Class Notes | 1980s

Here are a few updates from the Class of 1983:

Kirsten Wasson has been living in LA for three years, and works at a progressive high school as college counselor and internship coordinator. Her son, Noah, also moved to LA, and is acting and modeling. Kirsten is hiking, swimming, and writing. She traveled to Guatemala this fall.

Holly Gruskay writes, “I’ve been busy this summer juggling my kids’ sports activities as well as working to pay for it all. Son Seth Halpern finished out his high school swim teams with wonderful times, and just left us to study at RPI’s School of Science. Daughter Sofie Halpern is in recruiting mode for girls’ ice hockey…mostly to engineering schools, as well as NESCAC (yes, Wesleyan, you’re on the list!). We’ll be spending virtually every weekend this fall in Boston’s NEGHL league.”

Eve Silverman writes, “I know it’s been many years since I’ve submitted notes. I’ve been hit with a spell of nostalgia having just dropped off my firstborn at college. I’m approaching my 20th wedding anniversary and my 30th graduate school reunion, yikes. Old, yes, but happy living a split existence between southwest Connecticut and Mad River Valley, Vermont. Hope everyone is well!”

Cheri Weiss, former class secretary, supplies us with an update. She has been featured in the San Diego Union Tribune about her work as a cantor-in-training, bringing High Holy Days prayers and songs to shut-ins. Find a link to the article on the online class notes section at classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu.

Andrea Corney writes, “I finally have an update! Late bloomer that I am, on Aug. 20 I got married for the first time. My sweetheart is Chris Carneghi. His hair is so short because it all fell out during chemo. We were married at my parents’ retirement community in Saratoga, Calif. The great thing about getting married this late in life is that you can wear comfortable clothes and enjoy the day because you realize that as long as every guest feels welcomed and included, the day is perfect, even if none of the details are. We are savoring every day and hoping the chemo and radiation did the job.” For a photo of the wedding, see the online class notes.

Taya Glotzer attended a Wes reunion this summer in upstate New York at the Jankowski’s summer home. She was joined by Frank Moll ’84, Melanie Peters, Dottie Jankowski, Michael Sommer, Diana Moll, and Peter Jankowski.

Lastly, Sue Spaulding has photos from the Fort Bragg, Calif., Labor Day parade.

Laurie Hills | lauriec@rci.rutgers.edu

Class of 1983: The Stuff of Which Legends are Made.

No big, overarching themes, but a pupu platter of tasty tidbits from the Class of 1982 in these notes!

I’ll start with my buddy Roger Hale, with whom I had a delightful, daylong visit in mid-September, strolling the streets of D.C. and exploring the Phillips Collection, an emporium of Impressionist art. Never a dull time with Rog. I am happy to report that he and his family are living happily in San Jose, Calif.

Harold Bordwin writes that he and his wife, Julie Broude Bordwin, ran into Bob Russo at the Newport Folk Festival. “It was our sixth year at NFF, and (we) expect to keep the summer tradition going forward,” he said. “We’re just back from a 10-day family vacation to Croatia and Montenegro with our boys, Jesse ’10 and Simon (Bowdoin, 2013).”

Speaking of Bob Russo, he has sent us an update as well, sharing that his younger son just completed his freshman year at Oberlin College, “which feels to me like Wesleyan moved to Ohio,” he writes. “Once again this summer, a group of us (Mike Levine, Anthony Pahigian, Mike Greenstein ’83, Steve Davies ’83, and Joe Barrett) got together on Chappaquiddick Island at Joe’s cottage and had fun fishing, kayaking, bike riding, and catching up.”

Julie Kraushaar Zurcher writes that she “is thrilled to be returning to the Wesleyan campus on a regular basis again!” Her son, Bryce ’18, was accepted into the film studies program and is loving his time at Wesleyan, “both in and out of the classroom,” Julie writes. “His work with the film board and Cardinal Pictures has made him friends for life and enriched both his knowledge of and passion for film. So proud of the many great opportunities Wesleyan affords its students (and alumni!), and happier than ever to be a Cardinal. I was fortunate enough this August to attend our local Bay Area Summer Sendoff, where I met many amazing members of the Class of 2020 and their families. Also reconnected with my dear friend, Anne Anderson ’82, whose daughter, Brooke ’19, is at Wesleyan.”

Mark Leuchten’s update (his first since graduation!) reads thusly: “A career in landscape design, feng shui, fatherhood, and a complete old house renovation have given way to a return to oil painting,” he says. “My wife, Patty, runs her own business in Princeton, N.J., where she walks to work. We have lived in town for 25 years. I built an art studio in the backyard and will be spending more time there now that our youngest daughter, Jolene, will be leaving home to join her sister, Emma ’19, at Wesleyan. (Yes, both daughters at Wesleyan—we’re so proud!) But first she’s off to Myanmar for the first half of a gap year. Our son, Michael, is on the West Coast finishing a film major at UCSC.”

Kudos are in order for Sasha Alpert. We have just learned that she was a co-producer on a just-released film, They Call Us Monsters. A documentary about the juvenile justice system, the movie has been making the rounds, including at the 2016 LA Film Festival.

Patty Smith writes, “I am thrilled to announce that my debut novel, The Year of Needy Girls, is being published by Kaylie Jones Books, (Kaylie Jones ’81), an imprint of Akashic Books (Johnny Temple ’88). It will be out on Jan. 3. She adds: “Hope to see some of you at book events this spring and summer. Ginny Pye will be interviewing me at one event in Porter Square Books in May. Check my website: patricia-smith.com to see if I’ll be reading anywhere nearby—I’d love to see Wes friends!“

One other note: The years continue to slip by, dear friends, and our 35th Reunion is just around the corner! Can you believe it? A little reminder to mark your calendars now, if you have not already.

