10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Courses

  • Lectures on Diverse Topics

    WWLL is fortunate to have access to distinguished people who volunteer their time and expertise to give lectures on an eclectic array of topics.

    Course Organizers: This course was organized by Ann Dolbear, Stephen Engler, Louise Leger, Barbara Mason, and Bruce Belason. The Zoom host is Bill Cohen.

    Below is a summary of dates, lecture titles, and speakers. For the entire lecture description and speaker bio, click on the “+” symbol to the right of the course title. To hide the information accessed, click again on either the lecture title or the “+” sign to the right of the title.

    • September 8

      On March 5, 1770, near the Custom House in Boston, a large unruly crowd of Bostonians confronted a group of seven British soldiers and their leader, Captain Thomas Preston. Shots were fired on the group of civilians, killing five men, including Crispus Attucks, and wounding six. Paul Revere turned out an engraving of "The Bloody Massacre" purporting to show the event, which became one of the most famous images of the American Revolution. The event was quickly characterized as "The Boston Massacre" by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty and became a major issue in the political turmoil leading to the Declaration of Independence.

      Captain Preston and the seven soldiers were all indicted for murder. The defendants were hard-pressed to find legal counsel given how unpopular the presence of British troops had become in Boston. Fortunately for them, John Adams, Josiah Quincy, and Robert Auchmuty, all Whigs opposed to British Government policies, agreed to represent them. Two trials were held. Captain Preston's case was severed from the others, and he was acquitted in the first trial. The seven lower ranking soldiers were tried together in the second trial; five were acquitted and two were found guilty of manslaughter.

      Adams's law practice suffered because of his taking the case. Yet he later declared that “the part I took in the defense of Captain Preston and the soldiers procured me anxiety and obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly, and disinterested actions of my whole life, and one of the best pieces of service I ever rendered my country. Judgment of death against those soldiers would have been a foul stain upon this country…. As the evidence was, the verdict of the jury was exactly right.”

      What was the evidence and how good was John Adams as a trial lawyer? Was his assessment of the case correct? Do the Boston Massacre trials still hold an important place in America's legal history? How do today's lawyers view the episode?

      Speaker: Attorney Thomas J. Carey, Jr. holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Boston College, a Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School, and a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the Supreme Court Bar. Tom's legal career includes government service, private practice, law teaching, and public speaking on various legal subjects.

      He is the co-author of a book on Massachusetts Appellate Practice and has had a long association with BC Law as an award-winning student, faculty member, and coach of several moot court teams.

      Tom has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) for over 50 years, working toward meaningful legal reforms within the legislature and the judiciary. In recent years, as Chair of the MBA's Amicus Curiae Committee, he has served as lead or co-author on several MBA amicus briefs in support of judicial independence and access to justice.

      He is a Brandeis Life Fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. In 2021, the Massachusetts Bar Association presented Tom with its prestigious President's Award "for his selfless dedication, leadership, and service to the MBA and the Massachusetts legal community".

      In 2024, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame. Tom is a long-time resident of Hingham, where he has been active in civic affairs, including service as a trustee of the Hingham Public Library.

    • September 15

      Larry DiCara ran for mayor over 40 years ago and has been thinking about Boston and the issues it faces for 60 years.

      He will discuss the upcoming mayoral election and suggest a number of issues the candidates must address.

      Speaker: Larry DiCara has been active in the practice of law for almost 50 years. He has also been an active citizen of the Boston community for over 50 years. He served for 10 years on the Boston City Council, and as Council President in 1978.

      He has taught at Harvard, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts. He has lectured across the country and is the author of Turmoil and Transition in Boston: A Memoir of the Busing Era which was published in 2013.

      Larry is also the subject of a yet-to-be released documentary about his role during that era in the City of Boston.

    • September 22

      The Search for the USS Grunion solves the mystery of the fate of the US fleet submarine Grunion, commanded by Mannert L. “Jim” Abele during World War II. The Grunion went missing in 1942 after an encounter with the Japanese, and for more than 60 years, the Abele family had no certain knowledge of where the sub went down or what happened to it.

