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Classes, Courses, and Lectures

Trips

There are three types of trips planned: walking tours, museum walks and talks, and a bus trip.

Walking Tours

Participants travel on their own to the meeting point and then enjoy socializing and learning while getting in a nice walk. All walking tours are free. 

The East Village

Thursday, September 15, 11 a.m.

The East Village is one of New York's most colorful neighborhoods. Long considered part of the Lower East Side, the area eventually forged an identity of its own. The East Village was always a hub of creative energy. It was home to "Yiddish Broadway," 1960s counterculture, the city's most eccentric cemetery, and the birthplace of punk rock. Peter Stuyvesant, Abraham Lincoln, and the high priest of LSD, Timothy Leary, were among those who left their mark on the area's history. We will view the sights and recount the anecdotes that characterize the neighborhood.

Fall Migration at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Thursday September 29, 10:30 a.m.

Our last trip to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Preserve was so enjoyable that we are happy to offer another visit this year. We have arranged for a ranger-led tour of the preserve with an emphasis on the fall migration of birds. Peak fall migration in New York City often occurs between mid-August and mid-October, and the Jamaica Bay Preserve is a prime resting spot on the Atlantic Flyway for many birds as they make their annual flight to their winter homes. We are sure to see many different species. If you have binoculars, by all means bring them. No prior birding experience needed or expected. Not interested in birds? There is so much beautiful fall foliage to see as trees, shrubs, and plants begin their preparation for winter. Also, the benefits of walking in nature with nice people can't be overstated.

Victorian Flatbush, Part Two

Thursday, October 6, 10 a.m.

Led by Borough Historian Ron Schweiger, this walking tour explores Ditmas Park and Fiske Terrace, New York City landmarked historic districts. You will see where Charles Ebbets (owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers) lived, where the Ebinger family lived, where the Hellmann family had their home, and where Tom Hanks recently filmed a major movie.

A Historic Walking Tour Through the "Town of Flatbush"

Thursday, October 13, 10:30 a.m.

In this tour, also led by Borough Historian Ron Schweiger, we will find out about the sites where education in Flatbush began in 1659; the history of the church itself; the African burial ground of Flatbush; and the donors who contributed money to establish the Erasmus Hall Academy and to build the Flatbush Town Hall in 1875, which still stands today. Also, how a love affair in 1832 caused Flatbush to remain relatively rural for next the 50 years.

Museum Walks and Talks

These docent-led guided tours are among our most popular programs.

New York Historical Society

Friday, September 23, 11:30 / noon; $25

The Art of Winold Reiss: An Immigrant Modernist

New Museum

Friday, September 30, 11.30 a.m. / 12.30 p.m.; $14

Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott

Ukrainian Museum

Friday, October 21, 11:30; $10

Overview of the museum.

Metropolitan Museum

Friday, October 28, 11 a.m.; $27

The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England

Brooklyn Museum

Friday, November 18, 11:30 a.m. / noon; $24

Monet to Morisot; The Real and Imagined in European Art

Bus Trip: Peddler's Village, Cock 'n Bull Restaurant, and the Bucks County Playhouse

Fall 2022 Classes

Monday

The Short Story

September 12–December 5
10:30–11:45 a.m.

The art form of the short story offers a unique opportunity to explore how fiction can reflect or imitate life. Participants choose stories that stimulate discussion and thought.

Actor's Workshop

September 12–December 5
12:30–2:30 p.m.

This is your opportunity to tap into your creative side and explore your hidden talents, but most of all to have fun! This class has an end-of-term performance in December.

Actor's Performance

December 12
12:30–2 p.m.

Spanish for Beginners

September 19–December 5
2:45–4 p.m.

This class will focus on oral communications and practical use of the language. Students will learn about culture and useful expressions, basic grammar, and vocabulary and phrases aimed at interacting and surviving in a Spanish-speaking context.

Tuesday

Contemporary Book Club

September 6, October 11, November 1, December 6, January 10
10–11:30 a.m.

We will discuss Paradise, by Abdulrazak Gurnah (September 6); The Hours, by Michael Cunningham (October 11); The Trees, by Percival Everett (November 1); Honor, by Thrity Umrigar (December 6); and Death in Her Hands, by Ottessa Moshfegh (January 10).

Classic Book Club

September 13, October 4, December 13
10–11:15 a.m.

We will discuss Catch 22, by Joseph Heller (September 13); Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Wolfe (October 4); and Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë (December 13).

Mystery Book Club

September 20, October 18, December 20
10–11:45 a.m.

Each month we will tackle a different mystery novel, enjoy a lively discussion based on its merits, and review a brief biography of the author. We will discuss The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins (September 20); Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith (October 18); and Fatherland, by Robert Harris (December 20).

Improve Black Neighborhoods and the Life Chances of Their Youth

November 15
10:45–11:45 a.m.

