Courses by categories:

• Appreciation
• The Arts
• Computer Workshop
• Current Events and Politics
• Finance and Investing
  
• History and Culture
• Interior Design
• Languages
• Literature
• Philosophy and Religion
• Psychology
• Writing Courses

Schedule

Register Online

Appreciation

The world of wine has changed dramatically over the past 25 years.  Today wonderful wines come from previously unknown sources.  Competition has led to unparalleled quality and superb values.  We will discover and taste the quality and value that is available to us today.  Each class will consist of 30 minutes of lecture, and the remaining time will be spent in tasting six wines per class and discussing each selection.  Join us as we continue the search for wine gems from around the world that offer quality and value. Classes will meet February 19, 26, March 11 and 18. Wines include the following:
• Burgundy in the USA
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the grapes that produce the great wines of Burgundy.  We will see how these same grapes result in great quality and value wines in our own country.
• A Washington Giant
Few wineries consistently create diversity, quality and quantity, and value. This Washington state winery receives ongoing critical acclaim. Discover which one it is.
• Bordeaux on the Cheap
Bordeaux red wines are among the most expensive in the world. But we will discover that there are still quality bargains available from this famous wine region.
• Food and Wine
Why does a wine go well with some foods and not others? We will compare and contrast food and wine samples to demonstrate how and why our palates react to different combinations.  (This class will be conducted in Mr. Keating’s home.)
(A limited enrollment class)

4 weeks

$200

Sunday afternoons 4:00-6:00

Starting February 19, 2012

Class Filled

In this course we will trace the developments in modern art that emerged in America during and after World War II. Emphasis will be placed on the evolution of Abstract Expressionism in New York, which shifted the center of modernism from Paris. Radical artists such as Gorky, de Kooning, Pollock, Rothko, Newman, and Motherwell will be examined, as will the concurrent strands of geometric abstraction, the continuity of figurative painting exemplified by the works of Hopper and Wyeth, and the early works of Rauschenberg and Johns that laid the foundation for Pop Art.

12 weeks

$225

Wednesday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 1, 2012

In this new course we will employ journals, diaries, letters, and conversations of artists, letting them speak for themselves instead of through the lens of art historians and critics. These documents reveal what the artists were doing in their works and their often complex relationships with their patrons and clients. We will begin with the Renaissance and proceed to early modernism at which time artists became increasingly independent from direct sales to clients, working instead through dealers and galleries. Using many sources and illustrations that relate to the texts, we shall hear directly from such artists as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael to artists of the 17th and 18th centuries and ending with early modernist artists. Most of the major artists from these periods will be represented along with many lesser-known figures who reveal “insider” perspectives that illustrate the ever-changing relationships between artists and society.

12 weeks

$225

Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 2, 2012

Opera and movies “are sisters under the skin” to quote Kipling. At first the fledgling movie industry looked to opera for subject matter, acting styles, big names, and prestige. Then after being nearly eclipsed by the newcomer, opera struck back and re-invented itself by imitating what had made her younger sister so successful: “sub” and “sur” titles, attractive performers, natural acting styles, arresting production values in direction and design, and a more relaxed audience environment. With the help of visuals and an informed, yet informal commentary, we will examine the relationship between opera and the movies over the last century: filmed/televised opera, opera asfilm, opera in film, opera as filmed fantasy, opera as film music, animated opera, opera on video and DVD, and last but not least opera live from the source in HD. Among the huge number of films available we will look at the following: Rosi's Carmen set in Seville, the flamenco Carmen, the Syberberg Parsifal, Bugs Bunny lampooning the Barber of Seville, Meeting Venus, Diva, Aria, Moonstruck, Mozart Brothers, And The Ship Sails On, The Age of Innocence, The Godfather Part III, Fatal Attraction, Philadelphia, The Fifth Element, Gallipoli, and Where Angels Fear to Tread. 

6 weeks

$150

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 6, 2012

This course continues the ongoing series of lectures “Astonishing Art Through the Ages” in a revised, refined and expanded version. These lectures serve as an examination of works of art that are unprecedented and highly original in an attempt to understand how each work originated and what the artist was “thinking” in the process of creation. Furthermore, these lectures as a whole constitute a philosophical attempt at articulating the nature of originality in the arts.

In this course we will examine key works of the great creative masters of the Italian, German and Flemish Renaissance such as Bosh, Durer, Grunewald, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Holbein, Brueghel. The course will include an in-depth look at the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and El Greco.

