Study Groups, 2010
Spring 2010
Even Deadlier – A Seven Deadly Sins Discussion Group
Facilitator: Paula Watson
Description: The seven deadly sins are back!!! The Great Books Foundation has issued a new collection of short stories on this deliciously engaging topic. Wickedly entertaining stories by authors such as Elizabeth Bowen, John Cheever, and F. Scott Fitzgerald are included in the new book called Even Deadlier. Readers who know that good and evil are not black and white concepts will find these stories will provide considerable food for thought and provoke lively conversation.
The Poe You Don’t Know
Facilitator: Thomas L. Reid
Description: Known as a master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe was multi-dimensional as a creator of written fact and fiction. A lover of women, Poe wrote both tragic love stories (“The Assignation”) and ribald essays on the female sex (“Desultory Notes on Cats”). Poe invented the detective story (“Murders in the Rue Morgue”) and helped solve an actual murder (“The Mystery of Marie Roget”). Poe’s poetry runs the gamut, from amatory verses to married women (“Song: To ----”) to commentaries on his life (“A Dream within a Dream”) to drinking verses (“Lines on Ale”). In this discussion group we will read a selection of Poe’s short stories, essays and poems with an emphasis on his humor, insight and love interests. We will read Poe’s newspaper account of the first cat, Eve’s pet cat, and “called Pusey” and that “sect of cat-worshippers, called Puseyites…” as well as see how Poe may have turned a tragedy that struck his worst enemy into one of Poe’s most beautiful poems, Annabel Lee.
Second Chance Films
Facilitator: Jenifer Cartwright
Description: Have you ever wondered how your life would have turned out if you’d attended a different college? Chosen a different job or career path? Skipped the party where you met that special person?? Ahh, haven’t we all…Participants in this study group will watch movies in which the main characters get a “second chance” to revisit important decisions they’ve made in the past and then, going back or forward in time, they explore missed opportunities and are able, finally, to move ahead with the real lives.
Titles chosen: Sliding Doors; The Family Man; Me, Myself, I; Groundhog Day; Peggy Sue Got Married; Back to the Future; Pleasantville; and (the leader of the pack!) Run, Lola, Run.
Best American Short Stories of the Century, Section II
Facilitator: Deb Townsend
Description: The study group discussions will be based on The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike. This anthology is a selection by Updike of the best stories for each decade that were published in the annual Best American Short Stories. Describing his criteria in the introduction to the volume he says: “I tried not to select stories because they illustrated a theme or portion of the national experience but because they struck me as lively, beautiful, believable, and, in the human news they brought, important.” Each week we will read and discuss two stories that were not discussed in the earlier group. Readings for the first session will be emailed to participants.
Classic Children’s Literature (aka Kiddie Lit)
Facilitator: Kathy Marshak
Description: The range of excellent books written primarily for an audience of children is astonishing. Many of us enjoyed reading these, or having them read to us, in our youth; we can always enjoy them on our own; and many of us have revisited favorites, and discovered new works, reading to our children and grandchildren. Reading aloud has always been a meaningful method of communicating among generations. Illustrations in classic as well as contemporary books are worth attention on their own merits and for the stories they convey. Our only difficulty will be limiting how many books we can look at during a study group session; this may be a topic, like The New Yorker or Short Stories, that is subject to ongoing renewal.
“What Might Have Been” : Alternate Histories in Literature and History
Facilitator: Fred Christensen
Description: "What if...?" Whether it's called alternate history, allohistory, or counterfactual history, informed speculation about "roads not taken" has always been popular. Writers as varied as Arnold Toynbee, Winston Churchill, Philip K. Dick, William McNeill, and Harry Turtledove have produced thought-provoking and entertaining examples: what if the South had won the Civil War or Napoleon had escaped to America, or Booth had missed Lincoln, or Hannibal had destroyed Rome, or Hitler had won....
The website "Uchronia" www.uchronia.net) contains a comprehensive listing of these items. Some are frivolous, silly, or satirical; others are serious and very thought-provoking, and we'll focus on this category. In six sessions, group members will discuss stories and essays by historians and writers of fiction, with each session focusing on one or more "what-if" concepts.
New Yorker Magazine
Facilitator: Don Pilcher
Description: The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of the New Yorker who want to get together to discuss articles from the magazine. An additional emphasis will be placed on professional backgrounds and life experiences that each member brings to the group. These factors will shape how we select articles and themes, develop intellectual depth and breadth, and gather supplementary materials from Internet sources. While not required, members will be encouraged to lead one weekly session in an effort to assure a broad range of topics.
