Schedule of Events

Listen to the Birds: Our goal is to see as many birds as we can find, especially ones you select, in the most beautiful preserves in the county. My goal is to deepen your love and excitement for these amazing creatures and to expose you to a new way of birding where you learn from the birds, not just identify them. You will also learn field identification skills, bird sounds using a variety of sound tools, techniques for understanding the complex behaviors of birds, and fascinating discoveries that science has made about birds. The emerging importance of conserving and enhancing bird stopover habitats will be shared, as well as some of the results from the two breeding bird censuses that has been completed in Wisconsin, such as birds of greatest conservation need. You must be able to walk on unpaved trails for distances of two miles over a period of 2 ½ hours.

Instructor: Don Quintenz

***

The Weimar Republic: Grandeur and Disaster: The Weimar Republic, born in 1919 amid the chaos of Germany’s defeat in war and humiliation at the Versailles Congress, died in 1933 with the Nazis’ ascent to power. Its brief life included spectacular advances in culture and science as Berlin became the global center of art, music, film, and nuclear physics. It experienced devastating inflation and spectacular recovery, then the Great Depression. National life—most dramatically Berlin’s streets—was the stage for the struggle of democracy against revolutionary communism and National Socialism. The actors included many of the century’s great personalities and movements, such as Albert Einstein, Bert Brecht, Fritz Lang, Marlene Dietrich, Bauhaus and, ultimately, Adolph Hitler. The seminar will examine history, politics, culture and social trends, while asking was the grim end of this fruitful and dramatic period inevitable; and what lessons may it hold for our own turbulent times.

Instructor: Jon Greenwald

***

Wildlife Photography: This seminar is designed to increase knowledge and skills in wildlife photography, from field craft, tactics, and strategy to aesthetics and image composition. Participants will discover how to use blinds and concealment to get closer to wildlife and learn the criteria for a strong photo image and tips that will make pictures stand out in a sea of “me too” digital images. Van Den Brandt also discusses his favorite and most productive national and international wildlife photography destinations. Class time will be split between lectures and dawn field sessions at local natural areas. Veteran shooters as well as those new to wildlife photography will leave the seminar with new and tangible skills that can be immediately applied toward becoming a more productive photographer. The only real prerequisites are an SLR or mirrorless camera, basic understanding of its operation, and enthusiastic passion for wildlife photography.

Instructor: John Van Den Brandt

 

 

This class will be geared for folks who want to know more about our truly phenomenal earth and the wondrous science of geology – a science that is often pure detective work, much of which is performed by some incredibly ingenious people.

Much of the information will be shared through PowerPoint presentations with lots of photographs and diagrams. There will also, however, be plenty of opportunities to handle some quite spectacular rock samples. Rocks, which, nestled in the palm of one’s hand, clearly show vivid and delightful evidence of earth processes.

Some of the topics to be covered include:

1. Plate Tectonics – What, for most people, will be a truly revelatory experience. (Our planet has been seething for hundreds of millions of years, with the tectonic plates skating wildly over the surface.)

2. How Do We Know? How do we know how old the earth is? How do we know the continents have moved? How do we know when life started? The amazing tools of geology.

3. The earth’s mantle: driving force and chemical refinery – how solid but flowing, crystalline rocks in the mantle act like an engine to produce the sea floor, mid-ocean ridges, islands, and the continents. With examples, exhibits, and photographs;

4. Some Selected Engineering Geology Case Histories. Examples of the normal, everyday application of the principles of geology and hydrogeology to some major, engineered human undertakings.

5. Off the Beaten Path - some truly unusual and rather astonishing case histories in engineering geology.

6. Topics of special interest.

On several evenings during the week, after dinner, slide shows of some geologically spectacular localities can be presented to those who would wish to see them.

A suggested reading list will be provided at the time of the class, but suggested advanced prep can include selecting a few favorite rocks you might like to bring along for discussion and analysis.

