‘Gilgamesh: A New English Version’ is FF Book Club selection for May
Fri, May 26 2023, 2pm
Considered one of the masterpieces of world literature, the epic of Gilgamesh was first published 5,000 years ago. It is the story of literature’s first hero—the king of the city-state of Uruk in what is today Iraq—and his journey of self-discovery. There have been several competent scholarly translations of it, but Stephen Mitchell’s Gilgamesh: A New English Version, published in 2004, has been acclaimed by scholars and critics alike as a lithe, muscular rendering that allows us to enter the ancient masterpiece as if for the first time, to see how startlingly beautiful, intelligent, and alive it is.
All UMRA members are welcome to join the discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on May 26.
Please contact Dorothy Marden at [email protected] or Maggie Catambay at [email protected] for more information and the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Upcoming Events
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.