CLASS OF 1974 | 2017 | ISSUE 1

Class of 1974 Endowed University Scholarship

Rami Hamati ’19, Manja, Jordan

Women's Gathering at Wesleyan
Women’s Gathering at Wesleyan

During Homecoming weekend in October, women of our class celebrated our fifth Women’s Gathering at Wesleyan.  The celebration was suggested by Pam van der Meulen and organized by Nancy Stack, Sharon Purdie, and Pam. Attendees included Nancy, Pam, Sharon, Carolyn White, Judy Atwood, Jean Barish, Adrienne Bentman, and Lyn Lauffer. Plans are to have the next Gathering at our 45th Reunion in 2019. Women of our class, add it to your calendar!

Jane Burns provided the following update: “I live in La Jolla, Calif., and have been a professor at UCSD for the last 25 years. I study Kawasaki disease and am the director of the KD Research Center at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital.

“I received my M.D. degree at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1978 and completed my pediatric residency and chief residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Colo. In 1983, I moved to Harvard Medical School and the Boston Children’s Hospital for additional training in pediatric infectious diseases and molecular virology. I joined the faculty at Harvard in 1986 and in 1990 moved to San Diego, where I joined the faculty at the University of California as an assistant professor.

“I moved up through the ranks and was appointed professor of pediatrics in 1999. I was appointed chief of the division of allergy, immunology, and rheumatology in 2000. In 2013, I stepped down from this position to devote all of my energies to Kawasaki disease research and KD patient care.

“Currently, I am director of the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at UCSD/Rady Children’s Hospital where I lead a multidisciplinary team that cares for 80-100 new Kawasaki disease patients each year and follows over 1,300 families in the KD Clinic.

“My passion for studies of Kawasaki disease has spanned more than three decades with my first publication on KD in 1982. In addition to my academic pursuits, I am the mother of two daughters, now age 31 and 35. My husband, John B. Gordon M.D., is an interventional cardiologist at the San Diego Cardiac Center who cares for adults with long-term sequelae of KD.”

Jan Eliasberg reports: “At a time when many directors’ careers are winding down, mine is firing on all cylinders, for which I’m deeply grateful. I’ve directed several episodes of CBS’ new hit series Bull, starring Michael Weatherly (formerly of NCIS), as well as ABC’s Conviction. I’ve also been chosen as one of 10women directors to work with Twentieth Century Fox on “re-booting” some of their biggest franchise films. I pitched a concept for Die Hard and will be working with Fox executives on developing my director’s take.

“On a more serious note, I reconnected with many Wesleyan friends at Seth Gelblum ’75’s memorial service. I knew Seth from Wesleyan and have been friends with his wife, Orren Alperstein, since grade school. The memorial was a magnificent testament to Seth’s warmth, commitment, passion, and huge heart. In tribute, the Shubert Theatre’s marquee was dimmed, something that honors the theatre greats—an honor Seth certainly deserved.

“My daughter, Sariel ’19, is a junior at Wesleyan, double-majoring in American Studies and film; it’s a great joy to see her reveling in her Wesleyan experience as I did. The essential values of the school remain unchanged.”

Jerri Stroud retired from the Better Business Bureau in St. Louis as of Jan. 31, 2017, after eight years with BBB (and 33 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before that). A move to Seattle could be in the offing, but nothing definite yet.

Monique Witt reports that, “we are still moving ahead with the discs in the cue: my son’s disc, Instead, will drop in March, Juan Carlos Polo’s Insomnio released in Peru and here in the U.S. this past month (Peruvian drumming). SaRon Crenshaw’s upcoming blues album is in the mastering phase and Wayne Tucker’s next album is in late mixing phase.

“Katini’ Yamaoka’s album Gone released to great reviews, and we’ve been getting tremendous press for Ben Sutin’s Tangibility. That end is good. However, one of the most extraordinary jazz trios I’ve ever recorded is breaking up to do real property development, medicine, and rock and roll. It breaks my heart, as it speaks volumes on how difficult it is for great musicians to make a living now, even when they’re booking world tours (as these guys are). The pianist said, “I want to do more than just survive. While it is wonderful to follow one’s passion, after 30, the reality of rent and medical coverage takes a huge toll on artists in every genre. So I’d urge anyone who can to support an artist.

“When I’m not doing the music, I’m working on a manuscript on modern war crimes and re-thinking the Rome Convention. Fascinating from the perspective of cosmopolitanism.  Boys are good.  Elder is enjoying married life; younger is crazy busy playing piano. Husband is contemplating moving us to Canada (joking sort of).”

Bob Baum survived a kitchen remodel—doubled the number of windows overlooking the Connecticut River and the Dartmouth campus. Became grandparents for the second time (two boys), spent a semester with religion students in Edinburgh, Scotland—a beautiful and relaxing time.

Claudia Catania reports: “After a long and courageous battle, Seth Gelblum ’75 passed away in August of 2016. He had recently won the first Tony honor ever bestowed on a lawyer. Living at the crossroads of almost every major theatrical deal, he was responsible for the unseen, but critical moves that make Broadway theater happen. He was the esteemed mentor, counselor, protector and friend to so many illustrious artistic figures that create contemporary theater. His widow, Orren Alperstein, orchestrated a beautiful memorial service according to his wishes. His brothers Peter Gelblum ’73 and Robert Gelblum ’72 and his sister, Laura, spoke of their childhood in North Carolina. His Wesleyan roommate, Cliff Chanin ’75, remembered him movingly. Steven Greenhouse ’73 recounted later years.

“There were many Wesleyan friends in attendance. I know I missed a number from our class like Anne Jacobs, but I did talk to Jan Eliasburg, Harold SogardWilly Holtzman, John Shapiro, Shonni Silverberg ’76, Steve Ross ’75, Vicky Bijur ’75, and John Raskin ’73. As we exited the beautiful service, the Broadhurst Theatre’s lights dimmed for a few minutes and Seth’s jovial face smilingly graced the illuminated overhead marquee billboard.

John Cady ’71 and I have two sons. Gavin, 26, and his wife are opening their second restaurant in New Orleans. I urge you to sample their first, 1000 Figs! His mother proclaims it is sensational food. Our older son, Max, 29, having taught for three years in Cambodia at an innovative new school, Liger Learning Center, returned to the States to attend grad school at Harvard for a degree in innovation and technology in education. He now teaches digital art at High Tech High, an experiential learning charter school north of San Diego.

“I am the producing artistic director of a public radio show and podcast called Playing on Air and I shamelessly urge you to subscribe to its podcast. It’s short 10-20 minute plays are written and performed by our nation’s best. A shot of humanity in this rocky time ain’t a bad thing.”

Update from Sharon Purdie: “I continue to spend May-October in Jamestown, R.I., enjoying boating, biking, and swimming. November through April we live in Vero Beach, Fla., with the exception of six weeks in the winter when we ski in Park City, Utah. I try to visit Wesleyan at least once a year during the time we’re in Rhode Island. In November, I completed my first triathlon and placed first in my age group. Our son, Jeff Sybertz, graduates from Stern School of Business (NYU) in May. Our daughter, Sherry Sybertz ’10, graduated from Middlebury Institute of International Studies with an MBA in May and now works for Dole Food Company in Monterey, Calif.”

Sharon Purdie | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2016 | ISSUE 3

Here you will find the unedited updates from your classmates, since a shortened update was included in the print edition.

Charlie Cocores and his wife, Carol, organized a week-long Habitat for Humanity build in New London CT this July. Rich Bennick serves on the Habitat board with him. Harold Sogard volunteered for the build and a number of Class of ’74 members contributed to the project including Tom Barton and Tim Donahue.

Monique Witt and her family are still involved in producing jazz and blues, with four upcoming releases.  Of particular interest are the first studio album from blues guitarist SaRon Crenshaw, trumpet player Wayne Tucker’s second album, and her younger son’s first album of original material since the “Michiko Session Tapes.”  This one is also trio format, this time with jazz legends Billy Hart on drums and Curtis Lundy on bass.

