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Olivia DrakeJune 12, 20143min
Both experienced writers and new writers participated in the 58th Annual Wesleyan Writers Conference June 11-15. About 90 writers attended, including Wesleyan students enrolled in Summer Session courses. Manuscript consultations and publishing advice were key parts of the program. Participants attended daily seminars in the novel, short story, poetry, and nonfiction (including memoir and literary journalism), and the program also included guest speakers, readings, workshops, panel discussions and talks with editors and agents. Faculty and speakers at this year’s conference included award-winning fiction writer Amy Bloom ’75, author of the new novel Lucky Us; Roxana Robinson, short story writer and author of…

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Olivia DrakeJune 6, 20142min
The almost-century-old 20-inch Van Vleck Refractor, which lives on Foss Hill in its iconic dome, is undergoing a major renovation. Work began June 2. The rare historic telescope will be dismantled, cleaned, repaired, reassembled and modernized over a period of about 15 months in preparation of the observatory centennial in 2016. The refractor has been deteriorating gradually since its retirement from research around 1993. Antique Telescope Society members and Ray Museum Studios founders Fred Orthlieb, Ph.D. and Chris Ray are leading the renovation. Astronomy major Julian Dann '17 and German Studies major Rebecca Hanschell '16 are assisting with the project this summer. Read…