What could be better than a book club with an intimate gathering of thoughtful, intelligent people enjoying light refreshments? A short story club with an intimate gathering of thoughtful, intelligent people enjoying light refreshments! Here’s how it works: Each week, you will receive a hard copy or email of a very readable classic story by a great American writer. You will also receive some questions to consider while you read. Then, when we’re all together in a comfortable space, we will have an opportunity to participate in a lively discussion about the style, characters, setting, and what the story reveals about American culture. Class size is limited, so please register early!

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Valerie Sutter, MA, founder and director of The French Traveler, gives us a private tour of the history of Paris as seen through its beautiful monuments and other historic locations. Many sites only known to Parisians will be uncovered and explored!

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI Breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular documentaries! To some people in the mid-1950s, Rock & Roll music seemed to come out of nowhere. But Rock & Roll had actually been slowly brewing for decades from a mix of music that included blues, rhythm and blues, country, bluegrass, and more. Each of these musical genres included elements from both black and white cultures. Through classic music and images, Matthew Sabatella, musician and music historian, will explore these musical roots and the birth of Rock & Roll. 

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

Among the hundreds of stars who have graced the silver screen, only a few were truly first-rate actors. Conversely, few truly great actors ever became legendary movie stars. Paul Muni, Katharine Hepburn, William Powell, and James Cagney were among the very few who were both. They became "stars" from their very first films and maintained that status until their last films. In this film series, we will spend two weeks on each of these four cinematic legends, watching both their first and their last pictures. Paul Muni is the only actor to receive Academy Award nominations for both his first and last starring roles. Katharine Hepburn stole the spotlight from John Barrymore in her first film and dominated the screen in her last more than 60 years later. William Powell was just as dapper and distinguished as detective Philo Vance in 1929 as he was as "Doc" in 1955's Mr. Roberts. And James Cagney went from playing a bootlegger in his first film to the New York City Police Commissioner in his last. Dr. Stone will introduce each film, and then, following our viewing, we will engage in what should be a lively discussion on each of the six films starring our four flawless legends. 

Lectures:

1. "The Valiant" (1929)
2. "The Last Angry Man" (1959
3. "A Bill of Divorcement" (1932)
4. "Love Affair" (1994)
5. "The Canary Murder Case" (1929)
6. "Mr. Roberts" (1955)
7. "Sinner’s Holliday" (1930)
8. "Ragtime" (1986)

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Most visitors to some of the world’s greatest and largest museums experience only a whirlwind tour of an hour or two. But if time permits, an on-your-own tour can be a marvelous journey, especially if you plan for what you’d most like to see.  This series surveys some of the highlights of each of these incredible museums. Jonson will be zooming in with commentary and Q&A.

Lectures:

1. The Louvre, Paris, France: The Louvre, former palace of French kings, is probably the most famous and most visited museum in the world. Only 35,000 of its 8+ million works are on display from the Ancient Near East and Egypt through the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-classical eras.  Whether you are planning a visit or remembering a past one, this armchair tour will highlight some of the museum's most important works, including the "three girls of the Louvre": Winged Victory, Venus di Milo, and Mona Lisa.​
2. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia: The Hermitage Museum is renowned for its collections of Western art and includes important paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age through the 20th century. The museum is equally famed for the architecture and the fabulous decorations in its 1100 rooms, built by Empress Catherine the Great. This class will explore highlights of the art and architecture of this wonderful museum.
3. The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy: Arguably Italy’s foremost museum, the Uffizi Gallery’s 45+ halls of priceless Italian and European paintings include masterpieces by Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Titian, Bronzino and Caravaggio.  The Renaissance building, originally commissioned for offices of the Medici government, is a work of art in itself, with beautifully decorated hallways and galleries.
4. The Art Institute of Chicago, USA: The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest museums in the U.S. and also the second largest in terms of space.  Its encyclopedic permanent collection spans 5000 years of history and boasts nearly 300,000 works of art from Chinese bronzes to contemporary works, from textiles to installation art.  This lecture will look at just a few of the museum’s highlights, including its European collection and its spectacular Impressionist and Post-Impressionist galleries.  The museum is also home to some works that have become icons of American art:  American Gothic and Nighthawks … and the extraordinarily beautiful America stained glass windows by Marc Chagall.

