Music and Politics in the Early Soviet Union

Wednesdays, April 8, 15, and 22 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Derek Katz
This course will trace the fraught relationships between music and Soviet cultural policies from the 1917 Revolution to the Second World War. We will start with the clashes between proletarian musicians and modernist composers during the relatively tolerant New Economic Policy of the 1920s while also briefly dipping into popular music and jazz of that era. We will discuss the thorny concept of Socialist Realism in the 1930s after the establishment of the Union of Composers in 1932, and conclude with the promotion of nationalist music for both Russians and national minorities as war approached. Famous musicians like Shostakovich and Prokofiev will make appearances, but we will also listen to music by lesser-known Soviet composers such as Alexander Mosolov, Vladimir Deshevov, Nikolai Myaskovsky, and Vissarion Shebalin.

View Flyer

The Carrizo Plain: Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands

NEW DATE! Monday, April 6 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Chuck Graham
Come take a visual journey with writer/photographer Chuck Graham into the Carrizo Plain National Monument, the last of California’s historic grasslands. This is a unique landscape that requires one to slow down, observe, and listen to what the grasslands want to reveal. Chuck has spent 20 years writing about and photographing the flora and fauna of the Plain and its surrounding mountain ranges, the Caliente to the west and the Temblors to the east. The Carrizo Plain gets a lot of attention due to its spectacular wildflower blooms, but its appeal is not just about the flowers. The Carrizo Plain is a wild place like no other. Its sweeping grasslands also support an array of wildlife hidden within seasonal arroyos, badlands, sandstone, and alkali loam. There are more endangered species in the Carrizo Plain than anywhere else in California.

View Flyer

Gertrude Stein: Paris, Modernism, and a Family Connection

Wednesdays, March 25 and April 1 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Nick Stein
Step into the legendary Paris salon of Gertrude Stein, where modern art was born and literary revolutionaries gathered. VISTAS presenter Nicholas Stein brings an extraordinary personal perspective to this story—his grandparents were Gertrude’s favorite first cousins. Through family insights and cultural history, Nick will illuminate the woman who became one of the 20th century’s most influential figures. He’ll show how Gertrude’s radical experiments with language transformed literature, how her salon became the creative epicenter for Picasso, Hemingway, Matisse, and countless others, and why her fearless approach to art and life still resonates today. No background in modernist literature is needed for this presentation—just curiosity about a brilliant, unconventional woman who changed how we think about words, art, and creativity itself.

This course is now sold out. Please email Nichole at vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you’d like to be added to the waitlist in case of any cancellations.

Gertrude Stein: Paris, Modernism, and a Family Connection

Wednesdays, March 25 and April 1 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Nick Stein
Step into the legendary Paris salon of Gertrude Stein, where modern art was born and literary revolutionaries gathered. VISTAS presenter Nicholas Stein brings an extraordinary personal perspective to this story—his grandparents were Gertrude’s favorite first cousins. Through family insights and cultural history, Nick will illuminate the woman who became one of the 20th century’s most influential figures. He’ll show how Gertrude’s radical experiments with language transformed literature, how her salon became the creative epicenter for Picasso, Hemingway, Matisse, and countless others, and why her fearless approach to art and life still resonates today. No background in modernist literature is needed for this presentation—just curiosity about a brilliant, unconventional woman who changed how we think about words, art, and creativity itself.

This course is now sold out. Please email Nichole at vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you’d like to be added to the waitlist in case of any cancellations.

Our Monday Nonfiction Book Club meets online via Zoom. Membership is limited to 20; in case of over-enrollment, prospective participants will be placed on a wait-list. Books will be proposed and selected at the September meeting. Once complete, the selection list for the 2025–26 year will be posted on the VISTAS website.
Each discussion is led by a different group member, who comes in with suggested questions (which we are all free to supplement).
Some books recently read include: The Premonition: A Pandemic Story (Michael Lewis); The Women’s Hour: The Great War to Win the Vote (Elaine Weiss); Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution (Helen Zia).

10 a.m. – 12 noon
Third Thursday each month, Sept. 2025 – July 2026
First Fall 2025 meeting: September 18, 2025
Bethany Congregational Church, 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara

The VISTAS Fiction Book Group meets monthly for in-depth, highly satisfying discussions of a variety of types of fiction. Titles are selected and presented by individual members of the group. All group members are responsible for contributing questions and observations to the discussion. Books we read this past year include The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery), Circe (Madeline Miller), The Housekeeper Professor (Yoko Ogawa), The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga), Lady Tan’s Circle of Women (Lisa See), and Horse (Geraldine Brooks

Women Who Dared, Series Two

Wednesdays, March 4, 11, and 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Coordinated by Laurie Guitteau
Last March we introduced a new series of VISTAS talks, titled “Women Who Dared,” intended to highlight women who ignored the traditions of their time and contributed significantly to their world, always against tremendous challenges. In this second series, another team of copresenters (Peggy Perhac, Suzanne Croft, Jill Breedon, Barbara Levi, Barbara Lindemann, and Kate Feldstein) will cover six such women. Victoria Woodhull Martin, the first woman to run for US president, in 1872, fought many of the same battles that women still fight today. Julia Morgan was one of the first female engineering majors at Berkeley, the first female graduate of École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and the first licensed woman architect in California. Mary Anning was an 18th-century English fossil collector whose findings contributed to knowledge of prehistoric life. Lise Meitner rose to prominence among European physicists and was on the verge of her biggest discovery—nuclear fission—when, as a Jew, she was forced to flee Nazi Germany. Margaret Sanger was a nurse who devoted her life to making contraceptives available to all women. Katharine Dexter McCormick, in the 1890s, became the second woman to attend MIT. She went on to be an advocate for women’s rights and for those with mental illness.

The Voyages of Captain Cook

Mondays, March 9 and 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In the year 1769, a British seaman named James Cook and a team of astronomers with telescopes, sextants, and chronometers measured a rare astronomical event called a “Transit of Venus” from the remote island of Tahiti. These measurements would be used by experts in the British Royal Society to calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun—a fervent goal for astronomers of the time. Almost 200 years later, 20th c. astronomers, using radar and spacecraft, concluded that the calculations from Cook’s observations in 1769 were 98.2% accurate! Upon leaving Tahiti, Cook abruptly changed course and sailed his ship on a secret mission for the British Admiralty. This spawned two more clandestine expeditions, to opposite ends of the world. This course will trace the voyages of exploration by Captain Cook in the late 18th century—the oceans he traversed, the lands he visited and peoples he met, the challenges he encountered … and the price he paid.

Standing on the Precipice: What’s Happening to America?

Fridays, Feb. 20, 27, Mar. 6, 13 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S.B. City College, West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price $75

Presented by David Bisno with Randall Balmer
Three years ago, David asked VISTAS students “Why the Allure of Fascism?” Since then he has intrigued us with “Whose Land Is It, Anyway?” and “Two Peoples, One Land,” about the history of the Holy Land. This winter he is asking us: “Is our country at a precipice?” or “Have we already fallen from the precipice?” Joined by Dartmouth College Professor of Religion Randall Balmer, David will weave together Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 tale It Can’t Happen Here, Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, and America’s embrace of authoritarianism. Some of us may be thrilled with developments in Washington; others of us may be in profound dismay. Do we understand il-liberal democracies? White Christian nationalism? Populist philosophies? Why is it happening here? Are we, the “elites,” the problem? Come join us for provocative, spirited presentations and discussions.

