CLASS OF 2001 | 2016 | ISSUE 3
Class secretary, Mara, writes for this issue. Sarah Levin writes, “I graduated from Naropa University in May with a master’s in counseling psychology/art therapy, along with my classmate, Regina Rooney ’84. I am living in the tiny and quirky mountain town of Nederland, Colo., and working at a Denver-based agency as a therapist for adults at risk of psychiatric hospitalization due to severe mental illness. It was great to catch up with my old roomie, Katharine Davis Reich, a few months ago.”
Hyunjoo and Don Kim welcomed a daughter, Maddie, in December of 2015.
From Ethan Schapira: “I am living in Brooklyn and have been teaching chess to kids in a few NYC public schools, basically since we graduated! In April, my wife, Dacia, and I were thrilled to welcome our first child, Owen, into our lives.”
Eric Bliss, Elizabeth Collins Bliss, and their son, Nathaniel, 4, celebrated the arrival of Finnley Albert, on March 26. The Bliss clan now resides in southern Maine, where Eric is a veterinarian at a small animal hospital. Liz works for the New York State Migrant Education Program.
Ben Spatz was selected as a UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (England’s equivalent of the NEH) leadership fellow with a project to develop decolonial Jewish song-action through a revised laboratory theater methodology. Instead of trying and failing to explain this myself, I’ll direct you to the website at urbanresearchtheater.com.
In 2011, Lisa Weinert launched her own consulting company, Lisa Weinert Consulting (LWC), after working at the Knopf Doubleday Group at Random House as a publicist and editor for eight years and spending one year working on digital marketing campaigns with e-book start-up, Open Road Integrated Media. She has published and promoted a range of authors focusing on topical nonfiction and literary fiction, with a special interest in narrative medicine, women’s leadership, social advocacy, health, and spirituality.
In 2015, she cofounded a new publishing imprint, ARCHER, with LA-based independent publisher, Rare Bird, where they provide full-scale global distribution and top-of-the-line publicity for a range of authors. Motivated by the healing and transformative power of storytelling, in June she created the debut annual narrative medicine program at Kripalu, an immersion with doctors, yogis and literary writers exploring the use and impact of storytelling and compassionate listening in the healing process. She teaches restorative yoga and curates workshops in yoga and storytelling called “StoryFlow” in NYC and is creator and host of a new podcast, Narrative Medicine with Lisa Weinert. Her next program at Kripalu is confirmed for July 9-14.
Mike Homolka’s debut poetry collection, Antiquity, was published by Sarabande Books in July of this year to favorable reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. He is teaching critical reading and creative writing to first-generation high school students in NYC.
Lisa Kagan launched a new website for her business, Family Heirloom Arts (familyheirloomarts.com), in honor of her business’ 10-year anniversary. Family Heirloom Arts is dedicated to helping individuals and families celebrate their life stories and significant life milestones through the creation of illustrated heirloom books. Lisa also offers life storytelling presentations, workshops and retreats through the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by the birth of her son Julius in 2012, Lisa has expanded her business offerings to include the Art of Motherhood program, designed especially for mothers of young children. The Art of Motherhood program focuses on supporting and nurturing mothers of young children to connect with themselves and a community of moms by engaging in the creative process of sharing their stories through art and writing. The Art of Motherhood program offers monthly workshops, as well as publication opportunities for mother artists and writers through the online Art of Motherhood Community Gallery.
Here in Boston, Baby Andreas’s recent hobbies include tentatively engaging in conversation with inanimate objects, squealing in delight, and laughing at our cats, Hazel and Vinnie—who, to his credit, are pretty funny.
Fondly,
MARA VOUKYDIS | maravee@gmail.com
ARYN SPERANDO | arynsperandio@yahoo.com