All upcoming Biography & Autobiography programs

Monet. The name alone conjures up vivid images: water lilies in Giverny, haystacks in the French countryside, trains pulling into Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris, the façade of the Rouen cathedral. A pioneer of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet created paintings capturing nature’s fleeting moments—and rendered the scenes unforgettable. Art historian Joseph P. Cassar leads an in-depth look at one of the most influential and best-loved Impressionist painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

The longtime kings of jazz—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie—were born within a few years of one another and overcame racial boundaries to become some of the most popular entertainers on the planet. Author Larry Tye follows the story of how these revolutionary musicians opened America’s eyes and souls to the magnificence of their music, and in the process wrote the soundtrack for the civil rights.

Monet. The name alone conjures up vivid images: water lilies in Giverny, haystacks in the French countryside, trains pulling into Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris, the façade of the Rouen cathedral. A pioneer of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet created paintings capturing nature’s fleeting moments—and rendered the scenes unforgettable. Art historian Joseph P. Cassar leads an in-depth look at one of the most influential and best-loved Impressionist painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Billy Wilder, the Polish-born and German-raised genius behind The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, captured the outrageous quirkiness of the United States better than most of his Hollywood contemporaries His caustic and brutal observations manifested themselves in charming and sometimes-outrageous comedies, as well as forceful dramas. Film historian Max Alvarez salutes the laughter and intensity of the great Wilder and his unforgettable film achievements.

For more than 60 years, Barbie has been the world’s best-selling fashion doll, inspiring millions of fans to play with, collect, and adore her. Cultural historian Leslie Goddard explores the history of Barbie, beginning with her inventor, the passionately creative and intensely competitive Ruth Handler. Delve into the complex cultural debates Barbie has inspired over the decades.

Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, young Araminta Ross faced adversity from an early age. These hardships transformed “Minty” into Harriet Tubman, the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, and her childhood knowledge of the geography of the Eastern Shore played a key role in her success in ferrying more than 70 people to freedom by 1860. Historian Anthony Cohen uncovers the saga of Tubman’s life by exploring significant sites in the region where she was raised—and that shaped her dreams of freedom and equality.

Monet. The name alone conjures up vivid images: water lilies in Giverny, haystacks in the French countryside, trains pulling into Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris, the façade of the Rouen cathedral. A pioneer of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet created paintings capturing nature’s fleeting moments—and rendered the scenes unforgettable. Art historian Joseph P. Cassar leads an in-depth look at one of the most influential and best-loved Impressionist painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Monet. The name alone conjures up vivid images: water lilies in Giverny, haystacks in the French countryside, trains pulling into Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris, the façade of the Rouen cathedral. A pioneer of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet created paintings capturing nature’s fleeting moments—and rendered the scenes unforgettable. Art historian Joseph P. Cassar leads an in-depth look at one of the most influential and best-loved Impressionist painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president, has been called the architect of American democracy. Yet his legacy has been questioned in large part because he owned over 600 slaves during his lifetime. Historian John Ragosta examines the question of what a white slave-owning aristocrat has to teach us about the nature of American leadership.

The role is unpaid and undefined, yet many women serving as First Lady made pivotal contributions that helped shape the United States. From early trailblazers like Dolley Madison, whose residence on Lafayette Square was nicknamed the “second White House,” to those in the role who are less well-known, like Harriet Lane—the first to use the title—explore how first ladies can personify persistence and perseverance. Join staff from A Tour Of Her Own to hear stories of America’s first ladies, not often recognized with monuments but ingrained in the fabric of history.