Geoffrey Chaucer is often called the father of English literature because of his groundbreaking work, The Canterbury Tales. Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, explores what makes this masterpiece tick. He explores how Chaucer created such compelling characters as the Wife of Bath, a pioneering figure in the construction of modern female identity, and how his work influenced a range of later authors.
Winemakers in Chile are amid a new era of innovation, modernization, discovery, and rejuvenation—leading to some of the most exciting wines the country has ever known. Sommelier Erik Segelbaum and Amanda Barnes, author of The South American Wine Guide, reveal why Chilean wine has never been better. The immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.
The sophisticated courts of the classic Maya city-states offer a trove of information and artifacts. At their heart are the impressive architecture of palaces, temples, and ball-courts; intriguing relief carvings of deities, kings, queens, and scribes; painted ceramic vessels; and richly appointed burials. Cultural historian George Scheper explores the storied splendors of two such city-states, Copan and Tikal, and how the decipherment of Maya glyph-writing has opened new worlds of written history of the dynasties of these impressive sites.
Filmmaker and cultural historian Sara Lukinson explores more glorious songs from the Great American Songbook with stories about their long, often-unexpected lives. The spring lineup covers songs that are considered “simply the best”—ageless and favorite beauties by Harold Arlen.
Silk, prized for its lightness, luminosity, and beauty is also one of the strongest biological materials known. The technologies it has inspired—from sutures to pharmaceuticals, replacement body parts to holograms—continue to be developed in laboratories around the world. Author Aarathi Prasad outlines the cultural and scientific history of the fabric including its origins, the ancient silk routes, and its future as a powerful resource.
Inspired by the letters in her new book, Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer (Akashic), Joyce Carol Oates, in a conversation with author and educator Rebecca Boggs Roberts, discusses her writing process and style over the past four decades. The letters in the book were part of a correspondence with a graduate student who eventually became her biographer.
Spend a day hiking to the summit of Washington, D.C.’s local mountain, a natural treasure less than an hour’s drive from the city. The picturesque and rocky Sugarloaf offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside of Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland. Guided by study leader Melanie Choukas-Bradley, learn about the mountain’s plants and wildlife, seasonal changes, geology, and history.