Moving from place to place and job to job until he found his true calling as a painter, Vincent van Gogh had a short artistic career. Dying at 37, he was a painter for only ten years. He reached his “high, yellow note” as a painter during months he spent at Arles, in the South of France. Vincent spent only 444 days in Arles—the most prolific period in his brief career. He painted the changing seasons in the strong light of the Midi and dreamed of a studio in the South for himself and his fellow artists including Paul Gauguin. After the onset of his mental illness, he voluntarily committed himself to the asylum at nearby St.Remy but continued to paint when he was able. Many of van Gogh’s most cherished pictures were created during that period.

Nothing about this young writer’s second novel is “typical”: neither her style nor her characters.  Set in northern Virginia, with a diverse array of characters, the author introduces us to “happiness quotient” theory.   Kirkus Reviews' evaluation of the novel starts and end with the phrase: “The claim that a book will change your life often seems like exaggeration. Here the potential is real.” Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated, Zoom discussion. (Note: Please join the meeting at 3 pm if you would like some assistance using the features of Zoom.  Otherwise, join us at 3:15 pm for the start of our discussion.) Author: Angie Kim, 2023. (For other book discussions, see classes #)

From an impoverished farm life in rural Louisiana along the Mississippi River to being one of the most well-known and influential Rock'n'Roll pianists in the world, this class will cover the lives and times, not to mention the music of the great Jerry Lee Lewis. Grab and hold on to whatever you can as this will be a wild ride with no seatbelts!!!

From an impoverished farm life in rural Louisiana along the Mississippi River to being one of the most well-known and influential Rock'n'Roll pianists in the world, this class will cover the lives and times, not to mention the music of the great Jerry Lee Lewis. Grab and hold on to whatever you can as this will be a wild ride with no seatbelts!!!

The roots of today's international justice and international humanitarian law systems are the crimes and processes created by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson for the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945. Kristan McMahon will provide the historic context from Nuremberg and how that has evolved into the ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court of today.  She'll also explore the possible paths to accountability for the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine.

The roots of today's international justice and international humanitarian law systems are the crimes and processes created by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson for the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945. Kristan McMahon will provide the historic context from Nuremberg and how that has evolved into the ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court of today.  She'll also explore the possible paths to accountability for the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine.

Whether or not you have read our May selection before, you probably know that many readers consider this title as a lifelong favorite.  An immediate best-seller upon publication, selling around 3 million copies in the first year or so, the novel has always been in print. It has been translated into 16 other languages.  It’s 1912 and eleven-year-old Francie Nolan lives in a Brooklyn tenement with her parents and ten-year-old brother Neeley. She loves her public library – taking out a book six days and two on Saturday.  Her mother supports the family by cleaning and her father, battling the demon drink, works as a singing waiter; their life is not easy.  We see her through to age seventeen and can imagine what comes next. Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated Zoom discussion.

The Beach Boys seemed to be the golden boys of endless summers as they sang songs about the southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and teenage romances. Often touted as “America’s Band”, the Beach Boys produced the sort of monster hits that dreams are made of including “Fun, Fun, Fun”, “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations”. Yet despite their many successes, band members often struggled to keep the group from imploding due to personal problems.

The American University Museum hosts rotating exhibitions of political, international and local art from around the globe and the Alper Initiative, dedicated to the art history of Washington, DC.  The museum is located on American University’s main campus in the Katzen Arts Center.  Enjoy a guided tour of two of AUM's spring 2024 exhibitions, "Dana Hart-Stone: Kaleidescope" and "Art & the Demands of Memory."  The tour will spend a half hour in each exhibition.  You are then welcome to explore the other exhibitions and permanent collection at your leisure. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.  The museum is located on the American University main campus in the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20016.  There is parking available and the museum is also accessible via free shuttle from the Metro Red Line. Participants will receive an email with more details shortly before the trip. For more information, visit the museum website:  American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center .