Katharine Beals Has a New Book

Katharine Beals writes in to report:

"My first book, "Raising a Left-Brain Child in a Right Brain World," has just been published. I began working on it once my youngest child started school--not just because I finally had the time to write a book, but because I also had three kids coming home bored and frustrated by various strange new classroom practices, like Reform Math and mandatory group learning. I soon found myself immersed in the Math Wars and other education controversies, and increasingly concerned about how today's schools treat unsocial children, math and science buffs, and kids on the autistic spectrum. I elaborate these concerns in my book, and suggest some ways that the parents and teachers of such children can make school life more engaging and hospitable."

Class lunches

Please do not forget that we have class lunches every month in New York and Chicago.

The next lunch in New York is on Thursday, October 8, from 12:30 to 2:00 at the Yale Club. You do not have to be a member to join us at lunch. For more information, please e-mail Paul Sarkozi at sarkozi@thshlaw.com.

For information on the Chicago lunches, please contact Joe Gromacki at jgromacki@jenner.com.

And the news keeps pouring in . . .

Thanks to the overwhelming response to my recent request for information, we have even more news to report:

Karen Homsy Horst writes in: "Hi Tim, I live near Denver, CO am married and we have two children: Nick (age 13y) and Isabel (age 9y). I have a private psychiatry practice specializing in women's psychiatry (esp. around childbirth/miscarriage etc.) and am in my fourth year of psychoanalytic training. I had a great family trip to Costa Rica this summer. Does that count? Tracy Burke lives nearby and we get together occasionally."

Dennis Blackwell had an update. He recently finished a production singing the title role in "The Marriage of Figaro" in the Berkshires. and received positive reviews. Next up, productions of Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito" and the New York premiere of Cesar Cui's "A Feast in the Time of Plague", a setting of Pushkin's short story. For more info, visit www.dennisblackwell.com. Dennis and his partner Gabriel celebrated the fifth anniversary of their commitment ceremony this past August.

Peter Olszowka writes: "Despite spending most of my time in the theater at Yale, I've spent almost no time there since until this past weekend where I was sound designer of the world premier of "Never After" at the Somerville Theater near Boston, MA."

Kim Means-Guarnaccia sent this note: "Last week I was hired on as associate publisher and art director of the Shelburne Falls Independent newspaper in Shelburne Falls, MA. In the meantime I am living near Keene, NH and dating a musician/actor in Holyoke, MA. "

Paul Doiron had an interesting experience lately. He was guiding a Maine fishing trip and tried to have some fun by calling in a territorial bull moose by imitating another bull moose's calls. Fortunately, we were able to scramble back into the pickup before the angry moose trampled us all to death.

Laurent Stanevich had a quick update: "Living in Ann Arbor, MI with Jill and our two boys, and working in interactive marketing in Columbus, OH. My agency (Shift Global) just had a great outdoor party with live music, BBQ and a bonfire. "

Kathy Graff sent a note that reinforces why we need to do a class tailgate . . . something needs to be done here:

Funny Tim that I should receive your e-mail today. I actually have Yale-related activity on which to report.Yesterday I convinced my family what a blast it would be to go to the Yale-Cornell game. So off we went to New Haven as I treated them to a medley of Yale cheers and regaled them with my student experiences at Yale football games. (I believe I attended every Yale home game during my four years, which is definitely not to say I actually watched them). I told them how clever and politically on point the band is and how much spirit the students have.Well, my only memory that was correct or is the same today is of the Yale Bowl bathrooms.

The student section was sparse and the cheers were not so spirited. We sat in the alumni area in a sea of men in tweed jackets (when does that happen I wonder, when men determine a tweed blazer is football game attire? My husband swears you're bred that way or you're not.) The actual football was HORRIBLE. My family decided we're sticking with the NFL.The band's big clever jokes were based on the use of the words "balls" and "penetration". It's entirely possible I thought this was a hoot once upon a time. Today, not so much.I know I sound really negative, but it actually was fun and a worthwhile experience; the Yale Bowl is an historic place.

The day improved dramatically with our stop at Pepe's pizza. Living in New Yorkand being a bit of a foodie, I thought I had experienced the height of pizza. Not the case, Pepe's redefines the genre. It was outrageously fantastic. At first my husband was a little put out by the menu, not a lettuce leaf in sight to start. I actually heard the waitress tell a woman at the next table that if she wanted lemon with her drink she needed to bring her own. No matter the pizza absolves them. I'm still thinking about it, a lot.

Carl Zimmer wrote in: "'m living in Guilford, CT, with my wife Grace and daughters Charlotte (8) and Veronica (5). I've just started teaching a class on writing about science at Yale. "

John Sylvain is living in Los Angeles enjoying the beach with his 8 year old son Yogi and his wife Shelley. Recently had dinner with David Baron '87 and his family.

