This year, our Festival features an Osher member/UR alum and several UR professors. This not-to-be-missed half-day festival features Dr Nelson D. Lankford, UR grad and Osher member speaking on his 2025 Civil War book. He'll be followed by UR faculty member Dr Kelly G. Lambert, addressing her book on neurobiology. Then, we'll hear from UR faculty/staff members Dr. Julian M. Hayter, Dr. Thad Williamson, and Dr. Amy L. Howard, discussing their 2024 book on Richmond politics.

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Monday, March 9, JAC, Robins Pavilion 151

Are you missing the beauty of summer flowers? Or feeling the need for a little touch of spring color? Come join us for a peek at the beautiful botanicals that live within the Galvin Rare Books and Special Collections. In this course, we'll explore some rare botanical collections, highlighted by the newly donated set of 19th Century engraved lilies from the renowned French botanical artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

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Wednesday, May 6, Boatwright Library, Room B1-22

Join author and University of Richmond's first lady Tina Hallock as she discusses the inspiration for her debut children's book, 'Along Came the Spiders.' The book highlights the unique Spider mascot and celebrates the University community, all while fueling her love of promoting literacy to young readers. Tina will be joined by the book's illustrator Kaitlin Jones Stasiunas as they each discuss their process and working together on this charming tale.

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Thursday, April 23, TBD - UR Campus

If you are familiar with the library resources but want to go beyond the basics, this session will explore some of the more interesting and unusual digital collections and databases. This is an advanced session that builds on the information introduced in Bounty of Boatwright.

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Every day, starting on 02/19/26 and ending on 02/19/26, Synchronous Online

This is the seventh semester for Book Swap, for book lovers and those who like to share their love of books. Bring your favorite book and share it with the class for 10 minutes. All book genres are open to share. If you register for this class you are expected to present a book. The instructor will reach out to the registered students to discuss your book idea and help you with a suggested format.

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Mondays, 12/8 & 12/15, Special Programs Building, Room 160 ( No seats currently available )

This long-running class for book lovers returns. Bring your favorite book in any genre and share it with the class for ten minutes. If you register for this class you are expected to present a book. The instructor will reach out to each registered student to discuss your book idea and help you with a suggested format. PowerPoint is optional and generally not used, except for graphs and pictures to enhance your book discussion.

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Thursdays, April 9 and 16, TBD - UR Campus

Learn how to find books, articles, and other resources that are of interest to you. This session provides an overview for beginners or those new to Osher and includes a virtual tour of the library.

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Friday, Jan 16, Synchronous Online

Love curling up with a great book, a warm blanket, and a cup of tea? Step into the charming world of cozy mysteries - crime fiction with heart, wit, and just enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages. In this session, you'll explore the hallmarks of the genre and learn what makes a mystery irresistibly cozy. You'll leave inspired to track down your next page-turner at your local bookstore or library.

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Wednesday, Jan 21, TBD - UR Campus

As an antidote to the fast-paced, tech-driven writing of our century, this course allows the re-emergence of the voice you may have lost. Only pen and pencil, along with paper or a journal will be your tools. Each class will begin with a brief period of sustained writing guided by a prompt suggested by the instructor. Though optional, opportunities to share work will be encouraged.

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Mondays; Mar 16, 23, 30, TBD - UR Campus

In this interactive session, participants will handle historical materials, explore how meaning is shaped by interpretation, and collaborate to design a small thematic display that connects the past to the present. Discover how stories emerge from the objects we preserve. Working hands-on with rare books, letters, and archival items, participants will explore, interpret, and assemble small thematic displays, learning how arrangement and context influence our understanding of history.

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Thursday, April 9, Boatwright Library, Room B1-22

Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre holds that people are radically free to create their own values, but that means we are also in fundamental conflict with each other. In this class, we will study Sartre's view of freedom, value, and relationships and will explore the question of how, or even whether, genuine reciprocity, ethical life, and human solidarity are possible in a world where people constantly struggle with and objectify one another.

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Tuesday, April 7, TBD - UR Campus

Rene Descartes is famous for saying, 'I think, therefore I am.' But why did he say that? What question was he trying to answer? In this class, we will explore one young man's attempt to find something he could be sure of in a world where the authorities, including priests, scientists, and scholars, disagreed vehemently and sometimes violently about everything, especially God, the Cosmos, and the nature of human existence.

