Literature & Writing

Regina Wackerman, MFA, instructor

Embark on a read-and-discuss exploration of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, one of the most celebrated novels ever written. Reading this epic together brings its characters, history, and timeless questions about love, war, and family, and meaning into sharper focus. Each monthly session will cover a set portion of the text with guided context and conversation. No prior experience with Russian literature is needed – just curiosity and a willingness to journey through a masterpiece one step at a time. Please bring the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation.

Monday, February 23, March 23, April 27, May 18, 10:30am – 12pm, $99

4 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-123

Pat Whitehead, librarian

How is the male psyche depicted in contemporary short fiction? Let’s look at four stories – by men, about men – that artfully explore the minds and actions of men in a variety of settings and situations. These award-winning authors share with us a peek inside what’s going on today with men under duress. Be prepared to encounter drugs, sex, male friendship, loneliness and alienation, alongside a young burgeoning masculinity. Stories will be emailed to students before the first class and include:

Victory Lap, George Saunders
The Clancy Kid, Colin Barrett
Outcomes, Natan Blum
Plaster, David Szalay

Wednesday, March 4-25, 10:30am – 12pm, $99

4 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-124

Discover how timeless mythic pattern shape stories across cultures and centuries. Inspired by Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, come trace the “hero’s journey” from ancient epics to modern film and literature. Explore how civilizations from Greece and Egypt to India and Asia used the same archetypes found in today’s narratives – from The Odyssey to Star Wars, Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and more. Examine classic and contemporary works that follow this universal story structure and uncover parallels with participants’ own favorites. Readings will be emailed prior to class.

Tuesday, April 7 & 14, 10:30am – 12pm, $69

2 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-125

Program supported through the generosity of The Friends of Lifelong Learning

Few writers have shaped modern thought as profoundly as Eric Arthur Blair – better known as George Orwell. A novelist, essayist, and journalist, Orwell’s piercing insight into politics, power, and truth has made his name shorthand for the dangers of authoritarianism. In this course, we’ll explore his life and ideas through key essays and fiction, including his landmark novel 1984. We’ll consider how his moral clarity and Uncompromising critique of society continue to influence the way we think and write about language, freedom, and public lift.

Wednesday, April 22-May 6, 10:30am – 12pm, $89

3 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-126

Discover the life and work of Mary Oliver, one of America’s most beloved nature poets. Known for her vivid reflections of the natural world and her profound reflections on life, Oliver became the best-selling poet in the United States. Explore her early years in Ohio, her formative time at Edna St. Vincent Millay’s estate, her emergence as a published poet in the 1960s, and the celebrated collections that followed. We’ll also discuss her most enduring poems – including Wild Geese, When Death Comes, and Invitation and consider what makes her voice resonate so widely. Readings will be emailed prior to class.

Tuesday, May 12 & 19, 10:30am – 12pm, $69

2 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-127

Dillies Pilevsky, English & history instructor

Short stories, timeless in their magical ability to help make human connections with an author, his or her narrative, each other, and our life experience, will be read, discussed and analyzed. PDFs of short stories will be emailed prior to the first class. 3 SESSIONS

Dates To Be Announced

Via Zoom, $59

3 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XHUML-128

You have a story that wants to be told – how will you tell it? Be guided through the art of the creative memoir, and you find your unique voice. Through in-class discussions, writing exercises, and practical tools, explore your experiences and shape them into a compelling narrative.

Saturday, February 14-28, 9:30am – 11:30am, $79

3 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XWRIT-087

Learn the fundamentals of writing for stage, screen, and audio, including plays, TV series, screenplays, and audio dramas. Explore story structure, character development, and the basics of marketing your work. You’ll have the opportunity to create and develop a short script during the course.

Saturday, April 11 & 18, 9:30am – 12:30pm, $79

2 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XWRIT-088

Poetry helps us understand ourselves, connect with others, and express what ordinary language can’t. This course explores poetic forms from early ballads to modern styles, approaching poems as tools for reflection and communication rather than puzzles to decode. We’ll read works by writers such as Lewis Carroll, Shakespeare, Basho, Mary Oliver, Marie Howe, Rainer Maria Rike, and Nikki Giovanni, and students will experiment with forms including haiku, free verse, and confessional poetry. No experience is needed – just curiosity and a willingness to write. Readings will be emailed prior to class.

Tuesday, June 9-23, 10:30am – 12pm, $79

3 Sessions

Register HERE (search by course code or title) or call us at 732-224-2315

Search Course Code: XWRIT-089