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This book club will explore the Eybyggja saga, a magnificent Old Icelandic epic filled with feud, revenge, memorable characters and a lot of paranormal activity. For one month we'll be delving into its exquisite storytelling, examining everything from its cultural background to narrative themes. Meet Snorri the chieftain, Thorolf the revenant or Katla the witch in a story that'll remain with you long after you've read it! If you enjoy this format, you'll get the chance to vote what saga we discuss next!

Module Outline:
(* Please note that this module consists of six 80-min sessions.)

• Session 1: chapters 1-12
• Session 2: chapters 13 - 28
• Session 3: chapters 29 - 38
• Session 4: chapters 39 - 49
• Session 5: chapters 50 - 55
• Session 6: chapters 56 - 65

Over nearly half a century of storytelling, Star Wars has challenged audiences to find their own agency and power in the face of injustice and tyranny. The Star Wars works Andor (2022, 2025), Rogue One (2016), and A New Hope (1977) fit together to provide a story of resistance, resilience, and rebellion built on a deep engagement with history, philosophy, and political thought. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as we consider how Star Wars wrestles with big ideas, invites conversation and action, and inspires hope in unprecedented times.

This SPACE series consists of three hybrid modules:

1. Module 1 covers the series Andor, Season 1;
2. Module 2 covers the series Andor, Season 2; and
3. Module 3 covers the films Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

Over nearly half a century of storytelling, Star Wars has challenged audiences to find their own agency and power in the face of injustice and tyranny. The Star Wars works Andor (2022, 2025), Rogue One (2016), and A New Hope (1977) fit together to provide a story of resistance, resilience, and rebellion built on a deep engagement with history, philosophy, and political thought. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as we consider how Star Wars wrestles with big ideas, invites conversation and action, and inspires hope in unprecedented times.

Over nearly half a century of storytelling, Star Wars has challenged audiences to find their own agency and power in the face of injustice and tyranny. The Star Wars works Andor (2022, 2025), Rogue One (2016), and A New Hope (1977) fit together to provide a story of resistance, resilience, and rebellion built on a deep engagement with history, philosophy, and political thought. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as we consider how Star Wars wrestles with big ideas, invites conversation and action, and inspires hope in unprecedented times.

Over nearly half a century of storytelling, Star Wars has challenged audiences to find their own agency and power in the face of injustice and tyranny. The Star Wars works Andor (2022, 2025), Rogue One (2016), and A New Hope (1977) fit together to provide a story of resistance, resilience, and rebellion built on a deep engagement with history, philosophy, and political thought. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as we consider how Star Wars wrestles with big ideas, invites conversation and action, and inspires hope in unprecedented times.

This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to continue our study of Japanese. We will continue using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, and covering grammatical structures. Through use of conversational Japanese, we will continue to explore how the language is used in anime, manga, and music.

Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people.

What makes a poem sing, or whisper, or chant, or curse—that is, make memorable speech? How do you craft that echo when one sound calls another to the surface—stress to stress, line to line? Sometimes the smallest beat, breath, or break can turn a poem’s ordinary sense into what Seamus Heaney called “the music of what happens.”

Through the pulse of stress, or the line that ends at rest or breaks in tension, poetry, as James Longenbach writes in The Art of the Poetic Line, “is the sound of language organized in lines.” The poetic line and its sonics are inextricably linked—to each other and to the other elements of the poem with which they are bound up.

In this workshop, we’ll tune our ears to poetry’s music through a weekly craft focus, generative prompts, and a supportive workshop. We’ll read short excerpts from Robert Pinsky (The Sound of Poetry), James Longenbach (The Art of the Poetic Line), and Denise Levertov (“On the Function of the Line”). Together we’ll explore sonic patterns that stir and surprise; we’ll write poems that make sense through the senses.

This course is for poets at all stages who want to deepen their craft in community. You’ll leave with new drafts, sharper ears, and a keener attention to the key quality that singles poetry out from prose: its complex of lines.

Whether The Silmarillion is your favorite Tolkien book or one you’ve struggled to get through, this course is here to make it feel more engaging, fun, and relatable. In this first of a two-part series, KnewBettaDoBetta breaks down Tolkien’s vast mythology in a clear and conversational way—focusing on the epic beginnings of Arda and the First Age.

Through vivid storytelling and grounded analysis, KnewBetta will guide you through the early lore, key characters, and dramatic turning points that shape Middle-earth’s ancient history. Expect accessible explanations, engaging discussion, and fresh insights for both newcomers and long-time Tolkien fans.

Lecture Topic Outline:

• Lecture 1 – The Creation: Exploring the Music of the Ainur and the shaping of the world.
• Lecture 2 – The Awakening of the Elves: The coming of the Firstborn and their significance.
• Lecture 3 – The Silmarils and The Flight of the Noldor: Feanor’s legacy, rebellion, and exile.
• Lecture 4– The Fall of Beleriand / The 4th Battle: The rise of shadow and war in Middle-earth.

Join us as we trace the unfolding of Tolkien’s epic from the very beginning—and start to see The Silmarillion in a whole new light.

Continuing the journey through Tolkien’s rich mythology, this second part of our two-part series takes you into the drama, heroism, and tragedy that define the later events of the First Age and the rise and fall of Númenor. KnewBettaDoBetta makes these legendary tales accessible, engaging, and deeply human.

Through captivating storytelling and thoughtful analysis, KnewBetta will guide you through the most iconic heroes, their epic struggles, and the pivotal moments that shape Middle-earth’s history. Expect lively discussion, clear explanations, and fresh perspectives for both newcomers and seasoned Tolkien enthusiasts.

Lecture Topic Outline:

• Lecture 1 – Of Beren and Lúthien: A timeless tale of love, courage, and the quest for the Silmaril.
• Lecture 2 – The Fifth Battle: Examining the climactic confrontations and their impact on the First Age.
• Lecture 3 – Of Túrin Turambar: Tragedy, fate, and the life of one of Middle-earth’s most complex heroes.
• Lecture 4 – Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor: The rise and fall of men, hubris, and the shaping of the world to come.

Join us as we explore the twilight of Arda’s heroes, witness their trials and triumphs, and gain a deeper appreciation for the sweeping epic of The Silmarillion.