That also means, after five years in this gig, that my time as your class secretary is quickly drawing to a close. If you’re interested in taking up the mantle, Cynthia Rockwell (crockwell@wesleyan.edu) and the wonderful folks at the alumni office would be delighted to hear from you! Until then, keep those e-mails coming to me for a few months longer!

Stephanie Griffith | stephaniedgriffith@gmail.com

Joanne writes for this issue. Greetings from the heartland! Summer’s heat has dissipated, mercifully leaving behind cool air, clear skies and sun-dappled trees whose leaves are just barely brushed with a hint of the fall splendor to come. By the time you read this, however, winter will be settled upon us—perhaps under a blanket of snow, depending on your location.

As David Block wrote in the last set of notes, our 35th Reunion was not only a success but, quite simply, a blast! Reunion provided a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends, reconnect with acquaintances, and actually meet classmates that we hadn’t perhaps ever met! Hearing so many people’s stories just brings to mind what an astoundingly amazing and talented group our class is! Class of ’81 set the record for attendance with 94 attendees.

Committee Co-Chair Delcy Ziac Fox reported that 229 gifts raised $382,345 and she thanks everyone “for being so generous with your time, talent, and treasure.” On a more personal note, she shared three milestones in the Ziac-Fox family: “Our son graduated from Boston University; our daughter is beginning her college career at the University of Vermont; and my husband and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary! For our triple celebration, the family traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii, partaking in the release of turtles into the wild, hiking in Volcanoes National Park, and bodysurfing at Green Sands Beach…both exhilarating and relaxing!”

Joan Boughton wrote to say that she enjoyed Reunion with her husband, Henry, and also commemorated the graduation of daughter Andie Kleeman ’16. “The whole family (including our newly-engaged older daughter, Natalie, her fiancé, and my wonderful mother-in-law) was able to attend the celebration. In addition, I caught up with Tonie Kline, my best friend from Wes who also had a daughter, Julia Clemens ’16, graduating. Wesleyan remains a big, lovely part of our lives!”

My freshman-year roommate, Martha Arntzen Bockian, fell ill at the last minute and could not make Reunion. She did write, however, to let me know that in addition to her ongoing work in clinical psychology, she started a school. “It’s a Jewish school using a democratic model, and to my knowledge, is the only democratic school that has gone religious. I also spent eight weeks in Israel over the summer attending a seminar on how to turn a nonprofit into a sustainable business.” The best part, however, was “getting to spend time with my daughter Chaya, who emigrated to Israel last year and is doing National Service.”

Steve Misarski, who has been pastor of the English Congregation of the Chinese Gospel Church of Massachusetts for four years, is also still active in the military (24-plus years) as a lieutenant colonel, serving as the wing chaplain of the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Mass. In addition, he has been working on his doctorate (“I’m a late bloomer!” he quips) which he hopes to have finished by spring of 2017. “My wife, Jan, and I celebrated 33 years of marriage. Together, we conduct marriage conferences for military personnel and New England churches. We have sent our third child off to college this fall, and we have one left at home. God has been good to us!”

Sofia Marchant, an editor and content consultant, wrote in from San Francisco. “My daughter, Isabella Banks ’15, was awarded a Watson Fellowship to study restorative justice practices. This required a year abroad, and she visited 10 countries. What an amazing experience for her, even though we missed her.”

Keeping her company at home is son Ezra, an eighth grader, and her husband, Joseph Banks, who recently edited a documentary film called It Ain’t Pretty, which opened the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival.

Congratulations to Laurie Jacobs, who is “very excited” to be starting as chairman of medicine at Hackensack-Meridian Health and the new medical school at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Chris Graves, chairman of Oglivy Public Relations, added yet another accolade to his already impressive résumé: recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious Bellagio Residency. The residency on Italy’s Lake Como permitted Chris to continue his work to turn findings from cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics into practical applications in the communications field. In addition, Chris worked collectively with other award-winners to explore how a better understanding of human behavior can enhance resilience-building efforts and create more inclusive economies that work for everyone, particularly the poor and vulnerable.

John Ravenal is now fully ensconced as director of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in the Boston area. He was involved in an exciting curatorial project that “brings together the work of Jasper Johns and Edvard Munch.” The exhibit opened in Oslo in June, then traveled to Richmond, Va., in November. (The catalog is available from Yale University Press.)

Andra Rose, a climate activist, is deeply involved with a group called Mothers Out Front (not just for mothers). Although coming off a divorce after 29 years of marriage, Andra is very happy and excited about the successful culmination of a 22-year long challenging project: raising children! Daughter Ruth (known as “Fred”) just began her first year at the University of Chicago. Son Solomon Goldstein-Rose, who graduated from Brown University in May 2016, was elected State Representative from Andra’s home district in Amherst, Mass., where he intends to solve the climate crisis.

In conclusion, it is with great sadness that I announce the death of our classmate Paula Blank, a longtime professor of English at the College of William and Mary, who died unexpectedly at her home in Williamsburg, Va., this past August. Paula was a world-renowned scholar of Early Modern English, recipient of several highly selective fellowships, and also the recipient of her university’s Award for Faculty Excellence for her exemplary achievements in teaching, research and service. We extend our deepest sympathy to Paula’s family and friends.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

September ’16 responses:

Douglas Cuomo writes, “My family and I (wife, the author Sharon Guskin, two boys Ben and Eli) just returned from a three-week stay in Kathmandu, where Arjuna’s Dilemma, an opera I’d written, was produced and performed. The production by One World Theatre, was mounted by a tremendous cast of artists from eight countries, mostly from Nepal, and was extremely well-received, by both audiences and the press. It was the first time a Western opera has been publicly performed in Nepal, and the experience was beyond description. The difficulties of mounting such a complicated show in a country like Nepal were not inconsiderable, but so were the rewards. You can see pictures and read more at douglasjcuomo.com. We also saw many important historical Buddhist sites, which was extremely meaningful to us, since both Sharon and I are Buddhists, and many important figures in our lineage spent time in Nepal. We visited the Segyu monastery in Kathmandu numerous times, with all four of us teaching English to the young monks living and studying there. I have upcoming performances of new pieces this fall in the UK by the Orchestra of the Swan, and in Florida and D.C., by the chorus, Seraphic Fire.”

