Old Favorite! Students craft their own masterpiece using common household tools.  We begin with soap carving and then, if you choose, try a piece of ice carving. The remaining six weeks involve practicing the art form with stone, learning how to select a stone, handle it properly and polishing.

Continued! Join us in analyzing the mythologies of antiquity in Genesis that offered the ancient world an understanding of events central to the Cosmos: Creation, the Flood, the Origin of Evil, Disobedience and Sin. Students should bring Bibles to study the text by chapter and verse. If time permits, we attempt to understand the story of the Binding of Isaac and the theological message implied by the conflagration that resulted in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. New students welcome.

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New! This course uses powerful stories of the founding fathers to help us live a better life.  George Washington never quit during the toughest war in history.  John Adams stood up for himself in the face of thousands of naysayers.  Paul Revere was unknown and yet at the center of world events on the eve of the Revolution.  These are great stories, filled with the failures and triumphs of very real people.  We learn the rich details of their lives, then apply them to our own.  Come prepared for an interactive class; reflect and discuss the big life lessons of these inspiring founders.

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Expanded! Are you willing to go on a journey as a C.S. Lewis novice?  No advance reading required.  We begin with our life experiences.  Seeing and listening are the foundations for discussion.  By sharing stories we learn from each other. Using film and audio, we experience Lewis’s lifelong spiritual conversion experiences and relationships with his Oxford friends J.R.R.  Tolkien and Owen Barfield.  Topics include The Great Divorce, Lewis’s vision of a bus trip from hell to  heaven  that reveals good and evil.  Next comes Prince Caspian, a selection from Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis’s fantasy of childhood.  And, finally, a debate between Lewis and Barfield, humorously referred to as “The Great War,” which consists of the letters that helped free Lewis to embrace Christianity.

New! Join us as a variety of facilitators introduce essential skills, useful tools and some of the great new gadgets that take us beyond the Internet.

March 20 — The Many Wonders of the iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is like an iPhone without the phone. It is a portable media player, personal digital player, handheld game console and WiFi device. We focus on all that the iPod Touch offers, using WiFi as a mobile connection to the Internet.

June Swanson has degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration. She began working with computers when they were on raised air-conditioned floors and has since progressed to desktop technology and mobile Internet devices.

March 27 — Is That How You Do That? We learn and practice some basic computer skills, such as highlighting text in several different ways; using cut, copy and paste functions; attaching files and photos to an email; printing portions from a document; inserting and sizing pictures in Word or email and uninstalling programs from your computer.

Charlotte Cooper is a former teacher of the visually impaired in the public schools.  She teaches computer classes at the Norwalk Senior Center and has facilitated a number of LLI courses.

April 10 — Gmail.  Gmail is one of the most widely used email providers around. This session demonstrates some of the powerful tools that Gmail places at your fingertips: video chat, importing email accounts, modifying settings and making calls.  Google Drive and Google calendar are also introduced.

Glenn Newman earned his BA and MA from Fairfield University and has worked for the past 10 years on information  and educational  technologies at Giant Steps School.  He is a computer consultant and a member of the tech team at Westport Public Library.

April 17 — Are You Thinking of Buying a Tablet? Can a tablet replace a computer or do you need both?  What should you consider when buying a tablet?  Size? Operating systems?  What are the differences among Apple, Android, and Microsoft’s Surface?  The best tablet for you depends on how you plan to use it.

Charlotte Cooper will lead this module, and Jonathan Brown will present the Apple iPad as one of the tablets available.  Brown was an IT consultant for IBM, Verizon and other corporations.  He has taught computer classes at the Norwalk Senior Center and LLI.

April 24 and May 1 — Searching the Internet. If you have some Internet experience but want more, these sessions are for you.  We begin with tips on using Google and other search engines efficiently, then look at a variety of specialized information resources such as Wikipedia, Refdesk, government sites and more.

Joan Singer is a computer consultant with many years experience teaching computer courses and writing computer documentation on all types of equipment from mainframes to PCs.

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New! The characters in literary classics lived in a real world of buying and selling, of economic striving and sometimes conflict. We analyze four important books to see what they can tell us about economics, the “dismal science”:

April 19— Walden by Henry David Thoreau.  What is required in order to live an independent, self-sufficient life in the 1840s or now?  Why bother?

April 26 — A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is set in jolly old England, yet the story contains plenty of evidence of economic misery.  What solutions did Dickens propose?  Are they applicable to our problems now?

