The Classes

Linda Shiue ’98 MD (see ’93).

Peter Chin-Hong ’97 MD (see Linda Shiue ’93).

Emily Shaw ’10 MD (see ’05).

Bruce G. Weniger was interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show for his polemical essay about the undermining of the CDC’s role and the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Glenn Orton writes: “In the photo, I’m observing a nearly 14,000-foot summit of Maunakea, Hawaii. Shown in the background are the white domes of the Keck I and II telescopes and the silver dome of the Subaru Telescope operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. I’ve made solar-system observations at both.”

Christine Shin Yin ’92 MAT (see Justine Stamen Arrillaga ’92).

Kang Sun ’88 PhD was elected as Asia’s Most Influential Entrepreneur 2020 by Fortune Times for his accomplishments in the renewable energy industry. He is currently the chief executive officer of Amprius, Inc., an advanced lithium ion battery business. He also built two successful solar companies: RayTracker, acquired by First Solar; and JA Solar, which launched an IPO on NASDAQ. He can be reached at kangsun@alumni.brown.edu or (408) 887-1937.

Ian Malcolm Taplin ’86 PhD published The Evolution of Luxury with Routledge and is currently writing a book on Napa Valley wines to be published in 2021. He continues to be a professor at Wake Forest University and can be reached at taplin@wfu.edu.

Lloyd Kaplan ’62 MAT, professor emeritus at the Community College of Rhode Island and member of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, coauthored In Harmony: Early Vocal Groups Remembered & Celebrated. The book was published by Consortium Publishing of West Greenwich, R.I.

Willa Tracy ’19 AM (see Eleanor Walsh ’17).

Viraj Gandhi ’19 MFA writes: “I’m reaching out with some major career updates. My debut animated short, When Planets Mate, competed in two Oscar qualifying film festivals this year, Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival. Additionally, the film debuted on Rolling Stone India on November 11. I executive produced, wrote the music and story for this film, and then collaborated with an animation team to bring it to life. Additionally, I earned my master’s in music from Berklee College of Music in 2020. I’m currently seeking investors for my next film, which involves the craft of around 25 POC international artists from a variety of innovative crafts.” 

Samantha Jackson ’13 AM, a U.S. diplomat, coauthored an article published in the Foreign Service Journal, a foreign affairs journal from the perspective of American Foreign Service personnel. The article is a reflection on race and service from six Black women working at the State Department.

Anna Watkins Fisher ’09 AM, ’12 PhD, an assistant professor of American culture at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and coeditor of the second edition of New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader, published The Play in the System: The Art of Parasitical Resistance. Acknowledging the difficulty for artists in the twenty-first century to effectively critique systems of power, she theorizes parasitism—a form of resistance in which artists comply with dominant structures as a tool for practicing resistance from within. 

Arya Okten published her first book, The Mathematical Investigations of Dr. O and Arya, with Tumblehome Inc. She and her father, Giray, cowrote the book based on workshops they used to present together to middle school students. The book aims to make advanced mathematical topics accessible and enjoyable to kids and uses a combination of games, history, and cartoons to explain topics from number theory to probability. 

Nick Sarazen writes: “I’m a record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. It feels odd to send an email about myself but I thought Brown Alumni Magazine might want to know a member of the Brown community is nominated for a Grammy Award this year. BAM is really the only way I stay connected to Brown since graduation, so I figured I would send an update of my own. I produced D Smoke and Snoop Dogg’s single ‘Gaspar Yanga,’ the lead single from D Smoke’s album Black Habits, which is nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. D Smoke is also nominated for Best New Artist.”

Eleanor Walsh and Blake Wilcox ’16 were married on June 13 at Eleanor’s parents’ house in her hometown of Lancaster, Pa. The ceremony was very small, with fellow Brunonians Spencer Caplan ’15, Jenna Frerichs ’16, and Willa Tracy ’18, ’19 AM, included in the wedding party. A larger first anniversary celebration is planned for June 2022.

Jennifer Steger serves as chief scientific officer of Nanodropper, Inc., a medical device company that she cofounded as a PhD student in pharmacology at the Univ. of Washington. She and her cofounders were named to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in healthcare.

Eric Johnson, a podcast producer based in San Francisco, launched BumbleCast, an independent podcasting company that will help individuals and organizations start podcasts or improve the shows they already run. Before BumbleCast, he worked at Vox Media, where he produced the popular technology podcast Recode Decode with Kara Swisher. 

Nat Seelen and Amy Seibel ’09 announce the Aug.12  birth of their son, Benjamin Tony Seibel Seelen, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They can’t wait to introduce him to all of you at the next Campus Dance.

Liat Berdugo published The Weaponized Camera in the Middle East: Videography, Aesthetics, and Politics in Israel and Palestine with Bloomsbury. It uses citizen-recorded video as its core material to take a visual studies approach to conflict. The book traces how Palestinians originally filmed to “shoot back” at Israelis, who were armed with weapons as the occupying army, but then Israeli private citizens began filming back at Palestinians with their own cameras, creating a simultaneous, echoing countersurveillance.

Karina Ikezoe and Ibrahim Diane ’06 celebrated a Brown family Thanksgiving with their newest addition, Kenzo Mori Ikezoe Diane, born Sept. 8. Uncle Paolo Ikezoe ’07 and Karina and Paolo’s dad, Ikezoe Yoshikazu, were also present.

Emily Shaw ’10 MD is a certified life coach for community-minded physicians who want more out of life, who are sick and tired of the tug-a-war between their work life and the rest of life, and who are ready for change now. She is her own first patient and is now truly living her passions with her wife and kids in Sonoma County, Calif. Connect with her at emilyshawmd.com.

Lauren Kupersmith announces the birth of her daughter Kaycen Dalia. She is the fourth grandchild of Stephen ’73 and Eileen Schwartz Kupersmith ’73. Lauren  lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and works as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. 

Chaney Kwak is a New York Times and Travel & Leisure writer who is publishing his debut book, The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship, in June 2021. 

Whitney Fellberg Reichel has been named to the 2020 “Top Women of Law” list by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. A principal at Fish & Richardson, Whitney is an accomplished patent trial lawyer with more than 15 years of experience representing some of the world’s largest companies in their highest stakes IP litigation. She has litigated complex patent cases in federal courts around the country, across a broad spectrum of technologies, in a wide range of industries. Her practice also extends to trade-secret litigation and general commercial litigation. In addition to her client work, she also manages the Boston office chapter of the firm’s EMPOWER Women’s Initiative, which promotes the recruitment, retention, and advancement of the firm’s female legal staff. She has an active pro bono practice and has handled cases for the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) program for more than 12 years and received PAIR’s “Outstanding Pro Bono Service” Award in 2014. She also regularly takes on pro bono cases through Immigration Equality, which is the country’s leading LGBTQ+ immigrant rights organization. 

