Fall Course DESCRIPTIONS
All of the following will be held virtually on Zoom. All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
From the Big Bang to the Emergence of Order, Life and Intelligence
Kiril Sinkel, OLLI Member
Mondays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Today the universe is a highly organized place. We see structure at every scale from the subatomic through to the galactic. But it was not always so. The universe was born with almost no organization at all. There were no stars or galaxies or planetary systems. There was no chemistry, no biology and no intelligence. Join us as we take a grand tour through time and observe the development of the universe from its earliest days to the present. We will consider how the physical universe developed and then how life and finally intelligence and consciousness may have emerged. To do full justice to such a grand topic, we will consider both the scientific explanations that have been proposed and philosophical puzzles they raise. The class will be a mix of lecture and discussion. The material is meant to be accessible to anyone with an interest in science. No particular technical knowledge is assumed. Suggestions for additional readings on the internet will be made for those interested in delving deeper.
Kiril Sinkel, a retired computer programmer, has been had a long-term interest in foundational topics of science and has been auditing Boston University microbiology, neuroscience, astronomy and philosophy classes over the last ten years.
10 V irtually O n Z OO m
If Not Now When? A Novel by Italian Writer Primo Levi Francesco Castellano, OLLI Member
Tuesdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17)
6 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$150
Primo Levi is mostly known in the US by his first book, If This Is A Man, dealing with his survival at Auschwitz. However his writings cover a vast and varied output among which there are short stories, some humorous, and essays. If Not Now When? is a novel based on true events, as he states “I decided to recreate an imaginary itinerary yet plausible of one of these [Jewish partisan] bands. In large part, the events I described have really happened, even though not always in the time and places I have assigned. It is true that Jewish partisans have fought against Germans, always under desperate conditions. It is also true that Jewish groups totaling ten to fifteen thousand survived a long time even to the end of the war such as the one I have arbitrarily located in Novoselki.” Among these frightful events there are flashes of humour as in the wonderful passage where Pavel tries to explain to the Russian Piotr what is the Talmud. You’ll want to remember this passage dealing with Jewish humour.
Required material: Primo Levi (Translated by William Weaver, Intro by Irving Howe), If Not Now When?; Click to purchase on Amazon, $13.60
Francesco Castellano is a native speaker of Italian with interest in music, literature, and history. He earned a Master’s degree in Italian at Boston College where he also taught Italian. He has managed localization of software programs and manuals into Italian and has done commercial recordings including for over 25 years the male Italian speaker for one of the major language programs. With OLLI, he has taught the Divine Comedy, the Decameron and various Verdi operas. He is a retired Army Colonel.
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“You Say You Want A Revolution?” A Study of Four Revolutions
Jon Grogan, Tufts Alum
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
Thomas Jefferson once wrote to James Madison, “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing and is as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” The American Revolution changed the course of world history and was a model for others. However, other revolutions have had similar effects. We will examine four of them for answers to the question of why societies seek change, whether through violent or nonviolent means. The course will examine, in order, the “Great Revolution (England),” the Cultural (China) Revolution, The French Revolution, and the Russian Revolution.
Jon Grogan, Ph.D., earned a BA from Tufts in Political Science, an MA in history from the University of San Diego, and a Ph.D. in history from Loyola University, Chicago. Additionally, he served 21 years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps in various command and staff assignments overseas and in the United. He has taught for the Osher programs at Tufts, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University.
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$100
An In-Depth Look: Native American and the U.S. Constitution
Daniel Cooper, Tufts Graduate Student
$175
Tuesdays, 4pm - 6pm (9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
The Constitution centers two sovereignties in its text and structure: the federal government and the States. Native Americans, and their various tribes and peoples, are left largely out of the Constitution but affect nearly every aspect of constitutional law. In turn, native peoples are affected by constitutional law every day. This course will provide a very brief overview of what’s called “Federal Indian Law,” with a focus on the place of native peoples in our constitutional and legal system. We will read certain selected open source readings each week and discuss them, along with a short lecture given about aspects of Federal Indian Law from a civil, criminal and constitutional standpoint. Towards the end of the course, a broader view of “native peoples” will be taken, when we will examine the constitutional law of the U.S. territories and how the citizens of those territories are affected by it. This is an expanded version of the course taught in Winter 2023.
Daniel Cooper is an attorney based in Stamford, Connecticut where he specializes in intellectual property, with research and practice interests in Federal Indian Law. He is a Fletcher School student who has pursued research (both at Fletcher and outside of Tufts) on tribal sovereignty and native property rights. He has a BA and MA in History from Clark University, a JD from the University of North Dakota, and an LLM from the University of Edinburgh.
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Chair Yoga - Virtual Yolanta Kovalko, OLLI Member
Mondays, 4pm - 5pm (9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
Adaptive (Chair) Yoga & Relaxation introduces a gentle form of a Yoga based therapy to older people who may experience a range of ailments related to muscles, bones, joints, and nerve degeneration due to aging. Every week students will be introduced to new postures that will help with mobility, balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and bone health.
Adaptive (Chair) Yoga & Relaxation demands the students’ active participation, the course will give students tools they can take with them to improve their posture, increase mobility, balance, strength, and state of mind. Each class will end with guided meditation for deep relaxation.
