Our winter semester continues with more great classes on current events/issues, culture and the arts, historical perspectives, and better living. All our sessions are interactive, with the opportunity for students to comment and ask questions.  Winter classes are all on online on Zoom.

Here are this week’s classes. All times are EDT.

WEEK 8 PROGRAM
NEW CLASSES

TUESDAY, FEB 25

Let’s Play Telephone: The Phone’s Major Role in Movies, with Richard Klein
10:30-11:45am
“Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you!” That’s how this brand new and exciting instrument started, when Alexander Bell spoke via phone to his assistant in 1876. Now, of course, much of our interpersonal communication is by telephone in its modern forms. So much is conveyed: joy, hope, coaxing, threatening, seducing – among other things. The movies have been rich with scenes or snippets of people doing all these things in drama, suspense and comedy. Richard looks at how movie plots have used phones as pivotal points, from Don Ameche to Hitchcock to Woody Allen and more. He has several entertaining clips to show us – and promises he won’t just be “phoning it in.” Richard is an amateur historian and movie maven.
 
WEDNESDAY, FEB 26

Housing Works: 30+ Years on the Frontlines Fighting HIV/AIDS and Homelessness, with Cheryl Grimm 
1:00-2:15pm
 Housing Works is a leading supportive housing developer, community healthcare provider, and fierce advocate for communities and individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS and homelessness. Founded in 1990 and based in New York City with a global impact, the agency has over 1,000 employees and is well-known for its entrepreneurial businesses – nine high-end thrift stores, a bookstore cafe, and the first legal cannabis dispensary in New York State. Cheryl, the organization’s V.P. of Retail and Marketing, will speak of the agency’s beginnings, its growth over 30 years, and plans for the future. Housing Works pioneered the concept of social enterprise businesses whose profits fund the mission of a parent not-for-profit organization. Through its advocacy efforts in New York City, Albany, Washington DC, Haiti and Puerto Rico, it fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention information and other life-sustaining services, as well as legal protections from stigma and discrimination. During its 30+ years, the organization has provided a comprehensive array of services to tens of thousands of homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Providing stable housing, she contends, IS healthcare and is the first step toward living a long and healthy life. This self-sustaining model provides employment opportunities to the community in addition to fundraising.

Behind the Scenes at Consumer Reports, with Tobie Stanger
2:45-4:00pm
Consumer Reports has been providing unbiased, trustworthy and comprehensive information about consumer products for nearly 90 years. It is still the gold standard for the many consumer product sites that now dispense advice. Tobie, a staff reporter and editor at its nationally renowned magazine for 33 of those years, takes us behind the scenes at their famed testing labs. How do they test products scientifically and without bias favoring any particular company? Why are they different than the many other consumer product outlets out there now? But CR is not just about tangible products. They also are a reliable source for evaluating services like credit cards and banks and on how to utilize important protections, such as internet security. Proudest of her work exposing scams aimed at older people, she’ll talk about some of these stories and update them for us. Today a key question is how can an outlet that accepts no advertising or corporate funding and is nearly completely dependent on subscriptions, survive in this highly competitive media environment? Tobie welcomes any specific questions regarding your individual consumer issues or problems and will try to provide some guidance on solutions or agencies you might appeal to.

CONTINUING CLASSES

TUESDAY, FEB 25

Poetry for Pleasure in the Winter, with Barry Wallenstein
1:00-2:15pm
These lectures with discussion will involve close readings of poems – classic, modern, and contemporary. Our aim is to listen to the sound poems make. What makes a successful language performance? We will discuss these works’ emotional truth, unity of expression, and attention-holding, pleasure-providing use of language. Dennis Nurkse is Barry’s guest poet.

Link to poetry book for the semester is HERE

In our Feb 25 class, we'll discuss the poems on these pages:

• [afterthoughts on] Won’t you Celebrate with Me by Lucille Clifton, p. 42

• Henry by Night by John Berryman, p. 31

• The House on the Hill by E.A. Robinson, p. 28

• Isle Au Haut & Marbles And A Dead Bee by Dennis Nurkse (guest poet), pp. 57-58

• Pity the Nation by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, p. 32

• Broken Promises by David Kirby, p. 69

• Autumn by Rainer Maria Rilke, p. 7

• Her Kind by Anne Sexton, p. 72

What Do You Think? Discussion, with Bill Goldman
2:45-4:00pm
This course is a group discussion of current events, focusing on significant economic, social, and political issues in the news. This week we’ll discuss articles on an expression of concern from an ex-director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about the future of science, research and health; a defense of the state arguing that a complex society is best served by a competent, professional and neutral public service; and a revelation that the story you have been told about recycling is a lie.

For articles for discussion: CLICK HERE

WEDNESDAY, FEB 26

Writing Creatively, with Bonnie Max 
10:30-11:45am
This course provides us with an opportunity to explore our thoughts and feelings. Bonnie gives us some open-ended prompts that offer room for interpretation. They may be questions, incomplete sentences, quotations, lists or images. We jot down whatever comes to mind for us. Then we share our work by reading aloud and listening to each other. There is no judgment or criticism. Everyone is welcome. No previous writing experience is needed. 

THURSDAY, FEB 27

Equal Protection Clause and the Supreme Court, with Leora Harpaz  
10:30-11:45am
In the final class of the semester, Leora will discuss cases that decided equal protection is only violated when the government purposefully discriminates against a group, even if that isn’t apparent in the text of the law being challenged and not if the law has the effect of discriminating against a group, even if that isn’t its purpose. She will also review cases that address two additional classifications. One is different treatment of bona fide residents of a state vs. non-residents. The other is discrimination against legally present non-citizens, a group that the Supreme Court refers to as aliens. That issue is complicated by the disparity in state vs. federal power over immigration. Leora welcomes your suggestions for other subjects you’d like to hear about. Please write to judy@langerqual.com with your suggestions. 

Politics 2025, with Larry Geneen
1:00-2:15pm
Now that President Trump has the Cabinet picks he wants, we’ll see how decisions are made concerning the FBI, immigration and other key issues. Larry discusses Elon Musk’s DOGE searching for wasteful spending, which the Wall St. Journal says it isn’t hard to find. Gov. Kathy Hochul of NYS won’t remove NYC Mayor Eric Adams – for now. If you have topics you would like Larry to discuss, please write to judy@langerqual.com. 

The Greatest Love Songs and Duets, with Alan Steinfeld
2:45-4:00pm
There is one subject that people have sung about for eons. And some of those greatest songs were written in our lifetime. See what memories emerge as we listen, share and reminisce about (in Alan's opinion) the greatest love songs ever. And what special magic happens in duets.
 
AND THERE’S MORE...

Barry Wallenstein has an upcoming poetry reading click here to view the flyer for more information 

Jessica Kallert offered suggestions on support strategies for older people living at home. To contact her at Home Instead Senior Care, you can call 646-664-1149 or email jessica@homeinsteadny.com. www.SeniorCareManhattan.com.

For Registration click here
For Full Course Descriptions click here
For Course Calendar click here

Looking forward to seeing you at school! 

Best,
Judy

Judy Langer, CL&L Executive Director
Any questions?
Email us at:  info@clandl.org or call 212-644-3320

                         
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