Her own projects include several music videos and a recently begun research project for a book on Cosmopolitanism and Humanitarian Crimes.  Ben graduated this spring from Columbia (early phi bet and suma) and finished his program at Julliard.  He continues to perform and is now teaching as well.  Dev is getting married in October and continuing his work as a sound engineer and audio tech designer.  Steven resists retiring from Wactel, but they’re all good.

Fred Hosea provides a synopsis of his life after Wesleyan:  “Since my graduation in 1974, this is my first update. I sang, recorded and toured as a singer with Chanticleer in the 80’s, did a Ph.D. in psychology at the Wright Institute, and languished in depressing under-employment for years due to the idealistic, but now very relevant research I did on social ecology and the need for new, interdisciplinary models of professions, social planning and philanthropic strategy.  Was one of the founding organizers of the Green Party of California, and dedicated years of efforts to elevate the discourse and choices, to improve political culture and institutions in the US.  Also sang exuberantly with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, although most of us are not theists.  After working for 17 years in Kaiser Permanente in California — most recently as national Director of Research and Innovation in Clinical Technology, — I retired last year and moved to Cotacachi, Ecuador where I live in a beautiful country home, almost 9000 feet up in the Andes, in between two extinct, 15,000 ft. volcanoes, surrounded by 45 indigenous communities that I work with on cultural preservation.  I just finished editing a book for the World Health Organization to guide Ministries of Health in planning and operating complex technologies in healthcare systems.  Also co-authored a chapter in another book on Disaster Management. Today, I began teaching a course on The Art and Science of Innovation for students at Yachay Tech University, a visionary educational effort in Ecuador to create a knowledge-based economy, to replace over-dependence on mining and oil industries for national income.  Also am consulting to engage Yachay students in sustainable development projects in the surrounding indigenous communities where I live, addressing climate change, water mgt, alternate crop strategies; training indigenous midwives as community healthcare workers, using cellphones to link them to call centers; and doing a pilot project on using Common Operating Picture software (developed at Carnegie Mellon Univ/Silicon Valley) to improve disaster response capabilities and speed damage assessment. Am in a research collective looking at point of care diagnostics for heavy metal exposure.  Currently am studying how fractal theory can be applied to visualization of psychological structures and processes, and how certain “lower level” phenomena, such as cell apoptosis, can also be seen at “higher” systemic levels (like the self-destruction of empires, or of suicide bombers), and how those underlying forces are represented, and reinforced, in spiritual and political belief systems. Also, starting classes in Kichwa. In other words, a fairly typical Wesleyan career and life trajectory.

Michel de Konkoly Thege’s update is that “I am now a double Wes alum, since I completed an MPhil in the Wesleyan GLSP and received my degree at the May 2016 commencement (and I for sure walked). My master’s thesis centered on Paul Reynaud, a French center-right politician who was active in the 1930s. The great thing about doing this thesis was that my adviser was Nathanael Greene, who was also my adviser when I did my senior thesis; it was quite rewarding to work with Nat again. All in all, the MPhil was a terrific experience, and it was fun to spend a significant amount of time in Middletown as I attended classes and researched the thesis. I will be doing a WESeminar on the thesis during Family Weekend in October.

I am now teaching history and English electives to 11th and 12th graders at my school in downtown Manhattan; I also teach a class on school finance in the Klingenstein program at Columbia University – Teachers College. And am happily living in lower Manhattan with my wife as I have for the past 30 years.”

After 11 years at the Federal Trade Commission and 27 years at Jones Day, Toby Singer retired from Jones Day in mid-August.  She highly recommends retirement to anyone else considering it — She is keeping very busy with volunteer work and travel, as well as rediscovering how to cook, but she’s never in a hurry!

Jim Gilson reports that he and his wife, Nancy, have made some changes that have long been in the works. “I have retired after a number of years working as General Counsel and as an administrator for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the La Brea Tar Pits. I continue to consult and volunteer and am glad to have time for more of that, including serving on the American Alliance of Museums’ national Accreditation Commission, which allows me to stay involved with lots of great institutions and do museum-related travel. Nancy has scaled back to part-time, from-home work. In conjunction with those work changes, we have relocated from Los Angeles to Alexandria, VA, where we are enjoying living in a renovated Old Town townhouse among historic buildings, a few blocks from the Potomac and near all that Washington has to offer. Both our kids are in school in the east: Lisa finishing a PhD at Yale and Matthew transferred to GMU and studying to be a high school history teacher. Before we left LA, we were able to see Wesleyan friends Dave Rosenblum (’75), Bruce Corwin (’63), and Jude Schneider (’79 ?????), but we did have to pass up on the Yellowstone trip that Paul Liscom has hosted the past few years for Mark Decker, Rip Dauster, and me (and spouses) the past few years – maybe next year. We are looking forward to reconnecting with Wes in DC and making new friends.

Todd W. Grant sends greetings from Ann Arbor, where he has lived since 1977.  He states,

“I have no notes of enviable accomplishments.  I note simply that to be alive, healthy, and active a few months short of being 65 years of age is a treat the vast majority of humans throughout history have never had. My marriage of decades in length keeps getting better, and our twin sons at age 28 are making good headway in the adult world. And I am able to go mountain biking on weekends and occasionally get away to real mountains several times a year.  My wife and I spent a week in the Canadian Rockies in June.  One of our sons and I will be spending next week backpacking in the High Uintas Wilderness in Utah.

Harold Sogard notes how sad he is about the passing in August of Seth Gelblum ’75.  “He made me laugh at least a million times, both during and after our time together at Wesleyan.”

Lyn Lauffer reports, “The film festival was fabulous, and, as last year, I met Wes alums there, whom I hadn’t known before, and not only from ’74. Lloyd’s  (Komesar) work has had a great impact on the arts scene in Vermont, without question.”

Jonathan Weiss updates us – “I live in Andover Mass with wife Susan (and dog Louie.)  I work as a psychiatrist in North Andover, still interesting, usually fun, always too busy, and the commute is 10 minutes.  Our son Sam works in Palo Alto for a start-up he co-founded.  Our daughter Hannah (Wesleyan 2012) has lived for 4 years in Australia, the farthest English-speaking place on the planet.  Unfortunately she’s very happy there.

Besides enjoying New England seasons in Andover, we spend a few weeks each summer in Orleans, on Cape Cod, and go skiing at Sunday River in Maine.  I’ve been playing guitar in some informal gigs and that’s a blast. Would love to hear from people.

Lloyd Komesar reports, “The 2nd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival was a great success this past August and I genuinely appreciate all my classmates and other Wes alums/parents who joined in the festivities this year: Bill and Jane Pearson, Lyn Lauffer, Wayne Forrest, Neil Salowitz ’73 and Debra Storey, Steve Goldschmidt ’72 and Stacy Sussman, Seth ’72 and Elisa Davis ’76, Todd Jick ’71 and Wendy Ehrlich, Audrey, P’09 and Joel Brockner, P’09, Joan Gamble ’80 and Chip Paison, Mike and Lynn McKenna ’73, Bob Kesner ’67 and Andrea Torello, Sivan Cotel ’05, Paul DiSanto ’81, Mark Masselli ’09, my daughter, Rose Komesar ’07, and my wife, Maureen Carn, P’07.

Our special guest this year, the legendary documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple, turns out be a P’04.  Who knew?  Barbara presented a 40th Anniversary Tribute screening of her first film, the Academy Award winning and still incredibly potent, Harlan County, USA.  We welcomed actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard for a lovely morning “Coffee with. . . .” conversation.  The acclaimed American author Russell Banks spoke eloquently about the “Book To Film” process.  Folks from The New York Times and The Nation were central to our panels.  And we screened 77 fine films by first and second-time filmmakers, including 35 Vermont premieres, with Wes filmmakers Beatrice Alda ’83, Juliet Werner ’03, Naomi Saito ’16, and Allie Miller ’16 all in attendance. Credit for MNFF’s growing popularity rests in large part with our gifted Artistic Director, Jay Craven P’04.  Yes, there is a Wesleyan connection pretty much in all corners of our Festival.  We’re having fun and I hope to see more classmates at the 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, August 24-27, 2017.”

