Literature on Drugs
Prof. Nathan Gorelick

4 Thursdays, April 17 & 24, May 8 & 15
Online on  Zoom: 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Cost: $500

Whether as sources of creativity, openings onto experiences that defy description, avenues of escape from everyday reality, or foundations for alternative forms of sociality, drugs have long been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for all manner of storytellers. This course undertakes a historical, literary, and cinematic survey of modern society under the influence and considers what this history means for our collective consciousness and its future. We will examine texts by literary psychonauts, including Maya Angelou, William Blake, William S. Burroughs, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Allen Ginsberg, Gil Scott-Heron, Aldous Huxley, Anaïs Nin, and Edith Wharton; films like Altered States and Easy Rider; and commentaries by Margaret Mead, Carl Hart, Susan Sontag, and Tom Wolfe. The course may include a trip to Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library or the Timothy Leary Archive at the New York Public Library.

Registration information is here.

Film Noir New York & Los Angeles
Prof. Ross Hamilton

4 Sundays:
April 27 and
May 1, 11, 18
Online on Zoom, 5:30 - 7:30 PM (ET)

Cost: $500 

Explore a cinematic genre that captures the grit and glamour of mid-20th-century New York City and Los Angeles. Through classic films, discussions, and analysis, this course delves into noir’s visual style, moral complexity, and iconic urban settings. Uncover how these cities shaped—and were shaped by—Hollywood’s and New York’s darkest tales. 

Registration information is here.

Contemporary Art:
Motherhood
Prof. Józefina Chetko

3 Mondays,  
March 24, 31 and April 14
1 Saturday (Gallery): April 5 (1-3 PM)
Online on Zoom: 6 - 8 PM (ET)

Cost: $500

This course combines engaging lectures and thought-provoking discussions centered on contemporary art, with a special focus on artists who delve into personal and transformative themes, such as motherhood. A highlight of the course includes a gallery visit (on Saturday, April 5, from 1 to 3 PM) to Hauser & Wirth, where we will experience “Camille Henrot: A Number of Things.” A recipient of the prestigious Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale, Henrot is renowned for her ability to intertwine the intimate with the universal. This exhibition provides an exceptional opportunity to explore the depth and relevance of her artistry. 

Registration information is here.

New York City in Film
Prof. Ross Hamilton
4 Sundays,
March 2, 9, 23, 30
Online on Zoom: 5:30 - 7:30 PM (ET)

Cost: $500

This course will explore the representation of New York City in film, examining how the city’s dynamic streetscapes, diverse neighborhoods, and cultural vibrancy have shaped its portrayal on screen. From gritty dramas to glamorous romances, participants will analyze how filmmakers use New York as a backdrop to reflect societal changes, identity, and the urban experience. 

Registration information is here.

Writing Your Life Story with Author & Comedian Nina Sharma
4 Wednesdays: June 4, 11, 18, 25
Online on Zoom,
6 - 8 PM (ET)

Cost: $500

Everyone has, at the very least, one life moment they know is worth a story: that moment that changed everything, that moment that you can still call to mind, or that moment that wasn’t epic but was beautifully, blissfully ordinary. So why can it be hard to find the time, space, and energy to write it down? The trick is simply trying. In this class, that's exactly what we will do. We will use the structure of the personal essay in particular to help us write into life. Coming from the French “essai,” meaning attempt, the essay is a flexible form of writing that can help us give voice and narrative structure to our life moments, to take the large and small of our life and make it story-sized. We will read personal essays rather than argumentative essays and find in them sources of inspiration for our own stories. Phillip Lopate writes about the personal essay, “The hallmark of the personal essay is its intimacy. The writer seems to be speaking directly into your ear, confiding everything from gossip to wisdom.” Over four sessions, we will read such essays and tap into the stories, from gossip to wisdom to all moments in between, that are coming through us.

Registration information is here.