The Quill

Quick Updates for Independent Lifelong Learners

September 20, 2026

#627

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NEWS

COVID is making a comeback!

Notes from the Board

Register for courses starting in October



SPECIAL EVENTS

LUNCH@LLAIC continues on Tuesdays

LLAIC Loves Art: Wednesday, September 23

"Purpose" at the Calderwood, Sunday, October 11

AFFINITY GROUPS

Current Events, Friday, September 25

French Conversation Group, Monday, September 28

Spanish Conversation Group (La Tertulia), Monday, October 5

LLAIC Lit-Lovers, Friday, October 9



To join LLAIC: click here

A very informative and enjoyable tour of the

Adams National Historical Park, Quincy.

NOTES FROM THE BOARD

The LLAIC Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on September 14. The Curriculum Committee reported that everything is in place for courses to start this week, both in person and on Zoom. By the time you read this, you may have attended your first class. If you have any difficulty, contact the class leader.

Once again, LLAIC offers a wide range of topics to choose from. If there is something else you would like to see, you should contact the Curriculum Committee. Even better, you could volunteer to lead a course yourself. There is no better way to learn something than to lead discussions about it. You don’t have to be an expert; you just have to be curious.

Summer session finished in August, and the Board felt it was quite successful. The live events every Tuesday were well attended. There were some additional Zoom events, such as the Current Events discussions on Wednesdays. Some suggestions were made to make the live events more comfortable by making more room to maneuver between the tables and speeding up the time between events. These will be implemented next summer

If you are taking a class that you really enjoy, bring a friend. Check with the instructor to make sure there is room. We allow and encourage people to get a taste of the LLAIC experience by attending a free class. The best way to get new members is when current members bring friends. 

Also: COVID is creeping back into Massachusetts. If you are not feeling well and you’re not sure what it is, please stay away until you feel better. We are a pro-vaccine organization; consider getting a booster if you haven’t gotten one this year.

Would you enjoy knowing what's going on before everyone else does?

LLAIC Is looking for a cheerful volunteer to help with our weekly newsletter. Committee chairs will send you announcements and upcoming events. No Pulitzer required, no journalism degree. Just a little organization, a bit of computer savvy and the ability to turn "here's what's happening..." into something people actually want to read.

Volunteer a little time. 

Make a big difference. 

And become the person who knows everything!

Interested? We'd love to hear from you.

contact: Phyllis Cohen or Alex Conn

LUNCH@LLAIC CONTINUES

TUESDAYS AT TEMPLE SHALOM

175 TEMPLE STREET, WEST NEWTON

LUNCH STARTS AT 1, PROGRAM AT 1:30

Join us at Temple Shalom on all your Tuesday afternoons from September 15 through the end of the semester 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).

LUNCH@LLAIC is open to guests and no RSVP is necessary, so bring a friend! The next programs are as follows: 

• 9/22 Richard Mansfield – Science vs. Faith and Evolution

Can science and religion truly coexist or are they forever locked in conflict? Can science today be understood in a religious context, or have we finally reached the end of faith? Public opinion continues to demonstrate a surprising unwillingness to embrace the scientific consensus on biological evolution and issues affecting the well-being and prosperity of the world. While it might seem logical to attribute anti-science attitudes to dogma or factual unawareness, the roots of this problem go far deeper.

• 9/29 Jim Mniece – The Scientific Genius (and Rivalry) of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla

Did you know that Edison and Tesla (Edison's one-time employee) were arch enemies with competing visions as to how to electrically empower America? Their hostility played out in the infamous War of the Currents, which culminated in the electrocution of Topsy the circus elephant in 1903, orchestrated and filmed by Edison, but intentionally using Tesla's controversial AC current. In his video presentation you will learn how radio, television, robots, electric cars, self-driving cars, solar heating, the internet, and the cellphone were on the mind of one or the other of these geniuses, and you will discover which of the two men had the more accurate and enduring vision for the world.

