April 24-28 Monday-Friday; $615 dbl occ; $800 single;
$320 commuter (Sunday night lodging is available, if necessary.)
The Matter of Meter: A Poetry Workshop
An intensive class for poets at all levels of experience who are looking
to get a better handle on poetry’s traditional metrical rhythms. Even if
you already are a relatively decent free-verse poet — perhaps even to
the point where your work is being published or is on the brink of it — a
hands-on understanding of meter will add much to your mastery of the rhythms
of English, which is certainly the most fundamental of all the poet’s
tools.
In addition, meter will add some variety to the supply of options you will
have at your disposal every time you sit down to write a new poem. Finally
(and perhaps most important of all), it is virtually guaranteed that your new
grasp of meter will markedly improve the quality of your free verse, which
will never be quite the same.
You will find this workshop a friendly and supportive environment for learning
and practicing poetry’s metrical ground rules, for trying your hand at
a few experiments, and for internalizing forever some genuinely foolproof techniques
for improving your work. Bring along the good poet’s ear you were born
with, and prepare to get the beat!
Marilyn L. Taylor, Milwaukee’s Poet Laureate for 2004 and 2005, teaches poetry and poetics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Woodland Pattern Book Center, and many other venues. The most recent of her five collections of poetry, titled Subject to Change, was published in 2004 by David Robert Books. Taylor’s poetry has appeared in many anthologies and journals, including The American Scholar, Smartish Pace, and The Formalist and in Poetry magazine’s 90th Anniversary Anthology. She was the recipient of the 2003 Dogwood Prize and also took first place in recent contests sponsored by Passenger, The Ledge, and GSU Review magazines. She is a contributing editor for The Writer magazine, where her articles on craft appear regularly, and she received two Pushcart Prize nominations for poetry published in 2004. This is her third year as a Björklunden seminar leader.
April 24-28 Monday-Friday; $615 dbl occ; $800
single; $320 commuter (Sunday night lodging is available, if necessary.)
Knitting from
Scratch
(For intermediate to advanced knitters only)
Participants will plan, design,
and execute an original sweater. The seminar will include how to plan
and design a sweater, how to graph and write an original pattern, and how to
include a
design of color or decorative stitches into the pattern.
The class will also
include presentations by Betsy Bohmer and Wendy Carpenter of Interfibers
on color and the use of color and fibers in designing. This seminar will
include
music to knit by, individual help on request, and other fun activities
to be announced.
Liz Pfeifer is a lifelong knitter and a knitting instructor certified by the Craft Yarn Council of America. She has taken lessons in Scotland, England, and Norway, as well as many workshops in the U.S., and has attended and conducted numerous Knit Camps in Door County. This is her third knitting seminar at Björklunden.
April 24-28 Monday-Friday; $615 dbl occ; $800
single; $320 commuter (Sunday night lodging is available, if necessary.)
Oil Painting: Basics and Beyond
(Some drawing background helpful)
Students will learn to handle the basics
in oil painting, art vocabulary, and perspective and will be able to finish
one or more paintings during the five-day session. There will be a presentation
by a fiber artist and a presentation on color interaction and the color wheel.
Students will also take a walking tour with a camera to photograph places and
things from nature for painting ideas. There will be other fun activities to
enjoy.
Betsy Bohmer has always had a deep interest in art. Her motto is “Art should be fun.” After raising three children, she graduated from Silver Lake College and ultimately earned a master’s degree in art education from UW-Milwaukee. She has taught every level from K-12 and presently is teaching in Melbourne, Florida, at the Melbourne Museum of Art and Science. She has shown in galleries in Door County, Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York City, and Florida.
June 18-23 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth
For billions of years, the Earth has kept a rich and idiosyncratic journal
of its past, written very literally in stone. At a time when humans have
become agents of geologic change, it is a story that all of us should know
how to
read.
