Tag: 1987

Hi, everyone. Thanks so much for keeping the notes coming.

Susan Arndt: “I married my one true love, Tracey, in 2015 and we have a little boy, Thomas, 3. He and his big brothers from my first marriage are totally besotted with each other, which makes me very happy. Jake is 14 and Angus is 12 and we are all three working hard to let them become their own people and still get a bit of love and care from mum when it counts. I work with start-ups to help them get to scale (having been involved in seven so far). I’m working for Founders4Schools, which connects professionals with secondary school students (many from disadvantaged backgrounds) who want to learn more about career opportunities. We’ve already touched the lives of 200,000 students in the U.K. and have great ambitions to grow. I keep in touch with Amy Baltzell, Stacy Owen, and Peg O’Connor.”

Scott Pryce: “Living in the D.C. area with family (wife and boys, ages 10 and 12). Last May, Chris Lotspeich, Dan Sharp ’88, Rob Campbell, and I reunited for what the Scots call ‘hill walking.’ And we did some cultural tourism visiting the family seats of various namesake, ancestral clans: Campbells, Sharps, Macdonalds (Chris), and MacLeods (Scott). Truly a once-in-a- lifetime experience with old friends!”

Joan Morgan: “I took an unexpected break from my dissertation writing when I was asked by Atria to pen a book on the 20th anniversary of the iconic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. She Begat This: 20 Years of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released in August.”

Rebecca Zimbler Graziano met up with Steven Shackman and Ira Skolnik to see a Mets/Red Sox game in Boston in September. As seniors in 1987, they may have gone to opening day at New York’s Shea Stadium, but Re-University, and she visits Amy Mortimer-Lotke and Eric Lotke frequently when she gets to campus. Amy and Rebecca were lucky enough to grab a day with Grier Mendel in D.C. last April.

John and Trish McGovern Dorsey successfully launched child #1 to Hamilton College, class of 2022. He is spending his first semester on the Hamilton freshman exchange program in London with 37 of his Hamilton classmates. “His adventure has allowed us to see more of David Josephs and his lovely wife, Holly Bishop, who are living in London on a short-term exchange with DJ’s Visa gig. We enjoyed many family travels this summer, including a 20th wedding anniversary trip to Scandinavia and our annual visit with Holly Campbell Ambler and her family in Vinalhaven, Maine.”

Ken Mathews: “Just wanted to inform my Wes peeps that in addition to my wife, four kids, and two golden retrievers, I just welcomed our first grandchild on Jan. 26. Her name is Nova and she is incredible. Once she learns to talk, the plan is to call me Poppie. Two of my kids work in the fashion industry. One as a runway model and the other as a designer. They surely did not get their looks or artistic talents from me. With any luck I’ll be finishing my 35th and last year in public education by our 35th Reunion.”

Lori Benson: “Neil ’86 and I dropped oldest son Oliver ’22 off for his first year at Wesleyan. We are proud and excited for him. It was fun to be back on campus, and I must admit I was a bit jealous—it looked like such fun to be starting out in college. To add to the awesomeness of the day, Nelly Taveras was also there dropping off her daughter, Sophie ’22.”

John Snyder is “now a partner at Amherst Pediatrics in Amherst, Mass., enjoying the paradise of the Pioneer Valley with my daughter, Maggie.”

Amy Baltzell: “I am going into my annual conference as president of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology in October in Toronto. My new book is out: The Power of Mindfulness (2018, Springer). I just become a reiki master level 2, teacher. My three kids have all decided to row this fall.”

Cobina Gillitt: “During a sabbatical last spring semester to research a book on contemporary Indonesian theater and censorship, I stayed in Jakarta with Indonesian director and playwright, Putu Wijaya, who directed Roar at Wesleyan, starring several Wes ’87 students in 1986 during our junior year. Between March–May, I performed in his newest play, JPRUTT, with his company, Teater Mandiri. I wasn’t the oldest performer in the production, but I was the most senior, celebrating my 30th anniversary as a member of Teater Mandiri.”

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

[Ed.’s note: This is Amanda Jacobs Wolf’s last column as class secretary and we want to extend warm thanks for her years of service in this role.]

Hi, everyone. I recently had dinner with Bill Shapiro and his girlfriend, Naomi Wax, in NYC. Bill and Naomi just finished writing a book called What We Keep, a collection of interviews with people around the country about the single object in their life that holds the most emotional significance. The book includes interviews with people like Hasan Minhaj, Cheryl Strayed, and Melinda Gates, and alumni Joss Whedon, Amanda Palmer ’98, and Anthony Weintraub; it comes out in September.

Speaking of Joss, he had this to say: “I’m writing, which means I’m okay. The last few years had less writing and more crippling sleep apnea, but a hilariously painful throat surgery in May made it possible to breathe, and therefore sleep, and therefore write/live/do that show-tune at karaoke that I thought everyone else knew too. This oxygen shit is dope, I highly recommend. My son is 15, my daughter is 13, and both of them still like me so something went right there. They are delightful, hardworking and kind, the lights of my life, and I’m counting the hours till they go to college, so I can move out of Santa Monica, where the last remaining bookstore just closed, and the sun is still trying to kill me in the face. I, on occasion, see or e-mail Lael Loewenstein, Tommy Plotkin ’86, John Penney, and Lisa Rosen ’86, all way too seldom. I am co-running One Vote at a Time, making free ads for anti-gun, pro-women candidates for midterms. I despair at the world but hope we may yet keep it spinning. I drink too much, but LESS too much, so I’m basically a True American Hero. Bye-ee!”

From Andy Grimaldi: “I’d like to share with our class the wonderful vacation that we recently took in Barcelona. My family and I visited with David Glatz and his daughters. We were joined by Chris Olinger, and his brother, Michael ’89, visited from Brussels. Dave was a fantastic guide, from a festival in Barceloneta to an amazing tour of Costa Brava. My wife, Lynne, and I are grateful to him, the Olinger brothers and our sons, John and Nick, for assisting me around the city. They went above and beyond by helping me into the Mediterranean for a rather brisk dip. I was diagnosed with ALS in 2017 and this was a tremendous getaway with good friends. Rumor has it that the Dilated Pupils will be reconvening this fall in western Massachusetts. Cheers everyone!”

