I am a seasoned facilitator of drama and poetry workshops, as well as an award-winning lecturer. Join me in one of the workshops listed below. No expertise is needed in literature study.
Virtual Events:
Sunday, May 26 – 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. UK time (11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern time)
The Art of Film #1: Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, is a controversial film that has only gained in reputation from the wide spectrum of responses it has attracted over time. Though often described as an American ‘buddy’ road movie, by inverting the traditional gender roles and brutally exposing challenges to female autonomy, this landmark film raises questions about female friendship, justice, sexual pleasure and the use of violence.
The power of Thelma and Louise remains with viewers long after the closing credits. From the stunning vision of the wide open spaces of the western USA to the foot-tapping soundtrack and whip-smart dialogue, we remember its vivid and searing movement. Since last year’s Barbie Forum we have wanted to add more film studies to the Salon’s menu of offerings, so when Toby and Julie discovered a shared love for this film we decided it was the perfect choice to kick off a rich new area of exploration under the heading ‘The Art of Film’.
For this LitSalon Short we will use clips of the film as the launchpad for our discussion. In preparation, we ask participants to view the film (or refresh your memory if it has been a while). As part of the study we will provide participants with a short list of cinema terminology and techniques and use the skills we have developed in exploring narrative form to consider what creates the memorable aesthetic and emotional power of this film.
Although initially a ‘Short’, we believe this study may have potential to open up a longer series of discussions about subjects such as the portrayal of sexual violence and abuse and female representation (particularly in films of the 1980s and 1990s). We are both interested in how, in this period, art attempted to chronicle female experience and to what extent shifts in gender roles and resistances were reflected in cinematic presentation.
Discussion led by Toby Brothers and Julie Sutherland
Thelma and Louise is available on DVD and to download from Amazon and other platforms.
Click here to register for this session.
A FREE OF CHARGE LitSalon Short on the Art of Film hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Wednesdays, June 5 to July 24 – 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. UK time (1:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Eastern time)
Shakespeare’s King Lear With Jane Wymark & Julie Sutherland
King Lear opens with a focus on the divisions that will pit the characters against each other for the rest of the play. Audiences are invited to listen to two earls discussing the King’s favourites, not just among his subjects but even between his sons-in-law. The conversation unfolds to reveal the scene’s “darker purpose” – Lear’s plan to divide his kingdom among his daughters, relinquishing his responsibility but not the privileges that come with power.
Division, then, is at the heart of this play, and leads to hatred, mistrust and death. In this world of fracture and betrayal, Lear learns important lessons about greatness and vulnerability. He loses his kingship to become human. If King Lear was only about the titular character’s allegorical journey, the play would be simply another morality tale and a far cry from the full-blown nihilistic tragedy that it actually is.
As we examine this play, we shall discuss that nihilism, along with the many other themes for which it is so well known: loyalty, suffering, madness and self-knowledge.
Click here to register for this 8 week session.
STUDY DETAILS:
Eight-meeting study led by Jane Wymark & Julie Sutherland
£280 for 8 meetings with two facilitators, to include opening notes and resources.
We will use the Arden Shakespeare edition edited by R.A. Foakes: ISBN-13 978-1903436592, but other editions are welcome, particularly the Folger and RSC editions (it’s useful to have a range of footnotes).
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Past events:
Sunday, Feb. 11 – 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. UK time (9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Eastern time)
Shakespeare’s Romantics
The word ‘love’ and its derivatives appear in Shakespeare’s collected works 2,338 times. From Romeo and Juliet’s impulsive affair to Beatrice and Benedick’s drawn-out romance, from Titania’s enchanted dalliance to Miranda’s first courtship, Shakespeare’s characters manifest unforgettable passion.
In this session, we will examine Juliet’s urgent invocation of the night (‘Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds’) in Romeo and Juliet and, somewhat lesser known, Biron’s ardent defence of love in Love’s Labour’s Lost (‘O, ’tis more than need. / Have at you then, affection’s men-at-arms’). In addition to celebrating the power of Shakespeare’s poetry, we will discuss the extent to which the characters embody true love.