Even if Earth’s stone diaries were not kept for our moral edification,
we would be foolish to ignore the wisdom they contain. After millennia of experimentation,
Earth and its myriad systems have “learned” to harness energies
and balance polarities: mixing versus sorting, large versus small, cooperation
versus competition, conservation versus innovation. If this balance had
not been struck, life could not have persisted on the planet for nearly
four
billion years. Occasionally, however, things have gone badly awry, with
devastating consequences for the biosphere.
This seminar will explore how knowledge of the ancient geologic record
can not only inform political and economic decision-making but also help
us develop
a richer understanding of ourselves as Earthlings.
Marcia Bjørnerud is professor of geology, chair of the geology department, and director of the environmental studies program at Lawrence University. She was named a fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2003 and was a Fulbright scholar in Norway in 2000-01. Her popular book, Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth, published in 2005 (Westview/Perseus), will be the basis for this seminar.
June 18-23 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900
single; $320 commuter
Eats, Shoots and Leaves?
If a panda walks into a bar and eats shoots and leaves, then presumably
it chews contentedly, and all’s well that ends well. If, however, that same
panda eats, shoots and leaves — better (with the Oxford comma): eats,
shoots, and leaves — then somebody ought to dial 911 right away.
Punctuation
is only occasionally a matter of life and death, but it is always psychologically
challenging and revealing of how we think. Eats, Shoots and Leaves:
The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation has been a runaway bestseller (or should
that be best-seller or even best seller?) in both England and America. It’s
a hoot. Lynn Truss, the authoress, has been nominated for sainthood, and deservedly
so, for her book is a treasure. In this seminar we’ll explore the underworld
of mispunctuation and its role in the downfall of civilization. We’ll
laugh a lot, but we’ll also learn to take our commas seriously.
Daniel J. Taylor, ’63, is the Hiram A. Jones Professor of Classics at his alma mater. Author of three books and dozens of articles, named Lawrence’s Outstanding Teacher in 1998 and Wisconsin’s Distinguished Foreign Language Educator in 1990, nationally acclaimed for Excellence in Teaching the Classics in 1983, a two-time year-long National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellow and a Distinguished Fulbright Chair in Italy, “Dr. Dan” revels in the Björklunden experience and is looking forward to his 17th seminar.
June 25-30 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
The Wisdom of Solomon
How to lead a more joyous and meaningful life? Consult with King Solomon,
identified in tradition as both the author of Proverbs and the wisest man
who ever lived.
We will read and discuss the Book of Proverbs. Please bring a Bible; any
edition. This seminar is made possible, in part, by the Robert L. Berner
Memorial Endowment
for Björklunden.
Jay R. Brickman is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Sinai. A former president of the Milwaukee Interfaith Conference and a recipient of their Frank Zeidler Award, Rabbi Brickman has studied Jungian psychology at Zurich, Switzerland, and Evanston, Illinois. He teaches courses in dream interpretation for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education and is the author of Reflections in a Pumpkin Field and Reflections on a Lily Pond.
June 25-30 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900
single; $320 commuter
Explore Door County’s Diverse Coastline
Explore the most scenic and natural shorelines in Door County. Diverse
shorelines of sand, broken rock, solid bedrock, and steep cliffs will be
visited. We
will venture out each day to explore these gems in order to discover the
processes
that formed them and the plants and animals that now utilize them. What
better time to do this than during the profusion of spring wildflowers
and animal
young. An evening of stargazing from the darkness of Björklunden’s
rural location will reveal wonders beyond human imagination. Field trips
include a canoe journey up to the headwaters of the famous Mink River Estuary.
Don Quintenz, director of education and director of land management at Schlitz Audubon Center in Milwaukee, has been teaching environmental education since 1967. He previously worked with the Milwaukee Public Schools as their environmental specialist and before that was with the Wisconsin Humane Society as an environmental educator. Because he is so familiar with the native flora and fauna, he has a wonderful ability to excite people about the natural world.