Instructor: Bill Shefchik

 

 

Impressionism: Painting of Modern Life Family: Despite its current popularity, Impressionism didn’t always have such wide appeal. Now-celebrated artists, such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, were often criticized in the 1870s and 1880s for their blurry, abstract compositions. Through slide lectures, readings and discussions, this seminar will introduce the techniques and subjects of Impressionism and examine the myths and meanings of the art movement within the cultural and political context of late nineteenth-century Paris.

Instructor: Elizabeth Carlson

***

The Fall of Rome: From Caesar to King and From Jupiter to Jesus in 500 Years: In the year 300, Rome was still the greatest empire the West had known to that point. By 800, the city of Rome was a shadow of its former self, Charlemagne had been crowned by the pope as Emperor of Europe, Irene was the Byzantine Empress, and Harun al-Rashid was Caliph in Baghdad. The world was a much different place. Within 500 years, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa had changed greatly. Where once there were citizens, there were now barbarians. Where once there was one empire, there were now many kingdoms. Where once there were traditional religions, now there were Christianity and Islam. This class will examine the incredible political, cultural, social, and religious changes that occurred during the period that has become known as Late Antiquity. We will start with a look at the Roman world in 300 and a snapshot of the same area in 800. We will then examine the people, events, movements, and developments that resulted in the Early Middle Ages. We will see emperors, kings, queens, caliphs, popes, saints, sinners, thinkers, doers, those that work, those that fight, those who pray, and, at the very end, even a Viking or two. In conclusion, we will see that whereas Edward Gibbon thought that Rome fell suddenly and dramatically, Rome actually became Europe slowly but perhaps just as dramatically. Plus, it’s a fun story.

Instructor: Nikolas O. Hoel '99

***

Two Irishmen, Two Novels Two Portraits: In a lively, collaborative seminar, we will read and discuss Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and follow it with James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Both novels tell the story of a young man’s painful development and the influences that aid or thwart him; and both works fit intriguingly but uncomfortably within the tradition of the Bildungsroman (the novel of growth). These authors were rebellious Irishmen who wanted to break from literary, social, and sexual conventions, and their novels were accused of indecency and irreverence. Joyce knew Wilde’s writings well and was deeply affected by his life, career, and final tragedy.

Required Reading: any complete edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray (Dover Thrift Edition, ISBN- 13:978-0486278070); A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Dover Thrift Edition, ISBN-13:978- 0486280509)

Instructor: Robert Spoo '79

 

 

Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina: This seminar will dive into some of the most remarkable moments in the best novel of the nineteenth century, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. We will explore the historical context of the novel, its development in Tolstoy’s imagination, and its appearance as a kind of anti-soap opera in serial publications of the time. Because the novel is more than 700 pages, we will plan each class session around specific passages, our aim being to enrich your understanding of the characters and social dynamics that shape them. We will also look at Tolstoy’s unusual writing style, which, until the Schwartz translation, had been smoothed and civilized by translations into English.

Instructor: Peter Thomas

***

Chemistry of Art - Paintings, Textiles, & Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts: Chemistry is a crucial component to the artist’s toolbox. In this seminar, we will explore the fascinating chemistry of paintings, learn the chemical reasons dyes bond to textiles, and reflect on the importance of light in the experience of art. This workshop will involve some hands-on activities and lab experiences to complement the discussions. I will also share my research on pigment identification in Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts, and discuss the current practices of scientific inquiry of artistic objects.

Instructor: Allison Fleshman

***

Expanding the Canon: Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in Classical Music: Works by dead white European men have dominated concert stages for generations. Recent events highlighting systemic racism and sexism have prompted musicians to re-evaluate the long-standing canon of Classical composers to question why works from historically under-represented composers have been largely overlooked. Lawrence Conservatory piano professor Anthony Padilla will examine the roots of the traditional Western canon of piano literature and share his and his students' explorations into piano works by women, Latinx, Asian, Black and indigenous composers of color, including recent works by Navajo pianist/composer Connor Chee, Afro-Cuban composer Tania León, Cambodian composer Chinary Ung, and other composers from the Asian, and African diasporas. He will also discuss problematic issues of cultural appropriation and will encourage seminar participants to share their own adventures into the expanding canon of concert music.