Carolyn White attended the national annual conference of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in Denver, Colorado last July. Our John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado, was a keynote speaker alongside former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. To the captivated audience of over 2000, John described , some of the many changes he has been able to effect that enhance the lives of those living with a mental illness. John canceled his presence at a significantly more prestigious event to address the NAMI families dealing with mental illness and she thinks that says a lot about him and his values. She read John’s memoir, The Opposite of Woe, and enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the parts about Wesleyan. It is amusing, thoughtful, and entertaining.

According to ArtNet News, “Following his short, two-year tenure as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s director, which he left in 2013, bespectacled gallerist Jeffery Deitch returned to New York City to set up shop again at his old space on 76 Grand Street in Soho.“

An article in the Denver Post on July 28 discussed Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s upcoming speech at the Democratic National Convention and the possibility he may be tapped for a Cabinet position if Hillary Clinton were to be elected.  The article also discussed portions of John’s memoir, The Opposite of Woe as quoted below:

“Hickenlooper grew up in Wynnewood, an affluent suburb about 10 miles outside Philadelphia on the Main Line.  He traces his family lineage to Anthony Morris, a central figure in the city who opened a brewery in 1687 and later became the second mayor of Philadelphia. A street in Olde City Philadelphia, Morris Alley, is named for him.

In his memoir, Hickenlooper recounts his childhood outside Philadelphia, particularly the death of his father 10 days after his eighth birthday. As a kid, he recalls being “the skinny dork with acne and the Coke bottle-thick eyeglasses,” and a “petulant loudmouth perpetually teased by my classmates.”

His behavior problems eventually prompted his mother to send him to the nearby Haverford School, a private, all-boys institution founded by Quakers, where he pitched seven scoreless innings for the varsity baseball team his senior year, giving the school the league championship.

Elsewhere in the memoir, The Opposite of Woe, Hickenlooper recalls the times he tried to grow pot outside his bedroom window and the time he took his mother to a local screening of the X-rated movie “Deep Throat,” one of a number of intimate revelations in the book.”

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2016 | ISSUE 2

Reminder: Invitation to all of our classmates to come to Middlebury, Vt., Aug. 25–28 for Lloyd Komesar’s Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. A large turnout for an unofficial ’74 “Northern Reunion” could be the start of a beautiful tradition!

Lyn Lauffer reports, “It’s been really fun for me to reconnect with Lloyd Komesar, following our last Reunion. We discovered that his wife, Maureen, and my sister, Sara, were tennis partners in the Middlebury Summer League! Also, last October, Bill Burton came to town for a conference, and he and I got together in Burlington for a great visit over a brew and dinner.

“In my own little corner of the world, I’m still happily working as the school librarian at an elementary (K-8) school. My husband, Ferdinand, is semi-retired, though still teaching math at community college. He’s an avid touring cyclist and will be biking in the Himalayas for a month this summer, after the two of us do a (tamer) tour of parts of Bavaria and the Czech Republic in July. We have one daughter in London, Emily, who’s a writer at MAKE Architects. The other daughter, Elisabeth ’07, just had her first book translation (from German) published by New Vessel Press. She works at Middlebury Interactive Languages.”

Jai Imbrey states, “I am personally enjoying the Brooklyn neighborhood renaissance with my work on European art at the Brooklyn Museum, a now hip and happening place spurred on by the new director Anne Pasternak. I often find myself swimming with green turtles when I dip into the waters of St. Thomas to catch a glimpse of my husband, who is starting a new business in Rhum Agricole. Love reading Beard’s SPQR and Carlo Rovelli’s Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and of course that sexy devil Knausgaard!”

the opposite of woeFor John Hickenlooper, “This is a really big year. After four years where we had the worst droughts, floods, fires, shootings, when I attended 62 funerals, and went through a separation and divorce, this year is the opposite of woe. Which happens to be the title of my so-called memoirs. I married an amazing woman Jan. 16, took my son to watch the Broncos win the 50th Super Bowl on my birthday, and on May 24th Penguin/Random House released The Opposite of Woe. Oh, my.”

Harold Sogard’s “two bits of news: 1. My wife and I went to Paris last fall to visit our daughter, Lucy ’17, who was there on the Wesleyan/Vassar program. On Friday, Nov. 13th, we flew with her to Berlin for the weekend. That night the terrorist attacks happened. We had eaten twice at one of the restaurants that was shot up. Lucy had tickets for a concert later that month at the Bataclan. We came back to Paris that Sunday. I’ve never seen so many police, troops, and automatic weapons in my life. It was all a very sobering experience. Vive la France!

“And 2. I’m about three-quarters of the way through my first year as a Wesleyan Trustee. I’m still trying to figure out just what it is that we actually do. But at least it’s given me a convenient excuse to get back to campus and visit my daughter there before she graduates.”

Bill Gustus retired from his position as town administrator in Lynnfield, Mass., in January 2015, after 28 years of working in various public sector management positions. He now cuts grass and works the pro shop at Settlers Crossing Golf Course in Lunenburg, Mass., a regulation sized nine-hole course he purchased a couple of years ago to keep him busy after retirement. He would love to play some golf with any Wes golfing alums wandering through north central Massachusetts this summer.

Jim Krantz states he is “very proud of (and trying not to live vicarious through) my wonderful children. Daniel ‘11 is now in his second year at NYU Law and will be at Skadden, Arps this summer. My daughter Sarah has taken a semester off from Barnard, where she studies Anthropology and Art History, to work on the Darwin Manuscripts project at the American Museum of Natural History.”

After four decades in Hollywood and the motion picture business, Blasé Noto is now a full-time Assistant Professor at Barton College in North Carolina in the School of Visual, Performing and Communication Arts.  He continues teaching part-time at UNC School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking in the Producing program.   Still loving being back on the East Coast and living in Chapel Hill and the Triangle.   Also, he gets a chance to see Carol and Charlie Cocores when they’re down in South Carolina.

Randy “R.N.A.” Smith’s fourth collection of golf stories will be published this summer. Titled He Lies Nine, this book features the conclusion to his serialized, futuristic novella Golflandia.

Monique Witt says, “same as always:  we dropped two new discs mid-march.  The next three projects for the label are interesting.  Dev is doing more pro-audio design work along with the customary sound engineering.  Ben graduates mid-May and heads down to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Piano Competition, where he is a finalist.  So everything is good.”

Jan Eliasberg “had the pleasure, and the honor”, of speaking at the official launch of the Wesleyan Women’s Network in NYC on Wednesday, April 20th. The program, “Wesleyan Women Then & Now,” focused on Wesleyan women throughout the decades and featured a TED Talk-style speaker from each decade, 1970s to the present. Jan sat on the dais with a “jaw-droppingly brilliant and inspiring group of Wesleyan women”: Majora Carter ’88, urban revitalization strategy consultant and McArthur Genius Grant winner; Shola Olatoye ’96, NYCHA Chair & CEO; and Emily Greenhouse ’08, managing editor of The New Yorker.

The event was hosted by trustee emerita Susan Webster ’77, P’18 at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where she is a partner in Cravath’s Corporate Department and leads the Firm’s General Corporate practice. The event sold out within a week of the invitation going out and the room was filled with kinetic, ambitious, and intelligent women eager to connect and hear about how the gifts of a Wesleyan education help to forge an entrepreneurial path through the “real world.” President Michael Roth made an appearance, single-handedly representing “Men at Wes.”

Back in Middletown, Jan’s daughter, Sariel Friedman ’19, just completed her first semester and is absolutely thriving. With an ambitious plan to double-major in American Studies and Studio Art, and minor in Film Studies, she is crafting a diverse, rich and deeply individualized Wesleyan education.

