The

CollegeSUMMER 2014 • ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE • ANNAPOLIS • SANTA FE

Anna Karenina The Truth of Stories “ How glorious fall the valiant, sword [mallet] in hand, in front of battle for their native land.” —Tyrtaeus, Spartan poet The St. John’s croquet team greets the cheering crowd in Annapolis. ii | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from the editor

The College is published by St. John’s College, Annapolis, MD, Why Stories? and Santa Fe, NM [email protected] “ He stepped down, trying not to is not just the suspense, but the connection made Known office of publication: through storytelling that matters: “Storytelling Communications Office look long at her, as if she were ought to be done by people who want to make St. John’s College the sun, yet he saw her, like the other people feel a little bit less alone.” 60 College Avenue In this issue we meet Johnnies who are story- Annapolis, MD 21401 sun, even without looking.” tellers in modern and ancient forms, filmmakers, Periodicals postage paid Leo Tolstoy, ANNA KARENINA poets, even a fabric artist. N. Scott Momaday, at Annapolis, MD Pulitzer Prize winner and artist-in-residence on Postmaster: Send address “Emotions are what pull us in—the character’s the Santa Fe campus, says, “Poetry is the high- changes to The College vulnerabilities, desires, and fears,” says screen- est expression of language.” Along with student Magazine, Communications writer Jeremy Leven (A64); he is one of several poets, he shares insights on this elegant form Office, St. John’s College, 60 College Avenue, alumni profiled in this issue of The College who and how it touches our spirits and hearts. Annapolis, MD 21401. tell stories. Leven reveals “moments of truth” The Johnnies in film featured in this issue with nuanced, often sparse dialogue and subtext. each transform an individual vision for a story Editor Although certainly not sparing with words, with their craft—screenwriting, directing, film Patricia Dempsey Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910) editing, and digital animation, to name a few— [email protected] revealed human emotions with great insight, and close collaboration with others; the end re- Contributing Editor with what tutor Jonathan Tuck calls “the raw sult is there for all to see on the big screen. Gabe Gomez power of storytelling” in his essay for this issue. James Schamus (A81) describes what it took Associate Editor Tolstoy was born at the family estate, about 130 to be CEO of Focus Features, where he stew- Gregory Shook miles south of Moscow. Educated at home by arded films that speak to the historical context Design tutors, Tolstoy enrolled in the University of Kazan of our times, and, as great stories do, captivated Skelton Design in 1844 to study Oriental languages; he trans- a generation of filmgoers. For Hanna Jayanti Contributors ferred to the less demanding law faculty but left (SF07) film editing “is a form of writing in the Thomas Alleman without a degree. In 1851 he joined the army and visual world.” She collaborated on a documen- Anna Perleberg Anderson (SF02) Chelsea Batten (A07) fought in the Crimean War (1853–56). Tolstoy’s tary shown at the New Yorker Festival. Maver- Nutchapol Boonparlit (A14) two masterpieces are War and Peace (1869) and icks such as Mike Lacy (A12) direct music videos Sus3an Borden (A87) Anna Karenina (1877). He deftly paints intimate in which lyrics are like characters, and Geoff Domenic D’Andrea (A15) details of his characters’ lives, set against the Marslett (SF96) jumps from writing a software John Emerson Erin Fitzpatrick (A14) sweeping canvas of history. Notes Santa Fe Dean program for his animated feature to directing Anyi Guo (A14) J. Walter Sterling (A93) in this issue, “Tolstoy actors without scripted dialogue. Richard Saja Eunji Kim (A15) brings to life (or to the work of art) Napoleon as (SF93) transforms the art of toile. Jennifer Levin man and myth, the great movements of modern These Johnnies have in common a deep Adam Maraschky (A13) Russian politics, the general tumult of enlight- Paula Novash appreciation of universal stories that connect Jonathan Tuck enment rationalism (and nationalism), and the us all. Screenwriter Lee Zlotoff (A74) shares his Copyeditor many other forces by which Europe was con- method for tapping these stories from the sub- Cathi Dunn MacRae vulsed in the 19th century....” conscious: “We are a narrative species; each Tolstoy’s fictions reveal truth. It is no surprise night we dream and each of our dreams is a story. The College welcomes letters that they continue to be embraced by popular We need these stories,” he says. on issues of interest to modern culture—for instance, both Greta Garbo We need oral stories as well. In this issue, tutor readers. Letters can be sent via e-mail to the editor or (1935) and Keira Knightly (2012) starred in film Claudia Hauer describes her oral history project mailed to the address above. adaptations of Anna Karenina. We care about about the founding of the Santa Fe campus 50 Annapolis: 410-626-2539 what happens to his memorable characters— years ago, and the spirited pioneers who envi- Santa Fe: 505-984-6104 Pierre, Prince Andrei, Anna, and Kitty Levin, sioned it. Chelsea Batten’s (A07) search for con- to name a few. “We come to know these people nection reminds us that a good conversation just inside and out, better perhaps than we know our might be better than anything—even a great film. own families or close friends. It is very hard to Thank you to our contributors, and especially remember that they are not real,” notes Tuck. to our readers for sharing stories! I look forward Film director Domenic D’Andrea (A15) tells us it to hearing from you. —P.D.

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 1 summer 2014 volume 39, issue 1

...We want desperately to find out what will happen next....It’s this very curiosity that keeps us reading; though the book [War and Peace] is long, we fly through it after a while, hoping that our favorites will find the happiness they have been seeking for years. —Jonathan Tuck, tutor THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH ART RESOURCE ART BY JULES FEIFFER, ILLUSTRATION

FEATURES page 18 page 24 page 38 Why Stories? Modern Takes Vision Realized Faculty members consider Seven alumni touch our Oral histories on the founding Tolstoy, and how reading deepest emotions and reveal of the Santa Fe campus, from the works of the greatest a truth of the moment through faculty innovations to horse minds can illuminate the power of narrative stories rides to seminar, reveal the historical context. in feature films, animated passion of the early pioneers. shorts, documentaries, television characters, even embellished toile.

on the cover: Anna Karenina illustration by Gayle Kabaker

2 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 THOMAS ALLEMAN

DEPARTMENTS

From Our Readers Bibliofile Alumni 4 Tolstoy Stories 42 Johanna Omelia (SFGI03) and 45 Alumni Notes Michael Waldock (SFGI03) celebrate 55 In Memoriam From the Bell Towers Come Fly with Us! A Global History of the Airline Hostess. 58 Philanthropy: Anjali Pai (SFGI08), 6 Spirit of Poetry: N. Scott Momaday Larry Saporta (A91), LCDR Erik 43 Anne Leonard (A89) and John C. Alexandra Wick (A15) Kristensen (AGI00), Curtis Wilson, Wright (A84) create fantasy and sci-fi Alexandra Welm (A14) Annapolis tutor and dean Joshua Sturgill (SF17) in Moth and Spark and Judge of Ages. Almuni News: Hilary Fields 60 Homecoming 2014 9 Lunch with Anna Karenina 44 (SF97) follows her bliss in the City Different. 10 First Person: Domenic D’Andrea (A15) Nora Gallagher’s (SF70) memoir, Johnnie Traditions 11 Summer Film Institute in Santa Fe Moonlight Sonata at the Mayo Clinic, 62 Croquet: A Toga War chronicles her medical system struggles. 12 Ariel Intern: Elizabeth Fedden (SF15) 64 St. John’s Forever Gregory Recco 13 Reading Tolstoy: Tutor emeritus Tutor and University Eric Sanday’s Sam Kutler (Class of 1954) of Kentucky professor essays explore Plato’s Laws. Eidos 14 Hodson Intern: Rachel Howell (A16) 65 Adam Maraschky (A13) 15 Larry Clendenin (SF77) Retires Profiles 16 Santa Fe Celebrates 50 Years 50 Jamaal Barnes (A10) advocates above: Screenwriter and director Lee Zlotoff (A74) at work in his Malibu home 17 On Liberal Education: Chris Nelson public service. (SF70), Annapolis president 53 Elizabeth Powers (A89) sheds light on workplace bias. 54 Chelsea Batten’s (A07) search for conversation