Wendy Buskop writes, “My daughter, Jacqueline ’19, is now a sophomore at Wes studying earth and environmental science. She wants an internship with a company that builds robots for marine use, like underwater automated vehicles or remotely operated vehicles. Does anyone know someone that can help her? Contact Jacqueline at jbuskop@wesleyan.edu.”

Tamar Bauer writes, “Kim—Intrigued by your son’s start-up. My daughter is graduating with a mechanical engineering degree this spring. She is also into food and farming, and looking for a way to combine all three. Can we connect them?” (We are in the process of connecting them.)

Melissa Stern writes, “After a three-month run at Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston, my exhibition, The Talking Cure, opened at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, where it will reside for eight months. There is a wide variety of programming around the exhibition planned and I expect to travel to Minneapolis several times. In October my solo exhibition, Loose Lips, opened at the University of Alabama and I traveled there for the opening. Lastly, I will be teaching a one-week intensive class about storytelling, drawing, and collage at the famed Penland School of Art. In March, my solo show in New York City will open at Station Independent Gallery.”

May ’16 responses:

Ellen Catala writes, “Your e-mail about David Clair was so beautiful and so moving. I didn’t know David, but I am sure he was just as wonderful a person as you describe. My blessing, I will share on this Mother’s Day, was to spend the past 16 years caring for my mother as she lived with slowly advancing Parkinson’s. She died Apr. 5, and I miss her already, but at least I had the honor, privilege, and joy of taking care of her up to the very end. I found that in the last year, when it was becoming clear she would die from not being able to swallow very well, I started feeling towards her as you feel towards a precious infant. Her somewhat mild dementia allowed me to reach out in a different way than one might usually, and I kissed her often, stroked her hands and head, sung to her, and told her often how much I loved her. Were it not for her condition, I probably would never have expressed these feelings, and although I would have done anything to take away her illness, I still feel blessed by its unexpected consequence.

“Thank you for listening and for all the wonderful, loving work you do for our class. My most sincere sympathy to David’s friends and family. How tragic that he died so young, leaving behind a full life and many people who still needed him. By the way, Kim, you might recall that I shared a poem my son’s friend had written about the blood moon. Well, I am soon to become his foster mother. He was removed from his home a year ago and he is doing well—overcoming a sort of mutism that came on as his home life became traumatic. He continues to write beautifully and I am hopeful that he will benefit from his time with us, and vice versa. Happy Mother’s Day! God bless! Many thanks!”

Halsey Frank writes, “Scary how fast the time goes, even in the slow lane in Maine. We have been here almost 17 years. Our daughter, Laura, who was born in D.C., and was three when we moved, is now a freshman at Cornell after having taken a year off to see a bit of the world. Our son, Alex, who missed being a native-born Mainer by months, is a junior at Portland High and thinking about college himself. In addition to other sports, he plays a lot of soccer, which took us to Indianapolis with his travel team for the nationals last summer. My wife Eva’s latest get-rich-quick scheme is shopping bags with helpful logos such as “All mushrooms are edible, some only once.” I hope this one pays off.

“I am a prosecutor at the U.S. attorney’s office, have been somewhat active in local politics, write a column for The Forecaster weekly, and will once again this summer be trying to figure out how to race the Etchells sailboat I bought with friends (it’s got a lot of controls).”

Brian Hasbrouck writes, “I’m enjoying early retirement in Boston, sing in a couple of choruses, and have a variety of projects.”

John Snook writes, “I’m listed in the class of 1980, but I only attended Wesleyan formally from 1976–1977. I have been volunteering for 24 years at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. I would like to get in touch with some of my friends from the Class of 1980 including Jim Burnett, Bill Moss, Stuart Schonberger, Brook Morris, Addy Dix, and Thom Kleiner. My contact info: johnhsnook@gmail.com and 212/749-2707 or 212/666-3914.”

KIMBERLY OFRIA SELBY | kim_selby@yahoo.com

Tributes to David Clair, who passed away Feb. 19, 2016:

Mike Rosenblatt writes: “I did not know David Clair well at Wes but both he and his brother-in-law Jesse were classmates of mine in medical school. He was a great guy. Sorry to see he was taken from us at such a young age.”

Gary Gilyard writes: “I was shocked to hear about David. We were in all of the same pre-med classes. David was a huge Flyers fan and we would go at it over his Flyers and my Red Wings. Next week we head to Wesleyan for Shelby ’16’s graduation.

Amy Natterson Kroll writes: “What a lovely tribute to David Clair. I am in DC, married to the same guy for more than 30 years, practicing law at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Children are grown. We speak with them both most days. Daughter is an emergency room nurse in New York, married to a great guy. Son is finishing his third year (junior to us) at University of Chicago. We are traveling a great deal now, because we can with the nest empty and we are starting to think about second (third?) acts. We saw Hamilton when Wesleyan held its fundraiser last October—amazing show and amazing Wesleyan evening. As co-class agent: Please remember how important Alumni Gifts are each year and give what you can!”

