SSS-12, Where Next for Radio, on June 5th, is now a Zoom only presentation. Attendees will be sent the link prior to the class.
Multi-Session Classes
| SS-01 Industrial Giants: The Crises of the Gilded Age - Zoom Teleconference Jared Day, PhD, Historian * , 1/27, 2/3 * 1:00-3:00 This set of lectures covers the era from the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction to the Presidency of William McKinley. It focuses on the extraordinary industrial economy that emerged with its great industrial giants such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller. It also examines the political gridlock that tended to dominate these decades and the degree to which the concerns of the Civil War generation tended to dominate the political agenda. In addition, we will be exploring the impact of industrialization and America's emergence as a global economic and geo-strategic player. | ||
| SS-02* Creative Writing - Zoom Teleconference Kim Hunt, Author and Poet * , 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, * 1:00-3:00 This is a discussion group for both the beginner and the more experienced writer. The spectrum of creative writing: essay, fiction, memoir, poetry, free verse - commonly involves guided reflection. Issues of trust, motivation, privacy, habit, goal, structure and quality entwine to both hamper and clarify the beckoning impulse, enticed by discoveries in 'creativity'. Reflection offers vast reprieve for much that causes us to grieve. Size Limit: 15 | ||
| SS-03 America's Founding Fathers - Zoom Teleconference Jack Gregory, ALP Co-chair * , 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, * 10:00-12:00 An in-depth look at the many individuals who contributed to the founding of the United States. From the good guys like George Washington, John Marshall, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton to the chief of the American scoundrels, Aaron Burr. This Great Courses DVD course will broaden your perspective on both the American Revolution and the details in the founding of our country. | ||
| SS-04 Movie Buffs - Zoom Teleconference James Hanley, Co-Director of Cinestudio * , 2/15, 3/22, 4/19 * 10:30-12:00 Do you ever wonder which movies are really worth your time, or what you should be looking for in a film? This is your opportunity to hear what others think and to listen to a very knowledgeable expert who provides insight into films and the film industry - people and technology. Movies discussed can be viewed at any theater or in the comfort of your own home on TV or other sources. You will also usually find the films playing at Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College where parking is available after hours, Saturdays and Sundays all day. | ||
| SS-05 The Amistad Incident and its Reverberations - Zoom and In-Person Teleconference and Chapel Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree * , 2/16, 2/23 * 10:00-12:00 We will tell the story of The Amistad Incident, with an emphasis on lesser-known facts about its people and the results of Connecticans' resistance to slavery through their support of the Mendi. The presentations will be illustrated by art and portraits that have come down to us in the over 180 years since. Implications for life today will be offered. | ||
| SS-07 What Beauty Is - Seabury Chapel Rhea Higgins, Professor of Art History, U of Hartford * , 3/24, 3/31 * 1:30-3:00 The visual arts produced by 15th century northern Europe appear very different in style from the Renaissance works launched in Italy during that century. What they had in common, however, was an intense interest in the observation of nature, evident in the beautiful manuscript 'The Book of Hours' by the Limbourg Brothers, the Flemish Unicorn tapestry and the famous Merode altarpiece. We will examine major works of this era that record and detail the natural world as never before, many of which can be seen at the Cloisters in New York City. | ||
| SS-08 The Good Ol' Days REDUX - Seabury Heritage Hall Robert Ellis, ALP Horn Co Editor, Previous Presenter * , 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25 * 9:30-12:00 A repeat of a program first presented in 2014 and now combined with its 2016 sequel, this is a look back at the '40s and '50s when life was a lot different than today. Part history lesson, part nostalgia, part trivia, part interactive sharing and part sing-a-long, this ten hour, power-point supported presentation covers the people and events that made the news, life on the home front during WWII, music, fashions, cars, radio shows, literature, movies and TV shows we all enjoyed back then. If you're over 75, this will be "a program to remember." | ||
| SS-09 Hikes - Offsite Other Kevin Gough, Wintonbury Land Trust * , 4/21, 5/5, 5/19 * 9:30-12:00 We will visit hiking trails within a 20-mile radius of Bloomfield which have been recommended for their natural beauty, historical significance, flora and fauna, or other unique characteristics. Carpooling will often be suggested. Participants should be able to walk 2.5 to 3 miles over uneven terrain. There is an additional fee to offset ALP's insurance cost for this program. | ||
| SS-10 The Merchant of Venice - Seabury Chapel Milla Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, Emerita, Trinity College * , 2-May * 10:00-12:00-1:00-3:00 The showing of a DVD in the morning, a discussion in the afternoon of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, with a break for lunch. The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays. But it has much to offer us, particularly at this time of international turmoil and national division. This course will include a DVD showing of the Michael Radford, Al Pacino film, followed by a discussion of the film and play | ||
| SS-11 When Democracy Is in Crisis - Zoom and In-Person Teleconference and Chapel Dr Chris Vials, PH.D, Director of American Studies, University of Connecticut * , 5/15, 5/22 * 1:00-3:00 As the US enters a period of challenge to its fundamental democratic institutions, we would do well to learn as much as possible from history and from the experience of other nations in dealing with anti-democratic ideological forces. What has worked to stave off the loss of democracy and what has failed? How serious are the current challenges and conditions? | ||
| SS-12 What's So Funny? - Seabury Chapel Howard Sprout, Baritone soloist, music historian * , 5/30, 6/6 * 1:00-3:00 Really? Seriously? Did Johann Sebastian Bach have a sense of humor? What did Franz Joseph Haydn compose to bring a chuckle to Count Esterhazy? What characters were the brunt of Beethoven's cutting glee? And how did Brahms send up the faculty of a prestigious university? And who used a cricket's voice to demand higher wages and some time off? We will have some fun as we discover how "highbrow" composers take breaks from their serious endeavors for a bit of fun. |