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 3 from our readers

Readers Share

Tolstoy Farm struggle of the Transvaal Indians, My main memory of Tolstoy is of and asked him to air his views on Leo Pickens’s (A78) brilliant oral the subject of morality....” exam on his senior essay on War —Chris Olson (A78) and Peace in the reading room of the old library. Separately, I Channeling Prince Andrei learned that Gandhi was inspired I will never forgive Tolstoy for by Tolstoy and lived in an ashram what he did to Natasha and Anna called Tolstoy Farm during his for- K. That said, I was ferociously mative years in South Africa. There devouring War and Peace, for the A view from inside the Tolstoy Literary Museum in Moscow. he led nonviolent protests against second time, this past autumn (a the “Black Law,” which deprived book that improves with age—my Literary Sites A Battlefield Revelation Asians of their civil rights, until it age!). On the very night I was My wife and I were in Moscow last Think of New Mexico. Now think was repealed in 1914, seven years in the thick of the Borodino year and visited the Tolstoy Liter- of Russia. There’s probably not a after its promulgation. aftermath, I got a deep cut from ary Museum there. We intended to lot of overlap in your mental Venn get to Tolstoy’s house in Moscow, diagram. But that wasn’t the case “ Gandhi attributes the success of the final where he lived for a time with his for me when I was working towards wife and 13 children after writing my MA at St. John’s four years ago. phase of the satyagraha campaign in his masterpieces, but we never Tolstoy wrote that “Russia and hot South Africa between 1908 and 1914 to got there. weather don’t go together,” and it —Mike Woolsey (Class of 1965) was a harsh winter in Santa Fe the the ‘spiritual purification and penance’ first time I read War and Peace. Train Trips I slogged through the snow and afforded by the Tolstoy Farm.” I wrote my senior essay on Tolstoy’s slush two nights a week to attend —Chris Olson (A78) War and Peace in 1975, and it my preceptorial on the novel. And, won the senior essay prize, tied of course, keeping up with the with my esteemed classmate Cary assigned readings meant taking Gandhi attributes the success a piece of glass straight into my Stickney’s (A75) essay on Hegel. Tolstoy along with me wherever of the final phase of the satyagraha upper thigh in an around-the- My paper was typed by Jane H., my I went that frigid winter. During campaign in South Africa between house accident. Rather than take helper-typist and I on three differ- a post-lunch lull at the pizzeria 1908 and 1914 to the “spiritual my one-inch gaping wound to the ent typewriters at the last minute, where I worked, Prince Andrei and purification and penance” afforded ER in Baltimore at midnight on up in my room on the third floor I had a battlefield revelation involv- by the Tolstoy Farm. The Tolstoy a Saturday, I channeled my inner of the dorm with the bookstore in ing an infinite and lofty sky. While Farm was the second of its kind of Prince Andrei. I washed out the the basement. Probably Tolstoy my clothes were drying at the experiments established by Gandhi. wound, poured half a bottle of per- typed on a typewriter, too? Don’t Solana Laundromat, I was hunting The following is an excerpt from oxide over it. I tore a big strip off bother looking up a copy of the wolves with a nobleman and his www.tolstoyfarm.com: a clean tee shirt and wrapped my paper; it was not well written! I loyal team of serfs and borzois. I “It was Tolstoy’s writings that thigh. The next day—not awaken- realize this now, but I loved the swaddled myself in every blanket impressed [Gandhi] the most. The ing in a pool of my own blood—I experience of spending a couple of I owned when my heater was on Russian’s ideas about renouncing walked to the ER, got my stitches, months pondering one great book the fritz and felt decidedly well-off force as a means of opposition were and walked to Fell’s Point in time and author. I retain images such as compared to Napoleon’s retreating akin to Gandhi’s own thoughts, for noon tea with fellow alum João that of Nicolai lying face up on the troops. Russia and hot weather although he did not share Tolstoy’s Santa Rita (A09). earth, wounded, looking up at the don’t go together, but, for me, Rus- intense dislike for organized —Samantha Buker (A05) clouds, pausing in the midst of life. sia and New Mexico somehow do. government. The Indian had read All my life, I’ve been a religious —Wint Huskey (SFGI10) Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God Free Speech seeker, and I’m in a very different Is Within You in 1894. This had I remember reading Tolstoy’s War place from where I was in ’75. I live Disruptive Conclusion stimulated his search for truth and and Peace at St. John’s with great back in central Maine, whence I I remember that [Tolstoy] seminar nonviolence in his own religion.... interest. I was asked to talk about began my journeys from home with very well because of our discussion Prompted by his deeper apprecia- it in my senior oral exam and, for train trips to St. John’s College in of the characters of Andrei and his tion of the Tolstoyan philosophy, once, did not feel tongue-tied, as I Annapolis and back. Here is peace pal Pierre, and because of War and Gandhi wrote in October 1909 often did in seminar. and many distant wars. Didn’t Peace’s addendum—that disrup- the first of his four letters to the —Julia du Prey (née Busser) Tolstoy’s life end with a train trip? tive conclusion—which we jointly Russian. He described in it the (Class of 1966) —Laura Bridgman (A75) concluded in seminar did not go

4 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from our readers

with the rest of War and Peace. “Why don’t I write the Third Epi- A Well-Worn Copy Tolstoy’s historical P.S. was a dec- logue?” That was followed immedi- Here is a picture of my copy of laration of faith, which he wanted ately by, “But you’ve never written War and Peace from my senior to make happen because he fiction in your life.” What then essay. Obviously, that system declared it so. It was the beginning ensued were six intense days, dur- was color-coded! of a new book. It almost spoiled ing which time I wrote a more than —Erin Martell (A98) the whole novel—like the extra 90-page extension to Tolstoy’s epic chapter added on to T. H. White’s work. The words just flowed to the The Once and Future King (which point that there were entire pages White’s editor wisely cut). Years without one typo—and this was in later, I’ve re-read both War and the days before correcting typewrit- Peace and Tolstoy’s addendum, ers. There were times that I had no but never together. In my humble idea what would happen next in the opinion, War and Peace works in- story. As the words flowed, I cried; finitely better on its own, without I laughed. I truly felt as if Tolstoy that false handle of religious faith were directing what was appearing which Tolstoy glued to its end. on the page. Back to 2013: A friend “ Tolstoy wrote that ‘Russia and hot —John Dean (A70) said, “Why don’t you put the Third Epilogue on Kindle?” After going weather don’t go together,’ and it was a The Third Epilogue through the learning curve of de- harsh winter in Santa Fe the first time I Time travel to the Graduate signing a cover, figuring out how to Institute, Santa Fe, 1971: My pre- publish something on Kindle, and read War and Peace. I slogged through ceptorial was War and Peace. My re-typing the document, War and dilemma: A week before the work Peace: The Third Epilogue is now the snow and slush two nights a week to was due, what to write? A strong on Kindle under the pseudonym of attend my preceptorial on the novel.” thought passed through my mind, Samantha Jean Wiley. —Wint Huskey (SFGI10) —Margaret Sansom (SFGI74)

Contributors

Behind the Lens: film and think, ‘I don’t remember Anyi Guo (A14) taking that.’” Yet she doesn’t es- “I like revealing things to people chew digital photography entirely. that they don’t know,” says Anyi “I love that [digital photography] Guo (A14). “Sometimes they don’t captures every moment, and by just know how beautiful they are.” pressing the button, one of [the Guo prefers dramatic portraits to photos] will eventually come out poses and finds that she captures right,” says Guo. “That’s the trick the moment best when the subject to digital photography—a bit of is relaxed, allowing their personal- patience and a bit of luck.” ity to shine. “It helps when you Not much of a gear head, Guo genuinely like the person because keeps it simple. She uses a Pentax I believe that a picture reflects K-5 digital single-lens reflex, an how you—the photographer—re- entry-to-middle-level DSLR that’s ally think of them,” she says. Her “not really professional, but it’s lively images of student life appear good enough for the work that throughout The College magazine, I do.” She uses only two lenses: in a 2011 yearbook she created, one for portraits and another for and in other print and digital everything else. “Good lenses are publications. expensive,” she says. “They cost Guo favors film photography around $3,000, while my camera over digital. “The process is very only cost $300. But what can I slow, so you can’t see what you just say? Photography is more about took,” she says. “It’s almost like a the eyes than the equipment.” Christmas gift when you look at the —Nutchapol Boonparlit (A14)

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 5 The Spirit of Poetry

Although N. Scott Momaday is best known as a novelist—his first novel, House Made of Dawn, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1969—poetry is his most abiding love. He is also a visual artist and was appointed artist-in-residence on the Santa Fe campus in April. Of Kiowa-Cherokee heritage, Momaday was raised first on the Kiowa Indian Reservation in Oklahoma and then in Arizona, where he was exposed to the Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo Indian cultures of the Southwest. After graduating from the University of New Mexico, he won a poetry fellowship to Stanford University’s Creative Writing program and earned a doctorate in English literature in 1963. Momaday has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Arts. TERI THOMSON RANDALL

