Enjoy free online lectures from the comfort of your home. We've been enlightened and entertained in the past by authors, artists, public officials, historians and more. Even some LLC members with great stories to tell. Admission is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
Our Lecture Organizer and Host Jane Adler is an internationally syndicated columnist and syndicated cartoonist. She has also been featured on local and national television. Do you have a speaker suggestion? Email Jane Adler at brownbaglearn@gmail.com.
Jane Adler's LinkedIn | Read Hey Rhody's Storied Career, an article spotlighting Jane's career
"LLC is greatly inexpensive and has a wonderful variety of courses. I enjoy being exposed to and stimulated by subjects about which I previously only had limited knowledge.”
Susan Van Horne, Swansea, MA
Monday, April 20, 2026 @ 4-5 PM
Join Educator and Historian Carol Cohen as she transforms herself into Eleanor Roosevelt for a captivating live, first-person performance
"A Walk Through the Garden with Eleanor Roosevelt"
Click to register for this free Zoom Webinar.
During WWII Eleanor Roosevelt planted an iconic victory garden on the White House lawn and encouraged others to do the same. Join Mrs. Roosevelt at her home called Val-Kill in Hyde Park, New York. The year is 1949. Mrs. Roosevelt has planned a recognition ceremony to celebrate those who played a major role in feeding America during World War II through planting Victory Gardens and several other important efforts. Carol then steps out of character to present a richly illustrated PowerPoint segment highlighting the Victory Gardens, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.“
Carol Cohen has served as an interpreter and guide for several organizations including The Adams National Historic Park and Historic New England where she presently works guiding at the Eustis Estate in Milton. She taught at Fisher College and worked at Lesley University in Cambridge for 20 years at the graduate School of Education teaching social studies methods, literacy, and practicum seminars.
Monday, May 4, 2026 @ 4-5 PM
Dale Atkins, Licensed psychologist, Author and frequent guest on NBC's Today and CNN
"The Importance of Grandchildren Creating Lasting Memories with Grandparents"
Click to register for this free Zoom Webinar.
Dr. Dale Atkins, author of The Turquoise Butterfly, looks at the powerful connection between grandparents and grandchildren of any age – how it shapes families, strengthens identity, and builds emotional security across generations. She’ll discuss why spending intentional time together matters, and how everyday experiences – talking, cooking, reading, or simply being together – can leave a lasting imprint. Dr. Atkins also explores ways to capture and preserve these memories, so family stories and wisdom aren’t lost.
Thoughtful, engaging, and practical, this program offers new insight into why the grandparent–grandchild relationship is one of the most important in family life.
Dale Atkins is a licensed psychologist, educator and author of eight books and many chapters, articles, and journals for popular and professional audiences. She is a featured speaker who lectures and leads seminars worldwide and has appeared on television such as NBC’s Today and CNN offering advice.
Thursday, May 14, 2026 @ 4-5 PM
Annie Guest, Therapist, Attorney, Author, and Interior Designer
"Beyond Décor – Creating Spaces That Feel Right"
Click to register for this free Zoom Webinar.
Thoughtful design can make all the difference in how comfortably and confidently we live – now and in the years ahead. Our surroundings shape our mood, health, and independence, especially as our needs evolve. This talk offers how small changes in organization, light, and layout can uplift our homes and simplify daily life – on a budget. You’ll hear ideas for creating uncluttered, welcoming spaces that support well-being, connection, and joy – helping you age in place gracefully, whether you live in a condominium or a house.
Annie Guest is a licensed mental health therapist, attorney, author, and interior designer renowned for her “Benessent Design” approach that blends psychology with home environments to foster healing and well-being.
