NYU SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CENTER FOR PUBLISHING & APPLIED LIBERAL ARTS CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS (PALA/CE)

Continuing Education Programs in Publishing, the Humanities, Arts, Producing, Design, Writing, and Translation.

PALA/CE Events

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at CALA

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It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! We at CALA greatly value our rich Latinx, Latino/a, and Hispanic communities, represented at the leadership level, on our faculty, and in our diverse student body.

Credit: The COM Library

Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans who have inspired others to achieve success. Beginning in 1968, Americans have observed National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the Latinx Project at NYU, which explores and promotes Latinx art, culture and scholarship through creative and interdisciplinary programs. Events include artist chats, panel discussions, and ¡Oye! Cuéntame un Cuento, an exhibition featuring four Latinx illustrators exploring biographical comics through the lens of Adversity, Community, and Oral Tradition. The exhibition is available both virtually and in-person, bringing spotlight to the Latinx lived experience.

Or, celebrate with New Yorkers across the city! Experience Katherine Miranda at the Glyndor Gallery and their story as a non-binary Latinx person in the Bronx, dance to Arturo O’Farrill + the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at their virtual concert, attend the 77th NYC Columbus Day Parade on October 11th, and so much more.

CALA Launches New Certificate in Multimedia and Podcasting

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Everyone has a story, but not everyone has the skills to tell theirs. CALA’s new Certificate in Multimedia and Podcasting aims to provide an introduction to the necessary skills, both creative and technical, to expand students’ view of the many career paths available to them working as independent content creators, freelancers, or in-house experts.

As we become more globally connected, more people have the opportunity to tell stories through digital and social media. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, demand for people with expertise in media and communication is increasing, and employment occupations are projected to grow 14% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. Job opportunities range from the creative aspects of storytelling, the technical aspects of post-production, to the more business-oriented aspects of the industry.

The certificate prepares students to produce, edit, and post compelling human stories using a range of visual and audio digital content that can be applied across professions. “Students will walk away with a good handle on the editorial process and how to properly get their ideas out and into the world,” says Jeanne Lucar, instructor for the Post-Production Overview course. “They’ll have a tangible product and will be able to take their projects to the next level as well as be able to work across different media.”

Students enrolled in the Certificate in Multimedia and Podcasting take five required courses before choosing an advanced workshop elective in their chosen track of either Multimedia or Podcasting. One course, Multimedia Storytelling, is “first, a course about good stories,” says Hany Hawasly, the instructor. “Students learn over 8 weeks what makes a good story, how to identify one, and how to develop it into a compelling multimedia presentation that speaks to a selected audience. It allows professional students from a range of professional backgrounds and creative aspirations to craft stories using a fusion of writing, photographs, voices, and moving images.” The Certificate in Multimedia and Podcasting is offered fully online and can be completed in as little as a year and a half.

Courses for the Certificate in Multimedia and Podcasting begin in Fall 2021 and are now open for registration. To learn more and sign up, click here.

NYC Through the Lens of Iconic Photographers, A Conversation with Kay Kenny

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Join photographer Kay Kenny on 9/22 at 1pm EDT for an intimate conversation and visual tour of New York City through the eyes of famous photographers. In this special one-day-only preview of her upcoming continuing education course, New York City Through the Lens of Iconic Photographers, Kenny will share images and stories from the earliest days of photography up to today. From Alfred Stieglitz to Nan Goldin to her own work as an award-winning artist, Kenny will explore how photographers have captured and defined the New York City urban experience.

This online event is free and open to the public.

Register HERE.

NYC Through the Lens of Iconic Photographers

CALA Faculty Leonard Cortana’s SPS Racial Literacy & Anti-Racism Practices Series Receives Innovation & Anti-Racism Micro Grant from NYU Office of Global Inclusion

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CALA faculty member Leonard Cortana and NYU SPS’s successful Racial Literacy and Anti-Racism Practices series has received an Innovation and Anti-Racism Micro Grant from the NYU Office of Global Inclusion (OGI). 

During Spring 2021, Cortana developed a series of four workshops: Understanding Race in a Global Context; Microaggressions and Racial Stress: Reducing Harmful Interactions; An Introduction to Intersectionality: Positioning and Situating Identities; and The Fight Against Black Voter Suppression. The grant from OGI will support Cortana in expanding this series and offering a number of brand new workshops in Spring 2022. 