July 9-14 Sunday-Friday; Family Week/Grandparents-Grandchild Week, Resident
$450 adult, $300 youth (ages 7-15); Commuter $320 adult, $140 youth (ages
7-15)
Harmony by Hand and Heart: Becoming One with Nature
Join two of the Midwest’s most dynamic educators as they blend their
creative styles to form a week to remember. Using songs, sign language, creative
drama, storytelling, and storybooks, we will be learning by doing, listening,
touching, laughing, talking, singing, signing, questioning, and sharing. Using
sign language, in the American Sign Language tradition and in the “kids
want to move and make noise” tradition, the instructors will share
techniques for becoming one with nature — e.g., walks outside,
live animal visitations, storytelling, and sharing. Weaving a tapestry
of your own family traditions,
from birthdays “back home” to the week you spend at Björklunden,
you will learn to enhance your life together with songs, signs, make-and-take
crafts, projects, riddles, and art!
Susan E. Fowler, environmental artist and educator, is the founder of Harmony by Hand — programs that express the arts in sciences and simplicity in a creative format that uses music, sign language, stories, and sketches. Her hope is to bring others to a greater awareness of the beauty, diversity, and harmony on this Earth. Susan was born and raised in Southwestern Indiana and lived six years in Central Florida before moving to the northwoods of Minnesota and Wisconsin to begin Harmony by Hand in the summer of 1990. She now resides in Indiana and travels throughout the U.S. sharing her philosophy of harmony.
David Stokes is a master naturalist, entertainer, and educator from Milwaukee. He travels extensively throughout the U.S., teaching his style of nature education. Formerly with the National Audubon Society in Milwaukee and the Massachusetts Audubon Society in Boston, he is an award-winning naturalist who creates exciting learning situations to engage his audiences. Whether touching live snakes and frogs or catching dragonflies and butterflies, David “gets down” with his audience. His programs have been described as “humorous, highly interactive, and solid education.”
July 16-21 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
A Study of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is said to have “contributed
so much to popular feeling against slavery that it is considered among the
causes of the American Civil War.” The novel will be examined for
what it suggests about how slavery could be regarded both in the North
and in
the South during the first half of the 19th century.
George Anastaplo teaches at the University of Chicago and at Loyola School of Law. His publications include Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography. His 1971 treatise, The Constitutionalist: Notes on the First Amendment, has recently been republished by Lexington Books.
July 16-21 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900
single; $320 commuter
Politics in Washington: War at Home and Abroad
A veteran Time magazine correspondent takes you behind the scenes
for a look at the key players in foreign and domestic policy and the media
that
cover
them. Washington has not been this partisan in decades and will become
even more so as Republicans and Democrats ready themselves for battle in
the mid-term
elections. You will get updates on the domestic issues snarling Congress,
on the global war on terror, and on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
George
Bush versus the Democrats: who’s winning? The Pentagon spends a billion
dollars a day defending you, but are you really safe? You will learn how the
national press corps covers the powerful, how reporters use confidential sources,
how politicians spin the media. And you will go inside Time to see how the
world’s largest newsmagazine is produced every week.
Douglas Waller is a senior correspondent for Time magazine and, before that, was a defense and foreign policy correspondent for Newsweek. He has covered Congress, the State Department, the Pentagon, and the CIA. He also spent eight years on Capitol Hill serving as a legislative assistant to Representative Edward J. Markey and Senator William Proxmire. Waller is the author of five books, including the bestseller Big Red, The Commandos, Air Warriors, and A Question of Loyalty: General Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation.
July 23-28 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
An Introduction to The Book of Mormon
One of the most remarkable religious developments in the history of the
United States followed upon the emergence in 1830 of the Church of Jesus
Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, popularly known as the Mormons. Joseph Smith provided
a book he reported that he had translated by revelation, The Book of
Mormon, which recounts the experiences of tribes of Israel in North America millennia
before, similar to some experiences recorded in the Old Testament. This
seminar
will study the organization of The Book of Mormon and will attempt to suggest
the principal doctrines advanced by this text.
