TOPICS  OFFERED  FOR  SUMMER  2014

 

 

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 May 1st and end August 29th.  

Holiday periods are adapted to by individual class voting.

 

 

 

 

1.    (AAC)  ADVENTURES  ON  THE  ALIMENTARY  CANAL 

Mary Roach provides the reader with well researched stories - replete with interesting and often bizarre facts and tales of eccentrics and misguided scientists with experiments gone awry - all well flavored with humor. This adventure starts even before the alimentary canal (digestive tract) with the nose and goes to the end and beyond.  Gulp is to our digestive tract as The Disappearing Spoon is to the periodic table of the elements.  

Presentation suggestions:  


Common Reading:   Gulp - Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, by Mary Roach

(April 2013)

 

2.      (AGM)    AMERICA’S  GREAT  MIGRATION

From 1915 to 1970, almost 6 million African-American citizens fled the South for northern and western cities in search of a better life.   This migration changed the face of America, as these new residents brought southern food, faith, and culture to their new homes, but later faced challenges as jobs disappeared from the inner cities.

In our common reading, Isabel Wilkerson tells this story by focusing on three unique individuals.  There are many possible topics for presentation, focusing on culture (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance, religion), cities (e.g., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago), individual people, or the impact of the out-migration on the South.

Common Reading:   The Warmth of Other Suns:  The Epic Story of America’s Great

Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson   (2010)

 

3.   (ASP)     ATHEIST  SPIRITUALITY 

Can one be spiritual without being religious?  In our common reading, eminent contemporary French philosopher, Andre Comte-Sponville, draws on many spiritual and philosophical sources, including eastern spirituality. He offers a different perspective from that of both the “true believers” and the “angry atheists” (e.g. Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett) by providing a convincing argument for a spiritual life that does not relate to a supreme intelligence but to the universe, itself.  He has a non-dogmatic approach to the God question which agrees primarily with Spinoza that God = Nature. 

There are many topics for possible presentations, including opposing views of both religious and atheistic individuals.

Common Reading:   The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality, by Andre Comte-Sponville

(September 2008)

 

4.    (BAL)     BALANCE:  THE  ECONOMICS  OF  GREAT  POWERS  FROM

   ANCIENT ROME TO MODERN AMERICA

The USA has been the world’s economic leader for about 100 years, was absolutely dominant after the fall of the USSR, but now appears overreached. China has been growing rapidly in total economy, but has far to go to reach per capita affluence. How might the rise of new powers affect life in the US? This SDG will examine shifts in power over the ages and individual participants may investigate and speculate how such shifts might happen for us. Will some individuals drift between economies? Will the low skilled become further trapped? How will cross-cultural value differences play out (think of the recent Indian diplomat’s treatment of her maid)?

Yale economist Glenn Hubbard teams with Tim Kane of the Hudson Institute to bring us a chronicle of the political-economic blunders of the great empires: Roman, Chinese, Spanish, British and others…following more the laws of economic determinism than the constraints of geography, culture or historic experience.  They explore the concept of "imperial overreach" and self-inflicted economic imbalance that create huge human agency liabilities (warfare).

Common Reading:   Balance: The Economics of Great Powers from Ancient Rome to

Modern America, by Glenn Hubbard and Tim Kane  (May 2013)

 

5.    (CAR)   POLITICAL CARTOONS AND THEIR ENDURING POWER

For 250 years American political cartoonists have provided visual social commentary about people and events in the news.  The cartoonist combines art with journalism to express ideas and concerns, to influence major political decisions, and to point out the satire in situations. Our common reading chronicles the nation’s highs and lows in an extensive collection of cartoons that span the entire history of American political cartooning.  Presentations can focus on editorial cartoonists such as Bill Mauldin, Herblock, Paul Conrad, Tom Toles, and Michael Ramirez, and comic strips such as Pogo (Walt Kelly), Doonesbury (Garry Trudeau), and Mallard Fillmore (Bruce Tinsley) as well as their historical counterparts like Thomas Nast.