In the well-attended workshops this past spring, he engaged with working professionals as well as administrators, faculty, and students at NYU and other universities around concerns about racial harm in the workplace and the concerns of international students. The series also featured faculty guests Dr. Durell Cooper, a notable cultural strategist specializing in systems change, and Dr. Mutale Nkonde, a distinguished scholar and CEO of AI for the People (AFP), a non-profit communications agency. Given NYU’s international presence, the emphasis on understanding race through a transnational perspective was particularly praised and opened debates about the lack of research and understanding of racial discourses outside the U.S.

Cortana’s Racial Literacy and Anti-Racism Practices Series will be offered again in Fall 2021, and three new workshops with a focus on technology and the internet will be offered in Spring 2022. The first of these new workshops will address digital identities, digital racism and fighting hate speech online as well as current scholarship on the racial harm of algorithmic practices. The second workshop will look at the spread of misinformation and how to tackle it with historically marginalized/racialized communities. Finally, the last workshop will address questions of representation/decolonization in the arts and best practices for expanding more inclusive racial imagery to launch successful activist campaigns online. 

The Fall 2021 Racial Literacy and Anti-Racism Practices Series is now open for registration as part of NYU SPS’ continuing education program. Students may enroll in one or more of the four individual workshops. To learn more and sign up, click here.

In a recent interview, Cortana told us more about his inspiration for the series, what makes it unique,  and what he’s working on next. 

What inspired you to create the series? 

Speaking about racial equality has always been a complex issue. The current pandemic, the aftermaths of George Floyd’s assassination and the global wave of protests which followed, had a significant impact. I have seen for the first time people who have always refused to tackle issues around race, asking questions and sharing texts about Black activism on their social networks. This crave for reading texts and gaining concepts is paramount for critical race scholars like me who are willing to educate and engage in these conversations. 

In my research, I investigate the legacy of assassinated anti-racist activists with a transnational perspective, focusing on the US, Brazil, France, and South Africa. I look at the ways racial discourses have always circulated through continents adapting to political and cultural contexts. Studying in the US feels like, sometimes, living on an island-continent where challenges around racial equality experienced elsewhere are very little known. In this series, I want to offer my expertise to make students reflect on race from a global perspective in order to challenge our own biases. This is very valuable in an environment like NYU which has antennas all over the world and hosts a large international student community. 

What skills and tools can students expect to walk away with? 

We will look into several concepts and texts so that students can leave the courses with specific tools that they will be able to deepen on their own. In our everyday life, concepts like microaggressions, intersectionality, and passing have often become buzzwords but they deserve a more precise examination through case studies and real-life situations (workplace, school, personal encounters) to be discussed in small groups. As I work with films and media, I also use visuals to help students decolonize their own visual imagery and help them think which medium/language will be more useful to work with in their local communities.

During Spring 2021, I really appreciated the participants’ willingness to share in our main discussions but also in breakout groups. I think it is important to dive into our own experiences to precisely situate our identities in order to understand how they fluctuate in different situations. Racial identities like gender and body-abilities can only be thought of in relation to each other and in movement. They are never fixed, which is why we look at different situations, switch roles, and develop empathy toward stories that are less familiar to us. In this way, we address how to develop storytelling skills while tackling racial discourses.

Finally, I also spend time applying mindfulness to racial stress. The best way to learn is to assume that we all make mistakes and we will all experience racial stress. The environment of this class is filled with joy and also humor since it is the only way to embrace this work.

What else are you working on right now? 

In addition to completing my dissertation at the NYU Cinema Studies Department, I am also an affiliate researcher at the Berkman Klein Center – Internet and Society at Harvard Law. I am examining digital identities applied to activism; the development of online film festivals and their consequences on digital exclusion; and online misinformation and the development of deepfakes (a type of artificial intelligence used to create convincing images, audio and video hoaxes). I tackled a bit of this work in the Racial Literacy and Anti-Racism Practices series and participants expressed a strong interest in learning more about how new technologies and the internet have impacted our information ecosystem. I am really excited to receive the Office of Global Inclusion Innovation and Anti-Racism Micro Grant to develop a series on the impact of internet environments on racial equality for Spring 2022. This is urgent to constantly link offline and online environments even more during the pandemic.