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2016 | ISSUE 1

Class of 1974 Endowed University Scholarship

Rami Hamati ’19, Manja, Jordan

Charlie Cocores writes, “I’ll be leaving my second career as the Educator in Residence, Certification Officer, at Connecticut College in May. Hope to continue to teach some psych in local colleges. Carol and I are awaiting our 5th grandchild in April and couldn’t be more excited! If folks are ever in Old Saybrook, CT or Pawleys Island SC look us up!

Writing under a penname, Ellen Levy Sarnoff is a bestselling steamy Romance writer on Amazon. Among the authors who write these kinds of books, she has even been more popular than 50 Shades, E. L. James. She has made both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. LOL! What a career. From children’s television programming to this!

Bob Baum is enjoying life in the Upper Valley of Vermont and of being a grandfather. He just published a book, West Africa’s Women Of God: Alinesitoue And The Diola Prophetic Tradition, available from Indiana University Press.

Monique Witt and her One Trick Dog Records company are “deep in the production of the first four albums of 2016, the first a jazz fusion with Katini Yamaoka Dinkubahi that will be sent for broad distribution in Japan, the second, a delta blue with SeRon Crenshaw, then the Roy Assaf Trio’s new offering, and finally a debut album for my son, Ben. Everyone is busy. Ben will finish his programs at both Columbia and Julliard in May. He was elected early to Phi Beta Kappa. My elder, Dev, is engaged and will marry in the fall. Hello to Bob Baum.”

Doug Cole went to DC in February to meet their new Just born granddaughter, Lyra Abigail Cole. Grandchild #4. What fun! Also, he is celebrating 40th anniversary to Carolyn Loughlin this year; 30 years in their home in Woodinville, which has become wine capital of Washington.

As of February, Tom Barton had recently retired from a 32-year practice in orthopedic surgery in New Hampshire.

Nancy Collins reports that she “retired in August 2014 after 30 years as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. We now have a second house in Rio Verde, Ariz., where we are part time. My husband, Brian Mahoney ’73, is still working 50 percent at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and I still have my big vegetable and flower gardens in North Oaks, Minn. We are working on our skills in bridge, ballroom dancing, pickle ball and hiking, and advanced Spanish, and volunteering. We visit Dan (computer programming for Safe Net) in Milwaukee and Meredith PsyD (works for PACE University and has her own private practice) and her husband Armintas (Point 72 hedge fund) in Manhattan. We see Katie and Chloe and Sookie (her family of 2 Frenchies) in Minneapolis where she is an ER doc at Fairview Ridges and Southdale Hospitals. That is busy enough for us! Glad to be off the ever accelerating hamster wheel of work.”

This past winter, Kathy Scholle Hale had lunch with Bob Gershen and wife Debra Kaye who now live in Sarasota, Fla. Also for the first time in years, she had a long conversation with her old roommate, Brett Sherman, who is living in NYC with her architect-husband. Ironically they discovered that they each own a house in Westerly, R.I. Small world.

Jan Eliasberg shares, “I’m delighted to report that I am now the proud parent of a Wesleyan student — my daughter, Sariel Hana Friedman ’18. Sariel transferred to Wesleyan from Barnard and, within days of her arrival, was sending pictures of Foss Hill covered with snow and texts saying things like “I love this school!!!!!!!” (There might even have been a few more exclamation points). She has declared — in true Wesleyan fashion — that she’s going to double major in American Studies and Studio Art and minor in Film, concentrating on the production and history of design and the history of advertising and visual communication in America.

Because of her background and experience in graphic design, Sariel’s been hired to work part-time at Wesleyan’s Office of Communications, creating and designing advertisements for the Wesleyan Film Series, pamphlets and brochures for admissions and fundraising, and doing layout for the Wesleyan University alumni magazine. Several people were extraordinarily helpful in her transition: Andrew Stuerzel, in University Relations, and Tonya Strong, Dean of Admission for Transfer Students, who were gracious and helpful every step of the way.

I’ve been busier than ever with challenging, wonderful directing work. I’ve spent several months in Nashville, directing episodes of Nashville, created by Callie Khouri and starring Connie Britton. I’ve fallen in love with the music, the architecture, the food and the lively spirit of the city. I’ve also been involved in directing the first season of a wonderful new series called The Magicians, based on the best-selling trilogy of novels by Lev Grossman. The Magicians has been called “Harry Potter goes to graduate school,” which gives a flavor of this unique world — where magic is dark, sexy, alluring, addictive, and downright terrifying in equal measure. I adore the show, which has just been renewed for a second season. Among the writers is fellow Wesleyan grad, Henry Alonso Myers. Look for my episode on March 7th.

Chris Neagle reports, “I saw Chuck Gregory in Ft. Lauderdale last month (January), who I connected with on FB. He started with us but graduated in 1973 and moved to Florida. I last saw him during a 1976 law school vacation.

“His living room looked just like our old living room in a Washington Ave house we shared with others our junior year—full of electronics!  He hosts the weekly New American Dream Radio show on its website. He remains extremely liberal, fun to be with, and seems happy with life. Met his wonderful wife Lorraine and her African mouse, too.  He promised to come to our 50th.”

And Chuck Gregory says, “I recently got to see Chris Neagle for the first time since the ’70s. It was great to rediscover that friendship, and to find that we still shared many common views after all these years. I hope other old friends will look me up if they visit the Fort Lauderdale area.”

John Hickenlooper writes: “On Jan. 16 (yes, 1/16/16, and almost exactly a month after VT Gov Peter Shumlin ’79, married Katie Hunt) I married the remarkable Robin Pringle, who is VP of Corp Development for $45-billion holding company, Liberty Media. I can’t remember being this happy. We had a one-day honeymoon in Boulder, came back to see the Broncos beat the Patriots, and then went off to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. And. Then in late May Penguin Books is publishing my sort of memoir, The Opposite of Woe. A full but a happy year ahead.”

And from me—Sharon Purdie—My husband, Ted Sybertz, and I continue to split our time between Vero Beach, Fla. (kayaking, biking, swimming, hiking), Park City, Utah (skiing), and Jamestown RI (sailing, biking swimming, hiking). Our daughter, Sherry Sybertz ’10, will complete her MBA from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in May and our son, Jeff Sybertz, will complete his MBA from Stern (NYU) in May 2017.

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2015 | ISSUE 3

Lloyd Komesar reports that the inaugural Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival was a great success. “Among the 1,000-plus people in attendance, we had an abundance of wonderful Wes folks [and spouses] with us, including Bill Pearson and Jane Pearson P’12, Claudia Catania and John Cady ’71, Wayne Forrest, Wendy Starr, Naaz Hosseini, Lyn Lauffer, Sam Miller ’75, P’09 and Anne Miller P’09, Tracy Killam ’75, Mike McKenna ’73, David Laub ’03, Rose Komesar ’07, Katie Reid Shevlin ’07, Kara Zedlovich Rzzuto ’07, Todd Jick ’71, P’11 and Wendy Jick P’11, Steve Goldschmidt ’72, Mark Masselli HON’09, Joan Gamble ’80, Ann Deane ’79, Bob Kesner ’67, Bill Holder ’75 and Mark Davis ’96. Promising Wes filmmakers were part of the festivities as well: Tyler Byrne ’09 and Conor Byrne ’11 (Foureyes), Aaron Kalischer-Coggins ’15 (All Systems Go) and, in absentia, Casey Feldman ’12 (Posthumanismaniarama!) and Raphael Linden ’15 (Wald). Of course, I am indebted to our great artistic director, Jay Craven P’04. And my sincere thanks to Jeanine Basinger for all her guidance and support.

For the curious among you, I am mighty pleased to announce the dates for the 2nd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival: August 25-28, 2016. You can find a list of all the award winning films and view the trailers from our first fest plus great photos and our highlight reel at middfilmfest.org. Hope to see many more of my classmates here in Middlebury next August for summer’s sweet finale. The films are notable, yes, but the friendships renewed and the conversations sparked, well, those are just glorious.”