When did you start writing poetry? you have an idea and put the idea into the “ It’s my goal to be as highest possible expression. I started thinking of myself as a poet when responsible in language I was just a child. My mother was a writer; Can you describe the work you’re doing I followed in her footsteps. I watched her as artist-in-residence? as I can be and that leads work and she read to me. There were always I meet with students every two weeks or me directly to poetry, the books in the house that were inspiring to so. I assign a poem to read or a painting me that led me to become a writer. to study and we have a discussion. It’s a crown of literature.” wonderful exercise in the seminar form N. Scott Momaday What compels you to write a poem now? and I’m delighted with the students I’ve How do you go about writing a poem? encountered here. I look forward to con- Poetry is the highest expression in lan- tinuing in this post for a good, long while. How did you develop an interest guage. It’s my goal to be as responsible Some of the works we have discussed are in painting? in language as I can be and that leads me “The Snow Man” by Wallace Stevens, My father was a noted Native American directly to poetry, the crown of literature. “Poem in October” by Dylan Thomas, Pe- I try to find an idea that I want to explore painter, so I watched him work when I was ter Brueghel’s “Hunter in the Snow,” and growing up. I didn’t want to be a painter at in poetry and then I work it out mostly in Munch’s “Cry” and “The Red Vine.” terms of traditional English forms. I do a lot that time; it was not until I was well into my of traditional work in iambic pentameter, Is talking about a painting similar adulthood that I began painting and draw- but I also write free verse (a contradiction to talking about a poem? ing and making prints. in terms). I like prose poems, short, lyrical They are different expressions of the spirit. What is your goal in working with pieces that are not written in free verse but A poem is composed in language as we St. John’s students? in a kind of free style. My most recent poem understand the term. A painting is vivid and I’m trying to give the students the benefit is “The Sake of Appearance.” I was inter- uses visual expression, so they’re worlds of my experience as an artist and to share ested in the idea that nothing—nothing- apart in many ways. But you can talk about with them something of the oral tradition. ness—is an important concept. I composed them in the same terms: What is on the St. John’s students can benefit from it a poem of about nine lines; it’s written in poet’s or painter’s mind? How does he real- because oral tradition is very powerful. The iambic pentameter with a definite rhyme ize his vision? What are the techniques he best expression we have of it is theater: You scheme. That’s how a poem comes about: uses to convey his expression? How does he go to a production of Hamlet and you see communicate his spirit? oral tradition in the raw, people speaking

6 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 PHENOMENAL POEM

Poems were popping up everywhere on the When it was Wick’s turn, she read “Revolution Annapolis campus on April 24—National Poem Within an Electric Embrace,” her original two- in Your Pocket Day. Since 1996, April has been page poem. “I’ve been thinking about all these National Poetry Month, started by the Academy things throughout the year, and I put them into of American Poets to celebrate poetry. In 2008, rhyming couplet form.” In the machine, she sees the Academy made New York City’s Poem in the force that she learned about from Newton: to each other on the stage and giving Your Pocket Day a national event; several stu- “If attractive force spins the planets above, dents read about it in the Gadfly. There were meaning and expression through voice Why not be simple and just call it love? poems taped on walls and placed on tables and body language in the way you don’t Then force is love and love is God, in the Mellon fishbowl. Chinese poems had find in the pages in a book. It’s a welcome And the world’s a stage on which we’ve all accompanying English translations. A Chilean addition to reading. starred.” poem was posted on a student’s Facebook wall. Students pulled iPhones from their pock- And the motion of the machine reminds her of Does your new position mark a change ets to read poems aloud. Phèdre’s struggle: in your relationship with St. John’s? In a Mellon science lab, a poem moved several “This embrace, though stable, I have been associated with St. John’s Col- students to tears—and joy. Tutor Patricia Locke can never be at rest— lege for some time in different ways. I’ve had previously agreed that the student who The wire cannot linger and put its head on given the Commencement address, deliv- came up with a name that everyone agreed electric’s chest. ered public lectures, and [Mike Peters], the to adopt for the “Faraday Machine” would be Here the wire reminds me of Phèdre herself, longing to clutch. president in Santa Fe, is a good friend. I’m exempt from the end-of-the-year paper. Alexan- dra Wick (A15) thought of a name, “Revolution Her passion hovers about Hippolyte but never pleased to have a relationship with the col- Within an Electric Embrace,” that was also allowed to touch.” lege; I think the world of it and want to keep a poem: “I didn’t have any confidence that I By the end of the reading, everyone agreed my ties to it alive. This is [my] first chance to could win it with a name alone, so I decided to they had a winner. Locke modified the assign- meet with students in a discussion situa- write a poem and appeal to the end-of-the-year ment and gave students the option of writing a tion. I’ve had a whole career of teaching in nostalgia,” says Wick. When she learned that it poem instead of the paper. Whether handwrit- was also Poem in Your Pocket Day, she found it large institutions. I taught at Stanford [and] ten on paper or read from an iPhone, Locke a perfect convergence of forces. other colleges, and I find that St. John’s says, “the whole idea is to encourage people to start reading poems and realize that they students probably have a greater freedom It was not the first time Wick had read a poem in lab class. “I really like the junior year do have poems in their pockets at all times, of thought than students have elsewhere. because of the holistic experience of math, and have it be more part of their daily life. I Being exposed to great books is wonderful lab, and seminar. Ms. Locke has prepped us like poetry because it seems to be the most and I want to know more about that process, to see lab this way; she has brought in poems intensified language we have. It has meaning how it works having such close association about the experience of bursting into tears on multiple levels that act with each other and with the greatest thinkers of the human and what kind of phenomenon it is, or a video it really is an entity itself. It’s not just pointing to something else; it is its own being.” experience. That’s not something you can of birds flying in what looks like magnetic lines of force. So we’ve been primed by her to see — Eunji Kim (A15) say about most places. science as poetry, and poetry as science; I like — Interview by Sus3an Borden (A87) that transitive property of phenomena.”

“Earth and I Gave You Turquoise” is the My young brother’s house is filled first poem Momaday kept, written when I go there to sing briefly quoted he was an undergraduate. We have not spoken of you but our songs are sad “The uniqueness and glory Earth and I Gave You Turquoise When Moon Woman goes to you of St. John’s is not about the Earth and I gave you turquoise I will follow her white way outside world or our next steps, when you walked singing Tonight they dance near Chinle it is about a life absorbed and We lived laughing in my house by the seven elms obsessed with books, ideas, and and told old stories There your loom whispered beauty You grew ill when the owl cried the importance of those who They will eat mutton We will meet on Black Mountain thought and wrote before us. and drink coffee till morning But the question remains, even if You and I will not be there I will bring corn for planting unspoken, ‘What are we going to and we will make fire I saw a crow by Red Rock do, and from your perspective as Children will come to your breast standing on one leg a graduate, why?’” You will heal my heart It was the black of your hair John L. Gray (EC12), I speak your name many times The years are heavy director, National Museum of American The wild cane remembers you History, Smithsonian Institution, I will ride the swiftest horse 2014 Commencement speaker, Santa Fe You will hear the drumming hooves