Common Reading:   American Political Cartoons:  The Evolution of a National Identity,

                                    1754-2010, by Stephen Hess & Sandy Northrop (December 2010)

 

6.    (CTY)   CITIES:  HOW  THEY  MAKE  US  RICHER,  SMARTER,  HEALTHIER

                          & HAPPIER

This class shatters myths about city living. Did you know that New Yorkers, for instance, live longer than other Americans?  Or that heart disease and cancer rates are lower in NYC than in the nation as a whole.? Or that city dwellers use 40 percent less energy than suburbanites? Are you curious about why Detroit is dying while other old industrial cities like Chicago, and Boston thrive?  Join us and learn what’s really happening in the big city. The author of our suggested text “makes an impassioned case for the city's import and splendor. “ What does he know that we don’t?

Possible presentation topics:  

Common Reading:   Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us

Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier

by Edward L. Glaeser   (February 2011)

 

7.    (CWA)   CORRUPTION IN WASHINGTON 

We all “know” that the US Government is functioning badly. Many people think that what is going on is the fault of one of the two major political parties – different people pick different sides. But, do we have an accurate picture. This S/DG will investigate such topics as: the extent of gerrymandering to provide “safe seats” (nearly all of them), the revolving door by which members of Congress become lobbyists with access to members of Congress, etc.  Additional presentation topics could include: the political culture influenced by big money, how the U.S. Capital corrupts even the most incorruptible, how journalism is practiced in Washington, how well the news media portrays what really goes on in Washington, and how politics in Washington compares to politics in other capital cities (e.g., London, Paris, Ottawa). Hopefully, we will come up with realistic suggestions for improving the situation

Common Reading:   This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral—Plus, Plenty of Valet

Parking!. . . , by Mark Leibovich  (July 2013)

 

8.    (DSS)  COMMUNITIES  OF  DISSENT

Alternative religious groups have had a profound influence on American history-they have challenged the old and opened up new ways of thinking about healing, modes of meaning, religious texts and liturgies, the social and political order, and the relationships between religion and race, class, gender, and region. Virtually always, the dramatic, dynamic history of alternative religions runs parallel to that of dissent in America.
Communities of Dissent is an evenhanded and lively history of New Religious Movements in America describing the evolution and structure of alternative religious movements from both sides: the critics and the religious dissenters themselves. Providing a wide range of New Religious Movements, it investigates obscure groups such as the 19th-century Vermont Pilgrims, who wore bearskins and refused to bathe or cut their hair, alongside better-known alternative believers, including colonial America's largest outsider faith, the Quakers; 17th- and 18th-century Mennonites, Amish, and Shakers; and the Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Black Muslims, and Scientologists of today.
It also covers the milestones in the history of alternative American religions, from the infamous Salem witch trials and mass suicide/murder at Jonestown to the positive ways in which alternative religions have affected racial relations, the empowerment of women, and American culture in general.

Members will flesh out the data in the book by research in more depth various religious sects and personalities.

Common Reading:   Communities of Dissent: A History of Alternative Religions in

America, by Stephen Stein  (April 2003)

 

9.    (EOV)    ENGINEERS  OF  VICTORY 

Many histories of World War II have focused on the political leaders and generals who led the Allies to victory. The ordinary soldier on the ground has also been the subject of many treatments, including notably the Band of Brothers. What is sometimes overlooked are the people in between who translated the grand strategy to effective steps that had to be implemented to achieve victory.

Paul Kennedy, author of the seminal Rise and Fall of the Great Powers has written The Engineers of Victory, which addresses the critical contributions of the “problem solvers,” who made it possible to implement the grand strategies of the political and military leaders.  They were responsible for solving critical problems: how to get convoys safely across the Atlantic, how to gain command of the air; how to stop the Nazi blitzkrieg; how to advance on an enemy held shore; and how to defeat the Pacific Ocean’s “tyranny of distance.”

These mid-level heroes figured out how to enable allied aircraft to outperform their Axis counterparts; enable allied bombers to carry as much bomb load as nine axis bombers; build the Mulberry Harbors which created artificial harbors for the Normandy invasion; and invented the lightweight cavity magnetrons making possible airborne radar systems; and build the atomic bomb, saving untold allied and Japanese lives, etc.  These “engineers” comprised the engineers and scientists, managers and administrators who were focused on creating tools and overcoming the bureaucratic hurdles to ultimate victory. Many points made in the book are open to discussion and should provide interesting presentations and insights from other sources confirming or challenging the author.

