LAKEVILLE — Winter classes begin Jan. 12 at Taconic Learning Center, a nonprofit membership organization providing lifelong learning opportunities in the Northwest Corner.
Annual membership dues of $60 per person are fully tax-deductible. There are no other set fees. Individuals may sign up for any number of courses. Classes lasting two hours are held once a week at one of three venues.
Class details below. For more info, visit www.taconiclearningcenter.org
Trials, Tribulations, Failures and Successes of Our First Three Presidents, 1789 to 1809
This course will examine several events and attitudes that Washington, Adams, and Jefferson had to address. Some of the problems these events and attitudes caused were handled during their administrations, some of them are still with us today, including: The power of the federal government. vs power of the states, and massive war debt. The class will look at these on a timeline basis, giving credit where due and criticism where appropriate.. Instructor: Tom Key. Mondays 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 12 through Feb. 16, at Noble Horizons.
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine was arguably the savior of the American Revolution and one of the essential contributors to its success. John Adams said: “Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.” And yet, of all the founders, Paine is without question the least known, the least understood, and the least appreciated.This course will examine his extraordinary life -- warts, brandy, huge successes, dramatic failures and all. The class will look at and discuss excerpts from some of his writings and the historical context in which he wrote. Instructor: Douglas Cooper. Mondays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 12 through March 2 (no class Feb. 2 and Feb. 9) at Noble Horizons.
Composer Jam Part II
Five different composers this semester (can’t claim they are new since the oldest is from the 1600s) get their moment in the spotlight. The class will hear a sample of their best compositions in the best available versions. Instructor: John Robinson. Tuesdays 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 13 though Feb. 10 at Geer Village.
Documentary Films on Humor
Enjoy the humor presented by great comedians and also review their lives and difficulties. The class will enjoy the artistry of Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, and Peter Sellers. Instructor: Laurance Rand. Tuesdays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., seven sessions starting Jan. 13 - Jan. 27 and again March 10 - March 31 at Geer Village.
Conversation Class
Based on exchanges from the past three Conversation classes, this discussion series could easily be retitled “The Anything and Everything Class.” Discussions have ranged widely across political, economic, social, and personal topics, and beyond. The class is known for its lively conversations and broad participation and will continue where it left off in the fall. Instructor: Laurance Rand. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 14–Jan. 28 and March 11–March 25, at Noble Horizons.
An Amazing Period for the American Short Story, 1970-2020
The second half of the 20th century was a period of considerable upheaval in the US. Disturbances in the social, and political fabric of the country cut across many aspects of everyone’s lives (e.g., civil rights legislation, feminism, the Vietnam War, student sit-ins, HIV) and lasted well into the 21st century. In the literary world, story writers searched for new ways to capture and reflect on the lives of everyday Americans. The class will explore stories from this period, collected by John Freeman in “The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story.” In the six sessions, the class will read and discuss stories by 18 writers; among these are Raymond Carver, Louise Erdrich, George Saunders, Junot Diaz, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lauren Groff. Enrollment is limited to 14 members in order to facilitate discussion. Instructor: Joanne Carlisle. Thursdays 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 15 - Feb. 19, at Geer Village.
The Ghost Stories of Henry James
Part light-hearted fun, partly serious forays into human motivation, the ghost stories of Henry James are well worth exploring. Across the span of his 40-year career, he wrote 20 such stories, ranging from brief, almost comical accounts of fairly stereotypic “hauntings” to longer, intensely psychological portraits of individuals grappling with events that they could not understand, but which the reader comes to see as intriguingly ambiguous projections of psychological trauma.
In this class, participants will read and discuss several of James’s most intriguing ghost stories, including his famous novella, “The Turn of the Screw.” Instructor: Addison Stone. Wednesdays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 14 to Feb. 18 at Geer Village.