Luke Cunningham published his first novel, LEO, Inventor Extraordinaire, a children’s book about a genius kid inventor at a school for gifted orphans. He calls the novel “a direct result of his humanities education at Brown.” 

Michael Rubin writes: “In May, I was formally presented with the 2020 Massachusetts High School Principal of the Year award, given annually by the Massachusetts School Administrators Association. I humbly accepted the award with my parents and family and our incredible faculty in attendance. I also had the privilege of presenting on the topic of school redesign through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) integration, specifically looking at how our Innovation Pathway programs have improved overall metrics for learning across the school. While the pandemic continues to provide new challenges every day, the work remains exciting. We are always looking for new partners to bolster our students’ connections to the ‘real-world,’ so reach out if you have any interest in working with our staff!”

Stiliana Milkova published Elena Ferrante as World Literature with Bloomsbury Academic. The book is the first English language monograph on contemporary Italian writer Elena Ferrante, whose four Neapolitan Novels became a global phenomenon.  

Anna Lenaker ’20 MPA published her memoir Able to Be Otherwise with New Degree Press. The book is an intimate exploration of her experiences and encounters with poverty, addiction, and climate change. 

Jessica Meir ’99 has been tapped for NASA’s Artemis Team, a racially and ethnically diverse group of 18 astronauts, nine women and nine men. The lunar exploration program plans to land the first woman and next man on the moon in 2024. Meir, an astronaut since 2013, has spent 205 days in space and completed three spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk. She was named to Time Magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people for 2020 and will receive an honorary degree from Bowdoin College in May.

Mahesh Madhav writes: “I recently directed a short arts documentary, How to Bend Concrete in 108 Easy Steps, which plays upon themes of artistic vulnerability and impostor syndrome. After completing a successful run on the film festival circuit, we signed a distribution deal for the educational market. If you are an educator in engineering/art/design, please look us up. A shorter edition of the film is also available on Amazon Prime Video.”

Jennifer Dupee published her debut novel The Little French Bridal Shop with St. Martin’s Press. A story about finding love in very unexpected places, the novel addresses the experience of loss of identity, disorientation, and confusion that comes with becoming the caretaker of an ailing parent. Find out more at jenniferdupee.com. 

Shani Mahiri King published Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter, a boldly designed book that celebrates Black role models in music, law, medicine, entertainment, and more. Illustrated by award-winning graphic designer Bobby C. Martin Jr., the book is geared towards children ages 10 and up and features quotes by prominent Black leaders. King is a law professor at the Univ. of Florida, where he also serves as the director of the Center on Children and Families and an associate director of the Center on Race and Race Relations. 

At press time, these alums were appointed or awaiting appointment to the Biden administration: Jennifer Daskal ’94, deputy general counsel (cyber & technology), Department of Homeland Security; Elisabeth Donahue ’86, chief of staff, Council of Economic Advisers;  Marc Etkind ’87, associate administrator for communications, NASA; Ruby Goldberg ’17, special assistant, Office of Land and Emergency Management,  Environmental Protection Agency; Suzanne Goldberg ’85, deputy assistant secretary for strategic operation, U.S. Dept. of Education ; Roberta Jacobson ’82, coordinator, U.S. Southern Border, National Security Council; Jennifer Klein ’87, cochair, White House Gender Policy Council; Daniel Kohl ’87, director of government relations, AmeriCorps; Letise Houser LaFeir ’00, senior advisor, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce ; Emma Leheny ’92, principal deputy general council, U.S. Dept. of Education; Suzan Davidson LeVine ’93, interim political head, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Dept. of Labor; Sean Manning ’18, press assistant, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Commerce ; Ben Miller ’07, senior advisor to the chief of staff, U.S. Dept. of Education; Melanie Nakagawa ’02, senior director, climate and energy, National Security Council; Victoria Nuland ’83, undersecretary of state for political affairs, State Dept.; Daniel Parnes ’10, special assistant to the ASD for energy environment & installations, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Tanya Sehgal ’06, special advisor and senior counsel,  U.S. Dept. of Personnel Management; Stefanie Tompkins ’93 ScM, ’97 PhD, director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Christina Tsafoulias ’04, supervisory congressional liaison specialist, Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, USAID; Janet Yellen ’67, Secretary of the Treasury; Todd Zabatkin ’10 MPP,  deputy director for research (White House Communications Dept.) ; and Maria Zuber ’83 ScM, ’86 PhD, cochair, President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Mark Marino published Critical Code Studies with MIT Press. The book lays a foundation for a field of study that invites people to use the critical methods of the humanities to interpret computer source code, an idea that Marino first proposed in 2006. He credits his course in hypertext theory with George Landow as an undergrad for inspiring him to see the links between the lessons of the humanities and the domain of computers. The book won the N. Katherine Hayles Prize for Criticism of Electronic Literature. 

Linda Shiue ’98 MD is excited to share her debut cookbook Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes, which was published by Hachette Go in March (bit.ly/SpiceboxKitchen). Linda is the first director of culinary medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, where she practices internal medicine, and in 2017 she founded Thrive Kitchen, which provides healthy cooking classes for patients. Linda lives with Peter Chin-Hong ’92, ’97 MD, and their two daughters in San Francisco. Peter is associate dean of regional campuses at UCSF, overseeing the UCSF-UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program and the UCSF-San Joaquin Valley PRIME program at UCSF Fresno. Peter is a professor at UCSF School of Medicine and director of the Transplant Infectious Disease Service and has been a frequent media commentator on the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact Linda at linda_shiue@hotmail.com and Peter can be contacted at Peter.Chin-Hong@ucsf.edu.

Justine Stamen Arrillaga had a fun gathering with Christine Shin Yin ’92 MAT visiting (from San Francisco) her sister Jodi Shin Yamamoto ’93 in Honolulu, where both Justine and Jodi live.

New York City based CDR Studio Architects, led by Jon Dreyfous and RISD alums Lea Cloud and Victoria Rospond, was named one of 10 finalists in the Movers & Shakers Small Business Competition sponsored by Investors Bank. Entries were judged on the firm’s creativity in the marketplace, competitiveness as a small business, and contribution to the community. Find CDR Studio Architects at cdrstudio.com. 

Didier Jean-Baptiste ’90, dean of seniors and college placement at St. Benedict’s Prep, has been named to the advisory board of UChicago Stand Together, an initiative launched to further educational access and career success for students of color and groups underrepresented in higher education. In this position he will provide input and guidance to assist Stand Together in producing resources and programming aimed at benefiting the college admissions community.

Paul Greenberg published two books, Goodbye Phone, Hello World and The Climate Diet. Goodbye Phone, Hello World features 60 bite-size, device-free activities scientifically proven to promote happiness while The Climate Diet offers 50 straightforward, impactful rules for climate-friendly living.

Markham Roberts published his second book, Notes on Decorating (Vendome Press). In the book, he addresses his working method and thought process when interior decorating for a client. Photographs of his projects are also included throughout. 

Amanda Mei Kim published her essay “Living That Van Life Before It Was a Hashtag” in Brick Literary Journal and LitHub. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, the story is about an Asian American farming family in California and the ways that mental health, racism, climate change, music, and vans intersect in their lives. 

R.J. Harper executive produced a virtual six-concert musical awards and performance show for the 2020 Black Music Association, which brought out top music and entertainment talent, including original members of the legendary Temptations and Mary Wilson of the Supremes.

Danny Givertz released his first album of original indie folk rock music Night into Day. Danny wrote the lyrics, cowrote the music and performs as lead singer. He collaborated with a talented band, including Bay Area jazz guitar luminary Terrence Brewer and Grammy Award winning violinist Mads Tolling. The album explores themes of aging, spirituality, nature, healing and community. Night into Day is on all major streaming sites under the name Danny Givertz (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, et al). Givertz’s debut album, Dolores Park, released in 2013, was a cover album reinterpreting indie rock and world music. He can be reached at danny@dannygivertz.com. He is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco.

Scott Krigsman and his wife Brooke Pinkham, along with their seven-year-old son Abraham Albie Krigsman, welcomed their second son, Joachim Antone Krigsman, on Simchat Torah, Oct. 11. They live happily in Seattle. 

John Crespi published Manhua Modernity: Chinese Culture and the Pictorial Turn with the Univ. of California Press. The book delves into how the polymorphic cartoon-style art known as manhua helped define China’s modern experience. 

Amy Hummerstone Israelsson is an architect practicing in northern New Jersey, where she also lives with her family. 

Chip Sternbergh is the 2020 president of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery. His presidential address, “Triumph, Tragedy, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Journey of Self-Awareness,” can be accessed on YouTube. 

Laurie Sherman writes: “In these strangest of times, there have been many changes and joys. I got married to Jim Doscher in a Zoom wedding in June with my three young adult kids in the room and 105 friends and family on the screen from around the world. That same month, my first book came out. Chasing Social Justice: How Do We Advance the Work That Matters Most? features personal stories, plus leadership and management lessons, garnered across organizations and movements over the past 30 years. We’re living in the Boston area and I’ve begun a practice to provide executive coaching, as well as strategy consulting, with a focus on nonprofits and the public sector. I would love to hear from friends at LS45@comcast.net.”

Paula Clark ’84, an Episcopal priest, made history by becoming the first Black person and the first woman ever elected to be the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. Bishop-elect Clark came to Chicago from Washington, D.C., where she served as canon to the ordinary and chief of staff to the bishop. She was to be consecrated in April.

Pamela Wiseman writes: “I moved to Heath, Texas, four years ago with my husband, David Farley, to take on a new role at Baylor Scott & White in Dallas as vice president of supply chain. I am finding myself reinventing our approach right in the midst of the PPE challenges of COVID-19. Baylor Scott & White was named in Gartner’s Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 for 2020. We live overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard and spend time boating out of Rush Creek. We’ve essentially recreated New England within 25 miles of the city. We meet up during summers on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region with Mary Griffin Perna and Chris Perna and see Karen Sadler as often as possible.”

Sara Low (see David Kramer ’53).

Roger W. Kaufman Jr. writes: “I’ve been an enthusiastic L.A. resident for 30 years but recently surprised myself by falling madly in love with Sedona, Arizona, and have now moved there permanently. I am happily rediscovering that I’ve always been a nature boy at heart. I am still seeing my California psychotherapy clients remotely and I am also now licensed for seeing clients in Arizona. I look forward to meeting other Brown alumni in the area.”

Celia Imrey, principal architect and founder of Imrey Studio, writes: “Our latest project at the Harlem School of Arts was featured in the New York Times. It’s a story of welcoming, inclusion, and amplification of an important mission, one that is not dissimilar to Brown’s with respect to the creation of a community. The HSA community is suffering now from the disastrous effects of the pandemic. I truly hope this project can be a beacon to those families—better times are ahead and their kids will be back in the studios and dance halls making art again soon.” 

Lisa Miller Autry self-published her first book Holy Borrowers: Equipping Church Leaders for Building Finance. After retiring from a 32-year banking career, she wrote this book to help church leaders better understand the complexities of financing their largest tangible asset: their church building. 

Lawrence Douglas published Will He Go?: Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020 in May before the 2020 election. A professor at Amherst College, Douglas has received national and international attention for his book, which outlined the prospect of an electoral meltdown and a less-than-peaceful transition of power from Trump.

Mary K. Miluski (see Joe and Jane Bertram Miluski ’58).

Jeri Aitken Larson writes: “After almost 20 years of desk jockeying, I could have further irritated my spinal curvature, but instead I retired. I remain an inactive but grateful and healthy partner with Edward Jones. I credit my family, the U.S. Navy, and my chiropractor for my current state of health—fabulous for almost 62. I was never going to marry, never going to have children, etc. I now have one son (30), two daughters (24 and 32), and three granddaughters (12, 6, and less than 1 year). I live large and love large.”

Michael Canton writes: “Upon matriculation to Brown, I became an instant fan of the 360 Degree Black Experience in Sound on WBRU. Decades later, I joined the public radio station WYEP as a volunteer host and 360 was my template for presenting a broad swath of Black music. I host The Soul Show (TSS), which is popular and well respected in the Pittsburgh market. In 2020, TSS achieved syndication in the African American Public Radio Consortium and it was really gratifying to be picked up by Rhode Island Public Radio, ThePublicsRadio.org, Saturdays 10 p.m. Eastern. Maybe you’ll hear the 360 legacy.”

Jon Land (see Augustus White III ’57).

Oceanside, California’s first female and first Latinx mayor, Esther Sanchez ’78, took office on December 15. Prior to the election, Esther served as a member of the Oceanside City Council. She has worked as an attorney for more than 30 years, in both the public and private sector. She retired from the public defender’s office in 2008, after 20 years, and started her law office/business in Oceanside.

David Hahn writes: “I continue to work on music at this difficult time. Could we be nearing the point when our children and students ask: Did ordinary Americans know that the leader of the free world allowed a virus to kill his people? About the mass persecution of Black and brown people? Of the brutal internment of children? Of the tightening grip of authoritarianism? Here’s wishing for a peaceful transition before my next newsletter. I am working on a new collection of pieces to be included in a CD. Despite the fact that now rehearsing and studio recording are impossible, I am working remotely with musicians who contribute their parts online.” 

Russell Heath’s thriller novel Rinn’s Crossing was included on the Kirkus Reviews list of best indie mysteries, crime stories, and thrillers of 2020.

Richard Gordon created the Airgami respirator, an origami N95 respirator mask that self-conforms to the user’s face and is 95% efficient in filtering PM0.3, the hardest particle size to capture. The mask won the Reimagining Respiratory Protection QuickFire Challenge sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, in October 2019. Gordon’s company, Air99, won a trophy and a $100,000 grant for the Airgami concept. The mask is available on www.airgami.life. 

Donna Gordon writes: “At the ripe old age of 65, my debut novel What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me will be published with Regal House in early 2022. My photo essay ‘Putting Faces on the Unimaginable’ was published in BAM, October 1989. The work I did back then with former prisoners of conscience helped fuel the writing of the novel.” 

Steve Owens writes: “I have been appointed by President Christina Paxson to a three-year term on the Brown University Community Council (BUCC). The BUCC is chaired by President Paxson and consists of representatives of the Brown administration, faculty, and staff; undergraduate, graduate, and medical students; and alumni. The BUCC serves as a ‘university-wide forum for discussion, debate, and advisory recommendations on a wide spectrum of issues and concerns’ and makes recommendations on ‘issues relating to University community policy, the governing of the University, and the overall welfare of the University.’”

Steven Willensky announces that Hudson Theatre Works streamed the world premiere of his musical Elliot and Me. The musical is a funny, heartfelt story of brotherly love featuring music written by his late brother Elliot, who penned hit records like Michael Jackson’s “Got To Be There.” 

Meredith Miller Post writes: “My rom-com feature Tick will be produced as soon as it is safe to shoot on set. It’s about a woman on the brink of getting all she ever wanted until a doctor she trusts misdiagnoses her, causing her to lose everything including her clothes/iPhone/purse. She kidnaps the doctor to get revenge only to find love instead. The film will be accompanied by a documentary by award-winning filmmaker John Dempsey. It is about my real-life experience with a misdiagnosis at the height of my career. I was in and out of hospitals, fighting for my life for almost 20 years, but I always kept on writing and started teaching and mentoring aspiring TV/film writers. I am currently writing another feature, In An Instant, for producer Mark Lipsky (Beverly Hills Cop III/Coming to America), based on the true story of a college senior who had to find a way to give his life new meaning after suffering a traumatic brain injury.” 

David Shapiro is serving the second year of his two-year term as secretary/treasurer for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) board of directors. The board advocates for patient safety, provides strategic guidance on program development and administration, and shares innovative ideas to ensure the continuous success of the organization. David is an anesthesiologist who has had extensive experience serving as a department chair, medical director, and board member of several ambulatory surgery centers.

Crawford Bunkley III narrated Scars: The Trials of Mental Illness and the Farthest Reach for God, an audiobook by Sandra Rains DeBusk. The audiobook is available on Audible. 

David Denekas writes: “Mike Sansing and I got married in 2015 after a successful 36-year trial period. I have retired from family medicine (medical records clerk, ha ha) but continue to work as assistant medical director for Calvert Hospice in Maryland. We are still sailing the Chesapeake Bay, working (too much) in the yard, and traveling. Our scheduled trip to Scotland was scuttled and replaced with a road trip to Maine this fall in Harvey the RV, a.k.a. ‘Shake, rattle, and roll.’ Holidays, sadly, as for many of us, were just the two of us and family only by Zoom. We look forward to a more sociable 2021. (Jackie Hess: I can still recite the story of Prinderella and the Cince.)”

Steven Small writes: “I marked 42 years in the entertainment business in Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Munich, Zurich, and Nashville. After cleaning out my desk on Nashville’s Music Row, I traveled four miles south to start my retirement, as a member of Teach for America’s cohort of 2015. Two months of education boot camp ensued and on August 1 I was an English teacher at Cane Ridge High School, a fabulous, urban public school with a diverse, international school body. This past May, at the conclusion of my fifth year of teaching, I earned my M.Ed. from Lipscomb University and the faculty voted me Cane Ridge Teacher of the Year. What a ride! Looking forward to the 50th, hopefully with the Wet Dwarfs and the Egg Bros!”

Jeff Paine writes: “After 40 years in high tech marketing, I decided it was finally time to embrace irrelevance and retire so we sold our Noe Valley view home in San Francisco in November and moved to our forever house in the resort town of Hossegor on the southwest Atlantic coast of France in December. Once easy travel is back, visitors are absolutely welcome (Biarritz Airport is not far away). Just write or email me at: 1276 Avenue du Touring Club de France, 40150, France or jeffreytpaine@gmail.com.”

Paul Backalenick published his second novel, Carrie’s Secret, a dark psychological mystery praised as “surprising” and “compelling” by Kirkus Reviews. See more at PaulBackalenick.com. 

Jesse Jupiter writes that he retired in late 2020 after 45 years as an orthopedic hand surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He will continue teaching and writing while he and his wife live in Telluride, Colo., in the winter and near an ocean for the rest of the year. He is also the Hansjorg Wyss/AO Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the past president of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and of the American Association of Hand Surgeons. 

John Andes published Scruffs with Havah Publishing and it’s available on Amazon. In Scruffs, the mother of a murdered teen enlists her brother’s help to find answers explaining the girl’s death. Together they review the surveillance tapes from the crime scene, sift through news stories and analyze chat room postings all while an election year brings forth grassroots populism under the banner of S.A.F.E. (Secure America For Everyone) and war in the Middle East temporarily diverts the attention of American citizens. 

Janet Woodley Koch moved from Rehoboth Beach, Del., to the Templeton of Cary, a continuing care retirement community in North Carolina, to be near her daughter Barbara and granddaughters Nicole, Katie, and Emily. 

Joseph M. Kusmiss published his second book of haiku, Spring Visitors, with Red Moon Press. His first haiku book, end of summer, was published in 2015. 

Shirley Sanderson Avery is caring for an ailing spouse. She continues to be engaged with St. Andrew’s, her church in New London, N.H. She is delighted that her daughter and son-in-law have moved next door and is grateful for her son, daughter, in-laws and two grandchildren as well.

Abbe Robinson Young moved from her home in Newton, Mass., to NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, Mass. She is enjoying herself by continuing to participate in her exercise class (at first virtually and now socially distanced but in person). She’s also learning new things and taking up new interests such as playing poker and setting up a bird feeder. She is developing a new passion, opera, with a virtual course. Her classmate, Dr. Dorothy Cotton-Pemstein, also lives at NewBridge.

Joe and Jane Bertram Miluski are staying home and keeping well, and managed a tiny Christmas socially distancing with two of their five children: Hank and Mary K. Miluski ’81. Jane is filling the days with reading, knitting, and walking but was gleefully anticipating reaching a three-day, distanced-but-live watercolor workshop in February. She remains grateful that in 2019 she realized a dream of getting most of their large family together for two weeks in a Tuscan vineyard.

Nancy Redden James volunteers with Ventures in Community, which includes various houses of worship, nonprofits, and social agencies that work together. Nancy works for its hypothermia outreach program that provides shelter for homeless people each night from December through March. Prior to the pandemic she served as an overnight chaperone and she still contributes by providing meals.

Ulysses S. (Jim) James is the conductor and music director of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and the artistic director of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association. Some of his classmates went to a concert given by the WMP in Washington, D.C. The orchestra has not been able to perform since April due to COVID-19, but they have presented a weekly chamber music series (performed on a Friday, edited on Saturday, broadcast on Sunday at 3 p.m. and available on YouTube). James is hoping that the full orchestra will be able to begin rehearsing again in July, dependent, of course, upon the distribution of the vaccines.

Class newsletter editors John Reistrup and Jim Furlong report: “the Brown Class of 1958 website is up and running successfully, thanks to the staff at alumni relations. Simply search “Brown Class of 1958” or click on the link: https:// sites.google.com/brown.edu/brown.edu/class-of-1958. It is readable on home computers, tablets, Androids, and iPhones. However, if you are using a personal computer, not all features (like the page index) are immediately visible. In that case, items that you can’t find can be located by clicking on a “hamburger” icon (trio of lines arranged like an equal sign plus one or a side view of a hamburger). The website features many sources of information that were previously scattered. On the home page, immediately above a letter of greeting from presidents Sandy McFarland Taylor and Jim Moody, you may find out how to update your profiles, which will allow you to be in touch with other alumni in the database. It also offers news and notes about classmates (including a tribute to contemporaries who made lasting contributions to race relations as well as some light-hearted recollections about Rhode Island dining), a photo gallery immortalizing years of reunions and mini-reunions and clickable links to our Class of 1958 Newsletter, the Brown Alumni website, the Brown Insider newsletter and Brown Daily Herald, as well as the Brown Alumni Magazine.” 

John Selig (see David Kramer ’53).

John G. R. Wolfe writes: “I’ve started a major, five-year, grassroots campaign to help a small nonprofit rescue and restore a derelict tall ship, Falls of Clyde of Honolulu. 2021 is a critical year; she’s threatened with destruction if not soon moved. Scotland will restore her when she’s moved to Glasgow. No space here for details; more at friendsoffallsofclyde.org.”

Ronald E. Baker writes from Port Rowan, Ontario, on the North Shore of Lake Erie: “We continue to ‘survive and thrive’ here in Canada, safe from COVID-19 since March 2020. As president of the Rotary Club of Simcoe, I’m very active, meeting every week on Zoom. Projects to help the poor and disadvantaged, end polio, and clean the environment around the world continue. We seek reliable partners in Mexico and Haiti for schools and water well development. Our next big effort is on Earth Day, April 24, 2021: We join with hundreds of Rotary partners and volunteers to clean up the shores of plastic waste on all the Great Lakes in the U.S. and Canada. Please, classmates, join us. Let me know at ferris.baker@amtelecom.net or (519)-586-2176 if you can partner with us in this major effort. I also hope to hear more from Marilyn Mapes Yeutter about our reunion plans for 2022.”

Augustus White III coauthored Overcoming: Lessons in Triumphing over Adversity and the Power of Our Common Humanity with Jon Land ’79 and David Chanoff. Overcoming follows White’s journey pursuing his dream of becoming a surgeon and breaking several “color barriers” in the process. (see Beyond the Gates pg. 38) 

Janet Rowden Mergenthaler moved to a senior living residence in Southport, Conn. She has five married children and 12 grandchildren. Her husband, Francis, passed away in 2019. Contact Janet at 917 Mill Hill Terrace, Southport, CT 06890. 

Sid Baumgarten writes: “I think this year will stand out because everyone has been impacted by COVID-19. I have finally retired, but that is misleading. I am still active in numerous organizations, still taking my hunting trips, and am even thinking about leaving New York City. Several of my clients were restaurants and small businesses, many of which closed or went completely out of business. The rest have been operating at a huge loss. I cannot recall ever seeing New York City with so many boarded-up locations, deserted streets, and minimal traffic. All of us, Brown-grad kids included, have dodged the bullet and have been healthy.”

Frank Wezniak, class treasurer, reports: “Our Class of 1954 Scholarship Fund has increased its value to $709,572 and provided $26,554 in scholarship aid in 2020. Our gifts to the fund total only $462,974 but good endowment management with limited annual distributions has led to the increased value.”

Al Gerstein writes: “This pandemic has placed significant restrictions on our way of life and has offered other challenges as well. For the past 10 months we have severely limited all social contacts, shopping experiences, or entertainment. Naomi has been able to maintain her practice courtesy of Zoom or Skype. We have managed to turn our house into a modified gym with stretch bands hanging from a variety of doors and we take daily walks for exercise. Home movies have been our main source of entertainment. We just finished a run of Mel Brooks movies (humor is in short supply these days). And we’re seeing some real oldies…Top Hat starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The plot was weak but the dancing was great. In order to get to Maine and maintain our bubble we rented a recreation vehicle and drove to our cabin which is quite isolated. I must say driving a 26-foot vehicle is not for the faint of heart. Our yearly three months in Florida is canceled due to the amount of physical exposure that would be required in making the trip to our condo. We have registered for our vaccinations and await the time when we can return to a more normal way of life. In closing I should mention that we’re both in good health and are looking forward to a better and safer world.”

David Kramer was honored on Nov. 18 with the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers Founders Fund Award, which was “presented to an individual whose excellence in and outstanding dedication to environmental and water conservation serve as a model for future generations.” David writes: “I started fly-fishing at age 12 and continued for the next 70 years. In 1963, I was a founder of the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers. Over the years there have been many members who were Brown alumni, including Sara Low ’83 (one of the first women fly-fishing guides in America), John Selig ’58, and the late J. James Gordon ’52.”

Norman B. Silk writes: “I’m semi-retired living in Clearwater, Florida, with my wife Martha. I’m playing senior softball and I am the only switch hitter. I’m also providing programs on the Big Band Era (based on my columns in the Daily Herald).” 

Walter N. Kaufman writes: “After service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, I attended Brown and was elected Phi Beta Kappa in my junior year. In 1952, I graduated from Harvard Law School and was a legal assistant to a member of the National Labor Relations Board. For many years I was a member of the Chicago Bar and was self-employed as a labor arbitrator in southern California and Las Vegas. I was a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and didn’t retire until August 2018, following a heart attack. My wife, Nancy, predeceased me and I have a son, Dr. Paul Kaufman, a daughter Amy, and two grandchildren. I reside in San Diego.”      

