Tag: 1986

Hi ’86ers! Some news from classmates:

Monica Jahan Bose had a very busy spring 2024: “In March, I had an exhibition in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of a U.S. Art in Embassies visit. The exhibition was a three-channel video installation with collaborative saris about climate change and its impact on farmers in Bangladesh and around the world. In June, I created a temporary public art project called Swimming in front of a D.C. public school and pool, looking at inequities in access to water and swimming. Also in June, Michael Scott Bennett ’87 and I celebrated our 30-year wedding anniversary and visited our daughter, Tuli, in Portland, Oregon, where she just started a Doctor of Nursing Practice/Midwifery program at OHSU. Our younger daughter, Koli, is a junior at Bryn Mawr College this fall. Sending love to our friends in Classes of ’86 and ’87!”

Steve Elbaum wrote to remind us of Bill Gerber’s victory last November to be first selectman in Fairfield, Connecticut. Steve said, “he had a lot of financial and moral support from Wes alums from the mid and late ’80s and won by 37 votes (out of about 18,000 cast) in a state-mandated recount. He and his wife, Jessica ’90, have long been elected officials in Fairfield.”

Ernest Friedman-Hill: “I was recently promoted to distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories, where I’ve worked for 32 years (remotely from the East Coast for over 25 years!). Although I enjoyed my time as a chemistry major at Wes and went on to get a PhD in chemistry (MIT ’92), I’ve been working as a computer scientist almost the whole time I’ve been at Sandia. I’ve written a few books and worked in a range of areas from rule-based systems to graphical programming environments and automated workflow. Stacia ’85 and I will celebrate our 35th anniversary in the spring.

George Justice: “I am entering my third year as provost at The University of Tulsa and excited to participate on a junket—er, a Fulbright Fellowship to France this October. I’m also on my own this year, with wife, Devoney Looser, on a full-year fellowship at the Huntington Library; son, Carl, a senior at Pitzer College; and son, Lowell, a freshman at Wes. We loved coming to campus together in April for WesFest, which sealed the deal for Lowell.”

Lisa Porter: “Hi all: I have moved from San Francisco to NYC, where I am currently the voice and dialect coach for the national tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. With the closing of the MFA program at the American Conservatory Theater, where I was the head of acting and dialects, it was time to start a new chapter. I am having a wonderful time seeing Wes friends. Just last week, Shawn Cuddy, James Hallett, Mary Beth Kilkelly ’85, and I went to see Frank Wood ’83 in his show, The Meeting: The Interpreter. In May, Melinda Newman and I went to NOLA for Jazz Fest and saw The Rolling Stones.” 

Marc Rosner: “It happened! I retired from teaching science after 37 years. Diane and I are now working full time at Hudson Valley Numismatics doing estate consultation and sales. Much of our work is helping seniors and their families downsize and find a home for possessions and treasure.”

Ellen Santistevan: “Like most of us in the Class of ’86, I am turning 60 this year and doing a few things to celebrate myself. The biggest thing was that I got to take a dream trip (focused on volcanoes) to Iceland in August with a group of alumni from New Mexico Tech, where I got my master’s degree. Getting to spend 10 days in a land that constantly and consistently reminds you that you are small, and the world is so big, was exactly the restorative dip into nature that I needed, among a group of friends and acquaintances that share a deep bond of the Tech experience. For a future trip, I am lobbying for the volcanic islands of Greece (where I did my undergraduate fieldwork with Joop Varekamp) and/or Italy.”

Lastly, Bennett Schneider says: “It was an extremely busy Pride Month in June. One of the highlights was being asked by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to bless the raising of the Pride Flag over all county buildings. I was asked to create the blessing, which invoked LGBTQ deities from spiritual paths all over the world. Have been seeing Lisa Rosen, Melinda Newman, Cobina Gillitt ’87, Nathan Gebert ’85, Al Septien ’85, and a bevy of others. Went to Palm Springs with Melinda Newman for my 60th and she made it a truly special birthday celebration. Performed my 19th wedding and my third memorial service as a spiritual

Bill Gerber sent in this update: “Steve Elbaum and his wife, Jill, was part of a group that recently acquired Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury, Vermont, near Stowe. Still practicing law in Stamford, Connecticut, Steve and Jill spend many weekends at the mill. John McIntyre, John Brais, Dave Patterson, and I visited [recently] and we were incredibly impressed by how fluent Steve has become in cider production! While there we FaceTimed with Nic Pifer.”