Follow this link to an article from the local newspaper:

middfilmfest.org/addison-independent-film-festival-draws-raves-in-its-debut/

In it, Lloyd was quoted: “I was delighted with the audiences,” said Komesar, who this week will finally get a chance to catch his breath after his deft performance as top producer of MNFF, which boasted 93 short- and feature-length films submitted by newly minted filmmakers from throughout the world. Komesar gave ample thanks to his supporting cast, which included a small paid staff flanked by a group of dedicated sponsors and volunteers — including renowned Vermont filmmaker Jay Craven.“I feel this first festival was a resounding success,” Komesar said.

More information on MNFF, including how to donate to defray expenses for the event, can be found at middfilmfest.org.

Bill Pearson shares, “As with many from and near our class, I joined with Lloyd Komesar for the first Middlebury Film Festival (I’m also on Lloyd’s board). Lloyd did an amazing job and it was a big success, particularly for a first year event.

We’ve gotten to know Middlebury because our youngest son, Henry, is a junior there, having a good time. Squash team, math major, Chinese minor, playing in several bands. Howe, our middle and Wesleyan 2012 son, lives in New Orleans where he’s a musician and teacher. Nate, our eldest, lives in San Francisco and works for Tesla. All doing fine and providing us with good excuses to visit them. I’m still working as a consultant, combining my McKinsey and operating background with more recent management psychology work. Jane and I are traveling more and recently renovated our old place in eastern Connecticut and spending more time there. Cheers to all!”

Lee Coplan shares, “I had hoped to be at the reunion last year, and now a year has flown by. A couple of things prevented me from getting there last year.

My son, Ariel (who came our reunion 16 years ago), is a chef and (with my help) was in the process arranging renovations on his own restaurant in downtown Toronto. Thoroughbred Food and Drink opened last September. It was featured in the Village Voice travel column on Toronto last November, and then was included in December by the Voice as one of the top 10 destination restaurants of 2014. Earlier in his career, Ariel cooked at Michelin-starred Café Grey (Manhattan) and Number One Restaurant in the Balmoral Hotel (Edinburgh), before serving as a chef in Australia and back in Toronto. I hope Wesleyan connections will give Thoroughbred a try when they’re next in Toronto. It’s located close to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) center and King Street theaters and not far from the downtown business district and sporting venues.

I’ve also resumed my violin playing – something I largely put on hold while at Wesleyan. I’ve been playing in several klezmer groups for the past four years. We had a couple of gigs on reunion weekend last year – although truth be told, I would have passed them up if not for restaurant renovations keeping me in Toronto. Our most frequent performances are at old age homes, but we also play at community events (such as the Ashkenaz Festival and Jewish Music Week), weddings, bar mitzvahs, parties. My main group, Klez Konnection, is coming out with its initial CD shortly. I’ve recently started playing in a community string orchestra, as well.

My other son, Isaac, will be getting married next weekend (June). Isaac has been working on research and education on housing and homelessness issues, continuing on a path set in his MA in environmental studies (York University in Toronto).

My daughter, Eliana (who joined me at our reunion 6 years ago), has about a year to go on her BA in Sociology and Diaspora & Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto. She just completed a semester exchange in Utrecht. I benefitted, as I managed to travel with her before and after her term – Rome and Amsterdam in January, and Copenhagen and Berlin in May, although Eliana travelled far more when I wasn’t around.

I’d also like to mention that I had a lovely visit with Chris Moeller and his wife Sara about 18 months ago when I was in Minneapolis to be present when my advisor, Chris Sims, was feted by the University of Minnesota for his Nobel prize in economics.

I’m still working for the Ontario provincial government as part of the office of the Treasury Board. Our efforts are aimed at supporting the government in keeping on track to achieve a balanced budget by 2017-18. (Unlike most states governments, most provinces are not mandated to have a balanced budget each year.) And I’ve added our next reunion to my calendar.”

Jan Eliasberg writes, “Since I moved back to New York City last June, I’ve reconnected with many wonderful Wesleyan friends. I went to the theatre with John Shapiro & Shonni Silverberg to see The Erlkings, a moving play about Columbine written by their son, Nathaniel. Bill Pearson and I have had several wonderful lunches together in the West Village while Steven Goldschmidt helped me find the extraordinary loft in the Financial District where I’m lucky enough to live.

I am a Visiting Arts Professor at NYU Film School (teaching The Director’s Process and Advanced Television Writing) and love being colleagues with Janet Grillo.

This year my directing career has gone into overdrive. I just finished directing the second of two episodes of the fabulous Nashville, created by Thelma and Louise’s Callie Khouri, starring Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, and a group of insanely-talented actor/singers and Nashville-based musicians. I’m off to Vancouver to direct a new premium cable show called The Magicians, adapted from the best-selling trilogy by Lev Grossman. And I recently completed writing my long-gestating screenplay — Before I Sleep — which I hope to shoot as an indie film in 2016.

My daughter, Sariel, is entering her sophomore year at Barnard; she spent the summer as the graphic design intern at Nylon Magazine and had her work published numerous times on the Nylon website. She was also the Art Director for The Columbia Spectator.

While everyone is raving (for great reasons) about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnificent Hamilton, I’d like to recommend the work of another Wesleyan Alum — Kim Wayans — who lights up the stage at The Public Theatre in Robert O’Hara’s Barbeque.

Nathaniel Winship bought a farm in Tamworth, NH (dba as Tanna Farm) last year where my second wife (Hope Requardt) and I are actively raising chickens and ducks and growing vegetables.

Ellen Robinson is still living in Hartford practicing OB/GYN. Planning on retiring 1/1/2017. So far two grandsons Xavier 6 and Theo 2. Her family is all good, healthy and thriving.

Monique Witt updates us on her music news. “OneTrickDog* dropped Ben Sutin’s new klezmer/jazz album Tangibility with his sextet Klazz-Ma-Tazz, and the reviews have been spectacular thus far. We are up on global radio, and live throughout the northeast. That was in August. We will drop Tom Larsen’s second blues album, Loving Losing (largely original material from People vs. Larsen), this week. But the single of the same name dropped in June on KCRW (LA), then was picked up world wide on radio. Starbuck’s has picked it up for their rotation, as blues is enjoying a revival right now.

On the boys’ front, my older son designed the twelve-foot column, multi-driver speakers for the Louis Vuitton Palm Springs fashion show. They’re clear and also mirrored, and can be seen on line. My younger son was involved in the jazz festivals: he performed at Mazden (with Curtis Lundy, Warren Wolf, and Wayne Escofry), at Richmond Jazz Festival (with T.S. Monk, Thelonius’ son, and the sextet), at Lincoln Center Out of Doors (with Ray Lugo), and at MusicFest in Philadelphia. He is currently finishing his last year at Columbia and Juilliard. Both boys continue to write and record their own music and continue to perform together.

On the theatre front, Split/Screen was performed at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June (Best of the Fringe Award, Most Interesting, and a Showcase Award). We were pleased with the reception, because it was one of only a small handful of serious plays out of 275. The Fringe attracts comedy and farce. We hope to reprise it at the New York Fringe Festival next year. And we continue to work on the TV series. So everyone is working hard.”

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2015 | ISSUE 2

“Downsized and retired, Randy Smith reports that he is using some of his expanded leisure time to build a website for those who enjoy golf literature.  Golf-fiction.com offers short stories and novel chapters from all eras of golf authorship.”

Monique Witt writes that OneTrickDog* is dropping several more jazz discs this summer.  The production arm has a ten-performance run of a one-act play split/screen at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and a short film, creative dark, nearing completion.  Her older son (Avidon Audio Labs) engineered twelve foot Plexiglas speaker towers for the Louis Vuitton fashion show in Palm Springs (you can see them on line in Vogue; they’re beautiful), and her younger son (Ben) is performing with Curtis Lundy and composing for a video game in production.  Both sons are also working on albums to be released this year or early next of their own work, and she is writing and directing.  In addition, they’re scheduled for an exhibit this fall of two black and white street artists influenced by post war Japanese manga (Akira-style comics).  So everyone is busy.

