Wednesday: December 10, 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: Milton Love
There are maybe 1,500 fish species along the Pacific Coast of North America. You will be happy to know that we are not going to talk about all of them. No, this is a talk for people with short attention spans, as no one story will be longer than, oh, maybe at the most 5 minutes. So, if you don’t like one, don’t worry, there will be another one right around the bend. Yes, from fishes that change sex, to fishes that don’t change sex; from fishes that make sounds so loud they keep people in houseboats wide awake at night, to fishes that are very, very quiet and kind of withdrawn; and from fishes that eat you, to fishes that you eat; this talk has, if not all, at least, well, something … Oh, and we do spend a few minutes simply ragging on salmon, which we do not like.

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Four (non-consecutive) Mondays: Nov. 3 and 10 and Dec. 1 and 8, 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: Ray Kwasnick
The struggle for political control of the national government has always been a game. The Constitution and national legislation enacted pursuant to the Constitution set the rules of the game, but the rules are now, and have always been, rigged in favor of political coalitions that control less-populated states and vote-denying and -suppressing states. The structural advantages supporting those favored coalitions include the structure of the Senate, political gerrymandering, the size of the House, voter suppression and denial laws and tactics, and the filibuster. Most people believe that it is impossible to reduce those structural advantages without amending the Constitution. That belief is wrong, as the Constitution permits Congress to eliminate or reduce these advantages by simple legislation. From the beginning there have been three primary areas of contest—the extent of Congressional power over the states, the extent of Congressional power over the Supreme Court, and control of the national government. During this course, we will explore US history and constitutional law with particular focus on the three areas of contest.

Opera Production: Why Did They Do It THAT Way?

Three Tuesdays: Nov. 18, 25, and Dec. 2; 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by: Simon Williams
Nothing infuriates and divides contemporary opera audiences as much as modern stage productions of classic opera. For some, these productions violate the very essence of opera; for others, they breathe life into an antiquated form of theatre and preserve it for our time. In this course, Dr. Williams will draw on over 70 years of opera-going as an audience member and critic to explain modern approaches to production and to argue why they are necessary, even beneficial to the survival of opera. He will first examine why people resist the introduction of modern concerns onto the operatic stage and relate this to the role of opera in society today. He will then identify patterns of coherence in the somewhat confusing world of modern production. Finally, he will demonstrate how over the years one major work of the operatic repertoire has spoken to different generations of audiences so that they find their own meanings in it. You may very well not agree with everything that is said in this course, but it is sure to generate abundant conversations!

Four (non-consecutive) Mondays: Nov. 3 and 10 and Dec. 1 and 8, 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: Ray Kwasnick
The struggle for political control of the national government has always been a game. The Constitution and national legislation enacted pursuant to the Constitution set the rules of the game, but the rules are now, and have always been, rigged in favor of political coalitions that control less-populated states and vote-denying and -suppressing states. The structural advantages supporting those favored coalitions include the structure of the Senate, political gerrymandering, the size of the House, voter suppression and denial laws and tactics, and the filibuster. Most people believe that it is impossible to reduce those structural advantages without amending the Constitution. That belief is wrong, as the Constitution permits Congress to eliminate or reduce these advantages by simple legislation. From the beginning there have been three primary areas of contest—the extent of Congressional power over the states, the extent of Congressional power over the Supreme Court, and control of the national government. During this course, we will explore US history and constitutional law with particular focus on the three areas of contest.

Opera Production: Why Did They Do It THAT Way?

Three Tuesdays: Nov. 18, 25, and Dec. 2; 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by: Simon Williams
Nothing infuriates and divides contemporary opera audiences as much as modern stage productions of classic opera. For some, these productions violate the very essence of opera; for others, they breathe life into an antiquated form of theatre and preserve it for our time. In this course, Dr. Williams will draw on over 70 years of opera-going as an audience member and critic to explain modern approaches to production and to argue why they are necessary, even beneficial to the survival of opera. He will first examine why people resist the introduction of modern concerns onto the operatic stage and relate this to the role of opera in society today. He will then identify patterns of coherence in the somewhat confusing world of modern production. Finally, he will demonstrate how over the years one major work of the operatic repertoire has spoken to different generations of audiences so that they find their own meanings in it. You may very well not agree with everything that is said in this course, but it is sure to generate abundant conversations!

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

Opera Production: Why Did They Do It THAT Way?

Three Tuesdays: Nov. 18, 25, and Dec. 2; 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by: Simon Williams
Nothing infuriates and divides contemporary opera audiences as much as modern stage productions of classic opera. For some, these productions violate the very essence of opera; for others, they breathe life into an antiquated form of theatre and preserve it for our time. In this course, Dr. Williams will draw on over 70 years of opera-going as an audience member and critic to explain modern approaches to production and to argue why they are necessary, even beneficial to the survival of opera. He will first examine why people resist the introduction of modern concerns onto the operatic stage and relate this to the role of opera in society today. He will then identify patterns of coherence in the somewhat confusing world of modern production. Finally, he will demonstrate how over the years one major work of the operatic repertoire has spoken to different generations of audiences so that they find their own meanings in it. You may very well not agree with everything that is said in this course, but it is sure to generate abundant conversations!

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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.

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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.

Wednesday: November 12, 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: Bruce Phillips
Most people believe that viruses are the smallest living entity on earth. However, there are difficulties with this notion. First is whether viruses are alive. Years ago, virologists agreed they were. Nowadays, most virologists have changed their minds. Viruses can only replicate by invading and hijacking the cellular machinery of a host organism and cannot reproduce on their own. The second difficulty is that there are several entities capable of reproduction but much smaller and simpler than viruses. Maybe the answer lies in how one defines “life.” The challenge is to understand these various entities and how we conceptualize them.

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Four (non-consecutive) Mondays: Nov. 3 and 10 and Dec. 1 and 8, 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: Ray Kwasnick
The struggle for political control of the national government has always been a game. The Constitution and national legislation enacted pursuant to the Constitution set the rules of the game, but the rules are now, and have always been, rigged in favor of political coalitions that control less-populated states and vote-denying and -suppressing states. The structural advantages supporting those favored coalitions include the structure of the Senate, political gerrymandering, the size of the House, voter suppression and denial laws and tactics, and the filibuster. Most people believe that it is impossible to reduce those structural advantages without amending the Constitution. That belief is wrong, as the Constitution permits Congress to eliminate or reduce these advantages by simple legislation. From the beginning there have been three primary areas of contest—the extent of Congressional power over the states, the extent of Congressional power over the Supreme Court, and control of the national government. During this course, we will explore US history and constitutional law with particular focus on the three areas of contest.

Friday: November 7, 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: Steve Daniels
Arguably, blues music is the foundation of almost all popular U.S. musical forms, including rock-and-roll, jazz, rap, hip hop, folk, gospel, and Americana. Although its exact origin is debatable, there is no doubt that it arose primarily in the African American communities of the deep South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It afforded an oppressed population cathartic music to assuage its pain and sorrows and to express its resilience. Since its beginnings, blues has gone through periods of decline and renewal. Different blues sub-genres we’ll listen to and discuss include acoustic blues, folk blues, blues rock, Chicago blues, New Orleans blues, piano blues, soul blues, West Coast blues, and double entendre blues.

This course is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on a waitlist.

Four (non-consecutive) Mondays: Nov. 3 and 10 and Dec. 1 and 8, 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: Ray Kwasnick
The struggle for political control of the national government has always been a game. The Constitution and national legislation enacted pursuant to the Constitution set the rules of the game, but the rules are now, and have always been, rigged in favor of political coalitions that control less-populated states and vote-denying and -suppressing states. The structural advantages supporting those favored coalitions include the structure of the Senate, political gerrymandering, the size of the House, voter suppression and denial laws and tactics, and the filibuster. Most people believe that it is impossible to reduce those structural advantages without amending the Constitution. That belief is wrong, as the Constitution permits Congress to eliminate or reduce these advantages by simple legislation. From the beginning there have been three primary areas of contest—the extent of Congressional power over the states, the extent of Congressional power over the Supreme Court, and control of the national government. During this course, we will explore US history and constitutional law with particular focus on the three areas of contest.