George Anastaplo teaches at the University of Chicago and at Loyola School of Law. His publications include Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography. His 1971 treatise, The Constitutionalist: Notes on the First Amendment, has recently been republished by Lexington Books.
July 23-28 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900
single; $320 commuter
America: How the Rest of the World Sees Us
Our objective is to understand how we are viewed abroad by both our friends
and our enemies. The seminar’s core assumption is that there are important
things we can learn about ourselves from others that we might not otherwise
see. We will begin with excerpts from Alexis d’Tocqueville’s
classic Democracy in America, perhaps the most astute discussion of American
national
character ever written. We will then turn to more modern assessments by
friendly foreigners (e.g., Christopher Hitchens and Bernard Henri Levi),
friendly
foreign critics (Anatol Lieven), and not-so-friendly critics (Arundhati
Roy and Sayyid
al Qutb).
Michael Desch was named the first holder of the Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security Decision-Making at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University in 2004. Prior to that, he was professor and director of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. He received his B.A. in political science from Marquette University and his A.M. in international relations and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. He has worked on the staff of a U.S. senator, in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State, and in the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division of the Congressional Research Service.
July 30-August 5 Sunday-Saturday; $1,500 tuition, room and board (dbl occ);
$1,045 tuition and meals, $845 tuition only
Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp
Enjoy a high-quality, fun, participational experience for adult jazz musicians
of all levels, from rank beginner to semi-pro. The week’s musical activities
will include playing and performance opportunities in combos and large ensembles,
jazz master classes, jazz improvisation/theory classes, special-topics sessions,
individual lessons, open jam sessions, and performances with professional jazz
artists. Summer 2006 will be Tritone’s eighth consecutive year at Björklunden.
Tritone faculty and management includes Fred Sturm, ’73, who returned to Lawrence University in 2002 as chair of the jazz and improvisational music department after a decade as faculty member of the Eastman School of Music, where he directed the award-winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Fred previously taught at Lawrence from 1977-1991. Jim Doser served on the Eastman jazz faculty from 1986 to 2000 and is now music department chair at a large suburban school district near Rochester, New York.
Other faculty members include John Harmon, ’57, D.F.A. ’05 (piano), Lawrence jazz director 1971-74, Wisconsin composer, performer, and educator; Mike Hale, ’74 (trumpet, ensembles), Lawrence University and UW-Oshkosh jazz faculties; Dane Richeson (drums and percussion), current Lawrence faculty; Janet Planet (voice), renowned Wisconsin jazz/pop vocal soloist; and Ike Sturm (bass). Special guest artist is Gene Bertoncini, former guitarist with the NBC Tonight Show band and the Benny Goodman Orchestra and a renowned recording artist.
To register, contact Bob DeRosa at Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps, P.O. Box 297, Penfield, NY 14526, 585-218-9950, bob@tritonejazz.com.
August 6–11 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ;
$900 single; $320 commuter
Understanding and Dancing Latin Music
From the exuberant hip-swiveling of salsa to the passionate intertwining
limbs of the Argentine tango, dance musics from Latin America have taken
Hollywood,
the U.S., and the world by storm. We will look at a range of musical and
dance styles such as salsa, cha cha chá, bolero, merengue, and Argentine tango.
Michael O’Brien will use a combination of lecture, audio, video,
and hands-on instrument demonstrations to help students understand how
these
musics are put together, how the musicians who play them understand them,
and why
the particular social histories of the various Latin American cultures
they come from have shaped the way they sound and given them their meaning.
