Peer Learning Courses
Fall 2022
Friends Around the Kitchen Table
Facilitator: Kris Yensen
Binkley Pocket Room
Monday – 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 12-26, Oct 10-Nov 14, Nov 28-Dec 12
We don’t share food and drink at our Kitchen Table; we share stories. Each week we choose a theme and share stories of success and failure, love and loss, wonder, surprise, occasional tears and frequent laughter. Come share your pet peeves, your favorite memories, best adventures, and hard-won wisdom.
Short Story
Facilitator: Lori Shapiro & others
Binkley Binkley Pocket Room
Monday - 1:15-2:45 12 weeks, Sept 12-26, Oct 10-Nov 14, Nov 28-Dec 12
The “short story” is a unique and special genre with its own guidelines and features as a craft. Join us as we embark on this rewarding journey of literary exploration and discovery. We will be using “The Art of the Tale: An International Anthology of Short Stories, ed. Daniel Halpern, 1986”. Each week a different participant will select a story and moderate group discussion.
Legend of King Arthur
Facilitator: Gary West
Binkley Pocket Room
Tuesday - 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 13-27, Oct 11-Nov 15, Nov 29-Dec 13
The course is based on the lectures of Dr. Dorsey Armstrong for the Great Courses series. Dr. Armstrong is a professor of English and recognized scholar on the Arthurian legend & she will consider the legend’s origin, development, historical context and relevance for modern times. Each session will include a lecture by Professor Armstrong followed by discussion of issues raised in the lectures and comments/questions from participants. An additional focus will be to examine if King Arthur is a good model for leaders in modern times.
Professor Armstrong gives 24 lectures, so the class is planned for two semesters.
Colonialism Worldwide
Facilitator: Mir Ali
Binkley Pocket Room
Tuesday – 1:45-3:15 12 weeks, Sept 13-27, Oct 11-Nov 15, Nov 29-Dec 13
The course will begin with a repeat of “Russian Queens” from last year and will continue with 11 classes on colonial rule worldwide under Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany. During the sessions, we shall learn about these colonial efforts and discuss the positive and negative effects of colonialism.
Reading Shakespeare
Facilitator: Beth Timson
Binkley Pocket Room
Wednesday – 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 14-28, Oct 12-Nov 16, Nov 30-Dec 14
You don’t need to be an “expert” to read Shakespeare and have a wonderful time doing it! The play Othello is a shattering exploration of being “other” in all the forms it can take, showing the destructive force of jealousy. It’s a passionate, innovative tragedy, with strong roles for a variety of readers, and reading and discussing it with a group can open up new ways of thinking about it.
We will spend part of each meeting reading through the play aloud to get a sense of the sound and rhythm and hear the voices. After reading, we’ll take time for discussion, because our perceptions of the play and the characters will evolve as we hear them “speak” through us. Bring your own copy of Othello, any edition.
American Beginnings: Explorers, Settlers, and Society
Facilitator: Frank Binkowski
Binkley Pocket Room
Wednesday - 1:45-3:15 12 weeks, Sept 14-28, Oct 12-Nov 16, Nov 30-Dec 14
This class will be a stroll through US History from the first European explorations to 1800. We will meet some explorers and talk about the consequences of their journeys, introduce people who are not usually mentioned in standard accounts, look at groups of settlers and peek into their homes and lifestyles. Throughout the course participants will be encouraged to add to the discussion from their own knowledge and experience
The Story behind the Knowledge
Facilitators: Matt Epstein & Beth Timson
Binkley Pocket Room
Thurs – 11:15-12:45 6 weeks, Sept 15-29, Oct 13-20
Science is more than just knowledge -- it involves people, situations, and circumstances. Matt will help us get the story behind some of the world's most significant scientific discoveries for four classes. Beth will follow up with two classes on how maps and geography shape politics and history. If interest continues, further classes can be added.
Hollywood in the 1940s
Facilitator: Kit Hill
Binkley Room 17
Thursday - 1:45-3:45 12 weeks, Sept 15-29, Oct 13-Nov 17, Dec 1-Dec 15
Although the decade of the 1940s was marked by war, some great new comedy directors emerged. Perhaps the best of them is Preston Sturges, and we'll look at one of his films along with two comedies by Ernst Lubitsch and Howard Hawks, great directors who also influenced 1930s comedies. The signature genre of the decade was film noir, and we'll watch five, starting with The Maltese Falcon and a just-released restoration of Double Indemnity. Women in the 1940s emerged as a significant economic force, and women's drama took on issues rarely if ever considered during the 1930s. We'll look at three woman-centric movies. Finally, you can't omit Hitchcock from any balanced look at the 1940s, so we'll watch Shadow of a Doubt, the movie Hitch long claimed as his own favorite among all his films.
Book Club
Facilitator: Kris Yensen
Binkley Pocket Room
One Friday Per Month – 11:15-12:45 Sept 30, Oct 28, Nov 18, Dec 16
We will meet in person using books from the library. If you are interested, please register with your email and we will let you know details as soon as announced.