Alan Jacobs writes: “Beautifully written (about David)…And effective…Here’s my contribution to Class Notes: I’m packing my bags and heading to Wesleyan for Ron Jacobs ’16’s graduation, 36 years after we all wore the robes. Pretty amazing. Ron majored in American Studies and will return to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music industry. His older brother, Gil, took a little longer to finish school and is graduating on the same day/time from Brandeis, so Sharona will attend that one. I asked Wes to push Commencement back a few hours so I could attend both but that didn’t go over too well. The nerve! Avia finished her first year at Mount Holyoke, playing soccer and double majoring in Fun and Local Excursions. Guy is a sophomore at Calabasas High, where he plays bass clarinet and is the league champ in the 800M. He has a small business as a dog walker but it’s not thriving because the dogs can’t keep pace. When did Class Notes become all about our kids? I’m working on a few interesting feature film projects, coming (one day) to a theater or iPad near you. Most satisfying is a new venture I’m helping Gil launch called Quiver.events, which provides complete listings of all live music in your area. The tag line is: “Follow the Music,” which pretty much sums up my life since Wes.

Ben Wolozin’s entry that missed the previous issue: “I haven’t written notes for ages, but this has been an eventful year, so I figure it’s worthwhile. Most important, I just became a grandfather. OMG!! Here is the backstory: For the past four years I have had the pleasure of having my older daughter, Becky (29), live five blocks from my work site in Boston. Nirvana! She got married to Lou Beckman on Martha’s Vineyard 1.5 years ago; a fantastic guy—with wonderful parents as well, so all is well on that end. Becky and I would have breakfast or lunch together, regularly—or she and Lou would come to our house in Newton and have dinner. Then she graduated from law school (JD and MS in International Education, Harvard—Lou was doing a psych residency at Beth Israel/Brigham Women’s) and they moved down to DC. Having them leave Boston was a loss. However, life goes on, and a new phase began because Becky gave birth to a darling little boy, Sammy, on Dec. 14. So cute!! Of course, now I pop down to DC whenever possible. Meanwhile, on the professional front, I started a biotech company, Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals Inc. (aquinnahpharma.com). The company focuses on drugging RNA binding proteins, and our first pipeline focuses on ALS. Soon we expect to have a second pipeline for Alzheimer’s disease. Starting a company has been exciting and challenging, but it opens up another major avenue in my life and gives a vision for new horizons. These are the major changes. Otherwise, it’s the usual—and enjoyable—aspects of being a 57-year-old Wesleyan graduate. I live with my lovely wife, Danielle Murstein, who is a psychiatrist, and we have been together for 31 years. Our other daughter, Jackie, is 25, lives in NYC, does arts, and just went on a ski trip with me and my cousins to Beaver Creek, Colo. Yay!! So much fun!! Actually—point of note—Jackie just saw the new musical Hamilton, and so we spent the first three days of the trip sharing her ear buds on every chair lift and listening to the incredible sound track of Hamilton, which was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02. What a fabulous and brilliant musical—can’t wait to see it. Bravo Lin-Manuel!!! I am a professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. My research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases—Alzheimer’s, ALS and Parkinson’s. The work is going great. It’s so amazing what you can do in science these days—totally exciting. Hmm, what else? Age 57 going on 58. The down sides: grey hair, needing to eat less to maintain the fantasy of a youthful figure, the challenges of too many commitments, a house that was wrecked by snow dams last year and took one year of painful renovations, and the passing of my dog Anya, of 15.5 years, who was my faithful running partner and probably the only one who was always thrilled to see me come home. Boo hoo. But, the 50s have generally been good, so those things are real, but small potatoes in the bigger picture. We have lots of room in our house if anyone wants to drop by (Newton, Mass.)!!!

KIMBERLY OFRIA SELBY | kim_selby@yahoo.com

35 Years! I don’t feel much more than 35 years old!  It was great seeing so many of you.  Joanne Audretsch and I were honored to receive Wesleyan Service Awards for doing what we do.  “The West Wing” of Usdan Student Center was dedicated to (and by) Bradley Whitford (congrats!). And, we got to see what we all look like so many years later.

Oh, and next time we meet, in five years, we will be eligible to collect Social Security! 😉

Tonie Kline is “working in pediatric genetics in Baltimore and  my eldest just graduated from Wesleyan!  My older son is at NYU and youngest son is in high school looking at colleges.  Had a fun time at the reunion catching up with friends from freshman year (so really 39 years!).”

Cindy Dorsey came down with her three daughters from Concord, MA, where she works as a psychologist. They met up with her brother Alan (class of ’83). “So fun to show my girls around campus. They couldn’t believe we did back flips out the second floor windows of Butterfield C during the blizzard of ’78 freshman year!  Having the chance to see and give a quick hug to Matty King, Peter Smith, Nancy Parker, Mike Toohey, Tonie Kline, Susan Stone, Matt McCreight, Pete Congleton, and Kate Quigley  made it so worth the trip- it was great to see you guys, after 35 years! Also nice to meet some classmates I never knew at Wes when we were there.”

Michele Choka attended her first reunion “(it only took 35 years!)” and visited with her 15 year-old son, who is interested in attending Wesleyan. “After the admissions orientation session, he asked me how I could possibly have gotten admitted to Wesleyan. :)”  Ah, kids…..

Michele works in the energy industry in Denver, CO as a VP, Human Resources.  “I also have been sitting on a public software company board for the last ten years; CallidusCloud based in Dublin, CA.”

Chris Graves “had a blast reconnecting with ’81 pals” including housemates Bradley Whitford, Dan Greenberger, Josh Manheimer.  “We recreated a photo from our senior year house. We also recreated a photo from a video shoot that included Brad, Erika Goldman, Christina Mata, Julie Jacobson, and cinematographer Paul Schiff. I am sure the value in that 35-year old video is in the payments I may receive to never show it to anyone.”

Chris has been awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship to continue his work on brain and behavioral science related to communications. “Ten of us–all somehow connected to behavioral science– will share the palace and will write all day, then come together in the evenings for debates and discussions. It will be a precious and rare opportunity. For about 8 years, I have been seeking out, collecting, digesting and collating primary research on cognitive neuroscience, behavioral economics, social psychology and narrative theory– then connecting them to try to arrive at more effective methods of communication (for example, how to change misperceptions or change someone’s mind on an issue or communicate climate change or vaccinations in a way that actually works). The final output is expected to be a book.”