Thank you to our previous speakers:
William J. Kole, Veteran Journalist, Former Foreign Correspondent, and Author of In Guns We Trust: The Unholy Trinity of White Evangelicals, Politics, and Firearms
"Why Christian Gun Culture Makes Us All Less Safe"
Presented April 15, 2026
Gayle Hanrahan Performs Original Monologues: The Miller Family and THIS Girl
Actress, Playwright, and Theater Collaborator
Presented March 30, 2026
Dr. Nizam Missaghi, Physician and Author of Passport to Freedom: From Tehran to Triumph
"Life Under the Islamic Republic"
Presented March 25, 2026
Tim Reuben: Lawyer and Author of Tequila
"Human Complexity"
Presented March 16, 2026
Genealogist Heather Pouliot Kisilywicz
"Discovering Ancestral Journeys to Rhode Island"
A talk co-sponsored by the Lippitt House Museum with an Introduction by Museum Director Cathy Saunders
Presented February 26, 2026
Dana Guyer, Palliative Care Physician
Associate Professor of Medicine at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Facing Serious Illness with Resilience, Grace, and Preparedness
Presented January 26, 2026
Otho Eskin, Former Officer of U.S. Foreign Service, Attorney and Author
Witness to History – Former Officer of U.S. Foreign Service Talks About His Long, Illustrious Career and How It Influenced Future Novels
Presented January 15, 2026
Matt Burriesci, Executive Director of the Providence Athenaeum and Author of Dead White Guys: A Father, His Daughter, and the Great Books of the Western World
Presented November 3, 2025
Sanford Levinson, Professor of Law and Government, University of Texas Law School and Visiting Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School, and Author of several books on the US Constitution
Reforming the United States Constitution
Presented October 30, 2025
Tamara Lanier, Author, From These Roots: My Fight with Harvard to Reclaim My Legacy
Presented October 15, 2025
Dr. David Weed, Historian
King Philip's War
Presented October 8, 2025
A live performance of John Gardner's one-woman play, Days of Vengeance, performed by talented Actress Bette Smith
Presented September 29, 2025
Dr. Marschall Runge, Author and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Michigan and CEO of Michigan Medicine
Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future of American Medicine
Presented September 11, 2025
U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island
A View from Washington
Presented September 8, 2025
Wendy Nilsson, M.Ed, CPSI, Superintendent of the Providence Parks Department
Roger Williams Park: History and Renewal
Presented Wednesday, May 7, 2025
William J. Kole, Award-winning Journalist and Author
Living to 100 Whether You Want To Or Not
Presented April 28, 2025
Ed Iannuccilli, MD, Author
The First Italians to Come to Rhode Island
Presented April 22, 2025
Sheldon Whitehouse, United States Senator from Rhode Island
Presented April 2, 2025
A live dramatic reading of Menopause Mama written, acted, and sung by the incredible Rose Weaver, Television, film, music, and solo performer and writer
Presented March 31, 2025
Elizabeth Mosier, Volunteer Technician at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park Archaeology Laboratory, Author, Creative Writing Teacher
Using Everyday Objects, Ephemera, and Heirlooms to Tell a Family Story
Presented March 19, 2025
Mary M. Flynn, PhD, RD, LDN
The Truth About Diets: Finding Long-Term Weight Management
Presented February 10, 2025
Jessi Rowe, LCSW-C
Sex After Sixty: Older and Wiser
Presented January 21, 2025
Resources on Aging, Sexuality, and Intimacy | Safe Sex for Older Adults
Linda Kushner, Author
The Fight That Saved the Libraries: A True Rhode Island Story
Presented October 28, 2024
Secretary of State Gregg Amore
Election Integrity for 2024
Presented October 23, 2024
Linda Bloom, LCSW and Charlie Bloom, MSW, Relationship Counselors/Authors
Secrets to the Best Relationships
Presented September 24, 2024
John Kostrzewa, Writer of the Walking Rhode Island column for The Providence Journal
Fall Hikes - Walking Rhode Island
Presented September 16, 2024
Ben Nacar, Pianist and Composer
The Evolution of the Cadenza: Lecture and Live Piano Recital
Presented September 12, 2024
Stephen Kaplan and Marilyn Kaplan
Experiencing Israel at War: A Recent Visit to Israel
Presented May 20, 2024
Joe Petteruti
Author, A Night She’d Remember: My Grandmother's Experience on the Titanic
Presented May 9, 2024
Steve Kidd
Director and Resident Actor, Gamm Theatre
Theatre Arts Teacher, Moses Brown School
Sigh/Omelas: A live one man show
Presented April 29, 2024
Andrew Starcevic
Peace Corps Regional Recruiter – RI, MA, CT
Office of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection Serving in Namibia
Presented April 17, 2024
Charles Clarkson, PhD
Director of Avian Research, Audubon Society of Rhode Island
What Audubon is Doing to Protect Birds
Presented April 4, 2024
David N. Cicilline
President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation
Former Rhode Island Congressman
Presented March 27, 2024
Marjorie Turner Hollman
Author, Do You Want to Take an Easy Walk?
Presented March 20, 2024
Dr. David Weed
Coordinator, Sowams Heritage Area Project
Creating a New National Heritage Area in East Bay, RI and nearby Massachusetts
Presented February 21, 2024
Oleksandr (Alexander) Kreshchuk
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Music Department, Artist in Residence
Ukraine: Known and Unknown
Presented February 6, 2024
Rick Beyer
Co-Author, The Ghost Army of World War II (a NYT Bestseller)
Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker
Presented January 24, 2024