Courses are eight weeks long and meet in locations across Greater Cleveland. There are no written assignments or exams; instead, the classes provide an open environment for lively discussion based on meaningful examination of shared texts.
As a young social worker, Frances Perkins witnessed the traumatic Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911, which killed 146 workers. She immediately became an activist, as well as a lifelong advocate for critical reforms and programs. Learn how Labor Secretary Perkins teamed with FDR to create the New Deal legislation, which continues today.
In our unique genomes, every one of us carries the story of our species--births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration, and a lot of sex. But those stories have always been locked away--until now. Geneticists have suddenly become historians, and the hard evidence in our DNA has blown the lid off what we thought we knew.
Delve into the reality and psyche of the brave women who tempted both fate and the ire of King Henry VIII for the title of Queen. Read how history has painted Henry and the Queens. Did some “fail” in the end because they wanted more than the Tudor life? Were they trying to break out of a mold?
Portrait is 100 years old and remains a challenging and relevant classic, as is Joyce's shorter work The Dead. Guided group discussions focusing on themes, style, character, setting, imagery, and plot will provide an intellectually rigorous and enriching experience.
With regards to Western civilization, all roads do indeed lead to Rome. Mary Beard, the esteemed classicist at Cambridge University, takes us on a journey to the heart and soul of Rome, from its inception in 753 BC, through its Republican phase, and into its Imperial age -- nearly a thousand-year span of triumph and tragedy, success and strife.
In this timely look at the confirmation process, Wil Haygood’s book reveals Lyndon B. Johnson’s masterful political talent in getting Thurgood Marshall appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Book: Wil Haygood, Showdown
As America has become more polarized, Haidt challenges conventional thinking about morality, politics, and religion in a way that speaks to everyone on the political spectrum.
Relive the intense struggle of Michelangelo in his restless search for Truth and Beauty. Set in the turbulent world of 14th and 15th century Italy with its plotting princes, warring popes, brilliant artists and authors, there is indeed a new awakening which reshapes the future of Europe and Western civilization.
"... A magisterial account of Rome and its remarkable ascent from an obscure agrarian backwater to the greatest empire the world has ever known." The reader is not only witness to the fascinating birth of Rome, but also its inevitable decline.
We will examine three of Alfred Hitchcock’s films and their literary sources. The written work will be discussed first, followed by a screening and discussion of the film adaptation.
Books: J. Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps; P. Highsmith, Strangers on a Train; and C. Woolrich, Rear Window.