Yolanta Kovalko is a certified yoga teacher who owns and teaches at her studio, Balls Square Yoga in Somerville. She has been practicing yoga for the last 15 years. She fell in love with yoga because of the pleasure it gave her and the serenity she found in the practice. She completed a 200-hour teacher training in 2016 at Back Bay Yoga (now called Yoga Works). She has also been certified in Five Element Yoga in a teacher training at Kripalu in July 2017. She became certified in Adaptive/Chair Yoga and in the summer of 2018, at Kripalu.
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$50
Cinematic Masterpiece: The Decalogue of Krzysztof Kieslowski
Allan Elfant, OLLI Member
Tuesdays, 1pm - 4pm (10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
5 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$125
Krzysztof Kieslowski was an internationally renown Polish filmmaker who is relatively unknown in the United States. His films probe the mysteries of life and the spirituality of existence. Aesthetic and ethical themes often merge in his work. His most honored and acknowledged work was The Decalogue, a series of ten one-hour films made for Polish television and influenced by Kieslowski’s subjective interpretation of the Ten Commandments. In each filmed segment people are faced with a variety of moral and ethical challenges that reflect human fallibility. In this five part class, we will view two films in each class and then discuss the possible implications and meanings. Classes will be up to three hours in length and optional readings will be distributed via email.
Allan Elfant has a B.A. in psychology from Brooklyn College and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University. He was in clinical practice for over 40 years and held teaching positions at several universities. He has led nearly two dozen study groups for our OLLI, primarily on various cinematic themes.
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Comparative Monotheism: A Survey of Lesser-Known Religions
Lark Escobar, Tufts Alum
$175
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
In this class, we will explore the following monotheist religious movements: Anabaptist (Amish & Mennonite), Baha’i, Druze, Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints and Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Mandaen, Sikh, Yezidi, and Zoroastrian. Each class is a mixture of lectures and discussions over Zoom. There is no required preparation outside of class.
Lark Escobar holds 6 degrees, the most recent of which she completed at the Fletcher School at Tufts. She has completed five years of ethnographic field studies of minority religious movements at risk of genocide in a different degree, focusing on prayer behaviors, spiritual objects, marriage rituals, holiday customs, and food behaviors. She has lived in/traveled to 53 countries and worked in 8. She also completed seminary.
Enemies of the State
Jeremiah Anthony, Tufts Alum
$175
Wednesdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
We will learn about the history and politics of the countries the US considers its enemies; Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, China, Pakisatn, Afghanistan/Iraq, and internal fractions within the US. We will study what they do and why they do it and why that makes the US dislike them. Sometimes the answer will be easy, and sometimes not. We will also look at countries that are similar to the ones studied that week, but that the US does not consider to be a threat.
Jeremiah Anthony is a Fletcher graduate who works in improving the relationship between the US and countries it does not like — and who do not like it. Jeremiah believes in peace through conversation.
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Generative Artificial Intelligence
Michael Werner, OLLI Member
Mondays, 10am - 12pm (10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
With advances in artificial intelligence computers today are competing with artists, writers, composers, etc. Using new AI tools such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Bard, anyone can submit a prompt and get back a convincing essay, poem, picture, even a musical composition. You will learn how to use some of these tools. Simply describe what is wanted including references to human creative artists, writers, etc., and get back a result which at first glance seems professional, although on deeper inspection may be less convincing. Generative AI threatens to uproot traditional notions of human creativity. We may picture an artist in intense concentration, experiencing an inspirational moment, and rushing to commit their new vision to canvas. For computers it’s just another day of processing. There is extensive criticism of the new AI tools. Are they creating something original or are they just returning a mash-up of works by humans? Are they a threat to human creative artists? Do they appropriate works accessible on the Internet without attribution or royalty payments? What will be the effect on education? Will teachers be able to detect counterfeit student submissions? This course is an introduction to these new technologies, with historical background and some insight into how they work.
Michael Werner, following 30 years teaching computer science at Wentworth Institute, has given several senior college courses, primarily on computer history and artificial intelligence but recently on Bay State transit history. He and his wife divide their time between Medford, MA; Camden, ME; and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He is an amateur painter.
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HOPE for the children in your life
Allison
Stephens, Tufts Faculty Member
Thursdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/14, 9/21)
2 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
The latest research is showing that positive childhood experiences are key to lifelong mental health, even when a child has gone through trauma. HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is a framework developed by Tufts researchers that helps you identify what types of experiences are the most important. In this class you will learn how you can use HOPE to support the children in your life — at home or family gatherings, at work, at your place of worship, or in your community. The instructor will offer trainings and activities designed to help you apply HOPE to your life, and the instructor will facilitate discussion among the students. Come ready to discuss and share as you learn to bring HOPE to the children in your life!
Allison Stephes, PhD, MEd uses her extensive experience in family and community engagement, including family peer support and systems advocacy, to support the relevance of the HOPE framework for diverse families and communities. Her background spans over 20 years and includes defining clinical treatment protocols, public policy and leadership, K-12/higher education, and children’s mental health. Additionally, Dr. Stephens’ longstanding involvement in social justice activism, advocacy, and policy are especially relevant to HOPE’s commitment to anti-racism, anti-bias, and equity.
