http://nyhumanities.org/events/rss NY Council for the Humanities Events RSS feed en http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4770 Feb 4 2012 at 2:00 PM, Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Rd, Holbrook, NY --- This talk is an examination of the life and writings of Thomas Paine at the end of the eighteenth century. By looking at his early political writings in England, "Common Sense," and "The Crisis Papers," the talk explores the integral role of Paine in not only the American Revolution, but also in the creation of a "democratic political ideology." The presentation will also explore the characterization of Paine as a preeminent philosopher, the genesis of radical politics, and a force in world events. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4770 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4669 Feb 6 2012 at 7:00 PM, Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Rd, Holbrook, NY --- This vivid lecture-presentation examines the immense impact of the Civil War and New York on each other. Downstate, New York City was a major economic link in the nexus of Cotton and Slavery. Upstate, New York gave vast numbers of its citizen-soldiers to the Union cause, playing a leading part in America’s postwar Republic of Suffering. And Manhattan Island “hosted” the infamous Draft Riot of 1863, most recently featured as the stunning climax of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. Ranging from Phil Sheridan and Samuel Wadsworth through William “Tecumseh” Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, New York... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4669 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4867 Feb 6 2012 at 1:00 PM, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave, Lawrence, NY --- There are strong sexual politics in the Bible and in today's world. In biblical times, when society was ruled by men, women were divided into bad and good women. The names Jezebel, Delilah, Deborah and Esther conjure up images of very specific women. This presentation examines the attitudes of people toward women in the context of their biblical society, as well as present-day expressions of those same values. How have women participated in the social institutions of their time and place? How have today's traditions been informed by ancient society? Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4867 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4718 Feb 8 2012 at 1:45 PM, Massapequa Reformed Church, 302 Ocean Ave, Massapequa, NY --- George Washington was in need of good intelligence after he evacuated the Continental Army from New York City in September 1776. His disastrous loss at the Battle of Long Island in Brooklyn on August 27-28, 1776 and subsequent defeats north of the city forced him to retreat with his soldiers to New Jersey and eventually to Pennsylvania. The British controlled New York, particularly the downstate area and Long Island, where Loyalists were in the majority. The Culper Spy Ring was created on Long Island in 1778 by then-Dragoon Major Benjamin Tallmadge of Setauket, under Washington's leadership. This colorful PowerPoint presentation... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4718 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4828 Feb 8 2012 at 1:00 PM, Five Towns Senior Center, 37 E Rockaway Rd, Hewlett, NY --- This is the final meeting of the reading and discussion group "Understanding Our Literary Heritage," facilitated by Marvin Illman. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4828 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4971 Feb 8 2012 at 5:30 PM, Morrisania Revitalization Corporation, 576 E 165th St Apt B, Bronx, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. The conversation will be facilitated by Cliff Frazier, the director of the New York Metropolitan Center for Peace and Non-Violence. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4971 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4659 Feb 9 2012 at 6:30 PM, Clifton Springs Library, 4 Railroad Ave, Clifton Springs, NY --- The first of four scholar-facilitated discussions of one of the following Finger Lakes books: The White Woman and Her Valley by Arch Merrill Wolves and Honey: A Hidden History of the Natural World by Susan Brind Morrow From Where We Stand: Recovering a Sense of Place by Deborah Tall A Farm Girl in the Great Depression by Ruth Myer Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4659 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4926 Feb 9 2012 at 10:45 AM, Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders dba S.A.G.E., 305 7th Ave, New York, NY --- Women's fashions in the Victorian era often led them to use substances meant to enhance their beauty that had unwanted and deleterious effects. Consumption (tuberculosis) was a frequent plague on people of all classes, and its victims often appeared pale and sickly. This look became fashionable and healthy women might use easily accessible substances such as vinegar, arsenic or belladonna with rather unexpected and unwelcome results. Face whitening also was popular in some groups. Apparently, dark or tanned skin tones were a symbol of low social standing so lighter skin tones were sought after. Even some people sympathetic... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4926 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4945 Feb 11 2012 at 2:00 PM, Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren St, Hudson, NY --- This presentation explores the role of the African American artist in the historic and contemporary world of abstract painting. The program will impart a greater awareness of the breadth of paintings that have been created by African American artists. Too often, the common expectation is that Black artists' paintings are limited to representational works. This perception is often void of an informed awareness of the powerful and critically acclaimed work of Black artists who are abstractionists. The presentation will include consideration of the works of first-generation abstractionists such as Norman Lewis, second-generation abstractionists such as Ed... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4945 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5007 Feb 11 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- The details of Githa Sowerby's life were a mystery until Pat Riley wrote "Looking for Githa," the first Sowerby biography, in 2009. During her research, Riley uncovered previously unknown documents in England and Canada and conducted several interviews with Sowerby's elderly daughter Joan. The project was funded by the Arts Council of England. Ms. Riley has degrees in law, social science, and management. On retirement from a career in government, she began a degree in theater studies, deepening her life-long love of theatre. During her coursework, she was introduced to a powerful play by an early twentieth century... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:43:15 -0500 nyhumanities 5007 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4687 Feb 12 2012 at 1:30 PM, Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Po Box 205, Blue Mountain Lake, NY --- Drawing on landscape painting, photography, traveler's accounts, and other sources, this presentation explores the evolution of American attitudes towards nature. Beginning with perceptions of the American landscape as a howling wilderness, a wasteland to be tamed and transformed, the lecture traces the social, cultural and economic forces that led to the perception of wild nature as something of value to be experienced and preserved. Key topics and figures along the way include the sublime, romanticism, Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, John Muir, Ansel Adams, and the Lorax. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4687 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4905 Feb 12 2012 at 1:30 PM, Adirondack Historical Association dba The Adirondack Museum, 9097 State Road 30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY --- Drawing on landscape painting, photography, traveler's accounts, and other sources, this presentation explores the evolution of American attitudes towards nature. Beginning with perceptions of the American landscape as a howling wilderness, a wasteland to be tamed and transformed, the lecture traces the social, cultural and economic forces that led to the perception of wild nature as something of value to be experienced and preserved. Key topics and figures along the way include the sublime, romanticism, Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, John Muir, Ansel Adams, and the Lorax. Presented by Charles Mitchell, Associate Professor, American Studies,... Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:44:08 -0500 nyhumanities 4905 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5009 Feb 12 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- The details of Githa Sowerby's life were a mystery until Pat Riley wrote "Looking for Githa," the first Sowerby biography, in 2009. During her research, Riley uncovered previously unknown documents in England and Canada and conducted interviews with Sowerby's elderly daughter, Joan. The project was funded by the Arts Council of England. Ms. Riley has degrees in law, social science, and management. On retirement from a career in government, she began a degree in theatre studies, deepening her life-long love of theatre. During her coursework, she was introduced to a powerful play by an early twentieth... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:43:09 -0500 nyhumanities 5009 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4960 Feb 15 2012 at 6:30 PM, Ellenville Public Library and Museum, 40 Center St, Ellenville, NY --- Participants will be reading and discussing sections from the Penguin Classics volume Lincoln on the Civil War, facilitated by Professor Reynolds J. Scott-Childress of SUNY New Paltz. This is the first event in a four-part series. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4960 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4862 Feb 16 2012 at 1:30 PM, JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Rd, Scarsdale, NY --- One of the most significant developments in modern English-language Shakespearean performance has been the growth of multi-cultural casting. The advent of this phenomenon can be traced to Paul Robeson's 1943 Othello, the first major production in America to feature a black actor in the title role. This production foreshadowed both the revolution in multi-cultural Shakespearean performance to come and the profound social change in America during the ensuing decades. Another important contribution was made by Earle Hyman, who played Shakespearean roles at leading venues during the 1950s and 1960s. His portrayals set the stage for... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4862 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4972 Feb 16 2012 at 4:00 PM, SUNY Oneonta, James M. Milne Library, 108 Ravine Pkwy, Oneonta, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. This conversation will be facilitated by Pamela Flinton, Head of Access Services at Milne Library. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4972 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4975 Feb 16 2012 at 3:00 PM, Schenectady County Community College, 78 Washington Ave, Schenectady, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of young adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations for Young Adults brings together middle school, high school or college students to join in a facilitated discussion of a short reading in or out of school. A teacher or facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages young adults to reflect on issues raised by the reading and discuss how they impact our lives and communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4975 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4964 Feb 18 2012 at 1:00 PM, University Settlement, Bowery, 273 Bowery, New York, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of young adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations for Young Adults brings together middle school, high school or college students to join in a facilitated discussion of a short reading in or out of school. A teacher or facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages young adults to reflect on issues raised by the reading and discuss how they impact our lives and communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4964 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5010 Feb 19 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- Michael Cadden joins us for a discussion of "Rutherford and Son" and playwright Githa Sowerby. Dr. Cadden is currently Director of the Program in Theater and Dance at Princeton University, where he has been teaching for 25 years. In 1993, Michael was awarded the University's President's Award in Distinguished Teaching. In 2003, he helped inaugurate Princeton's new Roger S. Berlind Theater. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:59 -0500 nyhumanities 5010 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5040 Feb 19 2012 at 2:00 PM, DIVAS for Social Justice, 677 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading and their impact on our communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5040 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5038 Feb 20 2012 at 6:00 PM, YWCA Binghamton/Broome County, 80 Hawley St, Binghamton, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading and their impact on our communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5038 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5042 Feb 20 2012 at 4:00 PM, Jewish Community Center of Dutchess County, 110 Grand Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading and their impact on our communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5042 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4720 Feb 21 2012 at 10:30 AM, Sid Jacobson JCC, 300 Forest Dr, Greenvale, NY --- Coney Island, originally a useless peninsula south of Kings County, materialized into an attraction as a result of the machinations of a political boss, John Y. McKane. By selling off the public lands of the independent Town of Gravesend to concessionaires, he encouraged popular attractions to build on the desolate coast. Mass transportation crossed Brooklyn to bring the daring and the curious. First, fishermen, then racing enthusiasts, finally the masses who flooded the beaches, amusement rides and the boardwalk. In an age that was limited by finances and in its mobility, summer at Coney Island became... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4720 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4803 Feb 21 2012 at 7:00 PM, Cultural Affairs and the Educational Foundation, 115 South St, Middletown, NY --- The War of 1812 has been referred to as America’s “forgotten war.” But it was, in fact, the pivotal event in establishing the young United States as an independent nation, here to stay. Victories at the battles of Plattsburgh, Lake Erie, Baltimore and New Orleans gave Americans a new sense of confidence, pride and patriotism. This and the absence of another major war for the next thirty years gave rise to a remarkable period of economic, political, social and technological transformation much of which was spearheaded in the State of New York. This lecture will explore this legacy of the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4803 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4974 Feb 21 2012 at 6:30 PM, Albert Wisner Public Library, 2 Colonial Ave, Warwick, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading and their impact on our communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4974 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4946 Feb 22 2012 at 12:45 PM, Congregation Gates of Heaen, 852 Ashmore Ave, Schenectady, NY --- Major Mordecai Myers lived the most compelling life of any Jewish-American of his day. Born to impoverished immigrant parents, he spent his formative years (1776-1783) in New York City and, as a child of Loyalists during the Revolution, four years (1783-87) in the Nova Scotian wilderness. Upon the family's return to New York City in 1787, Myers embarked on several careers: military service (he was severely wounded in the War of 1812); state politics (the first Jew to serve in the New York State Legislature, 1828-1834); local politics (the only Jewish mayor of both Kinderhook, in 1838, and Schenectady, in... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4946 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4890 Feb 22 2012 at 1:30 PM, Bellmore Jewish Center Hazak, 2550 Centre Ave, Bellmore, NY --- Humor has served as an effective tool for addressing adverse circumstances. Jewish writers have availed themselves of it in good measure. The shlemiel and the shlimazel - the clumsy oaf and the hapless fool - have been favorite prototypes of Jewish humor. The three famed classicists of Yiddish literature, Mendele, Sholem Aleichem, and Peretz, have made extensive use of these prototypes to pinpoint human foibles, sometimes with empathy and compassion, at other times, with a satiric edge. In this presentation, we will describe the travails of the shlemiel and the shlimazel as they have been depicted... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4890 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5022 Feb 22 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY Orange, Newburgh Campus, 1 Washington Center, Newburgh, NY --- The Culture Wars Discussion is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a natural manifestation,... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:37 -0500 nyhumanities 5022 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4839 Feb 23 2012 at 10:00 AM, CUNY New York City College of Technology, African American Studies Department, Atrium Building 643, Brooklyn, NY --- This presentation explores the role of the African American artist in the historic and contemporary world of abstract painting. The program will impart a greater awareness of the breadth of paintings that have been created by African American artists. Too often, the common expectation is that Black artists' paintings are limited to representational works. This perception is often void of an informed awareness of the powerful and critically acclaimed work of Black artists who are abstractionists. The presentation will include consideration of the works of first-generation abstractionists such as Norman Lewis, second-generation abstractionists such as Ed... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4839 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4984 Feb 23 2012 at 10:00 AM, Grace and Holy Innocent Church, 498 Clinton Ave, Albany, NY --- In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we will convene a group of adults to discuss an excerpt of the speech “The Drum Major Instinct" by Martin Luther King, Jr. The conversation will be facilitated by Dr. Mildred Chang. Community Conversations brings together adult members of a group, organization or neighborhood to join in a facilitated discussion of a short text about the importance of service in our lives and in our democracy. The facilitator introduces thought-provoking questions and encourages participants to reflect on the issues raised by the reading and their impact on our communities. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4984 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4898 Feb 26 2012 at 1:00 PM, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY --- Participants will receive reading packets and discuss the themes of the series "The Spirituality of Poetry: From Walt Whitman to Mary Oliver." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4898 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4906 Feb 26 2012 at 2:00 PM, Saranac Lake Will Rogers, 78 Will Rogers Drive, Saranac Lake, NY --- This event will take place in Saranac Lake, NY at Saranac Village at Will Rogers at 2:00 p.m. The Soulful Landscape Concert is grounded in the belief that we all have stories of place and belonging waiting to be remembered and revealed. Singer/songwriter Erica Wheeler taps into why places matter to us, and shifts the way people relate to the land, each other, and themselves. Her concerts convey the vivid imagery and meaning of place in her life, evoking listeners their own memories of special place. Inspiring and thought-provoking, the concert uses song, story and humor to take the audience on... Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:44:04 -0500 nyhumanities 4906 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4935 Feb 26 2012 at 2:00 PM, Fountainview at College Road, 2000 Fountainview Dr, Monsey, NY --- Humor has served as an effective tool for addressing adverse circumstances. Jewish writers have availed themselves of it in good measure. The shlemiel and the shlimazel - the clumsy oaf and the hapless fool - have been favorite prototypes of Jewish humor. The three famed classicists of Yiddish literature, Mendele, Sholem Aleichem, and Peretz, have made extensive use of these prototypes to pinpoint human foibles, sometimes with empathy and compassion, at other times, with a satiric edge. In this presentation, we will describe the travails of the shlemiel and the shlimazel as they have been depicted... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4935 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5012 Feb 26 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- Dr. Martin Meisel joins us for a discussion about "Rutherford and Son" and playwright Githa Sowerby. Dr. Meisel is the Brander Matthews Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Literature at Columbia. He is the author of "Shaw and the Nineteenth-Century Theater" (Princeton and Oxford), as well as numerous essays and articles on drama and the visual arts. He has been the recipient of two Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships, an American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship, and residential fellowships at the National Humanities Center, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (among others). ... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:48 -0500 nyhumanities 5012 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5018 Feb 26 2012 at 4:00 PM, Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY --- This lecture will consider key events from the War of 1812 by exploring satirical visual imagery. Political cartoons were printed with immediacy, to capitalize on sensational events and to mock prominent politicians and figures, while extolling pride in the American cause. Caricatures of this period, although printed in haste, expose how people in America felt and how they responded to the War of 1812. Political caricatures from this period were printed in New York, Philadelphia, and small towns in New England. Rarely are such prints considered in the American history dialogue, yet such images are vital documents that... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5018 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4852 Feb 28 2012 at 4:00 PM, SUNY Orange, Newburgh Campus, 1 Washington Ctr, Newburgh, NY --- In the 1990s a number of visual artists (including Kara Walker, Glenn Ligon, and Ellen Driscoll) created art that used literary slave narratives as templates for their work. Slave narratives of the 19th century told the story of enslavement and escape from the perspective of those who had been enslaved themselves. Often the contemporary artists place themselves or viewers in the position of the ex-slave narrator. This lecture brings together contemporary "visual slave narratives" and classic slave narratives from the 19th century to examine the way black artists and writers respond to institutional constraints placed on their cultural production. Slave... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4852 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4806 Feb 29 2012 at 1:00 PM, Emanuel United Church of Christ, 9312 91st Ave, Woodhaven, NY --- In the aftermath of 9/11, unionized, blue-collar workers (public and private) were celebrated. The public embraced them as working-class heroes. The worked long hours in a desperate effort to rescue and then recover victims. They worked next to restore the city, to restore hope. They were true American heroes. Yet, in a few short years, unionized workers in New York City, many of them these same workers, find themselves under attack. These attacks started with the Reagan administration’s assault on the Air Traffic Controllers and was in high gear as NYC Mayor Giuliani attacked municipal workers. Yet, within hours of... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4806 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5029 Feb 29 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY Orange, Newburgh Campus, 1 Washington Ctr, Newburgh, NY --- The FDR Presidency Discussion is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a natural manifestation, or... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5029 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5043 Feb 29 2012 at 6:30 PM, Penn Yan Public Library, 214 Main St, Penn Yan, NY --- Participants will gather for the first session of the series "Religion and in American Life," facilitated Participants will discuss "Religion and Politics in the United States" by Kenneth D. Wald. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5043 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4815 Mar 1 2012 at 7:00 PM, Moore Memorial Library, 59 Genesee St, Greene, NY --- Michael Huff will lead a discussion of Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin as part of the reading and discussion series "Contemporary Currents, Origins, and Alternatives." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4815 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4915 Mar 1 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale, NY --- After a brief introduction to the WPA and other federal art programs, this slide presentation focuses on extant New Deal art in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Although a few of the murals have been lost, some fifty murals and sculptures survive in post offices, schools, and government buildings. Some murals are generic scenes, but most portray local history, with Native Americans, George Washington, and Theodore Roosevelt the most popular subjects. Several of the artists became quite well known, including Jon Corbino, William Gropper, and Sol Wilson. Others who lived on Long Island had local reputations. ... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4915 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4917 Mar 1 2012 at 7:30 PM, Mendon Community Center, 167 N Main St, Honeoye Falls, NY --- As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, both the United States and Canada are exploring its legacy of lasting peace. While there were no tangible gains to either adversary, the US and Canada both went on to expand and prosper. But the war itself has infused our culture with dramatic stories: "Old Ironsides" and the struggles for naval supremacy; the significance of the Niagara Campaign; the defeat of Tecumseh; Dolly Madison's heroism during the burning of Washington, D.C.; and, the perseverance of the people of Baltimore and of Fort McHenry, which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." The War... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4917 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5013 Mar 3 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- Dr. J. Ellen Gainor joins us for a discussion about "Rutherford and Son" and playwright Githa Sowerby. Dr. Gainor is Professor of Theatre and Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Cornell. A specialist in British and American drama of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and women's dramaturgy, she is the author of the award-winning studies "Shaw's Daughters: Dramatic and Narrative Constructions of Gender" and "Susan Glaspell in Context: American Theater, Culture and Politics 1915-1948." Most recently, she co-edited "The Norton Anthology of Drama." She has edited two influential essay collections, "Imperialism and Theatre" and "Performing... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:41 -0500 nyhumanities 5013 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4956 Mar 4 2012 at 4:00 PM, Kinderhook Memorial Library, Po Box 293, Kinderhook, NY --- As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, both the United States and Canada are exploring its legacy of lasting peace. While there were no tangible gains to either adversary, the US and Canada both went on to expand and prosper. But the war itself has infused our culture with dramatic stories: "Old Ironsides" and the struggles for naval supremacy; the significance of the Niagara Campaign; the defeat of Tecumseh; Dolly Madison's heroism during the burning of Washington, D.C.; and, the perseverance of the people of Baltimore and of Fort McHenry, which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." The War... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4956 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5015 Mar 4 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- Donald J. Jonovic will discuss the portrayal of family business and inter-generational conflict in "Rutherford and Son." Donald J. Jonovic is founder of Family Business Management Services, Inc. He has been an advisor to family business owners since 1973, focusing on the unique issues related to management, development, growth, and ownership transition, particularly ownership transition of the successful owner-managed business. His professional consulting practice has included industrial and agricultural clients throughout North America, ranging in size from $5 million to $2 billion. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:34 -0500 nyhumanities 5015 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5017 Mar 4 2012 at 2:00 PM, Floral Park Historical Society, 113 S Tyson Ave, Floral Park, NY --- F. Scott Fitzgerald began to write "The Great Gatsby" when he lived in Great Neck ("West Egg" in the novel). His description of what his narrator, Nick Carraway, called "that slender riotous island" is an enduring literary depiction of Long Island. Fitzgerald immortalized the Gold Coast mansions on the North Shore, the Great Neck crowd, the old money in Sands Point ("East Egg"), and the valley of ashes in Corona. In those "roaring twenties," however, Long Island was still predominantly agricultural, while suburbanization was burgeoning. Seaside settlements attracted summer visitors and crowds came to the Hempstead... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5017 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4757 Mar 5 2012 at 4:00 PM, SUNY Buffalo, 120 Clemens Hall, Buffalo, NY --- Ian Baucom will give a lecture (title TBA) as part of the "Fluid Culture" series sponsored by the University at Buffalo Humanities Institute. Baucom's talk will provide new insights into African-American history. Drawing on his book, "Specters of the Atlantic," Baucom examines the emergence of global finance in relation to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Baucom is Professor of English and Director of the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University. All "Fluid Culture" events are free and open to the public. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:08:51 -0400 nyhumanities 4757 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4752 Mar 6 2012 at 2:00 PM, Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Ave, Great Neck, NY --- This presentation is a musical survey of the history of women in America. By looking at the popular songs of the past -- the ballads, love songs, suffrage anthems, work songs and dance tunes -- we can trace the perceptions and realities of women's lives. The music of the day shows the role of women in 18th and 19th century American society. Accompanying herself on mountain and hammered dulcimers, pennywhistle, guitar and limberjack, Linda Russell explores the images in the songs, interspersing the music with lively commentary that includes excerpts from diaries and letters in which the women tell their... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4752 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4831 Mar 6 2012 at 1:00 PM, Prattsburgh Central School District, 1 Academy St, Prattsburgh, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4831 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4860 Mar 7 2012 at 1:30 PM, Lawrence Country Club, 101 Causeway, Lawrence, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4860 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5014 Mar 7 2012 at 4:30 PM, Mint Theater , 311 W. 43rd St., New York, NY --- Dr. Patricia Denison joins us for a discussion about "Rutherford and Son" and playwright Githa Sowerby. Dr. Denison teaches dramatic literature in the departments of English and Theatre at Barnard College. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and has published articles on Victorian drama, modern British drama, and American drama. Her edited collection of essays, "John Osborne: A Casebook," was published in 1997 and she is currently finishing a book on Arthur W. Pinero and late-nineteenth century British drama. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:28 -0500 nyhumanities 5014 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4768 Mar 8 2012 at 2:00 PM, Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Ave, Bethpage, NY --- American television was all set to launch in the late 1930s, but its progress was interrupted by the start of World War II. Finally, by the end of the 1940s, NBC and CBS began broadcasting to their east coast affiliates. They offered viewers a wide variety of programs: situation comedies, vaudeville-style revues, and most impressively, live original dramas. Within a few years, these anthology programs, like Kraft Theatre and Ford Theatre launched the careers of soon-to-be famous directors like Arthur Penn and John Frankenheimer, actors like Paul Newman and James Dean, and playwrights like Paddy Chayevsky and Rod Serling. But... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4768 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5048 Mar 8 2012 at 3:30 PM, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY), 53 Main St, Canton, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5048 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4791 Mar 10 2012 at 1:00 PM, Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, Long Island City, NY --- This is the final session for the reading and discussion program "Our American Documents: A Study of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Four Freedoms." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4791 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5000 Mar 10 2012 at 2:00 PM, North Tonawanda History Museum, 54 Webster St, North Tonawanda, NY --- As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, both the United States and Canada are exploring its legacy of lasting peace. While there were no tangible gains to either adversary, the US and Canada both went on to expand and prosper. But the war itself has infused our culture with dramatic stories: "Old Ironsides" and the struggles for naval supremacy; the significance of the Niagara Campaign; the defeat of Tecumseh; Dolly Madison's heroism during the burning of Washington, D.C.; and, the perseverance of the people of Baltimore and of Fort McHenry, which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." The War... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5000 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4921 Mar 11 2012 at 1:30 PM, Tannery Pond Community Center Association (TPCCA), 228 Main Street, North Creek, NY --- The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public works program that operated from 1933 to 1942 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. In the Adirondacks, enrollees built trails, roads, campsites and dams, they stocked fish, built and maintained fire towers, observers' cabins and telephone lines, fought fires, and planted millions of trees. Learn about camp life and Adirondack projects with author Marty Podskock. Free to members and children; $5 for non-members. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:22:18 -0500 nyhumanities 4921 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4982 Mar 11 2012 at 2:00 PM, Christ the King High School, 6802 Metropolitan Ave, Middle Village, NY --- This lecture covers the daily life of the inhabitants of Pompeii before and during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D. After a practical comparison of Pompeian mores, life-styles, religious beliefs, and artistic creativity with contemporary times, a beautiful slide show on DVD will take the audience on a virtual tour of the ruins of the ancient city to admire the architectural design of the Forum, the Greek Theatre, the Baths, the Fountains, and the homes and shops, including the well-preserved House of the Vettii Brothers. The audience learns the history of the city and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4982 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5039 Mar 11 2012 at 2:00 PM, Temple Judea of Manhasset, 333 Searingtown Rd, Manhasset, NY --- Many plays by Jewish playwrights have shown Jewish characters responding to life in America. The great subject of this Jewish American drama is the question of Americanization, acculturation, assimilation: the tension between Old World heritage and New World opportunity - a tension which, in today's world, all of us experience, Gentiles as well as Jews. We will explore this theme as it appears in The Jazz Singer by Samson Raphaelson, a play before it was a famous movie; Awake and Sing!, the classic Jewish family drama by Clifford Odets; and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, long the center... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5039 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4708 Mar 12 2012 at 7:30 PM, Smithtown Library - Commack Branch, 3 Indian Head Rd, Commack, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4708 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4948 Mar 12 2012 at 7:00 PM, Warner Library, 121 N Broadway, Tarrytown, NY --- This presentation is an exploration of some of the reasons Celtic myths feature more prominent and forceful women than are generally found in Greek or Norse mythologies. Some are ancient goddesses, like Epona, the center of cults. Others are epic figures, like Maeve, a leading player in the Tain Bo Cuailnge, from medieval Ireland. An historical reality underlies the creation of goddesses and legendary heroines, some of it supported by early law books. Queen Boudicca is a real person, and many Celts were matrilineal, tracing descent through the mother. In early Ireland and Wales, women... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4948 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4952 Mar 13 2012 at 7:00 PM, Cultural Affairs and the Educational Foundation, 115 South St, Middletown, NY --- The 1863 New York Draft Riots exposed rifts within the North that were as deep as those that existed between the North and the South. There were rivalries between Irish and African-American laborers who shared the lowest rung on New York's economic ladder, fights between Irish gangs and gangs of other ethnic groups, and hostilities between poor New Yorkers and rich New Yorkers who could buy their way out of the Union Army draft. These tensions resulted in one of the bloodiest urban uprisings in American history. Understanding the social and economic causes of the riots as well as the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4952 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4989 Mar 13 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the introductory session of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4989 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4996 Mar 13 2012 at 10:00 AM, JASA Long Beach Senior Community Center, 570 W Walnut St, Long Beach, NY --- Can a police officer frisk an individual not taken into custody? Is evidence seized without a warrant admissible in court? Do the Miranda warnings have to be read to every suspect arrested? Is the search of a vehicle operated by a person who violated a minor traffic infraction lawful? Few government institutions provide a better example of the Constitution's impact on everyday life than the role of law enforcement in the United States. Throughout American history, the Supreme Court has struggled with a delicate balance between two sometimes-opposing objectives: the preservation of individual liberty and the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4996 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4692 Mar 14 2012 at 7:30 PM, Carlisle Town Hall, 541 Crommie Road, Carlisle, NY --- While the Battles of Sackets Harbor or Plattsburg do not carry the cachet of a Gettysburg or Saratoga, the War of 1812, now approaching its bicentennial, was very much New York's War. Much of the war was fought on our soil or on our waters. New Yorkers responded to the conflict militarily and otherwise and the war exposed serious inadequacies in the state's infrastructure and the nation's military capacity. This presentation with slides and period quotes examines the impact of the war and its aftermath on the people of New York and the public improvements roads and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4692 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4891 Mar 14 2012 at 1:30 PM, Bellmore Jewish Center Hazak, 2550 Centre Ave, Bellmore, NY --- "We elect our best jokes to Congress." "I am not a crook." Whether a quip from Will Rogers or a false confession by Richard Milhous Nixon, these statements spurred political humor, which retains its bite and relevance in contemporary America. Joe Dorinson will examine how political leaders have employed wit to advantage and demonstrate why they also became targets of verbal missiles. Building on Joseph Boskin's analysis of political jokelore, Dorinson delineates the uses and abuses of power. Arguably, humor in the political arena establishes the parameters of power and punishes those who travel beyond the pale. As... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4891 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4961 Mar 14 2012 at 6:30 PM, Ellenville Public Library and Museum, 40 Center St, Ellenville, NY --- Participants will be reading and discussing sections from the Penguin Classics volume Lincoln on the Civil War, facilitated by Professor Reynolds J. Scott-Childress of SUNY New Paltz. This is the second event in a four-part series. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4961 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5025 Mar 14 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY --- This public discussion of the Civil Rights Movement is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:42 -0500 nyhumanities 5025 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5008 Mar 15 2012 at 1:00 PM, JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Rd, Scarsdale, NY --- This conversation will examine racial and ethnic identity, especially as it pertains to the many immigrant groups - past, present, and future - whose assimilation seems as vexing as it does inevitable. How soon, we might reasonably ask? How completely? For that matter, how? The particular text grounding the discussion is an essay by the Calcutta-born Bharati Mukherjee first published in Mother Jones in 1997 and titled “American Dreamer.” In the essay, Mukherjee explains why she identifies herself as “American” rather than “Asian-American,” a choice she concedes some have found fault with but which... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5008 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4894 Mar 16 2012 at 8:00 PM, American Italian Historical Association, Long Island Chapter, 11505 135th Ave, South Ozone Park, NY --- They came. They worked. They built. From those who established Little Italy "villages" within our cities, to the fourth-generation upholders of ethnic neighborhoods, businesses, and traditions, the Italian immigrant legacy is a cultural imprint that continues to enrich the physical and social landscapes of our nation. What pushed so many Italians to leave their country between 1880 and 1924? What pulled these immigrants to New York City, as well as other American destinations? How did Old World attachments shape their responses to New World challenges? These questions are addressed as we examine the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4894 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4930 Mar 16 2012 at 7:00 PM, Beacon Sloop Clubhouse, 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon, NY --- The Hudson River has been the backdrop for a wealth of human history: In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates hid in the coves and soldiers built forts on its banks. In the mid- 19th century, it was inspiration for artists, poets and inventors. In the 20th century, it was a neglected, dirty stream transformed by Pete Seeger and others into an environmental success story. This program traces life along the Hudson as seen in folk ballads, Erie Canal ditties and dance tunes accompanied by guitar, pennywhistle and hammered and mountain dulcimers. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4930 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4704 Mar 18 2012 at 1:30 PM, Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Po Box 205, Blue Mountain Lake, NY --- In the mid-19th century, New York State officials began to collect Iroquois material culture, intending to preserve remnants of what they saw as a vanishing race. At the same time, Iroquois women were discovering that their beadwork was appealing to the fashionable Victorian women flocking to Niagara Falls and Saratoga Springs on the Grand Tour of America. This multimedia presentation traces the historic development of Iroquois beadwork and costume, which came to define the public image of "Indian-ness" around the world. Images are drawn from the collections of the Lewis Henry Morgan and Rochester museums, as well as private collections.... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4704 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4907 Mar 18 2012 at 1:30 PM, Adirondack Historical Association dba The Adirondack Museum, 9097 State Road 30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY --- In the mid-19th century, New York State officials began to collect Iroquois material culture, intending to preserve remnants of what they saw as a vanishing race. At the same time, Iroquois women were discovering that their beadwork was appealing to the fashionable Victorian women flocking to Niagara Falls and Saratoga Springs on the Grand Tour of America. In this multimedia presentation, Empire State College Lecturer Deborah Holler traces the historic development of Iroquois beadwork and costume, which came to define the public image of "Indian-ness" around the world. Images are drawn from the collections of the Lewis Henry Morgan and... Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:43:53 -0500 nyhumanities 4907 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4947 Mar 18 2012 at 10:00 AM, Madison Jewish Center, 2989 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY --- Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane - when we think of the American West, we don't think Jewish, although many Jews lived on America's Western frontier and participated in every aspect of the frontier experience. The Mayor of Tombstone, Arizona during the gunfight at the OK Corral was Jewish. So was Wyatt Earp's common-law wife, Josie, as well as hundreds of pioneer Jewish wives and mothers who traveled with their families by buckboard through Indian country to new settlements in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwestern deserts, and California. There they played a major role in the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4947 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4841 Mar 20 2012 at 6:00 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- The lecture describes how Harold Arlen’s early upbringing and the ultimate early relationship between White European Jewish influences and African/African American influence, helped create the way for what he wrote and lived. Discussing Harold’s early goals and songwriting legacy via Cotton Club, films and stage, the lecture includes references from his co-writers and performers; describes his personal struggles; and reflects on the changing musical climate. The lecture concludes with today’s music, and how he and the standards live on. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:49:36 -0400 nyhumanities 4841 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4779 Mar 22 2012 at 1:30 PM, Mid Island Y JCC, RRAP Club, 45 Manetto Hill Rd, Plainview, NY --- The music of klezmorim - the Jewish folk instrumentalists of Eastern and Central Europe - is an important means of joyous music-making and Jewish connection for many Jewish and non-Jewish musicians. Skilled contemporary performers have learned the style and repertoire of masters of the klezmer instrumental tradition, while also experimenting with eclectic fusions of klezmer with diverse American and world musical styles. Meanwhile, exuberant and highly expressive singers have added a vocal repertoire, primarily in Yiddish, that is new to the klezmer tradition. This lecture takes a musical journey through klezmer, from rare early-20th-century recordings, to the pioneering... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4779 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4842 Mar 22 2012 at 12:30 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- Irving Berlin’s songs embrace the 20th century American spirit celebrating home, holidays, love and patriotism in fresh, witty, words and music that have proven to be timeless and classic. Berlin was the son of a cantor who fled Russia to escape the pogroms and became one of the preeminent figures of the Tin Pan Alley, Broadway musical theatre, and Hollywood motion pictures. Note: Film scores of Irving Berlin include: Puttin' on the Ritz (1929), The Cocoanuts (1929), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), On the Avenue (1937), Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938),Holiday Inn (1942),This Is the Army (1943),Easter Parade (1948),Annie Get Your Gun... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:49:42 -0400 nyhumanities 4842 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4949 Mar 22 2012 at 7:00 PM, Chemung County Historical Society, 415 E Water St, Elmira, NY --- This slide-illustrated lecture examines depictions of women with the American flag or wearing flag-inspired outfits in prints, posters, sheet music covers, postcards, magazine illustrations, and advertisements from the Civil War through World War II, and primarily from the Spanish-American war of 1898 to the end of World War I. The women, as the allegorical figures "Columbia" or "America" or as spirited public patriots, relate to many facets of the history of the United States. These include liberty as a pre-eminent national value, national identity, nationalistic currents, military campaigns, and programs supporting the latter on the home front. ... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4949 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5019 Mar 22 2012 at 5:00 PM, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY --- This lecture will consider key events from the War of 1812 by exploring satirical visual imagery. Political cartoons were printed with immediacy, to capitalize on sensational events and to mock prominent politicians and figures, while extolling pride in the American cause. Caricatures of this period, although printed in haste, expose how people in America felt and how they responded to the War of 1812. Political caricatures from this period were printed in New York, Philadelphia, and small towns in New England. Rarely are such prints considered in the American history dialogue, yet such images are vital documents that... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5019 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4941 Mar 23 2012 at 12:00 PM, Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Dr, Port Washington, NY --- This illustrated lecture will examine the many ways the internet has radically transformed the "old" media of newspapers, magazines, the recording industry, film, radio, and television. It will trace how this "revolution" took place in such a short period of time, and what lies ahead in the continually changing era of "new" media. Among the topics to be explored: will there be a printed newspaper in any city ten years from now? Will newsstands and bookstores disappear as fast as record stores? Will movie theaters exist in their present form? Will prime-time television vanish? Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4941 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4858 Mar 24 2012 at 2:00 PM, Elmont Memorial Library, 700 Hempstead Tpke, Elmont, NY --- Dr. April Lynn James broke new ground with her 2003 Harvard exhibit, "In Her Own Hand: Operas Composed by Women 1625-1913." This lecture recreates the exhibit for audiences. Through live and/or recorded music, readings from letters and diaries, pictures, and other materials, audiences follow the development of opera from 17th century Italian courts to the public opera houses of 19th century Paris. The journey centers on the re-discovery of little-known scores by women composers, including Francesca Caccini, Antonia Bembo, Louise Bertin, Gabrielle Ferrari, and Maria Antonia, Electress of Saxony. Dr. James describes the challenges of researching and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4858 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4899 Mar 25 2012 at 1:00 PM, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY --- Topic: Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson: Transcendentalism and The Spirit in Nature. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4899 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4936 Mar 25 2012 at 2:00 PM, Fountainview at College Road, 2000 Fountainview Dr, Monsey, NY --- This lecture takes listeners on an informative, hilarious journey east of Eden, west of the Moon, and 100 miles north of New York City, where a generation of Jewish comedians honed their craft in the resorts of the Catskill Mountains. This "Borscht Belt" became the training ground for the modern American stand-up comic: the sad nebbish (poor soul) whose troubles are greater than life, and whose kvetch (complaint) is cosmic as well as comic. Performers tempered on the Catskills resort circuit range from Sid Caesar to Mel Brooks, Alan King to Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen to Joan Rivers. However... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4936 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4853 Mar 26 2012 at 7:00 PM, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St, Setauket, NY --- "We elect our best jokes to Congress." "I am not a crook." Whether a quip from Will Rogers or a false confession by Richard Milhous Nixon, these statements spurred political humor, which retains its bite and relevance in contemporary America. Joe Dorinson will examine how political leaders have employed wit to advantage and demonstrate why they also became targets of verbal missiles. Building on Joseph Boskin's analysis of political jokelore, Dorinson delineates the uses and abuses of power. Arguably, humor in the political arena establishes the parameters of power and punishes those who travel beyond the pale. As... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4853 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4843 Mar 27 2012 at 12:30 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- A lecture by Marc Courtade Beginning with 1943's "Oklahoma!", Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II changed the face of American musical theater. Has musical comedy evolved since, and is it still a measure of American society? One of theater's most successful creative teams, Rodgers and Hammerstein incorporated dance and music smoothly into the fabric of the plot, using them to propel the story to its conclusion. Their works also captured an idealized image of America and Americans. The Rodgers and Hammerstein model proved to be versatile, and allowed them to explore topics that were not the usual fare for the Broadway... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:49:48 -0400 nyhumanities 4843 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4869 Mar 27 2012 at 7:00 PM, Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St, Port Jefferson, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4869 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4987 Mar 27 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the second discussion of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Participants will discuss March by Geraldine Brooks and an excerpt of Louisa May Alcott's journal kept at the hospital, Georgetown, D.C. (1862). Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4987 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4774 Mar 28 2012 at 1:45 PM, Town of Huntington, Division of Women's Services, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4774 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4807 Mar 28 2012 at 1:00 PM, Emanuel United Church of Christ, 9312 91st Ave, Woodhaven, NY --- Filmmakers, photographers, and artists have long been fascinated by the idea of artificial women that seem alive. The Stepford Wives and Lara Croft, products of the imagination, are now becoming realized in the latest in female Japanese robots, which look so real they can easily fool the eye. This illustrated slide-lecture showcases colorful images of female robots, androids, talking dolls, mannequins, and other artificial women. Ranging from early automatons to lifelike female heroines in today's video games, these images tell a startling tale of changing attitudes toward science and toward women themselves. Virtual women also raise provocative... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4807 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4834 Mar 28 2012 at 7:45 PM, Atria on Roslyn Harbor, 100 Landing Rd, Roslyn, NY --- Since the ill-fated Tower of Babel, mankind has been powerfully attracted to the idea of buildings rising into the clouds. The Empire State Building and the Sears Tower still rank among the world's tallest and most famous buildings, while the latest contenders for the title rise close to a quarter mile into the sky. In the 20th century, it was the American skyscraper that regularly pushed the limit - from the Singer, Met Life and Woolworth buildings to the Chrysler and the Empire State, and eventually the World Trade Center and Sears Tower. Plans for the World... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4834 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4979 Mar 28 2012 at 2:30 PM, Fordham University, College at 60, 113 W 60th St, New York, NY --- Are New Yorkers stewards of nature or lords of nature? This vivid lecture/ multimedia presentation probes the question by revisiting key moments in the Empire State's development history - especially its Indian, Infrastructure and Conservation legacies; then linking them to today's environmental crises. To find answers, Dr. Spiegelman unearths the hidden roots of New Yorkers' conflicting views of nature, development and civilization - both then and now. "While most people care about the natural environment," says our leading environmentalist E.O. Wilson, "they have been unable to articulate what the stewardship of Nature means to them personally." ... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4979 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5026 Mar 28 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY --- This public discussion of the Culture Wars is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:46 -0500 nyhumanities 5026 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5044 Mar 28 2012 at 6:30 PM, Penn Yan Public Library, 214 Main St, Penn Yan, NY --- Participants will gather for the second session of the series "Religion in American Life" facilitated by Susan Henking. Participants will read "Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism" by George M. Marsden. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5044 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4864 Mar 29 2012 at 1:30 PM, JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Rd, Scarsdale, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4864 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4997 Mar 29 2012 at 2:00 PM, Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St, Fayetteville, NY --- This presentation is a musical survey of the history of women in America. By looking at the popular songs of the past -- the ballads, love songs, suffrage anthems, work songs and dance tunes -- we can trace the perceptions and realities of women's lives. The music of the day shows the role of women in 18th and 19th century American society. Accompanying herself on mountain and hammered dulcimers, pennywhistle, guitar and limberjack, Linda Russell explores the images in the songs, interspersing the music with lively commentary that includes excerpts from diaries and letters in which the women tell their... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4997 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5011 Mar 29 2012 at 10:30 AM, JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Rd, Scarsdale, NY --- Ask the average American to list their civil liberties and “freedom of speech” will undoubtedly be one of the first. Revered as perhaps the most important of our individual rights, the concept of unbridled expression has been one of the most debated issues in both our society and in our courtrooms and remains a cornerstone of the American identity. Despite the absolutist wording of the First Amendment, free speech does not protect every form of speech or demonstration. As a consequence the government routinely makes laws preventing people from expressing themselves in every instance without recourse. So... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5011 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4889 Mar 31 2012 at 2:00 PM, Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4889 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4520 Apr 1 2012 at 3:00 PM, Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street, New York, NY --- Jews responded to the realities of America by both adapting European Jewish denominational models and creating new ones. Against the backdrop of the firmly entrenched Reform Movement and European-style Orthodoxy, early 20th century American Jews created the Modern Orthodox and Conservative Movements. What were their goals and how have American Jewish denominational battle lines shifted over the last hundred years? Dr. Regina Stein will explore these issues in this lecture, part of the Museum at Eldridge Street's 125th Anniversary Landmark Celebration season. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:35:10 -0400 nyhumanities 4520 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4844 Apr 4 2012 at 12:30 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- A lecture by David Jasen This presentation illustrates the time period, 1910-1965 when technology came together with content and helped in the making of popular American Music for the enjoyment of the world. This was an exciting period, when the love song was used as a basis of popular music and dance - from the rag time era through the roaring twenties, through big band songs to the age of Rock and Roll. The show included the Broadway Musicals and films from silent to the talkies, and the spectaculars of films and television. New York’s Tin Pan Alley was the center... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:49:53 -0400 nyhumanities 4844 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5004 Apr 8 2012 at 2:00 PM, Poppenhusen Institute, 11404 14th Rd, College Point, NY --- American television was all set to launch in the late 1930s, but its progress was interrupted by the start of World War II. Finally, by the end of the 1940s, NBC and CBS began broadcasting to their east coast affiliates. They offered viewers a wide variety of programs: situation comedies, vaudeville-style revues, and most impressively, live original dramas. Within a few years, these anthology programs, like Kraft Theatre and Ford Theatre launched the careers of soon-to-be famous directors like Arthur Penn and John Frankenheimer, actors like Paul Newman and James Dean, and playwrights like Paddy Chayevsky and Rod Serling. But... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5004 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4847 Apr 9 2012 at 12:30 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- A lecture by Rick Des Rochers The lecture will discuss the Marx Brothers and the evolution of their career in vaudeville to Broadway and Hollywood from 1905-1933 as satirical singer/songwriters, and social critics. With the collaboration of composers, lyricists, and book writers such as Irving Berlin, George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, the Marx Brothers created two hit Broadway shows which launched their now internationally recognized careers in comedy. Beginning with The Cocoanuts in 1925, and Animal Crackers in 1928, these Broadway successes went on to become successful Hollywood films, putting the Marx Brothers on... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:50:05 -0400 nyhumanities 4847 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4886 Apr 9 2012 at 7:00 PM, Rose M. Carracappa Center, 738 Route 25 A, Mount Sinai, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4886 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4988 Apr 10 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the third discussion of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Participants will discuss excerpts from the anthology America's War, including Frederick Douglass's "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", Henry David Thoreau's "A Please for Captain John Brown," Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, Alexander H. Stephen's "Cornerstone" speech, Robert Montague's secessionist speech at Virginia secession convention, 1861, Chapman Stuart's Unionist speech Virginia secession convention, 1861, Elizabeth Brown Pryor's Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters, Mark Twain's "The Private History of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4988 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4934 Apr 11 2012 at 7:30 PM, Half Hollow Clubhouse, 1 Altessa Blvd, Melville, NY --- Art Deco today can refer to anything from saltcellars to skyscrapers, produced anywhere in the world during the early decades of the last century, using abstract, stylized floral, geometric, or streamlined design. In New York, Art Deco evolved through a series of Manhattan skyscrapers into the city's chief architectural language. Following a massive reawakening of interest during the 1970s, New York's Deco buildings today survive as prized remnants of a distant-yet-modern past that still helps to define the city's visual identity. This lecture covers the great skyscrapers of architects Raymond Hood, William Van Alen, Ely Jacques Kahn,... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4934 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4939 Apr 11 2012 at 7:00 PM, Rosendale Library, PO Box 482, Rosendale, NY --- For over 12,000 years, the region that is now lower New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware was home to groups of Lenape (Delaware Indians) and their prehistoric predecessors. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, however, after a tragic series of removals had taken them halfway across the continent, the broken remnants of these tribes finally settled in parts of Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario. By the late 20th century, only a handful of elders could still speak their native language, or had knowledge of the traditional ceremonies, religious beliefs, and life ways. In this lively... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4939 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5027 Apr 11 2012 at 7:00 PM, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY --- This public discussion of the Culture Wars is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:50 -0500 nyhumanities 5027 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4767 Apr 12 2012 at 1:00 PM, Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Rd, Port Jefferson Station, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4767 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4846 Apr 12 2012 at 12:30 PM, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY --- A lecture/performance by David Holzman The event includes a piano recital, preceded by a lecture in which varied works would be tied together both musically and spiritually. The repertoire would include music by Paul Ben-Haim, Aaron Copland, Stefan Wolpe, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Arthur Berger, and Josef Achron. In these varied works one finds not only direct and indirect allusions to the popular culture, but vivid expressions of the Jewish spirit in its ironic wit, its distance, and the melancholy sense of loss which all Jewish culture manifests. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:50:11 -0400 nyhumanities 4846 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4712 Apr 15 2012 at 2:00 PM, Marcellus Free Library, 32 Maple St, Marcellus, NY --- Although she was considered equally important as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (the were called the "triumvirate of the movement"), Matilda Joslyn Gage (1828 - 1898) has been all but written out of history. Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, the foremost authority on Gage, enlightens about this amazing women "lost from history," who offered her Fayetteville, New York home as a station on the Underground Railroad, was adopted into the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation, edited a newspaper, encouraged her son-in-law, L. Frank Baum, to write his Oz stories, and worked for the separation of church and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4712 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5033 Apr 17 2012 at 7:00 PM, Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany St, Cazenovia, NY --- Food historian Peter G. Rose explores the foodways brought to America by the Dutch more than three centuries ago, and the way these foodways were adapted to new circumstances. Slides of 17th century Dutch art works depicting various foodstuffs are part of this lecture. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5033 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4918 Apr 18 2012 at 6:30 PM, Wood Library, 134 N Main St, Canandaigua, NY --- As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, both the United States and Canada are exploring its legacy of lasting peace. While there were no tangible gains to either adversary, the US and Canada both went on to expand and prosper. But the war itself has infused our culture with dramatic stories: "Old Ironsides" and the struggles for naval supremacy; the significance of the Niagara Campaign; the defeat of Tecumseh; Dolly Madison's heroism during the burning of Washington, D.C.; and, the perseverance of the people of Baltimore and of Fort McHenry, which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." The War... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4918 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4929 Apr 18 2012 at 6:30 PM, Canton Free Library, 8 Park St, Canton, NY --- New York's Adirondack region has been the home of a vibrant quilting tradition for over 150 years. These patchwork quilts record the hardships of life in the Adirondacks among close-knit families and communities, as well as the influence of a wild natural beauty. They document national quilting trends, while also displaying delight in the creation of art from bits of fabric. In this lecture we explore the common threads running through Adirondack quilts, as well the diverse influences on the region's quilting traditions. From plain and fancy bedcovers meant to keep families warm during long mountain winters, to... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4929 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4955 Apr 18 2012 at 6:30 PM, Penn Yan Public Library, 214 Main St, Penn Yan, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4955 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4962 Apr 18 2012 at 6:30 PM, Ellenville Public Library and Museum, 40 Center St, Ellenville, NY --- Participants will be reading and discussing sections from the Penguin Classics volume Lincoln on the Civil War, facilitated by Professor Reynolds J. Scott-Childress of SUNY New Paltz. This is the third event in a four-part series. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4962 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5023 Apr 18 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY Orange, Middleton Campus Library, Gilman Center, 115 South Street, Middletown, NY --- This Discussion of the Culture Wars is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:54 -0500 nyhumanities 5023 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4805 Apr 19 2012 at 7:00 PM, Sardinia Historical Society, PO Box 212, Sardinia, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4805 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5035 Apr 19 2012 at 7:00 PM, Greenport Town Hall, Town Hall Drive, Hudson, NY --- This presentation looks at New York’s involvement in the Civil War through eyewitness accounts �" letters, diaries and songs. A girl writes of soldiers being recruited in her town. A young man fears he may not come home alive. These accounts offer personal perspectives of New Yorkers in the face of war. Songs like the Battle Cry of Freedom and Just Before the Battle give musical voice to these experiences and concerns. Other songs examine New York issues and regiments: Tunes of the Irish Brigade, parlor ballads and soldiers’ ditties. New York songwriters also contributed to... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5035 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4505 Apr 20 2012 at 12:00 PM, Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Dr, Port Washington, NY --- It has been said that one of the most enduring markers of ethnic identity is that of one’s cuisine. Indeed, in even the smallest communities throughout the country, it is not uncommon to find Italian, Chinese, or Middle Eastern eateries. Using Donna Gabaccia’s history of the bagel as both an ethnic and cosmopolitan food as a launching point for our discussion, this conversation examines the ways in which food and the act of eating are important acts in defining who we are. From fast food to slow food and everything in-between, we will consider how eating, cooking,... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4505 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4746 Apr 20 2012 at 8:00 PM, YMCA 14th Street, 344 E 14th St, New York, NY --- This lecture provides an overview of Jewish life and culture in Germany after the Holocaust. It describes the reemergence of Jewish communities in the "country of the perpetrators" and points out some existential dilemmas that arise from this situation. The lecture also addresses the question of anti-Semitism because of Auschwitz in postwar Germany. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4746 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4931 Apr 20 2012 at 7:00 PM, Beacon Sloop Clubhouse, 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon, NY --- This presentation examines Native American cultures and adaptations in the southeastern New York region from the area's earliest occupation by humans, at least 13,000 years ago, to the period of initial European exploration. Changing climate and environmental settings over that time, particularly the end of the last ice age and the appearance of an essentially modern climate, as well as population movements, resulted in the development of many prehistoric cultures and diverse life ways. These life ways are reflected by the Native American cultures that are recognized for the region, referred to by archaeologists as the PaleoIndian (11,000... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4931 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4705 Apr 21 2012 at 1:00 PM, Watkins Glen Central School District Free Public Library, 610 S Decatur St, Watkins Glen, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4705 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4908 Apr 22 2012 at 1:30 PM, Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY --- Crandall Public Library, Community Room, Glens Falls, N.Y., 1:30 p.m. Presenter Paul Hai is co-founder of Children in Nature, New York and serves on the Grassroots Leadership Team of the Children and Nature Network. Paul is passionate about creating interdisciplinary programs using natural history, inquiry-based activities and outdoor experiences as the foundations for teaching the process of science, exploring the Adirondack experience, and for getting children outside. This commitment to using informal science education as a vehicle for reconnecting children to nature will form one of the key programmatic themes of NFI's new Adirondack Interpretive Center. Presentation will be followed by outdoor... Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:43:48 -0500 nyhumanities 4908 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5030 Apr 23 2012 at 7:00 PM, Wilson Historical Society, Po Box 830, Wilson, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5030 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4753 Apr 24 2012 at 2:00 PM, Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Ave, Great Neck, NY --- Art Deco today can refer to anything from saltcellars to skyscrapers, produced anywhere in the world during the early decades of the last century, using abstract, stylized floral, geometric, or streamlined design. In New York, Art Deco evolved through a series of Manhattan skyscrapers into the city's chief architectural language. Following a massive reawakening of interest during the 1970s, New York's Deco buildings today survive as prized remnants of a distant-yet-modern past that still helps to define the city's visual identity. This lecture covers the great skyscrapers of architects Raymond Hood, William Van Alen, Ely Jacques Kahn,... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4753 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4990 Apr 24 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the fourth session of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Participants will discuss the following selections from the America's War anthology: Ambrose Bierce, “What I Saw of Shiloh” (1881); Ulysses Grant, excerpt from the Memoirs (1885); Shelby Foote, excerpt from Shiloh (1952); Bobbie Ann Mason, “Shiloh” (1982); General Braxton Bragg, speech to the Army of the Mississippi (May 3, 1862). Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4990 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=3919 Apr 25 2012 at 1:00 PM, Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society, 9334 91st Ave, Woodhaven, NY --- F. Scott Fitzgerald began to write "The Great Gatsby" when he lived in Great Neck ("West Egg" in the novel). His description of what his narrator, Nick Carraway, called "that slender riotous island" is an enduring literary depiction of Long Island. Fitzgerald immortalized the Gold Coast mansions on the North Shore, the Great Neck crowd, the old money in Sands Point ("East Egg"), and the valley of ashes in Corona. In those "roaring twenties," however, Long Island was still predominantly agricultural, while suburbanization was burgeoning. Seaside settlements attracted summer visitors and crowds came to the Hempstead... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 3919 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4832 Apr 25 2012 at 7:00 PM, Warsaw Public Library, 130 N Main St, Warsaw, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4832 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4954 Apr 25 2012 at 1:30 PM, Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Ln, Levittown, NY --- Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane - when we think of the American West, we don't think Jewish, although many Jews lived on America's Western frontier and participated in every aspect of the frontier experience. The Mayor of Tombstone, Arizona during the gunfight at the OK Corral was Jewish. So was Wyatt Earp's common-law wife, Josie, as well as hundreds of pioneer Jewish wives and mothers who traveled with their families by buckboard through Indian country to new settlements in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwestern deserts, and California. There they played a major role in the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4954 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5028 Apr 25 2012 at 7:00 PM, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY --- The FDR Presidency Discussion is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture is just a natural manifestation, or... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:58 -0500 nyhumanities 5028 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5045 Apr 25 2012 at 6:30 PM, Penn Yan Public Library, 214 Main St, Penn Yan, NY --- Participants will gather for the third discussion in the series "Religion in American Life," facilitated by Susan Henking. Participants will discuss "The Democratization of American Christianity" by Nathan O. Hatch. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5045 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4749 Apr 26 2012 at 7:00 PM, East Islip Public Library, 381 E Main St, East Islip, NY --- F. Scott Fitzgerald began to write "The Great Gatsby" when he lived in Great Neck ("West Egg" in the novel). His description of what his narrator, Nick Carraway, called "that slender riotous island" is an enduring literary depiction of Long Island. Fitzgerald immortalized the Gold Coast mansions on the North Shore, the Great Neck crowd, the old money in Sands Point ("East Egg"), and the valley of ashes in Corona. In those "roaring twenties," however, Long Island was still predominantly agricultural, while suburbanization was burgeoning. Seaside settlements attracted summer visitors and crowds came to the Hempstead... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4749 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4775 Apr 26 2012 at 6:30 PM, Mohawk Valley Community College, 1101 Floyd Ave, Rome, NY --- Imagine that women had the right to choose all political representatives, and to remove from office anyone who didn't address the wishes and needs of the people. Haudenosaunee (traditional Iroquois) women have had that responsibility - and more - since long before Christopher Columbus came to these shores. Pre-contact, Native American women generally had a status which would be the envy of United States women, even today. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda Joslyn Gage, the two major theoreticians of the early women's rights movement, had direct knowledge of the Haudenosaunee, writing about the superior social, political, religious, and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4775 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4900 Apr 29 2012 at 1:00 PM, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY --- Participants will discuss the poet Rumi and the tradition of Sufi Buddhist poetry as part of the reading and discussion series "The Spirituality of Poetry: From Walt Whitman to Mary Oliver." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4900 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5002 Apr 29 2012 at 3:30 PM, Montauk Library, Po Box 700, Montauk, NY --- F. Scott Fitzgerald began to write "The Great Gatsby" when he lived in Great Neck ("West Egg" in the novel). His description of what his narrator, Nick Carraway, called "that slender riotous island" is an enduring literary depiction of Long Island. Fitzgerald immortalized the Gold Coast mansions on the North Shore, the Great Neck crowd, the old money in Sands Point ("East Egg"), and the valley of ashes in Corona. In those "roaring twenties," however, Long Island was still predominantly agricultural, while suburbanization was burgeoning. Seaside settlements attracted summer visitors and crowds came to the Hempstead... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5002 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4885 Apr 30 2012 at 1:30 AM, Samuel Field YM-YWHA -- Empire Club, 5820 Little Neck Pkwy, Little Neck, NY --- The melting pot of America was reflected in the Broadway Musicals. The ethnic musicals of the 1960's and 1970's featured contrasting ethnic groups and wove them into the fabric of the American Musical, successfully and unsuccessfully. Do such shows as Milk and Honey (1961), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), The Wiz (1975) and Pacific Overtures (1976) convey the mood of the modern American experience and hold up over time?Earlier Broadway composers like Irving Berlin hid their immigrant roots, and attempted to incorporate their native musical colorings into the popular American culture. By the 1960's... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4885 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4887 Apr 30 2012 at 7:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4887 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4909 May 1 2012 at 1:00 PM, Senior Citizens Coordinating Council of Eastchester, Inc. dba Senior Citizens of Bronxville, 200 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville, NY --- Life expectancy was very different in Shakespeare's time from ours. Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616 at the age of 52. This was not at all unusual in the early seventeenth century. Many of Shakespeare's protagonists seem to die at comparably young ages: Prospero, Leontes, Othello, Anthony. In Macbeth, the young military hero at the beginning of the play falls into "the sere, the yellow leaf" at the end, when life is "full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing." In the Sonnets, the poet is already old "When forty winters shall besiege they... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4909 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4914 May 1 2012 at 7:00 PM, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St, Setauket, NY --- This lecture and multimedia presentation highlights the Beatles impact on the political, cultural, and social changes of the 1960's. The Beatles were one of the most popular and influential musical groups of the 20th Century. During the 1960's, the Beatles revolutionized and redefined the genre of rock music and had a tremendous impact on American youth and popular culture. During this time, the Beatles were also affected by the political and cultural changes of the era. Their music, which initially had been comprised of catchy love songs, evolved and began to reflect the more serious tone... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4914 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4944 May 1 2012 at 6:30 PM, Susquehanna River Archaeological Center, 345 Broad St, Waverly, NY --- Despite decades of digging into the origins of humans in North America, archeologists are still uncovering new evidence that is overturning old ideas. This lecture covers the latest discoveries, which are overturning long-held ideas about the identity of the "First Americans."It has long been believed that prehistoric Eurasians, who migrated to North America between 15,000 and 16,000 years ago over a land bridge crossing the Bering Strait, were the first "Paleoindians." However, finds by archeologists over the past two decades offer evidence that Paleoindians were in the Americas as far back as 50,000 years ago. Scientists also surmised that... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4944 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4690 May 2 2012 at 8:15 PM, Temple Beth El, 415 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, NY --- Beginning with 1943's "Oklahoma!", Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II changed the face of American musical theater. Has musical comedy evolved since, and is it still a measure of American society? One of theater's most successful creative teams, Rodgers and Hammerstein incorporated dance and music smoothly into the fabric of the plot, using them to propel the story to its conclusion. Their works also captured an idealized image of America and Americans. The Rodgers and Hammerstein model proved to be versatile, and allowed them to explore topics that were not the usual fare for the Broadway musical-going public. ... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4690 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5024 May 2 2012 at 7:00 PM, SUNY Orange, Middleton Campus Library, Gilman Center, 115 South Street, Middletown, NY --- This discussion of the Civil Rights Movement is part of Fireplace Lounge Chats: Expert-led Discussions on Civility and Democracy in America, a series of eight panel/audience discussions led by regional humanities experts. The broad humanities issue examined is the question of civility in American political discourse. America’s political climate appears to be growing more contentious and discourteous, as evidenced by increasingly negative election campaigns and partisan gridlock. The series will explore whether statesmanship truly is in decline, a casualty of shifting notions of community which emphasize division over unity, or whether the heated tone of our current political culture... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:12:02 -0500 nyhumanities 5024 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4883 May 4 2012 at 7:00 PM, Ticonderoga Community Building, 132 Montcalm St, Ticonderoga, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4883 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4871 May 5 2012 at 2:00 PM, Palantine Settlement Society, PO Box 183, Saint Johnsville, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4871 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4873 May 5 2012 at 7:00 PM, Esperance Historical Society and Museum, 239 Feuz Ter, Esperance, NY --- In this concert-and-lecture program, Dave Ruch presents and tells the stories behind the songs of real New Yorkers from days gone by - farmers, lumbermen, children, immigrants, Native Americans, canallers, hops pickers, lake sailors, and more - music from the people who settled and built our state. The program is offered in two different formats: either as a survey of old songs and ballads - each set within its own historical and cultural context, - from all regions of upstate New York, with a special emphasis on songs from the region hosting each performance; or as songs of a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4873 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4950 May 6 2012 at 1:30 PM, Town of Hempstead Rock Hall Museum, 199 Broadway, Lawrence, NY --- This lecture on Founding Mother Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814), America's first female playwright and historian of the American Revolution, traces her life and work. Through a lively slide and/or Power Point presentation, audiences learn how Mrs. Warren rose to become one of America's most influential patriots in spite of her female gender. The sister of James "The Patriot" Otis, Jr. - famous for declaring "taxation without representation is tyranny," Mrs. Warren produced important anti-British and anti-Tory plays, poems, an influential pamphlet advocating for a Bill of Rights and a three-volume "The History of the Rise, Progress and Termination... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4950 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4754 May 8 2012 at 2:00 PM, Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Ave, Great Neck, NY --- In 1942, a remarkable collaboration took place between an organization of immigrant scholars - the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - and a group of 223 "ordinary" immigrants who responded to a call to write their life stories. Written by shop workers, small businesspeople and housewives, these autobiographies describe life in the old country and in the new. They cover the great political and social developments of the time, as well as the minutiae of everyday existence. Above all, they are great stories by people whose lives mirror Jewish and world history of the late 19th and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4754 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4910 May 8 2012 at 1:00 PM, Congregation Hall Reformed Church, 180 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville, NY --- From the late nineteenth century up until the present time, unusual aerial phenomena have been seen and reported across the United States. The explanations of these encounters have not only changed significantly over the decades, but have regularly incorporated the current political, social, technological and cultural predispositions of the general public. In this presentation, John Horner will present the trends in UFO sightings and how the descriptions and subsequent explanations of the many UFO sightings in the United States have shaped the public perception on the reality of this phenomenon. The presentation will use many examples including... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4910 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4925 May 8 2012 at 1:00 PM, JCC of Rockland, 450 W Nyack Rd, West Nyack, NY --- Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane - when we think of the American West, we don't think Jewish, although many Jews lived on America's Western frontier and participated in every aspect of the frontier experience. The Mayor of Tombstone, Arizona during the gunfight at the OK Corral was Jewish. So was Wyatt Earp's common-law wife, Josie, as well as hundreds of pioneer Jewish wives and mothers who traveled with their families by buckboard through Indian country to new settlements in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwestern deserts, and California. There they played a major role in the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4925 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4991 May 8 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the fifth session of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Participants will discuss James McPherson's Crossroads of Freedom: Anietam and the following selections from America's War anthology: Gary W. Gallagher, excerpt from “The Net Result of the Campaign was in Our Favor? Confederate Reaction to the Maryland Campaign” (1999) and Drew Gilpin Faust, “The Work of Death,” preface to This Republic of Suffering (2009). Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4991 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4863 May 10 2012 at 1:30 PM, JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Rd, Scarsdale, NY --- Franz Liszt is brought to life through live performance of some of his greatest piano works. Liszt (October 22, 1811 - July 31, 1886) was an archetypal Romantic in music and in life. Achievements, each of which would perpetuate the memory of a lesser man, surround him with a blazing halo: dazzling pianism, unequalled to this day; a voluminous body of compositions; finely wrought piano transcriptions of other composers' music, including Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz and Wagner; an illustrious conducting career; a generous nature that gave devoted teaching to many a distinguished pianist without fee; a sexual radiance that... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4863 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4913 May 10 2012 at 7:00 PM, Tappan Library, 93 Main St, Tappan, NY --- Food historian Peter G. Rose explores the foodways brought to America by the Dutch more than three centuries ago, and the way these foodways were adapted to new circumstances. Slides of 17th century Dutch art works depicting various foodstuffs are part of this lecture. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4913 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4695 May 11 2012 at 10:30 AM, Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Rd, Commack, NY --- Written almost 200 years ago, "Frankenstein" is a story of a man obsessed with creating artificial life. Yet some basic themes of Mary Shelley's novel eerily echo today's discussions on fetal tissue research, artificial intelligence, life-extension, and human cloning. This talk addresses why the novel continues to fascinate us, and why the story of Victor Frankenstein and his tortured creation lives on in popular culture through films, plays, musicals, parodies, and comic books. How could such an immortal work have been thought up by a sixteen year old girl in an era when women were not expected to write novels... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4695 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5047 May 12 2012 at 11:00 AM, Ontario County Historical Society, 55 N Main St, Canandaigua, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5047 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4432 May 13 2012 at 1:00 PM, Lefferts Historic House, 452 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY --- This PowerPoint presentation is based on a 17th-century Dutch gardening- and cookbook, which features a calendar for gardening activities and a cookbook that explains how to use the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden to best advantage. The 400-year old book with its contemporary theme helps in understanding the kitchen gardens of the early Dutch settlers of the Hudson Valley and gives insight in our colonial diet. Illustrations include etchings from the book; works by the Dutch masters such as kitchen scenes by Joachim Beuckelaer; market stalls by Quiringh van Brekelenkam and Pieter Cornelis van Rijck; as well as... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4432 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4686 May 16 2012 at 7:30 PM, Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Ln, Levittown, NY --- Of America's 46 First Ladies, 9 were born in New York State. This illustrated lecture explores the lives and legacies of these women, each with a different, fascinating tale to tell. The most recent are also the most well-known: Eleanor Roosevelt; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. But the others have stories deserving to be re-discovered. One saved Mme. de Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution, while another, the "Rose of Long Island," married a President 30 years her senior. And a First Lady from New York State gave birth to a daughter whose name... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4686 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4963 May 16 2012 at 6:30 PM, Ellenville Public Library and Museum, 40 Center St, Ellenville, NY --- Participants will be reading and discussing sections from the Penguin Classics volume Lincoln on the Civil War, facilitated by Professor Reynolds J. Scott-Childress of SUNY New Paltz. This is the final session of a four-part series. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4963 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5046 May 16 2012 at 6:30 PM, Penn Yan Public Library, 214 Main St, Penn Yan, NY --- Participants will gather for the final session of the series "Religion in American Life," facilitated by Susan Henking. Participants will discuss Toni Morrison's "Paradise." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5046 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4872 May 18 2012 at 1:00 PM, Baldwinsville Public Library, 33 E Genesee St, Baldwinsville, NY --- The audience is part of the program in this lecture, which brings to life the customs, sights, and sounds of travel in late-19th-century New York State. Exploring the preparations of a wealthy Victorian industrialist and his wife as they get ready to travel, participants learn about transportation modes, rules and etiquette of the road, proper attire, and the era's social expectations. Trunks and satchels are packed and ready to go, filled with antique and vintage undergarments, outer-garments, shoes, and valuable accessories for a successful trip to anywhere in 1890. (There's no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4872 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4717 May 20 2012 at 7:00 PM, Lima Historical Society, PO Box 532, Lima, NY --- The audience is part of the program in this lecture, which brings to life the customs, sights, and sounds of travel in late-19th-century New York State. Exploring the preparations of a wealthy Victorian industrialist and his wife as they get ready to travel, participants learn about transportation modes, rules and etiquette of the road, proper attire, and the era's social expectations. Trunks and satchels are packed and ready to go, filled with antique and vintage undergarments, outer-garments, shoes, and valuable accessories for a successful trip to anywhere in 1890. (There's no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4717 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4937 May 20 2012 at 2:00 PM, Hauppauge Public Library, 601 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Hauppauge, NY --- In the War of 1812, the news was spread through Broadsides. These songs gave accounts of battles and invasions. They served as rallying points in an uncertain time. They carried the bravado of citizens determined to end continued intervention in American affairs by the British. This program examines the War of 1812 as related in the music of the day. Songs celebrated American triumphs (The Constitution and the Guerriere and Perry’s Victory) while others (Come All You Bold Canadians) told of American defeat after the disastrous attempt to invade Canada. When New York volunteers dug hasty fortifications along Brooklyn Heights... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4937 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5005 May 20 2012 at 2:00 PM, Poppenhusen Institute, 11404 14th Rd, College Point, NY --- At a time when American soldiers on the frontier were fighting Apaches, Cheyennes, Navajos and Sioux, at least 20,000 Native American served in the Union and Confederate militaries. They contributed to Union and Confederate causes on both land and sea, as “grunts” in the trenches, and even as commissioned and noncommissioned officers. This powerpoint presentation focuses on the following Native Americans--the Iroquois in New York and Wisconsin, Ojibwes and Odawas in Michigan, the Pequots in Connecticut, and the Cherokees in North Carolina and in the Indian Territory, as well several other southeastern nations--the Catawbas, Lumbees and Pamunkeys. The talk explains... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5005 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4943 May 22 2012 at 1:00 PM, Riverdale YM - YWHA, 5625 Arlington Ave, Bronx, NY --- American television was all set to launch in the late 1930s, but its progress was interrupted by the start of World War II. Finally, by the end of the 1940s, NBC and CBS began broadcasting to their east coast affiliates. They offered viewers a wide variety of programs: situation comedies, vaudeville-style revues, and most impressively, live original dramas. Within a few years, these anthology programs, like Kraft Theatre and Ford Theatre launched the careers of soon-to-be famous directors like Arthur Penn and John Frankenheimer, actors like Paul Newman and James Dean, and playwrights like Paddy Chayevsky and Rod Serling. But... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4943 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4992 May 22 2012 at 6:00 PM, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave, Medina, NY --- This is the sixth and final session of the series "Making Sense of the Civil War," facilitated by Donald G. Colquhoun. Participants will discuss the following selections from America's War anthology: Abraham Lincoln, address on colonization (1862); John M. Washington, “Memorys [sic] of the Past (1873); Frederick Douglass, “Men of Color, To Arms!” (March 1863); Abraham Lincoln, “Emancipation Proclamation” (January 1863); Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address” (November 1863); Abraham Lincoln, letters to James C. Conkling and Albert G. Hodges (1864); James S. Brisbin, report on U.S. Colored Cavalry in Virginia (October 2, 1864); Colored Citizens of Nashville, Tennessee, Petition to the... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4992 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5041 May 22 2012 at 10:30 AM, Sid Jacobson JCC, 300 Forest Dr, Greenvale, NY --- "We elect our best jokes to Congress." "I am not a crook." Whether a quip from Will Rogers or a false confession by Richard Milhous Nixon, these statements spurred political humor, which retains its bite and relevance in contemporary America. Joe Dorinson will examine how political leaders have employed wit to advantage and demonstrate why they also became targets of verbal missiles. Building on Joseph Boskin's analysis of political jokelore, Dorinson delineates the uses and abuses of power. Arguably, humor in the political arena establishes the parameters of power and punishes those who travel beyond the pale. As... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5041 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4835 May 23 2012 at 7:30 PM, Bryant Library, 2 Paper Mill Rd, Roslyn, NY --- During the years 1880 - 1914, there was a flowering of illustration in America usually referred to as the "Golden Age of American Illustration." Women artists occupied a very important place in that flowering. This presentation will explain why this flourishing tool place, and why so many women succeeded as illustrators. It will focus on the careers and work of: Alice Barber Stephens; Jessie Willcox Smith; Violet Oakley; Elizabeth Shippen Green; Charlotte Harding; and Rose O'Neill. Slide images of their work will be shown and interpreted, and followed by a question-and-answer discussion session. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4835 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4940 May 23 2012 at 7:00 PM, Farmers' Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY --- Jerome Irving or "JI" Rodale advanced the organic food movement in US culture and politics through his rhetorical leadership choices. Social movement followers and journalists nicknamed JI Rodale the "Guru of the Organic Food Movement." In the 1940s United States, organic agriculture was not on dominant cultural and political radars. So how did JI Rodale rhetorically feed organic food to America? Rodale exhibited both prophetic and pragmatic leadership through his use of material and symbolic resources to legitimize organic food in the pre-WWII era. This lecture illuminates how an early social movement leader can... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4940 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4942 May 23 2012 at 7:00 PM, Historic Huguenot Street, 18 Broadhead Ave, New Paltz, NY --- In August 1861, the 44th New York Infantry regiment formed in response to the death of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a New York native, nationally-known military figure, and a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. Nicknamed “Ellsworth’s Avengers,” the 44th was unique in that it raised troops from throughout the state rather than from a particular community. The regiment’s service included important action in the Peninsula Campaign, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. This lecture will focus on how the 44th New York Regiment offers an opportunity to examine the military, political, and social experience of war both from a New York and a... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4942 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4901 May 27 2012 at 1:00 PM, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY --- Participants will discuss the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins and the spirituality of Christian poetry as part of the reading and discussion series "The Spirituality of Poetry: From Walt Whitman to Mary Oliver." Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4901 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5037 May 27 2012 at 2:00 PM, Niagara County Historical Society, 215 Niagara St, Lockport, NY --- The American Arts and Crafts Movement, or "mission," gained popularity as a decorative style beginning in 1900, and by 1920 had gone out of style. Arts and Crafts, however, was more than simply a decorative style: it was also a philosophy, an ethos, a way of living, and significantly, an enormous business. Artists and manufacturers of objects in the Arts and Crafts style - furniture, ceramics, metal, lighting, textiles, jewelry - found like-minded creators in a few U.S. locations. Among the most significant centers of creativity for Arts and Crafts was New York State. Gustav and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5037 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4870 May 29 2012 at 7:00 PM, Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St, Port Jefferson, NY --- George Washington was in need of good intelligence after he evacuated the Continental Army from New York City in September 1776. His disastrous loss at the Battle of Long Island in Brooklyn on August 27-28, 1776 and subsequent defeats north of the city forced him to retreat with his soldiers to New Jersey and eventually to Pennsylvania. The British controlled New York, particularly the downstate area and Long Island, where Loyalists were in the majority. The Culper Spy Ring was created on Long Island in 1778 by then-Dragoon Major Benjamin Tallmadge of Setauket, under Washington's leadership. This colorful PowerPoint presentation... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4870 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5036 May 29 2012 at 11:00 AM, Retired Executives and Professionals (REAP II), 30 Cumberland Ave, Great Neck, NY --- This lecture covers the daily life of the inhabitants of Pompeii before and during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D. After a practical comparison of Pompeian mores, life-styles, religious beliefs, and artistic creativity with contemporary times, a beautiful slide show on DVD will take the audience on a virtual tour of the ruins of the ancient city to admire the architectural design of the Forum, the Greek Theatre, the Baths, the Fountains, and the homes and shops, including the well-preserved House of the Vettii Brothers. The audience learns the history of the city and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5036 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4808 May 30 2012 at 1:00 PM, Emanuel United Church of Christ, 9312 91st Ave, Woodhaven, NY --- This vivid lecture-presentation examines the immense impact of the Civil War and New York on each other. Downstate, New York City was a major economic link in the nexus of Cotton and Slavery. Upstate, New York gave vast numbers of its citizen-soldiers to the Union cause, playing a leading part in America’s postwar Republic of Suffering. And Manhattan Island “hosted” the infamous Draft Riot of 1863, most recently featured as the stunning climax of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. Ranging from Phil Sheridan and Samuel Wadsworth through William “Tecumseh” Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, New York... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4808 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4714 Jun 1 2012 at 6:30 PM, Ward W. O'Hara Agricultural Museum of Cayuga County, 6880 East Lake Road, Auburn, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4714 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4747 Jun 1 2012 at 8:00 PM, YMCA 14th Street, 344 E 14th St, New York, NY --- After World War II, Jewish Americans prospered as never before, but the old tensions between Jewish heritage and American opportunities persisted. While characters in plays by Wendy Wasserstein are trying to free themselves from their heritage, Jewish protagonists in plays by Paddy Chayefsky, Jules Feiffer, and others are left deeply unsatisfied by their American "success." Neil Simon in his Brighton Beach trilogy and the creators of Fiddler on the Roof fed a hunger among prosperous Jewish Americans for connection with their struggling ancestors. Angels in America by Tony Kushner begins with the funeral of an old Jewish woman:... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4747 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4857 Jun 1 2012 at 1:30 PM, Ebenezer Seniors, 630 Main St, West Seneca, NY --- Although she was considered equally important as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (the were called the "triumvirate of the movement"), Matilda Joslyn Gage (1828 - 1898) has been all but written out of history. Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, the foremost authority on Gage, enlightens about this amazing women "lost from history," who offered her Fayetteville, New York home as a station on the Underground Railroad, was adopted into the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation, edited a newspaper, encouraged her son-in-law, L. Frank Baum, to write his Oz stories, and worked for the separation of church and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4857 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4958 Jun 3 2012 at 4:00 PM, Kinderhook Memorial Library, Po Box 293, Kinderhook, NY --- Rhetorical theorists and critics from Aristotle to the present have reflected upon the ways professional persuaders use rhetoric to position themselves, a strategy, an end, idea, or an object as comparatively superior to another. Rhetorics of change in the 2008 presidential campaigns shaped the national conventions, political advertising, and the debates. But how much change really happened or was proposed in the 2008 presidential campaigns? This lecture provides an explanation of the use of rhetoric in political campaigning by examining both Democratic and Republican party messages. It does so by applying the tactics of transcendence rhetorics... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4958 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4866 Jun 4 2012 at 1:00 PM, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave, Lawrence, NY --- An extremely rich and complex system of art and mythology has existed for centuries in Mexico. It has helped to create the cultural and political character of the Americas as we know it. This cultural heritage has attracted artists from all over the world, most notably Mexican and American, to create works based on this magical and intriguing history. Explore and analyze the compelling works of of key contributors to the Mexican Muralist movement, such as Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siquieros, as well as their influence on American artists including Jackson Pollack and Georgia... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4866 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4859 Jun 5 2012 at 10:45 AM, Retired Executives and Professionals (REAP II), 30 Cumberland Ave, Great Neck, NY --- The melting pot of America was reflected in the Broadway Musicals. The ethnic musicals of the 1960's and 1970's featured contrasting ethnic groups and wove them into the fabric of the American Musical, successfully and unsuccessfully. Do such shows as Milk and Honey (1961), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), The Wiz (1975) and Pacific Overtures (1976) convey the mood of the modern American experience and hold up over time?Earlier Broadway composers like Irving Berlin hid their immigrant roots, and attempted to incorporate their native musical colorings into the popular American culture. By the 1960's... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4859 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4392 Jun 7 2012 at 1:00 PM, Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave, Lawrence, NY --- This lecture and multimedia presentation highlights the Beatles impact on the political, cultural, and social changes of the 1960's. The Beatles were one of the most popular and influential musical groups of the 20th Century. During the 1960's, the Beatles revolutionized and redefined the genre of rock music and had a tremendous impact on American youth and popular culture. During this time, the Beatles were also affected by the political and cultural changes of the era. Their music, which initially had been comprised of catchy love songs, evolved and began to reflect the more serious tone... Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:29:29 -0400 nyhumanities 4392 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4983 Jun 10 2012 at 2:00 PM, Christ the King High School, 6802 Metropolitan Ave, Middle Village, NY --- From Rudolph Valentino to Gwen Stefani, Italian-Americans have had prominent roles in American cinema, television, and video. This lecture traces the varied representations of Italian-Americans in each medium. While early cinema laid a foundation for negative stereotypes of the Italian-American as a gangster, womanizer, or buffoon, television portrayals have been more diverse. Nearly-forgotten early TV shows, such as "Bonino" and "Life with Luigi," portrayed single fathers maintaining healthy families, while Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante excelled on early variety shows. With the rise of contemporary music videos, Madonna, John Bon Jovi, and Gwen Stefani have each brought an... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4983 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4995 Jun 15 2012 at 6:30 PM, Utica Public Library, 303 Genesee St, Utica, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4995 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4772 Jun 20 2012 at 7:30 PM, North Shore Synagogue, 83 Muttontown Rd, Syosset, NY --- The melting pot of America was reflected in the Broadway Musicals. The ethnic musicals of the 1960's and 1970's featured contrasting ethnic groups and wove them into the fabric of the American Musical, successfully and unsuccessfully. Do such shows as Milk and Honey (1961), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), The Wiz (1975) and Pacific Overtures (1976) convey the mood of the modern American experience and hold up over time?Earlier Broadway composers like Irving Berlin hid their immigrant roots, and attempted to incorporate their native musical colorings into the popular American culture. By the 1960's... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4772 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4902 Jun 24 2012 at 1:00 PM, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, NY --- For the final session of the reading and discussion series "The Spirituality of Poetry: From Walt Whitman to Mary Oliver," participants will discuss spirituality in contemporary poetry. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4902 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5003 Jun 24 2012 at 3:30 AM, Montauk Library, Po Box 700, Montauk, NY --- Life expectancy was very different in Shakespeare's time from ours. Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616 at the age of 52. This was not at all unusual in the early seventeenth century. Many of Shakespeare's protagonists seem to die at comparably young ages: Prospero, Leontes, Othello, Anthony. In Macbeth, the young military hero at the beginning of the play falls into "the sere, the yellow leaf" at the end, when life is "full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing." In the Sonnets, the poet is already old "When forty winters shall besiege they... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5003 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4851 Jun 30 2012 at 2:00 PM, North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Rd, Ausable Chasm, NY --- July 4, 1827 was the legal and official beginning of the emancipation of African enslaved people in NYC. Although some did not gain full freedom until nearly 20 years later. Africans had been enslaved in the colony of New Amsterdam and later New York since 1623, more 200 years. This slide lecture focuses on the formerly enslaved Africans, their institutions and organizations and their celebrations of emancipation, from on July 5, 1827 through the end of the Civil War. Parades, church attendance, elaborate dinners and other festivities marked the celebration of freedom for over 50 years. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4851 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4689 Jul 4 2012 at 2:00 PM, Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, PO Box 27, Sackets Harbor, NY --- In this lecture/concert, Dave Ruch presents a fascinating portrait of the War of 1812 through the songs and stories of the people themselves. Ruch has dug deeply into archival recordings, diaries, old newspapers and other historical manuscripts to unearth a wealth of rarely-heard music which, alongside some of the classics from the war, offers a rounded and fascinating picture of this “second war of independence.” Special emphasis is given to New York State’s important role in the conflict. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4689 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4893 Jul 8 2012 at 2:00 PM, Temple Judea of Manhasset, 333 Searingtown Rd, Manhasset, NY --- This lecture takes listeners on an informative, hilarious journey east of Eden, west of the Moon, and 100 miles north of New York City, where a generation of Jewish comedians honed their craft in the resorts of the Catskill Mountains. This "Borscht Belt" became the training ground for the modern American stand-up comic: the sad nebbish (poor soul) whose troubles are greater than life, and whose kvetch (complaint) is cosmic as well as comic. Performers tempered on the Catskills resort circuit range from Sid Caesar to Mel Brooks, Alan King to Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen to Joan Rivers. However... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4893 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4916 Jul 9 2012 at 7:00 PM, Taylor Heritage Center, 4338 Cheningo Solon Pond Rd, Cincinnatus, NY --- The Fordson, first mass-produced in 1918, gave farmers an affordable source of mechanical power. Henry Ford's entry into the tractor business sparked a conflict in the farm machinery industry that had long-term consequences for American life on and off the farm. The transition from horse power to tractor power, from muscles to motors, took place during an era of rapid social change in American life. Farm families were trying to adjust to new marvels everywhere - airplanes, automobiles, electricity on the farm, telephones, radio, consolidated rural schools, indoor plumbing, rural free delivery, better roads, and refrigeration. The lecture use rare... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4916 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4998 Jul 12 2012 at 7:30 PM, Schoharie County Historical Society, 145 Fort Rd, Schoharie, NY --- The political campaigns of the past were fueled by song. Tunes like "Jefferson and Liberty," "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," "Grover's Veto," and "You're All Right, Teddy" were sung with great gusto from porches and taverns across the land. They livened up street corners and torchlight parades. Campaign wordsmiths, often using popular melodies of the day, wrote catchy ditties that got stuck in our heads as we went to the polls. Balladeer Linda Russell traces our elections, from Jefferson's victory song through the Whigs Great Singing Campaign of 1840, to the ragtime melodies of Teddy Roosevelt's... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4998 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4999 Jul 26 2012 at 7:30 PM, Schoharie County Historical Society, 145 Fort Rd, Schoharie, NY --- The Fordson, first mass-produced in 1918, gave farmers an affordable source of mechanical power. Henry Ford's entry into the tractor business sparked a conflict in the farm machinery industry that had long-term consequences for American life on and off the farm. The transition from horse power to tractor power, from muscles to motors, took place during an era of rapid social change in American life. Farm families were trying to adjust to new marvels everywhere - airplanes, automobiles, electricity on the farm, telephones, radio, consolidated rural schools, indoor plumbing, rural free delivery, better roads, and refrigeration. The lecture use rare... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4999 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4911 Aug 1 2012 at 10:15 AM, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, 55 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills, NY --- As a means of illuminating America's racial and ethnic past, this lecture examines and compares an iconic baseball triumvirate: Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, and Hank Greenberg. Prior to the sport's travails of recent years, baseball long reigned as the undisputed "national pastime." Then, the microcosm of baseball reflected the main currents of American life and culture. We explore the game's golden age, when it possessed the power to dramatize the imperfections of the nation's melting pot. Jackie Robinson's battle to integrate baseball, for example, symbolized the collective struggle of blacks against racism. Likewise, Italian-American superstar Joe... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4911 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5006 Aug 2 2012 at 7:00 PM, Summit Town Hall, 1580 Charlotte Valley Rd, Summit, NY --- While the Battles of Sackets Harbor or Plattsburg do not carry the cachet of a Gettysburg or Saratoga, the War of 1812, now approaching its bicentennial, was very much New York's War. Much of the war was fought on our soil or on our waters. New Yorkers responded to the conflict militarily and otherwise and the war exposed serious inadequacies in the state's infrastructure and the nation's military capacity. This presentation with slides and period quotes examines the impact of the war and its aftermath on the people of New York and the public improvements roads and... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5006 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4953 Aug 4 2012 at 2:00 PM, Shaker Heritage Society, 875 Watervliet Shaker Rd Ste 2, Albany, NY --- Aaron Copland, our first composer to achieve international fame, produced compositions that sound distinctly American. This presentation features video clips and CDs that illustrate his life and representative compositions. Born and raised in Brooklyn by Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Copland sailed at age twenty for study in France. Upon his return, he incorporated jazz into early works such as Music for the Theatre (1925). His next style, often referred to as "esoteric" or austere, is represented by The Piano Variations (1930). In the mid-1930s, he simplified his compositions to recapture his public. He incorporated Mexican folk songs... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4953 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4742 Aug 8 2012 at 6:30 PM, Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Ave, Newburgh, NY --- Food historian Peter G. Rose explores the foodways brought to America by the Dutch more than three centuries ago, and the way these foodways were adapted to new circumstances. Slides of 17th century Dutch art works depicting various foodstuffs are part of this lecture. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4742 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5032 Aug 9 2012 at 7:00 PM, Fort William Henry Museum, 48 Canada St, Lake George, NY --- This presentation examines Native American cultures and adaptations in the southeastern New York region from the area's earliest occupation by humans, at least 13,000 years ago, to the period of initial European exploration. Changing climate and environmental settings over that time, particularly the end of the last ice age and the appearance of an essentially modern climate, as well as population movements, resulted in the development of many prehistoric cultures and diverse life ways. These life ways are reflected by the Native American cultures that are recognized for the region, referred to by archaeologists as the PaleoIndian (11,000... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5032 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4912 Aug 15 2012 at 10:15 AM, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, 55 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills, NY --- New Ragtime Guitar is a meeting between the elegant, sophisticated piano ragtime of the early twentieth century and the rhythmic, bluesy guitar ragtime of the 1930s and later. Jaffe's presentation explores the musical and social origins of piano ragtime, focusing on the music of Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb and James Scott, among others. He then introduces the audience to the music of three great ragtime guitarists, Arthur "Blind" Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, and the Reverend Gary Davis, showing how these artists incorporated techniques from piano ragtime into their own particular form of acoustic blues. Jaffe will share... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4912 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5031 Aug 16 2012 at 7:00 PM, Fort William Henry Museum, 48 Canada St, Lake George, NY --- “The taking of Canada this year is a mere matter of marching,” Thomas Jefferson. Revenge drove the president - not reason. Armed with a fledgling regular navy of twenty ships, a handful of regular soldiers, an untrained and badly lead militia of a few thousands and a marine corps of just over a hundred, he drove President Madison to seek a declaration of War against the most powerful military machine in the world. He believed England’s preoccupation with Napoleon’s rampage across Europe combined with Great Britain’s global colonial obligations would prevent the British... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5031 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4978 Aug 29 2012 at 7:30 PM, Half Hollow Clubhouse, 1 Altessa Blvd, Melville, NY --- Drawing on Biblical, Hasidic, and contemporary New York examples, this lecture discusses how Jewish people, as outsiders in the Diaspora, have used stories, jokes, and parables to juggle multiple realities. It explores parables and humor as strategies that Eastern European Jews and their descendants have employed to negotiate their place in the world. The historical situation of Jews in the Diaspora created a people with multiple perspectives on their own situation. Exploring themes such as talmudic reasoning, and juxtaposing the sacred and the profane, "I'm Right, You're Right, He's Right, Too" manages to pack more than fifty... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4978 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4959 Sep 22 2012 at 2:00 PM, Kinderhook Memorial Library, Po Box 293, Kinderhook, NY --- In the early 19th century, the process of industrialization created a new social order that placed emerging groups of bosses and workers into conflict. No city in the United States exemplified this transformation than New York. We explore the rise of the union movement as a response to changing work conditions brought about by the process of industrialization, from the 1830s to the 20th century. By looking at both the technological transformation of the workplace and the development of trade unions, we arrive at a clearer picture of the cultural impacts of industrialization, including the diverse groups... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4959 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4980 Sep 26 2012 at 7:30 PM, Taylor Town Hall, New York State Route 26, Cincinnatus, NY --- The audience is part of the program in this lecture, which brings to life the customs, sights, and sounds of travel in late-19th-century New York State. Exploring the preparations of a wealthy Victorian industrialist and his wife as they get ready to travel, participants learn about transportation modes, rules and etiquette of the road, proper attire, and the era's social expectations. Trunks and satchels are packed and ready to go, filled with antique and vintage undergarments, outer-garments, shoes, and valuable accessories for a successful trip to anywhere in 1890. (There's no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4980 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4838 Sep 27 2012 at 7:30 PM, Hurley Reformed Church, 17 Main St, Hurley, NY --- This PowerPoint presentation is based on a 17th-century Dutch gardening- and cookbook, which features a calendar for gardening activities and a cookbook that explains how to use the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden to best advantage. The 400-year old book with its contemporary theme helps in understanding the kitchen gardens of the early Dutch settlers of the Hudson Valley and gives insight in our colonial diet. Illustrations include etchings from the book; works by the Dutch masters such as kitchen scenes by Joachim Beuckelaer; market stalls by Quiringh van Brekelenkam and Pieter Cornelis van Rijck; as well as... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4838 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4884 Oct 3 2012 at 1:30 PM, Community Club of Garden City and Hempstead, PO Box 323, Garden City, NY --- This presentation is a musical survey of the history of women in America. By looking at the popular songs of the past -- the ballads, love songs, suffrage anthems, work songs and dance tunes -- we can trace the perceptions and realities of women's lives. The music of the day shows the role of women in 18th and 19th century American society. Accompanying herself on mountain and hammered dulcimers, pennywhistle, guitar and limberjack, Linda Russell explores the images in the songs, interspersing the music with lively commentary that includes excerpts from diaries and letters in which the women tell their... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4884 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4927 Oct 3 2012 at 10:15 AM, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, 55 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills, NY --- This lecture demonstrates how the revolution in computer miniaturization, bioelectronics, and applied neural control technologies is positioning scientists to create machine-assisted minds, science fiction's "cyborgs," and explores the moral , social, and policy issues that implantable brain chips raise. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4927 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5020 Oct 15 2012 at 7:00 PM, Warner Library, 121 N Broadway, Tarrytown, NY --- This lecture discusses in detail the history of the colorful event called Carnevale, the annual Italian festival celebrated on Fat Tuesday. In Latin, the word means "goodbye to meat," signifying that Fat Tuesday is the last day that meat may be eaten before the strict fast that ensues at the beginning of Lent. In Italian, the day is also called Marte di Grasso; in French, Mardi Gras. The ancient tradition of Carnevale is traced all the way back, from its origins in pagan cultures and agrarian cycles, to its contemporary manifestations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; New... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5020 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4895 Oct 18 2012 at 7:30 PM, Lyall Memorial Federated Church, 30 Maple Ave, Millbrook, NY --- The audience is part of the program in this lecture, which brings to life the customs, sights, and sounds of travel in late-19th-century New York State. Exploring the preparations of a wealthy Victorian industrialist and his wife as they get ready to travel, participants learn about transportation modes, rules and etiquette of the road, proper attire, and the era's social expectations. Trunks and satchels are packed and ready to go, filled with antique and vintage undergarments, outer-garments, shoes, and valuable accessories for a successful trip to anywhere in 1890. (There's no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4895 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4713 Oct 21 2012 at 2:00 PM, Marcellus Free Library, 32 Maple St, Marcellus, NY --- Surely the planet's best-known veterinarian is "James Herriot," the pen name of James Alfred Wight (1916-1995). His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and the readers span ages nine to ninety. Two feature length films, as well as a BBC television series, begun in 1978 and titled "All Creatures Great and Small," have created a powerful visual image of a pre-World War II Yorkshire, frozen in time through perpetual reruns throughout the globe. The essential drama of the memoirs is the symbolic reenactment of the physician's combat with death, with the struggle transferred from people to... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4713 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5034 Oct 23 2012 at 7:00 PM, Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany St, Cazenovia, NY --- A lusciously illustrated slide-talk on food and drink seen in the 17th century Dutch Masters and their relevance to the American kitchen today. It explores the foodways brought to America by the Dutch more than three centuries ago, and how these foods were changed and adapted under new circumstances. Using slides of some 40 paintings by Jan Steen, Adriaen von Ostade, Jan Davidsz. De Heem, Pieter Claesz, Harmen van Steenwijck and many others, the lecture will demonstrate how these art works give an insight into 17th century food practices and shed new light on the colonial diet. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5034 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5001 Oct 27 2012 at 2:00 PM, North Tonawanda History Museum, 54 Webster St, North Tonawanda, NY --- Perhaps no other part of the United States saw more battles during the War of 1812 than the Niagara River borderland in western New York State. In later years its decaying fortifications and overgrown battlefields provided reminders of the struggle’s bloodshed and indecisive conclusion. Tourists travelling to Niagara Falls visited nearby Fort Niagara, Queenston Heights or Lundy’s Lane, constructing the war’s memory in the process. As one visitor wrote during an 1821 trip to Niagara, “This beautiful country stimulates my patriotism.” Battlefields and monuments on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border became sites where Americans, and especially New Yorkers, came... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 5001 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4928 Oct 31 2012 at 10:15 AM, Half Hollow Hills Community Library, 55 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills, NY --- This presentation focuses on southern Italian American comedy, from its roots in the Commedia Dell'Arte and southern Italian poverty, through its progression in transplanted American generations. The lecture follows the development of Italian American humor as it responds to and mirrors the status of the Italian American community, from the immigrant era to the present. Skits, jokes, songs, and parodies from comedians representing various eras and styles trace a legacy that ranges from immigrant coffee houses to the ethnic stage, to radio and records, and to television and film. Then and now, comedy helps Italian Americans to... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4928 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4938 Nov 10 2012 at 1:00 PM, St. Paul's Church National Historic Site, 897 S Columbus Ave, Mount Vernon, NY --- New Yorkers went into the War of 1812 bitterly divided. During municipal elections in New York City, congressional, and state elections from 1812-1815 New Yorkers debated the merits of the war. In the state legislature the Federalist controlled Assembly passed anti-war resolutions while the Republican controlled Senate passed pro-war resolutions accurately reflecting the divisions within public opinion on the merits of the war. Federalists and Republicans argued over the meaning of the war, its impact on civil liberties, and whether is was a partisan war to help the re-election of President James Madison or America's second war for independence to... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4938 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4957 Nov 10 2012 at 4:00 PM, Kinderhook Memorial Library, Po Box 293, Kinderhook, NY --- This lecture examines the role that the 'Voice of America,' the international radio-broadcasting network of the United States government, played in building support for the Unites States and its basic foreign policy objectives in Western Europe during the early years of the Cold War (1945-1954). Specifically, this lecture analyzes how VOA broadcasts were used by the United States to project and sell itself and the American people as a prosperous, modern, progressive and political stable society worthy of emulating to Western European audiences during the early Cold War. Through the use of news, political commentaries, entertainment, and feature... Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4957 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=3353 May 28 2010 - Oct 17 2012 at 10:00 AM, Adirondack Historical Association dba The Adirondack Museum, Po Box 99, Blue Mountain Lake, NY --- “Let’s Eat! Adirondack Food Traditions,” a new exhibition, will examine the role of food in the history of the North Country, and the part food has played in cultural identity, community fellowship, work, leisure, and daily life. A variety of objects, audio stations, and historic photographs will showcase this theme. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:44:25 -0500 nyhumanities 3353 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4496 May 6 2011 - Mar 1 2012, Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center (WHMCC), 2 Museum Lane, Waterford, NY --- Exhibit- This is the third in a four part exhibit series which explores the lives of three different immigrant groups in Waterford, New York: Italian Americans; Franco-Americans/French-Canadians; and, Irish Americans. This exhibition will run until April of 2012 and features the history and traditions of the Irish-Americans who made Waterford their home. The exhibit series will continue in 2012 as we explore the “roots” of Waterford’s citizens an online exhibit comparing the various experiences of each ethnic group and by maintaining a resource database on our website. Tue, 31 May 2011 14:08:47 -0400 nyhumanities 4496 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4447 Sep 17 2011 - May 5 2012 at 7:00 PM, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY), 53 Main St, Canton, NY --- Kindred Pursuits is a temporary loan exhibit of contemporary and historical folk art from the North Country of New York State, emphasizing motivations or inspirations for its creation and use. The exhibit explores the symbiotic relationship between the artistic expressions of ordinary people and life in the region, demonstrating community values and aesthetics. A virtual catalog of the exhibit is posted on the TAUNY website. Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 -0500 nyhumanities 4447 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4549 Dec 2 2011 - Dec 31 2012, Saratoga County Historical Society, 6 CHARLTON STREET, BALLSTON SPA, NY --- Quilts are amazing resources. They are unique in that they are works of art, practical household items, and story-tellers. Usually created out of necessity by women of diverse social classes, quilts are an important aspect of American culture. They tell stories about their makers -- reflect the lives of the people who created them -- and when looked at within their historical and cultural context, can reveal a great deal about our past that is not found in the traditional historical resources. In December 2011, the Saratoga County Historical Society (SCHS) will mount “The Threads of Time,” a temporary... Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:43:43 -0400 nyhumanities 4549 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4868 Dec 6 2011 - Apr 15 2012, Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY --- The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011, celebrates the 200th anniversary of Manhattan’s famous street grid-a daring and visionary act of urban planning. The Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 laid out a network of 12 numbered avenues and 155 numbered streets that projected the growth of New York some eight miles above the existing city. The exhibition, curated by architectural historian Hilary Ballon, examines the grid’s design, implementation, and evolution over the course of two centuries. It is accompanied by a companion book, edited by Dr. Ballon and co-published by the Museum of the City of New York and... Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:45:51 -0500 nyhumanities 4868 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=3757 Dec 21 2011 - Mar 31 2012 at 10:00 AM, Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave., Brooklyn, NY --- Join us for the opening of Weeksville's new permanent exhibition, Discovery through Points of Wonder. The exhibition tells the story of Weeksville's re-discovery by community activists in the 1960s interspersed with vignettes of Weeksville's nineteenth century history. The opening of the exhibition coincides with the opening of Weeksville's new Education and Cultural Arts Building. Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:55:44 -0400 nyhumanities 3757 at http://nyhumanities.org http://nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=4522 Mar 6 2012 - Mar 27 2012 at 11:00 AM, Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street, New York, NY --- Dr. Regina Stein will explore the lives of parents and grandparents, drawing comparisons with participants' own experiences. What traditional and secular educational opportunities were/are open to them? How have ideas about family and home changed over time? Attend one, two or all four sessions! This course is offered as a component of our 125th Anniversary Landmark Celebration. For more information, please visit our website at www.eldridgestreet.org. Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:44:01 -0400 nyhumanities 4522 at http://nyhumanities.org