My short documentary Marielle’s Legacy Will Not Die on the activist movement spreading the legacy of Marielle Franco, an Afro-Brazilian Councilwoman assassinated in 2018, keeps on circulating and will be screened in the Fall in the US, Belgium, England, Italy, Congo-Brazzaville, and Romania. When the film is selected, I do my best to find local activists who can translate Franco’s legacy in their own context and participate with me on Q&As.

Finally, I am supporting the social campaign to re-open the cold case of South African anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September, murdered in 1988 in Paris. Enver Samuel made the film Murder in Paris and along with her relatives launched an online petition. I am organizing events at several universities including one at NYU this Fall where we will screen the film and create conversations about this period of history in order to celebrate the world’s unsung heroes,  particularly women fighters.

New Writing Workshop Series on Articles and Essays Coming This Fall

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The pandemic has been a time of reflection for many, taking stock of our own lives as well as our place in history. Here at CALA, we have seen robust enrollment in our courses on personal essays and op-eds over the past few semesters. This fall, popular CALA instructor Estelle Erasmus will lead The Writer’s Craft Workshop Series: Articles and Essays for those interested in developing reported articles and personal essays and pitching them for publication. “I am excited to work on a group and one-on-one basis with students on their writing, developing ideas, and teaching the editing tips and tricks I’ve accumulated after over 25 years working in publishing as both a magazine editor, journalist, essayist, teacher and writing coach,” says Erasmus.

These affordable workshops of one session each are designed to be accessible to both experienced and novice writers. “I’m excited to take another class with Estelle,” says Juli Fraga, a successful freelancer. “It gives structure and thinking time and a way to stay fresh and keep myself accountable in this industry.”

Erasmus will lead students through four workshop sessions, open for registration as individual courses. The first of these, Writing Your Life, will focus on the process of finding and developing ideas drawn from personal experience. The next two sessions, Writing a Strong Introduction to an Article or Essay and Writing a Strong Ending to an Article or Essay, will provide students with tips and methods to use in order to create more engaging pieces of writing. In the final session, Editing Articles and Essays to Submit for Publication, Erasmus will give students an editor’s view of the process of readying essays and articles for submission based on her years of industry experience. In each session, students will be invited to apply what they have learned and workshop ideas with their peers and the instructor.

Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist and writing coach with a knack for helping her students place their work for publication. She writes the “All About the Pitch” column for Writer’s Digest Magazine, has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon, WIRED, The Independent, Parents, GH, Vox Family Circle Magazine, Your Teen for Parents, Vox and more, and has been editor-in-chief of five national consumer publications. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Each workshop in the Writer’s Craft series will run from 7:00 – 9:30pm on Tuesdays in October via Zoom. Click here to enroll now!

Clara and Robert Schumann: Tragedy and Triumph. Time to Consider a History of Music Course?

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If you have never taken a music appreciation course at NYU SPS CALA perhaps now is the time to consider branching out! The Schumanns were a fascinating couple who had a powerful influence on the course of classical music. 

Here are some details from the wonderful course instructor, Edmund Cionek:

Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and important music critic of the early Romantic Era. Clara Schumann, regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of her time, published her husband’s works and in some cases adapted his songs for piano. Robert Schumann’s musical genius was critical to the expressive evolution of piano music, chamber works, lieder, and symphonies in the first half of the 19th century. As we explore the Schumanns’ masterworks, we will examine their form, style, and place in history while paying particular attention to their remarkable ability of extramusical literary association. In today’s terms, Schumann and his wife Clara were influencers and considered a power couple, even amongst their remarkable contemporaries: Brahms, Chopin, Paganini, Liszt, Berlioz, Weber, and Mendelssohn. With each new work and premiere, there is a human story of challenge, triumph, and sometimes tragedy. Noting social and political trends as well as musical history, we will trace these threads and weave a rich tapestry of inspiration and creativity. No prior musical knowledge is necessary for the enjoyment of this class. 

Link to the Fall 2021 course here: Clara and Robert Schumann: Tragedy and Triumph

The Academy of Lifelong Learning Kicks Off Its Second Year

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The Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL) is celebrating a successful first year and looking forward to a second year full of dynamic programming. ALL is a collaboration between the Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA), the Center for Global Affairs (CGA), and the English Language Institute (ELI), designed to support and engage a diverse community of students studying for personal enrichment. 