Mystery/Espionage Book Club

Second Friday of each month, September through August, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Private residence
VISTAS members only: $25 for the year; enrollment limited to 12

Mysteries! Spies! Detectives! Private Eyes! If you want to add a little intrigue to your reading list, this is the book club for you! VISTAS is pleased to announce the formation of our newest book club, dedicated to the popular genre of mysteries, spy/counterspy novels, and thrillers. Mysteries are the oldest form of literature within this arena, going back to the 19th century with the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins. Spy novels began growing in popularity starting around the era of World War I, and thrillers as we know them today began to come into their own shortly after the end of World War II with books by Mickey Spillane and others.
Two books will be discussed at each session. Enrollment for this book club is limited; in case of over-enrollment, a wait-list will be created.

View Flyer
2025-26 Book List
2024-25 Book List

This book club is full. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

The Thursday Nonfiction Book Club meets in person at a private residence. It is full and not accepting new members at this time.

Women Who Dared, Series Two

Wednesdays, March 4, 11, and 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Coordinated by Laurie Guitteau
Last March we introduced a new series of VISTAS talks, titled “Women Who Dared,” intended to highlight women who ignored the traditions of their time and contributed significantly to their world, always against tremendous challenges. In this second series, another team of copresenters (Peggy Perhac, Suzanne Croft, Jill Breedon, Barbara Levi, Barbara Lindemann, and Kate Feldstein) will cover six such women. Victoria Woodhull Martin, the first woman to run for US president, in 1872, fought many of the same battles that women still fight today. Julia Morgan was one of the first female engineering majors at Berkeley, the first female graduate of École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and the first licensed woman architect in California. Mary Anning was an 18th-century English fossil collector whose findings contributed to knowledge of prehistoric life. Lise Meitner rose to prominence among European physicists and was on the verge of her biggest discovery—nuclear fission—when, as a Jew, she was forced to flee Nazi Germany. Margaret Sanger was a nurse who devoted her life to making contraceptives available to all women. Katharine Dexter McCormick, in the 1890s, became the second woman to attend MIT. She went on to be an advocate for women’s rights and for those with mental illness.

→ SPECIAL EVENT!
By George: The Life and Music of George Gershwin

Tuesday, March 10, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Daniel Weiser
In this lecture-recital, pianist Daniel Weiser will explore the tragically short, but incredibly productive, life of America’s greatest composer. The son of Russian immigrants, Gershwin grew up in the rough streets of New York where he soaked up the melting pot of sounds. Combining elements of “Jewish” music with the “Blues” and “Ragtime,” Gershwin helped produce the brash new “Jazz” and “Broadway” sound that made New York City the new mecca for musical culture in the 1920s and 30s. He also travelled seamlessly between the “classical” and “popular” worlds to reveal the continuum of these idioms. Dr. Weiser will play much of Gershwin’s concert music,including “Rhapsody in Blue,” “American in Paris,” and his “Preludes,” as well as many of the iconic songs he wrote with his brother, Ira.

This course is now sold out. Please email Nichole at vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you’d like to be added to the waitlist in case of any cancellations.

The Voyages of Captain Cook

Mondays, March 9 and 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In the year 1769, a British seaman named James Cook and a team of astronomers with telescopes, sextants, and chronometers measured a rare astronomical event called a “Transit of Venus” from the remote island of Tahiti. These measurements would be used by experts in the British Royal Society to calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun—a fervent goal for astronomers of the time. Almost 200 years later, 20th c. astronomers, using radar and spacecraft, concluded that the calculations from Cook’s observations in 1769 were 98.2% accurate! Upon leaving Tahiti, Cook abruptly changed course and sailed his ship on a secret mission for the British Admiralty. This spawned two more clandestine expeditions, to opposite ends of the world. This course will trace the voyages of exploration by Captain Cook in the late 18th century—the oceans he traversed, the lands he visited and peoples he met, the challenges he encountered … and the price he paid.

View Flyer

Standing on the Precipice: What’s Happening to America?