Instructor: Anthony Padilla

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.

 

Enjoy an adventure-filled weekend, exploring nature at Björklunden with highly entertaining and energetic David Stokes. We will explore the beach, hike the forest, sing songs and experience “live animal mania.” There will be campfires, stories, and sunrises. Join us for an unforgettable weekend! The weekend starts at 5 p.m. Friday and ends at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Instructor:  David Stokes

 

African America in Slavery and Freedom: This course will trace the African American journey through a 400-year struggle for survival and dignity, exploring slavery, emancipation, segregation, migration and the civil rights and post-civil rights movements. We will examine the ways in which African Americans, beginning with the racialization of slavery at Jamestown, Va., in 1619, adopted strategies to survive in, cope with, adjust to and struggle against systems of oppression throughout our nation’s history, working both inside and outside American institutions to pursue their goals of citizenship, identity and inclusion. We will discuss the African American community of Bronzeville in 20th-century Chicago as a case study of these strategies and conclude with a consideration of contemporary American race relations and the ongoing impact of our racial past upon our lives today.

Instructors: Joe Patterson ’69 and Jerald Podair

***

Richard Nixon: The Triumph and Tragedy of an American Politician: Richard Nixon was one of the best-known politicians in 20th Century American history. A native of California, Nixon was born to a poor family in Yorba Linda. He graduated from Whittier College and received a full scholarship to law school at Duke University. However, his real interest was politics. A fast riser in the Republican Party, Richard Nixon was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, and the U.S. Senate in 1950. He became nationally-known as a staunch anti-communist and an influential member of HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee), and that led to his nomination as Dwight Eisenhower’s running mate for the 1952 Presidential Election. Nixon served eight years as Eisenhower’s vice-president, and in 1960, he lost a close election to John Kennedy. In 1962, Nixon suffered another unsuccessful campaign for the governorship of California, and he retired from political life altogether. However, during the turbulent 1960s, Nixon saw an opportunity to re-enter national politics, and he was able to defeat Hubert Humphrey in the Presidential Election of 1968. Nixon was a bright and talented politician, especially in foreign policy, yet he also suffered from many insecurities. Watergate brought an end to both his presidency and political life. The focus of the seminar will be on the rise and fall of Richard M. Nixon. Recommended Reading: John Farrell’s, Richard Nixon: The Life.

Instructor: Tim Crain

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.    

 

This camp is full for 2022, but because people’s plans change, please indicate your interest in an e-mail to tritonebob@gmail.com, and we’ll happily put you on the waiting list.

Enjoy a high-quality, fun, engaging experience for adult jazz musicians and singers of all levels, from beginner to semi-pro. The week’s musical activities include playing and performance opportunities in combos and large ensembles, jazz master classes, jazz improvisation/theory classes, special-topics sessions, jam sessions, and performances with professional jazz artists. Summer 2022 will be Tritone’s 22nd year at Björklunden.

Tritone was co-founded by the late Fred Sturm ’73, Kimberly Clark Professor of Music and director of jazz studies at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. It is now run by co-founder Bob DeRosa, a busy part-time bassist in upstate New York. Faculty includes legendary guitarist Gene Bertoncini, recording artist and veteran of the Benny Goodman Orchestra and the NBC Tonight Show Band; trumpeter Terell Stafford of NYC’s Village Vanguard Orchestra and director of jazz studies at Temple University; pianist John Harmon ’57, D.F.A. ’05, Lawrence jazz director from 1971 to 1974; drummer Zach Harmon, a busy freelancer and graduate of the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute; vocalist Janet Planet, Lawrence instructor of music and renowned Wisconsin jazz/pop vocal soloist; saxophonist Tom Washatka, a busy sideman, producer and recording engineer; bassist Ike Sturm, a busy freelance bassist/composer/arranger in NYC; trombonist Dean Sorenson, director of jazz at the University of Minnesota; and pianist/ composer/arranger Rod Blumenau, freelance jazz artist in Seattle, WA.

 

Please note that these seminars are available for audit only.  The lodge has reached capacity.