Florence Dore has a new book, Novel Sounds: Southern Fiction in the Age of Rock and Roll (2018) out on Columbia University Press. Greil Marcus has said of Novel Sounds, “This is an original and subtle book, with punk rock ricochets.”

Stephen Porter donated his collection of 75 tapes of live student music to Olin Library Special Collections. “The tapes still sounded good after 30 years, and these are mostly the original master recordings. This includes stuff like all the mid-1980s Duke and Zonker Day music. Unfortunately, but perhaps not surprisingly, I do not remember much beyond what was written on the tapes themselves. There will be an inventory of these tapes available online under Olin Library Special Collections, if anyone can fill in names of musicians.”

Liz Kromelow writes: “My second son, James Dietz ’18, just graduated from Wes with honors in general scholarship. It was the Class of 1988’s Reunion so I got to see many familiar faces, including Justine Gubar ’88, Kwong Lee, Geoff Howell ’88, David Davenport ’88, and Deirdre Davis ’88. I met quite a few people I didn’t know from my time at Wes including Bobbito Garcia ’88, who has a new documentary coming out in June. I also ran into Muzzy Rosenblatt.”

Speaking of Muzzy, as of July 1, he is the chair of a new four-person Alumni Association Executive Committee.

Trisha Lindemann was just at Wes for her the graduation of her son, Jordan Witzel ’18. “Fitting bookend. From Bill Cosby to Anita Hill. From blistering sun to chilly rain. Go Wes.”

From Lori Benson: “Neil Benson ’88 and I just attended Neil’s 30th Reunion. The attendance was a bit small, but we had a great time catching up with folks like Steve Morrison ’88 and Christie Trott ’88. They were able to catch me up on Paul Gosselin—to whom I send a big ‘hello’! My oldest son, Oliver, and Nelly Taveras’s and Brian Shelly’s youngest daughter, Sophia, will be matriculating in the fall, which means their graduation will be our 35th Reunion. Wesleyan looked great—investment in the campus and facility really shows. I had a great dinner with Claire Conceison, who is the Quanta Professor of Chinese Culture and Professor of Theater Arts at MIT and splits her time between New York and Boston. She is as vibrant and gorgeous as ever and it was great to reconnect. I’m excited to have her up to my husband’s new restaurant—The Red Zebra—in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.”

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Kelly Washburn is “living in New York, working in fundraising in a private school. This summer I spent three weeks volunteering at Ritsona refugee camp in Greece with Echo100Plus. I’d be happy to share more about my experience with anyone who might be considering doing something similar: washburn.kelly@gmail.com.”

On Nov. 6, Paul Zoltan’s daughter, Natalia Charlotte Zoltan, was born. “With her birth through surrogacy, I’ve embarked on the adventure of single parenthood here in Dallas.”

Johanna Maaghul has “three kids in college now, two at Berkeley and one in Santa Barbara. I am continuing to enjoy my work as a literary agent with Waterside Productions and am excited to see more and more of my projects coming out in the world. I have also been doing some technical advising in the cryptocurrency and Blockchain space with a group of advisors in Germany called sicos.io, as well as helping to launch my husband, Rich’s company, odem.io in Switzerland, a beautiful country indeed. I will be spending a good part of the year there and would love to hear from any classmates also living there.”

Lisa Pavlovsky is “life-coaching and president of the board of my synagogue which is a full-time job, as is parenting two teen boys. Menopause and adolescence is not the best combo! Had a wonderful visit with Vivian Trakinski when she was in San Francisco for business lately. Feeling very much of the sandwich generation taking care of children and aging parents (my dad passed away a year ago), but feeling fortunate I live close to them.”

Mark Ungar published a book, The 21^stCentury Fight for the Amazon(Palgrave Macmillan), based on his work for the United Nations to develop environmental enforcement agencies in the nine countries of the Amazon Basin.

Holly Campbell Ambler and her husband live in Cambridge, Mass. One daughter lives at home and is in the midst of the crazy college search process. Their eldest daughter is an aspiring ballet dancer who is training with a company in New Jersey. Holly works as a clinical social worker with a focus on children and families, “a career I came to in mid-life which I am enjoying,” she writes. “I frequently see Trish and John Dorsey, Karen and Dennis Mahoney, and Michele Houdek and Doug Koplow, and enjoyed catching up with others at our Reunion last spring.

Claudia Center is still at the ACLU doing disability rights. “Our damages trial in the Kenton County, Kentucky child-handcuffing case starts this March. I also collaborate with MIUSA—in the past year I’ve traveled to Guatemala, Pakistan, and Mexico working on disability rights trainings partnering with local organizations. I’ve spent time IRL with Jennifer Bush, Jack Levinson, and Becca Gallagher, connected via FB to many more.

Hemanshu Nigam launched the Center for Online Justice (centerforonlinejustice.com) to help people who are being attacked, harassed, stalked, or victimized online. They help identify and bring justice in an area where anonymity and misconduct can rule.

Debby Hamilton moved from Colorado to Santa Barbara, CA a year ago to join a supplement company called Researched Nutritionals to help with product development, research and physician education. “I do that three weeks a month and then see patients in my integrative practice in Colorado one week a month. I am in Colorado long enough to bother my kids in college and make them spend time with me! Love missing winter and being able to go to the beach year-round after being land locked in Colorado for 18 years. Wendy Blum‘s mom is nearby so had a great visit with her family last summer. I welcome any visitors or alumni who are in the area to contact me.”

Ian Friday, associate director of The Colored Girls Museum, said the museum was created in September 2015 alongside Vashti Dubois ’83, executive director, and Michael Clemmons, curator. This memoir house museum is located in historic Germantown, Philadelphia, and celebrates the ordinary/extraordinary colored girl. This museum has been granted a 20k sponsorship by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, which is led by Shawn Dove ’84, and reopens for weekly Sunday tours during Women’s History Month. The exhibition is Urgent Care, A Social Care Experience Part 2.

