The Official Start to Summer

Several weeks back, we kicked off the unofficial start of summer with Memorial Day. And, this past weekend, seemingly out of nowhere, the summer solstice came around and here we are smack dab into summer. I have been thinking a lot about time and how we travel through it. Hopping into the wood-paneled time-travel station wagon, we ride forward on a path that might be hilly or flat, loopy or straight. But we move ahead. As we get going, we pick up speed and fly down the road. Sometimes, it’s like driving the main strip of a touristy beach town. We see what looks to be the same stuff pop up again and again. New Year’s Day, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, miniature golf, tee shirt shop, ice cream stand, and so on. Having these familiar mileposts as we bend along the uncharted road makes us feel safe enough to keep on going. Lately, calendars seem to have no meaning. A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I invited his parents to dinner out on the deck to celebrate Father’s Day. It just so happened that we were a week early. Oops—happy Flag Day instead! In an unusual year, time still goes by and my guess is it will just seem like yesterday the next time we all see each other.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

The Osher News & Notes e-newsletter will be moving to a bi-weekly schedule for the summer in preparation for our Zoom into Summer program and the Fall Semester.

Please continue to check your email for updates from Osher staff in between newsletters.

Membership fees directly impact our ability to provide excellent programming and an excellent value to our participants. The 2020–21 membership fee remains at $50 per person and includes participation in Zoom Into Summer, our summer program, at no additional fee. Contact Shelby Jones with any questions at sjones@towson.edu.

Join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted, June 30–August 13. Explore a wide range of topics in 14 lectures. Nearly all will be delivered live with time for Q&A. A few will be pre-recorded with complementary ancillary materials to enhance your experience. VIEW LECTURE DESCRIPTIONS (PDF)

Registration

This year's summer session is offered at no additional cost to current Osher members. If you haven't yet renewed your 2020–2021 membership, CLICK HERE TO RENEW today.

We hope you’ll enjoy the last in our spring series of free lectures. You are able to view past lectures on the Osher website and by scrolling down to the list of previous lectures.

What is it about the Number 4? with Ellen O’Brien

In today’s world, no one wants to be #4. You can’t win a gold medal or an election or even a Scrabble game by coming in at #4. In fact, there are no 4th floor elevators in South Korea. To the contrary, the valedictorian is #1. Lamar Jackson is #1. And so is Beyoncé. Now, what is it about those 4s in history, literature, and art? We will start right at the dawn of civilization in Sumer to see how all of this began. Who was their 4th god? Hint: it was the god of destruction and thunderstorms. After looking at the ancient polytheistic gods and goddesses of Egypt, Babylon, and Greece, we will look at the 4s in the monotheism of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Then there were the early #4 kings in France, England, and Germany. But who is in Dante’s 4th circle of hell? Who tells Chaucer’s 4th tale? What is Michelangelo’s 4th work? And, what is Shakespeare’s 4th play? You will never look at the #4 the same way again. VIEW LECTURE

Ellen O’Brien holds a B.A. from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, Minnesota, an M.L.A. from the Johns Hopkins University, a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, and an M.A. from St. Mary’s University and Seminary. She practiced law for thirty years while also continuing her theological studies, primarily in the area of the Hebrew Bible. She has taught four previous courses for Osher at Towson University, the most recent being The Exodus.

More lectures

• Master of Glassblowing: Lino Tagliapietra with Howard Cohen

• Dashiell Hammett: In Baltimore and Beyond with Bill Barry

• Dust Bowl with Rex Rehfeld

• Georges Seurat and Pointillism with Joseph Paul Cassar

• The Jersey Boys—Oh What a Night! with Ellen Katz

• Casablanca (1942) and the Films it Influenced with Peter Lev

• The Rise of Benny Goodman with Seth Kibel

• Holocaust Remembrance: Connecting Memory and Responsibility with Jon Aaron

Do you have pets keeping you company? Do you have a recipe to show off? Do you have beautiful flowers in your garden? Send us a picture— and tell us a little bit about the photo. We’ll share some responses in an upcoming newsletter and on our Facebook page. Bonus if you’re also in the picture! Email us at osher@towson.edu.

Our newsletter and member engagement activities made it into the Osher National Resource Center newsletter. TAKE A LOOK