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Monday, Feb 9, TBD - UR Campus

In 1651, in the aftermath of the English Civil Wars and executions of Charles I and Archbishop William Laud, Thomas Hobbes feared for the future of his country. With the Doctrine of Divine Right in tatters and no common religious institutions to bring people together, how could England be united and stabilized? This class will explore Hobbes' solution, including his concepts of the state of nature and the social contract.

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Monday, March 16, TBD - UR Campus

Comics (blending words and pictures to tell stories) stretch from cave paintings and the Bayeux Tapestry to today's Batman and Spider-Man. Far more than superhero tales, comics are a versatile literary artform, capturing intimate and epic stories, social issues, and cultural moments through panels and word balloons. In this course, we will trace their history, explore their power, and read and discuss works including 'Understanding Comics,' 'Watchmen,' 'Maus,' 'Fun Home,' and 'Persepolis.'

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Tuesdays, March 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, Synchronous Online

Explore the noir novel through Dashiell Hammett's 'The Maltese Falcon,' Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep,' and Sara Paretsky's 'Indemnity Only.' From hardboiled detectives navigating gritty cityscapes to Paretsky's feminist reimagining of the genre, this course traces the evolution of noir fiction. Film clips from classic adaptations will highlight the genre's impact on both literature and cinema.

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Tuesdays; Jan 20, 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24 , Synchronous Online

The personal essay, one of the oldest forms of creative nonfiction, blends storytelling, reflection, and analysis to give voice to lived experience. We will explore the personal essay as both art and self-expression. Through readings, discussion, and writing exercises, we will study elements such as narrative arc, scene-setting, and reflection. We will draft our own essays, discovering how this enduring form helps us find our voices and tell our stories with clarity.

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Saturdays, April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23, Synchronous Online

Before she died in 1974, Felicia Bornstein Lubliner wrote about her internment in ghettos and concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland. These powerful stories have been published by her son, Irving Lubliner. He will share excerpts from 'Only Hope: A Survivor's Stories of the Holocaust,' shedding light on his mother's experiences and indomitable spirit, as well as his own experience as a child of Holocaust survivors. He will pause during and after his presentation to invite questions.

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Monday, Jan 12, Synchronous Online

Through playful writing games inspired by Surrealist artists, we'll surprise ourselves with strange and delightful stories. No writing experience needed, just a willingness to have fun and see where your imagination goes.

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Wednesday, April 1, TBD - UR Campus

Through Boatwright Library, Osher students have access to an extensive collection of databases filled with historical primary sources. This course will introduce participants to these valuable resources and explore the rich world of digital historical sources available through the library. While taking the Bounty of Boatwright or Beyond the Bounty Osher courses beforehand may be helpful, no prior research experience is required: just a curiosity and enthusiasm for history!

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Thursday, Jan 29, Synchronous Online

Visit the largest collection of book art in the Southeast at VCU Libraries. Our visit begins in the reading room of Special Collections and Archives, followed by a tour of the secured storage stacks to get a glimpse into the many and varied holdings. We will finish the event with refreshments in the Cabell Room.

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Tuesday, Jan 20, VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Tuesday, March 31, VCU James Branch Cabell Library

One of the most intriguing parts of working with original historical materials is exploring people's lives through the handwritten record they left behind. You can't help but get drawn into their stories as you try to piece together the lives of the people who wrote the letters and diaries. In this course, we'll explore some of the manuscript correspondence and diaries available in Boatwright Library's Galvin Rare Book Room.

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Friday, April 24, Boatwright Library, Room B1-22

¡Bienvenidos! We're pleased to offer a series of Spanish classes this spring! These lively and interactive sessions will include basic grammar, pronunciation, and daily life vocabulary. We will include conversation practice, written exercises, and short videos in Spanish. The pace of this initial series is for beginner/refresher levels. Each session builds upon the previous lessons to increase confidence in communication. ¡Nos vemos pronto!

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Tuesdays: Feb 3, 10, 17, TBD - UR Campus