Doug Allen writes: "Living and working outside Hartford, CT at a boarding school with my wife Amy and two children 8 and 3. Looking forward to going to New Haven this coming weekend for the 100th anniversary of the Whiffenpoofs."

Class Dues

Every so often, we ask people to consider making a contribution to the Class Dues.

Class dues help keep Classes connected with one another and the University. Class treasury funds help make the following possible:

Class group subscription to the Yale Alumni Magazine

5-year Class reunions at Yale

Class communications

Class events between reunion years

Special projects, like class tailgates, Feb Club Emeritus, etc.

Class treasuries need replenishing every year. Please consider helping with Class Dues. To contribute, please click here.

Yale Harvard Game -- Class Tailgate

We're putting together a Class Tailgate for the Yale/Harvard Game on November, 21.

Please get your tickets through the ticket office -- and say you're with the Class of 1987. We can get our tickets together!

More details soon . . . we're thinking a class RV/Warming hut, hot choclate, Mory's cups and other fun pre-game at the Bowl.

More news from the class

Thanks to all who responded to my email. Here is more news!

Glenn Gutmacher (DC 87) presented his popular "Beyond Job Boards" webinar (http://aces.arbita.net/training/DVDs) on how to tap the hidden job market to the global Harvard Business School Alumni association to kick off their Career Webinar series in September - 800 pre-registered, which blew away HBSA's expectations. Gotta love a Yalie teaching Cantabridgians what to do!

David Baron wrote in to say: "Summer (such as it was) came to a crashing halt with the start of 1st and 3rd grade for the kids (Ellie and Sam, respectively), the Jewish Holidays (which negates the start of school) and the return of LA traffic to it's full and upright position. Still, it's all good... "

Tony Walsh sent the following: "I am living in Atlanta with my wife Stephanie, daughter Finn (5) and son Patrick (4). I spent this past week in arbitration hearings in Dallas, Texas (I am a litigator for GE)."

Phil Rodriguez, I learned, is teaching English and prepping his students for the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon.

Caprice Young wrote to say: "Well, Labor Day weekend we moved the entire family form Los Angeles to Portland Oregon and my 13 year old daughter went off to high school on Vancouver Island (waaaaaah!)"

Marty Brennan sent the following note: "Jada and I have escaped the horrible traffic of the DC area to vacation in LA only to find the traffic there really isn't that much worse. We will head up to the Bay area and catch up with Melissa (Bauman) Ward. Our timing was bad in that we missed a chance to hear Sonya Baker come up to DC and sing. We heard Sonya sing at the Kennedy Center in April with the Murray State Wind Ensemble and she was fabulous as usual. "

Mark Wan wrote in to say: "Last week went to Jackson Hole with a few guys to play golf and mountain bike. great end to the summer"

Andy Imparato wrote the following: "I live in Baltimore with Betsy Nix (Silliman 87). We celebrated 20 years of marriage in July and visited Yale with our 16-year-old son Gareth and our 10-year-old Nicholas in August as Gareth is starting to think about colleges. I run a disability rights organization in DC called the American Association of People with Disabilities, www.aapd.com and Betsy teaches American History at the University of Baltimore."

Joanne Lesner and her husband, Josh Rosenblum ('83), just presented a reading of their new musical, GARBO AND ME, at the York Theatre Company.

Sara (Unrue) Koulen is coaching 3rd grade soccer. Please stop laughing, Johanna Viglucci!

Eleanor Nell ter Horst wrote the following: "Tim, you caught me during a busy week! (But aren't they all like that?) I'm in Clarion, Pennsylvania and in the last week I have given a paper at a conference, biked 35 miles to raise money for MS and entered my photographs into a local art show. "

Lisa Kein Pearo wrote this note: "I have begun teaching my grad-level advertising course, which is jointly listed at the Hotel School and the Busines Schol at Cornell. I cannot believe that we just welcomed freshman born the same year I GRADUATED from business school. The parents are all now our age. So bizarre!"

Here is Minter Dial's spiel: "After 16 years at L'Oreal, I decided to leave to start up my own consultancy company, positioning myself as a business speaker and coach for the European market. Still based in Paris, I am busy writing a book and preparing an MBA class based on the vision I have for leadership in today's international marketplace. On the family front, my son, Oscar, 12, is enjoying boarding school in England (like father like son) while my daughter, Alexandra, 10, is developing beautifully with us in Paris. Aside from nourishing some Yale connections via Facebook, I was very glad to meet up with Brad Worrall in London and Paris over the summer. Still active on the blog front of course: www.minterdial.com (so come by and join in)"

Recent news from the class

I sent out an e-mail to see what people are up to. No need for big stories - I just wanted to find out a little bit about our classmates. What follows are some of the responses:

From Val Norton: Was jonesing for the aspen color change in Colorado, so I flew there last weekend to see family and do some hiking. The fall colors were at their peak in the high country--food for the soul. --Val

I learned that Melissa Bauman Ward retired from the practice of law in June and is busier than ever with the family (husband Robert, kids Katie (13), Matthew (11), and Josie (8), and silly yellow lab Frodo (1)) in Walnut Creek, CA. This week she particularly enjoyed performing with the Diablo Symphony Orchestra, serving on the Walnut Creek Downtown Parking Task Force (strangely fascinating), and tie dying t-shirts with third graders.

M.A. Pomputius writes: "I'm still in Seattle, still a retired attorney. We're taking a break from restoring our hous on Volunteer Park, and instead I'm focusing on letterpress printing, writing a dog travel blog (http://www.dogjaunt.com/) and trying to get a gorgeous 120's gas station declared a city landmark."

Jen Devore writes:

hi tim!hope all is well with you and yours.my week was filled with the usual family trivia...
-- filled out 5 middle school applications for my 11-year old twins
-- drove said twins to 4 swim team practices
-- went to back to school night for my 3 boys, 3 classes
-- ran 2 times wtih my running group at 5:30 am
-- made 1 amazing chocolate babka for Rosh Hashannah, my first ever
really not sure ANY of the above qualifies as news, but i really liked your last post to the 1987 blog and totally agree.

Lisa Zion McNiff writes: "In the last couple of weeks, I've successfully disentangled several couples from the holy bonds of matrimony, secured sole custody for a couple of dads (kind of a big deal), regularly harassed my 20-year-old son to get a job, gotten tipsy several times at the local microwbrewery, Darkhorse; had a fight and made up with my boyfriend and fired a secretary. Exciting, hmmm?"

I learned that Emanuel Pastreich works as the director of the Asia Institute at the SolBridge Business School in Daejeon, Korea's IT hub. he writes on science policy and current Asian affairs, often in Korean.

Catherine Spain wrote to say: "I married Rashi Soni in 2008. We live in West Hartford, CT. I am a tax lawyer at Michael A. Neufeld & Assoc. in Milford, CT. "

A note about class notes . . . .

My periodic e-mails elicit responses from time to time, some of which suggest that classmates who have not written books, made movies, launched companies or been appointed by presidents sometimes feel like they have nothing of note to share. Although it is true that I tend to highlight public successes -- often because I read about it on the internet -- I do not believe that this is the only worthy news of our class. Quite the opposite. The every day accomplishments of our classmates -- be they birth of a child, the graduation of a child from school, finding the time to get together with old friends, the celebration of a hobby or a cool trip, fighting for a cause -- are every bit as deserving of coverage on our class site as our more common fair. I am reminded of how true this is every Fall.

Ten years ago, my little brother, Luke, died suddenly. Luke was not a fancy guy. He tended bar, managed restaurants and, in the summer before he died, was a white water rafting guide in Wyoming. He never graduated from college and sometimes looked like Grizzly Adams. Yet, he had a huge impact on people because of his kind and generous spirit, and his adventurous way through life.

The first Saturday after Labor Day, we get together with his friends to have a charity golf event so we can send kids to the summer camp Luke attended. We thought initially that we would do the tournament for a year or two. After all, what had he done that would bring people together year after year? Ten years later, we are planning another tournament, and will get together with 100 or so people who will travel from all over the country to be there. At the end of our day together, this group will lift their glasses and remember their old friend. More than a couple of the kids who will be there are named after Luke. A fitting tribute to a wonderful life, that was completely devoid of the sorts of accomplishments I often report.

Luke's life is a steady and humbling reminder to me about how important the little things are, and how rich a life can be even without accolades. I have every confidence that the lives of our classmates -- whether heralded or not -- are just as full of wonder as Luke's was.

So, if you'd like to share the events of your life, even if they don't involve something fancy, I for one will look forward to reading about it.

News from Jackie Horne -- Children's Literature Scholar

Jackie C. Horne, a scholar of children's literature, recently co-edited a collection of essays celebrating the 100th anniversary of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. The book will be published by Scarecrow Press in early 2010. Jackie also writes about contemporary children's literature: her essay on anti-racism pedagogies in the Harry Potter series will appear in the January 2010 issue of the journal The Lion and the Unicorn. Any Yalies interested in sharing thoughts about children's fantasy books can connect to Jackie via GoodReads...

News From Peter Barnes

Peter Barnes writes in to report:

I'm getting married in February, to Velina Pelgrift. We're enjoying the prospect of blending our families, though I never thought I'd have 4 teenagers!

I still live in Berkeley, CA, and work at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, doing a variety of pure and applied physics research, which I love. I ran into Natasha Reichle ('87) a while ago, at the pediatrician, of all places. At the time she was in graduate school and curating at the Asian Art Museum of SF.