Professor Chris O'Sullivan will take us on an exploration of the cultural gold rush, beginning with one of its most eloquent chroniclers, Louise Clappe, whose letters, under the pen name "Dame Shirley," are a primary source for the opera "Girls of the Golden West." We will also look at the careers and exploits of other notable women of the west such as Lola Montez, Lotta Crabtree, Mary Ellen Pleasant, Helen Hunt Jackson, and the scandalous Adah Menken.