This week’s new classes on research about the lives of women in midlife and beyond, what you need to know about dementia, a physical therapist’s insights into aging gracefully, and Fred Astaire. A look at upcoming events.

CL&L Spring Semester Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82177728725
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 821 7772 8725

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This is the last week of spring semester classes – and it’s packed with a great array of stimulating and enjoyable sessions. We are planning our end-of-year celebration and a museum outing in June. And we’ll have special free classes during the summer, open to all.

NEW CLASSES  

TUESDAY, MAY 14
Women at Midlife and Beyond: What Research Reveals, with Diane Okrent and Deborah Ferro Burke
10:30-11:45am
Diane and Deborah have conducted research over the past quarter century with more than a thousand women from their 50s into their 80s. They looked at the women’s lives over time: personal development, family life, careers, aspirations, losses, and the world around us. The studies create snapshots of life at different ages, as well as a long-term picture. Participants told them that it is confirming and comforting to learn about how other women live. Their research, both statistical and open-ended, was conducted among their classmates in the Smith College Class of 1973, other Smith alumnae 50-80 years old, as well as women in the US and Canada who attended other colleges and public universities. The stories they’ll discuss in this session will inform both women and men about their own lives and can lead to further exploration of the choices we make as we age. Diane is a marketing research consultant specializing in qualitative research, moderating focus groups and conducting individual interviews; MBA, Marketing, NYU. Deborah is a specialist in leadership and human development ; former corporate executive, management professor, consultant and coach; PhD, Human and Organization Systems, Fielding Graduate Univ.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
Understanding Dementia: What You Need to Know and Where to Go, with Marcia Henne
10:30-11:45am
Marcia, a program director at CaringKind, will discuss Alzheimer's disease and dementia: the early symptoms of memory loss, what to do and where to go when you notice these symptoms in yourself or others, and dementia caregiving. She will describe the stages of the disease, from early to late, and the importance of support when it affects you or loved ones. CaringKind is an organization with 40+ years of experience working with community partners to develop information, tools, and training to support individuals and families affected by dementia. The organization provides a helpline staffed with dementia specialists, individual and family consultations, a large network of support groups, education programs, early-stage services and a wanderer's safety program. Marcia's work in the field stems from her personal journey as a caregiver to her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. This life-altering experience inspired her to shift her career focus towards supporting people living with dementia. BA, Business, Manhattan Community College.
 
Aging Gracefully: Insights from a Physical Therapist, with Elizabeth McAneny
1:00-2:15pm
We can’t stop time, but with the right tools and lifestyle, we can live healthier and happier older years. In this session, Elizabeth will discuss misconceptions about aging, how to discern what is normal in the aging process, and when it's beneficial to seek the expertise of a healthcare professional. She’ll outline and demonstrate the benefits of physical activity. Physical therapy can address many age-related challenges, including managing chronic pain and bladder leakage, and improving balance. There are practical tests to assess your physical functioning and exercises you can integrate into your daily routine at home. The goal is to empower you to take proactive steps towards maintaining strength, mobility, and independence. Whether you're navigating age-related challenges or seeking proactive measures for healthy aging, the talk offers guidance on empowering your later years. Elizabeth earned her doctorate of physical therapy from Columbia University and works on the Upper East Side at Zion Physical Therapy as a pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapist.

Fred Astaire: An American Icon, with Marty Schneit
2:45-4:00pm 
This session will discuss the legendary Astaire’s life and work with illustration and film footage. Marty traces Astaire’s 70-year performing career, which began in 1905, when at the age of five, he debuted in vaudeville with his older sister Adele. Astaire and Ginger Rogers were in nine films together, including Flying Down to Rio, Roberta, Top Hat and Swing Time. Film clips will include him dancing with Ginger Rogers, Eleanor Powell, Rita Hayworth and Cyd Charisse. Marty is an amateur historian who has lectured at the NY Public Library, the JCC, the 92nd Street Y, The Health Outreach Program of NY Presbyterian Hospital, Central Synagogue, Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, The Ziegfeld Society of NY, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Fordham Univ.
 