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 7 from the bell towers

POEMS FROM THE HEART Alumnus and Tutor Alexandra Welm’s (A14) first publication, My Co-direct NEH Eden Home (Alondra Press, 2013), is a collec- tion of poems accompanied by her illustrations, Summer Institute completed when she was 19 years old. Putting the book together, she says, “was as close as Joshua Parens (A84) and Joseph I could possibly feel to having a baby.” Having Macfarland (A87) are co-directing the worked with magazines in high school, she downloaded a layout program and positioned JENNIFER LEVIN National Endowment for the Humanities Joshua Sturgill (SF17) the poems and art. “It was so entirely my own; (NEH) Summer Institute on Medieval I’ve never had anything like this that’s mine. Political Philosophy, from June 16 to When I realized it was actually going some- BOOKSTORE POET July 11, 2014, at Gonzaga University in where, I could hardly believe it.” Spokane, Washington. Parens is dean of Welm loves fiction, but poetry has always Joshua Sturgill (SF17) doesn’t call himself a poet. the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal been a more accessible medium for her. “I The oldest freshman on the Santa Fe campus, Arts and a professor of philosophy at the loved dabbling in other people’s stories; I loved Sturgill, 37, worked in a bookstore in Kansas for University of Dallas; Macfarland is a tutor writing extensions to them and exploring what 10 years while keeping a journal and writing es- in Annapolis. They are co-directing the my favorite characters did, but I don’t have an says and reviews about literature and philosophy. Institute with Douglas Kries, professor of expansive enough imagination to make my Many of his journal entries were fragments and Christian philosophy at Gonzaga. own stories. Poetry was something I felt I could impressions—poetic and otherwise—recorded for always tap into.” future reference; some he turned into poems. The Summer Institute is intended to address the relative neglect of medieval My Eden Home is not only the title of the book, it When Muse Times Two, a poetry series in Santa political philosophy in undergraduate is also the title of a poem that Welm cherishes. Fe sponsored by the nonprofit organization Lore of education (compared to ancient and “I wrote it after my father passed away and it the Land, announced its first annual competition felt powerful to me,” she says. “It seemed to say for local college students, Sturgill decided to work modern thought), and more specifically, everything I wanted to say about an event which with the notes he took during Holy Week in 2013. the relative neglect of Islamic and Jewish otherwise I simply couldn’t put into words.” The result: a three-part poem called “The Narrow medieval thought. Year” was selected as the winner for St. John’s. Examining writings by Alfarabi, Welm believes in the storytelling power of On Sunday, April 13, Sturgill read his poem at poetry. “It allows both the reader and the Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, and many Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse, in others, participating faculty and graduate writer to experience powerful emotions in a a lineup that included the winners from the other students will be able to rediscover and condensed space,” she says. “What would take colleges in town—Santa Fe University of Art and contemplate the confrontation between many chapters in a book, you feel instantly with Design, the Institute for American Indian Arts, a poem. You feel great loss, great pain, great and Santa Fe Community College. Each school reason and revelation free from many love. And it washes over you immediately in was asked to submit poems by three students; modern presuppositions. just a couple of lines.” the Muse Times Two jury selected one winner It is hoped that the 25 participants from — Eunji Kim (A15) from each institution. colleges and universities across the country To read these poems in full visit: www.sjc.edu/ “I’m an Orthodox Christian and Holy Week is a will subsequently incorporate medieval news-and-media really intense time—lots of services but also a political philosophy into their courses. meditative period,” says Sturgill. “I wrote about events from last year and it’s interesting that one Learn more about the Institute: http:// year later, I read my poem on Palm Sunday.” medievalpoliticalphilosophy.gonzaga.edu Sturgill’s winning three-part poem traces a chal- lenging yearlong journey that culminates in this verse, a resurrection of hope: 3. briefly quoted I drank an ode this morning: sunlight “We are stories, each of us standing in a cup of tea. I saw the leaves an imagination, each of us unfold a solemn reflection tracing an arc of beginning, of life, lending the water green memory. Imperceptibly (except middle, and end, on the ANYI GUO (A14) by intuition) the cup pulses, rings, to my pulse course of which each of us Alexandra Welm (A14) and I hold myself uncoiling must struggle…” from a point of concentrated hope—there! National Book Award finalist that hint of rainbow! rising Andrew Krivak (A86), in an angle of the steam 2014 Commencement speaker, — Jennifer Levin Annapolis

8 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from the bell towers

Lunch with Anna Karenina

“Reading Anna Karenina might well take time, but it is time very joyously spent,” says Annapolis tutor Brendan Boyle, who was part of a yearlong study group on the Tolstoy novel. Although Tolstoy’s War and Peace has been read by Johnnies since the inception of the New Program, Anna Karenina is usually relegated to precep- torials and post-graduation reading. It is clearly worth the community’s attention. Dostoevsky called it “flawless as a work of art” and Faulkner said it was the best novel ever written. The study group, made up of faculty, staff, students, and other community members, met at lunchtime for 15 Mon-

days throughout the year, reading roughly ANYI GUO (A14) 50 pages for each session. Participants looked forward with “delight” to each “ Tolstoy seems to create a school librarian in Anne Arundel County. reading, Boyle reports, as they followed She notes that one of the strengths of the married aristocrat Anna’s struggle with character who behaves in group is the variety of people participat- questions of marriage, passion, society a certain way, but these ing: staff, undergraduates, GIs, retired and her affair with Count Vronsky. characters are complex. tutors, current tutors, and other members Annapolis President Chris Nelson of the community. Often, she says, the (SF70) launched the study group nine Just when I think: ‘Well, chemistry of the group is working so well years ago out of a desire to stay in touch they fit that mold,’ it turns that she holds back from participating. with what he calls “the real work of the col- “Lots of times the discussion is so lively lege.” In the early years of his presidency, out they don’t. And that’s that I’ll have things I want to say and I he often led undergraduate seminars. true of every one of the don’t say them because the conversation When his job became more demanding, is going and it’s wonderful to listen to,” tutor Debbie Axelrod became the group’s characters in this book.” says Tuck. co-leader. They began with short fiction Chris Nelson (SF70), Annapolis president Boyle agrees that the participants work but have recently been reading long works extraordinarily well together. “The group including War and Peace and Ulysses. itself is, I think, a model of humanistic Axelrod says that Anna Karenina shows narrative ambiguity that is characteristic investigation,” he says. “If one takes a Tolstoy’s great sense for human emotion of Tolstoy. “In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy class on Tolstoy or, say, Dostoevsky, it will and interaction: “Tolstoy gets it,” she often writes in a style that suggests he invariably be occupied with questions says. “When he describes what a person is shares opinions with the characters when about political, economic, and cultural feeling or how a relationship is unfolding, he is writing about them, but then it developments in late 19th-century Russia. so many times he writes exactly what they changes when he’s talking about different The works themselves have a tendency to would say, exactly what they would feel.” characters.” Brown sees an interesting get lost. Our seminar, by contrast, allows Nelson agrees. “Tolstoy seems to create technique throughout the book: “There’s a the book to question us about love, mar- a character who behaves in a certain way, way that the characters infect the narrative riage, children, happiness, God. ‘Why but these characters are complex,” he and the narration becomes much less cer- might Anna love him?’ ‘What would a free says. “Just when I think: ‘Well, they fit that tain as a result,” he says. “That’s one of the life look like for Anna, for Vronsky, for mold,’ it turns out they don’t. And that’s things I find myself most interested in.” Levin, for us?’ In our seminar, that’s what true of every character in this book.” Linda Tuck, wife of retired tutor Jon we’re trying to figure out. As, I think, Sophomore William Brown (A16) Tuck, joined the group this year after Tolstoy himself was.” believes that this surprise is part of a retiring from a career as an elementary —Eunji Kim (A15)

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 9 from the bell towers

THE MIRACLE OF FILM way of saying that a good story—be it by Domenic D’Andrea (A15) visual or musical I applied to St. John’s not because I or spatial or all of wanted to be a filmmaker but because the aforementioned I wanted the films that I made to be for at once—requires a something great. This is what I told those whole lot of work who said, “Aren’t you a film major?” “But and collaboration. I there’s no film department?” “But wait— don’t just mean col- philosophy?” In truth, the real reason I laboration between applied is that I was insecure at parties, PHOTOS: ANYI GUO (A14) myself and the audi- decidedly unable to hold my own (read: to SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, ence or myself and the crew, but between sound “smart”) when stuck at the punch WE TOLD OURSELVES THAT myself and the film’s subject matter. For this reason, film is not just a liberal arts bowl with a friendly stranger. STORYTELLING MATTERS, THAT IT I came to St. John’s because I wanted to thing or a conversational thing. It’s a ten- MEANS SOMETHING AND OUGHT learn how to hold a conversation. I knew der thing. More accurately, it’s a trusting TO BE DONE BY PEOPLE WHO that depended on my ability to think well thing. That is why I like film so much. and deeply, and to collaborate—a concept WANT TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE At the Annapolis Film Festival last year, with which I was familiar, but practiced FEEL A LITTLE BIT LESS ALONE. I heard this sentiment articulated by Albert little. None of my adolescent friends were Maysles during a screening of his acclaimed terribly interested in making movies, so the documentary, Gimme Shelter. “If when of ourselves to which we cling when thrust films that I made were almost always solo you’re making a film you’re not trying to into a new community. We’d made a movie projects. To make a truly good film is to make friends,” he said, “then I don’t re- about how it felt to be a freshman. As I find some collaborative center of grav- ally know why you’re making that film.” sat in the projection booth and the crowd ity, some harmonization of all its parts. I’m happiest when I’m chasing a below me laughed, I knew that with this If a film, miraculously, turns out to be moment with a steadicam, with a few clumsily shot and hastily edited movie, good—and a good film, regardless of the friends and a small window of time to get I had struck that fine chord between the individual talent involved, must always be a shot “in the can” before the sun sets, Bitter and the Sweet of something true. a miracle—then it is both everyone’s and no or before that ominous storm cloud eats A few days after the screening, one one’s fault. it whole. Make no mistake: this descrip- Very Cool Upperclassman told me, “Film Toward the end of my freshman year, tion is romantic because it has to be. In is the culmination of the liberal arts, a some friends and I made a short half- truth, setting up a scene is arduous. The marriage of visual art and narrative and narrative, half-documentary film, And for amount of time it takes to shoot some- music and dialectic and philosophy—all My Next Trick. It was about an eccen- thing is typically quadruple the duration unfolding in time.” This is true, but what tric freshman who was with us for a few of the final result. I’ve talked here mostly I like about film is that it is an expression months before he abruptly disappeared, about the “making” because it is the of the visible. There must be something leaving behind most of his possessions “telling” of storytelling that interests real before the lens of a camera. And that and a cryptic message scribbled in dark- me. In the telling—that is, in the mak- something begs to be seen both for what purple sharpie on his dorm-room wall. ing, in the long nights of editing hours of it is—the light through a tree or the subtle The movie premiered during “Dead footage with some faithful friends and a crack of a smile—and for how it fits into Week,” and a surprising number of stu- big bag of candy, a filmmaker anticipates a greater narrative: that tree the place dents—about 50—showed up. how the story will be seen and under- where a painful longing first was felt, that We tried to make it funny. A lot of stood. Somewhere along the way, we told smile a hint of mirth during an argument people laughed, and reportedly, some ourselves that storytelling matters, that between two old but not close friends. Is cried. I say this not to congratulate myself it means something and ought to be done this any different from poetry or theater (although I will occasionally re-watch by people who want to make other people or music? We experience and repurpose the film’s frankly awesome and climactic feel a little bit less alone. And if we get things to tell stories. We know this. We do swing-dance-turned-fight-scene), but good at making things together, odds are it all the time, but film reaches the places rather to note that the movie united my we’re doing something right. that words struggle to touch. class in a way that was meaningful and This is why a coherent film—not neces- View Domenic D’Andrea’s (A15) films at unexpected. Without realizing it, we had sarily a good or great film—is a miracle. www.vimeo.com/domdandrea. told a story about the caricatured versions This statement is a slightly pretentious

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off the wall GIMME FIVE The virtual world was buzzing with comments from students, alumni, and parents in response to Annapolis Presi- dent Chris Nelson’s SignPosts blog, “Five Reasons to Attend St. John’s College”: www.sjc-christopherbnelson.com “ I am a parent of a sophomore, and whenever I have to describe the kind of college my daughter attends, my short pitch default answer is always this: ‘Every single kid going to this school is incredibly employable when they come out. Because every day, in every class, they have to fully participate in their own learning, thinking, and defending their understanding of something. Most important, they have to do it with respect A still from Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film. for every other person in the room.’” —Lisa, St. John’s parent READING GREAT FILMS “ As a fellow parent, I am simply amazed at Moved by the power and beauty of early Summer the level of maturity and thoughtfulness cinema, Scott Buchanan once envisioned the that my 19-year-old son has demonstrated New Program with a fifth year devoted to the Academy 2014 since being here a little over one semester! study of great cinematic works. More than at St. John’s College It is hard to believe how much growth he 75 years later, this summer marks the arrival has realized in such a short time. Not to of the St. John’s College Film Institute (June mention him literally telling me—for the first 15 to August 8) at the Santa Fe campus. AN INTELLECTUAL time in his life—that ‘I’ve fallen in love with Several alumni, including Hannah Jayanti a man who has been dead for 2,089 years— (SF07) and Bob Tzudiker (A75) are leading ADVENTURE Euclid! I really love math.’” workshops. An idea spawned by Santa Fe for High School Students —Anonymous parent Graduate Institute Director David Carl and other film-minded tutors at the Santa Fe Students from around campus, the Film Institute emphasizes “Is no degree better than a liberal arts reading films as well as viewing them; it the world immersed degree?” is a new study published includes seminars, tutorials, and workshops themselves in Summer on Forbes.com in May that considers with film professionals. “A great film has millennials (born between the early ’80s to work on multiple levels, with many pos- Academy 2014 in Santa and the early 2000s). sible interpretations,” says Carl. “It has to exceed the artist’s intentions and provide Fe and Annapolis. “The only ones who could find this study, its a forum in which [audiences] can engage Learn more: www.sjc.edu premises and findings, to be valid are those serious questions.” who have not been trained in critical thinking.” Local theater groups are showing films on —Caroline Killian (SF05) large screens at venues throughout the city. Films include: F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu “ If your sole aim is to get well paying jobs, (1922), Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Stor y (1953), and you have no interest in meaning, John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939), Ingmar Berg- thoughtful reflection, or understanding of man’s Wild Strawberries (1957), and Andrei different worldviews, then focusing solely on Tarkovsky’s Mirror (1975), among others. money makes sense. To those who desire a Each week focuses on films by a different thoughtful life, a life better prepared for all of director as well as books that either they or the interesting twists and turns, our college critics have written about their work. “Like motto makes the case.” poetry, a director or cinematographer is very deliberate about what we see,” says Carl. —Anonymous alum “Images are inseparable from the story.”

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 11 from the bell towers

Ariel Intern Finds Order and Purpose In July 2014,the Laboratory of Anthro- pology (LOA) Research Library at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on the piñon-studded Museum Hill in Santa Fe will migrate its catalog to the Koha Integrated Library System, a move that will make the library records searchable on the Internet for the first time. Helping to facilitate the migration is Elizabeth Fedden (SF15), who was awarded a second Ariel Internship to work for LOA Library Director Allison Colborne. Fed- den started working at the library in fall 2012 when she helped with a book sale to ANYI GUO (A14) PROGRAM “As You Like It, because the hero is a woman, and it is hilarious to watch PAGE TURNERS [the characters] run around the forest Is there a work of fiction or storytelling and pretend they know what’s going on on the Program that you find to be when no one really understands.” especially compelling? — Caroline Snizek (A15)

“My favorite narrative on the program “I love the Iliad. It was the first book we is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn read here during freshman year and I because the language of the story tran- remember being enthralled by it. It is so scends the story itself. Its cadence and exciting—tales of glory and the gods. I rhythm become the central characters.” have two copies in my room, a Latti-

JENNIFER LEVIN — Josh Kelly (SF15) more and a Fitzgerald translation. I plan on rereading them both this summer.” Elizabeth Fedden (SF15) “Herodotus’s Histories. I find the best — William Kinum (A17) way to learn about people is through ac- raise funds. She continued to work with tual actions. I think it is easier to learn “The thing that really moved me was Colborne on other projects; when Fedden about people, philosophy, virtue, and both of the Euripides plays. But I would learned about the database migration proj- anything through actual human actions.” choose the Bacchae because it is so ect, she applied for the Ariel Internship to — Sally Jankovic (A17) sensual and violent at the same time. fund the work. “I’m not very tech-savvy, It’s a very disturbing combination and and it was a good opportunity to work “One of my favorite narratives so far unlike anything else on the Program [so more with computers,” says Fedden. has been Don Quixote. I can identify far]. It certainly leads to a very interest- Fedden, 29, a native of Normal, Illinois, with someone who sees all around him ing discussion. I’m still not sure what it’s came to St. John’s after serving as a U.S. what he needs in order for the outer about, but it was definitely compelling.” Army nurse at the Walter Reed Army Medi- world to match his inner world.” — Collin Ziegler (A17) cal Center in Washington, D.C. She then — Joseph Leakakos (SF15) spent five years working in cafés, becoming a competitive barista, and volunteering at the World Barista Championship in Bogo- or merging duplicate records, running into in library conservation, digitizing fragile tá, Colombia.She eventually came to realize the stacks to confirm the location of an materials, and making them searchable. that in order to move beyond the espresso obscure holding, and making sure records Colborne calls Fedden a librarian in the machine, she needed a college degree. are precise. “If periods aren’t in the right making. “I’ve had other interns, and you At first, the LOA Library database places, the record won’t come up,” says can just tell,” says Colborne. “I never have cleanup was overwhelming—detailed and Fedden, who is exploring a master’s pro- to explain things to her. She understands often tedious—moving authors’ names and gram at the University of Illinois at Urbana- the order and the purpose.” book titles into the correct fields, deleting Champaign; she is particularly interested —Jennifer Levin