American Politics and Our Disturbing Discourse: How Did We Get Here? We are a politically polarized nation, causing some of our way-too-many pundits to ask if we are back to being a house divided against itself. The future appears frightening: Will we stand or fall? And who is really to blame? “History never repeats itself but it often rhymes,” Mark Twain supposedly said. Since history brought us here, let’s turn back to it and see what it can tell us. During these sessions, we will look at the barely-a-century-old history of mass communications, the fascinating fights, and government interventions that shaped how we communicate. We will look at prescient movie moguls, who in the early 1900s predicted live sporting and entertainment events being broadcast directly into our homes. And we will explore the impact of government efforts to regulate the industries and our public discourse—a Sisyphean proposition as government by its very nature will always lag behind technology. The sessions are designed to exercise those liberal arts muscles we all earned at Lawrence.

Instructor: Susy Schultz '81

***
The Midterms: America at the Crossroads

There is a lot at stake this coming Election Day. These midterm elections are critical, perhaps the most important off-year campaign in decades. Republicans sense they can seize control of the House of Representatives, and maybe the Senate, too. Combined with their aggressive gerrymandering of congressional districts and the restrictive voting laws passed in Republican-controlled states, the GOP is aiming to lock in power in Washington for years to come. Democrats fear not just an electoral disaster, but a shift in our democracy itself towards an illiberal future. During this session, we’ll look at how the midterm elections are shaping up—the key races, the issues driving the debate, the stakes for President Biden. But we will also explore what this midterm campaign tells us about our country, and what light it might shed on a question that, in one form or another, seems to haunt more and more Americans: Are we still “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”?

Instructor: Terry Moran ’82

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.

 

Is Belief in God Rational?: The problem of God has been more widely discussed than any other in Western philosophy. Arguments for and against the existence of God abound! But, the “problem of God” is much broader and deeper than just the question of existence. There are questions about the very nature of God. What properties can be ascribed to “the being than whom no greater can be conceived”? Is such a being even possible? Is such a being within the bounds of human understanding? And, ultimately, is belief in God rational ... whether or not God exists? This seminar will examine the concept of God in the Western philosophical tradition. Major philosophers to be discussed include: Anselm, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, Berkeley, Kant, Bartley and Plantinga. Everyone is welcome, believers and non-believers! No prior background in philosophy or theology required.

Join Terry for an exciting week exploring an age-old problem from a new perspective.

Instructor: Terry Goode

***

The Rise of Ideology: America's Surprising Political Journey: American politics has --- until recently --- been anomalously non-ideological. One could find free-traders and protectionists, libertarians and authoritarians, segregationists and civil rights activists --- together in the Republican and Democratic parties, both working under the same banner. Although these alliances were strained, fraught, and controversial, American parties muddled through, and somehow represented a similarly all-sides-heard electorate. Was this due to Divine direction? Volunteerism? Structural factors? A commitment to localism? Some deep, "mystic chord of memory" about the American project? Yet, this world is passing away, and the U.S.' major parties are more divided, and more consistently so, than at any time in U.S. history. What explains this odd history, and how might we account for the new divisions?

Instructor: Arnold F. Shober

***

The Stars: Mansions Built by Nature’s Hand: On a clear night, far from the light and the rush of the city, you can see thousands of stars. They tell our stories, guide our way, and quietly mark time. From a twinkle of light, the stars reveal something much more: the history of our celestial home, the Universe. From the formation of our planet, to the life of our Sun, the swirling maelstrom of our galaxy, and the unimaginable deep of Infinity, the lights of the night sky reveal the vast sweep of the cosmos. In this course, we will explore the nature of stars and galaxies, clusters and nebulae. Weather permitting, we will—“mid song of birds, and insects murmuring”—learn practical astronomy with naked eye and telescopic night observations. No prior background in astronomy or physics is required. Please join me in what Wordsworth would call the “poetry of the heavens.”

Suggested readings: Cosmos by Carl Sagan, with updates by Druyan and deGrasse Tyson. Paperback. ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 978034553943.  The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey. Paperback. ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0544763440.