Robert Glenn Walker is living at 18 South Lane, South Dartmouth, Mass. 02748 with his wife of 71-plus years.  

Jeanne Spiehler Leinen would like alumni to know that she still resides in Pittsford, N.Y., and has eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Michael Littman ’96 PhD (see Brian Christian ’06).

Constance Moore ’92 AM illustrated the children’s book Brown: The Many Shades of Love. Written by Nancy Johnson James, the narrative around skin tone and celebration of self takes on a sweet and simple guise in this story.

Susan Signe Morrison ’88 AM, ’91 PhD, edited a collection of her mother’s poetry in her new chapbook Another Troy, published by Finishing Line Press. Her mother, Joan Wehlen Morrison, wrote her verse from 1938-44, when she was 17 to 21 years old, and it was discovered only upon her death. 

Marca Doeff ’83 PhD, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was part of the team behind the invention of a new solid lithium battery that eliminates the safety issue of flammability and has vastly greater capacity than graphite lithium batteries. The invention was honored with an R&D 100 Award by R&D World magazine. The lithium battery market is expected to grow from more than $37 billion in 2019 to more than $94 billion by 2025.

Stephen J. Tillman ’70 PhD published his second novel Leopard’s Revenge, a fantasy spy novel. It is available at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.

Arvin Singh ’19 EMHL, vice president, University of Maryland Health System, became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a leading professional society for healthcare leaders. Singh is privileged to bear the FACHE® credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow. To obtain fellow status, candidates must meet academic and experiential criteria, earn continuing education hours, demonstrate professional/community involvement, and pass a comprehensive examination.

Christine Baumgarthuber ’09 AM, ’12 PhD wrote Fermented Foods: The History and Science of a Microbiological Wonder, which will be coming out March 15, 2021, from Reaktion Books.

Nicole Martinez writes: “Dead-Enders is a new comedy web series about the zombie apocalypse cocreated by me and Anna Stacy ’17. When COVID-19 hit New York and forced the city into quarantine, Stacy and I saw an opportunity to reflect the global circumstances through a new art form. Filmed entirely over Zoom, season one of Dead-Enders consists of six 30-minute-long episodes, with the pilot episode “Online” which premiered May 22 on Dead-Ender’s official YouTube channel. The show’s season one finale aired on June 26, and a second season is currently in the works.”

See story:  “Zoom as an Art Form”

Gulmira Propper published the first Uyghur cookbook written in English, Silk Road Recipes: Parida’s Uyghur Cookbook. She writes: “I was Brown’s first Uyghur undergraduate student. This book is my loving tribute to my mother and her masterful Uyghur recipes—a colorful collection of quintessential Uyghur dishes, including hand-pulled noodles, lamb, pilaf, and more. Today, with the gross human rights violations of the Uyghur people, the preservation of the Uyghur culture is more important than ever. These recipes can hopefully help the world get to know the Uyghurs and the flavors of their cooking, and above all, keep the culture alive.”

See story: “Celebrating Uyghur Culture”

Michael Petro writes that he professed his first vows as a Jesuit in August, blessed by Sonia Geba, David Elitzer, and Rhea Stark ’18, who all streamed along. His studies continue in Chicago.

Bridie Gahan ’17 (see Brian O’Neill ’84).

Harry Aspinwall writes: “Hello! I’m a costar in Netflix’s The Sleepover opposite Malin Akerman, Ken Marino, and Joe Manganiello, and I shot a full feature film, Banishment, under COVID-safe conditions with Daniel Byers ’08—as far as we know, one of the first features to be fully produced since the beginning of the pandemic.”

Paris Waterman Dupree and Vernon Dupree announce the Feb. 22 birth of their son, Cairo Lee Dupree. Paris writes: “He was born in Philadelphia and is already an avid Brown Bears fan.” 

Brian Christian published The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values. In addition to being rooted in Christian’s computer science and philosophy backgrounds from Brown, the book also features the research of Brown computer science Professor Michael Littman ’96 PhD.

Brian C. Muraresku published The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name, which follows his 12-year global investigation into the archaic roots of religious experience (see story, page 41). 

Courtney Maum writes that her short story, This Is Not Your Fault, “has debuted as an Audible Original with an ensemble cast. Alternating between a divorcing husband and wife’s legal paperwork and coparenting forms and braided with desperate missives from overeager lawyers, the short story is a portrait of a strained marriage in an unprecedented time that explores the ways in which materialism can lead us far astray. You can listen via Audible.”

B.J. Perlmutt writes that his Netflix documentary ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Historical Documentary category. The documentary is part of a larger series created by Jeff Zimbalist ’00. Sam Cullman ’99 also directed a film in the series, ReMastered: The Lion’s Share, which was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary category. 

Ricardo Wilson published The Nigrescent Beyond: Mexico, the United States, and the Psychic Vanishing of Blackness with Northwestern University Press. In the book, he explores the psychic vanishing of Blackness within the collective imagination of the Mexican nation and thinks through how this work might nurture related discourses within the field of a United States facing Black studies.

Mark de Silva published his essay collection called Points of Attack. In it, he examines issues in America such as technological evolution, terrorism, the individual’s place in a globalized society, and more.

UConn Professor of Political Science Jane Anna Gordon published Statelessness and Contemporary Enslavement. The book argues that statelessness and enslavement are not aberrations or radical exceptions but have been and are endemic to Euromodern state systems.

Ayanna MacCalla Howard explores how the tech world’s racial and sexual biases are infecting the next generation of artificial intelligence in her audiobook Sex, Race, and Robots. Narrated by Hollywood actress Amandla Stenberg, the audiobook is available on audible.com. 

Jon Birger’s book Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge is a radically different kind of dating book
due out in February 2021. In his book he meshes the real-life success stories of badass daters with the latest research on love and romance—all of which show that the old ways are out, in favor of bold, new strategies for finding “the one.” Addresses everything from online dating to workplace romance to COVID-era courtship to the challenges of dating in the post-#MeToo era.

Nina Katchadourian ’89 created an art installation, titled “Monument to the Unelected,” which consists of signs bearing the names of losing candidates of every U.S. presidential election from John Adams to Hillary Clinton. Nina was commissioned by the Scottsdale Museum of Art to create a new work around the time of the 2008 presidential election. She became interested in the plastic election signs sprouting up on front lawns. She states, “The signs struck her as an American tradition of sorts and with an aesthetic all their own.” The installation has been exhibited every presidential election cycle since 2008 and during this past election was on display in four locations across the country: Orange, Calif., Scottsdale, Ariz., New York City, and San Francisco.

Daniel Azcona self-published his first book Aventuras Cotidianas, a collection of ten short stories in which the characters navigate their everyday lives oblivious to how the author’s indiscriminate use of fiction will transform their mundane activities into urban adventures. It is written in Spanish and is available on Amazon.com.

Jonathan Franklin writes: “Escaping COVID on the remote coast of Chile with my wife, Toty, and my seven daughters, writing books about extreme survival. I am also branching into the realm of how-to books on child raising. My next book 7 Daughters Later, A Guide to Raising Healthy Mammals is set for publication in 2022. Anyone coming to Chile, look me up.”

Joseph P. McConnell, currently at top Boston employment law firm Morgan, Brown & Joy, was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2021 for his expertise in management of employment law.

Tina Patterson writes: “In August, Women Impacting Public Policy chose to feature me and my company, Jade Solutions, LLC, as the member of the month. Many thanks to classmate Valerie Kennedy for encouraging me to share this good news.”

Brian O’Neill writes: “I have been living in Telluride, Colorado, for 30 years and coaching my sons’ lacrosse teams. This past summer, due to the pandemic, we have had the pleasure of Brown lacrosse players mentoring our kids. What struck me as notable was how caring and selfless these men were in reaching out to the local community to offer their services. Phil Pierce ’14 was living here for the summer with his girlfriend Bridie Gahan ’17 while telecommuting. Phil was captain of Brown lacrosse and you could see why he was voted captain in the way he intently worked with kids ranging in ages from 8 to 18. Seven class of ’23 lacrosse players (Trevor Glavin, Matthew Gunty, Oscar Hertz, Griffin King, Devon McLane, Logan Paff, and Ben Palin) were here for a few weeks and regularly trained and mentored these same kids with an infectious energy that truly inspired our kids. It is amazing to have them in our little town climbing 14,000-foot peaks, rock climbing on via ferratas, mountain biking, hiking, and fly fishing—in some cases, with our local lacrosse players. As a member of the ’83 Brown football team that played Penn State and ran into Happy Valley in a raging blizzard with 84,000 people screaming ‘We Are...Penn State,’ I never thought the ‘Brown State’ spirit brought back to campus by our illustrious band and fans would last this long. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see and hear these lacrosse players talk about the pride in the culture of Brown State. It is so much more than sports. It is about rolling up your sleeves and making a difference. My 11 (’31?) and 13 (’30?) year old sons will tell you these days were the highlights of a very adventurous summer in the Rockies! Their cousins, Suzie O’Neill ’22 and Tommy Maloney ’23, have told them all about Brown and their passion for the school, but what struck me was the consistency of kindness, giving, and positivity in each Brown person. In a very short time, friendships were made and young boys were inspired to give back. Kudos to admissions, faculty, administration and all who make Brown what it is! Truly a national treasure!”

Barbara Heller, a set decorator for film and television and the writer and director of award-winning short films, designed the new deluxe edition of Pride and Prejudice. The edition contains replicas of all 19 significant letters in the story, recreated with gorgeous calligraphy and painstaking attention to historical detail. Each replica letter is appropriate to the character who writes it and the moment in the story: from the handwriting, stationery, and folding style to the wax seal and the postmaster’s stamps it would have acquired along its way.

Nathaniel Goodman premiered his film Small Town Wisconsin, which he shot and coproduced, at the 36th Boston Film Festival Sept. 24-27. The festival was mostly virtual, but the film was selected as one of three films that had a socially distanced in-person screening on Sept. 25. The film had its international premier at Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in August.

Sheryl Renee Dobson was honored that two of her mixed media collages were selected from a national search to appear in the National Art League’s 90th Annual Juried Open Exhibition. The two pieces chosen are called “Shield of Faith” and “One Song.” The exhibition ran through the month of October. 

Judith D. Schwartz published The Reindeer Chronicles: And Other Inspiring Stories of Working with Nature to Heal the Earth with Chelsea Green Publishing in August. The book is a global tour of earth repair, with stops in China, the Middle East, Spain, Hawaii, Norway, New Mexico, and the grasslands of Eastern Washington. Judy lives in southern Vermont with husband Tony Eprile ’79 AM. For more, see https://judithdschwartz.com/.

Eric Jay Dolin published A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s  Hurricanes. The book is a finalist for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, which awards $50,000 to the winner.

Barkley Stuart ’81, executive vice president and board member of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, is the recipient of the 2020 Icon Award from the Women’s Leadership Council of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. The Icon Award recognizes Barkley for his advocacy work to advance women and champion diversity within the wholesale wine and spirit field.

Rob Feinstein announces his new book Launched: Start Your Career Right After College, Even During a Pandemic, which he says “will be of great interest to all Brown students and new grads. My book is a practical, step-by-step guide to setting a career foundation while still in college or with a new degree. It’s full of insights, advice and new techniques found nowhere else. It’s available on Amazon.com.”

Barry Jacobs writes: “My third book, AARP Love and Meaning After 50: The 10 Challenges to Great Relationships and How to Overcome Them, was published by Hachette Books. It was literally a labor of love; I cowrote it with my wife, Julia Mayer. After many years as a clinical psychologist and family medicine educator, I’m now two years into my encore career as a healthcare consultant for Health Management Associates, a national healthcare consulting firm. I still live in leafy Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, around the corner from Swarthmore College. I would love to hear from old friends at barryjjacobs@gmail.com.”

David Shields’s documentary film Lynch: A History streamed in the fall on the Sundance Channel/AMC; the film was also available on a variety of other platforms, such as Amazon Prime, iTunes/AppleTV, GooglePlay, and Kanopy. His book Reality Hunger was named one of the 100 most important books of the last decade by LitHub.

Seth Jackson writes: “My daughter, Mariel Jackson ’21, is the general manager of the Brown Daily Herald. My son, Derek, is at the Columbia University School of Engineering in New York.

Howard Frumkin released his book, Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves, with coeditor Samuel Myers. The book is an accessible introduction to the emerging field of planetary health, which aims to understand how global environmental disruptions threaten human health and to develop solutions that allow people and natural systems to thrive. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Planetary Health addresses health impacts resulting from human-driven environmental change before exploring the diverse terrain of solutions.

J. Patrick Truhn married Michael Andreas Peters on Oct. 7, 2019, at the historic Villa Kogge in the Standesamt of Berlin-Charlottenburg. Classmate Barbara Dooley was in attendance. The couple resides in Berlin.

Jeremy Butler retired from the University of Alabama last summer, after teaching TV and film courses for 40 years. “So much of my identity is wrapped up in teaching that I couldn’t quit cold turkey. Last February I agreed to teach a fall 2020 seminar in a special UA program that promotes the liberal arts. Stupid me! I did not anticipate the seemingly unending global pandemic. Teaching via Zoom is awkward and weird, but I’m still enjoying it. Retirement plans? Survive the seemingly unending global pandemic.”

