David LowCinema Verite, a new film directed by Shari Springer Berman ’85 and Robert Pulcini (The Nanny Diaries, The Extra Man, American Splendor), premiered on HBO on April 23. The film stars Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, and James Gandolfini and explores the making of the 1971 PBS 12-episode documentary series, An American Family, which chronicled the lives of “a normal American family” living in Santa Barbara, California. The series is now considered a precursor to current-day reality television shows as it invaded the privacy of the family, revealed the dissolution of a marriage, and showed an openly gay character for the…
Vibraphonist and composer Chris Dingman ’02 releases his debut album, Waking Dreams, on June 21, 2011 on Between Worlds Music. Dingman is joined by many of New York’s best young musicians including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Loren Stillman, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Justin Brown. Dingman recreates the experience of dreams in the form of a suite of new music that travels over its 14 tracks from darkness to light, from hazy melancholy to serene peace, while moving, often obliquely, through moments and memories from the composer’s life. The CD Release Party will be held on Saturday,…
Cynthia RockwellNoted author John F. Ross ’81 received the first annual Fort Ticonderoga Prize for Contributions to American History on March 4. After a national search and in a unanimous vote, the trustees selected Ross for his broad contributions to 18th-century military scholarship with his book War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America’s First Frontier (Random House 2009), which explores the exploits Major Robert Rogers. Speaking at the ceremony, Ross said, “When I started a book on the 18th century warrior hero Robert Rogers, I realized what I had been looking for all…
Lara Galinsky ’96 is the author (with Kelly Nuxoll) of Work on Purpose, published by Echoing Green, a nonprofit social venture fund that supports emerging social entrepreneurs. The book tells the stories of five changemakers and their journeys from struggle and uncertainty to significance and success. Through these true-life narratives, the publication reveals how personal fulfillment and societal impact are the result of aligning passion and talents. The altruistic spirit of these young people helps craft careers with meaningful impact, contributing to a robust ecosystem of individuals and institutions dedicated to pushing forward bold ideas to solve the most deeply…
John A. Benson Jr. ’43, MD, dean emeritus at Oregon Health and Science University and professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, received the 2010 Abraham Flexner Award for Distinguished Service to Medical Education. Presented by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the award, their highest, honors Benson’s “extraordinary contributions to the board certification process, medical education, and academic medicine.” Benson, who is known as the modern “father” of the American Board of Internal Medicine, was appointed and served as its first president for 16 years. A gastroenterologist by training, he began what would become a…
Eric GershonFor more than five decades, late spring has been a season for writing at Wesleyan, and a distinguished cohort of literary talents will assemble in Middletown next month for the 55th annual Wesleyan Writers Conference. Roxana Robinson, Amy Bloom, Honor Moore and Arthur Phillips – whose new novel, The Tragedy of Arthur, was reviewed on the cover of the May 1 New York Times Book Review – will be among more than 20 professional literary artists, editors and publishers on campus from June 16 to June 20. “We are very serious about the work that we do,” says Anne Greene, director…
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Wesleyan President Michael Roth and Alan Rubacha, construction services consultant, hosted a "Squash Building Preview" tour April 26 for faculty, staff, construction contractors and local community leaders. The former Squash Building will house the Career Resource Center, College of Letters and the Art History Department. The Squash Building, located at the north end of College Row, was built in 1934. It closed in 2002. A grand reopening is scheduled for the January 2012. The renovation project expands the former squash building into classrooms and faculty offices. It will include a 17-foot addition to the west increasing the building size from…