The history of country music, little-known stories behind the design of prominent Washington, D.C., buildings and Southern poetry are among a wide variety of courses offered by The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt this fall.
All adults with an interest in lifelong learning are invited to enroll in the non-credit classes, which will take place at Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, St. George’s Episcopal Church and The Commons Center near Peabody College.
The public is invited to a fall kick-off and reception on Sept. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wilson Hall, where instructors will preview the classes. Complimentary parking will be available at the Terrace Place Garage. Those who plan to attend should RSVP by calling 615-343-0700.
Classes generally meet once a week for six continuous weeks. Membership in the institute enables an individual to enroll in any or all of the eight scheduled courses. Other benefits include monthly “Lunch and Learn” sessions and educational field trips. Students pay a $10 annual fee along with a flat charge of $80 for the fall term. Scholarship assistance is available.
“We are thrilled to continue to raise the bar in terms of expanding the course offerings and recruiting outstanding instructors,” Norma Clippard, director of The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt, said. “In addition, our new partnership with the Frist Center is a tremendous boost to the curriculum as well.” Courses include:
• “Franklin, Adams and Jefferson in France,” a cultural history of the trio’s experiences in France and of their responses to its politics and culture. It will be taught by Patricia Ward, professor of French and comparative literature, emerita, at Vanderbilt.
• “Southern Poetry; The Fugitives to the Present,” taught by Mark Jarman, Centennial Professor of English and director of creative writing at Vanderbilt.
• “The Adventure of Exploration in America,” led by Rick Chappell, research professor of physics at Vanderbilt and former NASA astronaut.
• “Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography and Paris,” a tour of the exhibition by the same name at The Frist Center and a series of lectures. The focus is on the 1920s and 1930s, when photographers and filmmakers associated with the Surrealist movement turned their lens on Paris. Participating Vanderbilt professors are Michael Bess, the Chancellor’s Professor of History; and Lisa Weiss, assistant director of the W.T. Bandy Center for Baudelaire and Modern French Studies.
• “History of Country Music,” a review of the music genre from its earliest roots to the present, taught by John Bridges, writer, musician and historian.
• “History of the Soviet Union,” taught by Frank Wcislo, associate professor of history and dean of The Commons.
• “Faulkner’s Mythical Kingdom,” led by William Pratt, professor of English, emeritus, Miami University.
• “Eight Buildings in Washington, D.C.,” a look at the architecture as well as the stories behind the construction of several prominent landmarks. It will be taught by retired architect Randall Yearwood.
In addition, The Osher Seminar, a new program component, will launch in October with a workshop called “The Writing Life.” Participants in the class, led by Victor Judge, a Vanderbilt Divinity School lecturer, will write in prose and poetry and share their work with their peers. The seminar, which is limited to 20 people, has a separate fee of $80. It will meet at West End United Methodist Church.
The Division of Public Affairs sponsors the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. For more information, call 615-343-0700 or visit www.vanderbilt.edu/cngr/olli.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, 615-322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu