From the Lotos Club News & Notes
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News & Notes from The Lotos Club JUNE/JULY 2 0 1 1 The Hustvedt Sisters Dinner to Honor Ocean Explorer Illness as Metaphor Members won’t want to miss a fascinating Science and Technology On June 16, literary sisters Asti Hustvedt and Siri Hustvedt will Evening on Tuesday, June 14, featuring ocean explorer David discuss themes that inform their work: women, literature and the depiction Gallo, director of Special Projects at and treatment of hysteria in modern the Woods Hole Oceanographic times. Asti is a well known scholar of Institution. Dr. Gallo has led French literature and Siri is a expeditions of all the oceans, most renowned novelist, essayist, and art recently to map the entire debris field critic. (cocktails, 6:30 p.m.; $30) of the Titanic and to locate the wreckage of Air France 447 In Siri Hustvedt’s bestselling novel, (cocktails, 6 p.m.; $80). What I Loved, a young woman The earth’s last great frontier, oceans working on a thesis about hysteria in Paris 19th century inspires her lover’s are almost entirely unexplored and introduce the audience to this poorly understood, yet they hold unfamiliar, important and sometimes paintings. Asti Hustved’s new book, Medical Muses: Hysteria in precious clues to our origins, magical world beneath the sea. evolution and destiny. Dr. Gallo will Nineteenth-Century Paris, is a (continued on page 8) nonfiction look at hysteria during this same period, presenting a fascinating study of three young female hysterics New Club Directors Elected who shaped our early notions of psychology. In addition, Siri’s memoir, The Shaking Woman or a History of My Nerves, is a memoir of her own struggle with a nervous disorder. Siri will also read from her latest novel, The Summer Without Men, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Lighthearted but not lightweight – a smart, sassy reflection on the varieties of female experience.” Renée F. Summer ’97 and Peter A. Cheney ’04 were chosen as new Celebrate! Class of 2014 directors in the Club elections on May 2. Ms. Summer currently Will Barnet’s chairs the Membership Committee; Mr. Cheney serves on the Finance, th Membership and Reciprocal Clubs committees. Incumbent directors Audrey 100 Birthday S. Amdursky, Patrick Frawley and Irwin Jacobs were re-elected to the Tuesday, June 7 Class of 2014; and incumbent officers were re-elected: Anne Russell, Call now for reservations: president; Michael D. Yon and Jonathan D. Rabinowitz, 1st and 2nd vice 212-737-7100, ext 439 presidents, respectively; Paul F. Jock, II, secretary; and John Sussek, treasurer. (Photo by John J. McGrath) N E W S A N D N O T E S A Note to Members Welcome to by Anne Russell, President the Club Marilynn J. Goldsmith (Resident), nd May 2 was an outstanding evening since 1952. As the discussion Associate Broker, Stribling and at the Club. It was election night, and continued, Meg asked about Dr. Associates, New York City. we had an exceptional turnout of Gabrilove’s children, and was proudly Proposer: Susan K. Appel; Seconder: members who dutifully handed in told that his daughter, Dr. Janice Belinda Pokorny. their ballots and then proceeded to Gabrilove, was a noted oncologist have a fun evening with their friends. who has been a pioneer in the field of David H. Roman (Associate), Vice A very worthy Lenore Kelly received hematopoietic reconstitution. Ten President, Global Investment the Lotos Medal of Merit, and retiring years ago, Dr. Janice co-invented the Research Division at Goldman, Directors were thanked and new drug, Neupogen. “Have you ever Sachs, New York City. Memberships: Directors welcomed. Although I tried heard of Neupogen?” he asked. The Penn Club of New York City. hard to summarize the past year and Proposer: Diane Reynolds; Seconder: the successes of our committees and Her reply was stunning, for in Evelyn P. Bernstein. January, Meg’s daughter, “Little events, my words were pale when Donald R. Sack (Non-Resident A), compared with the actuality of the Meg,” had undergone a kidney transplant donated by her sister, Antiques dealer (semi-retired), life-force of Lotos which is our Skytop, PA. Memberships: Skytop membership. Chrissy. There were complications, and, due to an extremely low white Club. Proposer: Margaret B. Parkes; It’s not hard to understand why the blood cell count, the dangers of Seconder: Anne Russell. events at the Club are so distinctive. infection threatened the new kidney They are brought to you by members and Meg’s well-being. Enter Reminder: New Members’ Dinner who truly understand the concept of Neupogen! After just three excellence and strive to share their treatments her count was normal. My The Club’s annual New Members’ experience and insights with all of us. sister was astounded that she was Dinner, by invitation only, for I am constantly amazed by the skills speaking with a gentleman whose members who joined the Club and expertise represented at Lotos, daughter had probably saved her between September 2010 and and delighted with our members’ daughter’s quality of life. At Lotos, May 2011, will be held on June 15. commitment to participate as fully as there are only “Two Degrees of possible. Let’s keep this going, and Separation.” let’s keep working to attract new members who will share our ideas Our membership is extraordinary. and ideals. Come and enjoy this Club, which will be open throughout the summer, and A personal vignette: get to know your fellows members My sister, Meg Brogan, has applied better as you meet them over the for membership in the Club, and had course of the (finally) warmer 5 East 66th Street her three personal interviews in May. months. And, as an aside, thank you New York, NY 10065 She was nervous, of course, until she to all who have made my first year as (212) 737-7100 started meeting the members who your president so memorable. (212) 737-9188 (fax) were charged with “sorting her out.” Remember – LOL (Lots of Lotos)! www.lotosclub.org She settled in and had what may come News & Notes close to being one of her most rewarding days in a long time, as she Club Holiday Executive Editor shared experiences and ideas with Stephenie Ralston three wonderful members of the The Lotos Club will be closed Design Editor Admissions Committee starting with on Monday, July 4, in observance Sharon Situ Norman Horowitz and Jacqueline of Independence Day. Aronson. Her last interview was with Bedrooms will be open Contributing Editor Dr. Lester Gabrilove, who has been a every day in June and July. Nancy Johnson most distinguished member of Lotos Page Two The Lotos Club N E W S A N D N O T E S From the Archives “I am tremendously flattered but…” by Nancy Johnson, Archivist Even at The Lotos Club, you can’t always get what you want. A file discovered in the Club archives holds letters from celebrities who were invited for festive “cocktail receptions” in the 1960s, but who replied with a polite “thanks, but no thanks.” In October 1961, Noel Coward, whose play Sail Away had just opened on Broadway, wrote that he “felt very touched,” but said he would be in Jamaica. Barbara Bel Geddes, starring in Edward Albee’s black comedy, Everything in the Garden, begged off, saying that she was “neurotically” shy. “Any public appearance, however friendly and informal, is an agony of suffering to me,” she wrote to Lotos President Norris Harkness, concluding, “Forgive my frankness, but that’s the real reason, so why fib about ‘previous commitments’ or such.” Although Hello, Dolly! star Carol Channing sent her regrets in 1965, her successor, Ginger Rogers, was the Club’s guest later that year. Rogers was accompanied by Lotos member Peter Howard, who conducted the orchestra for the musical and coached said no in 1969, writing that his 1963, and had time for a “plentiful her in the role. But a later “Dolly,” schedule on the Tonight show, which buffet dinner in the men’s grill” Ethel Merman, begged off. “Miss was still being filmed in New York, before appearing in Photo Finish. Merman…follows a very rigorous conflicted with the early evening Other stars came for drinks, then ran and unvarying schedule on the days timing of the Lotos event. “It was back to Broadway for an evening when she must give a performance,” good of you to think of me,” he performance: Claudette Colbert, wrote the press representative for the wrote. starring in Marriage-Go-Round in play. 1960; Mary Martin in The Sound of But despite these celebrity Music in 1961; Jose Ferrer in 1964, Twenty-three-year-old Barbra declinations, Lotos still had a glowing when he starred in The Girl Who Streisand, already a star, made her list of cocktail party honorees during Came to Supper; Jessica Tandy and excuses in 1965, as did Danny Kaye. the sixties. A 1962 reception for Hume Cronyn, also in 1964, when Jackie Gleason was invited and never Anthony Quinn started early so that they appeared in The Physicists; and answered, but his Honeymooners co- he could get back to the theater in Angela Lansbury, star of Dear World star, Art Carney, had a Lotos time for the evening performance of in 1969. Stars have never been in reception in 1968. Johnny Carson Tchin- Tchin. Peter Ustinov came in short supply at The Lotos Club. The Lotos Club Page Three N E W S A N D N O T E S A Review A Review “Morning Joe” Two by Two by Tenn by Clifford Henderson III Comes to Lotos Wow, what a wonderful night it was eulogium, excerpting his upcoming by Robert Ravitz at the Club on Monday, May 16th! A book, Follies of God, which draws from his friendship with the Joe Scarborough, co-host of TV’s gentle rain cloaked a waxing gibbous playwright, beginning with a five-day “Morning Joe,” and former Florida moon in a vestigial seaport mist.