Common Reading:   Engineers of Victory, by Paul Kennedy (January 2013)

 

 

10.    (FED)   THE  CREATURE  FROM  JEKYLL  ISLAND,  A  SECOND  LOOK  AT

                          THE  FEDERAL  RESERVE

Like the curtain obscuring Oz’s Wizard, opaque non-disclosure hangs between Americans and their central bank— the Federal Reserve. Conceived in the plutocratic womb of Jekyll Island, GA and birthed by Congress, the Federal Reserve evolved into the furtive source and executioner of U.S. monetary policy—serving administrations and legislatures of both political colors. 

Presentations might address any of the following issues:  Where does money come from?  Where does it go? Who makes it? Does the Fed cause or unnecessarily amplify wars, bubbles, downturns, wealth-shifting, and inflation; if so, how? Is the Fed beneficial to the monetary health of the nation?  Are there viable alternatives to the Fed? What future does an unaltered Fed hold for us?  Our common reading will be The Creature from Jekyll Island, A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin, a readily understandable, page-turning disclosure.

We will adhere to the exhortation: “It’s the economy, stupid!” and come away with an enhanced comprehension of monetary policy and the broad spectrum of issues which it affects.

Common Reading:   The Creature from Jekyll Island, A Second Look at the Federal

Reserve, by G. Edward Griffin  (5th edition, 2010)

 

11.    (GRA)  SHOCK  OF  GRAY: A  GLOBAL  LOOK  AT  OUR  AGING  WORLD

We are living in an increasingly aged world, a phenomenon that is having a powerful impact world-wide.  What do we really know about aging, growing old, and living in older families and communities?  What steps can we take as a society to adapt to global aging?  This S/DG will examine critical aspects and questions about aging around the world. Members will explore current data and study the cultural and social ramifications of an aging world.  Presentations will expand the concepts in the core reading by focusing on such topics as:  biological, psychological and social aging, the aging workforce, economic impacts of aging populations, the care-giving industry, countries with model policies on aging, definitions of aging well, healthcare delivery systems, and promising new medical research on aging.

Common Reading:   Shock of Gray: The Aging of the World's Population and How it Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival, and Nation Against Nation

by Ted C. Fishman  (October 2010)

 

12.    (IRE)    A  SURVEY  OF  IRISH  HISTORY 

An exploration of Irish history and how the American experience has been shaped by events in Ireland.  Our book takes us from early Ireland up through the Great Famine, Home Rule, the Good Friday Agreement. As we look at these events, we’ll consider their far-reaching, rippling effects on America and on American lives.  

Possible presentation topics:  The Irish Potato Famine(1840's); The historical relationship between the Irish and English; The role of the Catholic and Anglican churches in Ireland; Irish stereotypes in the media; The role of the military (Irish & English); American perception of the Irish and the affairs of Ireland; Comparison/contrast of the Irish immigrant experience to those of other immigrant groups in America; Irish literary figures (Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce,  William Butler Yeats, William Trevor, Others); Prominent Americans of Irish descent and their influence.

Common Reading:   Ireland: A Short History, by Joseph Coohill  (July 2008)

 

13.    (LAN)    LOS  ANGELES  NOIR

This class will focus on a collection of Los Angeles Noir short stories edited by Denise Hamilton, a resent Omnilore Forum speaker. This collection focuses on all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city.

Brand new stories by 17 leading authors including Michael Connelly, Janet Fitch, Susan Straight,and  Denise Hamilton focus on the city of angels and it's demons.

Los Angeles Noir brings the ethos of Chandler and Cain filtered through the twenty-first-century, multicultural lens. This is a literary travelogue from Chinese mansions of San Mariono to day spas of Koreatown to the windy hills of Mulholland Drive, the baby gangsters of East Hollywood, the OG entrepreneur of Leimert Park, the old money of Beverly Hills, and the working class of Mar Vista. Los Angeles Noir offers tales of crime and passion and betray from some of the most innovative and celebrated writers working today.

Like most short story classes this class will focus on plot, details, author, and also the unique location of each story in Los Angeles.

