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Professor Gary Hylander will present both Parts III and IV of his lecture series entitled Reconstruction: Confederates, Freedmen and Congress this month on the above dates. The Civil War was fought to preserve the Un-ion. Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox brought peace. But peace brought new problems as well. Should Confederate leaders and soldiers be punished? What was the legal and social status of newly freed blacks? Who should manage the details of Reconstruction, Congress or the President? Today, America is still dealing with many of these issues.

Kevin’s virtual performance is entitled “Season of the Light”. This joyous holiday show follows Kevin’s trip to New York City when he was seven, to visit his Uncle Tommy and Aunt Marilyn, and the magic spell cast on him every night after dinner, playing songs on a record player, telling stories, and singing songs. The hour-long program is filled with traditional favorites, Carols and Irish standards including: Wexford Carol, Bells Over Belfast, Miss Hooligan’s Christmas Cake, Up on the Housetop and of course, Christmas in Killarney! Kevin Farley has been per-forming Irish music and sharing the stories, folklore, and history around the music since 1979. His love of Irish culture has led him on a lifelong journey of performing the beloved material, while continuously adding to his vast knowledge and understanding. Sharing his passion with his audiences has been one of the great blessings of his life.

What is a Memoir? A memoir is a narrative written about an important event in the author’s life that affected them in some way. Characteristics of Memoirs include: A memory-a description of a true past event; Written in the first per-son; Reveals the feelings of the writer; Has meaning-shows what the author learned from the experience; Is about the author’s experience more than about the event itself. This is NOT writ-ing an autobiography or works of fiction. The group will write short vignettes based on the above criteria according to a given ‘topic” for the month. Stories will then be shared among the group. It is not necessary to be a professional writer! The purpose is to share our memories in writ-ten form FOR FUN. All are welcome

Clarinetist/saxophonist John Clark and pianist Henry “Thins” Francis, have been performing together since 1996 and as such, have compiled a bag of unique arrangements to familiar tunes we all know and love. Their musical genre is best described as classic hot jazz, a distinct type of American music which developed during the first half of the 20th century, covering the beginnings of jazz through the swing era. John and Henry concentrate on the rich source known as The Great American Songbook, which encompasses music (mostly songs) written by Broadway composers, pop songwriters, and jazz musicians.

American Experience Video: “Cold War Road Show.”

Cold War Roadshow tells the story of one of the most bizarre episodes in the annals of modern history — the unprecedented barnstorming across America in the fall of 1959 by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, the world leader of communism and America’s arch nemesis. At the very height of the Cold War, with American school children practicing duck-and-cover drills, the man who Americans feared could incinerate them in a rain of hydrogen bombs arrived in Washington, D.C. at the invitation of President Eisenhower. For both men, the visit was an opportunity to halt the escalating threats of the Cold War and chart a new course toward peaceful coexistence.