THURSDAY, MAY 16
Looking Back at the Year of the Yuppie, with Tom McGrath
2:45-4:00pm 
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of what Newsweek and The New York Times dubbed "The Year of the Yuppie." So, who were those "young urban professionals" who so dominated the culture? And what impact did they have? Tom returns to CL&L to give us a preview of his new book, Triumph of the Yuppies: America, the Eighties, and the Creation of an Unequal Nation, which will be published in June. He does a deep dive into 1984, talking about the political, social and cultural shifts that took place four decades ago that still resonate today. (He interviewed some of our students for the book!) Tom is an award-winning writer and editor, who spent more than a decade as editor of Philadelphia magazine; in 2022 he was named Writer of the Year at the National City & Regional Magazine Awards.
 
CONTINUING CLASSES
  
TUESDAY, MAY 14 
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.
 
In our class on May 14, we’ll discuss the following poems:  
 

• After Someone’s Death by Thomas Transtromer – p. 35
• Epitaph for an Aroma by Silvina Ocampo – p. 44
• The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes – p. 54 (soundtrack Charles Mingus)
• The Night Migrations by Louise Gluck – p. 52
• Peace and Rain by Zoey Sheffield – p. 73
• Won’t You Celebrate With Me by Lucile Clifton – p. 36
• The Song of the Drunkard & Childhood by Rainer Maria Rilke – p.24
• The Soldier by David Ferry – p. 72

 
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 articles for our discussion are a comparison between Americans who have more money and Europeans, who have more time; a review of the monumental changes to prescription drug prices for seniors, and an alarming analysis that the new climate reality stretches global water supply (the not-yet discussed paper from the April 30 class). Bill looks forward to zooming with you.
 
CLICK HERE

THURSDAY, MAY 16
Law in the Headlines: Exploring Current Legal Controversies, with Leora Harpaz 
10:30-11:45am
Leora will discuss the second of the two abortion cases before the Supreme Court this Term: a case involving the availability of mifepristone, one of two drugs used for medication abortions. The case is a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration’s actions making the drug more easily available. In addition, she will review recent actions by state courts and legislatures dealing with abortion. Time allowing, she will also discuss some recent decisions by the Supreme Court, although none involve the major cases the Court will decide before the Court recesses for the summer.
 
Politics 2024, with Larry Geneen
1:00-2:15pm
Larry will talk about the latest developments in the presidential race and other key campaigns. He’ll review current polling on attitudes toward politics and issues that do (and don’t) matter to Americans. 
Larry always encourages interactive discussions and welcomes student suggestions of topics to cover; write to judy@langerqual.com.

And There’s More…
 
To be announced soon: June dates of our End-of-Year Celebration online and a special in-person museum outing. And 4 special free sessions over the summer.
 
Lauren A. Kaplan gave a session on Exploring the Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism Met Exhibition. She offers us some resources related to the exhibition: Here is Holland Cotter's 2015 reflection on the 1969 show and here is his review of this current exhibition; the Museum’s podcast to go with the show, which add some color and broader context to the exhibition; for more about artist Alain Locke and his love of Germany, this is a great listen from Codeswitch; and for more on German émigré 
artist Winold Reiss, here is a link to a show the New-York Historical Society organized on his work two years ago and here is a curator's talk on him. To learn more about Lauren’s art classes, here is a link to her website and her current schedule of online and in-person classes. To be added to her email distribution list, write to (lauren@laurenakaplan.com). 
 
Carol Hymowitz’s session on Working Longer/Older included her guest Judy Rabinor. She is a therapist who has written a memoir, The Girl in the Red Boots: Making Peace with My Mother, now a play in which she performs.
 
 

Click these links for: 

Full Course Descriptions >>

Calendar >>



See you at school,  

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
 

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