Jonson will be zooming in with commentary and Q&A. Video Catch-up is available 2-3 business days after the presentation.  You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

 

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! In 1770, the 14-year-old Austrian archduchess Maria Antonia, the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, left Vienna for Versailles to marry the future king Louis XVI. This lecture, with images and film clips, brings Marie Antoinette to life, from a teenage girl plagued by marital difficulties that subjected her to public ridicule to a young woman who allegedly engaged in a scandalous extra-marital affair with a dashing Swedish nobleman to a controversial Queen who ultimately ended up vilified as l'Autrichienne whose frivolous extravagance and foreign sympathies fired the French Revolution. Initially admired, by the time she died at the age of 38, she was loathed as no Queen of France had ever been.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! In 1770, the 14-year-old Austrian archduchess Maria Antonia, the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, left Vienna for Versailles to marry the future king Louis XVI. This lecture, with images and film clips, brings Marie Antoinette to life, from a teenage girl plagued by marital difficulties that subjected her to public ridicule to a young woman who allegedly engaged in a scandalous extra-marital affair with a dashing Swedish nobleman to a controversial Queen who ultimately ended up vilified as l'Autrichienne whose frivolous extravagance and foreign sympathies fired the French Revolution. Initially admired, by the time she died at the age of 38, she was loathed as no Queen of France had ever been.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

Reflecting on the history, the humanity and beauty of France, these four award-winning selections are sure to prove the everlasting power of French Cinema. Shelly will Zoom in for an introduction to the film and then again for a discussion after the movie. All films will be shown in their entirety.

LECTURES:

1. "Between Two Worlds," 2021: A French journalist goes undercover to reveal the uncertainties and insecurities involving temporary work.

2. "Black Box," 2020: In the tradition of classic suspenseful thrillers, a young and talented black box analyst is on a mission to solve the reason behind the deadly crash of a brand-new aircraft.

3. "Other People's Children," 2022: Rachel loves her life, but she’s 40, and her desire for her very own family is growing stronger, and the clock is ticking. Is it too late?

4. "Cyrano My Love," 2018: A comedy retelling of how Edmond Rostand created one of France’s greatest and most beloved plays, Cyrano de Bergerac.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

This Zoom conversation will address the latest developments in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and their implications across the region – and beyond. We will consider how the events of October 7 altered the area’s political landscape and have further complicated efforts to find a peaceful resolution of longstanding differences. We will also examine some possible scenarios for moving beyond perpetual war and how the United States and other outside actors might influence that process. "No one has had a greater, or more positive, influence on my career than Dr. Harry Chernotsky." Dr. Jeffrey Morton

Films were a major cultural phenomenon during World War II, and each belligerent nation encouraged the production of propaganda films during the war. As a result, hundreds of propaganda films were produced. In this series, each film will be shown in its entirety, and there will be a discussion of its history and significance.

Lecture:

1. "Mrs. Miniver," (1942): A moving drama about a middle-class English family learning to cope with war, told in a series of dramatic vignettes.

2. "Mission to Moscow," (1943): Ambassador Joseph Davies is sent by FDR to Russia to learn about the Soviet system and returns to America as an advocate of Stalinism.

3. "Casablanca," (1942): A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.

4. "Kolberg" (1945): One of the last films of the Third Reich, it was intended as a Nazi propaganda piece to bolster the will of the German population to resist the Allies.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

To this day, German-born Ludwig van Beethoven, who premiered his iconic 9th Symphony (Ode to Joy) 200 years ago, is the most listened-to creator of classical music. Join German Historian Anette Isaacs for an intimate look at the life and times of this tragic genius who was as famous for his fiery personality as for his divine ability to turn his personal struggles into supreme and powerful melodies.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

This presentation will highlight how the Civil War expanded opportunities for women in public roles on both sides of the conflict. Whether as teachers, nurses, doctors, clerks, aid and relief organizers, and even some soldiers and spies, many women played important roles and provided colorful stories over the Civil War period, both in the North and in the South. We shall examine specific examples of women's greater agency in the public eye. As even General William Tecumseh Sherman said of Mary Ann Bickerdyke, a woman who organized hospitals as Union armies advanced in the South and who was mentioned in Ken Burns' PBS Civil War documentary series, "She ranks me."

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Stephen Berk, Ph.D., discusses the historical significance of the year 1945. Germany and Japan were defeated, and Europe and Asia were kaput. Every year is important in history, but this year was special.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Bill Boggs's "Memories of Sinatra" has been presented worldwide. It includes video clips of Bill's historic interview with Sinatra, the singer's longest ever on television. Bill includes stories of his encounters with Sinatra, which happened over the years in many venues. In addition, Boggs offers intriguing insights into Frank Sinatra's life and work. We also see Sinatra performing some of his classic songs at the peak of his career. "Bill's 'Memories of Sinatra' is a show-stopping winner...The stories and insights in the Chairman of the Board and the man and his music are spell-binding." American Popular Song Society.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

Your skin offers a window to what is going on inside the body. The changes to the skin may signal a more serious health problem. The key is knowing how to spot these early-warning signs so that the internal disease can be successfully treated before it becomes a bigger problem.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Shelly Isaacs, MA of Café Cinematheque shares how incorporating the concepts of relevance, resonance, and revelation enhance your movie-going experience.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Kurt Stone, D.D. shares interesting behind-the-scenes information about the making of the film Casablanca, including little-known facts about specific scenes, production codes and the actors, diversity, politics, world events, and the timing of the movie, characters and personalities, the Academy Award, the TV series, and more. 

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

They say big things come in small packages and the same can be said about literary presses. Some of the biggest, and most surprising, stories are being published by small and independent publishers. This book discussion will read four examples from small and independent presses across the US (all are available through Amazon or directly through the publisher). Join us this summer for a discussion of these unique finds. Space is limited.