Special Events: Watch for further announcements.
Facilitator: Kris Yensen
Binkley Pocket Room
Monday – 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 12-26, Oct 10-Nov 14, Nov 28-Dec 12
We don’t share food and drink at our Kitchen Table; we share stories. Each week we choose a theme and share stories of success and failure, love and loss, wonder, surprise, occasional tears and frequent laughter. Come share your pet peeves, your favorite memories, best adventures, and hard-won wisdom.
Short Story
Facilitator: Lori Shapiro & others
Binkley Binkley Pocket Room
Monday - 1:15-2:45 12 weeks, Sept 12-26, Oct 10-Nov 14, Nov 28-Dec 12
The “short story” is a unique and special genre with its own guidelines and features as a craft. Join us as we embark on this rewarding journey of literary exploration and discovery. We will be using “The Art of the Tale: An International Anthology of Short Stories, ed. Daniel Halpern, 1986”. Each week a different participant will select a story and moderate group discussion.
Legend of King Arthur
Facilitator: Gary West
Binkley Pocket Room
Tuesday - 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 13-27, Oct 11-Nov 15, Nov 29-Dec 13
The course is based on the lectures of Dr. Dorsey Armstrong for the Great Courses series. Dr. Armstrong is a professor of English and recognized scholar on the Arthurian legend & she will consider the legend’s origin, development, historical context and relevance for modern times. Each session will include a lecture by Professor Armstrong followed by discussion of issues raised in the lectures and comments/questions from participants. An additional focus will be to examine if King Arthur is a good model for leaders in modern times.
Professor Armstrong gives 24 lectures, so the class is planned for two semesters.
Colonialism Worldwide
Facilitator: Mir Ali
Binkley Pocket Room
Tuesday – 1:45-3:15 12 weeks, Sept 13-27, Oct 11-Nov 15, Nov 29-Dec 13
The course will begin with a repeat of “Russian Queens” from last year and will continue with 11 classes on colonial rule worldwide under Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany. During the sessions, we shall learn about these colonial efforts and discuss the positive and negative effects of colonialism.
Reading Shakespeare
Facilitator: Beth Timson
Binkley Pocket Room
Wednesday – 11:15-12:45 12 weeks, Sept 14-28, Oct 12-Nov 16, Nov 30-Dec 14
You don’t need to be an “expert” to read Shakespeare and have a wonderful time doing it! The play Othello is a shattering exploration of being “other” in all the forms it can take, showing the destructive force of jealousy. It’s a passionate, innovative tragedy, with strong roles for a variety of readers, and reading and discussing it with a group can open up new ways of thinking about it.
We will spend part of each meeting reading through the play aloud to get a sense of the sound and rhythm and hear the voices. After reading, we’ll take time for discussion, because our perceptions of the play and the characters will evolve as we hear them “speak” through us. Bring your own copy of Othello, any edition.
American Beginnings: Explorers, Settlers, and Society
Facilitator: Frank Binkowski
Binkley Pocket Room
Wednesday - 1:45-3:15 12 weeks, Sept 14-28, Oct 12-Nov 16, Nov 30-Dec 14
This class will be a stroll through US History from the first European explorations to 1800. We will meet some explorers and talk about the consequences of their journeys, introduce people who are not usually mentioned in standard accounts, look at groups of settlers and peek into their homes and lifestyles. Throughout the course participants will be encouraged to add to the discussion from their own knowledge and experience
The Story behind the Knowledge
Facilitators: Matt Epstein & Beth Timson
Binkley Pocket Room
Thurs – 11:15-12:45 6 weeks, Sept 15-29, Oct 13-20
Science is more than just knowledge -- it involves people, situations, and circumstances. Matt will help us get the story behind some of the world's most significant scientific discoveries for four classes. Beth will follow up with two classes on how maps and geography shape politics and history. If interest continues, further classes can be added.
Hollywood in the 1940s
Facilitator: Kit Hill
Binkley Room 17
Thursday - 1:45-3:45 12 weeks, Sept 15-29, Oct 13-Nov 17, Dec 1-Dec 15
Although the decade of the 1940s was marked by war, some great new comedy directors emerged. Perhaps the best of them is Preston Sturges, and we'll look at one of his films along with two comedies by Ernst Lubitsch and Howard Hawks, great directors who also influenced 1930s comedies. The signature genre of the decade was film noir, and we'll watch five, starting with The Maltese Falcon and a just-released restoration of Double Indemnity. Women in the 1940s emerged as a significant economic force, and women's drama took on issues rarely if ever considered during the 1930s. We'll look at three woman-centric movies. Finally, you can't omit Hitchcock from any balanced look at the 1940s, so we'll watch Shadow of a Doubt, the movie Hitch long claimed as his own favorite among all his films.
Book Club
Facilitator: Kris Yensen
Binkley Pocket Room
One Friday Per Month – 11:15-12:45 Sept 30, Oct 28, Nov 18, Dec 16
We will meet in person using books from the library. If you are interested, please register with your email and we will let you know details as soon as announced.
Special Events: Watch for further announcements.