating website – TED talks. TED is a small nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader, adding people from the worlds of Arts, Business, Culture, Science, and Global Issues. The annual TED Conference is held in Long Beach, California, and the TED Global conference is in Oxford UK. At these conferences TED brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). These are, for the most part, riveting talks by remarkable people made available free to the world online.

The Presenter can click on ted.com, select a talk and do research on the subject and/or perhaps the speaker. The talk will serve as a nucleus for the Presentation. For instance, should the class member select a talk by Ramachandran on his brain research, he or she could do a Presentation on Ramachandran, his work on phantom limbs, or the subject of current brain research. Selecting a talk by Isabel Allende would give the Presenter choices of the areas of AllendeÕs captivating literary work, her very passionate views on feminism around the world and the actual study of the state of feminism around the world. As is customary, the meeting before the presentation the Presenter would give the group a handout announcing the talk chosen and questions or ideas for consideration leading to discussion. Group members could then watch the talk at home and come prepared for informed discussion.

This S/DG was offered in the Spring 2010 Trimester requiring three classes to satisfy all who wanted to take it. By popular demand it will be offered again to members who have access to a computer. With more than 450 talks are now available and more added each week there are plenty of talks that have not been subjects of the earlier classes.

No Common Reading.

 

 

25.    (WRI) THE WRITING MIND

This S/DG concentrates on fostering creativity and improving techniques of the writer through the production of original pieces of writing, literary critique and presentations by each group member. Presentations are on literary topics or on the philosophy, subtleties or techniques of writing. Each member will be responsible for; a presentation, at least two submissions of original fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other form of writing, and for reading and critiquing submissions from other group members.

Common Reading:   None Suggested

 

 

 

The following course is the CSUDH lecture series and will be given at the CSUDH campus on the first and third Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

It will probably start the first week of September (September 1st) and end in early December, making a total of seven lectures.

 

26.    (CSU) CULTURE AND POLITICS IN HISTORY

This series is being planned by the CSUDH History Department. They are going to examine culture and politics through various times in history. Some of the lectures already arranged for are:

>      Revolutionary Soviet Culture (1917-1941)

>      History and Memory

>      Shaping Public Opinion in the Reign of Caesar Augustus

The completed topic lineup for this series will be printed in the July-August 2010 newsletter.

If you are interested in the CSUDH lecture series, let us know by placing an X in the coordinator box next to that topic, so we can have a list of those to inform when more details become available about the series. However, do NOT enter it in the course "order of preference box" along with your other S/DG topics.