Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning

Established by Dunbar Abston in 1987, The Lore of Literature series offers opportunities to discuss literary works across diverse historical periods and to consider how and why they matter for us today.

Homer’s Odyssey
Professor Scott Garner
Tuesdays, January 20, 27, February 3, 10; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

This four-week sequence will investigate the text and traditions of Homer’s Odyssey as we endeavor to understand how this epic was meaningful in its own time and continues to resonate for us today. In order to organize our discussion more efficiently and also accommodate those who are unable to attend all four sessions, each week will focus on a particular portion of the epic, but our topics will range broadly according to participant background and interest. Whether you know the poem so well that you could recite it in the style of the ancient bards or are coming to this text for the very first time, you should find our discussions quite meaningful and productive! For the fullest engagement, participants should obtain Richmond Lattimore’s translation. A reading schedule will be provided in advance. Register for individual sessions or the full series as your schedule allows. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

Real Uncanny: the Fiction of Karen Russell
Professor Amy Benson
Monday, February 23, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 

In this class, you will read a selection of short stories by Karen Russell, MacArthur Award-winning author of Swamplandia, The Antidote, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, and St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. Russell is acclaimed for mixing elements of the supernatural with troubled environmental and social landscapes. We will examine the hard truths she tells about coming of age as a misfit in an America that often tries to forget its history. Class participants will have the opportunity for reserved seating together at Karen Russell’s free and public reading on February 25 at 5 pm, McCallum Ballroom, in the Bryan Campus Life Center. Readings will be provided in advance as PDFs. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

An Evening of Shakespeare 
Professor Stephanie Elsky
Wednesday, March 18; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom) $40 

Professor Stephanie Elsky, director of the Pearce Shakespeare Endowment, and Dr. Musa Gurnis, Associate Director of The Private Theatre Company, will lead a special, one-night class focused on selected scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. Readings will be provided to participants in advance.  
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina
Professor Alexandra Kostina
Thursdays, March 19, 26, April 9, 16; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

Anna Karenina, the source of the most iconic phrase “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” does not need an introduction. A sprawling masterpiece, Tolstoy’s novel offers a rich aesthetic experience. Yes, it is a love story, but more so a novel that invites readers to ponder the intricacies of human relationships, the complexities of the human psyche, and the enduring impact of our choices on our lives. Tolstoy’s writing is elegant, immersing readers in the opulent salons of 19th-century St. Petersburg and the rustic beauty of the Russian countryside. The themes he explores—love, family, faith, morality, and societal expectations—will always remain relevant. Participants should obtain the novel in advance. A reading schedule will be provided ahead of time. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

Perfect for educators, leaders, and all who care about education today, _Teaching and Learning for our Future _provides a continuation of an engaging series on some of today’s most urgent educational challenges and introduces a new course that bridges the science of learning with the practice of teaching.

Educational Challenges 
Professor Marcus Pohlmann 
Wednesdays, January 21, 28, February 4, 11; 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

This series will focus on the challenges of K-12 education today, with questions such as: How best to evaluate teacher and school success? What are the pros and cons of school vouchers and charter schools? Is cyber schooling the future of education? Is there a teacher shortage, and if so, why? Are teachers adequately compensated? Do teacher unions do more harm than good?
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• January 21: Vouchers and Home Schooling                                     
• January 28: Charter and Cyber Schools                                 
• February 4: Teacher Trends and Evaluations
• February 11: Teacher Compensation and Unions

The Science of Learning: Applying Cognitive Research to Teaching and Training
Professor Geoffrey Maddox
Mondays, April 13, 20, 27; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

This course bridges cognitive science and professional practice, exploring how research on learning and memory can inform effective teaching, training, and leadership. Participants will examine how attention, motivation, and metacognition influence learning outcomes and will apply evidence-based strategies to enhance knowledge retention and skill development. Designed for educators, trainers, and organizational leaders, this three-week course emphasizes translating research into practical tools to improve learning experiences and performance in educational and workplace settings. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• April 13: Spaced and interleaved learning
• April 20: Retrieval practice to enhance learning
• April 27: Student and instructor metacognition

A compelling new series grounded in the liberal arts, Understanding the Earth We Share opens diverse and meaningful pathways for responding to today’s climate crisis, through science and economics as well as literature and writing.