Common Reading:   Los Angeles Noir, edited by Denise Hamilton  (May 2007)

 

14.  (MID)   THE  UNITED  STATES  IN  THE  MIDDLE  EAST

The U.S.policy of trying to stabilize the existing political divisions in the Middle East while focusing on a particular effort to achieve Arab-Israeli reconciliation through the two-state solution was first envisioned by the United Nations in 1947. In 2013, partition is still deadlocked and disenchantment with the status quo is enforcing us to consider new policies. Divide and Perish is the product of Jones' sixty years of specialization in Arabic and the Middle East, including thirty with the US Department of State.

Possible topics for discussion include: the undelivered promise of the Arab Spring, the continuing civil conflict in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry's attempts to resolve the two state solution in Israel/Palestine, normalizing relations with Iran, etc.

 Common Reading:  Divide and Perish, 2nd edition, by Curtis F. Jones

(ISBN 978-1463410131; July 2011)

 
 

15.    (MUS)   THE  REST  IS  NOISE,  PART  2          

When many of us listen to contemporary music, how do we react?  Do we associate it with cacophony, dissonance, chaos?  Do we make an effort to understand it, or do we simply ignore it and avoid it whenever we can?

During the spring trimester 2014, a group of Omniloreans who want a better understanding of twentieth century composers and their works embarked on an investigation of that music.  As a common reading, they chose the first half of a most readable and enlightening book by Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker magazine, a volume that has been repeatedly acclaimed as one of the most significant books of 2007.  By juxtaposing history and graphic arts with the musical compositions of the last century, the book gives a comprehensive and detailed tour of music from Vienna in the period before the "Great War" right up to that of composers of the present era.

This S/DG will cover the second half of the Ross book, from the music of Hitler's Germany and the post-war and cold-war periods, through Avant garde compositions of the '50s and '60s and the passion of the late Benjamin Britten (whose 100th birthday was celebrated in November 2013), to the minimalist music at the Century's end.  An analysis of John Adams' opera Nixon in China appears in the last chapter.  Opportunities for lively discussions will again be complemented by multi-media presentations of much of the music under discussion.  Because material considered is all new, participation in this spring’s S/DG is not a prerequisite for this course.  Although providing new areas for lovers of traditional European classical music to explore, this S/DG requires only an open mind; participants need have no particular background or knowledge of music history, theory, or performance.

Common Reading:   The Rest Is Noise, by Alex Ross (December 2007)

 

16.    (PAN)    PANDORA'S  LUNCHBOX:  HOW  PROCESSED  FOOD  TOOK 

                      OVER  THE  AMERICAN  MEAL

Our common reading is the story of how the American processed food industry replaced “real” food with highly processed, products of questionable safety, nutrition, and taste.  As one reader put it,  “Warner's conversational style makes a horrifying story downright fun to read.”  Interestingly, every industry executive and scientist that Warner interviewed admitted that they do not eat the products they design; they prefer natural, organic foods.  There are many potential presentations that can be inspired by this book; you need only pick your favorite, or least favorite, processed food and research the real story behind it.  In the process, we can all learn to make wiser choices on what we put into our bodies.

Common Reading:   Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal, by Melanie Warner (February 2013)

 

 

17.    (PHY)  PHYSICS  OF  THE  FUTURE:  WHAT’S  COMING?

Can you imagine any of the following: cars that drive themselves, the Internet in your contact lenses, tiny sensors inside the body checking for illness, a replacement heart made from your own cells, the aging process slowed or reversed or taking an elevator into space? All of these are predicted in American theoretical physicist Michio Kaku’s fascinating book, Physics of the Future.  And according to Kaku, prototypes already exist for all the technologies he mentions. What will these changes mean for societies? Who will gain and who will lose? Who will have jobs? What nations will prosper?

Kaku is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the City University of New York, and based his predictions on interviews with over 300 scientists. He anticipates technological changes over three time periods: the near future (up to 2030), midcentury (2030–70) and the far future (2070–2100). Join us to explore technologies that are on the cutting edge of research in computers, medicine, nanotechnology, energy and space travel and to consider the implications for individuals, societies and civilizations.  We won’t be here personally to witness all these developments, but we can certainly enjoy thinking about them!