David Miller writes that “while many of those that I spent large amounts of time with while I was a student were not able to attend (Paul Robinson, and Paul and Karen Neurath being notable exceptions) it was enjoyable, and somehow comforting, that I enjoy the company of Wes 81ers even if it seems that I am meeting them for the first time.  I enjoyed getting to know Matt McCreight, Alyson Myers and Joanne Godin Audretsch better (to name just a few), and hangout (after a 35+ year absence) with Hugh Judge and Andy Hamilton at the reception.  Discussing life on Foss Hill with Steven Blum, Dave Hill ’86 and Ralph Savarese ’86 brought back memories of many previous discussions. Getting a chance for a long chat with Delcy Fox is always a pleasure. My time travel experience was complete when I got to talk with Max Atkinson ’16 and his housemates after commencement.  All in all, a great time.

David went from Middletown to Houston “where I met up with the remote part of my undergrad NASA Robot-ops team, where we had rovers run from our home universities participate in a giant easter egg-like hunt on simulated Moon and Mars terrain.  The only team with an advisor that went to a school without an engineering program won big.  The run was captured on youtube:http://bit.ly/24hueNf.”

He adds, “I wish we had had more time to talk ourselves — of some reason this seemed a busier reunion than usual.”

David Lynch joined the Financial Times as a Washington correspondent, covering white-collar crime. He adds,  “I focus on the Justice Department and SEC.”

Cynthia Costas-Centivany writes from Vejer, Spain, where she and her family have spent part of every summer for the last 20 years.  She has an ongoing botanical garden project that she would like some Wes science departments to get involved in.

Brian Tarbox  received his  5th US Patent for “Tivo for Twitter”, a system to block and record social media posts for TV shows you record, and then play them back to you when you actually watch the show.  “So, no more facebook/twitter spoilers of the big game.”

Jim Steiker has spent the last 30 years in Philadelphia creating and building a firm to promote and accomplish employee ownership. “Have had the opportunity to live out some of the social change values I developed at Wesleyan though I never expected it would result in working primarily with entrepreneurs who want to create a legacy while cashing out of their companies. Now married to Wendy Epstein for 29 years after being introduced by Cindy Schrager (’81) with two very entrepreneurial twenty-something children (both in Brooklyn of course)  who appear as unable to work for anyone else as I am.”

Belinda Kielland writes that she was sorry to miss the weekend, as travels got in the way. She is living in Sag Harbor, Long Island, “with frequent forays into the city to keep abreast of the contemporary art world. I’m a strategic partner in OSL contemporary, a gallery in Oslo, Norway, where I lived for many years, and am proud to serve as President of the dynamic non-profit, Independent Curators International. Who knew where Mr. Paoletti’s Introduction to Art History would lead!”

She adds that her “adult children, Marika and Henrik, both live in London, so my international travels continue. Although it was strange to move back to the US after 30 years in Europe, I’ve now “landed” and have enjoyed the chance to re-connect with old friends. Had the happiest time recently spending some vacation days with Livia Wong McCarthy… she hasn’t changed a bit!”

Speaking of art, Brenda Zlamany wrote to tell me three of her recent accomplishments. She has a portrait commission for Yale’s Sterling Memorial library, of the first female Yale PhD recipients (https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4278/pioneers); She has curated an exhibition at the Shirley Fiterman Art Center here in New York (http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/sfac/); and she has a portrait on view at the National Portrait Gallery in DC (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/every-three-years-artists-compete-on-view-national-portrait-gallery-winners-180958490/?no-ist)!

Congratulations!

Elisha Lawrence is “living in SF and working as AVP, Global Anti-Piracy & Content Security for ABS-CBN International. My daughter will be a junior next year at Wesleyan and my son will be junior at Stanford.”

James Marcus has been appointed editor-in-chief of Harper’s Magazine and is “very excited and honored to get the gig. Also, am finishing up a book I’ve been writing for three years, called Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Emerson in Fourteen Installments. That will be published in 2017, along with Emerson’s Journals: A Selection, which I’m doing for Penguin Classics. All this will make for a busy spring, but in the nicest possible way.”

I end on a sad note. Paul DiSanto, who could only stay Friday as he attended his son’s UVM graduation over the weekend, notes that “one classmate we really missed at Reunion was Brad Toomey who passed away suddenly at home in Kansas City on April 7.  Brad loved Wes, and was a loyal and enthusiastic WAAV admission rep and a past WAF class agent and reunion chair. He would have loved to be with us at the Reunion, and was looking forward to Commencement next year, as his amazing daughter Mary is a rising senior psych major at Wes.   He is also survived by his wonderful wife Joan, and son Dan a high school senior.

Paul reports that he “was honored to attend the wonderful memorial service for Brad at the historic Unity Temple on the Plaza in Kansas City along with Tony DiFolco, Tim O’Brien,  Lou Scimecca , Rick Ciullo and Peter Campbell ’79. The many speakers talked about Brad’s love of live music, his intensity in sports and business, his wide ranging intellect, his impeccably detailed organization of the many ‘Vail Boys Ski Weekends’, his Irish wit, and most importantly his love for his family and friends.   I heard from a lot of Wes folks, and Gordon Cooney probably summed it up best on Facebook when he said that “Brad found ways to connect with literally everybody he met.”

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

The latest edition of our Class Notes Gazette.

Rachael Steinberg Adler writes that she is now entering the third year since founding the Waterfront Playhouse & Conservatory in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“We are training professional actors in ensemble in the Meisner Technique of Acting, Alexander and Feldenkrais Movement Techniques, Linklater Voice Technique, Shakespeare, and more, both at the Waterfront and at our sister school in Barcelona, where I teach master classes each year,” she writes.

