Discussion series to explore literature, wisdom and aging

The Active Aging and Community Engagement Center at SUNY Oswego Metro Center will present a discussion series on “Growing and Aging: Wisdom as a Lifelong Pursuit” Thursdays this spring at the White Branch Library, 763 Butternut St. in Syracuse.

Created for the New York State Council on the Humanities, the six 90-minute sessions will start April 7 and will consist of short readings from a compilation titled “Literature and Aging” and group discussion.

“The community conversation and our partnership with White Branch Library are great examples of SUNY Oswego’s commitment to engaging with the community to understand and address important issues affecting the city of Syracuse and the Central New York region,” said Dr. Kimberly Armani, director of SUNY Oswego’s branch campus in the Atrium Building on Syracuse’s Clinton Square.

Co-facilitators for the program, delivered six consecutive weeks, are Dr. R. Deborah Davis, professor of curriculum and instruction at SUNY Oswego, and Joseph Marusa, a former teacher and principal in Syracuse City Schools as well as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University.

Wisdom is a lifelong pursuit, Davis and Marusa noted. The facilitators said the program would utilize short stories and poems “to encourage connections to your life’s learning. We will share our many perspectives developing wisdom and passing it on to the next generation.”

Meeting in the library’s community room, the group will have dinner at 5 p.m. prior to the 5:30 to 7 p.m. program. The opening week is introductory, followed by sessions titled “Human Experience.” “Meaning,” “Guidance,” “Love, Community, Belonging” and “Wisdom.”

The group is intended to span genders, races and as large an age range as possible, though it is limited to 25 participants, according to Dr. Danielle Masursky of the AACE Center. To register, contact Aran West at White Branch Library at 315-435-3519.