Instructor: Megan Pickett

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.    

 

Please note that these seminars are available for audit only and the watercolor seminar is closed.  The lodge has reached capacity.

Exploring The Mind-Gut Connection: Research conducted largely within the past 15-years has revealed a bidirectional communication network linking microbial populations in the mammalian gut to certain neurological processes in the brain. “Crosstalk” between the gut and brain is facilitated by a variety of pathways, including neuronal connections, hormonal signaling, and immunological responses. Disruptions in the composition of intestinal microbiota are associated with a variety of mental health and neurological disorders, including anxiety/depression and Parkinson’s disease respectively. Because, genetic, physical, and psychological influences all impact the composition of intestinal microbes, these communities are more unique than a fingerprint in any one individual. Consequently, understanding how an array of factors differentially modulate intestinal microbiota is fundamental to understanding human health and disease.

Purpose: This seminar will explore the scientific data underlying the gut-brain connection described in many popular scientific sources in a format that is more accessible to a general audience. Task: Lessons and discussions containing material from the literature will complement readings from Alanna Collen’s10% Human How your body’s microbes hold the key to health and happiness. Criteria: In addition to receiving a contextual framework for the fundamental pathways linking the brain and gut, participants should have a greater understanding of the mind-gut connection from historical, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives.

Instructor: Brian Piasecki

***

Family Ties: The Case of King David: The heroic biblical story of David in the books of Samuel and Kings contains fascinating episodes concerning David's family connections. This seminar will highlight David's ties to his father and brothers; to King Saul and his children Michal (David's wife) and Jonathan (David's loyal friend); and to several of David's other wives (including Abigail and Bathsheba) and children (especially Solomon, Adonijah, Tamar, Amnon, and Absalom). Family rivalries, intrigue, deception, adultery, rape, revenge, murder--and prophetic pronouncements--all find a place in these rousing accounts of David's rise to power and reign as king.

Instructor: Bill Urbrock

***

Watercolor: The Expressive Medium:  This seminar is for novice through experienced artists. Drawing skills are useful but not required. Participants will be a part of a creative community that invites them to experiment with a wide-range of traditional and non-traditional watercolor techniques and learn to create strong individualized artistic statements. Participants from previous summers are welcome to repeat this class and are welcome to focus on independent projects or work with the instructor to figure out next steps. A list of suggested materials to bring to this seminar will be sent to participants at a later date and can also be found on Björklunden’s website.

Instructor: Helen Klebesadel

Please note that there is a $35 materials fee for this course added upon registration.

 

Please note that the lodge has reached capacity.

 

Please note that these seminars are available for audit only.  The lodge has reached capacity.

Indelible Images: Iconic Moments, Scenes, and Dialogue From Classic Films: Many of the films of Hollywood's Golden Era have left lasting impressions upon audiences down through the ages. This seminar will explore the "story behind the story" of several "magic moments" in film history, images indelibly stamped on the collective cultural imagination of generations of filmgoers. Selections will be offered from a wide variety of genres such as mysteries, romances, Westerns, musicals, family dramas, historical films, creature features, and others, in order to give students a representative sampling of these treasured moments from Hollywood history. In learning to appreciate the collaborative nature of filmmaking, seminar participants will discover how the screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, composers, editors, and many others all contributed to creating these images and scenes of lasting interest. The seminar will pay special attention to the concluding scenes of several classic films in order to illustrate the thesis of the director Robert Siodmak that the filmmaker should give the audience a memorable finish: "That's what they'll go home with and tell their friends about." Seminar participants should leave their Bjӧrklunden experience with a deeper appreciation of how these "Indelible Images" made it onto the screen and how and why they remain in our imagination.