May 5 — Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.  In 1900 Dreiser depicts the struggles of an America transitioning from a rural, agrarian society to an urban, industrial modern nation.

May 10 — The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith.  Barely half a century later Professor Galbraith condemns a society awash in consumer goods neglecting its social and physical infrastructure.

Please read the following chapters in Walden before the first class: Economy and Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.

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Sharpen your pencil! Take the mystery out of how to draw.  Many have experienced “arrested development” for drawing at about the age of nine and are left with a question: how do I draw what I see?   This proven step-by-step method develops and elevates your drawing skills quickly, effectively and dramatically.  We practice drawing from life,learn how to use photographs for reference and discuss what makes a “great” drawing great.

Please bring HB pencils, a 16×20 sketchpad and a pencil sharpener.  Open to beginning and intermediate prospective artists.

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New! We learn eight different meditations, each addressing a specific goal: removing negativity, basic breath series for health, tranquilizing the mind, emotional balance, disease resistance, dealing with crisis, improving memory and healing depression.  Some physical movements and chanting are included.  All practices are from the Kundalini Yoga tradition.  No experience is needed.  We do not use yoga mats.

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Explore! Come explore our state’s history, culture, people and places through the stories and legends that make the Nutmeg State a unique place to live, work and play.  We relive many historic moments and learn the back stories of leading industries and famous Connecticut citizens.  The Brass City, Hat City and Oyster Capital of America are just a few of the stops along our journey.  We also highlight places to visit, shop and dine.  Revisit familiar sites, make new discoveries and have fun along the way.

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New! Attune yourself to a sampling of ways in which the turbulent counterculture of the Sixties redefined the very nature of music.  Beginning with 1967 and the Summer of Love, we examine The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in its musical and cultural contexts.  We move on to sessions organized around themes of war and peace, sci-fi and horror movie scores, destruction and creation.  We consider the vast stylistic range of William Bolcom and the universal embrace of such musicians as Yo-Yo Ma.  In the process, we come to more fully appreciate how music has been shaped by a global marketplace of styles and ideas, drawing upon Western and non-Western traditions and observing how electronic technology, film and other media have changed both the creation of music and the experience of listening.

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New! What do Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway, and Eileen Wournos have in common?  We discuss how forensic profiling and physical evidence were used to determine that these four were serial killers whose homicides were not isolated events.  When an unknown body is discovered, how is time and cause of death determined?  Was death by assault or poison?  What techniques are used to identify the body if only bones remain?  When a building goes up in flames, was this the work of an arsonist or an accident?  We examine how the medical examiner and forensic artist, among others, help investigators find the answers.  We use specific case studies to explore these and other topics.

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Going Deeper! Moving beyond the topics introduced in the previous course, we discuss the major areas of interest in genealogical research. Participants are encouraged to be active researchers, sharing the problems and solutions they encounter in their research.  Sessions include planning and organization, using the computer and the Internet, local resources, census, immigration and other relevant data.  Topics are announced at the first session so that students may plan their research and take an active role in the course.  Novice researchers welcome.

New! Between 1944 and 1952 over 135,000 European Jews immigrated to the United States.  Almost all were survivors of Hitler’s attempt to annihilate the European Jewish population. Although their experiences during the war varied, no Jewish family in Europe was left untouched by the Nazi killing machine.  During the same period 550,000 Jewish Americans served in the military during the war, a defining moment in history for both Jewish American soldiers and Jews in America.  This course includes profiles of people who escaped Hitler’s genocide in Europe, as well as Jewish Americans who served in World War II.  It also takes a larger look at the intergenerational effect of the Holocaust on the families of these people and how the Holocaust influenced interactions among members of the different generations and their communities.

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New! This course introduces a method to accurately record what we see and makes drawing easier  We begin by imposing a rectangular grid with diagonals on an image, then transfer each line and shape onto a larger grid.  Each unit of the grid contains a piece of the image, making it easy to reproduce these bite-size pieces.  This simple process teaches us to see shapes, angles and relationships abstractly.

Bring a 2B or mechanical pencil to the first class.  Other art materials are determined by what projects students decide to do.

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Ongoing! The election is behind us (thankfully) but our neural circuits remain vastly overloaded with socioeconomic and political controversy on a national global basis.  How do we make sense of it all?  This course thrives on participation and, at times, spirited controversy.  While every person is entitled to his or her opinion, we strive to identify “the facts.”  Class members and the facilitator suggest topics at each session and then collectively decide the sequence in which to discuss them.

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Always New! Join six LLI members as they lead lively discussions of contemporary titles and old classics.

