Humanities Seminars Program

How America Became a Right-Wing Nation: Lessons from the 1970s

Course

The decade of the 1970s represented a turning point in US politics, which shifted in a rightward direction toward free market economics at the domestic level, combined with more militaristic and interventionist policies overseas.

Enigmas of the Universe

Course

Astronomy has seen tremendous progress in the past century. Large telescopes on the ground and in space now give us views of the universe across the electromagnetic spectrum. Powerful computers can handle exponentially increasing volumes of data and

The Colorado River: Past, Present and Future

Course

The Colorado River starts in a high mountain meadow, flows through forests and canyons, and past tribal nations. The river now generates power and is diverted to farms and cities -- and no longer reaches the sea. How did we get here?

World War I and the US: Causes and Consequences

Course

In this course, we will cover the causes of WWI and the role of the United States in the conflict. The course will begin with the primary focus on the war itself. We will explore what was occurring on the U.S. home front. Next, we will spend some tim

Writing… And then Writing Again: Marie Darrieussecq Explores the Art of Storytelling

Course

Sometimes it is easy to start writing, but it is never easy to go on. When I was very young, I was a specialist in first chapters. Later in life, I often had in mind the beginning and the end of a novel, the head and tail, but the belly of it resiste

Haydn's 'Creation': Which Libretto, Which Language

Course

Haydn’s Creation is considered one of his greatest achievements and is undoubtedly a masterwork of the choral/orchestral oratorio tradition. The original English libretto is shrouded in mystery and Haydn needed it translated into German for his purp