Fridays, Feb. 20, 27, Mar. 6, 13 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S.B. City College, West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price $75

Presented by David Bisno with Randall Balmer
Three years ago, David asked VISTAS students “Why the Allure of Fascism?” Since then he has intrigued us with “Whose Land Is It, Anyway?” and “Two Peoples, One Land,” about the history of the Holy Land. This winter he is asking us: “Is our country at a precipice?” or “Have we already fallen from the precipice?” Joined by Dartmouth College Professor of Religion Randall Balmer, David will weave together Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 tale It Can’t Happen Here, Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, and America’s embrace of authoritarianism. Some of us may be thrilled with developments in Washington; others of us may be in profound dismay. Do we understand il-liberal democracies? White Christian nationalism? Populist philosophies? Why is it happening here? Are we, the “elites,” the problem? Come join us for provocative, spirited presentations and discussions.

Women Who Dared, Series Two

Wednesdays, March 4, 11, and 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Coordinated by Laurie Guitteau
Last March we introduced a new series of VISTAS talks, titled “Women Who Dared,” intended to highlight women who ignored the traditions of their time and contributed significantly to their world, always against tremendous challenges. In this second series, another team of copresenters (Peggy Perhac, Suzanne Croft, Jill Breedon, Barbara Levi, Barbara Lindemann, and Kate Feldstein) will cover six such women. Victoria Woodhull Martin, the first woman to run for US president, in 1872, fought many of the same battles that women still fight today. Julia Morgan was one of the first female engineering majors at Berkeley, the first female graduate of École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and the first licensed woman architect in California. Mary Anning was an 18th-century English fossil collector whose findings contributed to knowledge of prehistoric life. Lise Meitner rose to prominence among European physicists and was on the verge of her biggest discovery—nuclear fission—when, as a Jew, she was forced to flee Nazi Germany. Margaret Sanger was a nurse who devoted her life to making contraceptives available to all women. Katharine Dexter McCormick, in the 1890s, became the second woman to attend MIT. She went on to be an advocate for women’s rights and for those with mental illness.

View Flyer

Can Congress Regain Its Strength… to Become an Equal Partner with the Presidency and Supreme Court?

Mondays, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, 9, and 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price: $75

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Everyone agrees that Congress is weak compared with the Presidency and Supreme Court. This is a course on Congress itself, starting with the members, the history of congressional power, committees, leadership, rules, voting—the works. Why is Congress weaker than it has been in the past? Remarkably, we will find that it is weaker in part because Congress has weakened itself. What can be done to strengthen Congress and make it an equal partner with the Presidency and Supreme Court? Congress has neglected the power of the purse, enabling the current executive to move money around in ways that previous presidents never thought possible. And Congress’s war powers need to be reasserted. Internally, the filibuster has become a major obstacle to the majority’s ability to implement their program. Can the filibuster be partially reformed? Congress can also influence the judicial branch. Writing new laws on judicial ethics and judicial structures could enhance Congress’s role.

Standing on the Precipice: What’s Happening to America?

Fridays, Feb. 20, 27, Mar. 6, 13 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S.B. City College, West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price $75

Presented by David Bisno with Randall Balmer
Three years ago, David asked VISTAS students “Why the Allure of Fascism?” Since then he has intrigued us with “Whose Land Is It, Anyway?” and “Two Peoples, One Land,” about the history of the Holy Land. This winter he is asking us: “Is our country at a precipice?” or “Have we already fallen from the precipice?” Joined by Dartmouth College Professor of Religion Randall Balmer, David will weave together Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 tale It Can’t Happen Here, Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, and America’s embrace of authoritarianism. Some of us may be thrilled with developments in Washington; others of us may be in profound dismay. Do we understand il-liberal democracies? White Christian nationalism? Populist philosophies? Why is it happening here? Are we, the “elites,” the problem? Come join us for provocative, spirited presentations and discussions.

Our Monday Nonfiction Book Club meets online via Zoom. Membership is limited to 20; in case of over-enrollment, prospective participants will be placed on a wait-list. Books will be proposed and selected at the September meeting. Once complete, the selection list for the 2025–26 year will be posted on the VISTAS website.
Each discussion is led by a different group member, who comes in with suggested questions (which we are all free to supplement).
Some books recently read include: The Premonition: A Pandemic Story (Michael Lewis); The Women’s Hour: The Great War to Win the Vote (Elaine Weiss); Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution (Helen Zia).

