Fourth Friday Book Club in May
Fri, May 23, 2025, 2pm
I, Claudius by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934, will be up for discussion when UMRA's Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom on May 23.
Newcomers are welcome.
This novel, published in 1938, is among the most celebrated of historical fiction. The time and place, the first half of the century of Imperial Rome.
All in one package, there is intrigue (all the time), depravity, bloody purges, good history and a back story of the deified Caligula. Much that is known of Caligula is as relentlessly cruel and by some accounts, insane. Upon his death by assassination, in an apparent instant Claudius becomes Emperor and manages the extraordinary: he survives and manages to rule for thirteen years.
In the form of a diary, good history, also rich with gossip and scandal, also of military triumphs, and never without the endless intrigue for power and influence among the members of the imperial family.
I Claudius, the recipient of numerous literary awards, is a very satisfying book selection.
COMING UP THIS SUMMER:
Friday, June27, 2025: H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
Friday, July 25, 2025: Still Life by Louise Penny
Friday, August 22, 2025: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Email Dorothy Marden if you have questions or to let us know of your interest.
Upcoming Events
UMRA’s Living Well Workshop on May 12 will feature Megan Walsh from the University of Minnesota Law School for a presentation on efforts to prevent gun violence through lawsuits designed to address unlawful practices in selling, manufacturing, or advertising firearms.
Craig Moody’s Swedish ancestors were among the 60,000 Swedes who chose to emigrate to the U.S. between 1868 and 1871, because of the poor economic conditions in their homeland. He has spent the last nine years investigating their history.
Back problems as we age and how we can treat them will be the discussion topic for the UMRA Breakfast meeting on Thursday, May 14. Paul Schanfield, MD, will be our expert resource person. He is a retired neurologist, a member of UMRA, and has personal experience with back surgery.
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another by Ainissa Ramirez when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
Peter Moe, retired University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Director and UMRA member, will lead this hike.
Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter will discuss her role and offer reflections on her first year at the University of Minnesota as the featured speaker for the UMRA Luncheon Forum on May 19 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. The forum will be preceded by UMRA’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
"Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" is a pilot program for spring 2026.
A 1987 classic, cited as the gold standard of modern legal thrillers.
Bev leads at Hyland Lake Park Reserve.
Connect, explore new ideas for what it means to live and age well, and celebrate a community of continuous learning at the fifth annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis on Monday, June 8.
Abandoned and discarded is the theme for the UMRA Photo Club meeting in June. Newcomers are welcome.
Michael leads this hike at Afton State Park.
We will gather in the Waterfall Room for an in-person, summer social and luncheon for UMRA members and guests on June 24th. Our event will include social time; a plated, seated lunch; and the always popular Summer Social Trivia Game with quizmasters Dave Dorman and Mark Jenson.
Kayaking at Lake Bde Maka Ska.
Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.