TUESDAY, APR 2 Broadway Bids Farewell: Rivera and Harnick, with Karen Valen 10:30-11:45am Chita Rivera and Sheldon Harnick, both three-time Tony winners, passed away recently. This class will provide many of their career highlights through video clips. We’ll see Chita dancing and singing in her many roles on Broadway: West Side Story, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and so many others. Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics for Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello, The Rothschilds, and others will be on display. And yes, a guarantee that Zero will appear wishing to be a rich man. Karen has been attending theater regularly since 1954 when Mary Martin flew past her in Peter Pan, and she ushers both on and off-Broadway.
WEDNESDAY, APR 3 Women’s History Month on Lillian Wald, Pioneer of Social and Heathcare Reform, with Paul Kaplan 1:00-2:45pm
As part of Women’s History Month, CL&L turns the spotlight on Lillian Wald, a social and healthcare reformer who pioneered two groundbreaking organizations that remain important today: Henry Street Settlement and Visiting Nurse Service. Wald framed public health and nursing as a profession and ushered in the innovative solution of settlement houses. She began programs that are part of everyday life today, such as school lunches and nurses in public schools. Wald was adept at navigating the poorest and most densely populated neighborhoods, as well as the upper circles of society where she sought donors to support her efforts. A strong advocate for women's suffrage, racial integration, and worker's rights when these issues were not popular. Wald was called by Pres. Franklin Roosevelt “one of the least known yet most important people” of her time. Paul chronicles her many contributions in his award-winning book, Lillian Wald: America’s Great Social and Healthcare Reformer. He is the author of 7 books, including New York's Original Penn Station (which he spoke about previously at CL&L), Irving Berlin, New York in the Progressive Era, Jewish New York, and Jewish South Florida. He has given nearly 90 talks nationwide. BA, Ethics, Politics and Economics, and MBA, Marketing and Strategy, Yale Univ.
Superb Suspense: Classic Movie Discussions, with Bobbie Stein 2:45-4:00pm
This 4-session course focuses on suspense thrillers and film noir, each focused on a sensational film from Hollywood’s most dazzling classics. Bobbie discusses each movie, shows its trailer and selected video clips, and the backstory of the production, director and stars. Session #1 is Mildred Pierce (1945). This is the story of a hard-working, devoted mother, and her treasured but conniving daughter – who both become involved with the same double-dealing man. Starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, and Zachary Scott, and directed by Michael Curtiz, it is a classic film noir, filled with fog and shadows and night scenes in the rain. For this extraordinary mystery/thriller, Crawford won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her spectacular performance. A mother for the ages! Bobbie asks that you watch the movies before class. They're available on Amazon and Apple. Bobbie was a writer and editor at People and US Magazines, and a researcher and producer at ABC, NBC, and CBS News. She’s a lifelong lover of movies.
THURSDAY, APR 4 Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the USA, with Rachel Slade 2:45-4:00pm A look at the story of manufacturing in America today, this session asks if it can ever successfully return to our shores and why our nation depends on it. The story is told through the experience of a young couple as they attempt to rebuild a lost industry in an ethical way. Ben and Whitney Waxman are tireless idealists attempting to do the impossible: produce an American-made, union-made, all American-sourced sweatshirt – an American hoodie. Ben spent a decade organizing workers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin, fighting for Americans at a time when national support for unions had sunk to an all-time low. Struggling with depression and drug dependency, Ben lands back in his hometown of Portland, Maine, desperate to prove that ethical manufacturing is possible. He meets Whitney, a bartender wrestling with her own complicated past. They see a better future, a version of the American dream they can build together. Making It in America is a deeply personal account of one couple's quest to change the world. As they navigate private struggles, international trade wars, and a global pandemic, their story carries us across the nation and across time: cotton fields in Mississippi, NYC’s hollowed-out garment district, a family-owned zipper company in LA, to knit-and-dye factories in North Carolina. The book grapples with what "Made in the USA" really means to us today. It offers a unique look at global politics, economics, and labor through the story of textile manufacturing, keeping in mind that it was the demand for cheap cloth that sparked the industrial revolution and the brutality of the textile industry that first drove workers to organize. The Waxmans' quest tells us how our country got here, where we are now, and where we're headed through the people that produce the fabric of our lives. Rachel is an author, editor and journalist.