Tavy Ronen shared: “I am still happily living in Manhattan, near Lincoln Center. I have been at Rutgers for almost three decades and am a professor of finance, specializing in market microstructure and corporate bonds. About 10 years ago, I launched a set of Business of Fashion programs for Rutgers Business School, and I get to occasionally hang out with fashion executives and attend New York Fashion Week events. 😊 My daughter is still in grad school nearby, so I feel very lucky to get to spend a lot of time with her. She is, by far, my most notable single-authored work.

            “As we collectively approach our 60th birthday, I think often of Sara Williams, whom so many of us loved dearly. As most of us know, she died so young and tragically. Last month I sat in the Key Park at Gramercy Park, beneath the building she grew up in, and wondered where she would have been now.”

Marc Rosner wrote: “In just one month: 60 candles, wedding bells, and a retirement incentive from Hastings-on-Hudson schools. Four decades supporting science is enough; Diane and I are retiring to build appraisals, restoration, and sales at Hudson Valley Numismatics. (Who knew WESU senior Silversmithing would ignite a second career?) Recently had lunch with Amy Grossman ’88. Always texting Alex Rothman, Andrew Zeller, and Dave Warne.”

And speaking of Alex Rothman, he wrote: “How time flies. Somehow Nina and I are now entering our 30th year in Minneapolis; long enough that our two sons are now off and have found their way (back) to the East Coast. Fortunately, life does lead me back to New York, and on a trip this past March, [I] had a great day eating and wandering about NYC with Dave Warne and Andrew Zeller.

Tierney Sutton updates us too:“The last few years have found me continuing to record and tour with several projects. The Tierney Sutton Band is still going strong and  we’ve opened up to some wonderful new personnel. (My last run in New York featured the great Lenny White on drums [Chick Corea and Return to Forever]). I have also done several tours of the U.S. and Europe with the Paris Sessions trio, which features my husband, Serge Merlaud, on guitar. (We split our time between Paris and Los Angeles when not on the road.)

“March 1, 2024, I released a new album, Good People, which is a collaboration between me and the San Gabriel Seven, a horn-based band that has done projects with many other artists. Eight of 10 tracks were either written or co-written by me, so this is a big departure. I’m especially excited about the title track, Good People, for which I produced a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLq6CqzmTvY). It’s essentially Schoolhouse Rock! for systemic racism in the U.S. I’m planning to create a series of songs and videos to address U.S. history that is too often overlooked.”

Erika Levy shared: “I’m still enjoying my work as professor of communication sciences and disorders at Teachers College, Columbia University. My daughter is now a sophomore at Wes, having as great a time as I did, and it’s fun to visit her. My son is waiting to hear college decisions, and soon my husband and I will be empty nesters. My job keeps me very busy, but I try to squeeze in work with refugees and practice speaking languages. Always happy to connect with my Wesleyan classmates.”

Bennett Schneider said on June 16, 2023, the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence received the Los Angeles Dodgers’ community hero award on the team’s annual LGBTQ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium. Bennet, as Sister Unity, was one of the members to accept the award on the group’s behalf. “The award recognized our group’s 27 years of work as activists and fundraisers in the LA LGBTQ community,” he said. Unfortunately, he added, there were “2,000 protestors right outside the stadium, and three weeks of back-to-back press interviews and news coverage, positive and negative.” Bennett also noted that the garment he wore at the event was “hand sewn and every single red AIDS ribbon—about 100—was sewn on by Lisa Rosen.

“A month afterward, Lisa and I dined al fresco with Amanda Marks ’88. . . . Still see Nathan Gebert ’85, who now winters in Japan every year and stops off here in Southern California to visit on his way to and from.”