Andrew Kaunitz, a professor and associate chairman in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, received the 2020 Leon Speroff Outstanding Educator Award from the North American Menopause Society, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond. Dr. Kaunitz sees patients at UF Southside Women’s Health at Emerson, where he also serves as medical director.

Ken Field published his recording, IRIDESCENCE, which resulted from a spontaneous improvisational performance in Berkeley, Calif., collaborating with keyboardist Eric Glick Rieman and percussionist Karen Stackpole. The recording is available through Ravello Records.

Jim Gronefeld writes: “After retiring from banking, my wife, Kathy, wrote and published a children’s book, Samson the Shelter Dog and His Enormous Wish. It’s available on Amazon. She now plans a series of Samson books. Me, I golf poorly once a week.”

John R. Stahl writes: “I have been publishing my own books of esoteric philosophy and metaphysics under the name The Evanescent Press since 1971 in Montreal, letterpress printed on my own handmade paper from handset type and handbound. I have reprinted most of my writings in commercial editions.” Stahl’s books The Laughter of God and More Laughter are available on Amazon.com. In addition, two collections of his writings, Selected Articles: Metaphysics and Theology and One Planet Makeover, can be downloaded for free on his website tree.org.

Bruce Paul Richards writes: “I was wearing an Aloha shirt because it was Friday. I’ve done so every Friday since spending a year in Hawaii after graduation. Having flunked my draft physical (for sleepwalking, of all things), I had gone to Waikiki to celebrate not getting shot in Vietnam, and had gotten shot. But that’s another story. This is about an Aloha Friday two years ago on the eve of Campus Dance. I was in front of my old fraternity house, DTD, drinking a beer, musing about all the wild good times I’d had there, feeling rather ‘studly’ as Johnny-D used to say, in my favorite shirt, when my phone rang. It was my pregnant daughter, Aly Richards ’08, on her way back to campus for her 10th reunion. She and her brother Ryan ’06 had attended a much better place than the bro-fest of my day, but that didn’t taint my rosy visions from 49 years earlier. Aly said not to worry, running late, at the doctor’s and, by the way, your first grandchild and your second will be arriving the same day. Twins! I started to cry. Not just wet-eyed sniffles. Loud and uncontrollably, spilling my beer down the front of my shirt. Passersby looked at me with expressions of pity and alarm. Not that studly, after all. Campus Dance was the same as always. Old timers and young. Same band, or so it seemed. Dancing and drinking (I smuggled in my martinis; told them it was medicine). Even a fistfight. Yup, just the same...Though the old timers of my day dated back to the Great War, some even to the 19th Century. Now they were me. Aly’s friends were nice enough to let me hang out with them instead of the less lively tables of folks more my age. I was a little depressed by the aging of the class of ’68 and disappointed with the dearth of Aloha shirts, but those sorrows proved as transient as...well, you know. Our group celebrated Aly’s great news at the best Aloha Friday Campus Dance ever.”

Terence A. Harkin announces that his debut novel, The Big Buddha Bicycle Race, was named a finalist for the Military Writers Society of America’s 2020 prize in Literary Fiction. His second novel, Year of the Rabbit, is due for release by Silkworm Books in Spring 2021.

Marilynne Summers Robinson published her book Jack, the fourth installment of her acclaimed Gilead series. Jack tells the story of a star-crossed interracial romance in a small Iowa town. The New Yorker profiled Robinson in its Oct. 5 issue.

Tom McMullen writes: “Debby and I have eight grandkids and when each reaches age 13 we take them on a trip of their choice. When Ryan, now a college senior, was 13, he chose a safari in Tanzania. Debby and I thought a ‘trip’ was something like Disney World. However, the three of us went and had the best time ever. Obviously, Ryan set the bar very high for those to come. Next was Olivia and she chose London to see musical theater. Then came Lexi and Ella and their choices were Austria and Switzerland. Mattix and Mallory followed and the four of us traveled to the Galapagos. That’s six down with two to go. Jack’s now 12 and Sydney is 7 and when she’s 13, Debby and I will be 87. She’ll probably be pushing us in wheelchairs while we’re drooling.”

It is with great regret that copresidents Jim Moody and Sandy McFarland Taylor have concluded that the plans for a fifth mini-reunion, which was to be held in Boston in the spring of 2021 (BAM Classes, June-August 2020), will have to be postponed for the time being due to ongoing concerns related to the pandemic and the health of their classmates.

Peter Corning writes: “It came as a jolt to see that our 65th anniversary is coming up! It’s long past time for me to do an update. After teaching in the Human Biology Program at Stanford for many years and then heading up the Institute for the Study of Complex Systems, my wife and I ‘retired’ to develop an experimental (biointensive) market farm on San Juan Island, Washington. We did that for a decade. Now we are truly retired (without scare quotes) in a Seattle retirement community, close to all three of our children and grandchildren. We feel very lucky. We both remain active and I’m still writing, including a trade book in 2018 (pictured in the June-August 2020 Fact, Fiction & Verse), a forthcoming new book—a cri de coeur called Superorganism: A Radical Proposal for a World at the Breakpoint—along with various professional journal articles and a weekly blog. My website is https://complexsystems.org/. I also keep in touch (virtually) with a few old Brown friends. Here’s hoping we can be on campus for our upcoming reunion.” Contact Peter at pacorning@complexsystems.org.

Mordecai K. Rosenfeld writes: “I have published my sixth book of personal essays, My Ivy Library (this one is self-published). These 18 pieces will, I hope, make you think and laugh. Writing about an earlier collection, novelist Dee Brown wrote: ‘Clarity, humor, and grace distinguish the essays of Mordecai Rosenfeld… No matter the mood in which it may be written, any Rosenfeld essay can be a tonic to restore the spirits,” and essayist Louis Auchincloss, who wrote the foreword to my first two collections, wrote that I have ‘a sharp eye and a biting wit.’ I suggest that this book merits the same good vibes. The principal essay in this collection is about my own library of some 2,500 books on a wide range of subjects, including many from the John Carter Brown Library. I still have the Brown University General Catalog 1947-48 sent to all incoming freshmen and the Bulletin of General Information for Applications for Admission (with a cover picture of William Rogers, Brown’s first student, who entered in 1765 and graduated in 1769). My wife Paula and I still live in Greenwich Village. I’ve graduated from a cane to a walker, but these days the pandemic keeps me mostly at home.”

Jihoon Yoon ’13 MD (see Lorenna Ellis ’09). 

Holleigh Bergstrom Oliveira ’16 MAT (see Lorenna Ellis ’09).