Monday 22 September to 15 December
U.S. Domestic History: The Constitution, Part II - CLOSED
C. Howard Krukofsky, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
The U.S. Constitution is one of the extraordinary codes of law in history, the culmination of the development of liberty within a self-governing republic, and the model for modern democratic government. Yet the course of its interpretation has been contentious and often divisive, revealing fundamental schisms between liberalism and conservatism, between citizenship and partisanship, in the quest for an American identity. Students are required to have taken The Constitution, Part I to the Civil War. Registration preference will be given to students who took Part I in the Fall 2007 term.
The France of Napoleon Bonaparte: His Life and Times - CLOSED
Vsevolod Grigore, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
This course will follow the extraordinary life of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, who was one of the most controversial and legendary historical, figures of all time. We will study his meteoric rise, his military victories and defeats, his grandiose projects and sweeping reforms in order to understand his huge impact on Europe’s politics, society, economy and culture.
Tuesday 16 September to 16 December
The Art of Film: Actors and Acting - CLOSED
John Erman, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
We will examine how film acting changed, from the beginning of talking pictures until the present, by using Oscar-nominated film performances to illustrate the changes in technique and style. Performances to be explored may include Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, Patricia Neal in Hud, Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot, Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur, Dianne Wiest in Bullets over Broadway.
Memoir Writing Workshop - CLOSED
Alvin Eng, 10:30 – 12:30 p.m.
In this course, we will write and share self-contained prose essays or chapters from autobiographical works-in-progress, reflecting upon and telling stories from our lives or the lives of those we have known.
The International Short Story - CLOSED
Fred Negem, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
This course will sojourn with some of the best contemporary short story writers from diverse lands, reading our way from Russia to China, Canada to Ireland, Zimbabwe to Haiti, and beyond. Some of the cutting-edge authors to be discussed may include Alice Munro, Martin McDonough, Lara Vapnyar, Xu-Xi, Edwidge Danticat, Neela Vaswani, Vikram Chandra, Amos Oz and Haruki Murakami.
Love Lyrics in the Hebrew Bible
Ilona N. Rashkow, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The terms “love”, “lyric,” “lyrical” and “Bible” are among the most impressionistic words in our language, as we seem to use them both to characterize and praise as well as to specify and distinguish. We will explore the more apparent and the less obvious senses of the terms in relation to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). We will begin with Song of Songs (also referred to as Song of Solomon), examine the narratives of Ruth and Esther, and conclude with the strikingly erotic, metaphoric love motifs in David’s sonnets and the Prophets.
Wednesday 17 September to 17 December
Current Topics in Science: the Joys and Challenges of Aging
Susan Fahrenholtz, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Recent scientific studies have shown that one of the most meaningful periods of people’s lives is over the age of 50. However, in order to enjoy this phase of life, certain health guidelines are recommended. This course will explore some of the recent scientific research and make suggestions to protect circulation, respiration and immune systems, and to avoid environmental hazards.
American Landscape in the 19th Century
Patricia Sands, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Landscape painting held a special significance for the American artists of the 19th century. Other countries enjoyed pictures of beautiful landscape, but the highest honors were given to great episodes from their histories. With as yet a scant history, the American unique heritage was the virgin landscape. Painters from Thomas Cole through Winslow Homer painted the vast forest, untamed rivers and streams, a wilderness like no other and we will look at the extraordinary record left by these artists.
Dirty, Sexy Money: American Literature and the Novel of Manners in James and Wharton - CLOSED
Laura Greeney, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
We will examine American Literary realism in the works of two native New Yorkers born of socially prominent families – Henry James and Edith Wharton. the genesis and characteristics of the novel of manners, its historical context and the influence of James’ and Wharton’s close friendship on their work will be discussed in Daisy Miller, Washington Square, Portrait of a Lady, Ethan Frome, The Reef and The Age of Innocence.
The Music of the Masters: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms & Bernstein
Kathryn John, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
In this course, we will study the music of four “A-list” composers whose names begin with the letter B – Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. To the usual big three, we will add Leonard Bernstein, in celebration of the 90th anniversary of his birth in 1918. We will compare their major compositions in genres as varied as opera, liturgy, symphony, chamber music and song.
Thursday 18 September to 18 December
The Problem of Narcissism
Marie Sheehan, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Both healthy and pathological narcissism are explored through the dynamics of childrearing and its effects. The works of two psychoanalysts – Alice Miller and Heinz Kohut – are used to illuminate childhood trauma, which can result in creativity and destructiveness.
European Classics: “De Profundis” – Out of the Depths
June Hagen, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
“My task…is to make you see, in all their fullness, characters who cry out of the depths of their own relationships, flaws, extreme situations, or even pathologies. In this order, we will read Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, and Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Some attention to film versions, authors’ biographies and the elements of fiction will be discussed.
The History of New York - CLOSED
John F. Roche, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
The history of the City of New York, from its Dutch beginnings through its borough consolidation in 1898 to the modern era. Emphasis on historical figures, leading families, and the major political and social influences, which changed a colony to a metropolis.
Descartes, Hume and Kant: Pivotal Figures of Modern Theories of Knowledge
Bernard Gilligan, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
A study of Descartes’ Discourse of Method, Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, and Kant’s Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics will enable us to successively trace the shift towards subjectivity in modern theories of knowledge. Explicit contrast will be drawn between pre-modern realism and modern forms of idealism.
