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This course will explore the story of America's Great Migration, a large-scale movement of Black Americans from the rural American Southeast to cities in the Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West, beginning in 1917 and continuing through 1970. Pulitzer Prize winning author, Isabel Wilkerson's book The Warmth of Other Suns will be the required course text. Wilkerson employs inspiring, true stories to illustrate the real-life hardships and motives that were typical of women and men who chose to uproot their lives in search of a better future for themselves, their children, and future generations. Arthur Jones will provide his own perspectives and occasional music samples. His own parents were active participants in the Great Migration, moving from Norfolk, Virginia, to New York City in 1931.

Required Reading: Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Sons. New York: Random House, 2010 (or paperback edition, 2011).

Art isn't something that happens to other people—it's a living conversation across centuries, and you're invited to join in. Artrageous wants to shock and amuse you, to understand, enjoy, and even make modern art—without the stuffiness. We will journey from the radical rule-breakers of late 19th-century Paris all the way to the dreamers and provocateurs of the Surrealist movement, stopping at every wild detour in between. This is not a lecture course. Each class blends rich visual presentations of landmark works with short film clips, participatory games, and creative exercises drawn directly from the art movements themselves. No prior knowledge of art history is required. What is required: an open mind, a willingness to be surprised, and a sense of humor.

Climb aboard a fun musical train trip, making whistling stops in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Oakland, Memphis, Houston, Cincinnati, and Jackson, Mississippi. Stops will feature music from the 1930s to the 1970s, presented chronologically, including soul, funk, blues, and gospel. Come discover America's national musical gems - mostly obscure, many never heard on radio - culled from over 50 years of research and personal vinyl digging. There will be opportunities to dance, as music from each city will be featured along with a weekly train song. The format resembles a live radio show or DJ session, with 85% of the time dedicated to listening. You'll also participate in discussions and provide feedback on tracks and videos. Join us on a one-of-a-kind aural adventure - without leaving your seat, that is, if you can stay seated! All aboard!

This course will read and discuss eight iconic pieces of American short fiction by authors as diverse as Louise Erdrich and Edgar Allan Poe. Although most national literatures include short fiction, the prolific flowering of the short story in 19th-century America caused it to be considered a particularly American art form. Often revealing character through tightly condensed incidents, these stories highlight American culture and values through the decades. This is a peer-led course, which is to say that the co-facilitators and six participants have already agreed to each lead one class on one story. For this reason, each class meeting will vary in presentation and discussion style, reflecting the variety of approaches represented by American short fiction. Each story will be available online or will be provided as a photocopy, so no book is required.

Current Policy Issues is a participant-driven, discussion-based course exploring local and national policies and debates surrounding the November 2026 election. The first session will focus on energy policies, climate change, and fracking. You help choose what comes next. Possible topics include voting methods, campaign finance, immigration and citizenship, healthcare, Social Security, education and childcare, local ballot issues, and more. Short readings from national and local publications are shared each week to form a basis to start the conversation. The final class (after the election) will discuss the outcomes.

Earth, Wind, Fire & You: Discovering Ayurveda introduces the foundational principles of a 5,000-year-old holistic science of well-being originating in India. At its core, Ayurveda examines how the five natural elements shape our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. By understanding these elemental qualities, participants will gain deeper insight into their own unique tendencies, habits, and daily experiences. This five-week course blends rich educational content with engaging, experiential activities designed to spark curiosity and self-awareness. Through group discussions, reflective exercises, and introductory self-assessments, learners will discover prakriti—the Ayurvedic concept of an individual's natural constitution—and look at how this ancient tradition interprets balance and imbalance in modern life. Ultimately, the course empowers participants to apply these timeless concepts to their everyday routines, supporting more thoughtful, personalized choices regarding nutrition, movement, media consumption, and relationships.

Joe Christmas doesn't know if he's Black or White—and in the Jim Crow South, that uncertainty is lethal. Ruthless, rootless, drifting into Mississippi, he passes as White until his secret lover, a Yankee spinster, is brutally murdered. Betrayed and accused as a Black man, Christmas becomes the target of a vengeful manhunt. Faulkner brackets this dark story between two others: Lena Grove searching for the father of her unborn child, and Reverend Hightower, a disgraced minister haunted by Confederate ghosts. In Faulkner's most straightforward major novel, these entangled tales confront us with persistent, complex issues. Class discussion will include race and gender relations, burdens of history, repressive religious traditions, cultures of violence, and the meaning of community.

Required Text: William Faulkner, Light in August, Vintage International Edition, 507 pages, ISBN 0-679-73226-8, or equivalent. The Audible Modern Vanguard audiobook version narrated by Will Patton is also quite good.

No class on 10/21.

Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Association, updated each year. High-quality educational materials are prepared and distributed to discussion groups in cities and universities throughout the United States. For each topic, participants receive a chapter describing current issues and a video featuring background information and interviews with world leaders and scholars.

