Revisit the landmark literature and a handful
of pivotal writers that influenced the 1960's. Are they still relevant?
Join us as we search for clues of their continued value 50 years on.
As always, these seminars feature video and
audio clips, with the sights and sounds of the 1960's.
Attend all or some of the four total classes!
The public is welcome!
Class schedule: Kerouac | Vonnegut |
Tolkien
| Lee
Monday, September 24; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
JACK
KEROUAC/THE BEATS
While the Fifties get the knock of being a time of
conformity, beneath the surface the seeds of the Sixties were being planted.
Jack Kerouac's On the Road became one of the most influential novels of
the Sixties generation, and helped define the forerunners to the hippies – the
Beats.
Monday, October 8; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
KURT VONNEGUT / THE
SOCIAL LABORATORY
His blockbuster was Slaughterhouse Five, a novel
with science fiction themes that enabled Vonnegut to explain what war in the
real world was like. But his earlier works were no less insightful, exploring
the corrosive effects of the prevailing "What's good for GM is good for America"
philosophy. This evening we will explore if Vonnegut really mattered, and
discuss how his message plays today.
Monday, October 22; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
J.R.R.
TOLKIEN / THE RISE OF FANTASY LITERATURE
During the 1960's, the world of Middle Earth became some of
the most explored real estate in literary history. Tolkien's paperbacks seemed
to be in every back pocket, and Frodo's exploits were the connection that
started many friendships. But what impact did Tolkien's stories have on a
generation that came of age reading of Frodo and friends? Can we extrapolate a
future for those equally influenced by Harry Potter's adventures?
Monday, November 5; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
STAN LEE / THE MARVEL REVOLUTION
For a guy who created and
wrote comic books, Stan Lee never considered his work high art. That said, forty
years later everyone knows his characters, and his stories are the basis of some
of today's most popular movies and TV shows. We'll look at his themes and see if
we can detect how his stories have affected today's world.
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