Then,
students will put on their dancing shoes and gain experience in the same
styles, as dance instructor Alison Hurwitz leads them through a progressive
set of
lessons for dancers of all ages and experience levels. Several evenings
will be devoted to social dances, so that participants can practice all
of their
new skills in a relaxed and fun environment. Participants need not bring
a partner to the seminar, as we will be switching frequently to gain experience
with a variety of dance partners. No prior dance experience is necessary.
Alison Hurwitz, ’97, has been teaching in the Bay Area of California since graduating from Lawrence University with a degree in anthropology and English. Following graduation, she spent a year in Bolivia studying Latin American popular dance styles as the recipient of a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. A professional dancer and teacher, she has received associate degrees from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance and the Dance Vision International Dancers Association. She dances with The Harmony Project Dance Company, the Decobelles, and other Bay Area groups. You can find out more about Hurwitz, her classes, and her performances at www.secondglancedance.com.
Michael O’Brien, ’01, graduated from Lawrence with degrees in English and music education. He holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin, where he currently is a doctoral student. He is also assistant editor of the Latin American Music Review. As a musician, O’Brien has branched out from his early training as a classical cellist, performing on that instrument in the contemporary tango band “La Biyuya” (www.labiyuya.com.ar) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also plays congas and is composer and lyricist for an 11-piece salsa band called “Bailengua” (www.bailengua.com) and has directed the Andean music ensemble at the University of Texas.
August 6–11 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ;
$900 single; $320 commuter
Stem Cells: Promises and Problems
What are stem cells and what are their sources? Can we program stem cells
to become any tissue? How might re-programming be done? What risks are
there in
the use of stem cells? What benefits? The use of stem cells is ultimately
tied to big questions of what it means to be living, as well as issues
of mortality
and human health. Using readings, discussion, and hands-on experiments,
we will learn about the current state and ethics of stem cell research
and the
medical applications of stem cell technology and will address these and
other interesting questions.
Beth De Stasio, ’83, trained at Lawrence, Brown University, UW-Madison, and MIT. She enjoys teaching first-year students and advanced biology students, as well as non-biology majors in a course she designed called Biotechnology and Society. She has been teaching at Lawrence University since 1992 and currently serves as the Raymond J. Herzog Professor of Science and associate professor of biology. She loves to de-mystify science and make the concepts and approaches of modern science accessible to all.
August 13-18 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single, $320 commuter
The Divine Sun/Son in Ancient Egypt and Israel
Ancient Egypt, the land of the pyramids, is ever-fascinating to all who
visit its monuments, view its marvelous cultural artifacts on site or in
museums,
and study its 3,000-year-old history and religion. The world of the ancient
Egyptians, including their extravagant hope for the afterlife, continues
to awaken our imagination and give us insights into our own life and dreams.
In
this seminar, we will discuss the religion of ancient Egypt, especially
as reflected in many hymns, prayers, and songs that celebrate the daily
journey
of the divine Sun and the goodly rule of the divine Son, the pharaoh. We
will focus on portions of the Bible — particularly the stories of
Joseph and the Exodus, selected Psalms and Proverbs, and the description
of the Temple in Jerusalem — that bear striking resemblance to ancient
Egyptian belief and practice. Come and enter this door to ancient Egypt
and the Bible!
Anyone who appreciates what ancient cultures may still have to teach us
will be at home in this class.
Bill Urbrock holds a Ph.D. in ancient Near Eastern literature and civilizations from Harvard University. He is professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he was awarded the honorary Rosebush Professorship for teaching excellence and professional achievement. Over the years, he has taught three National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminars for schoolteachers and has presented a variety of week-long summer courses, one-day seminars, and lecture series for educational, civic, and church groups in Door County (including Björklunden), around Wisconsin, and elsewhere. His most recent publications have been for The Earth Bible project.
