COURSES TAUGHT

“Talking ‘Bout My Generation: The 1960s”
Fall 2023
This course compares “Gen Z” with the “Boomers,” considering how these two generations compare in terms of values, beliefs, and attitudes. We’ll examine the cultural and political climate of the 1960s, a time of significant upheaval in American society that confronted civil rights, women’s liberation, and the Vietnam War, and also explore how your generation is confronting a range of challenges, such as climate change, gun control, and racial justice. We’ll spend time discussing the artistic and societal transformations that occurred across music, art, and fashion. Then, we’ll turn our attention to the youth of today and explore the different social, political, and cultural issues that shape your worldview. Icons like Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, and Muhammad Ali (among others) were considered voices of their generation; which popular figures today serve these roles for you? We’ll also consider how technology has impacted the way we interact, then and now.

“Creativity in Culture: How Art Shaped the 20^th Century”
Spring 2024
This course takes a deep dive into History (mostly American, mostly the 20thCentury), and explore how creativity (via the arts) responds to it and, in some cases, changes the way we understand ourselves. We'll pay particular attention to how, at times, the media is more like entertainment and the arts function more like straight news. Starting in 1900, we'll proceed, decade by decade, identifying—and celebrating— examples of how those in creative spaces helped shape and inform popular culture. By identifying, exploring, and discussing these works, students will be able to articulate the ways history shapes culture—and vice versa.