NEWS

TEMPLE SHALOM SECURITY MEASURES

Now that our in-person classes are underway and those of you who are coming in person have gotten names tags and lanyards, please remember to wear your lanyards every time you come to class. That is the way the security guards will identify you as a LLAIC member. If you are not enrolled in any in-person courses, but plan to join the LUNCH@LLAIC programs, please see Jen the next time you’re at the temple and she will give you a name tag and lanyard. It's Important that we keep each other safe.

UPDATE ON THE LILAC PLAYERS

We will read plays together, with no public performance. Come join us on Tuesdays, 11:30-1, beginning October 28, for in-person fun. Scripts will be available in pdf form. You will need a device for reading them or a printed copy. As this is more of an affinity group than a course, there is no fee!

Register on our website.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Available to members at no additional charge

LUNCH@LLAIC

TUESDAYS @ 1 P.M.

TEMPLE SHALOM

175 TEMPLE STREET, WEST NEWTON

Join us at Temple Shalom on Tuesday afternoon for lunch and a delightful program! Drop in before class, after class, or just for the program. Bring your own lunch (we provide designer water and hot beverages) or email Jennifer Young if you want to order pizza ($3 for one slice or $5 for two).

Here's what we have planned so far. Any blank spots will be filled in. If you are interested in doing a presentation or hosting one of Curiosity University's informative and entertaining films, contact Alice Freedman. LUNCH@LLAIC is open to guests and no RSVP is necessary, so bring a friend!

• 9/16  David Rabinowitz “Contentious Presidential Elections.” Our methodology for electing a president can be baffling, sometimes resulting in what appear to be anomalous results. This presentation looks at three elections of the 1800s and their surprising results.

• 9/30  Rhoda Greenspan  “The History of Fame: The Power of Celebrity.” In this illustrated lecture, Professor Douglas will trace the origins of stardom back to the early film industry, explaining how and why it began to manufacture stars. The talk will then lay out the metastasizing of celebrity culture in the 1970s and beyond, with the success of People, Barbara Walters’ specials, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and Entertainment Tonight. But by the early 21^st century, with the eality TV and social media, we got what one scholar called the “demotic turn,” where access to fame became more democratized. Professor Douglas will review the various theories about why celebrity culture has exploded, some of its social functions , and its impact.

• 10/7  Alex Conn "Four Fantastic Films and How They Were Made." Citizen Kane, The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Some Like It Hot. Could these be the four greatest American films ever made? Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Francis Ford Coppola, and Stanley Kubrick were all operating at the pinnacles of their respective talents when they created what many movie scholars consider the greatest masterworks in American cinema. Each film is noteworthy for its virtuoso directorial style, shrewd presentation of complex narrative structure, trail-blazing technical innovations, mesmerizing editing sequences, painstaking attention to period detail, intentional shattering of classical genre conventions, bold depictions of taboo sexual subject matter and deft handling of controversial political themes. The program will be on Zoom; watch this space for a link to an invitation.

• 10/21 Don Bermont and Bob Tremblay Autumn Music Festival. The event will feature DJs Bob and Don, who will search for and play songs from different categories, with the hope of winning the audience’s approval. The audience is encouraged to join in the selection of both the categories and the songs. Of course, no one has to remember the exact title of the song or the artist. Those specifics can be crowdsourced. Bring your song ideas, memories, and dance shoes if you are so inclined.

• 10/28  Alice Freedman “Military War Dogs.” Did you know that a Belgium Malinois dog was the “soldier” who found Osama bin Laden?  In this presentation you will learn about the heroic role that dogs played in the 19^th century in USA battles, in both World Wars, and in Vietnam and Afghanistan. We will look at the special training military dogs receive and the type of equipment they wear for their “tour of duty.” It’s astonishing to see how brave, smart, and devoted these unique animals are!   

• 11//4  Joanne Fisher  “The Story of America in Film.” This ambitious movie presentation reflects the multi-faceted narrative of a diverse nation in all its thrilling, tumultuous, tragic, and triumphant complexity. By using six major themes, talented filmmakers from different eras and unique artistic backgrounds and sensibilities form a genuine composite sketch of American life — framing in sharp relief where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we might be heading in the future. The music soundtracks from each film will be showcased since film composers so often play a pivotal role in making a powerful cinematic experience so memorable.

