Take a series of classes and lean how to play canasta or mah jongg, try beginning Spanish, take a screenwriting and playwriting workshop, try a writing or poetry class, or art and relaxation.
Classes begin in September, October, and November.
Designed for both beginning and experienced poets. In-class writing exercises will challenge your inner muse as we experiment with various poetic forms (rhymed and unrhymed) and sparks for inspiration. Instructor: Jennifer Dotson
What’s your story? Your life experience is the story that only you can tell. Examples of successful memoirs are discussed as well as techniques for organizing your thoughts and putting them on paper. Instructor: Jennifer Dotson
Learn to write for screen and stage! Class is appropriate for all levels of experience. Each session will integrate creativity sparking exercises and games to help writers develop a particular screenwriting or playwriting tool or skill. Students will work with one or more writing prompts to generate a sample scene for the next session and will have the opportunity to share a scene with the group to generate conversation. Instructor: Mary LaMont
This workshop explores how the visual and text overlap, intersect and inspire each other. What is the relationship between the text and the visual? What meaning does the visual bring forward that language fails to articulate and/or fully express? This interactive workshop will study poets, Monica Ong, Diana Khoi Nguyen and Jennifer Sperry Steinorth. Participants will also have an opportunity to create a visual poem of their own with materials provided. Instructor: Esther Cowie
Drawing on Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones for inspiration, participants will practice tuning into themselves and tapping natural voice. Using the simple tools of pen and paper, participants will explore building a personal writing practice as a way to slow down, connect, and center. Following the simplicity and ease of the notebook, this class will focus on mindful freewriting as an accessible way to move toward clarity and alignment. Starter writing kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Drawing on Natalie Goldberg’s Wild Mind for inspiration, participants will practice tuning into themselves and tapping natural voice. Using the simple tools of pen and paper, participants will explore building a personal writing practice as a way to slow down, connect, and center. Following the simplicity and ease of the notebook, this class will focus on mindful freewriting as an accessible way to move toward clarity and alignment. Starter writing kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
This class is designed for beginning students. Students will develop the basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Learn the Spanish alphabet, basic vocabulary, greetings, personal pronouns, and identify simple sentence structure. Instructor: Cecilia Melicchio
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
Requirements: Each player should bring two decks of cards (with jokers) and pen and paper for notetaking.
Canasta is a fun, social, and challenging card game. It is a partnership game that is played with two decks of cards. Instructor: Trudy Cooper
Requirements: Each player should bring two decks of cards (with jokers) and pen and paper for notetaking.
Canasta is a fun, social, and challenging card game. It is a partnership game that is played with two decks of cards. Instructor: Donna Garfinkel
Requirements: Bring the 2023 National Mah Jongg League score card.
Mah Jongg is a fun, social, and mentally stimulating tile game played with four players. Players create strategy and build hands. Both skill and luck play a part. Instructor: Trudy Cooper
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
No experience necessary.
Working with mixed media, this class will explore the art making that becomes available with accessible materials and a willingness to let art unfold organically. Using a process approach to art making and a journal for self-awareness, this class is designed to use the tools of art and writing to relieve stress, follow curiosity, and find ease. Starter mixed media art kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Art for Relaxation 1 is NOT a requirement to take this class. No experience necessary.
Working with paints and ink to play with color, structure, and flow, this class will explore the art making that becomes available with accessible materials and a willingness to let art unfold organically. Using a process approach to art making and a journal for self-awareness, this class is designed to use the tools of art and writing to relieve stress, follow curiosity, and find ease. Starter painting art kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Drawing on Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones for inspiration, participants will practice tuning into themselves and tapping natural voice. Using the simple tools of pen and paper, participants will explore building a personal writing practice as a way to slow down, connect, and center. Following the simplicity and ease of the notebook, this class will focus on mindful freewriting as an accessible way to move toward clarity and alignment. Starter writing kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Drawing on Natalie Goldberg’s Wild Mind for inspiration, participants will practice tuning into themselves and tapping natural voice. Using the simple tools of pen and paper, participants will explore building a personal writing practice as a way to slow down, connect, and center. Following the simplicity and ease of the notebook, this class will focus on mindful freewriting as an accessible way to move toward clarity and alignment. Starter writing kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
No experience necessary.
Working with mixed media, this class will explore the art making that becomes available with accessible materials and a willingness to let art unfold organically. Using a process approach to art making and a journal for self-awareness, this class is designed to use the tools of art and writing to relieve stress, follow curiosity, and find ease. Starter mixed media art kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
Art for Relaxation 1 is NOT a requirement to take this class. No experience necessary.
