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The Newberry
Upcoming Classes in Chicago
The Newberry is a renowned research library that offers lectures, workshops, and teacher programs, fostering research, teaching, and lifelong learning in an atmosphere of free inquiry.
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From Chicago to LA: Art along the Santa Fe Railway
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
The storied train route has inspired a range of works of art over the years. CLASS DESCRIPTION From architecture and artistry of Indigenous people to paintings, photography, posters, and postcards drawing travelers to the Southwest and beyond, this class investigates the many artistic modes related to traveling along the famous train route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Margaret Denny is an independent historian with a PhD in Art History (UIC 2010)....
Literary Capital of the West
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Literary Capital of the West: Chicago Writing before 1890 This course explores the evolving relationship between Western and urban identities in Chicago writing from the 1840s through the 1880s. Histories of Chicago literature often start around 1890, with the urban sketches of writers like Finley Peter Dunne. Chicago’s antebellum literature, however, was very different, aimed at rural readers in the city’s railroad empire. After the Civil...
African Murder Mysteries
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
In this class, we’re traveling to Africa to examine mysteries from the continent over five weeks. Class Description This five-week class will explore the rich history of murder mysteries in Africa. Each week, we will read and discuss a mystery from a different country and author, exploring how mysteries became popular in Africa. We will consider points that make African mysteries unique, including politics, racial tensions, economics, and outside...
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Clash of the Titans: Russo-German War 1941-1945
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
On June 22, 1941, during World War II, Adolf Hitler unleashed an army of 3 million for a blitzkrieg conquest of the Soviet Union. For the next 4 years, over 10 million German and Russian forces remained locked in combat over an unprecedented 1,500-mile front that stretched from the Arctic to the Caucuses. The siege of Leningrad and the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk are epic chapters in the history of warfare. This class will focus on the...
Walking Chicago's Literary Gold Coast
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood contains a great number of important literary associations, including the Newberry Library and authors connected to it. The neighborhood’s rich history is intertwined with the notable writers and thinkers who’ve made the Gold Coast home over the past century and a half. This class will combine site visits (all within walking distance) with reading that explores the neighborhood—its evolution, its lasting...
Church & State: The Abortion Issue
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Church & State: The Abortion Issue in Historical Context Discuss the topic of abortion and contextualize recent Supreme Court decisions in this six-session class. In this class, you’ll consider the recent Supreme Court decisions on abortion and school prayer in the context of historical understandings of the separation of church and state. The class will begin in the colonial era, discuss the radical changes in people's thinking during the...
Little Poems: Sappho to the Beatles
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Poetry has persisted since time immemorial. In this class, you’ll explore this enduring form of human expression in its many different forms. Most of us experience literature for the first time in the form of a “little poem.” Long before we’ve tasted solid food, we’ve heard a soothing lullaby sung by a parent, and before we start school, we’ve already accumulated a storehouse of nursery rhymes. But little poems range far beyond the nursery....
Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House Books
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Uncover the hidden depths of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House series in this literary class that delves into the series' settings, authorship, adaptations, translations, and lasting impact on American history and girlhood. Taught by a dedicated Wilder scholar, this course will explore not only Wilder's eight-book series but also the works of her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the societal, ideological, and historical themes embedded within these iconic books.
Hemingway and the Women Who Influenced His Life
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Uncover the hidden stories behind Hemingway's iconic works as you delve into the captivating lives of the influential women who shaped his existence. Gain unique insights into their relationships through personal letters, rare photographs, and engaging discussions in this thought-provoking literary exploration.
1960s: A Decade of Hope, Change, Tragedy, and Innocence
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Join us as we dive into the transformative era of 1960s America, exploring the profound changes, hopes, and tragic events that shaped a nation. Discover the cultural shifts, political tensions, and loss of innocence through captivating mediums in this thought-provoking class at The Newberry.
