One of the most unrecognized and undiagnosed medical issues is senior addiction—either alcohol or drugs. Joan Moran is a former drug and alcohol counselor as well as a former instructor at OLLI@UCLA whose recent novel, Once a Homecoming Queen, is about addiction, redemption, and self-determination. In this course, she shares excerpts and talks about her protagonist (who was also her life-long best friend): a rebellious, resistant, and darkly humorous seventy-five-year-old, Francine Freeman, whose extreme alcoholism leads to a bevy of problems, including a broken neck from her second fall. Rescued by her daughter and chief enabler, Francine is sent to rehab where she can make peace with her past and reimagine her future even though she is slowly facing her death. Her recovery takes her in an unexpected direction which offers a renewed relationship with her daughter, surprising friendships, a bittersweet love, and a chance to volunteer in a women's minimum-security prison where she ironically meets a man who intuits her struggle and gives her a chance at redemption.
Free for members. You must be at least 50 years old and a current member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UCLA to enroll in this special program. If your membership has expired or if you wish to become a new member, please proceed with enrolling and you will be automatically prompted to add a membership during checkout.
Schedule
Type
Date
Time
Location
Lecture
Fri Jan 10, 2025
10:00AM PT - 12:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Gayley Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Gayley Center 115
Contact Us
Speak to an OLLI at UCLA representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm.
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