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Thursday: October 30, 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: Norm Cohen
A man leaves his house and walks due south for one mile. Then he turns, walks one mile due west, and sees a bear. He then turns again and walks due north for one mile and is back home. What color is the bear? This riddle involves one of the biggest historical challenges to map-making. In this presentation, we’ll discuss some of the problems that faced ancient cartographers: How did they measure the size of the Earth? When did they realize it is not flat? How did they attempt to display the surface of a sphere on a flat sheet of paper? How were the heights of mountains determined long before there were satellites, drones, lasers, or even airplanes? We’ll cover these questions and more.

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Two Wednesdays: October 22 and 29, 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: Patrick McKinley
During the opening session, Patrick will identify 29 murder cases that occurred in Santa Barbara, wherein a total of 62 people were killed. A list of those cases will be shared with all attendees at that session and also may be requested in advance from our business manager. If for any reason an attendee would be disturbed by discussion of the details relating to a particular case, they may notify Patrick and that case will be dropped. Murder is not pretty, and we do not want friends or relatives of either the defendants or the victims to be confronted with distressing material. Each case will be accompanied by PowerPoint slides and discussion of the offense, the investigation, the trial, and other legal points (forensics, search warrants, and the outcome of the case). Photographing or otherwise reproducing any of those slides will not be permitted.

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).

Friday: October 24, 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: James Glisson
This entertaining presentation will explore the steps that Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Kurt Schwitters, and Max Ernst, among others, used to make artworks that still fascinate, annoy, and inspire us today. We’ll begin with Marcel Duchamp and his still controversial urinal. The conversation then moves on to the collages of Picasso and Georges Braque, with their use of cheap, common materials such as old newspapers. The discussion ends with the Surrealists’ techniques for evoking dream-like states and pulling from dark regions of the mind’s unconscious, including how Max Ernst looked to the techniques of psychology to conjure nightmarish pictures. Over a century later, contemporary artists still draw on these strategies. Seeing how those artists worked long ago can give us insights into the contemporary art we see today in museums and commercial art galleries.

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Two Wednesdays: October 22 and 29, 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: Patrick McKinley
During the opening session, Patrick will identify 29 murder cases that occurred in Santa Barbara, wherein a total of 62 people were killed. A list of those cases will be shared with all attendees at that session and also may be requested in advance from our business manager. If for any reason an attendee would be disturbed by discussion of the details relating to a particular case, they may notify Patrick and that case will be dropped. Murder is not pretty, and we do not want friends or relatives of either the defendants or the victims to be confronted with distressing material. Each case will be accompanied by PowerPoint slides and discussion of the offense, the investigation, the trial, and other legal points (forensics, search warrants, and the outcome of the case). Photographing or otherwise reproducing any of those slides will not be permitted.

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Friday: October 17, 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: Christine Sheckler and Bee Bloeser
It was America’s most powerful tool you’ve never heard enough about. Through the experience of some who served, this course examines the US Agency for International Development, the greatest tool America ever had for doing great humanitarian good while building diplomatic goodwill. We’ll look at USAID projects as they changed lives around the world and increased America’s strategic influence. We’ll explore how taxpayer dollars spent were an investment in our security and will consider ways we might move forward following the dismantling of the agency.

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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

Two Wednesdays: Oct. 8 and 15, 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: Edward Finegan
Forensic linguists have served as experts in legal disputes for the past six or seven decades in civil and criminal cases related to defamation, voice identification, authorship attribution, and trademark. They’ve also assisted courts and juries concerning interpretation of deeds of trust, insurance policies, statutory law, and even the United States Constitution—in short, in any kind of legal dispute where language is an issue. Ed will describe the well-known case of the Unabomber as well as several in which he played a role, involving the celebrities Aretha Franklin, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, and James Woods. He’ll discuss his experience in trademark disputes between American Airlines and Delta, between Apple and Microsoft, and one challenging the USPS.