Instructor: Jack Rhodes

The Original Book Club: Literary Legacies of Medieval Women: Women living in medieval Europe (c. 450–1450) were not only avid readers, they also were the patrons, authors, scribes, artists, and authorizers of an array of textual genres. This class will consider some of these learned women as we read, in translation, their autobiographical, historical, religious, poetic, romantic, scientific, and even medical writings. From a concerned mother living in the ninth century, to a famous lover-turned-abbess in the twelfth century, to a fourteenth-century visionary who criticized Rome, we will explore the lives, words, illuminations, and books of these illustrious and ordinary women. By the end of the week, not only will the integral place of women within intellectual and cultural circles be apparent, but the unfortunate label of the “Dark Ages” for this fascinating millennium will be entirely wiped from your minds.

Instructors: Catherine Keene and Danielle Joyner

***

The Beatles: 4 Lads Who Shook the World: The band may have ended in 1970 as a recording group, but its life story and their music has continued to remain popular through several generations. This course will present a chronological history of the band with emphasis on their music, as well as discussions on their influence on popular culture. The Beatles Anthology will serve as the reading text. Participants are encouraged to bring memorabilia to share with the class and relate their own personal stories of The Beatles.

Instructor: Carl Rath '75

 

Please note that the lodge has reached capacity.

 

Please note that "Loves Me, Loves Me Knot" is available for audit only.  The other seminars are full.  The lodge has reached capacity.

Loves Me, Loves Me Knot / The History, Law, and Literature of Marriage (Fifteen Years Later): In 2007, Björklunden offered Loves Me, Loves Me Knot / The History, Law, and Literature of Marriage. Twenty avid participants – young, old, and in between; married, mated, and single – were fascinated to learn how little we understand about this curious institution. Now Charlie and Karen Schudson return – to explore again and, given the marriage-shaking developments of the last fifteen years, to explore much more.  Do love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage? Not necessarily, according to Professor Stephanie Coontz in Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage. From her groundbreaking book to the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision, from page-turning short stories to optional afternoon/evening movies, diverse sources will stimulate our analyses of marriage and: courtship and couplings; separation and divorce; remarriage and blended families; retirement and widowhood; politics and public policy; economics and estrangement; parenting and grandparenting; religion and spirituality; sex (and humor) and … love.

Neither marital workshop nor touchy-feely encounter group, this seminar is appropriate for all – men and women, singles and couples. Fascinating and fun, Loves Me, Loves Me Knot will loosen a knot or two and perhaps prompt some cerebral and emotional re-lacing.

Instructors: Charles B. Schudson and Karen R. Schudson

***

Writing The Tough Ones: A Workshop Designed for Fearless Poets:  If you’re a practicing poet, maybe you’ve already started wondering if you’ve written more than enough poems by now on the safe subjects, and you’re ready for something more ambitious, more risky, more challenging. Might there be an unwritten poem out there that’s been following you around, but you haven’t quite had the nerve to sit down and write it? Perhaps another that’s taking shape at the far reaches of your imagination, waiting for you to find its vocabulary? Or what about the poem that involves your convictions, your core beliefs, your candid thoughts on the current state of things? Now’s your chance! This seminar will provide you with an ideal environment for writing these elusive poems, and for receiving valuable feedback from others grappling with similar issues. A poem of spirituality, for example, which will encourage you to look inward. Or a speculative poem, that confronts the intriguing question “What if?” Or perhaps that poem you know you’ve been running from, without being sure of exactly why. You’ll find this workshop a friendly and supportive setting for exploring these larger-than-usual subjects with other poets, and for applying their feedback to your own work. It’s going to be intensive; it’s going to be fun, and you might well find yourself going boldly where your poetry has never gone before.

Instructor: Marilyn L. Taylor, Ph.D.

***

Wildflowers and Birds: These two most popular nature subjects will be the object of our explorations in Door County's many parks and preserves. The early tinges of nature's fall color palette will make the scenes most picturesque. Our goal is to find as many beautiful wildflowers and birds as we can and learn about their relationships in their communities. You must be able to walk on unpaved trails for distances of two miles over a period of two and a half hours.

Instructor: Don Quintenz

 

Please note that the lodge has reached capacity.