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$50
Introducing the Great American Cities Series: Chicago
Cleo D’Arcy, Steve D’Arcy, Ellen Kitzis, Margaret Lourie, Bob Pride OLLI Members
$100
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (9/13, 9/20, 10/4, 10/11)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
So many wonderful places, so little time to go everywhere! Join us to virtually explore some U.S. cities you may have visited but haven’t had time to fully discover. The first city we will visit is the world-renowned transportation hub of America - Chicago. Situated on Lake Michigan at the intersection of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed, it is among the largest and most diverse cities in the U.S. Incorporated in 1837, it is renowned for its role in shaping the social, political, and economic history of our country. The city grew rapidly and by 1860 Chicago was the youngest U.S. city to exceed a population of 100,000. By 1900, less than 30 years after the Great Chicago Fire, it was the fifth-largest city in the world. Today it is recognized for its incredible architecture, such as the worldfamous Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. Let’s learn about Chicago’s storied history, vibrant culture, iconic neighborhoods , and places you should not miss on a visit to Chi-town.
An experienced team of Study Group Leaders is offering this course. Coordinating the four sessions and leading one are Cleo and Steve D’Arcy, retired professors who taught at the University of Illinois for over 30 years. Since 2016 they have co-taught study groups on the National Parks, Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations properties, U.S. Highway 1, TED talks, plant disease epidemics, personal finance, birding and Southern Vermont. Each leading one of the other three sessions are well-known OLLI members including:
Margaret Lourie spent her career as a professional librarian in several libraries and professional organizations in the Boston area. She has led study groups in the Tufts Osher program on several topics, including digital resources from our public libraries, visiting museums virtually, and intrepid women travelers.
Bob Pride is a 1967 graduate of Tufts where he majored in Political Science and received his commission in the Navy through the Navy ROTC. He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1990 after 23 years of active and reserve service as an intelligence officer. He has led or co-led many OLLI study groups, including “What Ifs in American History,” “Third Party Presidential Candidates,” “The Cold War,” and others.
Ellen Kitzis held leadership and research roles at Gartner, Dataquest, and Compaq specialized in IT research focusing on strategic planning, organizational and management strategies. Ellen earned a B.A. from Boston University and a Ph.D. from Tufts. She has taught a variety of courses on topic ranging from global trends to the “Sociology of Everyday Life,” and most recently being part of the Great Rivers Course.
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Man’s Fate by André Malraux - Virtual Emese Soos, Tufts Faculty Member
Thursdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2)
4 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$100
André Malraux (1901-1976) had a colorful career as a man of action and an intellectual. Trained in art and archaeology, he headed to Southeast Asia in 1923 and there witnessed percolating political unrest. Later he also participated in the Spanish Civil War and in the French Resistance during WWII. After the war, under De Gaulle he served as Minister of Information (1945-46) and Cultural Affairs (1958-1969). His writing career lasted from the 1920s to the end of his life. Man’s Fate (La Condition humaine, 1933) is the last of a trilogy set in Asia whose focus is on the passions and ideological motivations that induced people to risk their lives for cause, in this case the failed Communist rebellion in Shanghai in 1927. We will discuss the novel to be read at fewer than 100 pages per class. Participants will be encouraged but not required to do background research on topics related to Chinese and Western operatives in Shanghai in the 1920s.
Required material: André Malraux, Man’s Fate (Penguin Paperback Edition); Click to purchase on Amazon, $15.99
Emese Soos majored in French and history at Mount Holyoke College, earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught at Tufts for over 30 years. One of her favorite teaching experiences was a seminar on five great French novels of the 20th century.
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Medical Assistance in Dying – Concept, Caution, and Controversy
Martha Gallagher, Tufts Alum
Tuesdays, 10am - 12pm (10/10. 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Rich or poor, atheist or believer, conservative or liberal: Everyone has a stake in their options for facing death. This class on the topic of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is designed to present the arguments for and against States’ legalization of this option. Source material will utilize data from states and countries in which MAID has already been legalized, podcasts and videos, case studies, opinion pieces, and formal statements from religious, special interest, and professional (medical) organizations. The history of MAID in Massachusetts and its current status in the legislative process will also be reviewed. The class will attempt to provide best arguments on both sides of the issue without taking a position or attempting to sway participants one way or the other. Ultimately, it is hoped the subject matter will provoke thoughtful and civil discussion among class participants while also introducing new perspectives on this complex, difficult, and controversial topic.
Martha Gallagher is now retired anesthesiologist who, for 25 years, utilized medications often prescribed for MAID to provide pain- and awareness- free surgical experiences for patients. With a family member living with a fatal illness and a friend in another state who had access to and eventually utilized the MAID option, Dr. Gallagher has been prompted to further explore the MAID process and the issues around it and to especially consider the conflict this process raises to those in medicine who have pledged to “do no harm.”
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Political Cartoons
Linda Agerbak, Bob Pride, OLLI Members
Mondays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/16)
5 Sessions, Minimally Interactive - Mostly Lecture
$125
Political Cartoons and Political Caricatures developed in Europe starting with Leonardo da Vinci. Their purpose: to afflict the comfortable & comfort the afflicted. This course will briefly trace their development to the present, examine why and how they work, and view and discuss many of the artists and their political cartoons. We will also dig into their various themes including sycophancy, vanity, hypocrisy, lies, greed, fear, anger, as well as their historical context. Our primary focus will be on the work of 20th and 21stcentury political cartoonists. Often our reactions to these cartoons are visceral whether or not we agree with their message. There will many opportunities for members to share their reactions to these political cartoons.
