CLASS OF 2001 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE

Our 2001 class is as busy as ever.

Emily Barth Isler and husband Jim Isler just celebrated 19 years of marriage and four years of living in Los Angeles with their two children. Jim created a kids’ series for PBS about the origin of animal idioms, which is premiering this fall. Emily, author of AfterMath, an award-winning book for middle school–aged kids and adults, has written two more books that were recently announced. The Color of Sound is a middle-grade novel that will be published by Lerner Book Group in March 2024, and Emily’s first picture book, Always Enough Love, will be out from Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books in 2026.

Will Engel is writing a novella! Will tells us that it’s a comedic story about Santa Monica neighbors during the quarantine. The working title is, I Live in Sweatpants: the Life and Times of Jamie Jordan. Will is putting the finishing touches on his novella and hopes the story can translate well into television.

After a series of adventures, Somachi (Chikwe) Kachikwu is back in Maryland working as a curriculum director for a training agency while pursuing her doctorate in education. Life has taken Somachi to Nigeria and England since graduation, but now she’s back home. Somachi looks forward to reconnecting with many of our fellow classmates soon.

Lisa Weinert’s recently published book, Narrative Healing, offers a new paradigm for personal growth, self-care, and community action through an embodied writing practice. Her six-step process of healing through storytelling—awaken, listen, express, inspire, connect, and grow— incorporates somatic practices, creative prompts, and mindfulness exercises to guide readers in releasing stories held within their bodies.

Thanks so much to everyone who shared their news. We love hearing from you.

Best,

Aryn and Mara