Classes, Courses and Lectures
Watch this space for our Spring calendar, but please scroll down to see what's on offer during January.
This year's January Wintersession is more extensive and varied than in years past. These sessions give us the opportunity to learn, share, discuss and just be together at a time when isolation reigns. Neither cold nor COVID need keep us apart. All are welcome to join us in enjoying these classes. To receive the class links, please e-mail the BLL office at BLL@brooklyn.cuny.edu or call and leave a message at 718.951.5647.
BLL Wintersession 2021 Schedule of Classes
Monday
No classes on Mondays other than one session of the Novellas class. “Miss Lonelyhearts” will be discussed on Monday, January 25th. See Novellas listing below.
Tuesday
Novellas
We will discuss three more of the best novellas.
- January 5 - Henry James - “The Turn of the Screw”, link to the novella (pdf)
- January 19 - Rudyard Kipling - “The Man Who Would be King”, link to the novella (pdf)
- January 25 - Nathanael West - “Miss Lonelyhearts”, link to the novella (pdf)
Time: 10–11:45 a.m.
Dates: Jan. 5, 19, 25
Instructor: Richard Redmond
Not in Many History Books
Some intriguing stories we never knew. From the History Guy:
- The American Revolution was not fought only in North America. The patriots landed an attack on mainland Britain too.
- German U-Boats were greatly feared during WWII. But a design flaw in their toilets brought at least one of them down.
- The Lone Ranger may have been modeled on Bass Reeves, a former Black slave who has been called the greatest lawman who ever lived.
Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Date: Jan. 12
Instructor: Rona Goldwitz
A History of England: From the Tudors to the Stuarts
In this fascinating course, we learn about the strong-willed characters through tumultuous times who helped create our modern world. We deepen our knowledge through the combination of a Great Courses lecture and an in-class discussion.
Time: 1–2 p.m.
Dates: Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26
Instructor: Annette Libert
Wednesday
Inventors, Inventions and More
We will learn about two lesser-known but nevertheless important inventors: Hedy Lamarr, the Hollywood actress who invented a sonar device and Gavriil Ilizarov, an orthopedic surgeon who invented an external fixation device. It will be followed by a discussion of the Tuesday Science Times section for the week.
Time: 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Date: Jan. 6
Instructor: Eugene Weitz
The Amazing Randi
James “The Amazing” Randi was one of the greatest magicians of the 20th century. But he soured on some of those who followed him who claimed to have “genuine psychic powers.” We’ll be watching and discussing his exposé of Uri Geller and some other intriguing charlatans.
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Date: Jan. 13
Instructor: Peter Sohn
Reading The New York Times Science Section
Great things are happening in the world of science today. Read and bring the Tuesday NY Times Science Section to class for our informative discussions about the latest breakthroughs.
Time: 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Dates: Jan. 20, 27
Instructor: Leslie Jacobson
Current Events Discussion Group
This group will hold discussions of local, national, and international news. We share thoughts and ideas about what’s going on in the world.
Time: 12:30–2 p.m.
Dates: Jan. 5, 13, 20, 27
Instructor: Morty Marshack and rotating facilitators
Thursday
Censored Cinema: For Adults Only
The morality police had their hands full in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Women tested convention with shorter hemlines and bobbed hair, ultimately fighting for and winning the vote. Prohibition sent alcohol consumption underground in speakeasies, and the nascent film industry in Hollywood was awash in murder and drug scandals. With the threat of a federal censorship program looming, and under pressure from conservative and religious crusaders, Hollywood agreed to deliver wholesome family entertainment to moviegoers. Their answer: the Motion Picture Production Code, ensuring that every American film would have a “clean moral tone.” Join Dr. Margery Marcus as she examines the years of the Production Code from its start in the 1920’s to its last gasp in the 1960’s. Dr. Marcus discusses the Code’s prohibitions against “scenes of passion” and “pointed profanity.” She looks at censored films, Supreme Court cases, and efforts to protect people with “susceptible” minds (read women and children) from films of questionable taste. Dr. Marcus also examines social conditions that led to the demise of the Code in 1968, and the rating system that replaced it. Her lecture includes a colorful PowerPoint and a list of films censored in America through the 21st century.
10:30 a.m.–noon
Date: Jan. 7
Instructor: Dr. Margery Marcus
TED Talks
With an end to the pandemic ahead, what comes next? Some outstanding thinkers make their predictions. We will watch and discuss these TED Talks together:
- Jan. 7: Fareed Zakaria - How the coronavirus pandemic is changing the world
- Jan. 14: Danielle Allen - An ethical plan for ending the pandemic and re-starting the economy
- Jan. 21: Georges C. Benjamin - The secret weapon against the pandemic
- Jan. 28: Barry Schwartz - Using our practical wisdom
Time: 12:30–2 p.m.
Dates: Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28
Instructor: Maura McGovern
James Joyce's “Ulysses”
Participants listen to the 18 episodes of a dramatized production recorded by the Irish Radio Network, then we discuss them in class. Episodes Link
- Jan. 14: Episode 8 - Lestrygonians
- Jan. 21: Episode 9 - Scylla and Charybdis
- Jan. 28: Review and summary of the book to date
Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Dates: Jan. 14, 21, 28
Instructor: Richard Redmond
Friday
Two Novels by Kazuo Ishiguro
When Kazuo Ishiguro was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature, the Nobel committee called him a writer of great integrity who wrote novels of great emotional force. We will read and discuss two of Ishiguro’s best loved novels, enjoying their fascinating plots and characters while examining what they tell us about the human condition. We will trace Ishiguro’s themes as they appear in two seemingly very different books.
- Jan. 8, 15 - “Remains of the Day”
- Jan. 22, 29 – “Never Let Me Go”
Time: 2–3:30 p.m.
Dates: Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29
Instructor: Harriet Sirof
Three Acclaimed Female Dancers in Film Musicals
From the mid 1940’s until the late 1950’s, Vera-Ellen, Cyd Charisse, and Ann Miller were charismatic in excelling at their craft in Hollywood film musicals. With their distinct dance styles, they dazzled and enthralled movie audiences. For each dancer, we will briefly explore her life and film career, and then view some of her classic performances, in several short film clips.
10:30 a.m.–noon
Date: Jan. 15
Instructor: Sol Makon
Great Performances: Fiddler: A Miracles of Miracles
Travel through the history of the iconic musical exploring its reach across time and cultures featuring appearances by composer and lyricist Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick as well as famous fans including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Topol and more.
Time: 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Dates: Jan. 22, 29
Instructor: Peter Sohn
