Orin Grossman | Fairfield University

Wednesday, June 30th, 7:00 – 9:00 PM ET

George Gershwin (1898-1937) was a true rarity in American music—someone at home both in popular and classical, or concert, music.  He is beloved both for his amazing collection of songs that help define the Great American Songbook and for his brilliant compositions that draw on the American experience to create such masterpieces as An American in Paris, Porgy and Bess, and Rhapsody in Blue. Coming of age in the 1920’s, Gershwin is one of a handful of artists—F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway come to mind—who both personify the energy and complexity of the “Jazz Age” 1920’s and also still speak to us today. The presentation will include performances of his music in Gershwin’s own piano arrangements—some rarely heard today.

$39

William Burke-White | University of Pennsylvania

July 8th and 15th, 7 – 8:30 PM EDT

$85

Dr. Jessica Payne | Harvard Medical School

August 5th and 12th, 7 – 8:30 PM EDT

What’s really going on in your head while you sleep? The research of Notre Dame Professor Jessica Payne shows that the non-waking hours are incredibly valuable for your day-to-day life, especially for helping to commit information to memory and for problem-solving. If you ever thought sleep was just downtime between one task and the next, think again. The fact is, your brain pulls an all-nighter when you hit the hay. Many regions of the brain – especially those involved in learning, processing information, and emotion – are actually more active during sleep than when you’re awake. These regions are working together while you sleep, helping you process and sort information you’ve taken in during the course of the day. Professor Payne’s research has focused on what types of information are submitted to memory, and has been instrumental in better understanding how the brain stores the information.

$85

Robert Watson | Lynn University

U.S. presidents are evaluated in many ways, and this fascinating, timely and unique 2-part program will discuss nearly all of them. The major characteristics that academic and public polls use vary from survey to survey, but the main standards remain consistent. It is important to keep in mind that time changes what people consider critical characteristics, and presidential rankings reflect this. For example, early in U.S. history, the United States was isolationist, so foreign policy wasn’t a factor in presidential evaluations. Foreign policy became much more important in the 20th century.

$89

David Helfand / Columbia University 

If the Sun were the size of an orange in my local New York market, the Earth would be a grain of sand 15 feet away, circling it once per year at the speed 3 inches per day. The nearest star would be a similar orange — in Minneapolis; it has orbiting sand grains too. And there’s 300 billion other stars whizzing around in our little island galaxy we call the Milky Way, which is one of half a trillion other galaxies of stars in the observable Universe. What is remarkable is how much we know about all these stars and galaxies by observing from our little grain of sand. We know their sizes and masses, what they are made of, how they are born, live out their lives, and die.

$89

Marc Lapadula / Yale University

Hollywood loves lawyers. And they love judges, jurors, surprise witnesses, smoking guns and falsely accused heroes as well. Perhaps one of the reasons courtroom dramas are so reliable is that they follow a time-honored protocol. Whether they’re plaintiffs or defendants, we’re on the side of a plucky upstart who needs the help of a determined legal hand to fight injustice.
Usually, it’s not just the characters being put on trial either. It’s the establishment, the system, the country, the past, and the future. No wonder there are so many great courtroom dramas, and Yale film professor Marc Lapadula will be discussing and analyzing ten films – some of the very best!

$45

William Schragis | Culinary Institute of America

The Joy of Wine starts with two of the most popular grape varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. We’ll learn about their origins, where they grow well, and why they are popular. Students will learn to describe describe the bottles they like and debunk some of the more popular wine myths of the world. Then we’ll take a deeper dive into some of the more traditional wine producing regions and cover the ancient and twisted world of Italian wine. We’ll learn about cellar management and bottle aging, and learn about some of the regions and styles that industry insiders think of as the best values.

$89

Louis Masur | Rutgers University

This course offers a detailed and intimate look at Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant whose partnership won the Civil War and set the terms for Reconstruction. Acclaimed historian Louis Masur will introduce students to the backgrounds of each figure, narrate their early struggles to succeed, and detail their efforts in peace and war to preserve the nation. Lincoln was a president who served as commander in chief and Grant was a general who became president. One witness to their first meeting in 1864 recalled “the two men had many traits in common, and there were numerous points of resemblance in their remarkable careers.” By exploring their similarities—and their differences— we will come to a deeper appreciation of them as individuals and leaders who worked tirelessly on the nation’s behalf.

$89

Austin Sarat | Amherst College

This class will look closely at our current political climate and examine the factors that have contributed to this situation — economic inequality, racial divide, governmental gridlock, and the rise of partisan media. We’ll then move on to focus on how we can rescue and reform democracy and refresh it for the 21st century.

$35

Professor Austin Sarat / Amherst College

Signs that American democracy is in trouble are all around us. From decreasing public support for democratic principles to partisan “tribalism,” and blind allegiance to one belief or another.  From the January 6 attack on the Capitol to the widespread belief that the presidential election was “stolen,” our once proud democratic traditions are in tatters. This course will look closely at our current situation and examine the factors that have contributed to this situation — economic inequality, racial discrimination, governmental gridlock, and the rise of partisan media.