Working with paints and ink to play with color, structure, and flow, this class will explore the art making that becomes available with accessible materials and a willingness to let art unfold organically. Using a process approach to art making and a journal for self-awareness, this class is designed to use the tools of art and writing to relieve stress, follow curiosity, and find ease. Starter painting art kit will be provided by instructor. Instructor: Saralina Kamholtz
This workshop explores how the visual and text overlap, intersect and inspire each other. What is the relationship between the text and the visual? What meaning does the visual bring forward that language fails to articulate and/or fully express? This interactive workshop will study poets, Monica Ong, Diana Khoi Nguyen and Jennifer Sperry Steinorth. Participants will also have an opportunity to create a visual poem of their own with materials provided. Instructor: Esther Cowie
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
Trudy Cooper is a former teacher. She has taught canasta for more than 10 years in both public and private settings. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds degrees in education and psychology.
Catherine-Esther Cowie is a poet and visual artist. She is from the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia and has lived in Canada and the United States. She is a graduate of the Pacific University low-residency MFA program. Her work has appeared in The Common, West Branch Journal, SWWIM, Potomac Review, Southern Humanities Review, TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, Acalabash, RHINO Poetry, and PN Review among others.
Jennifer Dotson has a BA in English Literature/Theater Arts from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and an MFA in Drama from the University of Virginia. Founder of Highland Park Poetry, Jennifer is the author of two poetry collections: Clever Gretel (Chicago Poetry Press, 2013) and Late Night Talk Show Fantasy & Other Poems (Kelsay Books, 2020). She has been facilitating poetry, creative writing and memoir workshops since 2007.
Donna Garfinkel was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a business degree and moved to the Chicago area. While she doesn’t consider herself a true “gamer” she loves to play and teach canasta and canasta strategy.
Saralina Kamholtz has been an educator for over 20 years in the fields of English and Expressive Arts. She received her Master’s in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has taught composition, literature, and oral expression at UIC and Columbia College. She has also been a lead facilitator of art and writing through Open Studio Project and other arts organizations, developing community arts programs, training instructors, leading staff retreats, and facilitating adult Art and Wellness workshops. In addition to her work with art and writing, Saralina is a trained somatic movement teacher and Nia dance practitioner. She is certified in Conflict Resolution and Mediation and trained in healing circles, studying the intersection of non-interference arts, self-expression, and relationships.
Mary LaMont taught for 30 years at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where she also moderated a Filmmaker’s Club and Playwright’s Group, guiding students through the process of writing screenplays or stage plays. She is the author of a book called STORY WORK/STORY PLAY to be published by Cascade Books next spring. She has also written a number of screenplays, of which seven have made it to the quarterfinals or semifinals of leading screenwriting contests.
Cecilia Melicchio graduated from Buenos Aires University, Argentina, where she received a BA in Educational Sciences. She also has a BA in Elementary and Middle Education and an MA in Education & New Technologies. In her country, she worked several years in a variety of education-related roles such as Elementary and Middle School Teacher, Deputy Principal, Online Tutor and Pedagogical Designer. She relocated from Argentina to Highland Park four years ago. Cecilia enjoys walking to Rosewood Beach Park, traveling with her family, teaching, learning and meeting new people. Cecilia is also an English language learner and has many anecdotes about this process.
Library U is a continuing adult education program made possible by the generous support of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Advanced registration and online payment via ePay are required. No refunds. Registration will close when the class is filled.
If you have questions, or to suggest a class, please contact the Administration office by calling 847-432-0216 ext. 120.
HOURS
| Mon, Sep 25 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| (Open for Yom Kippur) | |
| Tue, Sep 26 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Wed, Sep 27 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Thu, Sep 28 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Fri, Sep 29 | 9:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sat, Sep 30 | 9:00AM to 5:00PM |
| (Open for Sukkot) | |
| Sun, Oct 01 | 1:00PM to 5:00PM |
| (Open for Sukkot) | |
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Highland Park Public Library 494 Laurel Avenue Highland Park, IL 60035
P. (847) 432-0216
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| Mon, Sep 25 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| (Open for Yom Kippur) | |
| Tue, Sep 26 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Wed, Sep 27 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Thu, Sep 28 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
| Fri, Sep 29 | 9:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sat, Sep 30 | 9:00AM to 5:00PM |
| (Open for Sukkot) | |
| Sun, Oct 01 | 1:00PM to 5:00PM |
| (Open for Sukkot) | |