Sheila Rhatigan Arcelona writes, “Not much new, still busy and happy, living and working in the rapidly changing city of San Francisco. I still love my job as an administrator in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, which is always challenging and always interesting. Very proud of my old boss, Senator Kamala Harris, who was the district attorney who hired me 12 years ago. Which seems like last week—I can’t believe how time has flown by. My little daughter Angel is now 17 and all about finding the right college. I expect an East Coast college tour is on our horizon. Finally, just want to give a shout out to the Wesleyanmagazine for the excellent articles and especially the book reviews. I love reading about what our alumni are writing and I especially can’t wait to read Carolyn Tesh O’Doherty‘s upcoming book Rewind.”

Becca Wharton is “happy to report that my stepdaughter, Julia Jurist, was accepted early decision to Wesleyan and will begin in the fall as a freshman.”

Eileen Deignan writes, “It had been way too long since I had caught up with Elizabeth Saveri and Renee Fogleberg. I saw them in Pasadena and San Francisco respectively last summer. Johanna Van Hise and Simon Heartmake it to the East Coast most summers and we had a great mini-reunion with Suzy Walrath and her family in July. Sumana (Chandrasekhar) Rangashar checks in whenever she is in Massachusetts and we meet up in the Berkshires. Ira Skolnik keeps me up the date on Wesleyan as he has a son who is a freshman there now. We serve together on the state dermatology board. Ira is doing Wes proud as the current president.”

Alisa Kwitney has a young adult novel, Cadaver & Queen, coming out from HarlequinTeen at the end of February, and a prestige format comic book miniseries, Mystik U, coming out from DC Comics. is teaching graphic novel writing in the fall for Manhattanville College’s MFA program.

Ian Rosen has “joined forces with Arnab Bhattasali ’03, Souleymane Ba ’03, and Sisi Miteva ’15 as regional representatives for the Wes London/UK community. This is part of a push by Wesleyan to relaunch the international regional community groups. We’re planning some events and hope to entice the London, and broader UK, and maybe even European, Wes communities to attend.”

David Josephs has relocated to London.

Kevin Pratt writes that “it was a good year! Highlights included a family trip to Guatemala to visit an orphanage we’ve supported over the years. The trip included one-on-one Spanish lessons (yes—even for our 3-year-old). The kids also spent six weeks in Brazil with my wife, while I built out my music studio at home. I now have a great space to play, write, and compose. I’m in frequent contact with Roger Russell ’85, Vashti Dubois ’93, Ian Friday and had a lovely visit with Bennett Schneider ’86 in LA this past October. I’m already looking forward to the next Reunion.”

David Abramso nwrites, “I’m in my 17th year living in Washington, D.C., and working at the state department as a senior analyst on Russian foreign relations (no requests for written comment on life in the U.S. government please!). My family and I will be visiting Wesleyan on a college tour in New England during spring break in March for my elder daughter, Hazel, a high school junior. More than 30 years after graduating from the Russian department, it’s touching to know that four out of five of the same faculty members are still there. Between campuses, I plan to spend time in the Boston area with Becky Riccio, Skip Lockhart, and Jessica Miller, and hopefully will see Janet Ginzberg in Philadelphia on the way home.

Karen Sallick writes, “As of the new year I have switched from working mostly in my marketing consulting company of 20 years to working on my newly launched app. The change of focus is invigorating. I also realized that as I sent my kids back to college, I have likely spent the last big chunk of time with everyone home together. Over the past few years I have become more and more involved in donating my time to my local NPR station (WSHU) as I feel more strongly now than ever that more balanced and comprehensive news coverage is critical.”

Melissa Marks writes, “My exhibition Volitia Returnsat Planthouse Gallery in New York continues through the spring. In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery will present Double Self Split, a film about my 2016 installation and exhibition inside the Castle of Vélez Blanco, Andalucia, Spain.While the installation in New York City draws energy from the dissonant confluence of bricks, fences, walls, and looping wires in a make-shift canyon on the back-side of a Tin Pan Alley row house in New York City, Double Self Split draws itself through a different set of material parameters, found conditions and cultural histories in the open courtyard of a Renaissance castle in Spain!

“I still live in Chelsea with my husband, Vicente Caride ’85 and our 16-year-old son Archie.”

John Fitzpatrick writes, “Last November, Chris Olinger organized a get-together on the Oregon Coast. Attendees in addition to Chris and I, were Andrew Grimaldi, Dave Cole, Jeff McCarthy ’89, and Michael Pruzan. Football on the beach, hiking, kayaking, eating, drinking, and reminiscing with the backdrop of the Pacific and sunshine made for a great long weekend.”

And finally, Amy Baltzell, has anew book coming out, The Power of Mindfulness: Mindful Meditation Training for Sport. “I also am now the president of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. I have been spending some time with Susan Anthony, now an artist living on Cape Cod. Her work is beautiful.”

Take care!

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Dear Classmates, I made it up to school recently and saw Wesleyan in all its fall glory as the campus readied for the second-ever night football game on campus—it was pretty exciting and I don’t usually go for that sorta thing. Tailgating and everything. Anyway…

Nice to hear from some new correspondents like Jenifer Goldman Fraser. “Earlier this fall, my husband and I saw our son, Eli, off to the University of Vermont where he is majoring in environmental studies and enjoying the natural beauty of the Burlington area. Our daughter, Sasha, is a junior (who has Wesleyan somewhat on her radar) and youngest, Lily, is a fifth grader. I celebrated a delightful 52nd birthday in the company of Sarah Plagenz Liepert, enjoying the extraordinary chamber music of Julie Scolnik ’78. Her ensemble, Mistral, is extraordinary. If you live in the Boston area, go get your tickets now! Last fall, I got to see Nelly Taveras after many years on one of her trips to the Northeast to visit her daughter, Alina, now a sophomore at Brown.”

Great update from Liz Kromelow with an immediate reply: “Kirsten Edstrom and I are under an umbrella right now in Santa Monica sucking down some fruit beverages. Kirsten just came back from her surf sesh and we’re doing our best to help the LA economy, shopping and eating. Buying all the same stuff I could get in NYC at twice the price, plus shipping.”

