UUCB provides enriching adult education classes that delve into religious exploration, promoting spiritual growth, alongside engaging courses in music comprehension, fostering a well-rounded learning experience for individuals seeking intellectual and cultural development.
UUCB Banned Book Club Update
We're excited that this fall begins our fifth year! We'll continue meeting
at 10:00 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month for coffee, snacks,
and discussion.
Fall Books
- September 19: The Catcher in the Rye — J.D. Salinger
- October 17: Martyr! — Kaveh Akbar (Prof. Akbar is the November 19
BABEL speaker.)
- November 21: TBA — We're working with Rev. Bethany and Burning
Books to bring the author to speak with our group and the wider
community. Stay tuned!
Several members missed our discussion of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
due to Liz Curson's memorial service. David Day shared this reflection:
"The Jungle exposed the horrific conditions faced by workers and
helped spur Progressive Era reforms, including food safety laws. While
the final section strongly advocates socialism, its influence can also
be seen in the growth of American labor unions. Though not great
literature, it remains an important work for highlighting the struggles of
immigrants and working people."
Jill Monacelli also shared the ALA's 2025 Most Challenged Books list.
We've already read several titles. Books under consideration for future
meetings include Ellen Hopkins' Identical (Spring 2027), John Lewis'
March trilogy, and Toni Morrison's Beloved.
Click here to see American Library Association releases 2025 Most Challenged Books List as National Library Week Begins
Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!
Mary Lou & Sharon
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo
695 Elmwood Avenue; Buffalo, NY 14222
11 Zoom Meetings; Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
May 6 to July 22, 2026
Cost: $75 for full course, or $10 per session
From musicals to mystery to farce, we’ll cover all the shows on the Shaw Fest’s 2026 theatrical bill of fare! We meet online on the Zoom platform.
Course Syllabus:
Session One (May 6): I’m the Greatest Star! – Funny Girl. Book by Isobel Lennart, music by July Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill.
Session Two (May 13): The Art of the Whodunit – Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer
Session Three (May 20): Good Humor Man – Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense by David and Robert Goodale, based on The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse.
Session Four (May 27): Bedtime Stories – The Wind in the Willows, adapted by Fiona Sauder, from A.A. Milne’s play Toad of Toad Hall, based on the Kenneth Grahame novel The Wind in the Willows.
Session Five (June 3): Holiday Season 1: A Year with Frog and Toad. Book and lyrics by Willie Reale, music by Robert Reale, based on the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel.
Session Six (June 10): Playwright’s Workshop – A New Work in Progress by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Session Seven (June 17): Dear Old Alma Mater – Ohio State Murders by Adrienne Kennedy
June 24 – NO CLASS SESSION!
Session Eight (July 1): Don’t You Love Farce? – One for the Pot, by Ray Cooney and Tony Hilton
Session Nine (July 8): The Chekhovian GBS – Heartbreak House, by George Bernard Shaw
Session Ten (July 15): Holiday Season 2 – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. New book by Douglas Carter Beane, music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
Session Eleven (July 22): Mozart and Mediocrity – Amadeus by Peter Shaffer