      But the efforts of Commander Abele's sons—Bruce, Brad and John—finally revealed the fate of the Grunion and its crew, leading to a dramatic discovery in Alaskan waters.

      The Search for the USS Grunion tells this remarkable story of heroism, perseverance and love.

      Speakers: Joe Hunter is owner and producer at Remember Productions, an award-winning video production company.

      He is also founding president of the Newton News Foundation, publisher of The Newton Beacon, a nonprofit digital news site. A veteran of more than 20 years in the field of educational communications, Hunter's prior posts include senior communication management positions at Boston University, Boston College and Curry College, and, most recently Olin College.

      He began his career as a public radio reporter and currently is active as a producer of documentaries and public affairs programming.

    • September 29

      Experts call tropical rainforests the Lungs of the Planet. Join Mark Hopkins and learn why.

      Take a trek with him in one of Amazonia's most pristine forests to see the land and creatures, meet the people, and learn their problems.

      Then explore the reasons why those forests are so critical to our planet's health, and hear about their success (and failures) in meeting staggering challenges for worldwide survival that they currently face.

      Speaker: Mark Hopkins is retired from a career as an advertising agency executive and freelance business writer. After retirement, he acquired his first digital camera and has since had his award-winning art photography featured in many exhibitions and juried competitions.

      Widely traveled and a frequent speaker in the New England area, he has published several books of his photography, nature cartoons, and poetry.

      Mark is a graduate of Brown University.

    • October 6

      Let's talk about the state of "Artificial Intelligence today."

      We'll talk about the latest advancements, how to use it safely, and where it might be going in the next few years.

      Speaker: Robin R. Johnson is a seasoned innovator with expertise in AI and digital storytelling.

      After contributing to major interactive projects at Dreamworks, EA, Disney and Meta, Robin now leads AI innovation at Mixbook, the #1 photobook storytelling company.

      When he's not working, Robin is a proud and active father of two young kids and resides in Newton, MA.

    • October 20

      Pull up a chair, grab a point (or maybe your morning coffee), and settle in for the story of American innovation told through the eyes of 25 entrepreneurs (some living, some dead) as they gather in an imaginary barroom to share their experiences. (Economist Joseph Schumpeter makes a cameo as a bouncer.)

      Written for both entrepreneurs and a general history audience, Innovation on Tap tells stories of innovation from King Camp Gillette's razor blades to Viraj Puri's rooftop hydroponic gardens, and from Eli Whitney's cotton gin to Lin-Manuel Miranda and his Broadway smash, Hamilton.

      Eric will share a few of his favorite stories from the book "Innovation on Tap" and discuss how entrepreneurs can use history to help shape the future and improve their chances of success.

      Speaker: Eric B. Schultz is a retired entrepreneur who served as chair and CEO of Sensitech Inc. until its acquisition by United Technologies. He is a former chair of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Gettysburg Foundation.

      Along with "Innovation on Tap," Eric is the author of four books, including "King Philip's War: The History of Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict," "Weathermakers to the World," and "Food Foolish: The Hidden Connection Between Food Waste, Hunger and Climate Change."

      He holds a B.A. in history from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

    • October 27

      In August of 2024 the Legislature passed the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history. The Affordable Homes Act, a sweeping $5 billion legislative proposal, aimed to address the rising housing cost caused by high demand and limited supply in order to transform the state's housing landscape.

      Following a brief introduction to the Representative and her 20 plus years of service, this presentation explores the key components of the Act, including zoning reform, funding for public and affordable housing, tenant protections, and pathways to homeownership. We will examine how the legislation builds on historic housing policies, what it aims to solve, and the impact it could have on communities across the Commonwealth.

      Speaker: Alice Hanlon Peisch is a lawyer and state representative for the 14th Norfolk District that includes her hometown of Wellesley, the town of Weston, and Precinct 2 in Lincoln. Prior to being in the legislature, she served on and chaired both the Wellesley Advisory and School Committees, and in 2000 was elected Town Clerk. Representative Peisch has been a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since January 2003. She was the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education from 2011-2023, and currently serves as the House Assistant Majority Leader.

      In 2016, U.S. Secretary of Education John King appointed Representative Peisch to serve a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board, Board (the federal agency that oversees “The Nation's Report Card”). She was reappointed to the Board in 2020 serving as Vice Chair and finished her term in 2024.

      Representative Peisch is a graduate of Smith College, Suffolk University Law School, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She is married to Thomas E. Peisch and has three adult children and seven grandchildren.

    • November 3

      For much of the American Revolution, Abigail Adams remained at the family farm in Massachusetts while her husband, John, was away from home serving the American cause.

      Adams shouldered the burden of financially supporting the household and raising four children all while a war threatened the safety and security of her family and community. She regularly wrote to John, sharing the details of everyday life, wartime intelligence, and political views.

      This session explores the life of Adams during the American Revolution, highlighting wartime experiences on the home front, management of the farm, work supporting her family, and correspondence with John, including her famous letter in which she encouraged her husband to “Remember the Ladies” in the creation of the new United States.

      Speaker: Hilary Miller, Ph.D., (she/her) is Chief of Interpretation at Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Massachusetts.

      She has served as a National Park Service park ranger at sites across Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.

      She is a co-founder of Revolutionary Narratives, a collaborative organization of public historians developing projects focused on the U.S. Semiquincentennial.

      Miller received her Ph.D. in American Studies from Pennsylvania State University. Her dissertation focused on the cultural meanings of the National Road, a key trans-Appalachian transportation route in the nineteenth century and first federally funded highway in the UnitedStates. Miller earned her MA in History with a Public History concentration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a BA in History and English from Washington & Jefferson College.

    • November 10

      Screening healthy, asymptomatic people for cancer has saved lives. However, the introduction of these tests has occurred at the same time as advances in treatment, healthier lifestyles and a healthier environment. How much difference does early screening make? Are there any negative consequences? Is screening appropriate for everyone? Both the media and the medical literature tend to report results in ways that may exaggerate effects. This talk will provide clear examples and will educate attendees regarding questions that a patient should understand before having testing.

      Speaker: B. Dale Magee, MD is a retired Obstetrician-Gynecologist who also functioned as President of the Massachusetts Medical Society, Chair of their Quality Measurement and Health Policy Committee, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Worcester and worked as medical director for a private practice multispecialty group.

      Magee spent over 15 years on an Infant Mortality Task Force in Worcester reviewing infant deaths and stillbirths; presenting detailed reports informing the group and the public about what lies behind these tragedies.

      In addition to his medical training, Magee obtained a master's degree mid-career from the Dartmouth Institute in Health Policy, Quality Measurement and Epidemiology.

      He was elected to the Shrewsbury School Committee for four terms retiring in 2022.

    • November 17

      Have you ever wondered who your ancestors were, where they came from, or what hidden stories live in your family line? And then found yourself puzzling over how to organize and share this information?

      In this engaging and practical session, we'll explore the art of researching and preserving your family history, from dusty attics to digital databases and oral traditions to immigration records. You'll learn how to get started, how to organize your findings, and how to navigate common roadblocks.

      Whether you're brand-new to researching your family history or looking to deepen your search, this presentation will equip you with tools, tips, and guiding questions to connect with your past, and maybe even explore your understanding of the present.

      Speaker: Anna Tucker is the executive director at the Framingham History Center, a vibrant nonprofit organization in Framingham, Massachusetts that shares the history of the region through programs, exhibitions, and the preservation of three historic buildings and a 10,000-piece permanent collection.

      Anna Tucker received the 2024 Contributor of the Year award from the Framingham Cultural Council alongside co-curator Patrick St. Pierre for their work on "Framingham's Collective Journeys: Stories of Immigration, 1960-Present." Under her leadership, the Framingham History Center received the 2024 Mass History Commendation from Mass Humanities, the statewide affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which only awards one history commendation per year in the state.

      Prior to her position at the Framingham History Center, Anna served as founding curator of the newly-opened Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) in New Orleans, where she directed the curation of permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as the museum's 4,000-piece permanent collection. Before joining the MSJE, she served as the special projects curator for the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books at Kennesaw State University and subdivision director and executive team member overseeing the Museum of History and Holocaust Education, Bentley Rare Book Museum, and Zuckerman Museum of Art.

      Anna is currently Vice-President for the Framingham Centre Common Cultural District Board of Directors and recently authored "Building a New Museum on the Personal Stories Paradigm" in Storytelling in Museums (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022).

  • Poetry for the People XXIV: Poems of Hope and Resilience

    8 weeks. Sept. 22 – Nov. 17 Poetry For The People XXlV will look for messages of optimism and strength in the poems for the class to discuss and expand upon. Students are encouraged to contribute to the discussions while sharing their thoughts and insights to provide a collective appreciation of the poems.

    Teacher: Charles Kamar has a bachelor's from Boston State and a master's from Boston University. He has taught all secondary grade levels and spent 20 years at Newton North High School. 1n 1998, he won the Paul E. Elicker Award for Excellence in Teaching.

  • Wollen Sie Deutsch Sprechen?

    An hour of conversation for students of German and for German speakers. Basic knowledge of the German language is necessary. We read stories, newspaper/magazine articles and poems. Participants write short essays, which we correct in class and use as a basis to review or teach grammar points. Talents represented in the group make for a lively class.

    Teacher: Renate Olsen, B.A., M.A. New York State University at Albany, has taught English and German in high school. She had a Fulbright scholarship in Germany.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Courses

  • Bright Moments of Jazz & Rock

    This course celebrates the great bands and stars of pop, rock and jazz. We will listen to recordings, watch videos, and talk about a wide variety of musicians and bands. Social, historical, and musical context will be provided. Examples of artists who will be included are Aretha Franklin, Doobie Brothers, Vulfpeck, Beatles, California Honeydrops, Temptations, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, B.B. King, and some Doo-wop thrown in too. We will listen, watch, and discuss the greats. We will look at what it takes for new bands to be successful in the Internet era. You will expand your jazz and rock music appreciation and have fun doing it. Come and share your bright moments!

    Teacher: Tom Doran is a bassist/vocalist who played Soul, Funk, Blues, Jazz and Rock. In retirement he loves to make abstract art. He loves to talk about music so if you do too please join!

  • Notable Supreme Court Cases of 2025

    8 weeks. Sept. 8 – Nov. 10. No class Sept. 15, Oct. 13. This year, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a large number of momentous and potentially divisive cases involving environmental regulation, gun regulation, trans rights, Tik Tok, agency power and, of course, decisions on the "emergency docket" regarding President Trump's executive actions on various matters, such as immigration, birthright citizenship and alleged retaliation against law firms, universities and individuals opposed to his policies. The Supreme Court reversed a death penalty sentence in a prosecutorial misconduct case, which lends itself to a "true crime" narrative approach.

    These decisions raise a number of questions: Did the justices honestly try to determine what the Constitution, precedent and facts require? Or do their decisions just reflect the majority's policy preferences or partisan behavior? Which judges provided "swing votes" and why? Are we undergoing revolutions in modes of legal interpretation and use of the emergency docket? As one justice has said, to answer these questions, we must “read the decision.” Eight of the court's 2025 decisions serve as case studies by raising these questions, among others (we may well have occasion to study others issued as we meet during the fall). We will discuss whether the court's majority stayed within its judicial lane in each case - or whether it jumped existing guardrails or put its thumb on the scales. The instructor will draw on his experience as a recently-retired trial court judge and, previously, a lawyer who briefed and argued cases in state and federal appellate courts, including one U. S. Supreme Court oral argument.

    Teacher: Doug Wilkins recently retired as a judge of the Massachusetts Superior Court, where he served from 2010 to 2023. Before his appointment, he was a partner at the Cambridge law firm of Anderson & Kreiger LLP. He served in several positions with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office from 1983 to 1999, where he argued more than 80 appeals at all levels of the state and federal courts, including numerous briefs and one argument in the U.S. Supreme Court. After receiving his J.D. in 1978, Wilkins clerked in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and was an associate in the Boston law firm of Palmer & Dodge.

  • Novellas

    5 weeks. October 20 – November 17. This course allows discussion of a complete work in a short time. We seek participation by all parties. The stories of these novellas are reflective of human conditions which we all now know comes with the territory of reflection. The Keegan novellas tell Irish family stories with unanswered questions. A Month in the Country is a good, old-fashion country comfortable read. There is a 1987 movie version starring Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth and Natasha Richardson, set in Yorkshire.

    Trust me, these are good titles.

    Please read Foster for the first class. If you're searching for these titles, "bookfinder.com" is an excellent source for purchase of used books.

    1. October 20 Claire Keegan, Foster
    2. October 27 Claire Keegan, Foster and Small Things Like These
    3. November 3 Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These
    4. November 10 J. L. Carr, A Month in the Country
    5. November 17 J. L. Carr, A Month in the Country

    Teacher: Brooks Goddard is a career teacher starting in 1963. He has taught in many schools most notably in Kenya and Wellesley where he was English Department Head for 20 years. He has travelled extensively internationally, reads eclectically, and gardens to exhaustion.

  • Science in the News

    5 weeks. October 20 – November 17. Current events have sown confusion about science and the role it plays in our everyday life. In this 5 week program we will begin by exploring how science works as a discipline, as a research entity and as a business. We'll follow with a discussion of some of the issues about which confusion reigns, including public health and vaccines, climate change and the future consequences of our current activities, an understanding about how genetic research will contribute to future therapies, and the intricacies of human sexual identity. Presentations will be based on scientific research, but open to questions and other topics of interest to the class.

    Teacher: Frank Villa has a lifelong interest in the natural sciences. An award-winning lecturer, he is a natural teacher who finds great joy in explaining complex principles and processes, and bringing the latest quests and discoveries of science to a general audience. He developed curricula and taught courses in many settings on topics as diverse as the formation of the universe, human genetics, and how to make moonshine.

    In addition to his degrees in the sciences, to explore his interest in the “big questions”, Frank achieved a master's degree in Religion and Theology from Andover Newton Theological School in 2004. Frank led the Science and Religion Program at the Boston Theological Institute for many years.

    Frank is a former teacher of high school physics and earth science, a fully rated commercial pilot and flight instructor, and was a small business owner whose company specialized in the design and outfitting of science laboratories.

  • Stories of Conflict as Seen Through a Narrators' Lens, Part XIX

    We will discuss how the narrators' perspectives affect our appreciation of works including selected sonnets by Shakespeare. Our emphasis will be on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and selections from Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger.

    Teacher: Helen Smith has taught at the Winsor School, Newton North and in Armenia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Georgia, Romania and Zambia. A Smith College graduate, she edits texts about writing and journalism. She is the president of the New England Scholastic Press Association.

  • Writing Your Story: (Memoir, NOT autobiography)

    September 15 – November 24. Maximum Enrollment: 14 If you enjoy writing and sharing stories of your life with a community of writers who will give you constructive feedback, this class may be for you. During each class, participants take turns reading their stories aloud while the class listens and writes thoughtful responses that are shared with the writer. This class will not only inspire you to write, but also will offer an opportunity to hear the intimate stories of others. Everything shared is confidential. The class regularly extends to 1 pm.

    Teacher: Sue Crossley is a retired executive director with more than 40 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. During this time she founded a nonprofit in PA supporting people with disabilities and led Family Promise Metrowest in Natick serving families facing homelessness. Sue retired in 2022. During her tenure she was inspired by the incredible resilience of the families served and wrote extensively to share their personal stories with others as a means of education and outreach to the community. Having come from an Armenian family of storytellers, she now enjoys writing her own personal stories in reflection of a life of gratitude.