Required book: Great Decisions 2026 Briefing Book, available from the Foreign Policy Association. https://fpa.org/product/great-decisions-2026/

E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End (1910) is sometimes categorized as a “Condition of England” novel because its major concern is the question of which social classes and value systems will prevail in England in the 20th century. The Wilcox family are wealthy and business-oriented; the Schlegel siblings are cultured and intellectual. Mrs. Wilcox dies, leaving their charming country house, named “Howard’s End,” to her new friend Margaret Schlegel. The plot explores the conflicts and connections that develop between two families with very different values. Howard’s End is often included in lists of the best novels of the twentieth-century. Join us as we read, discuss, and examine its implications for our own time.

Required text: Howard’s End, E. M. Forster, Penguin Classics, Intro. by David Lodge, 2000. ISBN: 978-0-14-118213-1

A fascination with Irish history arises primarily from two different phenomena: the country's unique status as the first 19th-century colonized nation—with the Act of Union's dissolution of the Irish parliament in 1801—that battled to regain its independence more than one hundred years later; and the far-reaching role of poets, playwrights, and authors (Standish O'Grady, W.B. Yeats, Joyce, O'Casey, Shaw) as they mediated and interpreted the culture of rebellion and debated what independence should look like. We will travel through the Famine, the Fenians, the Easter Rising, World War I, the Civil War, and up to the death of Yeats and the start of World War II in 1939—with excursions into the land of the faeries and the occult—using the lens of artists and intellectuals to examine the culture of rebellion and query how and why this culture, by 1922, had produced such an economically and socially conservative Free State.

Judith Shklar articulated a version of liberalism distinct from the rights-based liberalism associated with John Rawls's egalitarianism and Robert Nozick's libertarianism. In this course we will study some of her most important work - including 'Liberalism of Fear' - as well as critiques from other political theorists. This course will broaden your understanding of orthodox liberalism and provide a different perspective from which to consider contemporary political issues and discourse. This is an introductory graduate seminar in political theory. The only prerequisite is a commitment to engage thoughtfully with the texts and actively participate in class discussion.

Required Reading: The Faces of Injustice, Judith N. Shklar (Yale University Press, 1990)

Recommended Reading: Judith N. Shklar: Political Thought and Political Thinkers, Stanley Hoffman, editor (University of Chicago Press, 1998).

This course explores how psychedelics are used in religious practices. We begin by discussing different definitions of religion, who defines what a religion is, and how religions are viewed. This leads into a study of religious experiences involving psychedelics, using the following case studies: hallucinogenic mushrooms in Mexico, marijuana in Jamaica, peyote in North America, and ayahuasca in South America. We will also explore the concept of psychonauts and their use of DMT, as well as religious experiences linked to events such as dreams and near-death experiences.

This class will be a study of Argentine tango. We will learn about how the integration of cultures in Argentina led to and developed this complex and fascinating dance and music. We will also learn the basics of the dance. Neither age nor physical disabilities are impediments to basic dancing. Indeed, tango has been recognized as one of the most effective physical therapies for many disabilities, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. No partner is necessary.

A deep dive into a shallow pond - Wham! - to explore the creation of the greatest cartoon characters in American history (Pow!). Not even Mickey Mouse could hold a candle to the loud, rough, rude, scattershot, machine-gun humor of Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Porky, Taz, Yosemite Sam, Road Runner, Coyote, Tweety, Sylvester, Speedy, Witch Hazel, Foghorn Leghorn, and more. The most extraordinary talents in the business - Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Frank Tashlin, all certifiably mad as hatters - developed the most fantastic characters in animation. They changed the very face of American comedy from vaudeville patter to rapid-fire wisecracks, biting sarcasm, and outrageous fun! Join the Wascally Wabbit on an eight-week wild ride!

Readings: Of Mice and Magic by Leonard Maltin; Chuck Amuck by Chuck Jones; Tex Avery: King of Cartoons by Joe Adamson

Join us for a journey back in time through our baby boomer years. We will look at our lives through the lens of the era as we experienced it. We will reminisce about the good times but also reflect on how we were affected by the history, people and events of the times. It’s about us: our legacy and our challenges. At the heart of the class will be will be opportunities for sharing, reflecting, laughing and maybe some crying too. Not a boomer? Join us anyway. An article relating to the topic will be provided to participants before each session.

