Literature

FORBIDDEN LIBRARY: BOOK BANNING IN THE UNITED STATES

Joshua Frank | Local Educator The New York Times recently reported that the American Library Association “noted 729 complaints against 1,597 books” in 2021. Why is this happening? What books have been challenged most over time? What books are being challenged most today? We will explore these questions and examine how banning books might affect children, education, politics and culture. Finally, we will look at how banned books have shaped us and the world we live in.

COURSE CODE: BANN Sec. 01: 4 Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30pm. Begins Feb. 14 | $140

TOURISM: IT’S NOT JUST FOR ROMAN SENATORS ANYMORE

Brian Bixby | Ph.D. in History, UMass Amherst Travel was once the preserve of the leisure class. Now we have mass tourism. But how much have things changed? We love being tourists and hate them when they clutter up our world. Why is that? It’s hard to take tourism seriously, and yet it is big business. In this course, we’ll examine how tourism has evolved, covering tourism in ancient times, medieval pilgrimages, scenic tourism, how tourism came to the United States, the development of the vacation from work, and the rise of auto and airplane tourism in the 20th century. We’ll look at attractions, facilities, media, and socio-economic changes in the field. Bibliography provided.

COURSE CODE: TOUR Sec. 01: 6 Thursdays, 3-5pm. Begins Feb. 16 | $210

A QUEER HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS, 1800-1969

Theo Linger | M.A., History, Simmons University People we would today describe as queer have always existed, even though they described themselves and their experiences in different ways. Some lived quiet, little-documented lives, while others became the celebrated luminaries of their time, like Emily Dickinson and Ralph Waldo Emerson. This course will tell a mainly chronological story, starting at the beginning of the 19th century and ending with the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Handouts, including primary source, and a bibliography provided.

COURSE CODE: QHST 3 Thursdays, 5:30-7pm. Begins Mar. 1 | $90

VOLUNTEER IN CAMBRIDGE:

FIND YOUR MISSION

Laurie Rothstein | Executive Director, Cambridge Volunteers Looking at current and year-round opportunities, this workshop introduces participants to short and long-term volunteer options at dozens of nonprofit agencies representing a vast and varied local volunteer landscape. Attendees are encouraged to jump in with relevant first-hand experiences, but we will move along at a pace!

COURSE CODE: VLNT Sec. 01: Thursday, 12-1pm. Jan. 20 | Free

BOARD MEMBER BASICS

Laurie Rothstein | Executive Director, Cambridge Volunteers This workshop explores board roles, responsibilities, and the advantages of diverse leadership, for individuals who are considering board membership for the first time. The workshop is a conversation rather than a didactic exercise, intended to provoke reflection on individual experience, skills and goals, and finding a good match.

COURSE CODE: VLBO Sec. 01: Friday, 12-1pm. Feb. 3 | Free

SHOWING UP RIGHT: POWER AND IDENTITY FOR VOLUNTEERS

Cambridge Volunteers | www.cambridgevolunteers.org This two-hour workshop for volunteers and agency staff offers participants an interactive opportunity to explore the impacts of identity, power, privilege, and all oppressive systems in a volunteering context. We will engage in conversations and activities, sharing lived experiences and listening deeply, in a way that encourages participants to make space for everyone and provide meaningful support to community organizations. Session leader: Puja Kranz-Howe, Advocacy and Youth Leadership Manager, YWCA Cambridge (he/his) Session host: Laurie Rothstein, Executive Director, Cambridge Volunteers (she/her)

COURSE CODE: VLNC Sec. 01: Thursday, 5-7pm. Jan. 26 | Free Sec. 02: Thursday, 5-7pm. Feb. 9 | Free Sec. 03 (For Youth): Thursday, 5-7pm. Mar. 15 | Free

LITERATURE

WAR AND PEACE

Paul Karpuk | Emeritus Professor, Central Connecticut State University

Tolstoy’s panoramic novel about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, for which he is above all famous, is probably the greatest historical epic of the modern age, a work that sooner or later must be read by anyone who professes to be educated. It is the sole object of study in this course. We aspire, through close reading and discussion, to elicit Tolstoy’s fine insights into human behavior and his philosophical views about virtually every field of human endeavor. Please obtain the following text (do not use the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky): War and Peace (Norton Critical Editions): 9780393966473: Tolstoy, Gibian, et. al.

COURSE CODE: WARP Sec. 01: 8 Wednesdays, 7:45-9:15pm. Begins Jan. 11 | $260