CONTINUING CLASSES
TUESDAY, APR 2 Poetry for Pleasure in the Spring, with Barry Wallenstein 1:00-2:15pm These lectures with discussion will involve close readings of poems – classic, modern, and contemporary. Our aim is to listen to the sound poems make. What makes a successful language performance? We will discuss these works’ emotional truth, unity of expression, and attention-holding, pleasure-providing use of language. Barry is the author of 12 collections of poetry, most recently It’s About Time, as well as Time on the Move and Tony’s Blues (bilingual French and English).
In our class for April 2, we’ll discuss the following poems:
The Opposite House by Robert Lowell – p. 33
Sonnet 64 by William Shakespeare – p. 8
Spring Song by Dorothy Parker – p. 14
The Rumm Tumm Tugger is a Curious Cat by T.S. Eliot – p. 18-19
To An Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman – p. 20
Song in the Manner of Housman by Ezra Pound – p.21
The Pylons by Stephen Spender – p. 29
Here is the poetry book for the semester: CLICK HERE What Do You Think? Discussion, with Bill Goldman 2:45-4:00pm This course is a group discussion of current events, focusing on significant economic, social, and political issues in the news. A few key articles from major newspapers and journals will be sent to students in advance to read so we can come to talk about our views on the subjects. We want to hear what you think!
The attached articles for discussion include an explanation of why Americans over 60 are so happy, Joe Manchin's description of why our energy policy is a success, and a review of programs across the US that are providing people cash with no strings attached.
WEDNESDAY, APR 3 The Beatles’ Final Years, with Scott McLaren 10:30-11:45am We’ll discuss the Beatles' search for greater meaning via Transcendental Meditation followed by their formation of and motivation for Apple Corps, their business venture. In this session, Scott talks about The Beatles (aka White) album, Hey Jude and the “Get Back” sessions. He'll also focus on the increasing tension within the group. THURSDAY, APR 4 Election Law, Voting Rights, and the American Democratic System, with Leora Harpaz 10:30-11:45am In this week’s class, Leora will complete her discussion of the Voting Rights Act and then turn to other federal laws concerning elections. Those include the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and its replacement in 2022, after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, with the Electoral Count Reform Act. Time allowing, she will then start to discuss the various forms of gerrymandering. Leora welcomes your suggestions for other subjects you’d like to hear about. Please use the following link if you would like to make suggestions for topics you would like covered in upcoming classes: http://www.lharpaz.com/ContinuingEd/CLL/2024suggestions/
Politics 2024, with Larry Geneen 1:00-2:15pm
The presidential campaign continues with fierce attacks by the presumptive nominees. Larry covers the battle and key messages, including updates on former president Trump’s legal issues. In Congress, the question is who will replace Senator McConnell. There was a surprisingly big victory on reproductive rights in Alabama, of all places, which has encouraged Democrats. Larry also keeps an eye on NYS and NYC developments. He always encourages interactive discussions and welcomes student suggestions of topics to cover; write to judy@langerqual.com.
And There’s More…
WNBC celebrates Chuck Scarborough 50th anniversary with the station.He’s been a great newscaster. We thank him for speaking at one of our Inside TV News classes with Magee Hickey, in honor of our board member, Rita Satz.
You can also register and pay on our website clandl.org or send a check for $265 made out to “CL&L” to our PO Box below. One tuition fee pays for unlimited classes!
We hope you'll reach out to your friends and family members to encourage them to register for our courses so they too can enjoy the benefits of continuing education. Growing our student memberships helps us keep our costs reasonable and introduces new people who bring different perspectives to our classes.
Registered students will receive a $50 bonus payment for any new registered student they bring in.
We look forward to seeing you and your friends!
Judy
Judy Langer, CL&L Executive Director
Any questions? Email us at: info@clandl.org
or call 212-644-3320 CL&L, PO Box 592, New York, NY 10028-0019
The Center for Learning and Living, Inc.
Since 1994 – Affiliated with Marymount Manhattan College
PO Box 592, New York, NY 10028-0019 212-644-3320 | clandl.org | info@clandl.org
Chita Rivera and Sheldon Harnick, both three-time Tony winners, passed away recently. This class will provide many of their career highlights through video clips. We’ll see Chita dancing and singing in her many roles on Broadway: West Side Story, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and so many others. Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics for Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello, The Rothschilds, and others will be on display. And yes, a guarantee that Zero will appear wishing to be a rich man. Karen has been attending theater regularly since 1954 when Mary Martin flew past her in Peter Pan, and she ushers both on and off-Broadway.