 

During this week, the Door Kinetic Arts Festival is in residence, creating new works in film, dance, theatre, and other artistic mediums; hosting renowned artists from across the country. Nightly events at Björklunden include a film festival, play and screenplay readings, and dance performances. Under consideration for this year’s festival: the International renowned Doug Varone and Dancers, Emmy Award-winning monologist and writer Rick Cleveland, and the return of our cocktails expert, James Beard nominee Robert Simonson.

No advance registration needed.

Please visit http://www.doorkinetic.com/ for more details.

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.

 

Please note that these seminars are available for audit only.  The lodge has reached capacity.

Spore Losers – The World of Non-flowering Plants: This week we will learn about the many types of plants that reproduce by spores instead of seeds. PowerPoint color slide programs will show examples of the local varieties of mushrooms, ferns, lichens, mosses, clubmosses, and liverworts. Expect some walking into wet areas on our field trips to study these plants, so bring waterproof hiking boots and perhaps a hiking pole for steady travel. You may also want to bring a ten-power small magnifier plus a notebook and pen. If you have any favorite field guide books you can include them as well.

Instructor: Charlotte Lukes

***

The Women Who Made the Movies: Their Notable Contributions to Films of the Classic Era: Film scholars are just beginning to appreciate the vitality and creativity of the many talented women involved in the Golden Age of Hollywood filmmaking. The considerable contributions of these pioneering moviemakers deserve a closer look. In addition to major actresses such as Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, and Greta Garbo who were performing before the cameras, other backstage geniuses of the time included Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino, Directors; Dorothy Fields, Lyricist; Barbara MacLean, Editor; Edith Head, Costume Designer; Natalie Kalmus, Technicolor Director; Mary Blair, Animator; Hedy Lamarr, Inventor; Ida Koberman, Producer; and many others. Perhaps most notable were the large number of women who excelled at screenwriting and whose efforts at storytelling and characterization will be featured in the seminar. These talented writers included Alma Reville, Zoe Akins, Dorothy Parker, Leigh Brackett, Phoebe Ephron, Betty Comden, Harriet Frank, Jr., and many others. Seminar participants will closely examine five classic films illustrating the best work of some of these moviemakers and will also briefly look at other artists through representative film clips and selected short readings. After participating in this immersive seminar, students should have gained a greater understanding of the collaborative nature of studio filmmaking and a higher regard for the women who made the movies.

Instructor: Jack Rhodes

***

Watercolor: A Fresh Start: This watercolor seminar is designed for absolute beginners as well as for those who have had some experience painting with watercolor but need a refresher to gain the confidence to start again. Explore the fall at Björklunden while enjoying this opportunity to learn or re-learn watercolor from an artist passionate about the medium in a supportive and friendly learning environment. Seminar participants will explore basic traditional approaches to watercolor painting as well as fresh and experimental wet-into-wet watercolor techniques. Seminar participants will go home with the skills and tools to keep on painting.

Instructor: Helen Klebesadel

Please note that there is a $35 materials fee for this course added upon registration.

 

Please note that the lodge has reached capacity.

 

Medical Miracles: Curious Advances From Antibiotics to Vaccines: Before the germ theory was discovered, Dr. Snow ended a Cholera epidemic in London using an epidemiological map. Milkmaids in England saved the world from Smallpox. France almost went bankrupt building the Panama Canal until the mosquito was proved to be the source of Yellow Fever. Outbreaks of Typhoid Fever in New York ended only when an Irish immigrant was sent to prison. Two doctors in Poland prevented Nazi occupation in a city throughout WWII with some secret injections. There is very little Legionella in Chicago because of the Plumbers Union fight against plastic pipes and insisting that copper ones be used. Having worries about the Coronavirus? With mRNA technology, help is a month or two away.

Instructor: David W. Hines '76

***

Vergil’s Aeneid: The Aeneid is arguably the literary foundation of Western civilization. Aeneas flees a burning Troy, wanders the Mediterranean with his fellow survivors, and, perhaps most notably, navigates the treacherous sea of his own spiritual, intellectual, and emotional odyssey until he finally reaches what will become the site of Rome, the eternal city. Hated by the goddess Juno, torn between love for Dido and duty to his destiny, Vergil’s heroic leader is a unique literary figure but also, somewhat paradoxically, one of us. The poem is often symbolic, for it deftly maneuvers between history, legend, and myth; it also features some of the most memorable lines in all of literature that are almost as exquisite in translation as in the original Latin. Thus we can thrill to the adventure, embrace the sublimity, and revel in the language of this magnificent epic.  Recommended and preferred reading: Virgil, The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles. Viking, 2006. ISBN: 0-670-03803-2  Available in paper back here or here.