Rich Koffman writes, “My wife, Jacqueline, and some friends (including Rich Monastersky and Victoria Nugent ’91) and I recently formed a private sponsorship group under the State Department’s Welcome Corps program. The program allows groups of private citizens to sponsor and help resettle refugees in the United States. Our group was matched with a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who arrived here in late September after more than two decades in a refugee camp in Tanzania. With some guidance from the folks at HIAS, who provide resources for private sponsorship groups nationwide, we have helped him find an apartment, register for government benefits, and sign up for English classes, and we are working to find him employment. It’s been a challenging, eye-opening, and rewarding experience thus far. I’ve even learned a little bit of Swahili! I highly recommend the program to anyone who may be interested in helping refugees establish themselves in the United States.”

Kate Nunn Mini wrote,“I am now practicing pediatrics in New Haven. Yale Health is a wonderful place to work! Although I continue to see patients, my focus over the last few years has been pediatric mental health, specifically, integrating behavioral health into primary care. My kids are doing well out in the world, so it’s a great time for me to dive into this work!”

Emily Cowan said, “Big changes for me in the last 18 months: I bought a condo on the northern edge of Concord, New Hampshire, and I started a new job at a community mental health center. I’m glad to be working for a big organization again, especially one with tech help and administrative support. Middle age has not improved my abilities in these things. My daughter is a lifty at a ski resort out West, and I’m holding off on getting my next dog because I travel to see my parents. They are both 90 and they are marvels.

Dana Walcott wrote,“After working at the same place for almost 25 years, I have a new job. I had been unhappy at the old place for the last one to two years. I could not do the same old stuff any longer. I needed something new. I needed a change. I found a new job working at a world-class loudspeaker manufacturer 10 miles from my house here in Massachusetts. I could not be happier.”

Jeff Liss said, “My wife, Susan, and I have now moved full time to the East Side of Manhattan, finally selling the house in the Philadelphia suburbs. I ran into classmate Nina Mehta on the street shortly after moving in! I recently left my job in big consulting to be the global VP of Customer Experience at a large provider of solutions for health-care professionals. In the last few years, I have crossed paths with old friends: Tim Harvey ’85, Dan Seltzer, Carrie Normand ’87, Majora Carter ’88, and the newly elected first selectman of Fairfield, Connecticut, Bill Gerber. I am also now the board chair for a great nonprofit called the Josephine Herrick Project (www.jhproject.org) and work closely with our executive director, Miriam Leuchter ’85.”

Roger Lebovitz reports that his latestbook,Obscure Blessings, will be published by Fomite Press in 2025.

Kris Bluemel shared she was recently appointed to the position of interim associate dean of the McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The last time she worked in a normal office environment, Monday through Friday, was in 1988 when she was a marketing assistant at the University of Georgia Press. She is still involved with publishing and books as professor of English and Wayne D. McMurray Endowed Chair of Humanities at Monmouth. Her latest book, Enchanted Wood: Women Artists, Rural Britain, and the Twentieth-Century Wood Engraving Revival, is due out from the University of Minnesota Press this year.

Ethan Knowlden wrote he is “making good on my retirement pledge to get involved in ending homelessness here, I am now on the board of the Arizona Housing Coalition, the state’s largest housing stability advocacy organization. I’m also interning at a local law firm that focuses on affordable housing transactions for nonprofit and for-profit clients. And I fill the rest of my time serving as president of my local community council while we commence a $10 million expansion of our community center.”  

Steve Berliner contributed that he is“alive and well and retired (with no regrets), living in New Orleans with my fiancée of 10 years, Laura. Two kids—Felix ’25 and Rebecca, a senior in high school—dog Rudy and cat Wiley, and Laura’s son, Christopher, a musician living in Oakland. I spend most of my free time enjoying retirement with Laura, visiting with my kids (they live in Brooklyn with their mom), tying flies, swing dancing on Frenchmen Street, and tinkering around the house (a historic side-hall shotgun built in 1836). Need to do more fishing with those flies. Taking an online computer programming class and enjoying that a lot too. I still talk now and again with my college buddy, Andrew Bennett—saw him a few Thanksgivings ago in D.C., which was great. Went vegan in 2020 and am enjoying my vegetables!”

