Notre Dame has sent nearly 100 players to Major League Baseball. Many of these players had a great impact on the National Pastime. The instructor is listed as an "expert" by the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also served as the two-time National President of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Because Notre Dame players have been involved from the beginning of the game until today, the instructor will also weave the history of the game through ND players present during most major events. Each participant shall purchase "Notre Dame Baseball Greats" (Cappy Gagnon, Arcadia Press, 2004) available either on-line or at the ND Bookstore.

A survey of the pre-New Testament political and cultural history followed by a review of the nature of New Testament literature, the Gospels and Pauline letters, and the relevance of the New Testament message for today.

We will read and discuss short poems in English, including many from England and some from Scotland, Ireland, America and other English-speaking places. We will pay attention to the musical qualities of verse and recognize song lyrics as poetry. We will discuss lyrics we know by heart. Students will have a chance to introduce poems or songs that they love or hate. We might, if the spirit moves us, write some lyrics of our own.

All good detectives are driven to find the solution; but not all detectives are the same. Some have handicaps. But handicapped detectives are among those who are most driven to find the solution to the case. Sometimes their handicap is an asset. -- Holly by Stephen King -- The Suspect (Joseph O’Loughin) by Michael Robotham -- The Maid by Nita Prose -- Dark Pines (Tuva Moodyson) by Will Dean -- The Cutting Edge (Lincoln Rhyme) by Jeffrey Deaver Any edition of these books will do - we will be reading by chapters (instead of by page numbers).

This class is for beginning and intermediate writers. Find your own style, while having fun putting your thoughts, experiences, fantasies, and life stories on paper. Whether writing a cherished memoir for your family, a nail-biting thriller, a romantic comedy, a daily journal, thought-provoking poetry, or even a children's book, this class is for you. Excerpts from Pauley's award-winning memoir Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings will be read and discussed. No class the week of March 17-21. Needed for class: Notebook, pen, textbook: Adventures in Writing: 101 Creative Writing Exercises, by Melissa Donovan, $10: Copy fees: $5 (both payable to instructor)

Middlemarch is unanimously regarded as George Eliot's rich and intelligent masterpiece. Few English novels have attempted so broad a canvas as is suggested in its subtitle: "A Study in Provincial Life." With her signature sympathetic tolerance, she presents every phase of provincial life from landowners, through middle class professionals to laborers and servants. Even the eight or nine dogs in the novel are fully realized. Any edition will do; for our first class, please read the first nine chapters.

The journalism mantra, "If it bleeds, it leads," implies that tragedy gets more media attention than any other lead for a story. In class, we will discuss all four novellas from Stephen King's novella collection, IF IT BLEEDS. Amazon's description of the book tells us that in the title novella, fan favorite Holly Gibney must face her fears, and possibly another outsider—without the aid of her mentor. In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” an intergenerational friendship has a disturbing afterlife. “The Life of Chuck” explores, beautifully, how complex all people are. "Rat" is about a struggling writer who must contend with the darker side of ambition. Required reading: IF IT BLEEDS, by Stephen King. A copy fee of $2 will be due to the instructor the first week of classes.