Bob Baum has had lots of changes. Probably the biggest one is that he became a grandfather last August.  William is an utter delight.  He has been enjoying his return to New England.  Their house is on a bluff overlooking the Connecticut River and the Dartmouth Campus.  It’s about a 25-minute walk to work, where he teaches African Religions, African Studies, and Comparative Religions.  He hopes to see you everyone at the next reunion now that he is close by.

Karla Bell writes, “Big year for the family! My son Danny graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law in the spring, married his college girlfriend over Labor Day (2014), and started his clerkship with a federal judge. Having been discouraged and exhausted by her Teach for America tenure, my daughter Rachel is now employed at Forrester Research in Cambridge, MA, mentors promising students with the non-profit Minds Matter, and was just named Co-President of the Boston chapter’s Executive Committee. Adam, my youngest, is leaving New York to resume graduate studies. My stepson Philip Wallach ’05 and his partner Vera Krimnus ‘05, had the first grandchild, Bina, and moved to the D.C. area; Philip, who is at The Brookings Institute, published his first book. Kerry Wallach’02, and her partner Jess Fierstein ‘05,also moved to the D.C. area; Kerry is on tenure track at Gettysburg College, and Jess remains at Accenture. (Whew!) As for me, my health has improved some, but is still very unstable. I very much appreciated all of the kind messages sent from last year’s reunion, and apologize for not following up–that happened to be an extremely precarious time. I’m hoping to see all of you at the next reunion.”

Scott Brodie reports, “I am still teaching and “stamping out blindness as fast as I can” at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, with some time set aside as part of a team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center which treats retinoblastoma, the most common cancer of the eyes of children – in the last decade, we have reduced the need to remove the most seriously affected eyes from nearly 100% to no more than 5%.

This spring, I returned to Wesleyan and gave a lecture on the “Jordan Curve Theorem” to the undergraduate Mathematics Club. I was delighted to see not only a room full of enthusiastic and knowledgeable undergraduates, but two of the Professors who were most helpful to me back in my own days as a math major, Fred Linton and Tony Hager.

I continue to play the oboe and English horn in orchestral and chamber music settings as the opportunity arises – I played Stavinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” at Lincoln Center this past winter, and I am looking forward to joining Linda Rappaport at the Bennington Chamber Music Conference this July.”

Judi (Lawrence)’74 and Richard ‘74 Goodstein just became the very happy grandparents of Levi Max Goodstein, the day before their 41st wedding anniversary.   Judi is changing her psychology practice to four days and will travel every week from DC to Philly to spend a day with her grandson.

David Plettner-Saunders explains that “ …after years of reticence, I yield to your unending insistence to send news and contribute to the alumni discourse.

I loved learning from Facebook recently that classmate Andrew Char plays bluegrass with friends at a sunset jam in Haleiwa, Hawaii. And that he rails against the latest Hollywood movie set in Hawaii but featuring an all-White cast.

But more to the point, to share some classmate news, I am well and happy, living in San Diego with my dear wife and fellow arts consultant, Victoria. I run an arts consulting firm, The Cultural Planning Group, and spend 2 – 3 weeks per month on the road encouraging the development of the arts in cities throughout the US (on a good day). I am also a truly lackluster contributor to Wesleyan’s annual fund. I have mixed feelings about being the meaning of being an alumnus and confusion about the meaning of our shared experience, values and legacy as Wesleyan grads. This, I believe, qualifies me as representative of my class of 1974. But in truth, I do recognize and celebrate the values of inclusion, openness, and liberal education that Wesleyan embodies. I believe that Wesleyan was ahead of the curve in many things, such as coeducation, diversity, and redefining elitism in terms of actual achievement. I know that I was encouraged to pursue my goals in the arts, leadership and liberalism. And that John Wesley’s ideals have been reinterpreted for a new era.

So, I say again, thank you Sharon Purdie for being so persistent in maintaining contact and inviting your classmates to participate. And I thank the Wesleyan community for your forbearance in the dark ages of my class and the alienation of my era.

I send you all a bit of San Diego sunshine and some sand in your shoes.’

Blaise Noto is continuing to teach at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the School of Filmmaking’s producing program. Most recently, he was able to spend time with long time friend and Paramount Pictures colleague Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, who was the UNCSA’s commencement speaker this year.

Also, he recently spent Memorial Day weekend in South Carolina visiting with Charlie and Carol Cocores. Great catching up and reminiscing about our days at Wesleyan and Deke.

Wayne Forrest has a summer intern from Wesleyan, Natasha Nurjadin ‘18.  She is from Indonesia.

In December 2014 Wayne took his daughter Jamie (23) to Indonesia for two weeks.  During the first week they visited Jakarta, where she met many of my Indonesian members, and toughed the choking traffic.  The second week they traveled to more serene locations: central Java (Yogyakarta) and Bali. They saw the world famous temples Borobudur and Prambanan where they were asked to pose for numerous “selfies” with Indonesian travelers.  One morning they woke up at sunrise and rode bicycles for hours through the rice fields of Java’s breadbasket. The settlements dotting the countryside seem little changed from when he first saw them 40 years ago.  In Bali, they arrived just in time for a huge royal cremation, a multi sensory experience one never forgets. It was extremely meaningful for him to show her the country he has spent much of his life trying to understand.

Harold Sogard is happy to report that he somehow managed to get elected to Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees.  He’s not sure whether he owes his success to having been positioned first on the ballot (because he was oldest) or to the various offers he made to classmates in return for their votes.  If he delivers on those promises, Joe Lowenstein will become Wesleyan’s new football coach, Rick Gilberg will become the hockey coach, and all members of the class of ’74 will be receiving retroactive full scholarships and forgiveness of any outstanding student loans for themselves and their offspring who attend(ed) Wesleyan.  He sends thanks to all for your support and promises to do his best to represent our class well.

Chuck Gregory continues to enjoy life in Fort Lauderdale with his wife of 31 years, Lorraine. He’s been co-host of The New American Dream Radio Show (http://newdream.us) since February 2011 and has a great time with that every Thursday night from 6 to 8 pm. He went to his high school reunion in May; maybe a Wesleyan reunion is in the picture in a few years (our 45th?).

Fr. Fred Enman, S.J. continues to work half time at Boston College Law School and half time at his non-profit Matthew 25 in Worcester, MA.  Matthew 25 will be dedicating its 10th house for low-income families in July of 2015.

Rick Kronick has temporarily (for 5.5 years and counting!) abandoned La Jolla for DC. He has had the professional experience of a lifetime working on implementation of the Affordable Care Act and on trying to make health care financing and delivery slightly less crazy, first as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy in HHS, and, for the past two years, as Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  He and his wife Amy Bridges recently celebrated their 34th anniversary, as well as the marriages of both of their daughters.  Rick has retired (or so he claims) from flogging his body in training for Ironman events, but still drags it though triathlons of other distances.

Henry Avis-Vieira reports that his first book is finished.  Now comes the really hard work of (professional) editing and finding a publisher.

Charlie Cocores sees Blaise Noto a lot at this home in NC or theirs in SC. Charlie did a Habitat for Humanity in Flathead Lake Montana in July.

Kathy Scholle Hale and her husband Jon are coming up on 30 happy years of marriage in October. (Other friends, including Bob Gershen and wife Deb must be approaching the same milestone.) To celebrate, they bought a house near the beach in Westerly RI.   It’s a place to hang out with their grown children, Katie (28) a special ed teacher in Brookline MA and Ben (25) a commercial real estate advisor in Glastonbury CT. (Who forgot to warn me that keeping a house ready for summer renters is exponentially more complicated than maintaining your own house in the burbs?) She’s still living and practicing law in South Windsor, CT.

JEANNE DEMKO CHIANG ’74

JEANNE DEMKO CHIANG, an actuary, died Oct. 7, 2014, at age 61. After receiving her degree in mathematics, she spent her entire career at Travelers Insurance in Hartford, Conn. She enjoyed music and traveling. Survivors include her husband, Jaf Chiang ’74, two children, and her brother.

CLASS OF 1974 | 2015 | ISSUE 1

Congratulations on your re-election, Governor John Hickenlooper!!!