Amy Baltzell was elected president for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.

She has a book coming out with Springer—Mindfulness Power:  Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport 2.0. “It’s a trade book with my mindfulness and self-compassion intervention in the appendix, a program I and others have been running and studying for the past few years. Also, I’m now a reiki master and find this approach to healing and balance incredibly powerful and helpful. Perhaps more importantly I am going to Sue Anthony’s birthday party tomorrow night. I am going with Bronwyn Malicoat Bois (as lovely, wise, and kind as ever). I hadn’t seen Sue in 25 years, but bumped into her at here on Cape Cod where we both live now. She has had a beautiful journey and now is a well-respected artist in Welfleet, Mass.”

John Phillips and his wife, Kate, “bravely moved into the adventure of being empty-nesters so we’re now gunning for a second career in film, musicals, or dance.  Until then, we look forward to news from our tax-paying children, Michael, 26, who is in real estate development in LA; Sophie, 23, a marvelous art therapist in Michigan working with children with autism and behavioral disorders; and Juliette, 18—or is it 35?—a freshman at Penn State.”

Rachel Richardson is a clinical social worker/psychotherapist in a community mental health clinic in St. Paul, Minn. “I love my work and have been there since 1993 when I finished graduate school and was hired from my internship. I moved to the Twin Cities in 1987 a couple months after graduation with my now-husband, Michael Deppe. He repaired and built string instruments for 12 years and then went back to grad school and has been an elementary teacher for the past 14 years. We have two daughters: Louisa, 22, who graduated from the University of Chicago this summer, and Charlotte, 20, who is at Grinnell College, incredibly busy and happy as a studio arts major. I have a life I really like with my husband, my children, extended family, my neighborhood, colleagues and friends. One of my daughter’s best friends just graduated from Wesleyan so I feel a little aware of the campus through him. I returned for campus tours for both daughters when they were looking at colleges and to see my dear former boss at the library, Margery May. It was so nostalgic to be there.”

And lastly, Jason Loviglio is chair of media and communication studies at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “I’m serving on the Library of Congress’s Radio Preservation Task Force, which is working to identify and save endangered collections of radio recordings for historians, educators, and archivists. Also serving as a judge for the Peabody Awards in the radio and podcasting area. Also, on the board of Wide Angle Youth Media, a Baltimore nonprofit that teaches Baltimore youth media skills.”

Here’s to a happy 2018 with less tumultuous times.

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who made the trip to Middletown for our 30th Reunion. It was a great weekend!

Elizabeth Barnett Pathak thoroughly enjoyed her first Reunion. She caught up with Foss 5 dormmates Ellie Margolis, Julie Rioux, Sarah Projansky, Karen Steinberg Kennedy, Bruce Wintman, and Matt Weiner, along with lots of other 1987 friends. Her only regret was missing running into fellow “River Rat,” Simon Heart, at the class dinner.

Brad Fuller “had an amazing time at Reunion. Feels like even though 30 years have passed, those relationships made in the late 1980s continue to deepen and enhance our lives in wonderful ways. I had a blast getting caught up with everyone. I am especially grateful to Andrew Carpenter and Sibyll Catalan who kept the fun and laughs coming all weekend long.”

Sumana Chandrasekhar Rangachar is still thinking about how great last month’s Reunion was and realizes more than ever how much she loves her Wes friends. She lives in Montclair, N.J., and she and hubby of 25 years will be official empty nesters next month once their third and last child goes off to college! She works at New York Life, helping parents of children with disabilities navigate resources for financial security.

Judy Pan writes that “there were simply too many terrific people present and not enough time. I even went Friday and Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came back.”

“So great seeing everyone at Reunion,” writes Dan Rauch. “A few updates from me that I’m excited about. I am the inaugural chair of the new hospital medicine sub-board of the American Board of Pediatrics and I am moving to Boston this summer to become the chief of the division of pediatric hospital medicine for the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.  I am also very proud of my daughter, Haley Rauch ’15 who is teaching high school math in Harlem and finishing up the New York City Teaching Fellowship this summer.”

Alisa Kwitney: “Sorry I couldn’t make Reunion, but it’s nice to be in more touch with people like John Dorsey on Facebook. I have some good news—my son, Matt, just graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in math, and my daughter, Elinor, just completed her first year at Bard. I have a new novel, Cadaver & Queen, coming out from Harlequin Teen, and have started Liminal Comics, an imprint of Brain Mill Press. I also have some really sad news. My old friend John Gould ’86, who also went to my high school, died unexpectedly this May of heart failure. He was a professor of speech and language pathology at Elms College and a wonderful father to his sons, Cooper and Griffin.”

Andrew Hall sent the following: “Sorry I missed Reunion. I bet it was a blast. Continuing to be busy playing upright bass in a number of projects. Had a good tour of the West Coast with the instrumental rock trio Big Lazy. We opened up for the guitarist Nels Cline at the fabulous Royce Hall at UCLA, and then drove the next day to Las Vegas where we played in one of the tackiest rock bars I’ve been to. I also joined the Greenwich Village Orchestra in playing Beethovens ‘Symphony No. 9,’ at least most of the notes.”

Nicholas Birns married Isabella Theresa Smalera (Seton Hall ’92) on May 20 at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in South Orange, N.J. Isabella is a biochemist and pharmaceutical professional.

Maureen Craig reports, “My oldest child just graduated from Amherst and starts work in Boston in July. One down, three to go! Life with me is going great. My company is growing, and my husband and I are celebrating our 22nd anniversary this summer.”

Chris Lotspeich, Dan Sharp, Rob Campbell, and Scott Pryce had their own mini-reunion exploring their Scottish heritage and some mountain peaks in May.

Finally, I must also say that I, too, loved Reunion. My one complaint was not having enough time to spend lounging on Foss Hill due to too many interesting seminars on the agenda. So many great people I loved seeing—too many to mention, but special thanks to Sibyll Carnochan Catalan and Naomi Mezey for a late night giggle-fest that was truly therapeutic. And to Matt Paul and Jeremy Mindich for a home-run breakfast on Sunday morning. Only four-and-three-quarter years to go until the 35th! Keep coming back! We need to connect to each other more, not less, as we enter this next phase (whatever that means) in our lives.