2010 – Early Summer
The One-Volume World: From H.G. Wells to Jared Diamond
Facilitator: Fred Christensen
Description: In today’s world it’s more important than ever to understand other cultures as well as our own. Many historians have made the attempt to tell the stories of all the world’s peoples in a single volume. Study group members are invited to read any one or more of these thought-provoking books, and to discuss their (and your) ideas. The range of discussion topics is almost limitless.
Best American Short Stories of the Century
Facilitator: Deb Townsend
This is a continuation of the first two sections of this group. Members will discuss stories that were not read in the earlier sections.
Poetry Aloud: Discovering and Enjoying the Sounds
Facilitators: Jim Rasner and Jean Weigel
Description: Inspired and informed by Robert Pinsky's ideas ("The Sounds of Poetry" - 1998), the study group will examine a variety of poems. They will not write poetry, but we'll all read -- silently (of course!) and aloud (in groups and individually) to find the sometimes surprising effects of poets' use of sound on deepening our pleasure and our understanding. Topics: each week we'll discuss some of the Pinsky info with several poems as illustrations. There will be time for solo and group readings, for bringing in our own discoveries, and for listening to some recorded voices. We expect that ideas from the group will help to guide our plans.
Second Chance Films in Real Time
Facilitator: Jenifer Cartwright
Participants in this study group will watch and discuss films in which the main characters are stuck professionally, personally, or both. They travel geographically in real time and get a 'second chance' to turn their lives around. For this study group, Jenifer will research the film, start each session w/ Fun Facts, show the DVD, get the discussion rolling, and send attachments afterwards.
New Yorker Magazine
Facilitator: Tauby Shimkin – similar to the previous groups.
Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett
Facilitator: Sharon Michalove
Description: In a time when globalization and international finance are major new headlines, looking at similar phenomenon in the premodern period can give some perspective on how many of the issues today have continuity with the past. In the novels of Dorothy Dunnett, the character of Nicholas Fleury and his family, friends, and enemies, the rich cultures of the world of the fifteenth century come together in a way that makes the complicated history of a diverse geography more comprehensible. Most of the people he encounters on his travels are real, even if in many cases we know little about them. The group will discuss the book with various members taking the lead while the facilitator will help with historical background, bringing in relevant materials that tie into the weekly readings.
2010 Late Summer
Science and Technology Reading Group
Facilitator Norman R. Miller
The Science and Technology Reading Group will focus on one or possibly two topics during the session and read and discuss a series of articles in order to explore the state of current understanding of the topic and the implications of new developments. The group will primarily draw its material from Scientific American magazine, but will occasionally include material from other sources. In all cases, the material will be suitable for a general audience. The group will be polled before the first meeting to determine if any group members possess special expertise that can benefit the group. The group will also be presented with some alternate topics and will be asked to vote on their preference. Scientific American publishes special issues from time to time that explore an important area. For example, the April, 2010 issue includes a report on managing the Earth’s future. December 2009 contained a piece on 20 world changing ideas, and the September, 2009 issue focused on understanding the origins of the world as we know it.
New Yorker Magazine
Facilitator Cheri Sullivan
The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of The New Yorker who want to get together to discuss articles from the magazine. The facilitator will lead the first two discussions, but will ask for volunteers to lead subsequent sessions. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views. Three or four recent New Yorker articles will be discussed at each session. The discussion leader will select the articles and notify members at least 1 week in advance.
German Genealogy,
Facilitator Anna Merritt
You think your great-great grandfather came from a tiny town called something-something "haus" somewhere in southwestern Germany, but you're wondering how to find it. You've got a faded document given to you by your mother and supposedly showing the date and place of her grandparents' marriage back in the 1800s, but you have no idea what it really says. Anna Merritt, a German speaker since early childhood and frequent visitor to her parents' native country, will lead group members in an exploration of their German heritage and will help decipher and translate old German documents. The group will use a variety of genealogical approaches including the internet, will explore local resources (such as the UIUC and Urbana and Champaign public libraries) and may invite local experts to discuss specific topics of interest.
Fall 2010
Representation of Women in Early Cinema 1920-1940s
Facilitator: Connie Hosier
Description:
Connie will present background information about the “types” of women that were used in the earliest movies. One movie will be shown and discussed for each of the eight sessions. Two silent films will be shown to illustrate the contrast between vamp and virgin types. With the advent of sound and eventually the introduction of the Production Code, a major shift in “type” became evident in women’s roles. Two movies would again be used as examples. Next, will be a brief introduction to the WWII years with the career woman and the femme fatale of film noir becoming popular images on screen. As in the previous topics, there would be one film for each type. Lastly, two films in the “Women’s Film” category will be presented and discussed.