Linda Agerbak, a teacher and journalist, lived and worked for 35 years on four continents. After studying for a year abroad in Berlin, she married a European and moved to West Africa. She was a houseparent at an international boarding school in Wales and taught English to Vietnamese refugees in Malaysia. She traveled to Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Australia, Japan & South Korea. Returning to the UK, she worked at Oxford University Press and at Oxfam. After a difficult two years in Lebanon, she returned to the US and worked as a landscape gardener for clients in Monterey, California. In 2014, she moved to live with family in Boston. Linda most recently taught ‘World’s Greatest Rivers: The Mississippi & the Colorado’ and ‘World’s Greatest Rivers: The Nile, the Tigris, & Euphrates’ at Tufts OLLI.
Bob Pride is a 1967 graduate of Tufts where he majored in Political Science and received his commission in the Navy through the Navy ROTC. He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1990 after 23 years of active and reserve service as an intelligence officer. He has led or co-led many OLLI study groups, including “What Ifs in American History,” “Third Party Presidential Candidates,” “The Cold War,” and others.
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Remembering, Recording, and Understanding Our Dreams
Christine (Chris) Farrow-Noble, OLLI Member
Thursdays, 10am - 12pm (10/5, 10/12, 10/19)
3 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
Are you curious about sleep and dreams? Do you sometimes wake up with an image, a color, a name, or a visitation by someone who has died? Being aware of our dreams and seeking to understand them more fully can bring insight and pleasure to our everyday lives, especially when done with a confidential group of people. Come join us on Zoom as we explore sleep patterns, common anxiety dreams, and techniques to recall and record your nighttime dreams. Each participant will keep a dream journal, using the first person and present tense which aids dream recall. Through our shared dreams, we’ll explore several methods of dreamwork, including Jeremy Taylor’s “If this were my dream, I….” approach and the use of the Gestalt, viewing the dreamer as each person and each object in a dream. We’ll experiment with artistic techniques, including drawing a dream, creating a chorus, and acting out a dream.
Christine (Chris) Farrow-Noble has recorded dreams in dream journals since 1985. Several significant dreams have arrived at major crossroads in her life and influenced her decisions. She continues to be stunned by the synchronicity of dreams and life experiences. She is currently an active member of two monthly dream groups: the first began in 2012 after a workshop with Jeremy Taylor at Rowe Camp and Conference Center; the second she co-founded in 2014 at Reversing Falls Sanctuary, an interfaith community in Brooksville Maine. Chris weaves her dreams into her memoir and fiction writing.
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$75
Renaissance Art History
Holly Beatrice, Outside Instructor
Thursdays, 6pm - 8pm (9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19)
6 Sessions, Minimally Interactive - Mostly Lecture
$150
In this introductory class you will become familiar with some of the most famous works of art from the Renaissance. This class will highlight Florence of the 14th and 15th centuries, as it was established as the intellectual and artistic center of Europe. We will overview art history and talk about the elements of style, the artistic techniques, the historical context and the role of the artist and patron. We will cover Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, the Medici family and more. This class is meant as an introduction. It is for anyone who has traveled to Italy, is planning a future trip, wants to learn more about art and is particularly interested in the masterpieces from this period.
Holly Beatrice has a B.A. in art history from the University of Rhode Island and M.A. in Italian language from Middlebury College. Holly lived in Italy for over five years and worked as a walking tour guide and the Resident Director for Vanderbilt University’s Art History Program. She has led trips to Europe with National Geographic Student Expeditions and Putney Student Travel. She has taught middle school and adult ed, where she received an Excellence in Teaching award from the CA Council of Adult Education. Most recently, Holly has taught OLLI classes at the University of Rhode Island.
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SHORT STORIES WITH HEART: A Study of Contemporary Fiction Writers
Jane Katims, OLLI Member
Mondays, 10am - 12pm (10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13)
6 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$150
“I have walked through many lives, some of them my own,” says the writer Stanley Kunitz. Fiction writers do indeed “walk through many lives” --they combine sharp observation with rich imagination as they create vivid events and characters. We will read selections from the collections of Said Sayrafiezadeh (AMERICAN ESTRANGEMENT); Joan Wickersham (THE NEWS FROM SPAIN); and Russell Banks (A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE FAMILY) The stories are multi-layered and express deep understanding of human nature with its foibles and triumphs. In addition to studying character development and conflict, we will explore varieties of styles and strategies for storytelling. The teacher will supply supplementary essays about literary craft. Study group members will be assigned 50-90 pages of reading per week. In preparation for our first class students should please read the stories
“A,S,D,F” and “Last Meal at Whole Foods” in AMERICAN ESTRANGEMENT
Required material: Said Sayrafiezadeh, AMERICAN ESTRANGEMENT; Click to purchase on Amazon, $15.95
Joan Wickersham, THE NEWS FROM SPAIN; Click to purchase on Amazon, $16.00
Russell Banks, A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE FAMILY; Click to purchase on Amazon, $11.97
Jane Katims has written and co-produced six radio series for Wisconsin Public Radio, one earning her a Peabody Award in Broadcasting. She is the author of the poetry collection DANCING ON A SLIPPERY FLOOR and the story collection UNTIL NOW. She has published a number of stories in literary magazines. In addition to teaching at OLLI, she teaches literature and creative writing at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education. She is a member of the Friends of The Center for Humanities at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She lives with her family near Boston.