Jeanne Demko Chiang, wife of Jaf Chiang, died on Oct. 7. Jeanne spent her entire career at Travelers Insurance as an actuary. She loved music and was also passionate about traveling. Survivors include her husband, Jaf; daughter Jasmine Chiang, a physician, and her fiancé, Ryen Schimerman of Portland, Maine; son Colby Chiang, an MD-PhD candidate at the University of Virginia; and brother Thomas Demko of Cromwell. On behalf of our class, I would like to extend condolences to Jaf and his family.

Pat Mulcahy was featured in Publisher’s Weekly about re-inventing yourself after leaving corporate life in publishing: publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/people/article/65386-publishing-after-a-life-in-publishing.html. Pat adds, “I have so enjoyed re-connecting post-Reunion with members of the class of ’74, members of the women’s group in particular. In December I attended one of Claudia Catania’s Playing on Air sessions at the BRIC Theater in Brooklyn, as did Ellen Driscoll and Jai Imbrey. Well-done short plays with top talent, broadcast on NPR. Shortly thereafter Claudia, Jai, and I went to see one of Ellen’s art shows in Williamsburg, and a few weeks ago Ellen and I went to the Frick Collection with Jai. The creative ladies of ’74 have a lot going on!”

“A follow up from Lloyd Komesar regarding the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival—the window for film submission opened on January 15 and will stay open through June 15. Films can be submitted either through our website [middfilmfest.org] or directly on the Withoutabox or FilmFreeway platforms. My new Festival e-mail address is lk@middfilmfest.org. Hope to see many of you in Middlebury from Aug. 27–30 for our inaugural event. Should be a very entertaining occasion.”

Henry Avis-Vieira reports, “My wife recently won a research grant for developing new approaches to teaching medieval studies at Georgetown University. I have about four more chapters to go on my first book. It’s a young adult fantasy adventure concerning parallel worlds.”

Claudia Catania details, “Our 40th was great fun and particularly satisfying in that it got a number of us back in touch. I ran into Becky Ramsey ’75 visiting Ellen Driscoll and her outdoor art piece at Olana in Columbia County, N.Y., (where my husband, John Cady ’71, and I spend a lot of our time). It was raining and Ellen’s huge mirrored piece looked bejeweled under all the droplets.

“Lots of alums came to view a live Playing on Air recording of a short play by Willy Holtzman. (I founded and produce Playing on Air, which records short plays for public radio and podcast). Bill Pearson, Peter Woodin ’71, Pat Mulcahy, Bob Arcaro, June Anderson, Todd Jick ’71 (thank-you, Lloyd), Inara de Leon ’75, Vicky Bijur ’75, Ellen Driscoll, Orren Alperstein (Seth Gelblum ’75’s wife), Sam Miller ’75, and Jai Imbrey all attended that December recording! Wesleyan alums Frank Wood ’83 in a Lanford Wilson short, and Halley Feiffer ’07 in one by John Guare recorded live other fall evenings. Podcasting is beginning regularly this year so soon you can hear Willy’s play that way, and there is streaming at playingonair.org and public radio.

“Our older son, Max, returned to the States for grad school in technology and education after three years teaching at Liger Learning Center near Phnom Penh. Younger son, Gavin, opened a little restaurant in New Orleans. His food truck is called The Fat Falafel and his restaurant is 1000 Figs. Here’s its Gambit review: goo.gl/IP4yQP”

Bruce Duncan: “I’m on sabbatical this semester, with the goal of establishing a new course in the physics of music. Because I’m on sabbatical, I’m no longer chair of my department, which works out nicely since this semester would have been the last one of my term. We’ll see if my colleagues re-nominate me, as some have threatened to do.”

From Jim Krantz: “My son, Daniel ’11, has been awarded a Jacobson program scholarship at NYU Law and Business schools, a four-year JD/MBA program focused on the intersection of business and law. Sarah, age 20, is a junior at Barnard, deeply involved in her studies of anthropology and art history.”

Monique Witt states, “2014 was a really productive year for us. We finished recording the last two albums for the year (a blues and a jazz), both of which are slated to drop on Valentine’s Day. That brought the number to six. Interloper has gotten amazing press reviews and is playing around the world on jazz stations. We begin 2015 with a hip hop group that takes the music back to the political roots of the 1990s, and then we begin a six-record legacy series. My older son is still spending what open time he has as my lead engineer, and he is also collaborating on a screenplay. My younger is continuing full time at Columbia and part time at Juilliard, performing around the tri-state area, and playing piano for ensemble e. They were at jazz at Lincoln Center (Dizzy’s) in February. Steven’s law firm (Wachtel Lipton) will celebrate its 50th anniversary this week. So everyone is busy.”

Nancy Collins retired from child and adolescent psychiatry earlier than expected in August 2014 for a number of reasons. Medical issues (fractured shoulder 12/24/13, immobilizer, frozen shoulder, hydroplasty, and nine months of formal PT), long commutes, more frustration with the increasing number of parents and kids who felt they didn’t need to actually do anything to get better, and more frustration with insurance requirements that eroded into the time of building relationships and educating families. She expects that her husband, Brian Mahoney ’73, will be mostly retired next winter and they’ll split their time between winters in Rio Verde, Ariz. and spring-through-fall in North Oaks, Minn., gardening. Their adult kids: Katie is an ER doc in the Twin Cities metro; Meredith has her PsyD and is working at Pace University in New York and has a private practice in Manhattan; and  Dan is a computer programmer in Milwaukee and a DJ in electronic house music on the weekends.

Tom Gelsomino writes, “I invited Jesus Christ into my life nearly 29 years ago. He is The Savior, The Messiah. The Way of Eternal Life. I desire to be with all our Wesleyan friends forever.”

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

 

CLASS OF 1974 | 2014 | ISSUE 3

Lloyd Komesar reports: “life in Vermont continues to expand in rewarding ways. With equal measures of available time and true motivation, I have founded the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival which will have its inaugural rollout Aug. 27–30, 2015. Bill Pearson is joining me in this endeavor. The Festival will focus on new filmmakers who are creating either their first or second full-length feature or substantive short film. Our website is middfilmfest.org and I can be reached through the festival at midd.filmfest@gmail.com should folks have questions.”

In July, Bill Burton saw the play, Stupid F#cking Bird, at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, directed by Howard Shalwitz. Howard founded the theater 34 years ago and is its artistic director. The play was developed for Woolly Mammoth and won the Helen Hayes award for best new local play last year. After the play, Howard talked about its creation and direction to audience members. At the end, Bill introduced himself to Howard and wondered aloud why they had not met before—Howard said that at Wesleyan he was “buried in the philosophy department.”

Monique Witt and her family are still making jazz records, but are now getting more blues, hip hop, and rap in the recording/mixing facilities. Recently, they have been doing more video pilots for television arcs. The most recent is a trailer for “the ease of access.” They have a couple of pilots going out to studios in LA, and a new genre crossover video Monique is excited about.

Marion Hancock Fish ’76 has been selected as an Upstate New York Super Lawyer for 2014. Marion is a partner of the Syracuse, NY-based law firm of Hancock Estabrook, LLP. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement and is limited to 5 percent of the lawyers in the State.

Paul Liscom and his wife, Kim Pierpoint, hosted Rip Dauster, Mark Decker, and Jim Gilson, as well as their spouses (including Rip’s wife Marjorie Allen ’76) for a terrific several days in West Yellowstone. They hiked, laughed, caught up, cooked, read, laughed, saw the sights, laughed, … you get the idea. The three couples (other than Jim and his wife) first went to Grand Teton and between the two parks and four couples they saw moose, elk, bison, pronghorn, coyote, mule deer, eagles, osprey, Sandhill cranes, and lots of other wildlife, amazing geological activity, waterfalls, geysers, rivers, mountains, and canyons. They’re starting to think about next time.

Al Mydlinski reports that he visited Wes for the first time in 35 years this summer. Was interesting to say the least. He took his great-niece to visit, since it was on her list of schools. She liked it a lot.