Welcoming students of all ages, ALL offers a wide range of daytime courses and other custom programming in current affairs, arts, languages, ESL, and the humanities. ALL launched its website last fall, offering students a virtual hub to explore course offerings across departments, communicate with peers, access resources, and learn about upcoming events. “We are proud of what we have been able to achieve thus far with ALL,” says Dr. Eve Mayer, Assistant Director, CALA. “The intellectual engagement and social connection that our courses offer have been particularly necessary during this year of isolation.” 

The unexpected pivot to remote programming in 2020, while challenging in many respects, allowed for a broader ALL community than would otherwise have been possible. “One of the benefits that virtual offerings have provided us is the ability to expand our audience beyond the tri-state area,” says Michelle D’Amico, Director of Continuing Education and Public Programs (CGA). “For global affairs in particular, there is important added value in this as it provides for more robust conversations that include perspectives from diverse geographic areas.”

A particular highlight of the first year was the success of the Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL) Book Club, led by SPS scholars and academic directors. Readings were selected in conjunction with other NYU programs such as NYU Reads and included Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Exit West, and Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America. Book club participants joined author and United Nations NGO founder Roberta Seret for a special preview and discussion of the first book in her Transylvania Trilogy. “The Academy of Lifelong Learning Book Club brings together all members of the NYU community, including students and faculty as well as friends of the Academy of Lifelong Learning,” says Alicia Kubes, Associate Director, CALA. Participants especially enjoyed invaluable access to faculty members and meaningful connections within the ALL community. 

In the coming year, ALL will feature new instructors, courses, and public programs to engage its growing community. “We will continue to experiment to find ways of reaching new students and community members through courses and events,” says Dr. Mayer. “Our goal is to develop programming that is accessible and inclusive.” The ALL Book Club kicks off the year on October 12th, with a discussion of the Fall 2021 NYU Reads selection Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The author will give a separate virtual talk to the NYU community in September (date TBA). Sign up here to join this virtual discussion and join the Academy of Lifelong Learning private group on Facebook for status updates.

Interested in learning more about the Academy of Lifelong Learning and our courses for Fall 2021? Register to join us for our virtual Info Session on Tuesday, August 31st at 12 PM EST, or check out our website here!

Have questions, feedback or ideas? Please contact us at sps.all@nyu.edu.

New Workshop Series Builds Skills for Job Seekers and Those Curious About Freelancing

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Are you looking to change careers, find a new position, or explore the world of freelancing in the wake of COVID? CALA has developed a new workshop series, Repositioning Yourself in the Post-Pandemic Workforce, to help give you the boost you need to seek new opportunities and present yourself in the best light. 

The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has led many professionals to reconfigure their work lives and has led to substantial layoffs across industries. The professional lives of women have been particularly disrupted, with approximately 3 million women leaving the workforce since March 2020. On a recent episode of the podcast America Dissected: Coronavirus with Abdul El-Sayed, former U.S. Department of Labor official Jane Oates attributed this statistic to the following factors: the tendency of women to serve as primary caregivers of young children and senior citizens; the challenges faced by the hospitality industry during the pandemic; and the disproportionate effects of closures on women-owned businesses. 

Our workshops, while open to participants of any gender identity, were inspired by the hardships outlined in the many articles on this phenomenon over the course of the pandemic. The workshops are offered on a flexible hybrid model appropriate for those juggling work and personal responsibilities. To ensure accessibility, each workshop is offered at a 20% discount to participants who are not currently employed.    

As vaccines become widely available and the job market opens up, the time may be right to make your next professional move. Our affordable, week-long hybrid workshops will help you to chart your course in an informed and strategic way, guided by coaching and feedback from our expert faculty. Each week, you will gain key insights and competencies that will build your personal brand and your sense of professional direction. 

The series includes the following workshops:

Learning to Navigate the Freelance World:

Over one short week, this online course will help you to weigh the pros and cons of a freelancing career while offering a practical guide to finding work in the gig economy. Participants will hone their networking skills and define their freelancing goals through online exercises and an interactive Zoom session. We will discuss tips on résumé writing to pursue a freelance career. This course begins June 1.

Leveraging Your Social Networks for Professional Success:

Establishing and using well-placed social contacts within your field can make all the difference in discovering new professional paths, building your reputation, and finding a job. Participants in this week-long online workshop will learn to identify key contacts and develop social relationships that will support career advancement. This course begins June 7. 