Science and Technology Reading Group
Facilitator: Norman R. Miller
Description:
The Science and Technology Reading Group will focus on several topics during the session. We will start out discussing cognitive science and will choose the following topics as the group evolves. We will read and discuss a series of articles in order to explore the state of current understanding of the topic and the implications of new developments. Group members will suggest the articles to be read for discussion at the next weekly meeting. The group will primarily draw its material from the Scientific American magazine, but will occasionally include material from other sources. In all cases, the material will be suitable for a general audience. The group will be polled before the first meeting to determine if any group members possess special expertise that can benefit the group. Guests who can add their expertise to our discussions may be invited to some meetings.
BEST OF ALL - A Special Book Discussion/Interest Group
Facilitator: Pauline Cochrane
Would you like to re-read and discuss with friends a book on your "Best of All" reading list? If you delight in reading, get lost in a good book, and love the intellectual stimulation of the printed word, then this is the interest group for you. We will explore this idea by email and get a list of books we enjoy and choose a book to start with. Participants will read the assigned book prior to the monthly discussion group and come prepared to share their ideas. Book selections for the next month will be determined at the previous session or will be selected in order of reading for the reminder of the year at the first discussion session.
Olive Kitteridge
Facilitator: Paula Watson
Description: This Pulitzer Prize winning novel consists of thirteen interlinked stories. Peopled with complicated and original characters, it examines themes such as love, loss, acceptance, and aging--all against the vividly created backdrop of a small American town. Reviewers have called it “gloriously powerful”...” delicate, nuanced and profoundly moving” and “deeply human.” Even if you’ve read it once, the book stands up well to a close second reading. We will discuss two chapters per week. Participants are required to purchase the paperback for $14 at bookstores.
New Yorker Magazine/Section I
Facilitator: Cheri Sullivan
Description: The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of The New Yorker who want to get together to discuss articles from the magazine. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views. While not required, members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles in an effort to assure a broad range of topics.
New Yorker Magazine/Section II
Facilitator: Jean Weigel
Description:
The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of The New Yorker who want to get together to discuss articles from the magazine. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views. While not required, members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles in an effort to assure a broad range of topics.
Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”: FILM, BOOK, IDEAS
Facilitator: Fred Christensen
Description:
J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings” has been called the most influential and popular work of fantasy of the twentieth century, and the film adaptation has carried its appeal into the 21st. This group will discuss the book and film versions of the trilogy. The “extended edition” of the films will be shown as a miniseries, in six episodes of about two hours each. This edition contains more than two hours of new scenes not shown in the theatrical releases (which were essentially abridged versions), and these scenes add greatly to characterization and plot clarity. After each film showing, discussions can cover everything from personalities and plot to the richly detailed fantasy world of Middle-Earth with its historical and mythological roots, the moral, ethical and religious themes explored in the tale, and the art of adapting a much-beloved literary work to film.
Spring of the Ram by Dorothy Dunnett
Facilitator: Sharon Michalove.
Description: In a time when globalization and international finance are major news headlines, looking at similar phenomenon in the premodern period can give some perspective on how many of the issues today have continuity with the past. In the novels of Dorothy Dunnett, the character of Nicholas Fleury and his family, friends, and enemies, the rich cultures of the world of the fifteenth century come together in a way that makes the complicated history of a diverse geography more comprehensible. Most of the people he encounters on his travels are real, even if in many cases we know little about them. The group will discuss the book with various members taking the lead while the facilitator will help with the historical background, bringing in relevant materials that tie into the weekly readings.
Critical Thinking about the Vietnam War in Modern American Society: A comparison to the present
Facilitator: David Zell
Description: Various lessons of the Vietnam War give Americans of the 21st century a chance to challenge our assumptions and ideas, or lack of ideas, that determine where we are heading as a democratic republic. While we do not necessarily reject all current assumptions, we do need to explore what we have been doing (or not doing) as a republic and determine whether these assumptions are valid or merely muddling from one conflict to another.
This study group will ask some pertinent questions based on our experiences from the Vietnam War era to the present. Topics include: 1) What we didn’t know about Vietnam; 2) How wars begin (Gulf of Tonkin); 3) Who fights our wars and the strategies and tactics used; 4) Turning points of wars (Tet Offensive); 5) Secret war, the media, & public opinion; 6) Moral aspects of wars (My Lai); 7) Dissent during war/anti-war movement; and 8) How do we end our wars/exit strategies or the lack of them.
Health Affairs Reading Group
Facilitator: Sallie Miller
Description: Health Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research. The peer-reviewed journal was founded in 1981 under the aegis of Project HOPE, a nonprofit international health education organization. Health Affairs explores health policy issues of current concern in both domestic and international spheres.