12 weeks

$225

Monday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 6, 2012

The first of an ongoing series, this course is intended for art enthusiasts and those who are interested in the inner workings of Houston’s extensive fine arts scene. The “Art Connection: Behind the Scenes” series will focus on the basic components of viewing and collecting art such as visiting artists’ studios, private and corporate collection tours, navigating art galleries, visiting non-profit and museum exhibition spaces, demystifying auction houses and caring for your collection through framing, conservation and appraisals. (A limited enrollment class)

4 weeks

$250

Tuesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting April 10, 2012

Class Filled

Computer Workshop

In this class we will explore the technologies and techniques of how to bring our written work to the printed page and digital screen. We will learn how to create e-books on computers and photo/travel journals and hardcover/paperback books online. We will learn tips for designing layouts, using templates, inserting pictures, and creating the kinds of files that will allow us to load them on Kindles and iPads. We will learn how to upload our work to one of the inexpensive and easy online services to create as few or as many hardcover or paperback copies of our book as we choose. We will also look at strategies to sell and market our own published work.  (Class size limited to six; please notify the office if you will bring your own laptop computer.)

4 weeks

$300

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 6, 2012

Current Events and Politics

This course will provide a survey of the Middle East, focusing on the land and the peoples of this region and the events that have brought about the current conditions we see unfolding there. Among the topics we will cover include the following: the evolution of the political and cultural patterns of the region; the beliefs and practices of Islam; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the Arab Spring and its implications for the region and the world; and the situation within key countries of the region, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Turkey, and Israel.

12 weeks

$225

Wednesday afternoons, 1:00-3:00

Starting February 1, 2012

This class will meet during a period when the Republican Party decides who their nominee will be.  President Obama, beset with low poll numbers in a struggling economy must prepare for a very tough fight in the fall to keep his job.  So while the Republicans face the task of rallying their base behind a single candidate after a divisive primary season, the Democrats will be raising money and trying to figure out how to run against the other party’s choice. Despite the distrust among a growing percentage of Americans, no viable third party or independent candidate has emerged as in the past with the candidacies of George Wallace, John Anderson, Ross Perot, and Ralph Nader.  In addition, the current election will take place in the most difficult economic circumstances for America since 1936—a fact that has spawned two major protest movements, the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, which will impact the election in unpredictable ways. Dr. Murray comments “after observing 14 presidential elections since I was a political science major at LSU in 1960, I have learned that every campaign is different and the 2011-2012 cycle has certainly lived up to that conclusion.”  So, all in all, a most interesting political discussion is awaiting us.  

10 weeks

$200

Monday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 6, 2012

OR

Class Filled

Wednesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 8, 2012

Finance and Investing

Investors are very concerned about widespread global unrest, and volatility across numerous markets. In today’s ever changing economic and political environment, every asset category has potentially significant risks.  In this class we will evaluate the risks associated with owning cash, stocks, bonds, and commodities, including precious metals and real estate, and discuss how to combine these various assets to generate income and growth. We will also analyze strategies to help reduce risk and volatility in investment portfolios, discuss common mistakes investors make, and highlight investment vehicles that are unattractive and overpriced as well as those that are attractive based on current economic conditions. This course will be beneficial for those who want to do their own investing as well as those who want to work with an advisor. Topics include the following:   
•  Impact of 2012 Expiring Tax Laws on Investment Planning
•  Impact of the Euro Crisis and Global Economic Issues
•  Strategies to Enhance Income
•  Understanding Ways to Rebalance Portfolios for Minimal Volatility and Risk
•  Strategies for Consistent Asset Allocation and Risk Tolerance
•  Retirement Investment Portfolios and Pre-retirement Transition
Strategies

5 weeks

$145

Tuesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting April 24, 2012

History and Culture

In the 11th century, Pope Urban II heard tales of a hermit boasting a letter from the angels that urged a holy war to recapture Jerusalem from the infidel; he was apprised of reports that Christian pilgrims were being robbed, raped, and murdered on the way to Jerusalem to visit the holy sites.  In addition, the emperor in far-off Constantinople was begging him for western knights to fight the Grand Seljuk. All the while, the Pope’s own Christian warriors were busy slaughtering one another. Only one endeavor could rescue the emperor, protect the pilgrims, and save Jerusalem: a Crusade, a Christian holy war that would roll back the Islamic conquests of the past four centuries and re-capture the Holy Land for the Cross.  And so began two centuries of vicious warfare that would further poison the already toxic relationship between Christians and Moslems. Lectures include the following:
• Journey to Jerusalem: Christian Pilgrimages
• The First Clash between the Cross and the Crescent
• “God Wills It!”  The First Crusade
• Barbarossa, Philippe-Auguste, Lion-Heart and Saladin
• The Unholy Crusade: The Fourth Crusade
• In the Aftermath of the Religious Wars
(Fee includes class material)