1. "Hazardous Spirits" by Anbara Salam (Tin House Books)

2. "Cacophony of Bone: The Circle of a Year" by Kerri ni Dochartaigh (Milkweed Editions)

3. "The Crocodile Bride" by Ashleigh Bell Pedersen (Hub City Press)

4. "Knives, Forks, Scissors, Flames" by Stefan Kiesbye (Panhandler Books)

Throughout history numerous women have demonstrated great artistic talent, and yet found themselves hampered by their gender in receiving recognition. Today women artists command high prices for their art and win major commissions in areas such as painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, fashion, and crafts. They have major exhibitions in museums and attract considerable attention for their innovative excellence. Women have been active contributors to all artistic movements of their times. This lecture series will be enriched with a multitude of images and archival films.

Lectures:

1. Women Sculptors: The paths they cleared -  Camille Claudel, Chana Orloff, Louise Nevelson, and others.

2. Women Painters:  "You paint like a man." - Elizabeth Vigee LeBrun, Georgia O'Keeffe, Remedios Varo, and others.

3. Women Photographers: Women seriously involved in photography since its inception - Dorothea Lange, Ruth Orkin, Dora Maar, Diane Arbus, and others.

4. Women's Work in Crafts: Glass making, pottery, woodcarving, and a multitude of other artistic endeavors -  Beatrice Wood, Toots Zinsky, Faith Reingold.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Truman Capote is known for two of his novels: "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" and "In Cold Blood". He is even more renowned for his self-created stardom, his scandalous behavior, his “Ball of the Century,” and his gossip-style exposé of Hollywood stars. This talk addresses the rise and fall of the most famous secret-teller of the 20th century. Familiarity with any of the following Capote works is helpful, but not required: "Miriam", "In Cold Blood", "Breakfast at Tiffany’s", "Answered Prayers", or "A Christmas Memory". A PowerPoint will be used to enhance the program.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Lenin and the Revolutions of 1917 - In 1913, the Romanov dynasty celebrated its 300 year anniversary having survived numerous challenges. Yet, within four years Vladimir Lenin was in power and changed both the history of the country and the world.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Stalin - After Lenin died in 1924, Joseph Stalin emerged as the leader of the Soviet state. How he began to revolutionize the Revolution constitutes the body of this lecture.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! The Stalin Revolution and the Great Patriotic War - Stalin changed everything. He led the Soviet Union to victory and initiated the Cold War. His death in 1953 triggered another struggle for power and the eventual leadership of Nikita Khrushchev.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! The Road to Putin - The Soviet Union became a gerontocracy. Mikhail Gorbachev attempted reform. Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin tried to resurrect Russia as a great and consequential power. Yeltsin failed; Putin has done it.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Bronx-born Carl Reiner and Brooklyn-born Melvin Kaminsky (aka Mel Brooks) met for the first time in 1950 when the legendary Sid Caesar brought them together for "Your Show of Shows." Brooks (a childhood friend of Caesar) became part of the comedy writing team that included Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin, and -briefly- Woody Allen. Reiner was brought in as a supporting actor but soon started contributing as a writer himself. Brooks and Reiner hit it off immediately and often attended cocktail parties where they would improvise comedy routines. At one of these parties, Reiner held up an invisible microphone and said, "Is it true, sir, that you were present at the crucifixion?" to which Brooks sighed and replied in a heavy Yiddish accent, "Oh boy..." And the 2000-Year-Old Man was born. Individually, Reiner and Brooks went on to create the greatest comedy classics of their day. Their deep friendship withstood the test of time, lasting almost seven decades.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Former Georgetown University History professor Ralph Nurnberger tells the riveting story of the unassuming 29-year-old British Stockbroker Nicholas Winton, who saved the lives of 669 children from certain death during World War II.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

What do we, Confucius, the sparrow, Abercrombie & Fitch, and many of our mothers have in common? Discover Mah Jongg's history in China and America and learn why so many Chinese people and Jewish-American Women have a love affair with this historic game. We will also look at the game's popularity (and its variations) in the United Kingdom, Japan, and on American military bases worldwide.

"She was excellent. One of the best programs ever. Loved it!" - OLLI Patron.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

In the final hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. Fifteen hundred seventeen men, women, and children lost their lives. Based on real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic the Musical is ‘breathtaking’ (the Guardian) and ‘magnificent’ (the Telegraph), a stunning and stirring production focusing on the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her passengers who each boarded with stories and personal ambitions of their own. All innocently unaware of the fate awaiting them, the Third-Class immigrants dream of a better life in America, the Second Class imagine they too can join the lifestyles of the rich and famous, whilst the millionaire Barons of the First Class anticipate legacies lasting forever. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone -- the pair have collectively won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony Awards. The original Broadway production of Titanic the Musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. This stunning production, captured live on stage for cinema screenings, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London premiere, where it won sweeping critical acclaim. Runtime: 155 minutes including one 10-minute intermission.