12 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from the bell towers

Return to the Novel made solid by Jacob Klein. I went to Mr. to read. I wince a bit with Tacitus. I enjoy Klein’s seminar before I joined the fac- the freshman and sophomore readings ulty in ’61. He went around the room and more than those of the junior and senior Spurred by Henry Robert (Class of asked every single person, “What is War year. They seem more plausible and richer. 1941), this spring the Annapolis alumni and Peace about?” When he’d finished, But the last time I did the junior year, I chapter, headed by Beth Martin (A94), he said, “You’re all wrong. It’s about thought they were strange books and very formed a study group to read the Pevear Natasha.” Tolstoy doesn’t mind repeat- well chosen. Every time I reread a book, it and Volokhonsky translation of War ing the same phrase. He wants to drive was a new adventure, and every time I did and Peace. Erin Fitzpatrick (A14) met it home the way Beethoven does. He’s a it in seminar, it was never the same. People with participant Sam Kutler (Class of very musical writer. The main problem were always interested in talking about 1954), retired tutor and dean emeritus, to for me is thinking of what a strange different things. discuss Tolstoy’s great work. couple Prince Andrei and Natasha would Why should we read War and Peace? How many times have you read be. He’s so stern and unusual and half of War and Peace? him is his father. A little bit like Hamlet We should read it because of its extreme richness. I love its repetitions, I love that I’ve read it more than four times. As many in that respect. I don’t know if that had everything’s there on the surface, but senior seminars as I’ve done, I’ve read it any effect on Tolstoy. at least that many times. The small things get changed because you’ve forgotten Tolstoy doesn’t mind exactly where they are, but you know repeating the same where the large movements are; you know what’s coming. phrase. He wants Is there a particular scene or line to drive it home the that has stayed with you? way Beethoven does. When Pierre speaks to Andrei and says, “You gave such a beautiful talk about He’s a very musical forgiveness. This is the time to forgive writer. Natasha.” And Andrei says, “I never said I could do it.” He’s too proud. That’s a very important part of the novel. Tolstoy says How would you compare Anna “this is not a novel,” but he’s wrong. Karenina to War and Peace? People have often described I recognize it as a masterpiece. Tolstoy’s novels as “character driven.” I can’t find time to read it often, Do you agree? nor can I compare the two Tolstoy wants War and Peace to be history novels, for they are so different. driven, but the book is character driven. War and Peace is dear to my Many years after reading War and Peace, heart because of the well-drawn fine memories of Natasha, Pierre, and all characters and because Tolstoy the other characters linger. I cherish most is anxious to disabuse us of our Pierre’s statement to Andrei about forgiv- false notions about war.

ing Natasha. Pierre was always in love JEN BEHRENS How can we find joy in reading with Natasha, even when she was a child, an assigned book? and he would have given anything to be in the surface is so huge. The hard part is to Andrei’s shoes so he could have forgiven The list of books on the Program is so integrate it all in your imagination. Semi- her. That would have been the greatest act good that I always delight in reading any of nars are very helpful because somebody of his life. I’ve always thought about that them, even if not especially Adam Smith. will speak who has an entirely different business about forgiveness. I would have found it hard, year after year, way of looking at it. Every single time I’ve to do Justinian—we used to read Justinian Do you have a favorite character read it, it got better. That’s one test of a on how the Romans freed their slaves. It in the novel? great book: its “rereadability.” was a bit tedious. We got rid of books like —Interview by Erin Fitzpatrick (A14) I’ll tell you a story instead of answering that when we started the preceptorial list. that question. I think the Program was There’s hardly anything that isn’t a delight

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 13 from the bell towers

Plants and Psychology: CHILDREN’S LITERACY ADVOCATE Hodson Intern Finds the Link Joanna Purpich (A14) takes the idea of “find a need and fill it” to heart. While volunteering as a math and reading coach for elementary and middle school students this past year at the Bloomsbury Square Community Center in Annapolis, Purpich discovered that the orga- nization’s supply of children’s books needed a serious boost. An avid reader and advocate for children’s literacy, she sprung to action. On April 9, she launched a children’s book drive on the Paca quad, inviting the college com- munity to donate new and gently used books, primarily for ages 7 to 14. She collected more than 200 books, including classics such as Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and Anne McCaffrey’s The Coe- lura. “The drive was a success,” says Purpich. “Being a community of book lovers, St. John’s is a great place to do a book drive.” The following day, Purpich delivered the books to the community center. “The kids were ANYI GUO (A14) excited to see the boxes. We sat in a circle and read Shel Silverstein poems.” Purpich is Working at Talmar Gardens in Baltimore, to develop leadership and communica- looking forward to organizing another children’s tion skills through the internship, taking Maryland, last summer was the perfect book drive. “I want to make sure teachers have first internship for Rachel Howell (A16). charge of her assigned group of students tools to effectively reach students.” Purpich Talmar Gardens is a nonprofit organiza- and learning to communicate clearly. “I hopes to forge a career in publishing; this tion that provides horticultural therapy, had to be direct, lay everything out, and summer she is attending the University of which uses plants and horticultural be specific when I was talking to the stu- Denver Summer Publishing Institute. activities to assist in improving one’s dents.” This experience complemented body, mind, and spirit. Howell turned the communication skills that she has to horticultural therapy in hopes of been developing at St. John’s College. “I merging two of her interests: psychology also learned patience,” she says, “from and nature. “The brain is an amazing dealing with things like rush-hour traffic thing,” she says. Growing up on a small to working with students with mental farm surrounded by gardens and animals disabilities.” nurtured her love of nature and working Howell did not receive much instruc- with plants. At Talmar Gardens, Howell tion on how to work with the students, interned in a vocational program in so she learned on the job “by watching which students with mental disabilities what other people did. We would have

learn a horticultural trade. “It involved meetings once a week about the students. ANYI GUO (A14) We talked about their progress and I working out in the field, transplanting Purpich was raised on classics by Roald Dahl plants in the greenhouse, and showing would ask questions: ‘This happened, and Tolkien. “My favorite was The Hobbit.” the students how to use the tools and how this is how I dealt with it. Is there a better Growing up in Houston, Texas, her parents to work with others.” way to deal with it?’” The most fulfilling encouraged reading. “For a bedtime story, my Howell’s Hodson internship helped moment was at the end, when her group mom read Don Quixote to me. I felt comfort- her refine her interest in horticultural graduated from the vocational training able with epics and books with cool plotlines.” One book, in particular, she holds dear to this therapy and exposed her to expectations program. “I was so proud of them and day. “I keep a copy of Harry Potter, to comfort happy to see them be proud of themselves of the work world. “Class will go on with- me when I’m sick or not feeling well,” says out [me], but if I’m not there [at my job], for what they had accomplished. I was Purpich. “My original copy is missing its spine they’re going to have a problem getting really glad to have had a part in it.” and completely worn out from use—and from being dropped in the bathtub.” the group going,” she says. She sought — Eunji Kim (A15) — Gregory Shook

14 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from the bell towers

Hitting the Global Airwaves LARRY CLENDENIN (SF77) RETIRES After nearly three decades as admissions director on the Santa Fe campus, Larry Clendenin (SF77) officially retired in July. “Every student who has signed the college register at Convocation over these years, and therefore every student who has received a diploma at Commencement for most of those years, owes something to Larry’s work,” says J. Walter Sterling, Santa Fe dean. “I am deeply grateful for his service to the college.” During the last 30 years, Clendenin has witnessed tremendous changes in higher education, particularly in the ways that col- leges and universities reach out to prospective students. “What is really different is the com- munication—the connectivity and mediums that are available to us,” says Clendenin. “That really pushes on our lives and on our private Pictured (left to right): Linda Lin, co-op producer, U.S. Department of State; Maria Acosta, time, and opens up more public avenues. But Teleamazonas reporter; Francisca Soto Bravo (A17); Edison Choco, Teleamazonas cameraman young people keep up with it.” Clendenin has also seen the cost of higher education rise,

St. John’s College garnered international attention when television documentary film crews visited the Annapolis campus last fall. They traveled to the U.S. on separate assignments, but with a similar interest: discussion-based higher education. A noted television journalist, producer, and camera crew from the Korean Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), one of the leading networks in Korea, visited in October. In a partnership with the U.S. Department of State, a similar team from Teleamazonas, a major television network in Ecuador, arrived in November. Both news teams immersed themselves in campus life: they met with students, faculty, and staff, and attended seminars, labs, and concerts. They were especially interested in the college’s emphasis on original sources and classroom discussion. Each news team noted the heightened interest among youth in their respective countries in studying classic works and perfecting conversational English. Among the students who participated in the documentaries were JuChan Park (A16) from Korea, and Francisca Soto Bravo (A17) from Chile; they shared their experiences as international students at the college. talk of the towers Santa Fe Admissions staff and Larry Clendenin In Annapolis, four new tutors have joined In Santa Fe, Mary Anne Burke is the new the faculty. Robert Abbott (A04) is from the Facilities and Athletics manager, and Aaron which he says can be “overwhelming for a lot University of Chicago, where he is working on Young is the new director of Human Resources. of families. St. John’s is doing a good job of completing his joint PhD from the Commit- Chris Gruber is the new Webmaster, and Lisa addressing that. One thing I tell parents is that tee on Social Thought and the Department of Neal is assistant director of Communications. our graduates go on to write great literature, Germanic Studies. Karin Ekholm (A00) joined In Annapolis, several new directors have make movies, and become businesspeople, the college from the University of Cambridge, joined the college: Bill Hocking, director for doctors, lawyers, and teachers.” where she was a teaching and research fellow the President’s Initiative for a Liberal Educa- Clendenin emphasizes that St. John’s is about finding the right fit. “We’re talking about in the Department of History and Philosophy tion; Tim Leahy, director of Information a particular student and whether or not it’s of Science. She received her PhD in history Technology; and Susan Jenkins, director of going to be practical,” says Clendenin. “It’s and philosophy of science from Indiana Uni- Web Initiatives and Social Media. Annapolis not a question of whether it’s practical for all versity. Rebecca Goldner (AGI02) comes to Treasurer Bronte Jones left the college in students. But for those of us for whom this is the college from Villanova University, where Bud Billups September; , interim treasurer, perfect, it brings out the best in us. It brings out Matthew she earned her PhD in philosophy. retires (again) this summer. great things that take us where we want to go.” Holtzman (A00) earned his PhD in philosophy — Jennifer Levin from Johns Hopkins University.

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 15 from the bell towers

Santa Fe Campus Greeks, the St. John’s education is forever 2013-2014 NEW young. The pioneers, the Western colony, BOARD MEMBERS Turns 50 the Odyssean wandering, were—and are—implicit in the genetic makeup of the Elizabeth (“Betsy”) This summer, St. John’s College kicks Program, waiting to be expressed.” Ann Bassan (A75) is founder, president, off the 50th anniversary of the founding The commemoration of 50 years in and CEO of Panagora of the Santa Fe campus. The yearlong Santa Fe “gives us a perfect opportunity celebration includes activities and events Group, a woman- to highlight the significant place that the owned small business that will recognize and honor the people college has in higher education, reaffirm providing integrated and the community that make St. John’s in together our core values as a community, and novel solutions in Santa Fe so distinctive. “This year marks and heighten the visibility of St. John’s health and develop- a significant milestone in the history of locally and nationally,” says Victoria ment. Previously she the college and the Santa Fe campus, Mora, Santa Fe vice president. “It also held executive and leadership positions with Chemonics International, Save the Children, conclusively demonstrating for more than is important for Santa Fe to step up and and the Society for International Development 50 years that the St. John’s Program is an leverage gifts to the campus in honor of the education for all and has no geographical (SID)-Washington. She is a senior planner and anniversary, making us a stronger partner management specialist with more than 30 or cultural bounds,” says Santa Fe in our one college, two campus structure.” years of experience designing, implementing, President Mike Peters. The college also will salute innovations and evaluating international development first established in Santa Fe—such as the projects, strengthening institutions, and build- THE ST. JOHN’S EDUCATION IS Graduate Institute, the Eastern Classics ing public-private partnerships. Her sector FOREVER YOUNG. THE PIONEERS, program, and Summer Classics. expertise includes global health and private THE WESTERN COLONY, THE On June 20, a public media event sector development. Her regional experi- ence includes Africa, Asia, Europe, Eurasia, ODYSSEAN WANDERING, WERE— launched the celebration with proclama- and the Middle East. She lived and worked AND ARE—IMPLICIT IN THE GENETIC tions and remembrances. The campus is MAKEUP OF THE PROGRAM. overseas for seven years in Kenya and Sudan. taking every opportunity to mark the anni- She speaks French and holds an M.A. from versary throughout the summer, beginning Columbia University, where she participated with Music on the Hill, Summer Classics, in a joint degree program on Planning in and the first-ever Summer Film Institute Developing Nations. (www.sjc.edu/events-and-programs/santa- Robert Mass is head fe/summer-film-institute). The celebration of Goldman Sachs’s will continue throughout the academic International Compli- year and will include a national academic ance, which comprises conference, “What is Liberal Education Europe, Middle East, For?” on October 16 through 18 (www.sjc. and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific Compli- edu/events-and-programs/santa-fe/50th- ance. He is also global anniversary-conference). The conference head of Securities is envisioned as a broad platform to speak Division Compliance. about the challenges and opportunities for He joined Goldman Sachs in 1992 as the first liberal education today, and to engage in head of Compliance for the J. Aron Currency exemplary studies in the liberal arts. and Commodities Division. He managed FICC Richard Weigle, founder and president Sterling reflects on the value of the Compliance for eight years until 2004. He of the Santa Fe campus conference and its place in the campus’s was named managing director in 2001 and partner in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, he 50th anniversary celebration: “Our was an assistant district attorney in New York It was a bold and visionary move to es- insight into the true ends and appropriate tablish a campus in Santa Fe, offering the County, where he served as deputy chief of means of an education for the human the Investigation Division and chief of the La- college’s unique, and in many ways radical, being as such suggests an alternative to bor Racketeering Unit. Before that, he worked academic program to more students. “The what has sadly become mainstream and at Kramer, Levin, Nessen and Kamin, a New founding of the Santa Fe campus in 1964 conventional. Such an education should be York corporate law firm, and at the American was a reminder that the educational pro- made available to, and pursued by, many Civil Liberties Union. He is a graduate of the gram installed in Annapolis in 1937—one more people—ever more people. This was University of California, Santa Cruz, and Har- vard Law School. that could be mistaken for something tradi- audacious in Annapolis in 1937 and in Mass has participated in the tional, if not hidebound—is in fact radical, New York Executive Seminars for many years, as Santa Fe in 1964, and seems more so now. well as in Summer Classics in Santa Fe. volatile, and nomadic,” says J. Walter But it happens to be true.” Sterling, Santa Fe dean. “As was said of the — Jennifer Levin

16 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 from the bell towers

Committed to Liberal Education

teachers and guidance counselors, policy- “ All members of the makers, and, of course, the media. Nelson, a respected national spokes- St. John’s community person for liberal education, is regularly are potential ambassadors publishing and making appearances. His blog for Huffington Post (www. for liberal education and huffingtonpost.com/christopher-nelson) for St. John’s College.” touches on topics such as “Lincoln and Liberal Education,” “The Miracle of Imagination,” and “The World’s Longest only question is whether we practice them Running Seminar of Free Government.” well or poorly. If we open ourselves to the His “SignPosts” blog (www.blogs.sjc.edu/ possibility of learning something new, christopher-nelson) celebrates everything without relying on manuals or seasoned at St. John’s from Senior Orals to the joys experts, we can all make new discoveries of original thought and Euclid. His blogs for ourselves.” are linked to a growing number of other Nelson is working closely with a team of sites—further increasing the reach of the staff and faculty and a media consultant,