6 weeks

$155

Tuesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting January 31, 2012

Scotland is a small country of infinite variety and contrasts—of placid lochs and magnificent mountain scenery, of beautiful lands, and bleak and desolate moors; of austere castles, rugged ruins, charming villages, and two of the most fascinating and contrasting cities only 40 miles apart.  Its identity is further confirmed by its unique and often violent history and, particularly, by its individualistic cultural and social traditions.

It is also a country in flux.  Although constitutionally part of Great Britain since 1707, it is today seemingly a country on the way to independence, or at least a lessening of its ties to the “United” Kingdom.  Given this potential change in status, it is perhaps time, in this ten-week course, to take a fresh look at this ancient land—its past, its present, and its uncertain future.

10 weeks

$200

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 6, 2012

This class will meet on Tuesday afternoon once a month (Feb. 14, March 13, April 10, and May 8) to discuss four “Texas” books. Participants will be encouraged to read the books ahead of time so that they may be discussed in a book club format. Selections have been made according to the ease of obtaining each, their importance in Texas history, and to portray a sense of time and place in our state’s significant events. The books, available at Amazon.com and local bookstores, are as follows:
• Elmer Kelton The Time It Never Rained
• Elithe Hamilton Kirklandall Love Is a Wild Assault
• Madge Thornall Roberts Star of Destiny
• S. C. Gwynne Empire of the Summer Moon
(A limited enrollment class)

4 weeks

$200

Tuesday afternoons, 1:00-3:00

Starting February 14, 2012

Three royal dynasties—Plantagenet, Capetian, and Valois—contributed to the rich architectural heritage of the Loire Valley, nicknamed France’s “valley of kings.”  Beginning in the late 15th century, military campaigns in Italy brought three French kings into contact with the art and architecture of the Renaissance. A new kind of château design based on Italian models replaced the feudal fortress, made obsolete by the advent of artillery and the end of the Hundred Years’ War. In addition to its legendary Renaissance châteaux, the Loire Valley has many historic towns, including the medieval strongholds of Loches and Chinon. The region was center stage for many events that changed the course of French history, such as Joan of Arc’s defeat of the English at Orléans and the assassination of the Duc de Guise at Blois. The Loire boasts remarkable religious architecture: the magnificent Gothic cathedrals in Tours and Bourges, the abbey of Fontevraud with the Plantagenet tombs, and the abbey church of St-Benoît-sur-Loire celebrated for its exquisitely carved capitals.

This richly illustrated course will cover the history, wonderful sites, and regional specialties of the Loire Valley.

5 weeks

$135

Monday afternoons, 1:00-3:00

Starting March 19, 2012

If ever there were a city that deserved the title “Imperial” it was Byzantium:  as Nova Roma she was capital of the late Roman Empire, as Constantinople capital of the Byzantine and Crusader Empires, and as Istanbul capital of the Ottoman Turkish Sultanate. For nearly a millennium Byzantium was a prosperous but not especially important port on a peninsula that controlled the waters between Europe and Asia. But then Constantine, in the fourth  century CE, became enthralled with its strategic possibilities. The city was never to be the same again; it was catapulted into the ranks of history’s great imperial megalopolises. In this course we will study the great monuments, sites, and structures of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras:  the ruins, churches, mosaics, statues, mosques, and bazaars of the premier Imperial City.  We will look at the history of this city through the following topics:
• Nova Roma:  Constantine’s Great Move
• The “Splendor” of the Queen of Cities
• Istanbul Rises from the Ashes of Constantinople
(Fee includes class material)

3 weeks

$85

Tuesday mornings, 10:00-12:00

Starting March 20, 2012

Have you ever opened a design magazine, viewed a picture of a beautiful room and fallen in love with the design? In this course we will look at numerous ways to detail a home that will not only make it beautiful, tasteful and timeless but also add long-term value and give it that design magazine look as well. We will begin by discussing attractive architectural detailing on homes and in the landscaped environment and then explore the important interior architectural elements and details that create distinctive design styles. We will also take an in-depth look at dressmaker detailing of upholstered pieces, explore the world of textiles, trims and passamenterie for custom draperies, pillows, table skirts and bed linens; examine carved wood detailing of casement pieces; study the stained and painted finishes of cabinetry; and have fun learning about fabulous faux finishes for walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture pieces. Many times a room's appeal is not so much in what is obvious but in what is not immediately apparent. Often times the beauty lies within the myriad number of details that, when seen as a whole, create an awe-inspiring room.