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Mark your calendars Class of ’87! It’s our one and only 30th Reunion, and it’s coming May 25-28; be there!

Linda Ryden published her curriculum called Peace of Mind: Integrating Mindfulness, Social Emotional Learning, And Conflict Resolution. “I still teach it full-time at a public elementary school in D.C., and it’s being taught in schools all over the country. I also wrote and illustrated a children’s book called Rosie’s Brain. It’s a story that teaches kids about how their brains work when they get angry and how to use mindfulness to help calm down. My two kids are in college and my husband makes Bullfrog Bagels, the best bagels in D.C.”

Claudia Center has “been at the national ACLU’s Disability Rights Project for nearly three years, working on the intersection of disability and education, policing, incarceration, voting, families, and autonomy. I spent election night texting in terror with Anthea Charles. My job radically changed that night, as the policies being proposed by the new administration and Congress are life-threatening to people with disabilities. I am organizing a singing brigade for the Women’s March Oakland on January 21, 2017, and hope to see several Wesleyan alumni in attendance.”

Wendy Riseborough was in NYC in September for the News & Documentary Emmys. The documentary for which she was supervising producer, American Denial, about implicit bias and racism since the 1940s, received a nomination.

Catherine Dolan Fitch is “excited about our 30th Reunion! I wish I could be returning to campus as a Wes parent, but my children have let me down. My daughter, Anna May, is thriving as a sophomore at Williams, where she is a member of the track team, and my son, Connor, accepted a spot in the class of 2021 at Bowdoin, where he will be playing lacrosse. I am proud that I attended Williams’ homecoming wearing my Wesleyan sweatshirt, and witnessed the Cardinals’ win of the Little Three Championship from the visitor bleachers. My daughter was not as happy with the outcome (or my attire!).”

David Prahas Nafissian is “now a certified life coach! And I’ve returned to composition.  Go here for a free musical gift—my latest work: http://bit.do/In-3 and go here to see my new coaching website: http://bit.do/EAC. Have a beautiful 2017!”

Amy Baltzell writes that she “ran into Susan Anthony, who is a successful artist in Welfleet, where she creates amazing art out of tiny bits of paper. [leftbankgallery.com/collections/susan-anthony] In my professional life, I recently published a book, Mindfulness & Performance, with Cambridge University Press (my Dalmatian keeps me company as I write) and am president-elect of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Most importantly, my three kids are thriving in our sleepy winter beach town on Cape Cod. My most proud moment this year: Our 11-year-old, Zoey, made the boys travel basketball team and she is a starter. I catch glimpses of Bronwyn Malicoat ’89, who is a busy mother of four also living on Cape Cod, and I hear of Susan (Pratt) Arndt happily living in England. With love to you all!”

David Abramson “just reached 15 years at the State Department working on Central Asia and bracing myself for what comes next. Just hit 20 years since I met my wife, Kelly Hand. Our two daughters, Hazel and Daisy, are 15 and 12, respectively, and our Siberian cat, Basil, is 5. I got the latest album by Tierney Sutton ’86, Sting Variations, which has been nominated for a Grammy (fingers-crossed), and enjoyed reading The Lost Spy by fellow Russian language student Andy Meier ’85. It’s about an American Jewish spy for Stalin who grew up in nowheresville Willimantic, Conn., next to my hometown and down the road from Middletown. I am still in touch with, and see too rarely, Skip Lockhart, Jessica Miller, Janet Ginzberg, Becky Riccio, and John Gould ’86.”

“No momentous updates from me says,” Scott Pryce. “My sons are growing (now 8 and 10) and are the greatest source of joy, and I am blessed with a wonderful wife. We are in the D.C. area, and I travel a lot to Miami for work. I am leading a real estate start up, which is challenging and rewarding in different measures depending on the day!”

I do hope to see many of you in Middletown at the end of May. I, for one, don’t see how anyone could pass up a chance to hang out on Foss Hill after 30 years. Who knows who you’ll run into?

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Hi everyone! Please mark your calendars for our 30th Reunion, May 25 to 28. Don’t think about it, just do it!

The day I sent out my query for notes, I immediately received a few (understandably) excited responses: Brad Lubin moved his daughter into Clark today. “Looking forward to her getting her Wes on.” Then from Trisha Lindemann: “I’m at Wesleyan right now dropping off my son, Jordan ’19, who is entering as a junior transfer student. So I guess that is news!” And from Steve Warner and Martha Haakmat: “We just dropped our middle daughter, Georgia ’20, off to join the Wes class of 2020. Being on campus brought back such great memories. We were tempted to stow away in Georgia’s room and live our Wes years all over again. It felt so good to know that although Wesleyan has changed and grown with new buildings and air-conditioned dorms and amazing new facilities, the heart and soul of the school feels exactly the same. We are so excited for Georgia and her 780 classmates!”

And in other news: Just over a year ago, Gabrielle Sellei celebrated 20 years of practice by finally launching her own law firm. “It’s going very well and I am thrilled. My practice is about half business/transactional work and half entertainment law, particularly television, film and literary/writers. I get to work with some of the smartest, cleverest, and coolest people around, and I do my little part to make their thing happen; I feel extremely lucky. Dave Sinkway and I have a 15-year-old daughter, Lily, and a 13-year-old son, Adam, who get their athleticism from their dad and their snarky humor from their mom. Life is good here in Philadelphia!”

Robert Norden writes,“This year marks the 30th year of my owning and operating America’s oldest tavern, The 76 House, just outside of Manhattan in Tappan, N.Y. It was recently the centerpiece of the AMC miniseries, Turn, but is best known for our farm-to-table cuisine and craft brews and ciders all served with a large slice of history!”