Building Persuasive Writing Skills to Achieve Your Career Goals:

A convincing persuasive argument uses a combination of research and careful word choice to influence the reader. The ability to persuade is essential when composing a compelling cover letter, a résumé, or even an everyday professional email. Participants in this class will learn how to develop a strong opening statement to draw the reader’s attention, express thoughts strategically, and conclude with the all-important ask or action step. This course begins June 14. 

Developing Effective Presentation Skills for Professional Success:

Participants in this workshop will practice the preparation and delivery of different kinds of presentations, with an emphasis on learning to speak succinctly, clarify key messages, and keep conversations engaging. In addition, this class will cover key presentation techniques for job interviewing. Students will be encouraged to find their own speaking style so that they remain authentic as well as persuasive. This course begins June 21.

Contact eve.mayer@nyu.edu with any questions about the series or visit the series page to register.

Women’s History Month Might Be Coming to an End, But the Fight for Equity Shouldn’t

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Women's History Month

Happy Women’s History Month! Each year, the month of March is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of women both past and present, recognizing the struggles and challenges behind their victories, and strengthening the continued fight for equity. 

But what happens when March comes to an end? After all, one month hardly seems long enough to honor the social, cultural, and professional contributions of so many trailblazers. While there are a variety of ways to continue celebrating women all year round, learning about the legacies of revolutionary women is the one we know best here at CALA. 

This summer, we’re offering courses that aim to share the stories of women who’ve changed the world and provide an outlet for confronting the norms and stereotypes that shape our daily lives. Here are some of our favorites:

“WOMEN OF MYSTERY”: CHRISTIE, SAYERS, HIGHSMITH, AND FRENCH

Read novels by three women who are in the mystery writers’ hall of fame and a current author who has been praised as “one of the greatest crime novelists writing today” in this exciting course beginning July 8.

IT COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THEM: WOMEN WHO SHAPED THE COURSE OF MODERN ART

This course invites you to delve into the remarkable lives of exceptional women who have exerted an enormous influence on the course of modern art, from Katherine Dreier, artist and co-founder (with Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp) of Société Anonyme, to art historian and curator Marcia Tucker, founder of the New Museum of Contemporary Art, to Gertrude Stein, writer and patron of the arts.  

THE GOTHIC HEROINE

Classic gothic heroines like Catherine Earnshaw or Mina Harker are among the most widely recognized and frequently adapted literary characters of all time. Analyze these thrilling, infuriating, irresistible portrayals, and explore whether heroines from the past two centuries can show us — to paraphrase Jane Austen — how to be the heroes of our own lives.

THE ART OF PRESENTATION: PORTRAITS OF (FAMOUS) WOMEN

Creating the likeness of women has intrigued artists and fascinated art lovers for centuries. How to depict a woman? In this course, we will look at the wide range of possibilities, from the most famous portrait—Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa— to ultra-contemporary photography, including self-portraits, mythological portraits, portraits in disguise, heroic and state portraits, famous sitters, mistresses, queens, and notorious ladies. 

Happy Dante Day! Celebrate Italian Literature This Summer with CALA

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"Dante Alighieri and 'The Divine Comedy' " - painting (1465) by Domenico di Michelino - Santa Maria del Fiore Basilica in Florence [Credit: Carlo Raso on Flickr]
“Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy” – painting (1465) by Domenico di Michelino – Santa Maria del Fiore Basilica in Florence [Credit: Carlo Raso on Flickr]
Happy Dante Day! Just last year, Italy announced March 25 as National Dante Day, or Dantedì, signifying the date Dante embarked on his journey into the heavens and the hells through his Divine Comedy.

Here at CALA, we’re fans of celebrating the Supreme Poet (or Sommo Poeta) year-round. Our spring courses are already up and running with Reading Dante’s Paradise, but we’ve also got a few summer courses lined up for our Italian literature lovers.

Join us this summer as we honor Dante with an adventure into Hell. Starting June 17, we’ll be diving into Dante’s Inferno — the first canticle of the Divine Comedy, where readers encounter condemned lovers, corrupt popes and politicians, thieves, pagans, and a variety of sinners. Through critical analysis and lively group discussions, we’ll gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating work. 

Don’t just leave it at Dante either! Join us in examining the works of Boccaccio this summer too. We’ll be delving into the poet’s masterful series of 100 tales about a group of 10 young people who take refuge in a country home after fleeing plague-ridden Florence. This course also begins June 17. 

Register for Reading Dante’s Inferno here. Register for Boccaccio’s Decameron here.