$89

Joseph Luzzi / Bard College

As we come upon the one-year anniversary of the Covid lockdowns, many of us are looking forward to a time with less social distancing and more of the things we have missed during the pandemic, especially seeing our loved ones in person and connecting to new places. What books best capture these longed-for experiences that we hope will be coming in the times ahead? This presentation takes book lovers on a tour of four masterpieces that speak to our need for adventure, travel, and reconnecting with the wider world after this long year of pandemic: Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun also Rises, Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa, E. M. Forster’s Room with a View, and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

$39

Sean Hartley / Kaufman Music Center

The composer and/or lyricist of 18 major musicals, Stephen Sondheim is undeniably the most influential musical theater writer of his generation. But despite his success with critics and his shelves full of awards, most of his musicals lost money, and he has almost as many detractors as fans. This talk will focus on Sondheim’s 3 major phases (the “lyrics only” phase, the Hal Prince years and the James Lapine collaborations) to determine not only which shows hit or miss, but also how his writing has changed the way we think about musical theater. Kaufman Music Center Director Sean Hartley will perform a few essential songs to illustrate his points.

$39

Catherine Sanderson / Amherst College

This in depth talk presents both surprising and not-so-surprising information on the science behind happiness. Is happiness stable over time? How can happiness be increased? What role do money, marriage, friends, children, weather, age, and religion play in making us feel happier? Professor Catherine Sanderson will describe cutting-edge research from the field of positive psychology on the factors that do (and do not) predict happiness, and provide participants with practical (and relatively easy!) ways to increase their own psychological well-being.

$39

Catherine Sanderson | Amherst College

Saturdays, 11:00am – 12:15pm ET, March 20, 27, & April 3, 2021

This up to the minute course will examine some of the most fascinating questions about human nature, including:  How do social norms guide virtually all aspects of our lives, from what we wear, to the car we drive, to how we vote. Why do people in groups tend to behave badly? Is there wisdom in crowds?  Why do people engage in prosocial behavior, from donating to charity to volunteering to giving blood? Is altruism rooted in our biology, a desire to feel good about ourselves, or true concern and compassion for others? How do money, age, and marriage influence happiness?  What are the three components of well-being? We’ll explore how psychological factors influence virtually all aspects of our lives, and learn science-based strategies for finding greater happiness.

$89

Anna Celenza | Georgetown University

Saturday, 11:00am – 12:30pm ET, March 6, 2021

Key to the history of jazz is its connection to recorded sound. Jazz was the first musical genre shaped by modern sound technology — the first world-wide music phenomenon. Exploring the various facets and histories of jazz is the central goal of this course. Each class session will focus on understanding the shifting meanings of the music as it moves through various cultural/political contexts. Together, we will listen to a range of recordings — all with the goal of discovering what makes jazz so vital to America’s multi-faceted identity.

$29

Anna Celenza | Georgetown University

Saturdays, 11:00am – 12:30pm ET, February 20, 27, & March 6, 2021

Key to the history of jazz is its connection to recorded sound. Jazz was the first musical genre shaped by modern sound technology — the first world-wide music phenomenon. Exploring the various facets and histories of jazz is the central goal of this course. Each class session will focus on understanding the shifting meanings of the music as it moves through various cultural/political contexts. Together, we will listen to a range of recordings — all with the goal of discovering what makes jazz so vital to America’s multi-faceted identity.

$89

Professor Tina Rivers-Ryan | Albright-Knox Art Gallery ( Formerly of Columbia University)

Saturdays, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET, February 6 and 13, 2021

The Course will be taught by art historian and curator Dr. Tina Rivers Ryan. Although she has been lecturing with One Day University for a decade, Dr. Ryan has never spoken before about these masterpieces — until now! The extended format of the Premium Course will allow her to give these paintings the attention they deserve, placing them into the context of each artist’s career and the larger history of art. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear her informative, accessible interpretations of these iconic works.

$89

Professor Marc Lapadula | Yale University

Thursdays, 7:00pm – 8:30pm ET, February 11, 18, 2021

In addition to the seductive allure of Television in the 1950s, the intrusion of the House Un-American Activities Committee and its concomitant blacklist decimated the ranks of talented actors, producers, screenwriters, composers and directors and threatened to drain Hollywood’s once seemingly depthless talent pool. With this in mind, how did the decade of the 1950s and its after-effects that spilled over into the early 1960s manage to produce some of the most outstanding, provocative and controversial cinematic achievements in the history of the movies? The treacherous web of political limitations imposed at this time forced filmmakers to become much more sophisticated in the articulation and dissemination of their jaundiced view of society, compelling them to disguise their true artistic intentions and scathing critique of a culture headed towards self-destruction behind a mask of clever genre thrills. We will closely examine two outstanding films in their entirety that are shining examples

$89

Professor Joseph Luzzi | Bard College

Saturdays, 11:00am – 12:15pm ET, January 23, 30 and February 6, 2021

In this 3-part course, we will explore the books that best represent this quest to tell the American story, answering such questions as: What does it mean to be “American”? What books have had the greatest impact on U.S. history and culture? How can fiction illuminate the hard truths of American life? We will explore how masterpieces ranging from Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury to Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, and Philip Roth’s American Pastoral, and more, reveal the characters and conflicts of the American spirit.

$89

Professor Louis Masur | Rutgers University

Sundays, 10:30am – 12:00pm ET, January 17, 24 and 31, 2021

In 1873, Mark Twain maintained that the Civil War and its immediate aftermath “uprooted institutions that were centuries old, changed the politics of a people, transformed the social life of half the country, and wrought so profoundly upon the entire national character that the influence cannot be measured short of two or three generations.”

In this three part course, we will examine the coming of the war, the four years of conflict that forever transformed the United States, and the struggle that followed  to reconstruct the nation.

$89