Several updates to share from ’86 classmates:

Hal Ginsberg reported: “I’m not sure if you heard the sad news about Sandy Goldstein. He died on June 27 after battling ALS for two years. Throughout his illness he received love and support from the many Wesleyan Delta Tau Delta brothers to whom he remained close in the 37 years since graduation. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Marla, and children, Steven and Sarah.

“Regarding me, I am focusing on my YouTube Livestream @halitics, where I critique both major political parties from a progressive perspective Monday through Friday.”

Sarah Bridges wrote: “Hi to all. After graduating from University of Minnesota with a PhD in psychology, I embarked on a career consulting to organizations and nonprofits. I started my own firm 25 years ago and love the work and our team. I currently live on a farm outside Minneapolis, near my four grown children. We have a slew of rescue animals and are transitioning the land to organic space. I see Nina Russo ’87 regularly despite the distance (she is in upstate New York) and we did our doctorates together at the U. Life is really good—a lot of writing, reading, and time outside.”

Mike Sealander said: “I’m still living in eastern Maine. Most of my free time is taken up with gardening and studying Japanese. I have a daughter in a PhD biology program, a daughter starting a master’s in electrical engineering, and a son in college. Although my town is quite rural, there happens to be a couple Wes alums, and we’ve traded notes about Zonker Harris and whatnot.”

Sally Spener transferred to the San Diego, California, office of her longtime employer in late 2022, after 23 years in Texas. Her husband of 32 years is university professor/administrator across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. Sally does water policy work along the U.S.–Mexico border.

Andy Clibanoff retired from executive coaching and is beginning his next chapter when he turns the page. His son, Leo ’23, graduated this past May and is launching his professional career. Andy is in contact with Randy MacLowry, especially when visiting Middletown. He also added that his wife, Denise, and their daughter, Callie ’19, co-hosted an alumni event, with concert by the Wes band the Overcoats (Hana Elion ’15 and JJ Mitchell ’15), in the Fishtown section of Philly.

James Dearborn expressed gratitude for “the completely unexpected emotional support I received from fellow classmates John McIntyre and John Wiseman. They arrived unexpectedly at my mom’s funeral in Castine, Maine—a remote village in Down East Maine. I will be forever grateful for the lengths they went to be there for me and my family, including my son Andrew ’22. The friends you make at Wesleyan truly do last forever.”

Eric Heinze shared: “My 2022 book with the MIT Press, The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything, went into its paperback edition in September. It was nominated in the UK for The Next Big Idea (Season 18) and was featured at the Oxford Literary Festival 2023.

Here’s a link to the paperback: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547246/the-most-human-right/.”

Eric was also “invited as a speaker in the UK Parliament Group on accountability in Iran, July 2023, organized by Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK and Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI); [and I was] invited as keynote speaker at Danish Parliament, The Future of Free Speech, December 2022.”

Eric Howard updated: “After spending 16 months in New Hampshire running the Timber Framers Guild, I am back in Maine as the executive director of the Environmental & Energy Technology Council (E2Tech.org). When considering the shift, I polled my kids and asked if I should do more in terms of sustainability, climate action, and decarbonization, and they all said ‘yes.’  I was working on climate change in the 1980s, so it’s a return to my roots.” Eric’s other developments are earning the Certified Fundraising Executive credential and completing his doctoral dissertation on knowledge-sharing practices of entrepreneurs.

George Justice is beginning his second year as provost at The University of Tulsa and is settling into that strangely interesting city. He continues to teach, do research, and participate in his company, Dever Justice LLC, which focuses on leadership development for faculty.

Doug Polaner contributed that he “recently saw Jonathan Harber and John Bogosian plus their lovely families. Happy to report, all doing well! Bogo is living the dream in Boulder, Colorado, where we also left our youngest son for his freshman year at CU Boulder. Our oldest, Mason, is starting his final year at Wesleyan. Has loved it, of course! He is captain of the swim team and holds three school records for the 100-, 200-, and 500-yard freestyle. As for me, still hocking wine here at Polaner Selections—2024 will be our 25th year in business! Time flies. Meanwhile, happy 60th birthday to all our classmates celebrating now/soon. See you all in 2026 for the 40th Reunion.”

