All DavidsonLearns courses are open to the public, and meet four or five times, at various community locations. For more information and to register please visit http://www.davidsonlearns.org/winter-2014.html

Tony Abbott

Introduction to the Writing of Poetry – In this class we will study the critical elements of poetry: imagery and metaphor; form–both traditional form and free verse; the sound, music and rhythm of verse; and the process of revision. Class members may bring a poem to be critiqued to each session. We will divide our time between the study of poetry and the analysis of your poems.

• Instructor: Dr. Tony Abbott
• Meets on Tuesdays from 10:00AM to 12:30PM – January 14, 21, 28, February 4, and 11.

Joyce Dalsheim

Narratives and Conflicts: The Case of Israel and Palestine – This course is about why the stories we tell matter in situations of conflict and in struggles for peace and social justice. The class begins by thinking about the narrative as a form of communicating in order to examine its importance in situations of ethnic, national, or international conflict. We use the case of Israel and Palestine to consider why the narrative has come to matter so much and how it can be used in both conflict and resolution.

• Instructor: Dr. Joyce Dalsheim
• Meets on Sundays from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM – February 2, 9, 16, and 23.

Building OUR Family Tree – From Adam and Eve to Your Family – This course is designed to give students an appreciation of the modern science of Human Evolution, through tracing of our DNA as a species, and being able to answer the question “where did I come from” as an individual, through the use of geological tools available on-line.  We start with human evolution, going back over 100,000 years, and end with your individual ancestry – your family.  This is a course for those interested in genealogy at a basic level, to learn how to research your family history and how to put your family tree together using on-line resources.  No previous experience or knowledge of genealogy is required.  The first two weeks explore the “genesis” of all humans alive today, through the study of DNA and the human genome research. Students can bring their own computer (wireless connection to Internet will be provided) to work along with the instructor to explore and to learn how to use some of the more popular resources for ancestry research.

• Instructor: Jim Lane
• Meets on Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to Noon – February 12, 19, 26, March 5, and 12.

The Romance of Traditional and Independent Publishing – The class is geared towards aspiring fiction writers and others with an interest in the romance novel genre.  Instruction and advice will cover character development, writing taboos, electronic vs. print publishing and more.  The instructor will share experiences writing for traditional houses and how those experiences compare and contrast to her independent publishing endeavors.  Any reading materials will be provided by the instructor.  Students are encouraged to bring writing tools (journals, pens, computers, etc.) for note taking and further exploration of online writing resources that will be referenced during class.

• Instructor: AlTonya Washington
• Meets on Wednesdays from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM – January 15, 22, 29, Feb 5, and 12.