Rachael’s work in theater is “driven by issues of social justice, which my years at Wesleyan both reinforced and encouraged.

“I’ve found that training acting ensembles, rich in class and racial diversity, to identify and address the historic and personal issues involving judgment, bias, criticism, prejudice, grief and celebration to be, in combination with a vivid imagination, a most effective tool for unleashing the written word and bringing it into full dramatic expression,” she says.

On a more personal note: “I am having the time of my life raising my incredible 14-year-old dancer daughter Sonya, into whose ear I have been whispering “Go to Wesleyan, go to Wesleyan!” since she was 8! Keeping my fingers crossed!”

This from Peri Smilow: “Perhaps our classmates will be interested in knowing that I’ll be publishing my first book this summer. I’ve been a composer and touring musician of contemporary Jewish music for the past 25 years.”

She adds: “This summer will mark the publication of The Peri Smilow Anthology, a collection of sheet music for all of the original songs on my first four recordings (Songs of Peace, Ashrey, The Freedom Music Project and Blessings).

Peri says the anthology is “intended as a resource guide for cantors, song leaders, and other Jewish musicians, as well as non-musician Jewish educators and communal workers, about how to use contemporary Jewish music in all aspects of Jewish life.” (For more info: perismilow.com).

Steve Okun, in a short and sweet note, writes: “My son, Alex ’20, will be attending Wesleyan in the fall!”

Becky Shuster, to whom we extended our congratulations last issue for being named assistant superintendent of equity for the Boston Public Schools, adds in a brief note that she lives in Boston with her 11-year-old daughter, Sage.

Rob Lancefield—who in addition to being a member of the class of ’82, is also M.A. ’93 and PhD ’05—writes that he enjoyed playing a gig on guitar for the first time in way too long, with a group called the Abraham Adzenyah Tribute Band. The band, filled with Wesleyan alumni, was formed specifically for last May’s eight-hour extravaganza honoring Abraham Adzenyah’s retirement after 46 years of teaching Ghanaian music at Wesleyan.

The band featured, among other performers, Abraham Adzenyah MA’79, David Bindman ’85, MA ’87, Wes Brown ’74, and Royal Hartigan MA’83, Ph.D. ’86. The celebration was organized by Robert Levin ’81 and Doug Berman ’84. You can read about the event at this link: newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2016/05/09/adzenyah

Rob also mentions that Wesleyan is working to raise $300,000 to endow a scholarship in honor of Abraham Adzenyah’s legacy at Wesleyan. He asks that those interested in making donations contact Marcy Herlihy—mherlihy@wesleyan.edu or 860/685-2523.

Karen Mohr Maier says she has worked for years as director of research at the world-renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. “I had the honor of putting together a permanent exhibit for the Baseball Hall of Fame honoring Dr. Jobe’s innovation in creating the Tommy John procedure that has saved the baseball careers of hundreds of players,” she writes.

“This is a permanent exhibit in the Baseball HOF’s new wing: A Whole New Ball Game, which features innovations that have impacted the game over the past 40 years.”

Daniel Meier writes that he lives in Berkeley, Calif., with his family and is teaching education at San Francisco State University, where he’s been for the last 20 years.

Once a year, he gets together with classmates Doug Jones, Peter Schochet, Dave Gaieski ’81, and Joe Merrill “for hiking, tennis, and sitting around and catching up.”

He’s also in contact with Roger Hale and a few other alums. He writes that he would “love to hear from other Wes alums around the ’81/’82 classes—Dave Preston ’81, Jeff Sayah, Lindsay South, Cindy Gherman, Christian Vescia and others.”

Martin “Chip” Shore writes: “I’m still with Fidelity (16 years!) and still loving it. I recently became a Certified Financial Planner and am trying to figure out how to take advantage of my new knowledge in the investment management work that I do.

“My wife, Shari, stays busy with her orthodontic practice in Brookline. Our son is graduating from Vanderbilt and is headed to Chicago, gainfully employed as a management consultant. We survived another college application process this year and our daughter is headed to Colorado College in the fall.”

“We are looking forward to being empty nesters, but nervous too, since so much of our lives have revolved around our children,” Chip writes.

Steve Budd writes: “I teach writing and lit. classes at a number of Bay Area colleges. I’m also a regular on the lively Bay Area storytelling, standup, and solo performance scene. I stay in touch with local alums Laura Fraser, Peter Eckart ’86, Marc Mowrey ’83, and Rolando Arroyo (whose sister-in-law, Carolina Grynbal, spent a year at Wesleyan and—how’s this for a coincidence?—is partnered up with my sister Sharon). Shoot me a line at stevebudd3@gmail.com.”

Rosemary Gombar Stutz says: “Did a lot of fun travel: Antarctica, Argentina, Niseko (skiing), Singapore, Raja Ampat (scuba diving), Myanmar (Burma), Taiwan, Italy (Matera and around), Zermatt, Switzerland (skiing, parasailing).

Her daughter, Victoria Stutz, a 2012 Georgetown graduate, just started a new job with Ernst & Young in New York. Her son, Eric Stutz, who got his master’s from U of Chicago in 2013, also works in the Big Apple as of this year, as manager for corporate strategy at SAP America.

In every issue, I hear from at least one member of our class—usually more—who hasn’t written before, which is gratifying. Updates happily accepted from repeat correspondents and newbies alike!