Jonathan Harber also had some news: Rick Segal ’75, Aysha Khan ’20, and he have embarked on a mission to revolutionize education in New York City through a visionary initiative, Runway Green at Floyd Bennett Field. Nestled within the heart of Brooklyn, Floyd Bennett Field is a national park, holding unique historical significance as New York City’s inaugural airport. Today, Runway Green is poised to transform it into an immersive, experiential learning campus. Jonathan is also the founding chairman of Launch, an expeditionary learning middle school in Brooklyn, and Aysha recently joined to help manage special projects, including the opening of a Launch high school on the Floyd Bennett Field campus.

Lots of work and life news from ’86ers:

Scott Michaud: “I have left my position as senior speechwriter to the director of National Intelligence, and I am now the senior speechwriter for the chief space officer, who serves as the director of the recently established U.S. Space Force. This is an exciting opportunity for me to help shape the culture and vision for this newest branch of the U.S. military. Semper Supra!”

Kate Nunn Mini said: “I have recently taken a job at Yale Health Pediatrics. In addition to providing primary care, I am working on several initiatives to address the pediatric mental health-care crisis. I was lucky to be able to see my son playing baseball on our field (sorry guys, he played for Williams). Feeling grateful for whatever chapter this is in my life.“

Ethan Knowlden contributed: “February 28, 2023, was my last day of employment; March 1 was my first day of retirement. I am choosing a little less work and a lot more life, perhaps a little earlier than most.  Twenty-plus years as a lawyer in pharma—the last five for a nonprofit—affords me this option and for that I am grateful. I won’t stop trying to help others, though; for some reason, I think helping to address homelessness in Arizona (where Leanne and I now reside) is my next challenge.”

Josh Pollock: “So life in Ann Arbor is good. I’m semiretired from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, which has given me the time I want to spend with my folks as they move on through their stages. It has even allowed me to get back into the book business (Schulers) where I spent 20-plus years (Ned’s, Shakespeare & Co., The Academy, Borders—about 16 years—and Nicola’s). I’m in sporadic touch with some old Wes friends who are dealing with their own transitional issues, and love hearing from [them] with every email or postcard. If folks are in the area (most likely kids applying or coming to U of Michigan), feel free to reach out.”

Coleman Bazelon shared that in early February he “coauthored a report, ‘Quantification of Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery,’ for the American Society of International Law’s Second Symposium on Reparations under International Law. I collaborated with my partner at The Brattle Group, Alexis Maniatis ’87.”

Erika Levy is still enjoying being professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also enjoying her daughter Maya’s (’26) enjoyment of being frosh at Wesleyan—living in a dorm that didn’t even exist in the ’80s. Erika’s son is working hard as a high school junior. Erika just finished assisting with a fulfilling training of cleft palate speech practitioners and individuals with cleft palate in Mexico. She would love to hear from her Wesleyan classmates.

Tavy Ronen is still living in New York City and teaching at Rutgers University as a professor of finance. She also acts as an expert witness for securities class-action suits.

Hal Ginsberg: “I have returned to broadcasting. After nearly four years as national coordinator at Our Revolution, I resigned effective January 1 in order to build and develop my YouTube channel, Halitics.

“Recently, I have been enjoying virtual visits with Sandy Goldstein, Rick Davidman ’84, Bill Houston ’87, and Steve Shackman ’87. Truly, there are no friends like old friends.

“My family is doing well. My wife Mindy Burke is now into her third decade as a teacher in the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Michael (Georgetown 2020) is a congressional reporter. William (Maryland 2022), like his mother, is teaching in MCPS.”

Bennett Schneider shared: “I’m still a nun, going on 28 years with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Southern Illinois University brought me to their campus to perform and teach a workshop in October 2022. Nathan Gebert ’85 visited on his way from Japan to New York. Currently rehearsing another music educational show for schoolchildren with the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles.”

