Wesleyan in the News

In this issue of The Wesleyan Connection, we introduce a new feature highlighting some of the latest stories in the media about Wesleyan and our many illustrious alumni.

Recent Wesleyan News

The Hartford Courant:

“Chelsea Manning Draws Crowd at Wesleyan, Talks of Community, Resistance”

On Nov. 15, the former intelligence analyst convicted of leaking hundreds of thousands of military documents to WikiLeaks, who is now an activist for gay and transgender rights, spoke to a packed room at Wesleyan in a conversation moderated by Associate Professor Margot Weiss.

2. Boston Review: “An Autobiography of Captivity”

In the Language of My Captor by Shane McCrae, published by Wesleyan University Press, is reviewed. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award this month.

3. The Hartford Courant: “Wesleyan Gets Federal Funding to Strengthen Upward Bound in Middletown”

A new $2.5 million federal grant over five years allows Wesleyan to expand its Upward Bound Math-Science program to help local disadvantaged students gain access to a college education.

4. The Atlantic: “How Racial Data Gets ‘Cleaned’ in the U.S. Census”

This article by Associate Professor of Sociology Robyn Autry explores the messy question of race in the U.S. Census, and how it gets “cleaned.”

5. USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism: “As Trump Guts ACA’s Ad Budget, a Tour of the Evidence on How Advertising Affects Insurance Sign-Ups”

Erika Franklin Fowler, associate professor of government and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, and Sarah Gollust ’01 share WMP research findings on the impact of this year’s shorter health insurance enrollment period, and drastically reduced advertising, outreach and enrollment assistance budget.

Recent Alumni News

1. Los Angeles Times: “Alexander Chee [’89] on the Life, Work and Loss of his Mentor, Kit Reed”

Alexander Chee ’89, a critic at large for the Los Angeles Times is the award-winning author of The Queen of the Night and Edinburgh and a professor at Dartmouth College. In this essay, he recalls the importance of his advanced fiction class with the late Kit Reed as “my first time for so many things” and traces their friendship— her influence on his writing and his admiration for her—throughout her lifetime. Wesleyan Writer-in-Residence Kit Reed died Sept. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles.

2. Vanity Fair: “Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein [’15], the High-School “Soul Mates” Who Made It to Broadway Together”

Beanie Feldstein ’15, who majored in sociology at Wesleyan, has been garnering rave reviews for her roles in Lady Bird, with Saoirse Ronan (currently in theaters) and Hello, Dolly!, with Bette Midler on Broadway. Feldstein’s high school pal, Ben Platt was on Broadway until recently, earning rave reviews for the starring role in Dear Evan Hansen—and the two discuss their friendship, as well as past, present, and future projects.

3.New England News Collaborative; NEXT podcast: Episode 69 “Home Again,” featuring Dar Williams ’89.

In this New England-focused podcast, broadcast on public radio stations, John Dankosky interviews Dar Williams ’89, on her book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musicians Guide to Rebuilding America’s Communities, emphasizing her theory that “positive proximity”—people working together on projects that improve their community and provide a meeting place—are at the heart of regrowth in old post-industrial towns.

4. Chicago Tribune: “Pilotlight, a New Shared Kitchen, to Open in Former Le Cordon Bleu School”

Nick Devane ’13, Pilotlight CEO and co-founder, describes the new shared-kitchen venture, saying, “Our mission was always to empower anyone to start a food business and create community through food.” Pilotlight will also provide access to mentors and classes to help its members grow their own businesses.

5. Huffington Post: In an article titled “PTSD—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” author Dr. Sudip Bose, MD, quotes Sebastian Junger ’84

Noting that journalist Sebastian Junger “covered war for almost 20 years,” contributing writer Sudip Bose, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, refers to Junger’s TED Talk for an expert’s perspective in examining the role that brotherhood plays in helping veterans cope with high-risk situations—and why our divided society makes it difficult to return to civilian life. Junger is most recently the author of Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (Twelve, May 24, 2016).