August 13-18 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900
single, $320 commuter
Liberal Education and the Liberal Arts College
Liberal education is a venerable educational construct (dating to antiquity)
and the liberal arts college — which is a distinctively American phenomenon — has
been part of the higher education scene in the United States for hundreds
of years. Yet liberal education has been and remains an endangered species,
and
the liberal arts college no longer enjoys the hegemony it once had in the
United States. In this seminar, we will read selected speeches and reports
regarding
liberal education and the liberal arts college (some authored and delivered
by the instructor!), along with other articles and selections that deal
with various aspects of liberal learning and liberal arts colleges in the
present
day, ranging from the curriculum, to student life, to the role of intercollegiate
athletics. The principal aim of the seminar will be to provoke debate and
invite reflection.
Richard Warch, L.H.D. ’05, is a graduate of Williams College, Yale Divinity School, and Yale University graduate school (American studies); taught history and American studies at Yale from 1968 to 1977; and came to Lawrence as vice president for academic affairs in 1977. He was selected as Lawrence’s 14th president in 1979, a position he held until his retirement in 2004. He is the author of School of the Prophets: Yale College 1701-1740 and has written numerous articles on American history and liberal education.
August 20-25 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
The Interwar Years, 1919-1939
This seminar will focus on Europe and the United States during the interwar
period. After a brief overview of the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty
of Versailles, we will study the rise of fascism and communism in the 20th
century and its impact on Europe. In the aftermath of World War I, the
United States retreated into isolationism, and Europe followed an equally
troubling
path of appeasement. The 1930s witnessed the rise of Nazi Germany, which
led Europe and the world down the path to World War II.
Tim Crain received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Marquette University and the Ph.D. in modern European and modern Jewish history from Arizona State University. His area of specialization is conflict studies, particularly in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. He has been employed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Department of History and the Center for Jewish Studies for the past eight years and has received numerous distinguished teaching awards from Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin System.
August 20-25 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ;
$900 single; $320 commuter
Reading the Door County Landscape
Breezes whisper through the trees, bird calls brighten the day, and wildflowers
fill the meadows and roadsides. These natural phenomena seduce the spirit
and transfix the mind. Learn to read the landscape, understand its past,
live its
present, and anticipate its future in the rich ecosystems found at Björklunden
and in surrounding Door County. Field walks, reading, plant identification,
and stimulating discussion will aid in heightening your comprehension and
appreciation of nature. Some of the Door County treasures participants
will visit include
The Ridges, Toft Point, and Newport State Park.
Nicholas Maravolo has published widely in botany during his 40-year tenure as professor of biology at Lawrence University and has taught a wide range of environmental concerns. His fieldwork has taken him to the Pacific Rim, Central and South America, and Europe, as well as the American West.
August 20-25 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ;
$900 single; $320 commuter
Nature in Film: Landscape as Character
Join Campbell Scott in an exploration of nature in world cinema. Watch
a number of American and international features, including works by Kurosawa,
Malick,
Ballard, and Roeg and Scott’s own Off the Map, and examine how writers,
directors, and cinematographers attempt to capture the mystery and power of
the natural world in order to tell their stories and widen the audience’s
experience.
Campbell Scott, ’83, is an actor, director, and producer who lives in New York. He has appeared in plays on and off Broadway and around the country, and his film appearances include Longtime Companion, The Sheltering Sky, Dying Young, Singles, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Big Night, Roger Dodger, The Secret Lives of Dentists, and The Dying Gaul. He co-directed Big Night with Stanley Tucci and Hamlet with Eric Simonson, ’82, and directed Final and Off the Map.
August 27–September 2 Sunday-Saturday;
$725 dbl occ; $1,000 single, $320 commuter
Watercolor: The Expressive Medium
This seminar is for novice through experienced watercolor painters who
wish to explore watercolor as an expressive medium in the beauty of the
Björklunden
landscape. Drawing skills are useful but not required, and you do not need
experience using watercolor to participate. Students will encounter a range
of traditional and experimental techniques in transparent and opaque watercolors
while they explore this expressive painting medium. Whether you enjoy painting
from nature or you are ready to explore your own imagination, this seminar
will give you the tools and direction you need to create strong statements
in watercolor. Participants from previous summers are welcome to repeat
this class.