Possible presentation topics:

Common Reading:   Physics of the Future:  How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100, by Michio Kaku

(February 2012)

 

 

18.    (POE)       POETRY  OF  THE  U. S.  POETS  LAUREATE  

Using an anthology developed in association with the Library of Congress, this class will explore the course of American verse over the last seventy-five years.  (The post of Poet Laureate was established in 1937).

Class presentations can include the study of poets and poems which are some of the world’s best-known, such as Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, to the less known works of Gwendolyn Brooks or Stanley Kunitz. An interesting fact is that Carl Sandburg was never U.S. Poet Laureate.

Some presentations might provide historical contexts for chosen poems or explore the sometimes uneasy relationship between politics and art.  Best of all, together we will read and enjoy lots of poetry.

Common Reading:   The Poets Laureate Anthology, edited and with introductions by

Elizabeth Hun Schmidt  (October 2010)

 

 

19.    (RAN)  RANDOMNESS:  DOES  RANDOMNESS  RULE  OUR  LIVES?

Randomness, predictability, causation, probability, luck . . . all completely misunderstood. Are most future events predictable given enough data? No. Do we even know how to compute odds correctly? In this course we’ll explore probability concepts in terms easily understood by nonmathematicians. What does randomness even look like? Our misunderstanding of probability concepts and the role of randomness leads us to commit major errors when drawing conclusions . . . as will be proven when we tackle some “simple” problems including the famous Monty Hall Let’s Make a Deal three-door problem. We’ll also cover “Black Swan” events, the role luck plays in most successful outcomes and careers, and how randomness is a key factor in genetics. We’ll examine the “Butterfly Effect” (from chaos theory) and how easy it is to alter the future. We’ll even examine time travel and why most sci-fi authors get it wrong. Some presentation topics might be these:  availability bias, law of sample space, Brownian motionAbove all, come prepared to laugh and have fun! Note that this course does not require a mathematics background.

Common Reading:   The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

                                    by Leonard Mlodinow (ISBN 978-0307275172; Vintage, May 2009

 

20.    (SON)    SHAKESPEARE'S  SONNETS   

Not only is Shakespeare one of our greatest dramatist, he is also one of our best poets. In this class we will focus on enjoying the exploration of Shakespeare profound sensibilities by delving into all of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. This is not a cram course, but it will be a joyful discovery that Shakespeare's sonnets are as meaningful and important as any of his plays. For the presentations, and discussions, we will divide the sonnets by the number in the class; each sonnet is fourteen lines. Using a hypothetical of fifteen people per class, it would mean that each person would be responsible for approximately ten sonnets. The fun part of the class will be that each presenter must first, research what each sonnet is believed to have meant to Shakespeare. Second, the presenter then tells the class what personal meaning or interpretation he/she derived from each of his/her list of sonnets. 

Common Reading:   154 Shakespeare Sonnets, by William Shakespeare (Sep. 24, 2013)

 

21.    (SPI)   HISTORY  OF  SPICES  

The hunt for spices has driven much of world history. Magellan charted the first circumnavigation of the globe looking for the Spice Islands; Vasco de Gama sailed around Africa in quest of spices; Columbus sought gold and spices but found the New World instead. Long before the 15th and 16th century explorers, spices played a role in the history of ancient civilizations, as magic potions, aphrodisiacs, in religious ceremonies, as well as the last word in haute cuisine. By examining the temptations of spice we follow the trails of spice seekers leading to the most enduring links between Asia and Europe. We find how scents of cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace and cloves impacted the economy of nations and the shape of the world.

Suggestions for research presentations: further information about the spices themselves, their history and uses; the islands or areas the spices came from; individual explorers; economics of the spice trade, either historically or present-day; and spices mentioned in literature & myth.

Common Reading:   Spice: The History of a Temptation, by Jack Turner (August 2005)

 

22.    (SUM)    ONE  SUMMER:  AMERICA  1927

In One Summer, Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved non-fiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season of American life.

