In Search of the First Americans

Exploring Paleoindian Archaeology in North America

Discover the archaeology of Paleoindians in North America. Paleoindians are the first people in North America, and they entered the region by at least 14,000 years ago. Review the history of Paleoindian research in North America, to develop a foundation for understanding how the discipline has evolved with new methods and discoveries. Explore archaeological discoveries that address the question of when, where, and how people first migrated to North America. Examine at the different Paleoindian chronologies and cultures found in the archaeological record. Students will become familiar with the debates and current research concerning the first Americans and will develop an understanding of the regional variations that develop in the North American archaeological record between 14,000 to 9,000 years ago.

Optional Zoom Orientation: Oct 1, 10:00-10:30am


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Broadway, Up with A Twist!

It’s happy hour with Richard Hanson and you’re invited!

Each week sit back, relax and enjoy a cocktail with the composers of the Great American Songbook: George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, and Frank Loesser. The way we party may have changed, but the music of the great tunesmiths of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley continue to be our comfort food. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me!” So, get out that cocktail shaker and R.S.V.P to reserve your table at Chez Hanson! In the words of Cole Porter, Broadway, Up with A Twist! will be De-Lovely

Session 1: It’s De-Lovely! Martinis with Cole Porter
Session 2: Blue Skies! Old Fashioneds with Irving Berlin
Session 3: Get Happy! French 75s with Harold Arlen
Session 4: My Funny Valentine! Gimlets w/ Rodgers & Hart
Session 5: Heart & Soul! Daquiris with Frank Loesser
Session 6: ‘S Wonderful! Manhattans with George and Ira Gerswhin


Instructor: Richard T. Hanson

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Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt

The Giants of Romantic Piano Music

Join pianist Alex Tentser for an exploration of the Golden Age of piano literature through the music of Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, and Liszt. In this series combining lectures with sparkling piano performances by the instructor, you’ll learn about the foundation of modern piano technique, the poetic, philosophical and spiritual influences of the composers, the origins of forms such as Impromptus, Preludes, Nocturnes and Ballades and more.


Instructor: Alexander Tentser

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Black Poetry Lives: Contemporary Matters

Charles Alexander

Since early in America’s poetry, black poets have been active and crucial voices in the literary scene. Yet they have also been, for most of the nation’s history, underappreciated, sometimes even unseen. When Gwendolyn Brooks won the first Pulitzer Prize given to a black poet in 1955, it was a kind of culmination of a movement that included Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance poets, and was at a time when some of these poets found a freeer and more appreciative home outside the USA. Since the late 1960s we have seen a consistent renewal and flow of black poetry, influenced by American culture, Afro-Caribbean themes and rhythms, the history of black people in the Americas, and diasporic histories from Africa. In recent years black poetry has both led and chronicled aspects of our moment, fraught in all its difficulty. Black lives certainly matter, and some of the matter they express has taken place in some of the most brilliant and innovative poetry of our time.

The course will combine presentation of recent poetry by black writers, including readings by the poets, and readings of their work; brief lectures; and time for discussion.  Poets we will witness include major prize winners and underground voices, page explorers and vocal performers, poets ranging in age from 30 to 70. They are Claudia Rankine, Will Alexander, Erica Hunt, Tracie Morris, Tyehimba Jess, and giovanni singleton.


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A Feast for the Senses – Giving Life to Frankenstein

Giving Life to Frankenstein

Doug Levy

Hosted by chef Doug Levy at Feast, an independent Tucson restaurant offering innovative cuisine and a unique wine shop, this series will connect the culinary arts to the performing arts.  Virtual lunch dates featuring cooking demonstrations of dishes created to compliment the dance, theatre and music presented will feed both hearts and minds. Special dishes created for this series will be on the Feast menu during the week of each session. Proceeds from this series will support our partners in the arts. These on-demand video presentations will be available for viewing for one week following the date of release.

Monday, Nov 2 
Giving Life to Frankenstein The Story of Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was a novelist, intellectual and outcast of the 19th century. Married to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, she famously wrote Frankenstein at the age of 18. In this talk, we will explore her history, her influences, and various interpretations of Frankenstein since its publication in 1818.
Instructor: Cynthia Meier (Rogue Theatre)

More Feast for the Senses

A Feast for the Senses – Mozart’s Menu – Nov 9

A Feast for the Senses – When Music and Movement Collide – Nov 16

 

In partnership with the University of Arizona
School of Dance, Tucson Symphony Orchestra
and The Rogue Theatre.


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The Universe According to Ancient Egyptians

Meet Ra, the god of the sun and first pharaoh of the world, Osiris, the god of the underworld, Anubis who helped Isis create the first mummy and other Egyptian deities as you discover the pantheon of gods and goddesses who composed the rich tapestry of ancient Egyptian religious belief. Learn about the fundamental spiritual and supernatural concepts that linked together nearly four millennia of life along the Nile River.

Session 1: Intro to ancient Egypt and the Afterlife
Session 2: Nature of the Gods and Creation Myths
Session 3: Emergence of Religion and the Sun God
Session 4: Kingship, Osiris and the Sun God
Session 5: Amun and Atten


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Food for Thought – From Translator to Traitor

David Yetman and Janos Wilder

A virtual lunch date hosted by David Yetman, host of In the Americas and The Desert Speaks on PBS and Janos Wilder, recipient of the James Beard Award and chef/owner of Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails.

Friday, Nov 6, Noon – 1:30 pm (AZ time)
From Translator to Traitor: La Malinche as a Feminist Icon in the Borderlands
La Malinche, Malintzin, was a Nahua young woman, who is often impugned for her role as translator and advisor to Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conqueror of Mexico in 1519.  History has continued to hold her captive, mythologizing her so much that to be called Malinchista is equivalent to being named a traitor to one’s culture.  Why is this cultural icon disparaged and can a feminist critique help us to understand how that debasement continues to imprint the borderlands?
Instructor: Emma Pèrez

Co-sponsored by the University of Arizona
Southwest Center and the Desert
Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill.

Southwest Center

 


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