Sumana Chandrasekhar Rangachar and her hubby, Raghu Rangachar, just celebrated their 25th anniversary out in Boulder, Colo., and were fortunate to spend two fabulous days with Johanna Van Hise Heart and Simon Heart, who are living there. Other Wes friends she has seen include Pauline Frommer ’88, Eileen Deignan, Ruth Bodian ’88, Lucille Renwick Archibold, and Michele Ahern. She is looking forward to our 30th (eek!) Reunion next year with as many of you as possible!

Amy Baltzell has big news this year: “In addition to having a child in elementary school (Zoey), middle school (Luke), and high school (Shayna), I wrote a new book, Mindfulness & Performance, with Cambridge University Press (2016). I also was just elected president-elect for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.”

Sue Roginski: “I’ve been teaching, choreographing, and gearing up for Trolley Dances Riverside. In July, I was humbled with an award called Arts Honoree of the Month by the City of Riverside and the Riverside Arts Council. This recognition took notice of various projects that I facilitate within the nonprofit called P.L.A.C.E. Performance. Down time was definitely needed so I headed East to see family and made a quick stop in NYC to have dinner with Molly Rabinowitz and George Kirjanov. Hoping to catch up with more Wes friends in May!”

Ian Rosen writes from London. “Family is doing well. Five years in and my firm, Temporis Capital, is thriving. We are focused on investment management in sustainability and renewable energy.”

David Goldberg writes, “Simon Connor, Susan (Toothaker) Skovron, John Skovron, and I caught up and got back on the bus for a night with Dead and Co., at the Gorge in Washington. Thirty years after graduation, we’re still able to let our hair down and share some laughs and experiences raising our kids. (The Skovrons’ daughter, Rosie ’20, is headed to Wes this fall.) I’m just starting work on a City of Seattle environmental justice and equitable development initiative for Seattle’s industrial center in the Duwamish Valley. I’d love to hear from classmates working on these issues elsewhere.”

Kim Sargent-Wishart has big news. “I finished my PhD this year in performance studies at Victoria University in Melbourne. Titled Making Nothing Out of Something: Emptiness, Embodiment, and Creative Activity, it was an adventure in somatic research into human anatomy and embryology, creative practices of dance/filmmaking, contemplative photography, and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. It brought me right back to my Wesleyan days of studying John Cage and doing pedestrian dance, except now we have the Internet. Last year, my family moved down to Warrnambool, where we get to enjoy the beach on the rare days when the wind dies down. I’ve been involved in a local arts organization here, helping run a volunteer art gallery and shop and a new artist-in-residence program. I’ve also been consulting on an embodied leadership program, leading some photography and Body-Mind Centering workshops, teaching Pilates, and starting up a professional development program in Melbourne based in somatics and contemplative arts. My son, Jarrah, is a teenager now and rocking the violin, guitar, and trombone in several bands while questioning the value of a standard education. Luckily we like the same music. My son, Rico, is 9 and loves telling jokes. My partner, Llewellyn, is a full-time academic and also trying to finish his doctorate by next year. We’re hoping there’s a sanity light at the end of this tunnel!”

Josh Bellin’s next novel, the young adult science fiction adventure/romance, Freefall, has been accepted for publication, with an anticipated fall 2017 release date.

And finally, it breaks my heart to report that we lost a classmate recently, Anna Luhrmann Dewdney. I wish I had known her.

As for me, I think this stage in life is challenging, but interesting. And I’m hoping to find myself any day now. See you in May.

With love,

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Hello beloved classmates,

I crashed the first day of Reunion weekend this year, so am full of renewed affection for our alma mater. I swear that campus gets more beautiful every time I see it. Here we go:

Claire Conceison has left Duke University for a new appointment at MIT as Quanta Professor of Chinese Culture and Professor of Theater Arts.

Tim Sheridan just published a new kids ebook to support the Sanders campaign. It’s called A Birdie for Bernie and it’s free when you donate to the campaign. Info at birdie4bernie.com.

Elliot Mark wrote in: “I still live outside Boston, where I’ve been since graduating law school in 1990. My wife, Kathleen, and I have three children, and unbelievably, our oldest daughter is about to graduate from high school (Muhlenberg, class of 2020), our youngest is having her bat mitzvah, and our 15-year-old son is already taller than both his parents and shows no signs of stopping. I see Cam Mears pretty regularly and am in touch with Hal Marcus, Chuck Taylor, and Lauren Ariev Gellman ’88. Had the pleasure of hanging out with Dan Weese and Cheryl Towler and their three children when I visited Chicago to see the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows last summer. Looking forward to our 30th reunion next year!”

Alisa Kwitney went to see Holly Harrison ’85 and Jim McManus ’85 at Holly’s first solo art show, The Language of Lines, at the Abigail Ogilvy gallery in Boston. Alisa also visited Prof. Kit Reed while on campus with her daughter. Alisa is writing a miniseries for DC Comics and developing Liminal Comics, an imprint with Brain Mill Press. Her 10th novel, Cadaver and Queen, is forthcoming.

From Susan Malestein-Romeo: “This year will be 25 years married to my wonderful husband, Robert Malestein. Yes … someone has put up with me that long. We live in Bridgeton, N.J., a very rural town that is about 45 minutes northeast of Atlantic City. Rob is a judge for the Superior Court of New Jersey and currently sits in the criminal division. I have been a family law attorney since 1990, running my own office. It is hard to believe I have been practicing law that long!! I feel like I should be really good by now 🙂 My husband and I are blessed with two daughters, Samantha, who is a sophomore at The College of New Jersey and plays rugby for her school (just like her mom), and Carly, who is a junior in high school.”

“All’s well for the Paseltiners,” writes Linda Paseltiner. “Phil and I won the Commencement jackpot this spring with each of our boys graduating—elementary school, high school and college. In August we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. So, a big year all around for us.”

Jonathan “JB” Davis writes that “While the post-layoff stay-at-home dad/soccer coach/serious home cook things continue to be awesome, the kids no longer require as many hours a day (Joe is almost 15, Eli is 11, and Abby is 9), so I looked for ‘what’s next’ and am now a startup co-founder.” Here’s our site: month16.com.