Nationalism: Myth and Reality
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
What are the historical roots of nationalism? How does it impact nations across the globe today? What is the future for this political ideology? Nationalism is at the root of most of the violence in the world today, both internationally and domestically. Dictators and would-be dictators appeal to nationalism to solidify their support. Their ideology poses a threat to democracy, whether in the U.S., Hungary, or non-Western states. In this class,...
Full Tilt: Gambling in Literature & Film
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Get your poker face ready for this class focused on how gambling is depicted in literature and film. From classics like Dostoevsky’s "The Gambler" to cult novels like A. Alvarez’s "The Biggest Game in Town," this class will explore depictions of gambling in literature, both fiction and non-fiction, and film, with a special emphasis on poker. We will ask, how does the randomness intrinsic to gambling create narrative suspense, tension,...
How to Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Full Course Title: Travel Writing: How to Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd Learn the foundations of travel writing and get a chance to workshop your own stories in this guided class. "I never travel without my diary. One should always keep something sensational to read in the train." —Oscar Wilde Travel writing is more than just traveling. It is imbuing your reader with the nuances and textures of your experiences in a unique and riveting...
Petrarch: Humanist and Poet
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Dive into the works of Petrarch, one of Italy’s most influential humanist poets, in this four-session class. Petrarch (1304-1374) is Italy's greatest and most influential humanist and lyric poet. As a humanist, he is celebrated for the revival of classical antiquity. The sonnets from his "Canzoniere" provided a model for stylish, elegant, and eloquent love poetry for the Western lyric tradition. Using Laura as inspiration, his collection of 366...
Chicago Art and Artists: 1950 - the Present
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Beginning in the 1950s, Chicago became known for figurative art—what we now call “Imagism.” This class will explore the development of the figurative tradition in Chicago, beginning with works we will compare to Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art being produced in New York, and continuing through to the contemporary era. While the figurative tradition still is vibrant in the city, we will also consider abstract works by Chicago artists. Throughout,...
Revolution and Response: The Chicago Black Panther
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Uncover the rise and legacy of the Chicago Black Panther Party in this thought-provoking course. Explore the political climate, community programs, and tragic events surrounding Fred Hampton’s activism. Join us to delve into the multiethnic alliances formed by the BPP and the historical significance of their struggle.
Seeing Race Before Race - Exhibition Series
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Delve into the historical context of recent Supreme Court decisions on abortion and school prayer, and explore the evolving relationship between church and state in this thought-provoking class. Discover how ideas about freedom of conscience have been challenged and reevaluated throughout American history, leading to a recent acceptance of religious influence on law.
Meet the Author: Tom Shachtman
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
This is a one time FREE course. Meet the Author: Tom Shachtman, How the French Saved America Americans today have a love/hate relationship with France, but in this illuminating new history, Tom Shachtman shows that without France, there might not be a United States of America. How the French Saved America: Soldiers, Sailors, Diplomats, Louis XVI, and the Success of a Revolution is about French aid to Americans during the American...
Free
Literature & Art in the Midwest Metropolis
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
Liesl Olson, Chicago Renaissance: Literature and Art in the Midwest Metropolis This remarkable cultural history celebrates the great Midwestern city of Chicago for its centrality to the modernist movement. Author Liesl Olson traces Chicago’s cultural development from the 1893 World’s Fair through mid century, illuminating how Chicago writers revolutionized literary forms during the first half of the twentieth century, a period of sweeping aesthetic...
Free
The Book No One Can Read: Revisiting the Voynich Codex
The Newberry @ 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL
The 15th-century Voynich Manuscript continues to elude researchers to this day. Since its rediscovery in 1912—including a brief period on display at Chicago’s Art Institute—the Voynich Manuscript or, as it is also known, the Voynich Codex, has defied all attempts to decipher its unknown script and unusual color illustrations. The codex parchment has been radiocarbon-dated to the early 15th century, but its authorship, place of origin,...
$137
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