New to the Directory

Grab a cup of tea and join Keli for a discussion on the long anticipated Netflix live action adaptation of Avatar the Last Airbender, Season 2. In this module we'll discuss one of the live action episodes for each class session. While not required, it is highly recommended that students have seen seasons one and two of the animated series, and the first season of the Netflix adaptation as we will be discussing adaptation choices. During the module, students should watch the episodes from Avatar the Last Airbender, Season 2 in between sessions. [show less]

In this series, we’re going to read different stories in Spanish and talk about them. Every month there will be a new selection of stories: we might read fairy tales, children’s stories, poetry, or fragments of famous Latin American and Spanish authors depending on the students’ language level. During each class, we will read a fragment, practice the pronunciation, clarify grammar and meaning, and discuss the stories. Since this isn’t a sequential series, students can join any month. Before each module in the series begins, the preceptor will send a questionnaire to check students’ language level. (*Note: Upper Beginner knowledge of Spanish is required. ) [show less]

How do films and TV create meaning? How do images, sound, performance, editing, and storytelling work together to shape our understanding of a story, a character, or an entire world? Lights, Camera, Meaning is an ongoing series taught by Dr Maggie Parke that explores TV & cinema as both a storytelling medium and a cultural force. Combining film studies with an examination of production practices, the series investigates how creative and technical choices shape the stories we see on screen. Through close analysis, discussion, and accessible critical frameworks, students will develop the tools to interpret visual media thoughtfully while gaining insight into the craft behind them. Topics may include visual analysis and the language of cinema; editing, lighting, sound, and musical scoring; screenwriting and story development; character arcs and adaptation across media; genre studies; directors and creative voices; fantasy and speculative film; popular franchises and fan communities; and the evolving relationship between film, culture, and audiences. Drawing on examples from beloved classics, contemporary cinema, and adaptation-rich works such as Tolkien and beyond, the series invites students to consider not only what stories mean, but how filmmakers create that meaning. This series will complement Maggie's other series on specific story deep-dives, Taking Fun Seriously. Designed for students from any background, the Lights, Camera, Meaning series combines rigorous analysis with an enthusiasm for storytelling, offering a welcoming space for anyone who wants to understand film more deeply, engage critically with visual media, and develop a greater appreciation for the artistry and craft of TV and cinema. [show less]

Why do certain stories, characters, franchises, and cultural phenomena capture our imaginations? What makes us return to the same books, films, television series, games, and music again and again—and build communities around them? Taking Fun Seriously: Studies in Pop Culture and Fandom is an ongoing series taught by Dr Maggie Parke that explores the media people love most, from her own enduring personal obsessions (Little Women, The Secret Garden, The Hunger Games, Heated Rivalry, Twilight) to the cultural phenomena shaping contemporary conversations (Dune, Narnia, Marvel/DC/Disney). Through close analysis, discussion, and accessible critical frameworks, students will dive deeply into individual texts, adaptations, and explore their production elements, visual storytelling techniques, script, character and adaptation choices, fandoms, examining what makes them compelling and why they inspire such lasting devotion. This course works well alongside Maggie's other series, Lights, Camera, Meaning. Topics may include fandom and fan communities, popular franchises, adaptation and transmedia storytelling, celebrity and fan culture, mythology in contemporary media, genre trends, and the ways audiences engage with stories across platforms and generations. Individual classes may focus on beloved works and emerging phenomena alike, offering opportunities to explore books, films, television series, anime, fantasy and science fiction, music cultures, and other forms of popular media in depth. Maggie's also open to suggestions and requests! Drawing on everything from Tolkien, Fantasy, and speculative fiction to contemporary global trends and fandom phenomena, the series invites students to consider not only what we love, but why we love it—and what those passions can reveal about storytelling, identity, community, and culture. Designed for students from any background, Taking Fun Seriously combines critical inquiry with genuine enthusiasm, creating a welcoming space for anyone who has ever wanted to spend more time thinking, talking, and learning about the stories and cultural touchstones that matter to them most. [show less]

This module is a community-based painting intensive where students learn and practice the art of watercolor painting and give each other feedback (and receive feedback from the preceptor) to complete a painting by the end of the weekend. An immersive painting experience! In one weekend, we're going to enjoy brainstorming and each completing a watercolor painting. Prompts, planning, constructive criticism/feedback, and painting together in community are all part of the plan, and you will finish the weekend retreat with at least one finished watercolor painting and the tools to make more! Proposed Schedule: ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Saturday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern: ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Sunday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Sunday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Required Texts/Materials: There are no required texts for this module, but you will need the following materials to create a painting over the course of the weekend: 1) 100% cotton cold press watercolor paper, minimum 180lb thickness (with preference for 300lb thickness) 2) Medium sized round watercolor brush (sizes 8-12 will work well) 3) Masking tape 4) Container to hold water 5) Pencil with eraser 6) Water color paints: (A Good Limited Palette is Cadmium Red [warm red], Alizarin Crimson [cool red], Cadmium yellow [warm yellow], Lemon yellow [cool yellow], Ultramarine Blue [warm blue], Pthalo Blue [cool blue], Burnt Sienna [earth tone] 7) Paper towels / rags Optional: 1) Flat watercolor brush (for washes) 2) Liner brush (for fine lines) 3) Masking fluid 4) White gouache 5) Hair dryer/fan 6) Scrub brush [show less]

This course is an examination of Susanna Clarke's Piranesi. It details the multi-layered influences and implications of the novel. Class 1: Introduction to Portal Fantasy, Susanna Clarke, Piranesi art and Novel. Class 2: The Labyrinth in fiction. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages1-39. Class 3: Surrealism and dream narratives. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 39-82. Class 4: The Allegory of the Cave. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 85-122. Class 5: C.S. Lewis Influence and Connections. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 125-170. Class 6 :Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 173-217. Class 7: Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 217-245. Class 8: Discussion of Complete Novel [show less]

Quite a few people have heard of Karl Marx and Marxism, but far less have ever stopped to learn what Marxism is really all about. Is it simply an economic theory, or a political movement? Is it a philosophy of history, or just a critique of capitalism? Why has it shaped revolutions, labor movements, academic disciplines, and political debates across the world for more than 150 years? For some, it represents the dream of economic democracy and liberation from exploitation. For others, it evokes authoritarianism, failed states, and political repression. This introductory course explores the foundations of Marxist thought in a clear, simple, and accessibly grounded way. Through four pre-recorded lectures and four discussion sessions, students will learn and discuss the core concepts developed by Karl Marx and later Marxist thinkers, including ideas like class struggle, historical materialism, exploitation, alienation, ideology, revolution, and socialism. The course will also provide an introductory examination of how Marxists understand capitalism, why they believe economic systems shape society and politics, and how Marxist ideas evolved through labor struggles, anti-colonial movements, and debates within the socialist tradition itself. We will end through looking at how Marxism has touched other disciplines beyond economics, culminating in a critique of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings through the lens of Marxist literary criticism. No prior background in philosophy, economics, or political theory is required or needed, just your curiosity. Whether you are sympathetic to Marxism, skeptical of it, or simply interested in understanding one of the most important intellectual movements of the modern world, this course will provide the tools to think critically and historically about capitalism, socialism, and the future of human society. Lecture 1: The World of Karl Marx: History, Class, and Struggle Discussion Session 1 Lecture 2: Capitalism and Exploitation Discussion Session 2 Lecture 3: Revolution, the State, and Socialist Transitions Discussion Session 3 Lecture 4: Marxism Beyond Marx: Sociology, Literary Criticism, and The Lord of the Rings Discussion Session 4 [show less]