Mike Sealander: “My news is that I started to relearn Japanese after my daughter decided to take it in college. We went to Japan last fall, and it was lovely being able to speak, if a little haltingly. I’m thinking about taking the JLPT N3 test in Japan this December.“

Tierney Sutton wrote: “This year I released my 13th album as leader, Paris Sessions 2. The album features guitarist (and my husband), Serge Merlaud, bassist Kevin Axt, and NEA jazz master, flautist Hubert Laws. Another project released this year was Chris Walden’s Missa Lubileum Aureum featuring me and Kurt Elling. The project is the first ever Catholic Latin Jazz Mass and features an all-star big band, choir, organ as well as Kurt and me as soloists. It’s glorious music and was in celebration of the 50th wedding anniversary of Ted and Laddie Hall.

“My touring and teaching schedule has picked up quite a bit postpandemic, and I’ve been touring all over the U.S. as well as in Europe and Colombia. In addition to teaching and producing private students, I’m currently on the faculty of The Didier Lockwood School in Paris, France. Since my marriage in 2019, I have split my time between Paris and Los Angeles.”

Ayelet Waldman wrote: “Exciting news on my end this time! My daughter, Sophie Chabon ’17 got married in September to Michael Massone ’14. It was a wonderful wedding in Maine, with lots of Wes friends and family.”

Lots of news from ’86ers:

Greg Zlotnik reported that 10 members of the class of ’86 were named to Coach Dicenzo’s All-Decade Football Team in September. Former players were acknowledged during Homecoming weekend in early November. The classmates included Dave Bagatelle, Mike Dolan, Bill Gerber, David Hill, Jack Kuhn, Jay Norris, Joe Norton, Dave Patterson, Joe Wight, and Greg.

Hal Phillips contributed a lengthy update, which he starts off by saying: “Much activity and WesContact in 2022. Front and center, my new book: Generation Zero: Founding Fathers, Hidden Histories & the Making of Soccer in America, published in July by Dickinson-Moses Press. I like to call it ‘the modern Creation epic U.S. soccer didn’t know it had’—and yes, there’s some tidy WesContent therein. Can’t wait to embark on the next book project. Not quite ready to retire from Mandarin Media, the content/digital marketing agency I’ve owned/operated since 1997. But the GZ experience has confirmed for me what retirement will likely entail.

“The publication and marketing of this book has resulted in all sorts of soccer-related outreach. Among the WesKids with whom I renewed acquaintance this year, in the flesh: Stephen McDermott Myers ’87, GZ’s primary editor; former teammates Scott Kessel ’88, Adam Rohdie ’89, David Slade ’87, John Dorsey ’87, and Andrew Lacey ’89, who were all on hand for the first-ever Wes Alumni Soccer Weekend in October; and Tim Dibble, who was kind enough to attend a reading I gave down in Boston in November. Because I participate in group chat dedicated to the beautiful game, I’ve enjoyed all sorts of great back-and-forth with Patrick Symmes ’87 and Jon Gould. Also dined with Jon and wife Tina Howard in Springfield, Massachusetts. . . . This summer, I fielded a call from Mike Jeffrey ’74, longtime president of the State Soccer Coaches Association here in Maine. It took us 15 minutes to realize we were fellow WesProducts who both played for the late, great Terry Jackson, who passed away in June. In November, I was informed of Herb Kenny’s July passing. I played golf at Wesleyan as well. Herb coached that team, though I had as much contact with this fine fellow while covering the men’s basketball team for The Argus.

“My wife Sharon Vandermay and I do indeed make our empty nest here in Maine. We’re foster parents now that our own kids, Silas and Clara, having shoved off for Missoula and Brooklyn, respectively. After 23 years in rural New Gloucester, we moved last year to the more urbane, somewhat revived mill community of Lewiston-Auburn. I run MM, write and play in a couple bands—one bluegrass/Americana, the other more alt country. Sharon quilts and spearheads the renovation of our sprawling Colonial Revival/Victorian (inclusive of an Airbnb apartment) hard by the mighty Androscoggin River. Was pleased to visit with lots more WesKids this year during the natural course of our 50-something lives: Rich Gibbons ’87 and Heather Moss ’87 in San Diego; John Sledge in LA; Dave MacDonald up in Bar Harbor; Dennis Carboni and new Australian citizen Dave Rose, down in Boston. Still hoping to reconnect with Sue Arnold ’84, our esteemed freshman-year RA back at Butterfield C, who is back in New England, I gather. Sue: You’ve been warned.”