Field trips to design resources will comprise several class sessions.

6 weeks

$150

Thursday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting March 15, 2012

Languages

This course is intended for people with little or no previous knowledge of Spanish.  The instructor has developed language materials related to topics of everyday life.  Samples of language materials that students need to know in order to function as a visitor in a Spanish-speaking country will be studied.  Class time will be devoted exclusively to oral communication and to internalizing new language materials.  A few minutes of class time will be used to work on pronunciation and to the explanation of how Spanish works as a language. Some of the latest techniques in foreign language teaching will be used.  In this case, it will be the lexical approach, first conceived by the English linguist Michael Lewis. In essence, this method pays less attention to grammar and individual words but emphasizes learning “chunks” of language in everyday situations.    (A limited enrollment class)  Class filled.

6 weeks

$275

Monday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 6, 2012

This class is a French class for beginners. Dr. Urrutibéheity will introduce short conversations about everyday situations that a visitor to France may need to know. Grammar will be presented incidentally, and CDs of the lessons will be provided for the class. Participants are encouraged to listen to these recordings and practice repeating words and sentences as often as possible. Samples of conversation topics will be taken from a French textbook co-authored by Dr. Urrutibéheity and include “Arriving in France,” “At the Hotel,” “Ordering Meals,” “At a Department Store,” “At the Train Station,” “Meeting People,” etc.   (A limited enrollment class)

6 weeks

$275

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting March 19, 2012

Literature

A companion to last fall’s course on Great Speeches from the Comedies, this class will focus on an actor’s and director’s approach to the great speeches found in Shakespeare’s histories. Like the great arias in opera, these speeches thrill audiences and readers alike with the brilliance of rhetoric, vividness of imagery, and compelling persuasive structure. Actors and directors search them as well for context, background, and revelations of a character’s inner life and dramatic intention. From Henry V’s St. Crispin’s Day speech and his “Once more into the breach” oration to Richard II’s appeal to his friends to “Sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings”; and from Falstaff’s soliloquy on honor to Richard III’s “Now is the winter of our discontent” Ms. Pogue will lead the class to an enriched understanding of (and thrill in) the emotive power of Shakespeare’s language.

6 weeks

$150

Thursday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 2, 2012

The Coast of Utopia, Tom Stoppard's trilogy about the Russian Revolution, focuses on the roles of the anarchist Michael Bakunin and the theorist Alexander Herzen in the revolution's development. Nonetheless, these are very Chekhovian plays, which embody large historical movements in the fate of characters who encounter each other in drawing rooms rather than on the battlefield. Stoppard has always been a political writer, and the trilogy is his most important political work. It may also be his most daring experiment in dramatizing ideas.

In concert with Main Street Theater's early 2012 production of the trilogy, we will read Voyage (opening at Main Street on January 12), then Shipwreck (opening February 10), and Salvage (opening February 24). In addition, we will alternate these three with three of Chekhov's plays—Uncle Vanya, and Three Sisters—to mix and match political dimensions

In the second half of the semester, we will read Tony Kushner's recent Pulitzer Prize winner, Caroline, or Change, and Angels in America to see how it stacks up against Stoppard. We will complete the rest of the semester with other political playwrights, such as Susan-Lori Parks, perhaps, August Wilson again, and To Be Announced (who often wrote under the pseudonym Anonymous).

(Note:  An opportunity to attend Stoppard’s trilogy will be offered by Main Street Theater to those enrolled in Dr. Doody’s class.)

12 weeks

$225

Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 2, 2012

We will study four of Shakespeare’s plays—two tragedies and two histories, Richard III and Henry V and Romeo and Juliet and McBeth—and the fine movies made from them. We will discuss the plays and then watch the movies to see how they have been modified to fit modern film form. Two of the plays, Richard II and Henry V have inspired two of the best Shakespeare movies ever produced. Ian McKellen’s Richard and Kenneth Branagh Henry, while both great movies are very different. Branaugh’s movie, set in 1415 which is the time of the events that occurred, examines Henry’s invasion of France that led to the Battle of Agincourt. The second movie, McKellen’s Richard III, is set in 1930s England under the control of a quasi-Nazi dictator. It is this film that proved that a Shakespeare film could attract a contemporary audience and by its success insured the production of a host of Shakespeare movies.  The third film is Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet which is the most commercially successful Shakespeare movie ever made. We will try in our analysis to understand the reasons for its success. Finally, we will view Roman Polanski’s bloody McBeth. McBeth is a bloody play but Polanski makes it even bloodier. This was the first film Polanski made after the Manson gang murdered his wife. Perhaps, life, as well as Shakespeare, was his inspiration.  