The title of this course, The Desecration of Mt. Rushmore: Crime, Corruption and Conspiracy, is a metaphor for the actions many consider that "47," our current president, and his co-conspirators in Congress and the Supreme Court, have undertaken to destroy our democracy. The alleged odious activities include violations by 47 of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, the enrichment of him and his family through self-dealing and corrupt deals, the discontinuation of research grants to medical and educational institutions that infringe upon their freedom of speech, the unwillingness of Congress to rein in 47's conduct, and the unbridled expansion of his executive power sanctioned by Supreme Court decisions. The four presidents sculpted into the face of Mount Rushmore—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt—have symbolized this country's heralded form of democracy, adherence to the rule of law, and protection of its Bill of Rights. That variegated symbol, many assert, has been eviscerated by 47 and his accomplices. This course will explore the circumstances that have led to this perceived destruction of democracy, the actions that have contributed to its desecration, the arguments in favor of the actions, the ramifications of certain actions, and recommended solutions to stymie the completion of its demise. The course will cover six sessions and be taught in a hybrid format to allow individuals to attend in person or online.

Winston Churchill is regarded as one of the most important people of the 20th century. Born during the Edwardian Age, he observed and influenced the rise and decline of the British Empire, the devastation of two world wars, and the precarious balance of the early Cold War.

This course, comprising twenty-four Great Courses lectures, examines his military leadership, his relationships with family and friends, his lifelong passion for literature and history, and his interactions with other major historical figures.

Did you know Churchill published over 13 million words and won the Nobel Prize for Literature? By age twenty-six he had earned over $1 million in today's money from his writings and lectures - and yet he was always broke!

Part one covers his life from birth to Dunkirk. The course draws upon Andrew Roberts' Churchill: Walking With Destiny and other sources.

This is a new version of the quantum physics class Dr. Ed Friedman has been teaching at DU for years. The redesign emphasizes the history and personalities behind quantum physics - arguably the most important science ever developed. We use in-class demonstrations and realistic simulations of key experiments to build intuitive understanding of quantum science, despite its many mysterious properties. This is a no-math class. A comprehensive companion book complements the class meetings.

This course examines the history of country and bluegrass music in the United States. We will learn that traditional ballads migrated from the British Isles to Appalachia between the mid-1800’s and early 1900’s. We will identify Scottish and Irish songs that became widely played in Appalachia in the early 1900’s. By examining the early recordings of country artists such as the Carter Family, Ernest Stoneman, and Jimmie Rogers, we will discover how musicians adapted songs originating in the British Isles. As we move to the 1930’s, we will learn about the impact of the Great Depression on country music and examine the origin of bluegrass music through pioneers like Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. We will trace how early recordings influenced developments in country and bluegrass music up until 1960. Recorded songs, videos, and live music will help us understand and enliven the history of country and bluegrass music.

Recommended Reading: Ritchie, F., & Orr, D. (2021). Wayfaring strangers: The musical voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia, 2nd Ed. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.

Vietnam - the name brings back memories for many of us. It was a decisive conflict - the first war the United States lost in its history. Why? How did the U.S. enter the conflict? What did our leaders believe at the time? How did President Kennedy's assassination change things? The Gulf of Tonkin Incident led Congress to authorize military action. President Johnson continued the military buildup until 569,000 troops were in country. Would they be enough? How did Johnson's orders hinder our military and aid the North Vietnamese? Popular belief held that air power could stop the communists. Did it work? What about the South Vietnamese Army? We will end the class at Christmas 1967 - when our strategy appeared to have a chance of success and support at home was still strong. Part 2 follows in the Winter Quarter.

Around the mid-seventies, a quiet question often arrives: Am I spending this last stage of life the best way I can? This class examines what 37 cultural and philosophical traditions have said about living well in the final arc. Insights gathered across recorded history are presented as findings to explore together, not doctrine to accept. No religious belief is required or assumed; the tools work without any metaphysical system. Together we'll work through five frameworks - each a practical tool - and close with the Annual Lighthouse Review: a structured five-part reflection you can use every year on your own. No background in philosophy is needed; personal experience counts as much as academic study. If that question sounds familiar, this course is for you.

Readings:

• A Quiet Reckoning - Ancient Tools for a Life Well Lived and Why It’s Never Too Late (Required reading)
• What Is a Life Well Lived? A Global Cross-Cultural Historical Synthesis (for reference if/as needed)
• Both no charge, provided as e-books (pdf and epub formats)

Have you ever had a ‘driveway moment’ where music you never heard before left you so deeply moved that you just had to wait in your car until it was over to learn what you just heard? The plan for this class will be to bring you one driveway moment after another - introducing you to brilliant, fascinating, and inspiring music that you very likely have never heard. The facilitator has spent a lifetime uncovering these gems, and he looks forward to sharing what he’s found.

If you are unfamiliar with Walton's Façade or his First Symphony, Vaughan Williams' Oxford Elegy, Britten's War Requiem, Glière's Third Symphony, Delius' Mass of Life, or the music of Atterberg, for example, get ready for some seriously great listening. Obscure masterpieces from the Middle Ages until today will be explored. And along the way expect to learn about the composers and gain insights into this amazing music.