Daniel Seltzer contributed: “Almost 1000 days have passed since what I think of as the start of the pandemic here in NYC. Have been here throughout, with a few brief escapes. Still masking up in the grocery store, but the calculus of risk continues to evolve. We live the new normal, I guess. My wife commutes to the Bronx every day as a social worker. My kids are around the city, making their lives in education, law, and the arts. My work in tech is mostly strategic/advisory and I’m very happy not to work out of a Midtown office or attend in-person meetings much anymore. I make music on guitar whenever I can, get out on the water and wing foil when it’s not too cold, and stay in touch with a few old Wes friends near and far including Peter Durwood, John Ephron, Nat Pierson ’85, and Giles Richter ’87. I even ran into Ken Zita ’82 on the street last week. Happy to reconnect with folks at daniel.seltzer@gmail.com.”

Alicia Sisk said she is “working as a psychotherapist both in Manhattan and Bronxville. Empty nester as my twins are finally away at college. Enjoy going back to watch the Wesleyan women’s basketball team. They have come so far since 1986!!!”

Marc Rosner provided this note: “I was trying to think of anything interesting about my life, and remembered I got engaged on the ferry from Athens to Crete last August, to Diane Gross, who happened to be in my sister’s class in Rochester, I think that at least makes the world a safer place for most of us . . . .😂”

Michael Robinson wrote, “I’ve spent the last five years of divorced life dedicating myself to building no-utility, high-performance homes [for] the low and moderate income of Newburgh, New York, sometimes even with my ex-wife Dar Williams ’89 helping me! Yes, you can take the boy out of Wesleyan but . . . . More importantly, I’ve been grieving my dearest of friends, Paul Ratliff ’88, who died on December 22, 2021. He was a gentle man and a gentleman, a fiercely dedicated friend, brother, husband, and father. Whimsical, whip smart, inventive, funny, keenly insightful, but most of all kind. Rest in peace, my good brother.”

Erika Levy said, “I am still enjoying my work as professor of communication sciences and disorders at Teachers College, Columbia University. Delighted that my daughter started at Wesleyan this fall. My husband, my son, and I had fun visiting her during Homecoming/Family Weekend—I still love being at Wes. Would like to be more in touch with my old classmates.”

George Justice has moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he has taken the position of provost at the University of Tulsa.

Eric Heinze, a professor of law and humanities at Queen Mary, University of London, writes that his book, The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything (MIT Press, 2022), has been nominated for season 18 of the podcast The Next Big Idea.  In the book Eric writes that there has always been disagreement about which aspects of our humanity should be protected by such basic rights. The well-known lists, such as the U.S. Bill of Rights, generally include rights not to be tortured, or arbitrarily killed, or imprisoned without trial. Other countries also include things such as minimal levels of clean water, nourishment, housing, or education. Once a list has been agreed most experts insist that we cannot prioritize some rights above others. They argue that all human rights must enjoy an equally high status, because no right can be fully enjoyed unless the others are fully secure. However, Eric argues that this assumption makes no sense: free speech must by definition take priority because without it nothing else can even be called a right.

Elizabeth Graver shared, “My novel, Kantika (‘song’ in Ladino) will be out in April from Metropolitan Books/Holt. Inspired by my Sephardic Turkish grandmother’s migration story, this book grew out of interviews I did with my grandmother decades ago, while I was still in college. Now my daughter Sylvie is a Wes sophomore and loving it.”

Kristin Bluemel shared that she spent most of 2022 in Newcastle, England, where she served as Leverhulme Visiting Professor in the English Department of Newcastle University. Living among the “Geordies” was great fun, though she encounters plenty of interesting characters on the Jersey Shore where she has spent most of her career at Monmouth University.

Julia Barclay traveled to Maine in October where she saw Bennett Schneider, who was also in Maine at the time.