Stephanie Griffith | stephaniedgriffith@gmail.com

Hi, All! Global warming or not, it has been a beastly hot Memorial Day weekend in New Jersey. My daughter and I thought we’d escape the heat and took a ride to the Jersey Shore, only to sit shivering on the beach craving a hot cup of coffee. Ah, well. Best laid plans. Here’s what some other classmates have been doing:

“Marcus Eliyahu Mann (called ‘Marc’ until age 24!) is now a happy and grateful, serious and also often playfully goofy professional personal growth counselor in private practice (relation-shift.org), as well as a passionate writer, poet, and ‘un-rutted’ East-West, mind-body, dogma-free spiritual philosopher in W. Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, Pa., USA, Earth. He has written two book collections: Shame and Magnificence: The Discovery of the True Self, and Its Unveiling — A Record of Personal Awakening to Who We Really Are; and The Conscious Jew: Awakening to the Meaning and Value of the Jewish Anomaly; Distinguishing and Reclaiming the Path OF Jesus from the Myth and Religion ABOUT Him—and the True Reason to BE or Become a Jew; as well as a children’s book: The Colorblind Bower Bird: a Children’s Book for the Men and Women We Are Becoming. He loves his work, private practice, students, and individual and conscious relationship clients (he invites you to come see his site!—and be in touch!), and enjoys a long-since found and grounded sense of the ineffable. He supports and catalyzes others in discovering their selves from-the-inside-out intrinsic authority and creative ownership; in having healthy, co-creative celebratory relationships with self and thus with others; and in how to give up the human addiction to what might be called Outsourcing The Mystery. Having lived in many wonderful places across the U.S. and beyond, and after moving to the now self-recognizing, beautiful ‘Ugly Duckling City’ — Philadelphia—some years ago, he discovered he loves it right Here.”

Glenn Lunden had a pair of mini-reunions with Wesleyan friends visiting NYC. He spent Saturday with Michael Mendelson ’85, his wife Pam, and son Ari, who were visiting from the Washington, D.C., area. Ari is graduating from high school and is keenly interested in Glenn’s line of work, public transportation and urban planning. They met at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, to receive a personalized and highly idiosyncratic tour from Glenn. On Monday, Glenn and partner Frank Meola got together with friends from the Boston area, Bruce Masi-Phelps ’82 and wife Mary, along with their sons Patrick ’15 (who lives nearby in Brooklyn) and Matthew (who is in NYC for an internship for the summer). Daughter Andrea ’18 stayed at home in the Boston area. Glenn adds, “Bruce and I both missed the 35th anniversary celebration of the Wesleyan Spirits at Reunion this year; we’d helped found the a cappella singing group back in 1981. To the relief of everyone at brunch, we did not break out into song.”

Lisa Kennedy writes that her daughter, Julia, is graduating from high school and will attend Fordham University in the fall. She asks anyone “to e-mail me if you have kids there: lisakennedy137@gmail.com.”

Tuckerman Babcock was elected chair of the Alaska Republican Party.

Three years after Kirsten Wasson left her stable academic life in Ithaca, N.Y., for L.A., and after several jobs in various venues from floral arranger to juice bar girl, she is now the college counselor and internship coordinator at MUSE School, a private high school in Calabasas, Calif. In her free time she hikes, swims in the ocean, and spends time with son Noah, a model and actor in L.A. Kirsten also performs as a storyteller (of midlife adventures) at venues around the city and had two stories aired on KCRW’s UNFictional program. She is finishing a memoir about starting over as a single woman over “a certain age.” Kirsten, I can relate to that!

Karen Adair Miller shares, “Retired life continues to be a challenge, as I am busier than ever! That said, been traveling and am looking forward to being with our WesU field hockey crew in August. Tammy Rosengarten Darcas is flying from Australia to meet Sue Stallone Kelly, Barb Bailey Beckwitt, Karen Adair Miller and Gretchen Millspaugh Cooney for a fun end of summer weekend! “

The women of 77 Home Avenue are also having a summer reunion. Marina Melendez, Lisa Miller, Kathleen Bransfield and I will meet up in NYC to catch up on the last few decades, and toast Marina and husband, Joe Virgadula ’80, on the engagement of their son, Luis. We will also toast and Skype our good friend Deborah Mutschler, honorary classmate ’83, who can’t join us.

Judy Korin has lived in Los Angeles since 1988, and is a filmmaker. Her “recent proud achievements are: co-directing the short virtual reality film, Francis, an intimate story meant to shine a light on global mental health issues that premiered for an audience of 250 policy makers and mental health professionals at the first-ever World Bank/World Health Organization high-level meetings about global mental health and producing a micro-budget independent film, Finding Neighbors, now available on all your favorite digital platforms.”

Heidi Brierley and husband Jim Boyce “moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Heidi’s hometown of Berlin, Conn., to be surrounded again by trees and family. They are also closer to their daughter who is at MIT.” Heidi, thanks for being the only classmate (guilt intended!) to share a recent enjoyable book: Laurie R. King’s latest, The Murder of Mary Russell, and she suggests reading the series in order, starting with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. I spent one day of this Memorial Day weekend completely procrastinating from working on my dissertation (which is finally almost done…well, sort of!) to read The Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline. It is one of those books you just can’t put down.

Amy Appleton writes: “I was delighted to return to Wesleyan to attend the graduation of my daughter, Charlotte Sarraille ’16. Charlotte majored in English and classics. My son, Ben Sarraille ’19 is in COL and sings with the Wesleyan Spirits. I’ve attached a photo from the tent party and one from graduation.” [See classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu]

Cheri Weiss, a fourth-year cantorial student at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, has just released a new album of High Holy Days music. Hineni was conceived as a way to bring High Holy Days music and prayers to those unable to attend services through illness or other reasons beyond their control. It is offered free of charge to anyone unable to afford it, as well as to chaplains and other clergy working in hospitals, retirement homes, etc. It’s also for purchase through her website Hazzanit.com/music on CD or digital download format.

Thanks all for contributing. Until next time, Namaste.