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The Exploration of Africa: Significant Explorers who Opened Africa
Robert Rotberg, Tufts Faculty Member
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1)
5 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
This course focuses on the era from 1780 to 1887, when much of sub-Saharan Africa was opened-up to the West by the lengthy journeys of Livingstone; the competition to find the source of the Nile that engaged Burton, John Hanning Speke, Albert Baker (and his wife); Mungo Park’s finding of the Niger River; Henry Morton Stanley’s tracing of the course of the Congo River and his “finding” Livingstone; and the first ascents of Kenya and Kilimanjaro. But, less often examined, none of these crowd applauding exploits would have been possible without knowledgeable African guides and associates without whose leadership the explorers would have failed, or even perished. This course will focus on the latter as well as the “big” names that opened Africa to the West. Recommenvvded reading: Any modern biographies of the big name explorers, (there are several by Tim Jeal), the original nineteenth-century writings by Livingstone, Burton, et al. Rotberg’s biography of Joseph Thomson and edited Africa and its Explorers has some very useful chapters.
Robert Rotberg was Academic Vice-President at Tufts, professor of political science at MIT, and professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He is the author of a number of books on Africa and several especially on southern Africa. He has taught several previous Osher courses.
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$125
The Garden Party: Katherine Mansfield’s Short Stories
Petra Bittner, Outside Instructor
Tuesdays, 1pm - 3pm (10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Katherine Mansfield’s innovative and perceptive stories are aglow with color. The Garden Party collection was written towards the end of her short life, at the beginning of the 20th century. Many tales in this anthology are set in the author’s native New Zealand, others in England, and the French Riviera. All are revelations of the unspoken, half-understood emotions that make up everyday experience. Please obtain The Garden Party and Other Stories (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition) ISBN-13: 978-1959891291, and read “The Garden Party” for our first meeting.
Required material: Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition); Click to purchase on Amazon, $13.20
Petra Bittner holds degrees in English literature (Ph.D.) and teaching German as a second language (MA). She lived in Boston from 1998 to 2007, teaching language, literature and cultural studies classes for Boston University, Harvard University and MIT. Between 2007 and 2020, Petra Bittner was a literature docent and language instructor for the adult education center in Munich. Her priority is to cater to the individual needs of learners, so they can attain their goals. In her language teaching, she focuses on communicative competency and cultural awareness.
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The History of the Roman Republic Part 2
James Himberger, Tufts Alum
Mondays, 6pm - 8pm (9/11, 9/18, 9/23, 10/2)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Picking up where our Summer ‘23 course left off, this course will introduce the Roman Republic’s history, beginning in the mythical days of the eighth century B. C. and ending with the cataclysmic civil wars of the first century B. C. Special attention will be paid to the causes of Roman military and political success as well as the reasons for the Republic’s collapse into autocracy. Expansion and Corruption (146 - 91 BC): “Everywhere Impious War is Raging”, The 1st Century Civil Wars and the End of the Republic (91 - 31 BC), and the Echoes of the Republic: The Res Publica in the Western Imagination will be covered in the four week course. Class time will be divided between lectures (50%) and discussions (50%) of the assigned readings. Up to approximately 30 pages of reading will be assigned for each class. The instructor will provide all class readings, which will heavily prioritize the writings of ancient historians and poets such as Virgil, Livy, Polybius, Cicero, Plutarch, and Sallust.
Required material: To be provided by instructor.
James Himberger is a Class of 2021 graduate of Tufts University with a major in political science and a minor in philosophy. James currently works as an archivist for the Society for Science in Washington, DC. He is also a writer with an interest in U.S. foreign policy in South Asia. Having previously researched for the Hudson Institute, he was selected as a Marcellus Fellow at the John Quincy Adams Society. His work has appeared in the National Interest, Foreign Brief, and The Mallard. James previously led the Introduction to British Politics study group in the summer of 2021.
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Understanding Afghanistan & the Aftermath of the US Withdrawal Lark Escobar, Tufts Alum
$175
Tuesdays, 10am - 12pm (9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
We will have different lecture points with related open source articles (such as BBC) each session. Sessions will include a lecture and Q & A. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Evacuated Afghans and US Military/Frontline civilian evacuation teams.
Lark Escobar holds 6 degrees, the most recent of which she completed at the Fletcher School at Tufts. She has completed five years of ethnographic field studies of minority religious movements at risk of genocide in a different degree, focusing on prayer behaviors, spiritual objects, marriage rituals, holiday customs, and food behaviors. She has lived in/traveled to 53 countries and worked in 8. She also completed seminary.