Helen R. Klebesadel was a member of the Lawrence University faculty from 1990 to 2000 and currently is an independent artist and director of the Women’s Studies Consortium of the University of Wisconsin System. Watercolor painting is her specialty. She exhibits her work nationally and internationally, with recent exhibitions in New York, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. She is a featured artist in the online gallery at www.portalwisconsin.org. Learn more about her artwork at http://Klebesadel.com.
August 27–September 2 Sunday-Saturday;
$725 dbl occ; $1,000 single, $320 commuter
The Lying Game: A Fiction Writing Workshop
Whether you’re a working writer, an aspiring writer, or simply an avid
reader who would like a look behind the curtain to see how “fiction happens,” you
will find food for thought (and inspiration!) here. This seminar focuses on
techniques that bring the human condition to light and to life in novel, creative
ways. Particular emphasis will be placed on character development; an open-ended,
organic approach to plot; “writing in the moment”; editing/revision;
and how best to develop and convey “the lies that tell the truth.” Conducted
in a workshop format, the seminar leans heavily on writing exercises and discussion/critique
of each other’s work. In addition, the instructor will perform some of
his own work while discussing the best ways to present one’s finished
fiction, both to publishers and to the public.
Paul McComas, ’83, is the author of two critically acclaimed books — the short-story collection Twenty Questions (1998, Daniel & Daniel), now in its third printing, and the novel Unplugged (2002, John Daniel & Co.) — and editor of the fiction anthology First Person Imperfect (2003, iUniverse). His comedic coming-of-age novel, Planet of the Dates, will be published in 2006. McComas teaches fiction writing both in the continuing-education program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. (where he received his master’s degree in film), and through his own Advanced Fiction Writing workshop. His award-winning film and video work has been screened at festivals worldwide and honored by the American Film Institute. As a performance artist and monologist, McComas has been featured at 70-plus venues nationwide. He founded and ran the teen-suicide-prevention program Rock Against Depression (1995–2000) and is a recipient of the Mental Health Association’s Distinguished Service Award.
October 1-6 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
Improve Your Bridge
The focus for the week will be “Getting the Most Out of Your Game.” Whether
you are playing social or duplicate bridge, these strategies will help
fine-tune your game. We will use the Standard American approach to hand reevaluation,
doubles, leads, and decisions about whether to play or defend. The lessons
will be hands-on, and most of the class time will be spent in play. Ample
time for questions and discussion will be provided, and students will receive
appropriate
hand-outs and written materials to support the lessons.
Carolyn Kimbell is a professional teacher and is licensed from the American Bridge Teachers Association and the American Contract Bridge League. Her lessons are interesting and entertaining and do not intimidate the less-experienced player. She teaches bridge at The Clearing on a regular basis and has done classes and workshops at several locations in Door County. Most of all, she loves the game and is an inspiring and stimulating teacher.
October 1-6 Sunday-Friday; $675 dbl occ;
$900 single; $320 commuter
Visual Perception and the Art of Drawing
Using the lovely natural setting of Björklunden as a source of inspiration
and subject matter, participants will explore the theories of perception and
then translate them into drawings with the purpose of creating original compositions.
The workshop will concentrate on foundations. Since drawing is the planning
stage for all the visual arts — be it sculpture, architecture, photography,
or painting — the workshop will do its explorations through drawing.
We will look at visual stimuli — abstracting them, fracturing them, detailing
them — in order to translate them into compositionally strong drawings.
Plenty of opportunity will be provided for drawing. Beginners will use
pencils and charcoals, the more advanced artists may wish to use pastels
and colored
pencils. In an atmosphere of sharing and increased growth, critiques and
discussions will be included, along with demonstrations and instruction.