LLAIC LOVES ART:

PORTRAITS - AMATEUR DETECTIVE

WELCOME BACK TO THE PHOENIX ART MUSEUM AND DOCENT KATHLEEN McGOVERN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:30

Robert Henri, The Laundress, 1916

Many of us have had our picture taken at special events such as graduations and weddings, as well as those “selfies” that record our every activity. Join us as we explore a variety of portraits from Phoenix Art Museum created by artists throughout history. We will put on our amateur detective hats to connect with individuals who were or are living and breathing human beings just like us.

Click here before noon on Tuesday, September 16, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS

Available to members at no additional charge

SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP

(LA TERTULIA)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 @ 1:00 P.M.

Our format consists of reading and discussing articles from various Spanish language media sources of general high interest. There is no homework although everyone is invited to submit articles they might find for our agendas.

The hosts for the group are Miriam Grodberg and Larry Krakauer. Contact Miriam to request an invitation or with any

questions.

CURRENT EVENTS

LED BY JERRY JACOBS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 @ 9:30 A.M.

Join us for a stimulating conversation with a spirited group of bright, verbal, opinionated LLAIC veterans. Be part of our ongoing efforts to make some sense out of the most recent events in this ever changing world under Jerry's resourceful leadership. New members are most welcome.

Click here before noon on Thursday, September 18, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

MOVIE MAVENS

THE FATHER (2021)

FRIDAY, SEPT 19 @ 2:00-3:00

 The Father (2001) is an Academy Award winning film starring Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman and Imogen Poots. The film was directed by Florian Zeller, the French playwright, who wrote the adapted screenplay (based on the book Le Père) with Christopher Hampton. He won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Hopkins won the Academy Award for his depiction of an 80-year-old prideful yet cantankerous widower suffering from dementia. The screenplay takes place from his character's point of view, and we see him dealing with disorienting time and memory slips, which confound us as well. We see him reject the help of his daughter, played masterfully by Coleman, while trying to maintain his dignity amidst the confusion of the disease.

The Father was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture. Hopkins won the Oscar for best actor and Coleman won the award for best supporting actress.

The Father is available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, YouTube, and Fandango at Home.

Click here before noon on Thursday, September 18, to request a Zoom invitation. The invite will be sent out that day.

MOVIE MAVENS: SAVE THE DATE 

"LET'S MEET IN PERSON AT THE MOVIES"

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5

(note date and format change for October)

Movie Mavens will be having a special in-person event on Sunday, October 5th. We will meet at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline for a matinee and enjoy a meal together. As soon as the upcoming movies are announced, we will choose one and let everyone know the specifics in the Quill, no later than Sunday, September 28. Depending on the timing of the matinee, it may be better to have our group meal prior to the film. Knowing how difficult it can be to discuss a film in a restaurant, we have also scheduled a zoom format the following day, Monday, October 6 in the afternoon. We hope you will join us!

For all other months, September through June, we will continue to meet on zoom on the 3rd Friday of the month from 2-3 p.m. starting on Friday, September 19 (see above).

LLAIC LIT-LOVERS:

HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES

BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON

LED BY PAT COLE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

Good news! Lit-Lovers is going to resume soon after a summer hiatus. Those who love to read and then to talk about the books they’ve read will be glad we’re getting back together on Zoom. 

Our October 10 book will be House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson, led by Pat Cole. It is available to read free on Google Books. A reputedly wealthy and eccentric old man dies in Vermont. His home in Indiana, the House of a Thousand Candles, so called for the owner's preference to candle light, is left empty save a faithful servant -- his fortune mysteriously vanished, though rumored to still have been hidden in the house somewhere.

Click here before noon on Thursday, October 9, for a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

Our November 14 selection, led by Barbara Barry, will be Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy.

For December 12: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Led by Margaret Dergalis. Some of our most satisfying discussions are when we reassess a classic we first read long ago. There are many very inexpensive paperback editions available on Amazon, starting with the Dover Thrift Edition for $5.60.

We are looking for others! We meet on the second Friday of the month, from 10:30 to 12:00. Please volunteer to lead a discussion on the book of your choice. Ask anyone who has done it; it’s an enjoyable, rewarding experience. 

The book you choose needs to be available in paperback, so no brand new ones, please. If you feel you’d like some coaching to present a book, we’d be glad to help you. Choose a book, choose a month, and email or call Sandy Grasfield at sbgsbg@verizon.net or 781-769-2320.