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Understanding Music
Vedran Mehinovic, Outside Instructor
$175
Thursdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2)
8 Sessions, Minimally Interactive - Mostly Lecture
This course caters to a broad range of musical experiences. Combining the elements of acoustics, Western music theory and history, and world music, even the students with some musical background will find new areas to explore. Topics include the propagation of sound in space, human and animal sound perception, history of music notation and printing, spectral analyses of various instruments, development of polyphony, and landmark works throughout the centuries. The learners will receive a global perspective of musical activity, and an awareness of how even distant events can shape our sonic world (e.g. the relationship between Mesopotamian lutes and the electric guitar). The select themes aim to inspire continued musical pursuits well after the course has been completed. There is no required reading, and the participants can simply listen.
Vedran Mehinovic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Composition from New England Conservatory, and a Doctorate from UC Santa Cruz. In 2007, his piece RA was selected as one of just three orchestral works to be performed during the Gaudeamus Music Week in Amsterdam, winning Honorable Mention at the week’s end. An enthusiast of world arts, Mehinovic has organized concerts of Korean, Hindustani, Uyghur, and Chinese music. His works have been performed in Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, and the US.
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A Walk Through Paris, Part II
Valerie Sutter, Outside Instructor
Fridays, 10am - 12pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Armchair traveler, well-heeled tourist, avid Francophiles alike are invited to return with us to the City of Lights and continue where we left off last year in our wanderings through Paris. Whether you’re “visiting” for the very first time, preparing for an actual trip, or reminiscing about a city you fell in love with years ago, join us as we revisit old haunts and discover new ones, renew our knowledge of French history, discover people who have changed the course of French history and delve into some of their dark secrets. We’ll wander neighborhoods, gardens, and museums along the way, inviting you to discover the ins and outs of what the Parisians know about their quartiers. Bon voyage!
Valerie Sutter, a former language teacher, gained her passion for French culture during her 30+ years of living in France, and shares this passion through the language workshops she organizes in France every summer. She owns an apartment in Paris and spends six months of the year there. She lives in Miami and loves to visit Boston in the fall where she splits her time between teaching and her grandchildren.
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Chair Yoga - In-Person
Yolanta Kovalko, OLLI Member
Fridays, 11am - 12pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
Adaptive (Chair) Yoga & Relaxation introduces a gentle form of a Yoga based therapy to older people who may experience a range of ailments related to muscles, bones, joints, and nerve degeneration due to aging. Every week students will be introduced to new postures that will help with mobility, balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and bone health.
Adaptive (Chair) Yoga & Relaxation demands the students’ active participation, the course will give students tools they can take with them to improve their posture, increase mobility, balance, strength, and state of mind. Each class will end with guided meditation for deep relaxation. For this in-person section of the course, participants must bring their own yoga blocks and yoga strap.
Yolanta Kovalko is a certified yoga teacher who owns and teaches at her studio, Balls Square Yoga in Somerville. She has been practicing yoga for the last 15 years. She fell in love with yoga because of the pleasure it gave her and the serenity she found in the practice. She completed a 200-hour teacher training in 2016 at Back Bay Yoga (now called Yoga Works). She has also been certified in Five Element Yoga in a teacher training at Kripalu in July 2017. She became certified in Adaptive/Chair Yoga and in the summer of 2018, at Kripalu.
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$50
D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love: “Never Trust the Artist. Trust the tale. “
Linda O’Brien, OLLI Member
Fridays, 10am - 12pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
8 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$175
The literary world has not been kind to D. H. Lawrence, a prolific writer of the British Modern period. Yet his novels, poetry, short stories, and essays continue to inspire and provoke. This discussion group will focus on his novel Women in Love, along with some of his poetry and excerpts from his essays, as well as critical appraisals of his opus. There will be reading assignments of approximately 60 pages per week with an emphasis on close reading strategies. Active discussion is essential.
Required material: D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love; Click to purchase on Amazon, $12.99
Linda O’Brien , a teacher of AP Literature for many years and a lover of all things literary, Linda O’Brien seeks any opportunity to discuss great works with kindred souls. In addition to literature, Linda is passionate about opera, theater, art, and gardening. She holds an Masters in Literature from Simmons University.
French Culture Through Film
Valerie Sutter, Outside Instructor
Fridays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6)
4 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$100
In a series of four French films, this course proposes to examine the vastly different social and geographic diversity of French society. We’ll watch a total of four films in French (with Eng subtitles) that take place in a different region of France each week, and will discuss them thoroughly afterwards in English, following guidelines that direct the viewer’s attention to various cultural factors.
Valerie Sutter, a former language teacher, gained her passion for French culture during her 30+ years of living in France, and shares this passion through the language workshops she organizes in France every summer. She owns an apartment in Paris and spends six months of the year there. She lives in Miami and loves to visit Boston in the fall where she splits her time between teaching and her grandchildren.
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Juntas, Juntas Everywhere in Film
Bill Saunders, OLLI Member
Fridays, 1:30pm - 4:45pm (10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
3 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$75
During the 1960s and 70s right-wing militaries took over the governments of many countries. We will use three award-winning films to depict the effect of these coups and military dictatorships on the lives of ordinary people. Each session will begin with a brief lecture about the historical events. We will then view and discuss these films: Missing (1982 – in English) about two Americans in Chile during the 1973 coup against Allende, The Official Story (1985 – in Spanish with English subtitles) is about the disappeared and their children during the 1976-1983 rule of the Argentinian Junta, and Z (1969 – in French with English subtitles) about Greece just before the military coup in 1967. The sessions will run for 3 1/4-hours because of the length of the films. Suggested readings will be provided as PDFs or web links. While the reading materials are optional, they will help participants understand the historical context of the films.