Sandra Wagner, ’65, is a commercial and fine artist as well as a certified teacher. She has studied at the University of Mexico, Mount Mary College, and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and earned a B.F.A. degree in drawing and painting with teaching certification from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has spent 36 years doing commercial art, 18 years as a continuing-education teacher in art for Waukesha County Technical College, and four years as a continuing-education teacher in art for the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. She also has been a federal-court artist. Some of her art highlights include having a watercolor selected for Watercolor Wisconsin 2005 at the Wustum Art Museum, Racine, and participating in juried shows for the Milwaukee Art Teachers Association and the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors and in University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Alumni Shows.
October 15–20 Sunday-Friday; $675
dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
The South in 20th-Century Fiction
First Lady of Southern Fiction Eudora Welty once suggested that, at various
historical moments, a star hovers over different regions of the United
States, regions that consequently produce great writers and unforgettable
works.
If this concept was true of the New England of the 19th century and the
Midwest of the early 20th century, it was true of the South during the entire
20th
century and looks promising for the 21st. From William Faulkner to Flannery
O’Connor, Margaret Mitchell to James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams
to Alice Walker, Southern literature has captured the imagination and respect
not just
of the South, not just of America, but of the entire world. Informed by
readings of the above-mentioned authors, as well as Ellen Glasgow, Walker
Percy, Harper Lee, Shirley Anne Grau, and Bobbie Ann Mason, we will
address such concepts and issues as Southern literary genius, the distinctive
Southern identity, the diversity of Southern culture, racial justice during
both pre- and post-Civil War periods, and differences between the Old South
and the New and between Old Southern Womanhood and New, as well as examining
the conflicts inherent in Gone With the Wind and The Wind Done Gone.
Abby Werlock, formerly a professor of American literature at St. Olaf College, is now a full-time writer. A past president of the Edith Wharton Society, she serves on the editorial boards of both the Edith Wharton Review and the Steinbeck Review. Her publications include Carol Shields’s “The Stone Diaries,” The Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story, British Women Writing Fiction, and Tillie Olsen, with Mickey Pearlman, along with numerous articles on 19th- and 20th-century American literature. Her most recent book, The Facts on File Companion to the American Novel, is scheduled for publication this year.
October 15–20 Sunday-Friday; $675
dbl occ; $900 single; $320 commuter
Nature as the Muse of Music: An Exploration
There is a beautiful and diverse body of music that has, through the centuries,
been inspired by, and derived from, the natural world. Composers have literally
and subtly depicted flora; fauna; and the sounds of birds, water, and wind
in a variety of solo vocal, choral, chamber, and orchestral music. We will
study selected examples of music while enjoying Door County’s colorful
fall season. The seminar will be enhanced by the beautiful poetry and readings
of Door County’s own Barbara Larsen, ’49, and by excursions
to view the nature paintings of local artists.
James Grine, professor emeritus of music, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh,
has taught music history and literature for 38 years. The Oshkosh Symphony
and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh-based Learning in Retirement Community
have also engaged him for lectures. A performing flutist and teacher, he
has served as principal flutist and associate conductor of the Oshkosh
Symphony;
principal flutist and soloist of the Green Lake Festival; and principal
flutist, soloist, and guest conductor at the Victoria Bach Festival.
Elderhostel Programs
To register, call Elderhostel at 877-426-8056 or visit www.elderhostel.org.
September 17-22
A September to Remember: Door County, Wisconsin
David Stokes, instructor
October 8-13
The Nature of Door County
Don Quintenz, instructor
Door Shakespeare Performs
Delight in the magic of this professional theatre company. Door
Shakespeare presents William Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Oscar Wilde’s
The Importance of Being Ernest on alternating nights, July 13-August 20, Wednesday
through Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Björklunden’s beautiful garden
provides the perfect setting for this intimate company, called “an essential
part of the Door County arts community” by the Door County Advocate. Come experience the enchantment.