Where can you attend evening concerts, listen to stimulating lectures, go on nature walks, and participate in classes on yoga, creative writing, film, graphic arts, American history and myriad other subjects? Answer: Chautauqua, NY. Yesterday, my wife and I returned from a week-long visit there. It was our third trip to this centerpiece of cultural enrichment located at the southwestern corner of the Empire state.  On our previous trip in 2016, we came primarily to witness Becky’s graduation from the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC). (See my 8-21-16 posting www.claywrites.info/chautauqua-literary-group-sets-high-standards-for-readers.) This time we came after an opportunity arose to rent a spacious house less than a quarter mile from lovely Lake Chautauqua. We invited Becky’s cousin Amy and her family to join us along with good friend Ann Ottobre.

During the first three days of our time at Chautauqua, I took part in a class on “Movies that Mattered.” The instructor, a former film critic for Gannett newspapers, started with Birth of a Nation, a ground-breaking film with a regrettably racist theme, and then examined other films on race relations: In the Heat of the Night, Do the Right Thing, and the recently released Get Out. Thereafter, films related to war, the Holocaust, the news media, and politics came into focus. The instructor gave us a hand-out on two amazingly good dramas that reflected conflicting views on whether people who testified in the 1950s against Communists and left-wingers in the entertainment business were right or wrong. Elia Kazan’s support for those who testified stood at the foundation of On the Waterfront, a story about corrupt union bosses and their “errand boy,” once a promising boxer, who turns against them. In contrast, The Crucible (first a play and later a movie) expresses Arthur Miller’s condemnation of those who gave testimony. At the heart of this story is Puritan John Proctor, who refuses to confess to witchcraft despite facing execution for consorting with the devil.

But courses like the one I took are only one component of the cultural stimulation and richness that Chautauqua offers during a nine-week period from late June to the end of August. There are concerts, sometimes presented by guest artists, sometimes presented by Chautauqua’s own symphony orchestra. There are lectures. One day, we heard Ken Burns and two of his colleagues discuss the approach they take to making documentary films. In the days that followed, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday offered some additional observations on documentary film-making. There are author presentations. Becky, Ann, and I heard one by Doug Stanton, whose nonfiction book Horse Soldiers was recently added to the CLSC’s book list. There are ecumenical worship services. During our week at Chautauqua, the Reverend Winnie Varghese, senior priest for justice and reconciliation at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, was the featured pastor. There are informal brown-bag lunch meetings. I attended one presented by Lenore Myka, the CLSC’s prose-writer-in-residence. Her topic: “The Best Pieces of Writing Advice You Might Want to Ignore.” There are also nature walks, bus tours, film screenings, meditations, poetry readings, food festivals, and the list goes on. The only frustration one might experience is not having enough time to take advantage of all the mind-expanding opportunities afforded at this citadel of learning.

On a personal level, this latest visit allowed Becky and me to spend quality time with each other as well as with some dear people we don’t see too often. There were fun times playing “Apples to Apples,” discussing current events, taking walks, and marveling at a rainbow over the lake. There was good food, too. Becky worked out a meal rotation grid, so cooking and clean-up duties were shared among all of us. When I wasn’t in class or doing something else outside the house, I continued reading The Handmaid’s Tale and answering e-mail on Becky’s laptop. I also helped Amy’s daughter Laura with an essay that will accompany her application to the University of Vermont.

Our next trip to Chautauqua is tentatively scheduled for August 2020, when I hope to follow in Becky’s footsteps and graduate from the CLSC. To do that, I must read 12 books from the Circle’s approved list. I’ve only read two so far with a third in progress. I better get busy.

Note: The featured photo shows Miller Bell Tower on the edge of Lake Chautauqua.