Presented via zoom by Daniel Stone in conjuction with our Monday Nonfiction Book Club. Daniel will be presenting about his new novel, American Poison. Please see below for a description.

National bestselling author and two-time Vistas presenter Daniel Stone returns to tell the inspiring story of Alice Hamilton, the unsung woman who sparked the modern environmental justice movement. Hamilton was the Erin Brockovich of the 1920s and the first female professor at Harvard. In his book American Poison, Stone paints a vivid portrait of Hamilton’s crusade. In his Vistas session, he will follow her from shop rooms to Capitol offices as she takes on the powerful auto industry at the height of America’s motor boom. Come hear the inspiring story of a relentless woman whose fight still shapes the air we breathe and the homes we live in.

View Flyer

Please email Nichole at vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be registered for this zoom presentation.

Standing on the Precipice: What’s Happening to America?

Fridays, Feb. 20, 27, Mar. 6, 13 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S.B. City College, West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price $75

Presented by David Bisno with Randall Balmer
Three years ago, David asked VISTAS students “Why the Allure of Fascism?” Since then he has intrigued us with “Whose Land Is It, Anyway?” and “Two Peoples, One Land,” about the history of the Holy Land. This winter he is asking us: “Is our country at a precipice?” or “Have we already fallen from the precipice?” Joined by Dartmouth College Professor of Religion Randall Balmer, David will weave together Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 tale It Can’t Happen Here, Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, and America’s embrace of authoritarianism. Some of us may be thrilled with developments in Washington; others of us may be in profound dismay. Do we understand il-liberal democracies? White Christian nationalism? Populist philosophies? Why is it happening here? Are we, the “elites,” the problem? Come join us for provocative, spirited presentations and discussions.

View Flyer

10 a.m. – 12 noon
Third Thursday each month, Sept. 2025 – July 2026
First Fall 2025 meeting: September 18, 2025
Bethany Congregational Church, 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara

The VISTAS Fiction Book Group meets monthly for in-depth, highly satisfying discussions of a variety of types of fiction. Titles are selected and presented by individual members of the group. All group members are responsible for contributing questions and observations to the discussion. Books we read this past year include The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery), Circe (Madeline Miller), The Housekeeper Professor (Yoko Ogawa), The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga), Lady Tan’s Circle of Women (Lisa See), and Horse (Geraldine Brooks

California Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics

Wednesdays, February 11 and 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Ralph Archuleta
First session: Plate tectonics—a changing planet. The earth’s surface is in perpetual motion. It is not a single entity but a collection of fragments (plates) that jostle against one another as they slide over a molten mantle below. The result is an ever-changing landscape of mountain chains like the Andes or Himalaya, seas such as the Gulf of California, and chains of islands such as Hawaii.
Second session: California earthquakes—a focus on Santa Barbara. The boundary between the North American and Pacific Plates cuts through California—its most obvious feature being the San Andreas fault. Some of the most hazardous faults lie miles below the south coast and reach the surface in the Santa Barbara Channel. These faults can produce earthquakes similar in magnitude to the 1994 Northridge and 1971 San Fernando quakes and threaten the South Coast.

Mystery/Espionage Book Club

Second Friday of each month, September through August, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Private residence
VISTAS members only: $25 for the year; enrollment limited to 12

Mysteries! Spies! Detectives! Private Eyes! If you want to add a little intrigue to your reading list, this is the book club for you! VISTAS is pleased to announce the formation of our newest book club, dedicated to the popular genre of mysteries, spy/counterspy novels, and thrillers. Mysteries are the oldest form of literature within this arena, going back to the 19th century with the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins. Spy novels began growing in popularity starting around the era of World War I, and thrillers as we know them today began to come into their own shortly after the end of World War II with books by Mickey Spillane and others.
Two books will be discussed at each session. Enrollment for this book club is limited; in case of over-enrollment, a wait-list will be created.

