Liza Achilles will present a literature class titled "Edgar Allan Poe: the Gothic and the Grotesque" for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Wednesday afternoons, 1-3pm, 6 weeks, September 16 – October 21, 2026, in Columbia, Maryland. Just in time for spooky season, let’s explore the life, times, and writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was orphaned at a young age and experienced more than his fair share of misfortune, and he wove his personal tragedies, along with his imaginative spirit, into timeless works of literary horror. We will delve into dark poems such as “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee,” and fearsome short stories such as “The Black Cat,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and many other literary masterpieces that continue to tantalize and horrify readers in modern times, just as they did two centuries ago. Poe is recognized as one of the first writers of detective fiction and science fiction, and he brought Gothic fiction to new heights. Join us in this macabre journey as we approach Halloween. Learn more and register here.

Liza Achilles will present a literature class titled "Shakespeare's Sonnets: 400 Years of Timeless Love" for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University. Thursday afternoons, 2:30-3:45pm, 8 weeks, September 17 – November 12, 2026, in Towson, Maryland. William Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence was first published over 400 years ago and still resonates with readers today. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade,” proclaims the most famous of them all (Sonnet 18). The poet addresses these words to a young man known as the Fair Youth; but the words also refer to the poetry itself. We will examine the life and times of Shakespeare and learn how he crafted these masterful 14-line poems, which have often been ignored due to their shocking sexual content. In this course, we will read and discuss Shakespeare's Sonnets as well as selected sonnets by other writers from various historical periods, from the Italian Renaissance through the twenty-first century. Learn more and register here.