PRINCETON NJ Announcement

Spring 2026 Course List

Classes begin in March 2026.

cmaprinceton.org/evergreen-forum/

 

BRONTE & GASKELL: TWO VICTORIAN WOMEN WRITERS (Virtual)

George Levine

Discover how two contrasting Victorian masterworks — Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South” — redefine the roles of women and class in nineteenth-century England.

Mondays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning March 2 through April 20.

 

BUDDHA MIND: HOLISTIC CONCEPTS FOR WELL-BEING (In-Person)

Robin Shapiro

How learning and applying Buddhist concepts for well-being remind us of our basic goodness in difficult times.

Tuesdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for six weeks beginning March 3 through April 7.

 

BUILDING BRIDGES: RELIGIOUS LITERACY FOR COCKTAIL PARTIES (Hybrid)

Drew Dyson

Gain an introduction to the world’s major religions — an exploration designed to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and foster meaningful conversation across cultures.

Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for six weeks beginning March 4 through April 8.

 

CHILDREN IN TRANSIT (In-Person)

Lois Harrod

Featuring four novels and varied poems about childhood experiences. This lively discussion course considers works by immigrant writers from Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Wednesdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning March 4 through April 22.

 

DECODING AI (Hybrid)

Mike Canasta

Demystify artificial intelligence by exploring core algorithms, learning how models make decisions, and gaining the essential literacy needed to navigate our AI-driven world.

Fridays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for five weeks beginning March 6 through April 3.

 

DEMOCRACY & RULE OF LAW: FROM NIXON TO TRUMP (Hybrid)

Stan Katz

How challenges to democracy and the rule of law have manifested themselves from 1968 to the present.

Mondays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for six weeks beginning March 2 through April 6.

 

EDUCATION IN AMERICA: CHALLENGES AHEAD (In-Person)

Ida Lawrence, Gary Sykes, and Panelists

Join a panel of experts to learn about crucial issues facing American education.

Tuesdays from 1:30–3:00 p.m. for six weeks beginning March 3 through April 7.

 

EXPLORING FEMINIST WRITERS (In-Person)

Carol Friend

Explore transformational narratives through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “We Should All Be Feminists” and Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own.”

Fridays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for six weeks beginning April 10 through May 15.

 

THE EVOLUTION OF WESTERN ART, 1915–2015 (Hybrid)

Wendy Worth

Explore changes in Western art focused on cubism, surrealism, modernism, abstract expressionism, pop, and conceptual art.

Thursdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 5 through April 23.

 

EXPLAINING THE COVID VACCINE TO DARWIN (In-Person)

Bernard Abramson

Vaccines usually take at least four years from discovery to release. The Covid-19 vaccine was produced in thirteen months — this course explains how the miracle was achieved.

Thursdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for seven weeks beginning March 5 through April 16.

 

MEDICINE: THE HISTORY AND THE MYSTERY (In-Person)

Roy Carman & Seth Malin

A medical odyssey from 400 BCE to the present through the lens of history and literature.

Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 3 through April 21.

 

MEMORY (In-Person)

Bruce Maloof

How we remember and why we forget — the science of memory and memory loss.

Thursdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for four weeks beginning April 9 through April 30.

 

MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (In-Person)

Naomi Browar

Explore mindfulness-based strategies for managing negative thinking patterns and reducing stress.

Mondays from 1:30–3:00 p.m. for three weeks beginning March 2 through March 16.

 

OVERCOMING ANXIETY (In-Person)

Robert Youdin

Discover a new paradigm of neuroscience-informed psychological methods for understanding and eliminating anxiety.

Wednesdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for three weeks beginning March 4 through March 18.

 

PERSPECTIVES ON OPERA (Hybrid)

Harold Kuskin

Discover passion, drama, and artistry through musical storytelling as we explore how opera moves both heart and mind — from Verdi to Wagner and beyond.

Wednesdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for seven weeks beginning March 4 through April 15.

 

PSYCHOLOGY OF SLEEP AND DREAMING (In-Person)

Alex Randall

You will spend twenty-two years of your life asleep and eight years dreaming…and so far no one has taught you anything about this huge part of your life. Now’s your chance to learn about your mind at sleep.

Fridays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 6 through May 1. (no class 4/3)

 

READING BUILDINGS: A PRIMER (Zoom)

Alan Chimacoff

An introduction to the logic of architectural form and space—the principles, characteristics, geometries, and themes underlying the design of architecture.

Fridays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning March 6 through May 1. (no class 4/3)

 

RUSSIAN MODERNISM 1900–1930 (In-Person)

Victor Ripp

Explore the explosion of the arts — painting, film, theater, prose, et al. — against the backdrop of political and social upheaval.

Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 4 through April 22.

 

SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES: THE SCIENCE

Stuart Kurtz

Explore the evolution of science fiction through the works of writers like H. G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, and Ursula K. Le Guin as we examine how the genre probes the boundaries of mind, society, time, and technology.

Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 3 through April 21.

 

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS (Hybrid)

Harold Heft & Panelists

Feed your curiosity. Explore the latest scientific breakthroughs and their real-world implications with our expert panel.

Fridays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for eight weeks beginning March 6 through May 1. (no class 4/3)

 

STORIES TO ILLUMINATE AMERICA’S CREATION (Hybrid)

Robert Nolan

For the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, examine fascinating portrayals of lesser-known women and men whose actions exemplify or reflect the key events and ideals that define our nation.

Thursdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning March 6 through April 23.

 

TOUR THE NEW PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM (In-Person)

Judy Langille & PUAM Docents

Join docent-led tours and talks of the fascinating variety of art objects found in the recently rebuilt and newly opened museum.

Fridays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for four weeks beginning March 6 through March 27.

Fridays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for four weeks beginning April 10 through May 1.

 

UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS (In-Person)

Ruth Goldston

Anger, fear, sadness, joy, shame: Do we truly understand them? Discover the tools to explore how we sense and experience emotions.

Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.–noon for six weeks beginning March 3 through April 7.

 

WILLIAM FAULKNER (In-Person)

John Kucich

Discuss William Faulkner’s two greatest masterpieces, “The Sound and the Fury” and “Absalom, Absalom!”

Tuesdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning March 3 through April 21.

 

The Evergreen Forum uses a first-come, first-served registration system which opens on Tuesday, January 27 at 9:30 a.m. Course format is subject to change.

 

Evergreen Forum Fees: $95 for three- to four-week courses and $125 for five- to eight-week courses.

 

Cost should never be a barrier to learning! Senior Scholarships are available to those for whom the fee is a hardship.

 

Evergreen Forum corporate sponsors for spring 2026: Bryn Mawr Trust, Home Instead, Homewatch CareGivers, McCaffrey’s, Peapack Private, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Stark & Stark Attorneys at Law

 

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