March 18 ─ Michael Mugnolo ─ A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh. A rundown English country house and its dysfunctional inhabitants set the stage for Waugh’s seething satire of British Colonial manners and morals.  One of the twentieth century’s great writers deftly combines humor, pathos and mystery to set up a shocking ending.

April 1 ─ Bob Berthelson ─ Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick.  The U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 was among America’s most ambitious undertakings.  Six vessels and hundreds of sailors, botanists, geologists and biologists were commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilks, whose abrasiveness alienated his crew.  Nevertheless, they discovered Antarctica, explored Pacific islands and collected thousands of specimens.  Philbrick reconstructs a darker saga than official reports ever told.

April 8 ─ Morgan Corrigan ─ Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. Although the film version with Mancini’s song Moon River is better known, the novel is a reader’s literary treasure. Capote saw Holly Golightly as the favorite of all his fictional characters.  She shared his philosophy of freedom and acceptance of human irregularities, as well as his fears and anxieties ─ the “mean reds” as she called them.

April 15 ─ Celia Maddox ─ Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. This calm, apparently straightforward tale of a passive young Irishwoman’s immigration to Brooklyn in the 1950s is just what it seems–a tender and affecting portrait of making a life in a new skin.  At the same time, it’s a risky, surprising novel that challenges our assumptions about that old story.  This gifted writer experiments with restraint in his storytelling style and in his creation of characters who have rich interiors but can’t say aloud what they are thinking.

April 22 ─ Maryjane Pacifico ─ The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. Tony Webster, whose career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, contends with a past he never thought much about.  When his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance–one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present–he is presented with a mysterious legacy that forces him to rethink his own nature and place in the world.

April 29 ─ Richard Auwarter  ─ On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. In this humane, touching and sometimes comic portrait of marital misunderstanding, Florence and Edward celebrate their marriage in a hotel on the Dorset coast.  As they dine, anxieties about their wedding night hang over them.  Owing to the gesture not made, the word not spoken, the events of this night will resonate throughout their lives.

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New! Ever since The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, mysteries have remained one of the most enduring genres in literature.  Is it the action, the analysis or just a good old scare that keeps readers coming back for more?  Maybe it’s that mysteries can also be sprinkled with history, humor and hobbies along with the homicide.  We look at three of the most popular topics in the mystery community (the real Sherlock Holmes, killer hobbies, female sleuths) and ends with a special look at some Connecticut authors and librarians who are doing their part to make the Nutmeg State a hub for mystery enthusiasts.

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Nuovo! Is learning a language difficult?  No! Come help dispel the myth!  Join us to discover how easy, fun and rewarding it can be.  Recent research extols the benefits of bilingualism.  We optimize the human brain’s natural ability to acquire languages by learning high frequency Italian words through the use of gestures, personal stories and simple language. The facilitator bypasses the traditional approach by creating a comprehensible, laid back and entertaining immersion environment.  Instead of memorizing random lists of vocabulary and verb conjugations, you gain fluency fast just by listening and participating.

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Revised! Tracing Jewish humor from its Eastern European origins we demonstrate how Jewish comics entered the cultural mainstream of America at the turn of the twentieth century.  With great perseverance, they expanded their audiences from the Yiddish theater to vaudeville, reaching even larger audiences by seizing upon the new technologies of radio and motion pictures.  The Borscht Belt became an incubator for some of the successful comics who made the transition to the new world of television and movies in the post WWII era.  The rise of Jewish women comedians who broke through a male-dominated medium is discussed.  Finally, we explore where Jewish humor seems to be headed in this century, what changes have occurred and who are some of the best representatives of this new generation.

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Continued! It is not always recognized that Abraham loved two women, nor is it commonly accepted that one can love two wives equally and the sons born to each.  We attempt to reconcile the conflicting emotions that come into play as the plot unfolds.  This course is textually based.  Students should bring a Bible to class to read along as we follow a powerful drama that still resonates today. New students welcome.

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New! What is love? Building on psychologist Rollo May’s book, Love and Will, we examine four kinds of love in major dramas.

• Sex, lust, libido in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.
• Eros and creation in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• Philia, or friendship, in John Steinbeck’s dramatization, Of Mice and Men.
• Agape, caritas, or love of others and of God in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

We supplement our reading with video clips from productions of these works.

Sign up for this course ONLY if you read the plays and participate in discussions.

Please read A Streetcar Named Desire before the first session.