Erika Ranee had her first solo art show this spring at LMAK gallery in NYC. It was titled Gasoline Rainbows and featured a new series of paintings and her recent foray into works on paper. Erika was a 2009 artist-in-residence at the Abrons Arts Center, and was awarded a studio grant from the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation in 2011. Her work has been shown in several exhibitions including The Bronx Museum, The Last Brucennial/2014, The Parlour Bushwick and recently at BravinLee programs.

This winter Eileen Deignan caught up with Johanna and Simon Heart in Boulder, Colo. “Sumana Chandrasekhar Rangashar’s family hosted us this spring in New Jersey. I catch up with Doug Neuman periodically here in Boston. Ira Skolnik and I practice right down the street from each other. Had a happy reunion with Shiyoung Roh at a hospital function; she is an ophthalmologist at Lahey Clinic. On a professional note, I was voted a member of my hospital’s board of directors.”

Stephen Warner and Martha Haakmat “are beyond thrilled that our daughter, Georgia Warner-Haakmat ’20, will be attending Wes! As for the two of us, we both continue to be deeply and happily involved in education, Martha as Head of School at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School and me as Head of Lower School at Allen-Stevenson in NYC.”

Hannah Doress ’88 writes in about Alane Freund: “It is an exciting time for Alane Freund—she put her MS, LMFT and Equine Assisted Growth and Learning (EAGALA) training to work to found Heart and Mind Equine, where she offers weekend retreats, psychotherapy and leadership development programs for the 20 percent of the population that is highly sensitive. Heart and Mind Equine is developing a national reputation, drawing attendees from around the county and collaborating closely with high sensitivity field pioneer Dr. Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. Media coverage of Alane has sometimes called her ‘the horse whisperer’ because of her skill in rescuing, gentling and incorporating wild horses into her work. Doress ’88 and her son Abe have taken part in her youth leadership development programs with these horses [which explains our enthusiasm!]. Alane lives and works with her partner, Monica Zimmerman, an equine specialist and midwife. Her son, Asher Padua-Freund, is a high school student with an interest in neurology.”

Scott Pryce is spending his time between Miami and Washington these days, and would love to catch up with classmates in both cities. “I am in touch with Dan Sharp ’88, Chris Lotspeich, and Rob Campbell from our class. We had a fun reunion with a few other classmates like Alex Scott, and also Colin Campbell at Rob’s wedding last year.”

That’s all the room we have.

Best always,

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Am I the only one excited about our 30th Reunion next year? (Don’t answer that.) By now, most of us have either embraced or are recovering from the trauma of turning 50. Many of us with kids are becoming empty nesters if we haven’t already, while some of us are starting new families—not to mention new careers! Whatever phase of life you are going through, please keep sharing it with us.

Let’s start with Holly Campbell Ambler: “I live in Cambridge, Mass., with my husband and two teenage daughters … sort of. My oldest, Nora, age 18, is currently living in Florida pursuing her interest in ballet (I still consider that living at home because I can’t get used to the idea that children grow up). My other daughter, Louise, is in 10th grade, and may even agree to visit Wes on her college visits next year! I am working as a social worker in an elementary school in Boston, a job I began this year. I see Trish and John Dorsey frequently, as well as Doug Koplow and family, and Dennis Mahoney. I also had fun catching up with many Davids (David Glotzer, David Josephs, David Igler ’88, and David Witkin) and their families when a few of us met in Chicago last May … did we really turn 50!?”

I love when different people write in about the same events, and I assume DJ is talking about the weekend Holly just detailed above. David Josephs writes: “I will soon be suffering from an empty nest, as my daughter graduates from college in May and I got a great new job. I just joined Visa and am semi-relocating from the Chicago suburbs to San Francisco. Also, a few of us from the class of ’87 who lived on or around what was then Knowles Avenue got together over Memorial Day (2015) weekend to celebrate our collective 50th birthdays.” (Everyone above was listed plus Cindy Willard ’88.)

Susan Arndt “got remarried in August, to Tracey, who is wonderful. She’s from the Gold Coast in Australia so shares my love of the ocean and the beach. Our relatives came from across the globe to share a big house in the country with us for a week and it was a really happy time. Tracey gave birth to our son, Tommy ,on July 8, and his older brothers Jake (11) and Angus (9) are besotted (as are we, of course). They are both growing quickly and filling as much time as possible with baseball, table tennis, gymnastics, music and, of course, Minecraft (homework, what’s that?). Tommy on the other hand is discovering the joys of food (more, please!) and trying desperately to crawl. After an early career in start-ups, and 10-plus-years running big delivery projects mostly in the media space, I’m back to my roots leading delivery for V-Nova, a small high-potential startup in data and video compression software. I keep in regular touch with Peg O’Connor, Amy Baltzell, and Stacy Owen. We’re still in London, where real estate prices are ridiculous but international access amazing.”

Dave Ryan is “currently living the dream, as a mostly-stay-at-home Dad … while working as the associate head writer of Days of Our Lives. My wife, Rachel, and Ripley, our 5-year-old daughter, accompanied me to the Oaxaca Filmfest, where my screenplay, Coffin, just took the top prize.”

Amy Baltzell is the editor of “a new book coming out, which I am very honored to be part of.” You can read about Mindfulness and Performance (Cambridge University Press) at cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/psychology/applied-psychology/mindfulness-and-performance. She adds, “I also became a teacher trainer for the mindful self-compassion program, which I am planning on bringing to sport. I started late with kids—so my tap dancing 10-year-old, rapidly growing 12-year-old basketball player and very tall 14-year-old ballerina are keeping me wildly busy.”

Matt Nestor is “proud and excited to say that my daughter, Miranda ’20, will be at Wesleyan!”

Brad Lubin’s daughter, Gillian ’20, will also be starting Wesleyan next fall and playing lacrosse. “Gillian’s decision to apply to Wesleyan ED1 was made several days after attending the Wesleyan fundraiser performance of Hamilton. Currently, the Hamilton soundtrack can be heard most nights throughout the house.”

In Dallas, Paul Zoltan helped to found the Child Refugee Support Network. Under his supervision the CRSN has, since August 2014, hosted more than 30 legal clinics to assist families and unaccompanied children complete and file applications for asylum. He’d love to hear from any Wes alums in Dallas—especially if they might be inclined to lend a hand.