The AI Revolution and its Environmental Impact on People and Planet
Professor David Rupke
Thursdays, January 22, 29; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

In the past year, Memphis headlines have been filled with AI-driven businesses arriving in the area. Meanwhile, AI and climate change top the news everywhere. We will dive into the intersection between the massive investments in AI and the global environment. We will explore how the AI boom and data centers impact the Earth’s climate, amid their other vectors of potential promise and peril. We will then look closer to home at the effects of these businesses on Memphis. xAI and similar companies are hungry consumers of energy and water: what impact does this consumption have on the communities in which these companies are sited? 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20. 

• January 22: AI and the climate
• January 29: xAI and the environment of Memphis 

Reading and Writing with Water
Professor Gretchen E. Henderson, Spence L. Wilson Distinguished Professor in Humanities 
Monday, March 23; 5:30–7:30 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40

Human bodies are largely comprised of water, as is the planet. In the climate crisis, reports of aquatic catastrophes from floods to droughts increasingly swirl. Yet water remains life-giving, quencher of thirst, and nutrient of seeds and soil, aquifer and bay, stream and tide. In this reading and writing workshop, we reimagine the liquid presence of water in our words—poetry, nonfiction, fiction, between and beyond—rippling between lines and sentences, paragraphs and poetics of place, even pulsing under our skins. This class may be taken on its own or as a complement to an independent and asynchronous Seed Retreat, also designed by Gretchen E. Henderson, for further engagement with your ecological home. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 12. 

History and Power examines the complexities of global power dynamics that often go unconsidered. Meeman students in this series will learn about the generation preceding more famous figures such as Cicero and Caesar, and to understand (and even taste!) foods involved in transcontinental trade.

Taste and Power: Asia and Global Foodways 
Professor Han Li 
Mondays, January 26, February 2, 9; 5:30–7:00 p.m. 
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall), $40 

This class positions Asia as a pivotal hub in the historical and contemporary transcontinental and transnational flows of food, exploring how the movement of food both into and out of Asia has connected regions and cultures across the globe. It examines how these exchanges and “inter-connectedness” have shaped human experiences, societal development, and cultural identities. This series of classes will look into “Rice and Spices,” “Tea,” and the making of “ethnic” food cultures in contemporary societies, particularly in North America. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• January 26: Rice and Spices
• February 2: Tea
• February 9: Asian “Ethnic” Foods

The Republic of Sulla
Professor Susan Satterfield
Tuesdays, February 17, 24, March 3; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

Most people are familiar with the last generation of the Roman Republic—characters like Pompey, Caesar, Cicero, and Brutus. This class will examine the previous generation, when Lucius Cornelius Sulla became the first man to march on Rome. Sulla slaughtered many Roman citizens and completely transformed the Republican constitution. This course will examine the problems leading up to Sulla’s takeover, his actions as dictator, and the aftermath of his rule. In the process, we will consider what changes might have preserved the Republic, why his new constitution was quickly dismantled, and what Sulla’s impacts were on the subsequent generation. Readings will be provided as PDFs. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

​​Drawing insights from religious studies, archaeology, history, and oral tradition, Religious Figures in History and Legend explores narratives of Jesus and King David as well as lesser-known local saints from ancient texts through the Middle Ages and even into our present moment.