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All Time Favorite! This course, now in its 18th year, continues to feature musical, dramatic and comic scenes from movies with rarely a repeated sequence such is the film library of the facilitator.  This series emphasizes the Golden Age of Hollywood (1931-1960), yet includes many scenes from movies up to the present day.  All clips are introduced with a history of the genre, the stars, the directors, the choreographers, the moguls, the behind-the-scenes artisans, and the gossip that is pertinent to what is shown.  Hear explanations of how the magic was created, along with those all-too-many goofs Hollywood wants us to forget.  The facilitator opens each session with a monologue about the film industry and presents two popular name games and the birthday game.  These classes make one nostalgic for the good old days when movies were sheer entertainment, when stars were stars and dancing and singing in the streets were a joy to behold.  Handouts await attendees each week.

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New! Foreign and domestic affairs are best understood through a practical knowledge of the belief systems in which they originated.  We examine four major political systems relevant to our times:  Communism, Fascism, Capitalism and Socialism.  The origins of each of these systems are considered, along with their fundamental principals.  Modern historical examples of these doctrines are examined, up to and including present day governments.

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New! So many of our great popular songs have surprising histories.  We learn a variety of little-known facts behind some classic American songs including anecdotes about the events and personalities that produced them. Join us to revisit the songs as Dr. Joe also discusses the lyrics and plays the songs for us on the grand piano.

New course dates 3/20, 3/27, 4/10, 5/1, 5/8

PepsiCo

Perennial! A basic botany course for gardeners, nature and flower lovers or just the naturally curious.  We learn plant vocabulary and begin to understand the diversity of flowering plants and the simple reproductive processes and pollination needs that shape flowers.  By dissecting a variety of flowers, we get a closer look at what’s inside.  In the last class we take a walk in a wildflower woods to experience and enjoy flowers in nature.

More! An historical tour of some of America’s iconoclasts, heretics and radicals.  Everyone remembers James Dean, the brooding teen idol of the 50s, the anti-hero star of Rebel Without a Cause.  There have been, however, real-life rebels with a cause.  This course identifies counterculture figures who frequently flew below the radar of traditional history.  We examine to what extent they reflected profiles in courage, vision or futility and how they ultimately affected American society. Rebels worthy of consideration include some of the following:  Daniel Shays, Lucy Stone and Susan B. Anthony, Chief Joseph, John Brown, Ida B. Wells, John T. Scopes, Bob Dylan and Daniel Inouye.

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New! “Brush up your Shakespeare, start quoting him now,” advises the Broadway musical Kiss Me Kate.  Better still, start singing him now.  We see excerpts from six operas based on plays by Shakespeare.  Verdi wrote Otello, Macbeth and Falstaff and Gounod wrote Romeo and Juliet.  In some operas a Shakespeare play was just the jumping-off point: Verdi’s Otello closely follows Shakespeare’s plot, while Rossini’s Otello departs a lot from the play’s action and focus.  Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet matches the play scene by scene, while Bellini composed  The Capulets and the Montagues with quite a different emphasis.  We visit these and other possibilities in the course.  The DVDs we watch are the best of the best, when there are several productions to choose from.  No prior knowledge of opera or Shakespeare is assumed.

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New! Why do organic soil building and gardening produce extraordinary quality and yield?  Why is it healthier, less expensive, more robust and sustainable than traditional practices?  In this course we share tips and techniques on how seniors might work wiser, not harder, on home plantings, vegetable gardens and lawns.  We focus on the roles of nutrients, microbes and other free energy sources that provide vitality to the soil food web.  Springtime tasks are discussed, with tips on vegetable growing and emphasis on top-notch tomato-growing results.  Together we show how our practices above the ground impact life and fertility below the ground.

Another Helping! Here are more fun and interesting topics that have no connection to each other except their roots in the American experience.

Each class begins with a visual presentation followed by class discussion, handouts and suggestions for further study.

• Valor and Compassion: Women in the Civil War
• The Enigma of Benedict Arnold, Connecticut’s Traitorous Hero
• The Civil War on Postage Stamps: Heroes both North and South
• From  Independence to Saratoga: Crisis in the American Revolution
• George S. Cook, Connecticut’s Confederate Photographer
• Flags, Fireworks and Parades: Early Patriotic Post Card Greetings

Hola! Join us to learn a new language or refine basic skills you may already have.  This course for beginners combines Latin culture with the fundamentals of the language.  The goal is to be able to read, write and speak basic Spanish well enough to communicate with most native speakers.  We cover basic grammar, but focus more on interactive communication techniques that enhance personal comfort with the language.  Practical application through role playing and scenario development help students who plan to visit a Spanish-speaking country or just want to say hello to someone.  And we do homework!  Returning students are welcome.