Too many Black Americans live in neighborhoods that are filled with gun violence, dysfunctional and abusive families, and children with deficient academic and behavioral skills. Professor Cherry will discuss his forthcoming book, The State of Black Families, which presents a blueprint for a robust set of policies that can break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and move these families forward by providing direct family support, practical educational approaches, housing policies to reinvigorate neighborhoods, and on-ramps to high-paying jobs.

America in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era

September 6–October 11
1–2:15 p.m.

Professor Edward O'Donnell lectures on two important periods in U.S. history: the Gilded Age (1865–1900) and the Progressive Era (1900–1920). We are introduced to the sociopolitical and cultural challenges of the time as well as the industrial and technological innovations that transferred America from an agricultural nation to the world's most formidable power.

Understanding China

November 1–22
1–2:15 p.m.

In Christopher Columbus' time, China was the richest and most advanced nation in the world. Over time, it became a poor nation, before rising again in the last four decades. It has arguably become our biggest rival for wealth and power. We will explore the causes and effects of these changes. The emphasis will be on the period from the ascent of the Chinese Communist party through the present.

Wednesday

The Rise and Fall of Penn Station

September 7
10:30–11:45 a.m.

New York City's Pennsylvania Station was a marvel of engineering and a jewel of a public space. Covering nearly eight acres, it was, at that time, the fourth-largest building in the world. The tunnels under the Hudson River and East River were incredibly difficult to build. Built for the ages, it survived just six decades. Its destruction inspired the creation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Superfund Sites in Brooklyn

September 7
1–3 p.m.

The industrial history of the Gowanus neighborhood left behind a legacy of contamination in the canal and on its banks. The Gowanus Canal Superfund site is one of only three federal Superfund sites on the EPA's National Priorities List in New York City. Learn about Superfund sites and brownfields in our borough and what's being done about them.

Reading the New York Times Science Section

September 14–December 7 (except October 5)
10:30–11:30 a.m.

Great things are happening in the world of science today. Read and bring the Tuesday New York Times Science Section to class for our informative discussions about the latest breakthroughs.

Current Events Discussion Group

September 14–December 7 (except October 5)
12:30–2 p.m.

This group will enlist rotating facilitators for discussions of local, national, and international news. Come tell us what you think.

Jewelry Arts and Crafts

September 14–November 9 (except October 5)
2:15–3:15 p.m.

In this class for beginners, learn how to create easy-to-make earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. We will also make hand-decorated chargers and bottles.

Thursday

Robert Caro's The Power Broker

September 8 and 22; October 13 and 27; November 3, 10, and 17; December 8 and 15; and January 12 and 19
10:30 a.m.–noon 

We will continue our discussion of The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. The book is a huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one man's incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping (and mis-shaping) of New York in the 20th century. Moses held power in the state for 44 years, through the governorships of Smith, Roosevelt, Lehman, Dewey, Harriman, and Rockefeller, and in the city for 34 years, through the mayoralties of LaGuardia, O'Dwyer, Impellitteri, Wagner, and Lindsay, He personally conceived and carried through public works costing $27 billion. He was undoubtedly America's greatest builder.

The Roaring '20s

September 15–November 3
12:15–1:30 p.m.

In 1920, the Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War I, Prohibition went into effect, the Great Influenza pandemic subsided, Warren G. Harding was elected president, and women voted for the first time. It was the beginning of what became the Roaring '20s, an exciting (and foreboding) decade in the arts: jazz, literature, painting, the Bauhaus, Broadway, cinema, Weimar, and so much more. One hundred years later, might we be on the threshold of another "roaring" decade? Through videos, narratives, and discussion, we'll delve into the highlights of the decade that broke new ground and rejected traditional standards.

Great Documentaries

September 15–December 8
1:45–3 p.m.

We explore aspects of contemporary culture through their representation in documentary films and discuss them. Where are we and how did we get here? This course ranges widely, looking at everything from the arts to life in other countries, war, politics, and medical crises.

Friday

20th-Century American Art, Part 2

September 16–December 9
10:30–noon

Concluding our course on 20th-Century American Art, we continue our examination of artists who produced a distinctive style of American art. Again, we explore the diverse 20th-century art movements of Realism, Abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, and the artists' contributions in their respective fields. Some of the artists who are discussed include Frank Lloyd Wright, Norman Rockwell, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The Impact of Social Media in 2022

October 7 and 14
12:30–1:45 p.m.

This course will cover the pros and cons of social media in our society at the present time. Major social media platforms to be discussed will include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. This class is not about how to use social media but rather about how it effects our lives. It's not a technical class, so no background is required—only the desire to understand one of the main social forces today.

Fascinating Mathematics: Can You Prove It? Yes, and We Will

October 28
1–3 p.m.

This lecture continues a long-running series at BLL. In the class last spring, one attendee said he would like to see proof that the sum of two even numbers is always even, and the product of two odd numbers is always odd. Do you know why multiplying two negative numbers yields a positive number, or why multiplying by zero gives zero? Indeed, do you know exactly what zero is? We will address all these matters, and show that they not only can be true, but that they must be true.