Happy Hour: Discovering Faulkner’s American South in 1990s Pakistan with Dr. Saima Sherazi

Livestream , United States

The 1990s found agrarian societies in Pakistan undergoing profound transitions, not unlike the American South in the first part of the twentieth century. William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” captures the stark confrontation between waning Southern aristocracy (the Compson family) and the ascendant middle class represented by the Snopes family.

Happy Hour: The Great Siege of Malta and the Fate of Empires

Livestream , United States

Sixteenth century European historians will find this ESU Happy Hour fascinating and one of tremendous significance. The Great Siege of Malta, a four-month battle from May 18 to September 11, 1565, is considered one of the most ferocious conflicts in military history. Rarely have the odds been so unequal and the stakes so high.

Happy Hour: What Hemingway Left in Sloppy Joe’s Bar

Livestream , United States

Shortly after Ernest Hemingway’s death in 1961, his widow, Mary Hemingway, was contacted by the owner of Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, asking her to retrieve the materials that Hemingway had stored there since he moved to Cuba in 1939. With the aid of Hemingway’s longtime Key West friends Toby and Betty Bruce, Mary sorted through mountains of papers and belongings, took what she wished, and left the rest to the Bruces in gratitude for their help.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 1-Week “Page to Stage” Program

Immerse yourself in the language and world of Shakespeare with experts from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.  Based in the historic sites of Harvard House and Hall’s Croft (home of Shakespeare’s daughter), you will enjoy interactive, illustrated talks from eminent scholars on a range of topics including: Shakespeare’s Life, Times and Legacy; Shakespeare in Performance; Music in Shakespeare’s Theatre; current research trends in Shakespeare Studies.  There will also be an opportunity to learn more about the Trust’s treasures held in its archives and collections through a Q&A with its collections experts.

Happy Hour: C.S. Lewis and the Powerful Predicament of Language

Livestream , United States

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. Lewis wrote more than thirty books, reaching a vast audience and attracting thousands of new readers every year.

Happy Hour: Exploring Churchill’s Public Service Through Period Memorabilia

Livestream , United States

2024 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill with events planned throughout the year which celebrate and explore his remarkable public service and enduring legacy. Brian E. Krapf, is recognized internationally as an authority on the memorabilia made during Sir Winston’s public service, which spanned over 65 years. Mr. Krapf has recently published A Churchill Treasury, which is the first book to utilize period memorabilia to document Sir Winston’s public service in a biographical format. Mr. Krapf will discuss his book, A Churchill Treasury, and give us a rare tour of some of the Churchill pieces in his collection, many of which have not been shown in public.

ESU 2024 Patron Trip: A Private View of Italy

Founded by art historian Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini in 1996, A Private View of Italy encourages guests to appreciate the life of historic palaces and villas, and allows them to discover the inaccessible treasures that are hidden behind closed doors. Through the centuries the Italian aristocracy has preserved their residences, which were designed by architects such as Raphael, Palladio, and Bernini.

Happy Hour: The Life and Times of Margaret (Molly) Brown

Livestream , United States

An overview of the life and legacy of Margaret Tobin Brown, activist, WWI volunteer in France, philanthropist, and suffragist whose 1889 home, shown above, is an historic museum in downtown Denver, CO.

Happy Hour: Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors

Livestream , United States

Her birth in 1533 came as a result of one of the most controversial marriages in royal history, that of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Little Princess Elizabeth lost her status as legitimate heir to the throne before she was three years old when her father moved on to another wife. When Elizabeth became Queen of England at age 25, public debate immediately turned to the prospect of her own marriage. From Parliament to the Privy Council in England, and from monarchs and ministers throughout Europe, many lobbied for their choice as the world waited for the queen to make a decision. Enter the world of royal romance, where the personal is political and marriage is a matter of public debate. While Elizabeth I had many eager prospects, in the end she was the only English monarch to rule as an adult and never marry.

Happy Hour: Four Award-Winning Poets Share Their Love of Poetry

Livestream , United States

Poetry tugs at our emotions and affects each of us differently. Listening to versus reading poetry can create different images and thoughts even for the same poem. Join this special ESU Happy Hour when we bring four award-winning poets together to share their love of poetry—Karen Karpowich, Susana Case, Meredith Trede, and Peter Nickowitz. Our poets will be reading their own poems in a round-robin program covering topics such as love, aging, film, travel, art, family, food, and elegy. These poems will inspire us, give us emotional strength and perspectives on our lives. This is a Happy Hour you will want to share with the whole family. Invite your friends to this extraordinary ESU Happy Hour program.

Online Professional Development Workshop for Educators: “Bringing Shakespeare to Life in Your Classroom with Dr. Nick Walton”

Livestream , United States

Are you a New York City educator looking to bring the Bard to life in your classroom? The ESU is thrilled to announce this professional development workshop open to teachers participating in the National Shakespeare Competition, TLab, or any of the ESU's education programs. Led by renowned Shakespeare scholar Dr. Nick Walton live via Zoom from Stratford-upon-Avon, this online session will help educators find fresh, engaging ways to introduce Shakespeare to students.