Bill Saunders was formerly a marketing consultant for high-tech companies. He has an interest in history, and since retirement, has traveled extensively, including numerous trips to Haiti with a medical team that provided care throughout the countryside around Leogane, the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake. Bill has led previous study groups including, most recently: “A Darker Shade of Greene — Four Additional Graham Greene Films, “Clueless in Treacherous Times: Four Graham Greene Films,” “John Brown—Prophet, Terrorist, Hero?,” and “From Richest to Poorest – A Brief History of Haiti.”
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Notorius Cyber Attacks
Elisa Wirth, Tufts Graduate Student
Fridays, 10am - 12pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$175
This study group will discuss, analyze, and evaluate some of the most notorious cyber attacks ranging from Spamhaus’ denial of services, to WannaCry, which targeted Microsoft Windows operating systems, to Costa Rica declaring a state emergency over ransomware attacks, to Sony Pictures attack after announcing the then-upcoming film ‘The Interview’ about a pot to assassinate the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to the Equifax data breach. We will focus on how the attacks were perpetrated, who they impacted and to what extent, what the responses were to these attacks, and how cyber security and cyber insurance has and will change in this rapidly changing cyber environment.
Elisa Wirth is currently a second year Masters of International Business student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts. In 2022, she graduated from Boston College with majors in Economics and Italian and minors in German and Finance. She is originally from Munich, Germany, but was raised in Italy and Switzerland.
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Speak, Memory: Freewriting Your Memoir
Alisa Wolf, OLLI Member
Fridays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
4 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$100
Memory rarely speaks to us linearly. It free associates, travels through time, and makes surprising connections. Through timed freewrites, this study group will help you to uncover the emotional themes and personal insights that connect events in your life. Guided each week by a prompt, you’ll be challenged to keep your pen moving without editing, censoring, or judging. Then, in a fun, critique-free atmosphere, you’ll be invited to read what you’ve written (optional but encouraged) and hear from others, listening for the striking words, phrases and emotions that resonate. We’ll discuss short readings by writers such as Abigail Thomas, William Zinsser and Natalie Goldberg to aide discussion about freewriting and memoir. For writers of all levels.
Alisa Wolf worked as a writer and editor on trade and consumer magazines and as a marketing communications professional. For more than a decade she taught adult writing classes at The Arlington Center for the Arts and the West Medford Community Center. She earned an MFA from Vermont College, and her work has appeared in many literary journals, including Agni, Calyx, Cimarron Review, Concho River Review, Fjords Review, and Red Cedar Review, as well as the Prentice Hall Reader, 11th and 12th edition. She lives in Medford, Mass and blogs occasionally on Medium.
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The Italian Mafia through Literature and Film
Elisa Wirth, Tufts Graduate Student
$175
Fridays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm (9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
Through an analysis of Italian culture, history, anthropology, film, and literature, this study group explores representations of the various Italian criminal organizations: the Cosa Nostra of Sicily, the ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria, the Camorra of Naples, and the Sacra Corona Unita of Puglia. We will analyzing and discuss the book ‘The Day of the Owl’ by Leonardo Sciascia, the first Italian piece of literature that mentions the presence of organized crime and the movie ‘One Hundred Steps’ directed by Marco Tullio Giordana. We will also discuss opposition to organizations and Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellini who dedicated their lives to the anti-mafia movement. For the second half of the course we will shift our focus towards the Camorra basing our analysis on the work of Roberto Saviano which focuses on the organization’s international reach and stakes in construction, high fashion, illicit drugs, and toxic-waste disposal.
Required material: Leonard Sciascia, The Day of the Owl; Click to purchase on Amazon, $12.99
Roberto Saviano, Gomorrah; Click to purchase on Amazon, $11
Elisa Wirth is currently a second year Masters of International Business student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts. In 2022, she graduated from Boston College with majors in Economics and Italian and minors in German and Finance. She is originally from Munich, Germany, but was raised in Italy and Switzerland.
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The Sumerians
Robert Crooks,
OLLI Member
Fridays, 10am - 12pm (10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3)
4 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
$100
Five thousand years ago, around 3100 BCE, the Sumerians “invented” civilization. They are credited with inventing writing; the method of telling time that we still use today; building the world’s first large-scale cities; industrializing production of pottery ware and textiles; writing the first epic poems and stories that influenced writers and religious visionaries ever since; and much more. Sumerian civilization faded away after about 1400 years. A thousand years after that, by about 800 BCE, all knowledge of the existence of this foundational civilization had disappeared from the face of the earth. Two and a half thousand years after that, in the 1860s, the Sumerians were rediscovered by accident. The story of their rediscovery and the currently known details of their history and culture will be presented via videos, audio recordings and images. Discussion will be encouraged. Supplementary reading materials will be circulated but do not need to be read.
Robert Crooks is an expatriate Australian, now a US citizen. He graduated as an agricultural plant ecologist from Sydney University in 1972 and spent the next 40 years working as an environmental scientist and policy analyst for governments and the private sector in Australia and 13 different countries in South and Southeast Asia. He retired in 2011. Throughout his working life he maintained a great interest in American colonial history and ancient Middle Eastern history. He lives in Medford with his wife, Elisabeth, and his main interests are cooking and obeying his wife’s instructions.