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Updated! The goal of espionage in its various forms is to gain knowledge of your enemy. We focus on the most successful espionage operations from earliest inceptions to present day activities.  With emphasis on the extraordinary exploits during World War II and its continuation in the Cold War, we study the recent spies Aldrich Ames, Robert Hansson and Jonathan Pollard, and the legendary operations Garbo, Tricycle, Lucy, Philby and Cynthia.  We analyze breaking the codes like Magic, Enigma and Venona.  By studying spies we find that espionage remains the same throughout history.  The only things that change are the enemy and the technology.

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Return Engagement! You are about to embark on a sojourn that focuses on the greatest land war in history: the titanic clash between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.  Decisions on the Eastern Front dictated which side was going to win the land war in World War II.  In size and scope there has been nothing like the Eastern Front before or since.  This was a conflict of German against Russian, Nazi against Communist, Hitler against Stalin.  It is the last named opposition which largely accounts for the bestiality with which the conflict was waged.  At the conclusion of this course you will have a greater understanding of the Eastern Front: a savage no-holds-barred conflict that claimed upwards of 30 million lives and a war that changed the course of history.

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New! What do oceanic mountain chains, volcanoes, earthquakes, Yellowstone’s hot springs and the hills and vales of the Merritt Parkway have in common?  They are part of our dynamic earth! We explore the processes that shape the earth and learn about some of the geological wonders we find in our backyards, national parks and around the globe.  Why are only some mountains volcanic?  Why are earthquakes more frequent on the west coast of the US?  Why are the tallest mountains not in the Himalayas?  Why is Hawaii an ever growing island chain?  How did Connecticut’s shoreline decrease by a factor of ten?  Come find the answers!

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New! In 1842 Edgar Allen Poe established the guidelines for the short story genre: a story which can be read in one sitting, has unity of effect and reveals the author’s imagination, originality and message.  As such, it is the perfect reading choice for our hectic lives.  The reader’s participation in the character’s conflict, crisis and resolution offers insight into one’s own nature and actions.  We read representative works of both classic and contemporary authors such as Poe, O’Henry, Salinger and Hemingway.  Class discussions center on the stories assigned for that week.  The facilitator provides copies of the stories at the prior week’s session.

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Old Favorite! Become a budding artist.  Discover the joys and challenges of watercolor.  This course offers step-by-step guidance in the proper techniques–brush strokes, color mixing and composition–that create realistic landscapes, seascapes and still life paintings.  Pre-created scenes are available for assistance.

Do not purchase any art supplies until you receive a list at the first class.  If you already have some supplies, bring them to class.  The facilitator will have supplies available for purchase.

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New Time Monday 12:00 to 2:00

New dates 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6

Another Old Favorite! If you are an intermediate- level water colorist, here’s a chance to improve your technique.  This course is a step-by-step guide to painting traditional landscapes, seascapes, flowers and still life.  We cover techniques: textures, perspective, transparent washes, masking, planning and composing.  Bring paints (tubes are preferred), a palette, your favorite brushes, watercolor paper and a water container to class.  Some pre-created scenes on watercolor paper are supplied.

Do not purchase any art supplies until you receive a list at the first class.  If you already have some supplies, bring them to class.  The facilitator will have supplies available for purchase.

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New! Speaking of women and power in the same breath often evokes emotional reactions and strong opinions. Generally, masculine power is admired, feminine power feared.  For centuries societies taught women to suppress their expressions of power rather than challenge the male ego, appear unattractive or threaten the status quo.  In most cultures, calling a woman powerful reflects negatively on her behavior and aspirations.  It is time to rewrite the narrative, reconstructing images of powerful women as creative leaders, artists and innovators ─ catalysts of positive change.  As women break the glass ceiling in every field, we examine the impact of being a powerful woman today.

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Return Engagement! World War I is the seminal event in human history in the last 98 years.  World War II is a continuation of the Great War.  Libya, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Vietnam, the Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe are products of World War I.  The road to the Great War goes back to the French Revolution.  In the first session, “Pandora’s Box,” we explore the dynamics of 19th century change that led to the two shots heard round the world on June 28, 1914 ─ the assassination of the heir to the Hapsburg Empire in Sarajevo, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.  In this unrivaled episode in history, a tragic-comic soap-opera led to the cataclysm that would unleash a tidal wave of change that altered man’s political, military, strategic and social landscape forever.  This was World War I.

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