‘Beowulf’ is the FF Book Club selection for August 25
Fri, Aug 25 2023, 2pm
The Fourth Friday Book Club recently read the Epic of Gilgamesh translation by Stephen Mitchell. Gilgamesh is the oldest surviving work of world literature. Next up, for our August 25 meeting, is Beowulf.
Beowulf is one of the only Old English works to survive. The author(s) of the poem are believed to be Anglo-Saxon; identities are not known. The surviving manuscript probably dates from either the late 10th century CE or the early 11th century CE; however, the poem is believed to have passed through centuries of oral tradition.
Like many great epic myths, this is a powerful story of the life journey of the heroic protagonist Beowulf, from young warrior to his later years as the king of the Geats. He is the unwavering person of integrity, heroism, and honor.
Beowulf is worth reading for a study of the norms and traditions of the Anglo-Saxons in the medieval period, the precursor of modern English. Not surprisingly, themes and Beowulf citations are to be found everywhere. Everywhere! Here are just two examples:
“Leadership Lessons from Beowulf” by Tom Post, published in Forbes in 1999.
“Lessons in Manliness from Beowulf” by Andrew Ratelle, first published in artofmanliness.com in 2010.
The Seamus Heaney version of Beowulf is available in the library and at thriftbooks.com, both as an eBook and an audio version read by Seamus Heaney, himself.
Please email Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay if you have questions or for the link to join the discussion via Zoom on Friday, July 14. All UMRA members are welcome!
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
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.