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Sunday, Feb. 4 – 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. UK time (9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Eastern time)
Shakespeare’s VillainsRichard III. Edmund the Bastard. Iago. Tamora, Queen of the Goths: these villains’ ruthless exploits elicit shudders even while their charisma and intelligence drive us to feel something more complex. In this session, we will consider great speeches by two of Shakespeare’s most nuanced villains—the Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III) in Richard III and Edmund the Bastard in King Lear.
We will discuss the genius of Shakespeare’s wordplay in ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’ (Richard III) and ‘Now gods, stand up for bastards!’ (King Lear) and examine the rich, dense character development in each. Together, we will consider the extent to which Shakespeare’s villains in these two plays are purely evil and examine why we are drawn to them despite their wickedness.
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Friday, Dec. 10 – 2:00-4:00 p.m. UK time (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Eastern time)
Controlling The Cosmos: Donne and Marvell’s Love Poetry
The love poems of John Donne (1572-1631) and Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) give voice to besotted speakers who may be delightful or terrifying — or possibly both. Wildly unconventional and assertive — not to mention wickedly smooth-tongued and ardent — these poets’ forms, ideas, arguments and wit were startling and unparalleled in their time and remain arresting more than three centuries later.
Were their love poems refreshing declarations of love (and lust) or outlandish displays of intellectual acrobatics designed to shock and delight their readers? In this 2-hour session, we will discuss Donne’s The Sun Rising and Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress, poems that attempt to subdue that fiery star, the eye of heaven, even while they strive to bring their lovers to bed — or keep them there.
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Friday, Nov. 3 – 5:00-7:00 p.m. UK time (1:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern time)
Batter My Heart: A Close Reading of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet XIV
John Donne’s (1572–1631) Holy Sonnet XIV recently received revived attention when one line—‘Batter my heart, three-person’d God’—briefly featured in Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed film, Oppenheimer. One of Donne’s most enduring sonnets, ‘Batter my heart’ continues to be prized by religious and non-religious readers alike. What is it about this sacred poem that it resonates over 400 years later and why does it ring true with secular readers? Or does it? In this session, we will consider the speaker’s bracing, paradoxical outpouring of religious passion and what it might mean to us today.
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Sunday, Oct. 15 – 1:00-3:00 p.m. UK time (8:00-10:00 a.m. Eastern time)
Shakespeare & Webster’s Melancholics: Hamlet & Bosola’s Views on Humankind
In this study, we will look at the most famous melancholic of the age—Hamlet—and consider him alongside another great melancholic, the tormented court spy Bosola, brought to life in Shakespeare’s younger contemporary John Webster’s revenge tragedy The Duchess of Malfi. We will compare the two characters’ perceptions of humankind through a close reading of one monologue from each play. The monologues themselves share intriguing similarities: Hamlet cries, “What a piece of work is a man!” while Bosola queries, “What thing is in this outward form of man / To be beloved?” By the end of the session we will have a better sense of the rich nuances of both playwrights’ languages and a fuller understanding of what drove the melancholics in their plays to experience life in such darkness.
(Please note: You are not required to be familiar with either play to enjoy this session, though of course any knowledge you bring about either play or characters therein will be most welcome.)
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.
Sunday, Sept. 24 – 1:00-3:30 p.m. UK time (9:00-11:30 a.m. Eastern time); second session being offered 5:00-7:30 p.m. UK time (12:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern time)
Grief(s) – Communal, Private & Ecological Mourning
Can poetry help us process our grief? Can it be part of a grieving practice to help us make sense of our feelings? Can it invite us into a community of mourners who find strength in each other’s stories? Can it teach us about other cultures’ forms of mourning? In this workshop, we will examine three poems exploring different kinds of grief: communal, private, and eco-grief. Join Julie Sutherland in a study of poems by Heid E. Erdrich (Public Grief), Jackie Kay (Darling), and Pamelia Mordecai (My Sister Cries the Sea). We will close the session with a reading of Mary Oliver’s In Blackwater Woods.
An event hosted by the London Literary Salon, an international community of readers who spend time together virtually or in-person, engaging in enriching discussions about literature and ideas.