Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
New to the Directory
Courses added in the last 30 days (newest first)
Japanese: From Zero - 26 Continuing Series
Added July 2, 2025
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.
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.
Precepted by
Sam Roche
Exploring Tolkien's "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth"
Added June 30, 2025
Immerse yourself in the profound dialogues of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth", a philosophical and metaphysical exploration of love, mortality, and hope within the legendarium of Middle-earth. This class invites you to delve into the intricate conversations between Finrod, an Elven king, and Andreth, a wise-woman of the race of Men. Their discourse investigates the depths of human (and Elven) existence, examining the divergent perspectives on life, death, and the overarching destiny of their worlds.
Throughout this course, we will dissect the rich layers of Tolkien’s narrative, uncovering the symbolic and thematic significances that make "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" a cornerstone of his mythopoeic work. Together, we will work on a comprehensive analysis of the text, contextualizing it within Tolkien's broader legendarium and drawing connections to his other works. Our aim will be to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophical questions posed by Finrod and Andreth, and how these reflect Tolkien’s own views on faith, despair, and redemption.
Whether you are a seasoned Tolkien scholar or a passionate enthusiast of his world, this class offers an opportunity to engage with one of the most profound and lesser-known dialogues in Middle-earth, enriching your appreciation for Tolkien's genius and the enduring legacy of his work.
Throughout this course, we will dissect the rich layers of Tolkien’s narrative, uncovering the symbolic and thematic significances that make "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" a cornerstone of his mythopoeic work. Together, we will work on a comprehensive analysis of the text, contextualizing it within Tolkien's broader legendarium and drawing connections to his other works. Our aim will be to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophical questions posed by Finrod and Andreth, and how these reflect Tolkien’s own views on faith, despair, and redemption.
Whether you are a seasoned Tolkien scholar or a passionate enthusiast of his world, this class offers an opportunity to engage with one of the most profound and lesser-known dialogues in Middle-earth, enriching your appreciation for Tolkien's genius and the enduring legacy of his work.
Precepted by
Dr. Sara Brown
The Classical Art of Memory: Building the Mind Palace of Simonides
Added June 27, 2025
One of the most crucial elements of education for millennia was teaching the ability to harness the potential of the memory. From the time of Homer until the 19th century, bards and bureaucrats both would have used established methods to organize and categorize their thoughts and remember crucial pieces of information. The legendary memories of men from Homer to Cicero to Shakespeare had less to do with their unique genius and more to do with their application of ancient methods of memorization, that can still be learned today. In this module, students will learn the ancient memorization techniques that allowed bards to recite thousands of lines of poetry and Shakespeare's actors to perform dozens of complicated monologues, and discover its applications to life in the 21st century.
Precepted by
Patrick Lyon
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book I)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book II)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book III)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book IV)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings: Books I - VI (The Music of Middle-earth series) Non-Sequential Series
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book V)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Poetry of The Lord of the Rings (Book VI)
Added June 25, 2025
An in depth discussion of the various musical settings of all the poems in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. We will discuss each poem and its surrounding prose, as it pertains to musical adaptation, before digging into the arrangements that have been recorded of the poem. Most poems in The Lord of the Rings have been recorded several times.
Precepted by
Jack Schabert
The Imperial Radch Series: Ancillary Justice
Added June 18, 2025
Fascinating and highly acclaimed, Ancillary Justice, the first book in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series, explores the consequences of imperialism and the nature of identity through the experience of a multiple-bodied protagonist who has lived as both a ship and a human being.
Philosophically, the novel is interested in language, culture, gender, revenge, and the nature of personal responsibility, among other things; from a literary point of view, it is in deep conversation with its science-fiction ancestors and employs an interesting non-linear narrative structure. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more.
Philosophically, the novel is interested in language, culture, gender, revenge, and the nature of personal responsibility, among other things; from a literary point of view, it is in deep conversation with its science-fiction ancestors and employs an interesting non-linear narrative structure. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more.
Precepted by
Nancy "Anni" Foasberg
The Imperial Radch Series: Ancillary Mercy
Added June 18, 2025
Ancillary Mercy, the conclusion to the Imperial Radch trilogy, pulls together the themes and threads of the previous novels. Continuing the trilogy’s meditations on identity, culture, and power, it delves into the meaning of personhood and the question of how to build a good society, especially when starting from a deeply damaged and corrupt one.
This book is deeply interested in alterity, forgiveness, and the possibility of building relationships among those with deep differences. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more, as well as what we can learn about the mysterious Presger.
This book is deeply interested in alterity, forgiveness, and the possibility of building relationships among those with deep differences. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more, as well as what we can learn about the mysterious Presger.
Precepted by
Nancy "Anni" Foasberg
The Imperial Radch Series: Ancillary Sword
Added June 18, 2025
`The second book in the Imperial Radch series, Ancillary Sword continues the story and builds on the themes of Ancillary Justice. In this book, we get a closer look at both the society of the colonized and the particulars of administration within the Radch.
The novel casts a critical eye on colonial policy and its systems of control, and considers the possibilities of resistance. This installment of the series continues the themes of identity and culture, politics and compassion, tea and translation. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more.
The novel casts a critical eye on colonial policy and its systems of control, and considers the possibilities of resistance. This installment of the series continues the themes of identity and culture, politics and compassion, tea and translation. In this module, we will discuss all the above and more.
Precepted by
Nancy "Anni" Foasberg
The Hunger Games Book Club (Book 1: The Hunger Games)
Added June 16, 2025
This module explores the first book in the series, which started it all: The Hunger Games (2008).
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
The Hunger Games Book Club (Book 2: Catching Fire)
Added June 16, 2025
This module explores the second book in the series: Catching Fire (2009).
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
The Hunger Games Book Club (Book 3: Mockingjay)
Added June 16, 2025
This module explores the third book in the series: Mockingjay (2010).
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
The Hunger Games Book Club (Book 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)
Added June 16, 2025
This module explores the fourth book in the series: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020).
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
The Hunger Games Book Club (Book 5: Sunrise on the Reaping)
Added June 16, 2025
This module explores the fifth book in the series: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025).
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
Series Outline:
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
The Hunger Games Book Club (Series of 5 Hybrid Modules) Non-Sequential Series
Added June 13, 2025
What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.
Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.
(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)
Series Outline:
- Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)
- Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)
- Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)
- Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
- Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Precepted by
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis