David LowAugust 31, 20101min
Three acclaimed books by Wesleyan alumni were on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best seller list in August. They include: Packing for Mars by Mary Roach ’81, a detailed, often funny examination of space travel; War by Sebastian Junger '84, a powerful look at the lives of American soldiers in Afghanistan; and Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson ’03, a witty account of the making of the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

David PesciAugust 30, 20101min
The following alumni received Emmy Awards at the 62nd annual Emmy Awards  on August 29. Bruce McKenna ‘84—Co-Executive Producer, Outstanding Miniseries, The Pacific. The Pacific received 8 Emmy Awards, more than any other program. Matthew Senreich ’96—Executive Producer, Writer, Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program, Robot Chicken. Matthew Weiner ‘87—Executive Producer, Mad Men, Outstanding Drama Series; Writer (with Erin Levy), Mad Men, “Shut the Door. Have a Seat”. Mad Men received 4 Emmy Awards. Bill Wrubel ‘85—Co-Executive Producer, Modern Family, Outstanding Comedy Series. Modern Family received 6 Emmy Awards. A complete list of nominees from the Wesleyan community can be found here,…

Olivia DrakeAugust 20, 20101min
Ron Jenkins, professor of theater, is the author of the 330-page book, Rua Bineda in Bali: Counterfeit Justice in the Trial of Nyoman Gunarsa, published by the Indonesian University of the Arts, 2010. The book focuses on how a Balinese painter, puppet-master and a Brahmin priest perceive a landmark court case involving art forgery and identity theft. Read more about this book in a “5 Questions With . . .” profile at https://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2010/09/02/5-questions-with-professor-of-theater-ron-jenkins/.

David PesciAugust 3, 20102min
Sure, first-year teachers need to be masters of their subject material and their classrooms, but to be truly effective in that first year and beyond teachers also have learn one vital skill: avoiding “bad” decisions. “Novice teachers, in particular, don’t necessarily need to make good decisions right away, but what they must develop is the tacit knowledge to identify what a bad decision or bad response may be. That may sound easy in theory, but when you consider all of the challenges  that come from outside the classroom such as administrative duties, dealing with colleagues and dealing with parents, it…