12 weeks

$225

Tuesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 7, 2012

This class will meet on Tuesday afternoon once a month (Feb. 14, March 13, April 10, and May 8) to discuss four “Texas” books. Participants will be encouraged to read the books ahead of time so that they may be discussed in a book club format. Selections have been made according to the ease of obtaining each, their importance in Texas history, and to portray a sense of time and place in our state’s significant events. The books, available at Amazon.com and local bookstores, are as follows:
• Elmer Kelton The Time It Never Rained
• Elithe Hamilton Kirklandall Love Is a Wild Assault
• Madge Thornall Roberts Star of Destiny
• S. C. Gwynne Empire of the Summer Moon
(A limited enrollment class)

4 weeks

$200

Tuesday afternoons, 1:00-3:00

Starting February 14, 2012

This class will meet once a month, the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December, from September to May, to discuss eight literary works.  The selections have been made from novels, collections of short stories, and memoirs that have received critical acclaim from peers, reviewers, and the reading public.  Led by author and writing instructor Nancy Geyer, the course will differ from a lecture format in that class members will be encouraged to participate in the discussion of the monthly book assignment.  It is patterned on the classic formula of book clubs that became popular in the early 20th century and continue to the present day.  Emphasis will be placed on characterization, plot, structure, dialogue, style and atmosphere.  The book selections and dates follow:
• September 27 The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
• October 25 The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
• November 22 The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
• January 24 Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
• February 28 The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
• March 27 Kate Vaiden by Reynolds Price
• April 24 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseini
• May 22 Lit by Mary Kerr
(A limited enrollment class)

8 sessions

$350

Tuesday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting September 27, 2011

Philosophy & Religion

In this course we will study some of the greatest philosophers in the Western tradition. Our goal will not be an exhaustive understanding of each of these philosophers’ works but an introduction to their ideas that have shaped Western thought and our worldview. We will focus on the distinguishing features of each philosopher’s work, writings and system. Readings will include Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Hobbes, Descartes, Nietzsche, and others. Our text will be Classics of Western Philosophy edited by Stephen Cahn.

Thursday class filled.

12 weeks

$250

Wednesday mornings, 10:00-12:00,starting February 1, 2012

OR

Thursday class filled
Thursday mornings 10:00-12:00, starting February 2, 2012

Joseph Campbell observed that myths serve us as kangaroo pouches serve baby kangaroos—they provide a “womb with a view,” guiding our lives and investing our existence with meaning. What the scholars call “myth” is what we mortals call “belief” or “ideology.” And our beliefs have roots deep in the world of the ancient Near East, in Eastern religious thought as well as in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources. Sometimes surprisingly, Christians and Jews share more than they differ. In this class we will discuss why this is so by tracing the background of several big myths:
•  Heaven is Above (and why we keep searching the universe for our future)
•  Darkness is Within (and why we want desperately to believe that all psychosis is genetic)
•   Feeding the Hungry
•   Our Place in the World
•  What Happens After (and why we want humans to be more than human)
•  Dualism (or, are body and soul really divisible?)
•  War and Peace
•  What Christmas and Hanukkah, and Passover and Easter, Teach Us about Celebration and Salvation
•  How We Create Meaning through Personal Mythmaking

12 weeks

$225

Tuesday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 7, 2012

Psychology

What drives us to do what we do? It’s a question that social psychologists have studied for decades; and, now that they know so much more about how the brain works, they’re learning even more. In this 12-week course we will walk through the study of motivation, exploring conditions that exist within the person and within the environment and culture that explain why we want what we want and why we do what we do. We will look at present theories and research findings, and consider the practical applications, especially in the areas of education, work, therapy, sports, and relationships. Participants will share their own experiences and explore ways in which the information might apply to their own lives and behavior.  (A limited enrollment class)

Class filled: Call 713.529.7123 for wait list status.

