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Thank you all for heading my requests for good news and for photos! We’ve got a load of both to share with everyone and I do appreciate it!
Geoff Rips noted that the Poetry Foundation had recently published a poem by Mel Dixon ’71. You can find the Foundation’s archive and tribute to Mel at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/melvin-dixon. Do check out his amazing “I’ll Be Somewhere Listening for My Name.”
Steve Scheibe took a biking and hiking trip to Italy (Bolzano, Dolomites, and Venice). He shares this picture of his feet in Riva del Garda.
George Zeller sends us these pictures of fishing in Maine.
Pete Clark has been promoted to associate professor (teaching) at the University of London School of Management. He is writing the sequel to his co-authored book, Masterminding the Deal. The new, solely authored book is tentatively called Masterminding Mergers: Acquirer Success Program (ASP). This is, I guess, the real art of the deal.
Steve Blum’s daughter, Elena, got married on May 31. Mike Kaloyanides and Steve Goldschmidt flew out to Topeka for the festivities.
John Manchester sends this update of his creative output: “I have released a second album of orchestral music, Transformation.
“Available: Apple Music https://rb.gy/cyv0fc; Amazon https://rb.gy/158wxi; and Spotify https://shorturl.at/Ya4zX.
“Videos are on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4gg_vD2EzRUMWhn_zyGlw. Some feature the visual work of classmates Eric Kaye and Peter Stern.
“I’ve attached a few of Eric’s paintings and Peter’s photos.”
Larry Weinberg reports from Santa Fe: “Nothing new for me except a stent in the ‘widow maker’ coronary artery—doing well, trimming down, exercising more regularly. Opera season here in Santa Fe is underway—beautiful production of Rosenkavalier, world premiere of The Righteous; Elixir, Giovanni, and Traviata on tap. Red Sox are poised to break my heart once again, but still enjoy the games. My wife’s team is doing better (Guardians) but time will tell. On Wes ’72 adjacent issues: my daughter, Leah ’08, just got a new job as manager of Foundations and Grants for Rocky Mountain Public Media; and her husband, Scott Horowitz ’07, was granted tenure at University of Denver in chemistry (I think—his research overlaps chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, and science education).”
Nat Warren-White doesn’t seem to miss circumnavigation: “I’m enjoying ‘semiretirement’ in Maine and happy not to be traveling all over kingdom come for work anymore. Still teaching occasionally at Harvard Business School, helping execs from all corners of the globe tell better stories and connect more authentically and effectively with their people. And I’m working with a few drama therapy clients mostly via Zoom . . . something I hated when COVID first struck and now learned to love!
“I’m also finding time to do some directing again locally, which is a kick. Most recently I worked with my old friend, Fateh Azzam, wonderful Palestinian human rights activist, to bring a bunch of teenage actors from the Middle East, Africa, Sri Lanka, and Maine together to tell stories from the hearts and mouths of their teenage compatriots living in Gaza and the West Bank. The piece is called The Gaza Monologues and has been restaged many times globally since it was first created in 2010. A collection of personal narratives about what it’s like to live under the constant threat and reality of war, ongoing now for more than 60 years. Audiences and actors alike have found the piece cathartic and deeply meaningful as we all struggle to make sense out of the continuing nakba or catastrophe in that corner of the world. After staging the monologues in Maine, I helped a group of teens on Orcas Island in the San Juans north of Seattle (where my son, Josh, and his family now live) create their own version. All very gratifying and helpful for them and me, too, as we each attempt to figure out what we can do to help. Feeling helpless is a recurring theme for kids and adults alike these days and finding a way to ‘do something’ in these challenging times means a lot to an old theater geek like me. Attached is a pic of the Portland, Maine, Gaza crew.
“Beyond this labor of love, I keep looking for ways to keep sailing in my mid-70s. I traded in my 43-foot Montevideo Bahati, which took us safely round the world a few years ago, for a sweet little 25-foot Cape Dory, which I inherited from an old friend. ‘There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats!’ to quote Ratty in The Wind and the Willows. My book, In Slocum’s Wake, chronicling our nearly five-year circumnavigation, is still selling well and available on all online and real-time bookstores . . . please support your local! Other than that, I’m a happy grampa looking to stay in ‘good trouble’ as John Lewis so aptly put it.
“Peace and good health and happiness to all of my old WesTech friends! So good to see so many of you at our 50th! Onward!”
Andy Feinstein represented a group of parents in Killingly, Connecticut, in a two-and-a-half-year dispute over the school district’s “reluctance” to address student mental health and well-being. You can read all about it and see Andy’s very distinguished picture here.
I simply cannot say enough about Andy’s splendid, ongoing work on behalf of special ed students and their parents. Not only is he still in active practice, Andy is also achieving amazing results in a vital area. Beyond my own personal interest, I am in awe of Andy’s dedication and achievements.
Bob White! sent us this: “In June, from Stockton, California, Butch Carson, aka, William Nelson Carson Jr., journeyed to Oslo, Norway, to witness his granddaughter’s ‘naming ceremony.’ One-year-old Noelle is Butch’s second grandchild; nine-year-old India is his first. Butch’s son, William III, aka, Tre, is the proud father of the girls. Of course, Uncle Bob is proud of all of them.”
Art Wein’s daughter, Lauren, vice president and editorial director of Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, recently authored a piece in the Jewish Book Council’s BookWatch, identifying new publications of note, and describing her own philosophy: “My goal is always to publish fiction and memoir for a broad audience (though not nearly as broad as it would be if there were dragons), and I am privileged to work with a wide range of writers. Because of my background in biblical literature and my love for Jewish texts and history, I also tend to publish more than a few Jewish writers, and several of the books I’ve worked on recently are in conversation with classically Jewish subjects and themes.”
Art, our man from Yeshiva of Flatbush, has also shared with us this shot of him “doing my usual Rod Serling imitation while typically standing out as a sore thumb” among his wife’s family.
Finally, I once again attended the marvelous Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, produced by Lloyd Komesar ’74. This was the 10th year of the festival, and Lloyd’s last as producer. Here he is receiving an award and expression of appreciation from the closing night audience.
As usual, a huge contingent of Wesfolk was present. Other ’72ers included Tom Halsey, Mitch Willey, Mike Arkin, Mike Busman, Steve Goldschmidt, and Dennis Kesden. Steve got to present the Jeanine Basinger Prize for outstanding student film.
SETH A. DAVIS | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu
213 Copper Square Dr., Bethel, CT 06801