Josh Bellin has a new novel, Scavenger of Souls (young adult science fiction), due to be published Aug. 23, 2016, by Simon & Schuster.

Sloane Smith Morgan writes that she has been “happily ensconced for the past 20-plus years in the SF Bay Area, and the last eight years I’ve been having great fun being part of the start-up team at Sungevity, currently the largest privately held solar company in the U.S. When not evangelizing about solar, I’m having fun with my husband, Nick, and our three sons, enjoying the best of California’s great outdoors, gardening and cooking with friends and family, and poking fun at expensive SFO real estate, customer experience, and ‘disruptive’ Bay Area tech.

Peg O’Connor “has a new book out this January titled, Life on the Rocks: Finding Meaning in Addiction and Recovery, with Central Recovery Press. It is part memoir and part philosophical ruminations on addiction as both cause and consequence of suffering. Since western philosophy has been grappling with questions about suffering, the meaning of life, and what counts as a good life or a life of flourishing, philosophy has a lot to offer anyone affected by addictions. Just about everyone in the US is somehow affected by addiction, whether one’s own or a family member’s or friend’s addiction.” [Ed. note: See page 16.]

That’s all the news for now. I hope everyone has a great summer! Much love,

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com

Johanna Maaghul is “so happy to have settled back in San Francisco with my husband and family. I have started a new career as a literary agent and am enjoying the wild ride with my authors in the rapidly changing publishing industry. I work mostly in the mind-body-spirit space but do some fiction as well. Many thanks to Julia Druskin for the mid-life career counseling! Our oldest son, David, is now officially a Cal Bear after years in the stands at the Saturday football games in Berkeley as a child.”

Charles Grattan Baldwin started a new job this fall. “I moved to Princess Anne, Md., where I am an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; At UMES I am teaching literacy courses to teacher candidates. So far, I am having a great time teaching and I am very much enjoying the academic life. My daughter, Annika, and I spent some of the summer in Switzerland and Sweden. I turned 50 near Zurich; Switzerland was a great place to have a birthday.”

This fall, the UNC Press is publishing The Transnational Mosque, Architecture and Historical Memory in the Contemporary Middle East, by Kishwar Rizvi.

Tessellati, LLC, a marketing agency on Boston’s North Shore, run by Ben Waxman, “is always looking for interns looking to do good in the world, as they work hard and gain great business experience. Last summer Leah Giacalone ’17 was a terrific addition to our team.”

Emerson Hospital physician and Concord, Mass., resident, Ira L. Skolnik, MD, PhD, has been elected to a three-year term as president of the Massachusetts Board of Dermatology.

Scott Pryce is still in D.C., though he spends a lot of time in Miami. He celebrated Chip Nottingham’s 50th in DC with Breaux Walker ’89 and Colin Dowling ’86 in attendance.

I got a great long e-mail from my freshman hall mate Laura Holmes: “As I write this, I am sitting on the porch of a 1940s farmhouse (old by Oklahoma standards) that I moved to my partner’s property about three years ago. We gutted the house, renovated, and added on to make an amazing place that fits the property and our outdoor lifestyle. I’m watching the total lunar eclipse from the porch,which faces east toward the vineyards and the horse pasture. We have 10 acres, two horses, three dogs, and a cat. During the day, I practice education law, representing school districts throughout Oklahoma, and am enjoying my life at 50. We are having our first wedding in the vineyard with a reception in the barn this coming weekend and are hopeful for a successful new venture. Whenever I get e-mails from Wesleyan, I fondly remember my time in Foss 8 with you, Anne Friedlander, Debra Guss, Nancy Dobrow, Bucko (head resident Kathi Burke ’84), Betsy Datner ’85, Lauren, Mercedes, Christine, Valerie, Kathleen, Jennifer, and all our other hallmates. What a great group to live with our freshman year. I always look back on my time at Wes and think what an amazing place, an incredible education, and unbelievable friends. Of course, if any Wes folks are in Oklahoma, I would love to catch up. Many years ago, a much younger Wes alum played ice hockey for our semi-pro team in Oklahoma City. We became friends, and he had Christmas dinner with my family. I loved being able to share with him what others from Wes had shared with me for several Thanksgivings when I didn’t come home.”

Josh Calder had fun this summer doing a family road trip with the 8-year-old and 2-year-old, from Minnesota back to DC, via Canada. “As it was my birthday trip, I made us visit 43 islands. (I’m hoping to reach an island total equal to my age this year.)”

Karen Craddock also gave me a lengthy update: She is “an applied psychologist and principal researcher focusing on the socio-cultural context of human development, especially among women and marginalized communities, and as founder/president of KCollaborative Connections a relationship-based consultation, training and research practice I am collaborating on projects across multiple sectors. It’s been a pleasure to work as faculty and lead scholar of Relational-Cultural Theory and Social Action with the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (JBMTI) at the Wellesley Centers for Women, primarily exploring connections across race, gender, and relational neuroscience and the impact on social emotional wellness in diverse communities. Recently co-authored an article with JBMTI colleague in Psychology Today on “Stopping the Pain of Social Exclusion.” As chief operations officer for engagement with the Avielle Foundation’s Sodina Project, it is an honor to develop and expand this national storytelling and mapping project with those who have lost loved ones to violence with an overarching aim to create change by cultivating a diverse community of healing, fostering empathy, compassion and connection. Finally, I am very excited to share the launch of my new book as editor and author of Black Motherhood(s): Contours, Contexts and Considerations (Demeter Press), a multi-disciplinary volume of essays and works by an international array of scholars and writers exploring the varying perspectives and experiences of Black motherhood through diverse and intersecting lens. I keep in touch with a few Wesleyan folks quite regularly: Ian Friday, Melinda Weekes ’89, Joaquina Borges, Lydia Esdaile ’85 and several others via Facebook and community circles. I was also thrilled to support and participate in Vashti Dubois’ ’83 The Colored Girls Museum, which opened in September for the Philadelphia Fringe Arts Festival.”

Happy holidays and best wishes for a great new year.

Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com