12 weeks

$450

Wednesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 1, 2012

Three Rules of Work
Out of clutter find simplicity;
From discord find harmony;
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.....
Albert Einstein

Our lives can be cluttered in many ways – our closets, garages, and storage facilities filled with bulging boxes of memorabilia and “must keep” items.  Our minds can be filled with stored up “tapes” from childhood to the present.  Our daily calendars can be stacked with back-to-back appointments.  All of these lead to stress.  The things we hang onto, both mentally and physically, can lead to melancholy, isolation, shame, and even disease.  In this class, through discussion, film, books, and videos, we will find some practical solutions to removing “clutter.”  Exploring new practices and principles of overcoming physical and mental clutter will bring new perspectives that will lead us to new ways to simplify our lives and revive our energy level.  (A limited enrollment class; fee includes course material.)

4 weeks

$200

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting March 5, 2012

“. . . there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking
makes it so . . .”; Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet

Scientific studies have pointed to damage that stress can cause.  One of the fastest growing areas of medical research measures the impact of positive and negative emotions on the immune system.  Stress can have a negative influence on heath, aging, and personal longevity.  In this workshop, we will become aware of stories we have told ourselves, dismantling old concepts, and learning ways we can remain centered and unstressed by rooting out stress-causing and debilitative thinking.  We will learn ways to deal with difficult people and situations, work with boundaries, and create specific templates for use in every day life.  We will discuss age-old prescriptions from the world’s major spiritual traditions to simplify our lives through the principles of non-attachment that will provide a focus on living in the present.  Through class exercises, discussion, film excerpts, and handouts, we will examine those thought patterns that limit our thinking and learn powerful processes that can promote positive well being and health—by changing our consciousness, we can change our world.  (A limited enrollment class; handouts will be provided; fee includes course material.)

4 weeks

$200

Monday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting April 2, 2012

Writing Courses

This course is designed for those who wish to express themselves in writing.  Participants are encouraged to write in the genre most comfortable for them— poetry, fiction, or non-fiction.  They are also encouraged to experiment in new forms in order to build a stronger writing foundation.  Participants will have regular assignments, critique each other's work in a receptive atmosphere, and receive written critiques from the instructor.  Publication opportunities will also be discussed. (A limited enrollment class)

Both classes are filled. Call 713.529.7123 for wait list status.

Thursday mornings 10:00-12:00
OR
Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 2, 2012

Memoirs and family stories provide a powerful way to enrich our legacies and our own life journeys.  Researchers have found that younger generations gain in confidence, resiliency and self-esteem from knowing about their families’ challenges and achievements.  The appeal of memoir goes beyond families: we all gain from reading about lessons learned in businesses and professions, tactics for enduring hard times, and the guiding values that have framed success.  Writing brings us new insights and self-awareness as we share our lives and times.  The focus for this class is to articulate writing goals— whether to educate, inspire, or simply amuse—and then to produce content that will connect with intended audiences.  We can choose short narratives— tributes to significant mentors or friends, travel adventures, the provenance of special heirlooms or talismans, or essays on core values.  Larger projects can combine family stories with memoir, present an in-depth narrative featuring a business, a period in recent history, an expatriate career, or a life story from birth until the present.  Assignments, reading suggestions and class discussions will be tailored to the interests of the group.  Feedback comes in writing, via e-mail from the instructor and from class discussion. (A limited enrollment class)

Tuesday mornings 10:00-12:00

Starting February 7, 2012

Tuesday evenings 6:30-8:30

Starting February 7, 2012

“Writing can help you unravel the knots in your heart,” says Louise DeSalvo in Writing as a Way of Healing. We all experience those knots, whether from illness, loss, trauma, or wrestling with the complexities of life. When we write about the experiences that have had the most impact on our lives using the qualities of a healing narrative, we discover insight and wisdom in the old stories we have told countless times or perhaps, have never told at all. In the busyness of everyday living, it can be difficult to process all that happens to us and what we think or feel about those events. Writing, as a creative and transformative practice, illuminates the darkness. Numerous studies have proven that expressive writing can reduce stress, relieve chronic pain, and increase immune function. In this workshop, we will write about our most challenging life stories in an environment of safety and confidentiality and find words to concretize what, previously, might have been inaccessible or cloudy. We will explore how our stories can impact the decisions we make in our lives and reconsider the plot of the story that is yet to be written. Each workshop session will consist of an introduction of topic, discussion and examples, writing exercises, and time to witness one another’s work. This workshop is open to anyone who wishes to discover new meaning in the experiences of the past, reconnect with his or her core sense of self, explore new avenues of growth, and preserve the value of memories.  No writing experience is necessary.  (A limited enrollment class)

Wednesday afternoons 1:00-3:00

Starting February 8, 2012