All upcoming Biography & Autobiography programs

In 1919, 21-year-old Peggy Guggenheim invested a multimillion-dollar inheritance in modern art—and became a visionary collector who later established galleries in New York and London. Today these works are found in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, housed in the palazzo on the Grand Canal that was her home. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar discusses Guggenheim’s life and her role as an influential collector. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Union Gen. William T. Sherman won military fame for his campaigns in the South— but they represented a single chapter of a career largely focused on the American West. Historian Bennett Parten reframes Sherman's overall legacy, discussing how the famous general played a pivotal role in the early history of California; the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad; and the U.S. government's many wars against native peoples.

History has not been kind to King James. A cradle king who was crowned in Scotland in 1567 and England and Ireland in 1603, James VI and I has long been eclipsed in fame and reputation by his cousin and predecessor, Elizabeth I, and his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. Historian and author Clare Jackson reappraises his life and legacy, revealing how the king’s keen interest in joining old and new worlds—the creation of colonies overseas, and closer to home, uniting Scotland, England, and Ireland—set the geopolitical stage for centuries to come.

Gene Kelly is one of the most engaging and influential dancers to ever set foot in Hollywood. Starting in the 1940s with films like Cover Girl, Anchors Aweigh, and On the Town, Kelly choreographed and performed dozens of classic numbers that helped to define the American movie musical and that continue to delight audiences of all ages. Media historian Brian Rose surveys Kelly’s remarkable achievements and examines his enduring impact on Hollywood dancing.

In popular culture and historical fiction, Louis XVI, the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy in 1792, is typically portrayed as either a feeble puppet manipulated by his glamorous wife Marie Antoinette or a heartless tyrant whose downfall was richly deserved. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze examines these familiar tropes, offering a more nuanced reappraisal of a monarch caught in the violent center of a world in transformation.

Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, brought a unique voice to children’s literature, seizing on classic folk tales and giving them a decidedly American spin. From the landmark 1939 film adaptation to this year’s release of Wicked: For Good, Baum’s fantastical creations continue to shape our cultural landscape. Celebrate the wonderful world of Baum as author Daniel Stashower explores his life and legacy and actor Scott Sedar reads from Baum’s most beloved works.

Beyond his political and military achievements, Sir Winston Churchill was a prolific and accomplished writer. Historian Katherine Carter explores the literary legacy of a man whose mastery of language was as formidable as his determination during his country's darkest hour. She examines how Churchill’s skillful storytelling helped shape public perception, bolstered morale during World War II, and made him a worthy recipient of a Nobel Prize in Literature.

While many people have some idea who the 19th-century author and feminist Margaret Fuller is, very few have read her work or know her life story. The author of the first major work of feminism in the United States was also an editor of the nation’s first avant-garde magazine and the first foreign correspondent for a major American newspaper. Scholar Randall Fuller recounts the remarkable life and work of a brilliant and often-misunderstood woman.

Humphrey Bogart and Burt Lancaster became Hollywood legends in very different ways. “Bogie” was shoved around by the old studio system, playing tough guys who often hid a softer core. Lancaster rose as stars gained more freedom, dazzling audiences with quiet intensity and magnetic charm. In a 2-session series, film historian Max Alvarez examines their cinematic achievements and the personal and professional turbulence that shaped their artistry. This session focuses on Humphrey Bogart.

Described by Cicero more than 2,000 years ago as a promiscuous, husband-murdering harlot, Clodia of Rome led a powerful, complex life. Classicist Douglas Boin argues that Cicero lied about her to protect his own property and interests. Drawing on neglected sources and his study of Roman lives, Boin recounts events from Clodia’s privileged childhood and describes how she engaged in her family’s tradition of egalitarian activism.