Tick-Tock, What’s the Plot?
This Course Runs From
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Wednesday, 1:30PM - 3:30PM EDT 9 weeks
Where
The Nancy S. Klath Center for Lifelong Learning
Phone: (609) 751-9699
101 Poor Farm Road
Princeton, NJ
08540
USA
Program Details
COURSE DESCRIPTION
"Tick-tock" is Frank Kermode's famous "model of what we call plot, an organization that humanizes time by giving it form." Tick—the story begins. Tock—the story ends. In this wild literature-discussion course, we will read four books which plot and humanize time as we move into our seventies, eighties, and nineties: 1. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in a Time of Cholera" in which lovers are reunited after fifty years, nine months, and four days; 2. Leonora Carrington's surreal "The Hearing Trumpet" in which the hard-of-hearing nonagenarian Marian Leatherby restores the Holy Grail; 3. Joseph Heller's "Portrait of an Artist as an Old Man" in which Eugene Pota tries to write a novel that will restore his fame; and 4. Margaret Atwood's "Old Babes in the Wood," a collection of short stories about wily widows.
One-Pager
There is a one-pager available for this course with additional information on weekly topics. To review, please follow the link here: https://cmaprinceton.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/F25-TICK-TOCK-WHATS-THE-PLOT.pdf
COURSE LEADER
Lois Marie Harrod's twentieth collection of poetry, "The Bed the Size of a Small Country," will be published by Kelsay Press, Fall 2025. A Dodge poet, life-long educator and writer, she is published in literary journals and online ezines from "American Poetry Review" to "Zone 3." Links to her online work at www.loismarieharrod.org
GENERAL INFORMATION
No class on 10/1.
Please note: This Evergreen Forum course offers a in-person experience only which means it will not be recorded. Any general questions or concerns about this event should be directed to CMAP at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 609-751-9699.
SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS are available. Please submit a request form by following the link here to apply.
REFUND INFORMATION
· We invite you to donate your refund to CMAP. Call us for more information
· Refund checks will be issued for cash, check, and credit card payments
· Payments made electronically will be refunded electronically
· Refund processing time is approximately 2 weeks
· Up to the start of the second week of an Evergreen Forum Course — refunds will be issued minus a $25 processing fee
· No refund will be offered after the second week of class.
· There will be a $25 processing fee for refunds to those who register for the same program more than once