The World of King David
Professor Patrick Harris
Thursdays, February 12, 19, 26, March 5; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

Shepherd, poet, fugitive, conqueror, murderer: David is one the most pivotal figures of the Hebrew Bible, revered across the Abrahamic faiths as an ideal king, prophet, or messianic forerunner. This course takes an interdisciplinary look at what historians, archaeologists, and Biblical critics can tell us about this complex and contradictory figure. While examining the Biblical texts—focusing on one of the ancient world’s masterpieces of theological–literary narrative, the Book of Samuel—we will also explore the wider world of the Iron Age Levant with attention to geography, regional history, culture, and comparative ancient religion. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• February 12: The Historical David as Problem
• February 19: Rise to Power
• February 26: King in Zion
• March 5: Tragedy and Legacy 

Storied Saints: The Timeless Legends of Three Medieval Women
Professor Lori Garner
Mondays, March 16, 30, April 6; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session

Reading selections from historical and literary works such as Bede’s History of the English People, the South English Legendary, and the Old English Martyrology, our class will focus on three abbesses who ruled double monasteries in 7th-century England. But the legends that grew up around these women in the Middle Ages and into our modern era are far more intriguing than their roles as “abbess” might suggest. Numerous accounts credit Hild with freeing her community of snakes by hurling them off the seaside cliff and turning them to stone. Prior to founding the monastery in Oxford on the site of what is now Christ Church Cathedral, Frideswide is said to have escaped the sexual violence of an unwanted princely suitor by taking a boat up the Thames River, sustaining herself and two companions while hiding in the woods, and ultimately securing Oxford’s protection from domineering kings. Married to a king for political reasons, Etheldreda fled her second husband to fulfill her wish to become nun, and her staff is said to have grown into a shady protective tree that hid her from enemies and shielded her from the sun. Across these three weeks, we will explore together the power of stories and storytelling to shape community identity across time and place. Readings will be provided in advance as PDFs.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20. 

• March 16: Hild of Whitby
• March 30: Etheldreda of Ely
• April 6: Frideswide of Oxford

Imagining Jesus Across Time and Space
Professor Sarah Rollens
Thursdays, April 23, 30; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session

There is a veritable cottage industry in New Testament scholarship devoted to assessing the historicity of early Christian writings to reveal who the historical Jesus “really” was. While this is an important historical question, there have been countless other depictions of Jesus that, whether intentionally or not, go beyond the meager historical evidence that we have for him. These later representations of Jesus are categorized as the “reception history” of the figure of Jesus, and, though these moments of “translation” do not tell us anything about the historical Jesus himself, they nevertheless reveal how different individuals and groups have creatively and enthusiastically imagined him throughout history. Accordingly, this course looks at a selection of texts in the reception history of Jesus in order to explore the long-standing interest that various people have had in him, leading them to infuse their understanding of him with their particular interests and concerns. As we will see, each representation, whether textual or visual, treats the figure of Jesus as a screen onto which cultural hopes, values, and anxieties are projected. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• April 23: Ancient and medieval texts
• April 30: Modern-day works

Explorations in Modern Media examines the power of media technologies to impact change, from the enduring legacy of Hitchcock’s films through the evolution of political advertising in United States campaigns.

A Hitchcock Festival
Professor Valeria Nollan 
Tuesdays, March 24, 31, April 7; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

Have you ever wondered why director Alfred Hitchcock’s films remain so compelling and enduring? Unlock some of the secrets of his much-celebrated filmmaking in this course. We will examine three important films by Hitchcock that occupy a permanent place in twentieth-century cinema history. Participants should plan to watch the films on their own in advance of each class. For fullest engagement, participants are encouraged to purchase Alfred Hitchcock (2017) by Peter Ackroyd. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.

• March 24: Rebecca (1940)
• March 31: Vertigo (1958)
• April 7: North by Northwest (1959) 

Political Advertising Through the Ages
Professor Thomas Goodman
Tuesdays, April 14, 21, 28; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session 

In this three-session course, we will explore the evolution of political advertising in US campaigns and elections. Despite transformational changes in technology and communication, the principles of political advertising remain remarkably consistent over the ages. This course examines what makes for effective advertising. It traces the role of advertising from the founding era to the digital era. We predominantly focus on campaign music, television commercials, and digital adverts. The first session spans the 1790s to the late nineteenth century, the early years and subsequent explosion of popular campaign tunes. The second session spans the late nineteenth century to the 1940s, with the dwindling of popular music and the emergence of issue-based campaigns. The third session spans the 1950s to 2024, witnessing the start of the television age and the subsequent emergence of the digital age. 
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.