The disappointments and sorrows of life can leave us hurting and isolated. But journalist Steven Petrow, has a surprising insight: Joy is always present—in our everyday routines, in ties to those we care about, even in our grief. In a conversation with Todd Doughty, author of Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World, Petrow draws on personal experiences, research, and interviews with experts to describe the many expressions of joy and how to find, cultivate, and share it.
Few of Shakespeare’s tragedies are as admired today as his theatrical masterpiece Othello from around 1603. Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, guides participants through an in-depth discussion of the play’s key elements, including its representations of race, inquiry into human emotions (especially jealousy), and extraordinarily powerful poetic language.
In 15th-century Europe, members of the cultural elite, including Petrarch, Machiavelli, and Montaigne, assembled personal libraries as refuges from persecutions and pandemics. These were known as Renaissance studiolos (or "little studios”). Literature professor Andrew Hui tells the story of these spaces dedicated to self-cultivation and reveals how they became both a remedy and a poison for the soul.
Nestled among bustling streets in the heart of Paris, the iconic Père Lachaise cemetery harbors stories of intrigue, fame, artistic brilliance, and cultural significance. Unravel the cemetery's secrets and celebrate its role as a sanctuary of memory and reflection with art historian Madeline Díaz, who explores why the 220-year-old Père Lachaise is not merely a resting place for the departed but a testament to Parisian history itself.
For more than a century, Hollywood has relied on star power as the most reliable way to draw an audience. Media historian Brian Rose traces the history of movie stardom, from the days when film actors weren’t even identified by name to how Mary Pickford became the first real film star and eventually how actors like Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington ushered in a new definition of stardom during the last few decades.
Among the city-states of Italy, Mantua stands out for its remarkable transformation under the Gonzaga family from 1328 to 1707. Despite their often-tyrannical rule and focus on warfare, the Gonzagas significantly elevated Mantua’s status through their patronage, ushering in a golden age of the arts and architecture. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo traces the Gonzagas’ reign and the dynamics of court life in a city that remains a vibrant testament to its Renaissance legacy. (World Art History Certificate elective, ½ credit)
Beginning in the mid-1950s, rock music found a surprising home on mainstream television, including on programs hosted by Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan. Elvis, for example, appeared on all three shows. But it was the appearance of the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 that changed the face of pop culture, leading to an explosion of televised rock, from prime-time variety shows like “Shindig” to the sitcom antics of “The Monkees.” Media historian Brian Rose presents a lively survey of how rock and television grew up together.
In the latter half of the 20th century, architects broke free from the restraints of individual traditional styles and found new inspiration in a mix of them, creating combinations of bright colors and asymmetrical shapes interpreted in a variety of materials. Modern architecture specialist Bill Keene surveys the diverse threads linking the elements in this approach to design as seen in the works of I.M. Pei, Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, and other Postmodern creators who rejected the formal for the unusual, the colorful, and the unexpected. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