The summer of 1927 began with one of the signature events. On May 21 Charles Lindberg set off to be the first man to cross the Atlantic alone in an airplane, profoundly changing the culture and commerce of America and it's image abroad. Babe Ruth's effort to break the home run record he set. Henry Ford's retooling of the Model T into the Model A, Al Jolson appearing in the first talkie, and 1927 became the pivot year when the U.S. began to dominate the world in virtually everything-military, culture, commerce, and technology.

Byson makes fascinating interconnections: a quirky Chicago judge and prohibition defender leaves the bench to become baseball commissioner, leaving Chicago open for gangster Al Capone. Among other events in the summer: record flooding in the Mississippi River and ominous beginnings of the Great Depression. Bryson offers delicious backstory and delicious suspense for events we already know the outcome.

The books offers a wealth of ideas for varied and interesting presentations from science, art, music, weather, manufacturing, economics, entertainment, international relations, and many more as well as many very interesting personalities. Perhaps also an opportunity to dress up and interview personalities of  1927 which have been so much fun previously.

Common Reading:   One Summer: America 1927, by Bill Bryson (October 2013)

 

 

23.    (VEN)    HOW  VENICE  RULED  THE  SEAS  

Venice: City of Fortune traces the full arc of theVenetian imperial saga, an epic story of its rise to the pinnacle of power. From the ill-fated Fourth Crusade culminating in the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, to the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1499–1503, when the Ottoman Turks supplant the Venetians as the preeminent naval power in the Mediterranean this tiny city of “lagoon dwellers” grew into the richest place on earth

Topics for study could include: maritime technology, opening the spice routes , the clash between Christianity and Islam, Venice's diplomatic adventures as a world power, their role in introducing eastern art and science to the West, the Crusades , the competing economic interests of Genoa and the Ottoman Empire,  and the Venetian governing system.

Common Reading:   City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas, by Roger Crowley

(May 2013)

 

 

24.    (VGO)   VAN  GOGH:  THE  LIFE

Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, who galvanized readers with their Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Jackson Pollock, have written another tour de force—an exquisitely detailed, compellingly readable portrait of Vincent van Gogh. Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Naifeh and Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials to bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist: his early struggles to find his place in the world; his intense relationship with his brother Theo, and his move to Arles, just north of Provence, where he painted some of the best-loved works in Western art. 

Possible presentation topics:

Common Reading:   Van Gogh: The Life, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith 

                                    (December 2012)

 

 

 

25.    (WNE)   APPRECIATING  THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  VINE

This study/discussion group is designed for those with the “thirst” in learning about wine.  This SDG will take in-depth, academic look at wine, from sensory evaluation to the science of viticulture and winemaking.  Using the common reading as the main source, members will take a scientific approach to the study of viticulture.  Topics for additional members’ research and presentation could be: wine and nutrition, history of viticulture, wine and fetal health, the vineyard ecosystem, enemies of the vineyard, decoding the wine label, the economics of winemaking, the subtleties of wine tasting.  At the end, members may not be connoisseurs but they will have a comprehensive knowledge of all types of wine.  Any tastings the group may choose to conduct will take place outside of the Franklin Center.

Common Reading:    The Wine Bible, by Karen MacNeil (available in paperback at

Amazon and recommended by Robert Mondavi.]

 

 

26.    (WSS)   THE  FILM  WORLD  OF  SPIES  AND  SABOTEURS

Do you like movies about World War II spies and saboteurs? No James Bond–type movies in this class. Rather, we will watch films about spies and saboteurs who actually existed or could have existed during World War II. Examples of true stories might include The Counterfeit Traitor (Germany), Five Fingers (Turkey), Decision Before Dawn (German POWs), The Man Who Never Was (Allied deception) and The House on 92nd Street (Nazi spy ring in the United States). Realistic fictional films could include Five Graves to Cairo (North Africa), 49th Parallel (Canada), Foreign Correspondent (United Kingdom), Operation Crossbow (United States) and Ivan’s Childhood (Russia). Each member of this S/DG will choose to lead the discussion of a film of their choice, which members will watch at home prior to the meeting.   As is typical for Omnilore film classes, presenters will begin with an introduction covering the director, actors and little-known facts about the film itself; they will then provide a set of questions to guide discussions of the film just viewed.

No Common Reading.