Laurie Hills | lauriec@rci.rutgers.edu

Roger Pincus is covering the class news this issue:

We begin with Charisse Deutch Litchman, who reports her biggest Wes news: her middle daughter, Tess Litchman ’16, graduated from Wesleyan this year and is going on to medical school. Charisse and her husband, Mark, are also very proud of their oldest daughter, who is a third grade teacher in an underserved school system in Michigan, and their son, who is a freshman at Cornell, pursuing engineering. Charisse and Mark are physicians; she is still practicing as a neurologist with a subspecialty in headaches, and he is an allergist and immunologist. As empty nesters, they’ve sold the big house and built a small one on the water in South Norwalk with magnificent sunrises and sunsets

The pipeline of class-of-84 children entering Wesleyan remains strong. Hsiao-chiung Li is pleased to report that her son, Franklin Gu ’20, will be on campus as a first-year student this fall.

Tyler Anbinder has finished work on his third book, City of Dreams, a history of immigrant life in New York City from the first Dutch settlers to the present. It will be published in October by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Felicia Bianchi spent some time with Greg Robbins ’83 and Liz Overton Robbins ’83 shortly before she ran the Boston Marathon on April 18. Felicia ran in memory of her dad who passed away Marathon Monday 2015. She reports that she was “super slow” but that it was worth it. Felicia is still in Atlanta working as a program manager at Emory University. She sometimes sees Steve Sencer on campus.

Susan Freeman-Weiner and Michael Weiner are enjoying an empty nest in Charlottesville, Va., where they’ve lived for a dozen years. Susan is on her third career and is now building the Orange Dot Baking Company, a gluten-free bread company, and developing a network of commercial kitchens called The Kitchen Network. Michael invests in distressed companies with a small Charlottesville firm, recently completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training, and still enjoys gluten. In the fall, all three of their children will be in college, including Max Weiner ’17, who will be a senior at Wesleyan.

Finally, in April, class co-secretary Michael Steven Schultz released a five-song CD entitled Quiet Revels (writing under his professional name of “Z. Mulls”). The CD is co-written with Michael G. Ronstadt, an accomplished cello and guitar player. It features unusual and eclectic songs that feature Michael Steven’s lyrics and (rather shockingly) his vocals as well (the two Michaels collaborated on the music). It’s only available through Z.’s website, zmulls.com, for download or mail order. Almost at the same time, Jen Foster (indie rocker from Nashville) released her double CD, The White Room Sessions, also featuring one of Z.’s lyrics. In other news, son Garrick will be going to Kenyon in the fall and older son Quinlan is finishing his second year at Hampshire.

Roger Pincus | rpincus84@wesleyan.edu

Michael Steven Schultz | mschultz84@wesleyan.edu

Caroline writing this time: My semester is over, and I’m getting ready to travel to San Francisco, where I’ll be visiting Jolynn Jones. The two of us will be taking part in The Overnight Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Walking 18 miles throughout the city ought to give us time to catch up!

Rob Menard wrote that he was promoted to clinical professor of plastic surgery (affiliated) at Stanford, and traveled to Hanoi in March to perform craniofacial surgery. He reports that in April he traveled “with my two high school aged daughters to India to perform craniofacial surgery and to watch them do site visits for the charity they founded, the Girls International Fund for Tomorrow girlsinternationalfundfortomorrow.com).”

I received a nice note from Randy Accetta: “I head up a national coaching program for runners, I teach Entrepreneurship at the University of Arizona, and I produce running events in Tucson and Phoenix. Every so often, I’m quoted in Runner’s World and other such places. I live in Tucson with my wife and two young children, a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, both of whom play hockey. Living in the desert, I don’t keep up with Wesleyan folks as much as I should, but I do play in a fantasy baseball league with Chris Gould ’87. Last week, I taught my running coaching course at the New York Road Runners offices, where I saw many copies of books published by Breakaway Books and Garth Battista. I went to a Portland Seadog baseball game last summer with John Brautigam ’82 and Ed Suslovic ’81, both of whom ran cross country at Wes. If anyone wants to come to Tucson, let me know!”

Andy Norman is still alive and well. He enjoys teaching philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University, and explaining the humanist point of view at public forums on science and religion, reason and faith, and the origins of morality. He sold his youth Ultimate camp—Camp Spirit of the Game—and is now helping Pittsburgh’s professional Ultimate franchise—the Thunderbirds—grow its fan base. His son, Reece, is studying physics at Juniata College, and his younger son, Kai, experiments with homemade rocket fuel.

And we have a first-time caller (long-time listener!), Barbara Schwartz: “I have never written in but have followed things from afar. For the past 26 years I have had a pleasure of working at Housing Families, a family homeless shelter in Malden, Mass. I currently run a therapeutic after-school program at Housing Families for homeless, formerly homeless, and at-risk kids. I also have a private practice counseling kids and adults and just got my own office. Otherwise, I go hiking in a different national park every summer with my husband. This year we are off to Hawaii. I’d love to hear from anyone who remembers me from Wesleyan days. I still recall those days fondly. barbaras@housingfamilies.org.”

I also heard from K.T. Korngold who said that she and Ellen Korbonski had a great time meeting up at her daughter’s gymnastic meet in Chelsea Piers. K.T. is also “hosting our annual ‘CME|NY Pathways to a Peaceful School Conference’ this July 21, 2016, at the Radisson Hotel, in New Rochelle. Our keynote speaker is Linda Lantieri. I started the conference after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School to bring a day of dedication and reflection to Montessori schools in the region, and the conference has now expanded to attract Montessori teachers and administrators from far and near! Last year we had 30 educators from Shanghai among the participants. Next year, my colleague Martha Haakmat ’87 (head of Brooklyn Heights Montessori School) will be one of our speakers, presenting on diversity in Montessori schools.”

That’s all for now. Hope we all have a wonderful summer!

CAROLINE WILKINS | mbkeds@yahoo.com
MARY BETH KILKELLY | cwilkins85@yahoo.com