David LowWork by writers Steve Almond ’88 and Wells Tower ’96 have been selected for the recently published The Best American Short Stories 2010 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), edited by fiction writer Richard Russo. Almond’s story in the collection, “Donkey Greedy, Donkey Gets Punched,” about a psychoanalyst who plays poker, was published originally in Tin House. The story will appear in his next story collection God Bless America. Almond is the author of two previous story collections, My Life in Heavy Metal and The Evil B. B. Chow, the best-selling Candyfreak, and most recently, the nonfiction book Rock and Roll Will Save…
Halley Feiffer ’07 may have her juiciest acting role yet in the new off-Broadway play, Tigers Be Still, which opened this week at the Roundabout Theater Company’s Black Box Theater. The Sam Gold-directed play was written by Kim Rosenstock. Feiffer says, “I play Sherry, a 24-year-old art therapist who is emerging from a six-month-long depression as she embarks on her first job, teaching art to Middle School children and working on the side as an art therapist with a troubled young man. Though my depression has lifted, my life is still in shambles—I live with my sister who is always…
Jeffrey Lane ’76 is the book writer for a new Broadway musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, based on the Spanish film of the same name directed by master filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar. The musical deals with love and abandonment in 1980s Madrid and stars Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott, and Laura Benanti. The show is directed by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza), and the composer and lyricist is David Yazbek, who previously worked with Lane on the hit Broadway musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, also adapted from a film. Lane was…
Susan Lehman ’81, a communications executive, editor and lawyer, is the new publisher and editor-in-chief of Twelve, a small and respected imprint of Grand Central Publishing. She has worked over the years as media strategist, writer and editor in the realms of magazines, law, television and newspapers. She served as as an editor at Riverhead Books from 2003–2004. Twelve has published 39 titles, 19 of which have made The New York Times best-seller list, including God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and War by Sebastian Junger ’84. In a recent article in The New York Times, Lehman said she…
Daphne Kwok ’84, a Wesleyan Board of Trustee member, was recently appointed by President Obama to serve as chair of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Her new position will require her to be “the eyes and ears” of the Asian American community. She will continue to perform her current job as executive director of Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. Kwok was recently interviewed by New America Media and was asked what were some of the issues she will focus on immediately. She said: “The key issues will include the economy, jobs, education…
During the Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast on NBC on Aug. 29, several Wesleyan alumni received awards in the top categories: Bruce C. McKenna ’84—Co-Executive Producer, Outstanding Miniseries, The Pacific. The Pacific received 8 Emmy Awards, more than any other program. Matthew Weiner ’87—Executive Producer, Mad Men, Outstanding Drama Series; Writer (with Erin Levy), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, 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. Awarded August 21, 2010 at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony:…
Best-selling author Robin Cook '62 has just released a new novel, Cure (Putnam), which deals with the problematic intersection of big business and medicine, the cut-throat world of medical patents, and stem cell technology. Cook recently talked to Reuters about writing and his latest thriller, which is set in Japan and New York: “I have been interested in stem cell issues from the beginning because it is so important. I became more interested when I saw it was going to get caught up in politics and it put us back about 10 years or so. In 2006 when I saw…
New Haven, Conn. resident Taylor Ho Bynum ’98, an acclaimed avant-garde jazz cornetist and composer, is undertaking a strenuous 1,000-mile bicycle concert tour in September of all six New England states. He will travel by bike for two weeks to 10 venues from New Haven to Portland, Maine, and back. As part of his Acoustic Bicycle Tour, Bynum will perform at Wesleyan’s Crowell Concert Hall on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. with vibraphonist and Wesleyan music professor Jay Hoggard ’76. (Click here to order tickets.) Bynum has also performed with Wesleyan music professor Anthony Braxton in several jazz concerts…
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.
Jessica Posner ’09 was declared the top world-changer among all Americans under 25 in the 'Do Something Awards,' at a live broadcast on July 19 from the Hollywood Palladium on VH1. She received $100,000 for Shining Hope for Communities, an organization she co-founded that last August with Kennedy Odede '12 and that created the first free school for girls in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. A Denver resident, Posner was selected among five finalists by voting on the Internet. She also has started a gardening program, a library, an Internet-ready computer center and introduced ecologically friendly latrines. In August, Shining Hope…
Cinema Blend writer Katey Rich ’06 recently interviewed director Jon Turteltaub ’85 about his latest film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which stars actor Nicholas Cage, who has worked with the director on several other projects. The movie—which opened nationwide last weekend—deals with Balthazar Blake, a master sorcerer (Cage) in modern-day Manhattan who has to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar needs help, so he recruits a reluctant protege (Jay Baruchel). Both Rich and Turteltaub were Wesleyan film majors. Here is an excerpt from the interview: Katey Rich: What’s the working relationship like between you and Nic…
Somerville, Mass. resident Sasha Chanoff ’94, founder of Mapendo International, will receive this year’s Charles Bronfman Prize for his work rescuing thousands of African refugees overlooked by other organizations. This humanitarian prize annually recognizes and awards $100,000 to an individual under the age of 50 who has contributed to the betterment of the world and has been influenced by Jewish values. Read more in the Somerville Journal.