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A Theory of Justice by John Rawls
Joyce Carpenter, OLLI Member
$175
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
One of the most important works in ethical and political philosophy of the 20th century is John Rawls’ book A Theory of Justice. In this work, Rawls defends a modern version of social contract theory, which derives from Locke, Rousseau and Kant. It is a rebuttal to the utilitarian theories that have been predominant in the English speaking world since the turn of the 19th century. We’ll read major portions of the Revised Edition of the text and consider some criticisms of the work as time allows. ($40 new paperback new; $30 used; $25 on kindle; available in many libraries. Please be sure it’s the linked edition). We’ll read about 50 pages of difficult text per week.
Required material: John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Revised Edition); Click to purchase on Amazon, $40 New, $31 E-Book, $15 Used
Joyce Carpenter studied literature and philosophy as an undergraduate at Rutgers and received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in philosophy in 1992. She’s taught philosophy and women’s studies at UIC, Chicago State, the College of Charleston (SC) and for Boston University’s Prison Education Program at MCI-Framingham. After leaving academia, she taught a variety of programming, web development and network administration courses before becoming an editor at Computerworld magazine. She retired and joined Tufts OLLI in 2016.
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Man’s Fate by André Malraux - In-Person Emese Soos, Tufts Faculty Member
Wednesdays, 10am - 12pm (10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1)
4 Sessions, Highly Interactive - Lots of Discussion
$100
André Malraux (1901-1976) had a colorful career as a man of action and an intellectual. Trained in art and archaeology, he headed to Southeast Asia in 1923 and there witnessed percolating political unrest. Later he also participated in the Spanish Civil War and in the French Resistance during WWII. After the war, under De Gaulle he served as Minister of Information (1945-46) and Cultural Affairs (1958-1969). His writing career lasted from the 1920s to the end of his life. Man’s Fate (La Condition humaine, 1933) is the last of a trilogy set in Asia whose focus is on the passions and ideological motivations that induced people to risk their lives for cause, in this case the failed Communist rebellion in Shanghai in 1927. We will discuss the novel to be read at fewer than 100 pages per class. Participants will be encouraged but not required to do background research on topics related to Chinese and Western operatives in Shanghai in the 1920s.
Required material: André Malraux, Man’s Fate (Penguin Paperback Edition); Click to purchase on Amazon, $15.99
Emese Soos majored in French and history at Mount Holyoke College, earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught at Tufts for over 30 years. One of her favorite teaching experiences was a seminar on five great French novels of the 20th century.
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Socio-physics Approach to the Dynamics of Jewish Communities and their Resilience
Joseph Livini, Outside Instructor
$175
Mondays, 10:30am - 12:30pm (9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6)
8 Sessions, Somewhat Interactive - A Mixture of Lecture and Discussion
Sociophysics bridges the gap between sociology and physics. Among others this curriculum explores questions regarding Jewish communal structures, social complexity, cultural legacy and evolution, public management, justice etc. The sociologist works out theories by understanding and explaining the meaning of observed social behavior, by examining and cross-examining textual communications and by philosophical debate regarding social processes. The socio-physicist uses mathematical models to examine the validity of a hypothesis. Typically the method consists of assuming that the theory is correct and examines the feasibility of the consequential predictions of the mathematical model. The goal of this course is to scan questions about Jewish life that have been answered using mathematical models. The conclusions of the investigations explain processes of Jewish learning, justice, history, and demography.
Joseph Livini is a graduate of Technion, Haifa (B. Sc Mech Eng) and Tel Aviv University (M. Sc. Engineering). After a long career in Aerospace Engineering, the Joseph Livini began a new vocation in Socio-physics, examining sociological concepts by applying mathematical models developed and utilized by physicists. He published eight articles, authored one book and co-edited another book.
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Newton and his experiments in Alchemy
Kiril
Sinkel, OLLI Member
Monday, 10am - 12pm (9/18)
1 Session, Somewhat interactive — A Mix of Lecture and Discussion
Alchemy has such a negative reputation that it might come as surprise that Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientists of all time, experimented with transmutation of metals. Yet it is true — Newton spent ten years early in his career collecting alchemical manuscripts and repeating experiments as he seriously pursued the quest of turning base metals to gold. These ten years are particularly interesting in the history of science because they offer in microcosm the great transition as science shed its medieval prejudices and developed its early empirical methodologies. In this one session class we will look at some of the actual medieval alchemical experiments Newton was attempting to reproduce. These were recorded in a deliberately cryptic allegorical style characteristic of attitudes toward esoteric knowledge of their time. We will also try to recreate for ourselves Newton’s mindset and motivation as he tried to recover ancient knowledge by deciphering what the alchemists had written and submitting it to empirical test. Finally we will consider what Newton learned from these ten years of alchemy and how it influenced his later work and advanced the overall development of science.
Kiril Sinkel, retired computer programmer, has been had a long-term interest in foundational topics of science and has been auditing Boston University microbiology, neuroscience, astronomy and philosophy classes over the last ten years.
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$25
