3 Sessions: Thursdays. Sept. 12, Oct. 10 and Oct. 31

11 am to 12:30 pm

Hosted by: SCARSDALE ADULT SCHOOL

Class Fee: $ 120 for 3 sessions

Location: Westchester Reform Temple, Scarsdale NY

View modern culture through the lens of a popular pastime: swimming. Through literature, film, art, & social history, explore how swimming pools have become provocative icons of glamour as well as contested public arenas for sports & recreation. Explore pressing issues including gender and racial discrimination, suburban conformity, economic inequality, sexuality, and more by focusing on aquatic activities and themes. Discuss John Cheever’s story “The Swimmer” (1964) and the subsequent film starring Burt Lancaster (1968), along with online exhibitions and podcast-style interviews. Leanne Shapton’s memoir Swimming Studies (2012) and the doc film Swim Team (2016), about teenagers with autism who swim for recreation & competition, will prompt conversation about how recreation can shape our lives, health, personal identities, and social belonging. (You don’t need to wear a bathing suit, or even enjoy swimming, to participate in this class!)