SESSION I: November 8, 15, 22; December 6, 13, 20; January 3, 10, 17, 24

SESSION II: January 31; February 7, 14, 28; March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10

Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Opening with the 15th Century and the age of exploration, the course explores the lives and social circumstances of twenty individuals whose work and ideas still impact us today.

The course illustrates the impact an individual can have on world history, while also honoring the imagination, genius, and courage of those who formed our culture.

The course includes an overview of fundamental inventions such as the rudder (which allowed world exploration) and the magnifying glass (which launched a new understanding of nature and disease). It will also include an overview of political, social, and cultural leaders, such as Sir Francis Drake, Oliver Cromwell, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johann Sebastian Bach, and important and diverse writers from William Shakespeare to Voltaire.

Juliette de Marcellus is a prize-winning music critic and lecturer. She has translated and edited her father’s two books, Atlas of Man andAtlas of Language. De Marcellus was a music critic for Cox newspapers and for magazines, including Opera News.