David LowMarch 1, 20112min
Ellen Forney ’89 was recently profiled by Tirdad Derakhshani in the Philadelphia Inquirer, who noted the artist’s “65 illustrations, doodlings, comic panels, and assorted visual asides” that play an important and integral part in the National Book Award-winning novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little Brown) by Sherman Alexie. Over a three-year period, Forney worked closely with Alexie who “gave her freedom to explore and contribute” based on her own inspiration. Forney’s illustrations had to reflect the imagination of the book’s main character, Junior, “who is growing up on a reservation in Washington state, … an aspiring…

Cynthia RockwellMarch 1, 20113min
Spiral, a CD by the Dave Wilson [’78] Quartet received a three-and-a-half star review in the November issue of Downbeat magazine. Released last June on Summit Records, Spiral features six original compositions by Wilson and arrangements of three contemporary classics, including the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil. ” “With a crack band in pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Tony Marino and Adam Nussbaum on drums, saxophonist Dave Wilson knows how to pick them and the music,” writes critic John Ephland of Downbeat. Additionally, in a review in the December issue of JazzTimes Magazine, critic Bill Milkowski observed that “Pennsylvania-based saxophonist-educator…

Olivia DrakeMarch 1, 20111min
Two Wesleyan alumni who wrote Ph.D dissertations on Russian politics have recently accepted tenure-track jobs in political science departments. Russian and East European studies major Danielle Lussier '98, will be an assistant professor at Grinnell College, where she will be replacing Robert Grey '61. Lussier wrote her B.A. thesis on the women's movement in contemporary Russia, and her Ph.D at the University of California, Berkeley on a comparison of civil society and political mobilization in Russian and Indonesia. College of Social Studies major Lauren McCarthy '01 will be an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She wrote her…

Olivia DrakeMarch 1, 20114min
Margot Weiss, assistant professor of American studies, assistant professor of anthropology, and Naomi Greyser at the University of Iowa organized a symposium on Academia and Activism Feb. 11 in Russell House. The event brought together nine interdisciplinary scholars for two open roundtable discussions on the possibilities and difficulties of bridging academic and activist work. Panelists on the two roundtables reflected on a series of questions: "What are the intersections and gaps between activist and academic work?  How is activist labor intellectual and when is intellectual labor activist? How might we historicize dichotomies of theory and practice, 'ivory tower' and 'real…

Olivia DrakeMarch 1, 20112min
Q: Alex, you are the coordinator for program housing in Residential Life. Please explain what a “program house” is, and who can live in one? A: In simple terms, a program house is a themed-based living option at Wesleyan. Each house has its own mission statement based on the specific theme/interest (hobbies, lifestyles, languages, cultural, religious) of the house. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to live in program housing. Q: What would you say are the most well-known program homes on campus? Which are the oldest? A: Program housing has been a living option for students since the early…

Olivia DrakeMarch 1, 20112min
Sarah Ruden, a visiting scholar in classics, is the author of “The Old is New Again,” published in the Feb. 21, 2011 issue of National Review magazine. The article focuses on her work translating -- from Latin -- the first extant novel in western literature, The Golden Ass' by Apuleius. Ruden's translation is due to be published this year by Yale University Press. In addition to her essays, the National Review publishes Ruden's original poetry on a regular basis. This fall will also see the publication by Doubleday of the paperback edition of Ruden's 2010 book on St. Paul, Paul Among the People.…

Bill HolderMarch 1, 20112min
The Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School, Jack M. Balkin, will speak on “The First Amendment is an Information Policy,” during the 20th Annual Hugo L. Black Lecture on Freedom of Expression. The event will be held at 8 p.m. March 23 in Memorial Chapel. The annual event is endowed by a gift from Leonard S. Halpert ’44, Esq. Halpert has provided the following commentary: What are Professor Balkin’s views as to the parameters of freedom of expression, legal as set by the First Amendment, and by societal pressures and norms? To understand…