View Flyer
2025-26 Book List
2024-25 Book List

This book club is full. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

The Thursday Nonfiction Book Club meets in person at a private residence. It is full and not accepting new members at this time.

California Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics

Wednesdays, February 11 and 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Ralph Archuleta
First session: Plate tectonics—a changing planet. The earth’s surface is in perpetual motion. It is not a single entity but a collection of fragments (plates) that jostle against one another as they slide over a molten mantle below. The result is an ever-changing landscape of mountain chains like the Andes or Himalaya, seas such as the Gulf of California, and chains of islands such as Hawaii.
Second session: California earthquakes—a focus on Santa Barbara. The boundary between the North American and Pacific Plates cuts through California—its most obvious feature being the San Andreas fault. Some of the most hazardous faults lie miles below the south coast and reach the surface in the Santa Barbara Channel. These faults can produce earthquakes similar in magnitude to the 1994 Northridge and 1971 San Fernando quakes and threaten the South Coast.

View Flyer

Can Congress Regain Its Strength… to Become an Equal Partner with the Presidency and Supreme Court?

Mondays, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, 9, and 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price: $75

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Everyone agrees that Congress is weak compared with the Presidency and Supreme Court. This is a course on Congress itself, starting with the members, the history of congressional power, committees, leadership, rules, voting—the works. Why is Congress weaker than it has been in the past? Remarkably, we will find that it is weaker in part because Congress has weakened itself. What can be done to strengthen Congress and make it an equal partner with the Presidency and Supreme Court? Congress has neglected the power of the purse, enabling the current executive to move money around in ways that previous presidents never thought possible. And Congress’s war powers need to be reasserted. Internally, the filibuster has become a major obstacle to the majority’s ability to implement their program. Can the filibuster be partially reformed? Congress can also influence the judicial branch. Writing new laws on judicial ethics and judicial structures could enhance Congress’s role.

Please join us at the beautiful Music Academy of the West to enjoy a delightful afternoon with your VISTAS friends and guests—who are welcome to attend at the same cost as VISTAS members. As a special treat, our guest speaker will be local historian Neal Graffy, whose talk will focus on “Montecito’s Hilltop Barons.” Afterwards, our caterers will provide a variety of refreshments, including assorted hot and cold hors d’oeuvres.

As always, complimentary beverages, including wine, will also be provided. Both indoor and outdoor seating will be available. This is a great opportunity to introduce your friends to VISTAS!

You may reserve space at the Winter Social by mailing in the registration form on p. 15 of this catalog; or by sending in the form at the bottom of the flyer that will be sent to all VISTAS members and posted online; or by registering on our website, with payment by credit card or PayPal. Advance payment of $35 should reach us by January 28, or you can pay $40 at the door.

This event is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org if you would like to be added to the waitlist in case of any cancellations.

Grand Bargain: The Inside Story of Detroit’s Dramatic Journey from Bankruptcy to Rebirth

Thursday, February 5 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Gerald E. Rosen
The city of Detroit’s decades-long downward spiral landed in bankruptcy court on July 18, 2013. Recession, decaying infrastructure, crime, and competition from foreign automakers had hollowed out the city’s economic core. Indeed, Detroit was in such bad shape that Michigan’s governor appointed an emergency manager to take over the city. But even that was not enough to turn it around. By the summer of 2013, Detroit was flat broke. What would happen to a city that had no money and no realistic prospect for raising any? Detroit had only one sizable asset: a collection of masterpieces held by the city-owned Detroit Institute of Arts. And now the city’s creditors wanted to “monetize” the art by putting it on the auction block. Pundits around the world were writing Detroit’s obituary—and liquidation of the art threatened to become the exclamation point at the end. In his book Grand Bargain, Gerald E. Rosen tells the inside story of how Detroit was rescued and Detroit’s retirees were saved from taking devastating cuts to their pensions.

View Flyer