Two Mondays: Oct. 6 and 13, 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: Norm Cohen
We generally don’t turn to popular music for documentation of social and political history, but there has been a great deal of musical commentary on life in the Golden State, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries—not only in mainstream pop music but also in country music (or “hillbilly” music, as it used to be labeled), blues music, and Hispanic music. In these sessions you’ll have a chance to hear dozens of songs that touch on California’s past—individual events (mostly tragedies), heroes and badmen (“Corrido de Patricia Hearst,” “Corrido de Cesar Chavez”), natural disasters (“The Los Angeles New Year’s Flood”); and memories from the days of ’49. And oh, yes—a song about our own Santa Barbara (“The Santa Barbara Earthquake”). These oft-forgotten gems will be accompanied by commentary on the historical background as well as the singers and composers/writers.

Second Friday of each month, September through June, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
First Fall 2025 meeting: September 12
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
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.
At our first meeting, we will become acquainted with fellow group members, review the types of novels we’ll be reading, and discuss our first selection, The Key to Rebecca, by Ken Follett. Group members also will receive a complimentary copy of the book The Brass Ring, by local author Lance Mason. Dr. Mason will attend our second session, on Oct. 11, and will lead the discussion of his book. Time permitting, we’ll also dive into our next novel, The Foreign Correspondent, by Alan Furst. Starting with the third class, 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.

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

Two Wednesdays: Oct. 8 and 15, 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: Edward Finegan
Forensic linguists have served as experts in legal disputes for the past six or seven decades in civil and criminal cases related to defamation, voice identification, authorship attribution, and trademark. They’ve also assisted courts and juries concerning interpretation of deeds of trust, insurance policies, statutory law, and even the United States Constitution—in short, in any kind of legal dispute where language is an issue. Ed will describe the well-known case of the Unabomber as well as several in which he played a role, involving the celebrities Aretha Franklin, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, and James Woods. He’ll discuss his experience in trademark disputes between American Airlines and Delta, between Apple and Microsoft, and one challenging the USPS.

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Four (non-consecutive) Tuesdays: Sept. 9, Sept. 16, Sept. 30, Oct. 7; 10 a.m. – 12 noon (no refreshment break)
Each week we will meet at a different location in town; participants will need to find parking nearby
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price: $75

Presented by: Bob Muller
Santa Barbara’s streets and parks are a living conservatory of over 400 species of trees from throughout the world. Some have played important roles in the history of man; others may be endangered in their native lands. All have an interesting story. Each week we will meet in a different location in town and investigate the amazing diversity that makes up Santa Barbara’s urban forest. We will learn to identify over 70 of our common and uncommon trees and discuss the fascinating stories that they all have to tell. We will also discuss some threats to this important but underappreciated legacy that we drive by and interact with in our daily lives. This field trip course will be limited to 15 participants. We are planning to provide museum guide–type audio receivers for all who choose to use them.

Two Mondays: Oct. 6 and 13, 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: Norm Cohen
We generally don’t turn to popular music for documentation of social and political history, but there has been a great deal of musical commentary on life in the Golden State, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries—not only in mainstream pop music but also in country music (or “hillbilly” music, as it used to be labeled), blues music, and Hispanic music. In these sessions you’ll have a chance to hear dozens of songs that touch on California’s past—individual events (mostly tragedies), heroes and badmen (“Corrido de Patricia Hearst,” “Corrido de Cesar Chavez”), natural disasters (“The Los Angeles New Year’s Flood”); and memories from the days of ’49. And oh, yes—a song about our own Santa Barbara (“The Santa Barbara Earthquake”). These oft-forgotten gems will be accompanied by commentary on the historical background as well as the singers and composers/writers.

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