Future programs:

• 10/6 Rhoda Greenspan – Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Transformative Innovation or Ethical Quagmire?
• 10/13 Mary Mansfield – The Creativity and Joy of Joseph Collier, musician 
• 10/27 Matthew Bitner – How We Developed a Method for Saving Lives
• 11/10 Joanne Fisher – Ancient Egypt, Drama, Spectacle, and Remarkable Characters
• 11/17 Alex Conn and Leo Laverdure – Introduction to Chatbots and AI: Part 2
• 12/1 Don Bermont – Trivial Pursuit Game

LLAIC LOVES ART IS EXCITED TO PRESENT

THE SCULPTURES OF

MICHAEL ALFANO,

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 AT 1:30

Please join us as Michael takes us on a visit to the Foundry where he is creating the life size sculpture, a replica of the original 1960 bronze work by renowned sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, which celebrates Sybil Ludington, a 16 year old American Revolutionary War heroine who rode 40 miles through the night in 1777 to warn local militiamen of a British attack.

Michael is a professional artist for over twenty-five years. He creates figurative-based philosophical and evocative fine art sculpture and public art. His work is in galleries, private collections, parks and museums worldwide.



Click here before noon on Tuesday, September 22, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

THEATER LOVERS

PURPOSE

AT THE CALDERWOOD

SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 at 2:00 PM

Wait List Only

Winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play and a smash hit on Broadway, Purpose is the explosive and wildly entertaining new play from Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, diving headlong into the life of a prominent and influential political dynasty. 

Encircled by civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen for decades, the Jasper family is a foundational pillar of Black American society. That is, until their youngest son returns home with an unexpected dinner guest, and their carefully curated existence begins to fracture. Don’t miss this searing and hilarious exploration of faith, class, ambition, and heritage — what The Washington Post called “a feast of jaw-dropping tea and riveting food for thought.” 

The LLAIC Dinner Theater Committee is holding a limited number of “best seats in the house” for the October 11th matinee production of Purpose at the Calderwood Theater in Boston. If you would like us to reserve a ticket for you, please send $20 to Shelly Levine (instructions on the attached registration form) as well as the completed registration by Friday September 18th. Tickets are available to LLAIC members only, and that means spouses as well!

CURRENT EVENTS

Friday, September 25 @ 10:00 AM

Led by Don Bermont

Due to so many new technologies, America and the world have become aware that many significant events are happening everywhere all the time. In our discussion, we will try to keep track of them, how they impact us, and what we can expect. Some of the important topics are the fates of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the safety of Artificial Intelligence, the effects of the high price of diesel fuel, the tariffs on Canada, the midterm election predictions, and yet another look at the Trump-Putin connection. Hopefully, we will not be deterred by out-of-control bots.

Newcomers are always welcome to this erudite and forceful group. Click here before noon on Thursday, September 24, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

FRENCH CONVERSATION

GROUP

Monday September 28 @ 1:30 PM

On April 13, we started reading short stories from the book French Stories/Contes Francais: A Dual-Language Book, edited by Wallace Fowlie. We’ve started with the first story, Micromégas, by Voltaire. 

You can see a link to the Kindle version of the book on Amazon here. Once there, you can click a box on the right to order it in paperback. CAUTION: There are other similar DUAL LANGUAGE books edited by Wallace Fowlie. Be sure to buy the edition with “Ten Short Stories by Voltaire, Balzac, Gide, Camus …” et. al., available from Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.



The complete list of stories is included in the description. You can see the actual table of contents by clicking on the “Read sample” link just below the picture of the book’s cover. It seems to take you to the FORWARD; if so, you must click the < arrow on the left side to move back through the table. You can also scan to the right and read almost all of the first story, 

We meet for an hour and a half by ZOOM every other Monday at 1:30 p.m. We are intermediate to advanced French readers who read the French text out loud and discuss the stories in French. Please email Betty Salzberg if you would like to join us. 

SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP

(LA TERTULIA)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 @ 1:00 PM

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.

LLAIC LIT-LOVERS

FRIDAY, October 9, 2026 @10:30 AM

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Discussion to be led by Pat Cole

This novel tells of an elderly man named Theo who moves to a small town called Golden. The story explores themes of kindness, connection, and the transformative power of generosity within a community.

November 13: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Led by Sandy Grasfield

December 11: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Led by Herb Chasan

Learn more about LLAIC at www.llaic.org

Call us: (508) 453-1205

Write us: info@llaic.org

Editor: Phyllis Cohen

Production Manager: Alex Conn

Contributing Editor: Shelly Levine