Instructor: Daniel J. Taylor '63

***

The Fascinating History of Baseball in Milwaukee: The seminar will begin with a brief look at the early history of professional baseball in Milwaukee and an important little-known 1900 meeting including Charles Comiskey and Connie Mack that led to the incorporation of the American League.   Next, we will survey the 51-year American Association history of the original Milwaukee Braves. In particular, special attention will be given to how Bill Veeck and managers Charley Grimm and Casey Stengel revitalized the interest in baseball in the 1940’s . . . and how the building of Milwaukee County Stadium lured major league baseball to Wisconsin.

Particular focus will be given to the economics and politics behind Lou Perini’s decision to move his Boston Braves to Milwaukee in 1953. We will look at how players like Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, Hank Aaron, Lou Burdette, and others quickly transformed the Braves into title contenders. Films of the 1957 and 1958 World Series and WTMJ radio broadcasts featuring Earl Gillespie and Blaine Walsh will share some excitement of those days. In turn, we will examine poor ownership decisions that precipitated rapid attendance declines and the legal struggle that led to the team's departure for Atlanta in 1966. Finally, we will review tireless efforts by Bud Selig and many others to return professional baseball to the city.

The last two days will focus on Brewers highlights of the last 50 years. These will include exploits of Bambi’s Bombers that led to the 1982 World Series; successful seasons in the 1980’s featuring Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper, Gorman Thomas, and Ben Oglivie; an overview of the franchise’s malaise from 1994-2006; politics associated with getting tax-payer support for replacing of Milwaukee County Stadium; the on-field upsurge starting in 2008 that featured Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart, Ben Sheets, and C.C. Sabathia; and the role of David Sterns, Craig Counsel, and an ever-changing rosters in current stretch of four straight post-season appearances. 

Lastly, the reflections of seminar participants on their experiences as fans and opportunities to watch the October 2022 post-season playoffs on television will add to the excitement of the week

Instructor: Steve Landfried '66

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.

 

Joe Biden’s World: U.S. Foreign Policy after Trump: When Joe Biden was elected President, many people around the world breathed a sigh of relief. U.S foreign policy would return to its postwar norms after four disruptive years of Donald Trump. But has the Biden administration really returned to familiar patterns? The picture is mixed. This seminar will explore how the world today is quite different from the years pre-Trump. There is no going back to earlier times of a unipolar world in which U.S. leadership was a given. Globalization and polarized politics in the U.S. have taken care of that. Seminar discussions will address U.S. ties with Europe, the many ambitions of China, immigration, the climate crisis, and Covid-19. The seminar will also take up the nature of Presidential leadership, the post World War II liberal world order, and how the Biden foreign policy has been aimed at the American middle class.

Instructor: Christopher Murray '75

 

Houseguest fees cover lodging and meals only - not tuition.

 

Please note that these seminars are available for audit only. The lodge has reached capacity.

The United States Constitution: Past, Present, and Future: The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land. The document came into existence in 1787, as it replaced the Articles of Confederation and gave the nation a strong central government. The framers of the Constitution divided the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The objective was to have a balance of power between the three divisions. The document also featured a Bill of Rights and other amendments that were added as the nation grew and prospered. The seminar will explore the origins of the Constitution, as well as key amendments, such as the right to bear arms, the abolition of slavery, prohibition, and women’s suffrage. The framers realized that the Constitution was an imperfect document, and a good part of the seminar will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this most significant document in American history.  Recommended Reading: Mark Tushnet's, The Oxford Handbook of the US Constitution.

Instructor: Tim Crain

 

Please note that the lodge has reached capacity.