David Rynick and Melissa Blacker ’76 continue to be the resident priests at Boundless Way Zen Temple in Worcester, Mass. They have lots of extra beds and a one-acre garden and invite any Wesleyan graduates in the area to stop by. Excerpts from David’s book This Truth Never Fails were featured in Best Buddhist Writing of 2013 and Melissa’s essay was part of the recently released book of stories of women and Buddhism: The Hidden Lamp.

Jim Farrell went to Wesleyan one weekend in August to sponsor a clean-up of the DKE house basement and kitchen. They want to try to start the DKE eating club all over again.

Jim Krantz is a principal of the consulting firm Worklab in NYC and is involved with a program in the Peruvian Amazon centering on sustainability of indigenous tribes and communities. Their son, Daniel ’11, is at NYU law school for a joint law and business degree after working in the technology start-up field. He remains active in the Eclectic alumni community. Their daughter, Sarah, is a junior at Barnard, majoring in art history and anthropology. Jim’s wife, Annie Boland, continues to practice as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, near their home in the Village.

Mike Heard was named US Forest Service National Volunteer of the Year for his work on trail projects on forest service land near the Big Sur coast of California. He thanks Tom Frei and the others who signed the photo at Reunion of Mike in his volunteer gear. He will be the volunteer representative in the Forest Service contingent in the 2015 Rose Parade. After that, Mike will re-enter the work force.

Pam van der Meulen had a wonderful time at Reunion, re-connecting with old friends, and particularly enjoyed the Women’s Gathering. She hopes the women from our class can re-convene sooner than five years. Pam continues to run a legal clinic at the Adolescent Health Center in New York. Her older son, Brian, graduated from NYU Law School last spring and now works as a tax lawyer in NY. Her younger son, Jeremy ’14, graduated from Wesleyan in May.

Pam writes, “Planning for Reunion put me in touch with old friends, and gave us a chance to catch up. In particular, I renewed ties with a fellow philosophy major, David Gillespie. He is a tax partner at Norton Rose Fulbright; he lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, also a lawyer, and has a daughter and son, both in their 20s.

Lindsay Wilson couldn’t make it to Reunion, as she was presenting at a Women in French conference in Ontario, and Randy was also traveling that weekend on business. Their daughter, Caroline, just graduated this spring from the University of Arizona in Tucson with degrees in French and accounting.

Bob Baum is now a professor in the religion department and African and African-American studies program at Dartmouth.

Despite just a week away from hip surgery and on crutches, Henry Avis-Vieira made it to our 40th Reunion (a major adventure, since the train he took from D.C. was delayed about eight hours). Henry managed to reconnect with quite a few classmates, including some of his old anthro buddies like Henry Willis.

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1974 | 2014 | ISSUE 2

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Rob Ingraham writes that as well as attending our 40th Reunion, he also attended his daughter, Blair’s, graduation. She is now working in NYC. His son, Tucker ’16, completed his freshman year at Wes. Tucker is spending a second summer working for the Patriots under the watchful eye of Coach Belichick ’75. Rob is now 36 years in the sports marketing business. Stress reduction comes in the form of playing guitar in a ’60s/’70s R&R band. He also keeps busy with volunteer work focused on land preservation, as well as drug and alcohol programs aimed at students and parents in their community.

Carolyn White-Lesieur lives in the United States again after over 32 years in Paris—in Cambridge, Mass. She is very involved with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) as a teacher for their Family-to-Family course and on the steering committee of the Cambridge Middlesex affiliate. Just trained to become a family support group leader. To balance that out, she plays on two tennis teams at the Mount Auburn Tennis Club. She also interviews a few students every year for Wesleyan.

Judy Jay writes: ”After 27 years in [medical] partnership with my husband, Barry Shapiro, we closed our private otolaryngology practice two years ago. He joined a large multi-specialty group and I work part-time as a medical consultant for a private company doing medical coding review. I’ve enjoyed my free time and have been able to spend more time skiing, scuba diving, biking, and, simply living without the anxiety of running a medical practice. Our elder child, Rachel (Amherst ’09, Michigan law ’14), will return to NY in May with a job in a Manhattan firm, and our younger child, Rob (Cornell ’12), loves working at Group M ESP doing sports media marketing.

Ruthann Richter recently returned from Uganda as a global justice fellow with the American Jewish World Service. She has since been writing and speaking about her experiences and will be doing some advocacy in Washington to support U.S. polices that may have an impact on the conditions there, which were truly heartbreaking.

Chuck Gregory and Lorraine celebrated their 30th anniversary in March. Chuck continues to do Web development, publishing, and co-hosting The New American Dream Radio Show, which moved this year to Revolution Radio at freedomslips.com. Visit theshow.newamericandream.info.

Patricia Mulcahy is still an editorial consultant. See the website, brooklynbooks.com, for a look at projects. She is also a member of an indie editor group called 5E: Five Editors. Five Perspectives, and has started to do more workshops and teaching assignments. After 20 years living in Brooklyn, she moved to Jackson Heights in Queens—very multiethnic.

Victoria Ries writes: “After Wesleyan, I earned a PhD in Christian theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School. I have worked in the Archdiocese of Seattle for 35 years. For the last 25 years, I have been appointed by the Archbishop to provide leadership and pastoral care for two parishes. I have also been an adjunct faculty member at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. I married Sam Saracino ’73 in June 1975. We have lived in Seattle, Wash., since 1979. Our son, Daniel, 32, lives in Madison, Wis., with his wife and two young sons; and our daughter Martha, 29, is a prosecutor in Fresno, Calif.”

Charles Cocores writes: “I’m still working as the educator in residence and certification officer at Connecticut College. We have four grandkids. Carol and I are Habitat for Humanity Global Village leaders and between us have done or run trips to Kauai, Molokai, Big Island, Portugal, Guatemala, Honduras, and a few other U.S. locations as well. We’re planning a Jan. 2015 trip to Cape Town, S.A. Let us know if you’re interested.”

Joan Catherine Braun writes: “I am thrilled to have been chosen as a Bay Area CFO of the Year finalist in the nonprofit category. Not bad for an English and East Asian History major!”

Jan Eliasberg has moved “home” to New York City. Her daughter, Sariel, was accepted Early Decision at Barnard. Jan’s episodic television directing career continues to blossom. Her episode of Unforgettable was the show’s season premiere, airing on April 4th. The drama she directed in Charleston, S.C., Reckless, was aired in June. She is also writing and directing an indie feature entitled Traveling Light, adapted from her own novel, and is developing a television series. She will teach at NYU Film School in the fall.

Blaise Noto is living in Chapel Hill, N.C., and relocated his marketing and public relations firm to the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. He is teaching motion picture marketing and distribution at UNC School of the Arts’ School of Filmmaking (one of the top film schools in the country), and also teaches a number of Communication courses at William Peace University in Raleigh. Last year, he was nominated for an Emmy as a producer of the documentary feature film When the Mountain Calls: Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan.

Chris Moeller reports from Minnesota that last fall Lee Coplan had dinner with them. Their daughter got married in March. In May their son graduated from the Univ. of Minnesota with a degree in electrical engineering.

Jose Goico writes that he and Annie have three grown children. Jeremy, 30, owns a business, Black Tie Ski Rental Delivery Service, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Madeleine, 26, is the administrator of the Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department at NYU, where she did her undergraduate studies, and is completing a master’s degree in public policy and administration at the Wagner School. Sara is in Iquitos, Peru, completing two years of fieldwork for her PhD in linguistic and cultural anthropology at UC, San Diego. Annie is the CFO of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.

Jose continues to work directly with children, adolescents, and young adults, the last 11 years as an educational therapist, and 23 years as a bilingual urban classroom teacher. He continues to play lots of music, mostly live with a great cover band, The Cartells (thecartells.com). Last year he released Secret Sign, a CD of original music three years in the making. Look for it on iTunes.

And now… some photos from Reunion. Send me more and we’ll post them.

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SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu