Lecture Classes in NYC, New York

One of the first things to know when looking at the world through an astrological lens is that timing is everything. By reviewing when the planets align and create specific cosmic patterns, we can see when certain events will transpire in our own lives. The most notable alignment in 2020, which will set the tone for the entire year, is the upcoming...

Eighty Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories highlights true stories told by local immigrants and allies and is curated by 30+ time Moth StorySlam winner Nestor Gomez.

This Olio will focus on professor Brad Heckman's work with the NYPD to imbue police officers with skills to de-escalate conflict and build trust with civilians during our divided times -- in the wake of countless tragic incidents between cops and civilians and against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter. ​We'll focus on the question:  How do...

Political Circus: Why Democracy is F*cked (And What to Do About It) This is a series about the decades (sometimes centuries) of political research that can help us understand what our political structures are actually doing, why, and how (and whether) to change them.  We examine the research and discoveries behind questions like:  What...

Who needs feminism anyway? If you’re asking that question, you just might. From the Goddess of Willendorf to Lizzo, the origins of witch hunts and the definition of hysteria, we’ll discuss semiotics and popular culture and what they reveal about gender roles and subjugation.

Where did death go? For most of our history, death demanded constant intimacy with life, obligating the living to tend to it, practice for it, and most importantly, know it. A constant harbinger, death also presented itself as a most exciting opportunity. For death, it was once believed, offered human beings their greatest stage for self-making....

Why does the future look so bleak? And what does that have to do with the state of our individual and collective mental health? Much of the dialogue in this Olio will be about our own state of mental and emotional affairs. History is a collection of traumatic events that have been scripted in human blood and mortality and we have all been dropped...

Public philosophy seems to be quite fashionable lately. In this mise en abyme or meta-Olio, we will discuss together the challenges that such an activity faces. What forms does this supposed democratic demand or interest for philosophical questions take? Which parts of the “general public” are really seeking philosophy? When the instructor...

The 2-Hour Silica Hazard Awareness Seminar is appropriate for individuals who may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica in the course of construction activities. Occupational exposure occurs when cutting, sawing, drilling, and crushing of concrete, brick, ceramic tiles, rock, and stone products. Occupational exposure also occurs in operations...

Come celebrate the end of 2019 Olio-style as we unleash three seemingly random topics from Blade Runner to the Civil War to our perception of time. Replicants and Rococo: Blade Runner and Antoine Watteau Taught by Ted Barrow This mini-Olio will explore the shared themes of identity performance and deconstructed histories in the classic Ridley Scott...

This 5-hour workshop (plus, a 1-hour lunch break) will focus on identifying and reflecting on creative blocks and giving artists across disciplines (visual art, music, writing, acting) tools for working through these obstacles in a sustainable way. Inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist's Way, and instructor Christine Garvey’s own...

Complete Course Title: A Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing: an Introduction to Marx In the mid-nineteenth century, a young Karl Marx wrote, in the form of a published open letter to Arnold Ruge: “But if the designing of the future and the proclamation of ready-made solutions for all time is not our affair, then we realize all the more clearly...

In the wake of the climate emergency and the consequences our planet faces if we do not take immediate action, eliminating waste is crucial. By reducing our consumption and diverting trash from landfills, humans can ultimately lower their impact on the planet. By following the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse) consumers can implement...

Everything that has happened in 2019 has set us up for the shift in consciousness that is underway. In the upcoming days, we will see the manifestation of that transformation, as many visionaries have predicted. This will be a landmark year, a time of personal, national, and planetary upheavals.  Some of the finest astrologers and prophets from...

The Gorgeous Mess that is the American Christmas Media Experience Have you ever seen the Radio City Christmas Show with the Rockettes? Actual SHOWGIRLS?!?? It is deeply insane. Watch clips from the show with us on a projector in a cozy living room and follow us down the rabbit hole, discussing how it encapsulates all of America in a deeply paradoxical...