Olivia DrakeA four-part documentary film series directed by Tony Zosherafatain '10 will stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Topic starting Feb. 25. Titled Trans in Trumpland, the series investigates the impact of anti-trans policies on the lives of four transgender Americans during the Trump administration era. The series was featured in Variety, NBC News, Deadline, and The Daily Beast. "We're at a crucial moment in our country, and Trans in Trumpland encapsulates the past four years, not just for trans people, but for a wide variety of groups," Zosherafatain said. "There is a lot of intersectionality in the series, including race, immigration, income inequality,…
A new play written by John Long MALS '96 is available for online viewing through the Phoenix Stage Company's YouTube Channel. Titled Learning Experience, the play explores individual experiences of living in quarantine during the pandemic in the first half of 2020. Eight people, ranging in age from 18 to 70s, tell their stories in the form of monologues to be posted online. The stories reveal what their lives were like before the pandemic and how they've changed during isolation. "Some characters work from home, some go into work, some don't work at all, but all are motivated to share…
“What is the good life?” “What should I value?” “What should I believe?" These are the questions that more than 760 alumni, parents, and friends of the University are exploring this winter as part of a three-part mini-course titled Living a Good Life. Taught by Wesleyan Professors Steven Horst, Stephen Angle, and Tushar Irani, the course gives attendees the chance to participate in activities during each one-hour virtual webinar. Attendance is encouraged for all three classes, but not required. The mini-series is based on Wesleyan's Living a Good Life undergraduate course, piloted during the Fall 2020 semester. The course is…
Annie RoachIn this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Edwin Hill ’93, Watch Her (Kensington, 2020) As the third installment in Edwin Hill’s mystery series, Watch Her is a sophisticated and gripping psychological thriller with sharp attention to character- and world-building. Protagonist Hester Thursby, a Harvard librarian and renowned researcher, is pulled…
Works by three Wesleyan alumni are published in the Winter 2020–21 issue of Ploughshares. Founded in 1971 and published at Emerson College, Ploughshares is an award-winning journal featuring the freshest voices in contemporary American literature. The issue includes: "The Man at the Top of the Stairs, On Rendering the Inner Life" by Steve Almond '88; "Private Practice" by Fay Dillof '87; and "Reading for the Plot" by Christina Pugh '88. Almond, an English major, is also the Kim-Frank Visiting Writer at Wesleyan this spring. He's the author of 11 books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers…
Lauren RubensteinA couple years ago, Ron Cooper '79, a retired corporate executive-turned-travel, documentary, and portrait photographer, was in New Mexico to photograph cowboys, Civil War re-enactors, gunslingers, and snake-handlers. After completing the shoot, one of the subjects asked if he could show Cooper a very different character that he also portrayed. "I agreed and he went to change. He came back as Santa Claus in a terrific Western-style Santa suit, complete with bolo tie. As it turns out, he had a side gig during the holiday season as Santa Claus at a shopping mall in Albuquerque," Cooper recalled. "Not long after…
In this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Tejas Desai '03, The Dance Towards Death (The New Wei, 2020) In the third volume of his crime thriller trilogy The Brotherhood Chronicle, Tejas Desai delivers awe-inspiring narration that easily follows through in its mission to add a breathtaking final installment to the…
Jeopardy! fans around the world are mourning the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek, who died on Nov. 8 at age 80. According to The New York Times, Trebek had hosted the show consistently since 1984, missing only one episode during that time—on April Fools' Day in 1997, when he swapped places with the host of Wheel of Fortune as a gag. Many Wesleyans had the opportunity to compete on Jeopardy! over the years. Below, some reflect on their experiences and share remembrances of Trebek. J.R. Mannetta '13 competed on Jeopardy! in January 2020. When you go on Jeopardy! you don't actually…
Alumni and staff who have met with success in the November 2020 elections include: Amy Bello, administrative assistant for the African American Studies Department, won her first term as a State House representative for Connecticut's 28th District. Bello, a Democrat, is serving on the Wethersfield Town Council and is the former mayor. Read more in this Nov. 5 Hartford Courant article or in this past Wesleyan Connection article. Michael Demicco ’80 won his second term serving as a State House representative for Connecticut's 21st District. Demicco, a Democrat, represents Farmington and Unionville, Conn. Read more here. Former two-term Democratic Colorado…
On Oct. 26, Matthew Arkin '82 interviewed author Heidi Mastrogiovanni '79 on his YouTube show "Creative Conversations." Mastrogiovanni is the author of the comedic novel Lala Pettibone’s Act Two (finalist for the Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards) and the sequel, Lala Pettibone: Standing Room Only. The prequel in the trilogy, Lala Pettibone: Curtain Up, will be released next year. As a graduate of Wesleyan, Mastrogiovanni chose to have all of the protagonists in her novels be alumni of her alma mater. With James Napoli (The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm), Mastrogiovanni is co-host of the “Movies Not Movies” comedy podcast.…
In this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Jeremy Arnold ‘91, The Essentials Vol. 2: 52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter (Turner Classic Movies, 2020) In 2020, many of us have been turning to movies for entertainment in the comfort of our homes, making the demand for good film…