TONY J. PHOTOGRAPHY message about St. John’s. as well as alumni and friends, as he moves Chris Nelson (SF70), Annapolis president Nelson is recognized as a leader in forward with his campaign. “But of course, national, state, and local higher education all members of the St. John’s commu- Last October, more than a dozen college circles. As an advocate for liberal educa- nity are potential ambassadors for liberal and university presidents dined at the tion, he is a regular contributor to higher education and for St. John’s College,” Penn Club in midtown Manhattan while education-specific and mainstream media. says Nelson. “My role is to spur on that fielding questions from a select group of Nelson is invited to comment and join continuing conversation about the value of editors, producers, and journalists—from forums for noted publications such as Time what we do at the college, so that it can be CBS News, the New York Times, Inside and The Hechinger Report. His letter to better understood and appreciated.” Higher Ed, Bloomberg News, the Christian the editor, “The Fervor for Great Books —PD Science Monitor, Money magazine, NPR, and Big Ideas Isn’t Dead,” appeared in the and Forbes, to name a few. What was on New York Times in May. He was invited by Learn more about Nelson’s activities: their minds? Questions such as “How can the Washington Post to review an impor- www.sjc.edu/about/leadership/presidents/ you show the success and value of a col- tant new book, Beyond the University: annapolis-president lege degree?” and “How is the increasing Why Liberal Education Matters by Michael Subscribe to the SignPosts blog: student-debt burden impacting college Roth, president of Wesleyan University. www.blogs.sjc.edu/christopher-nelson and career choices?” Annapolis President Nelson is also writing his own book. Chris Nelson (SF70) was one of the few In fact, the cornerstone of his outreach liberal arts college representatives in the campaign is a book intended for a wide briefly quoted mix. The media’s take on higher education audience; he plans to meld his congenial heavily influences public opinion, so it is “deskside” conversations with stories that “In the end, liberal education important for St. John’s College and liberal speak to the values of St. John’s College must take its bearings from education to be well represented. and liberal education. the most fundamental This higher-education media dinner is Nelson reflects, for instance, on his question of all: What does it one of many events Nelson attended this son’s encounter with liberal learning and mean to be human?” year as part of his outreach campaign to “repairing an old junker, a 1960s vintage increase the visibility of St. John’s College Volkswagen bug.” As his son tried to fix Annapolis President Christopher Nelson (sf70), in his and liberal education. Nelson’s message the broken washers for the windshield book review for The Washington Post is reaching alumni, students, and friends wipers, Nelson says “he was led to find of Beyond the University: who are familiar with and support liberal for himself the answer to the problem just Why Liberal Education Matters, education as well as audiences who—after by a series of questions. His experience by Michael Roth, president, listening to Nelson—want to learn more: was liberating and a reminder that we all Wesleyan University prospective applicants, parents, donors, practice the liberal arts constantly. The

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 17 18 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 tutor views

Why

by Jonathan Tuck For rising seniors at St. John’s College, summer provides an important rite of passage. In preparation for the first two seminars of the fall, each of them must read Tolstoy’s War and Peace. It’s prudent not to begin too late: the vast historical novel of the Napoleonic wars occupies 1,215 pages in the excellent Pevear/Volokhonsky translation, apart from notes and index.

The Use of Stories: At the rate of 90 pages per week, it’s enough to fill the whole summer Faculty members with seminar readings for each Monday and Thursday. The action rang- consider Tolstoy and compelling works of es across most of Europe and involves armies of hundreds of thousands fiction on the Program. of men. It is truly a “great book” in size and scope as well as in power and beauty; yet most of the reader’s concern is narrowly focused on the fates of six or seven characters, members of three noble Russian families. We come to know these people inside and out, better perhaps than we know our own families or close friends. It is very hard to remember that they are not real. As Isaac Babel said, “If the world could write by itself, it would write like Tolstoy.” When the narrative proper concludes with Part One of the Epilogue, we feel betrayed. It cannot be that there is no more! Another generation is growing up: what will become of young Nikolenka? And what about Pierre? Will his political activities get him into trouble? How happy are these marriages? We want desperately to find out what will happen next. It’s this very curiosity that keeps us read-

OPPOSITE: A scene from ing; though the book is long, we fly through it after a while, hoping that War and Peace our favorites will find the happiness they have been seeking for years. ART RESOURCE, NY

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Why is Tolstoy on the Program? An old saw I have heard is that St. John’s students graduate unaware of the Protestant Reformation and the French Revolution. It is one of many variants on the theme that we somehow neglect “history.” The particular variant and the general charge have some force to them, though the true force is not what is most often intended. What is most often intended is the idea that we do our students a disservice by leading them to neglect the “historical context” in which the authors wrote (and which shaped their ideas). The typical argument is upside down: In fact, we come to understand the historical context by read- ing the works of the greatest minds that illuminate such context. It is in this light that some of the power of read- ing Tolstoy’s War and Peace emerges for us. Tolstoy brings to life (or to the work of art) Napoleon as man and myth, the great movements of mod- ern Russian politics, the gen- eral tumult of enlightenment rationalism (and nationalism) and the many other forces by which “Europe” was convulsed in the 19th century, the twilight of the ancient regime, This longing is inspired by the raw power from a tacit comparison: we could have spent and the lived experience of of pure storytelling. Most of us have stayed that time reading something more useful, the consequences of Hegel’s up all night to finish a compelling tale. We something good for us. What use can we make interpretation of the “world- have to find out; it seems like a matter of of stories? historical.” Without reading the life and death, as it was for the Sultan and At St. John’s, novels usually appear in the great literature that comments on, or animates, the times, we Scheherazade. Sometimes the story will seminar list right after a lengthy vacation. War do indeed have a “historical” lack the grandeur and dignity of Tolstoy or and Peace, Don Quixote, Middlemarch, The lacuna. Reading the enlighten- Homer; we call them “guilty pleasures”—po- Brothers Karamazov—each long book gets ment philosophy of the late lice procedurals, country-house whodun- only two evenings of discussion. The usual re- 18th and early 19th centuries, its, Gothic romances, beach reading, page- sult, of course, is that we try to see the work without reading War and Peace, is something like read- turners. But why should this pleasure make as a synchronic whole, rather than focusing on ing Plato and Aristotle without us feel guilty? As Aristotle reminds us, our the diachronic experience of reading. We look reading Homer, Aeschylus, and desire to know, to “have seen,” is natural to us back and try to pick out themes and ideas. At Sophocles. as human beings. Unlike gossip, for example, the end of his book, Tolstoy does the same —J. Walter Sterling (A93), even the most trivial fictional narratives don’t thing. In Part Two of the Epilogue to War and Santa Fe dean seem to harm anyone else. Perhaps certain Peace, he discards his characters and suddenly kinds of coarseness in a story can harm us, but turns philosopher, telling us what we should often the shame we feel at having squandered infer from the events of the story about causa- a few hours on the wrong sort of book springs tion in history and human freedom. Many of

20 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 the truth of stories Q&A

his claims have appeared before, embedded in It’s no doubt foolhardy to try the text. (For example, see the beginnings of to write a short paragraph about a writer with such epic Volume III, Parts 1, 2, and 3; Volume IV, Parts proclivities. But Tolstoy himself 2 and 3; and Epilogue, Part 1.) Like many oth- suggests that small drops may er readers, I have always thought that Tolstoy reflect entire globes. At a key marred his great novel slightly by giving in to moment in War and Peace, the temptation to preach a moral at the very Pierre has a brief vision of a vibrating globe composed end. He should have trusted his tale more. But of water drops. In an urge to in our seminars, in our necessarily retrospec- reflect the divine being at the tive treatment of his story and other stories, center of this globe, each drop we often do something very similar. We dis- strives to expand, spreading tance ourselves from the events narrated in until it eventually merges with searching for their meaning. the whole and loses its iden- tity. The peasant Platon Kara- Should we first approach a seminar work taev embodies this essential from the outside, as a whole, or work through tendency: his every feature and it from the inside? If we are reading a work gesture is “round,” he doesn’t that is not a story—say, a philosophical work distinguish one person from the with an argument—we often try first to restate next, and his speech consists mostly of common folk-sayings. the argument with precision. But when we Even the dog that has attached read a story, we seldom feel the need to re- itself to Karataev is character- tell the plot. Instead, we reach into the story ized only by an absence of par- from without, looking for what it is “about.” ticularity—by “its not belonging We are used to arguments; it is tempting to to anyone, and the absence of a name and even of a breed, try to find a doctrine, a truth-claim, in every- even of a definite color.” The thing we read. Our desire to make our stories impulse to dissolve the bounds philosophical may assure us of our own se- of individuality extends even to riousness, but do we then misrepresent the the central characters: Pierre concreteness of our experience of reading? I and Natasha finally appear as a typical married couple, have sometimes flippantly tried to deflect stu- talking contentedly “as only dents who try to turn a novel into a treatise by a husband and wife can talk.” saying, “The moral of every great novel is that This drive toward the archetypal isn’t peculiarly human: the old oak that initially attracts Prince There is and should be wisdom in the best stories, Andrei’s attention by its appar- ent refusal to put out leaves in even if it is hard to specify it in the form of a expansive springtime gestures has, a month later, become proposition. Although Tolstoy’s story seems to tell indistinguishable from the other trees in the forest. Only after itself, as Babel said, there is always a teller behind some effort does Andrei dis- cern it “spreading out a canopy the tale, and a reason for telling it. Stories that of juicy, dark greenery.” As the old oak comes to life it looks provoke reflection and repay rereading are never just more and more like every other tree in springtime. Perhaps we read Tolstoy, then, for the very about themselves. Pace Socrates, the war between reasons we read every other great writer: to catch sight, philosophy and poetry need not last forever. if we can, of how particulars reach out toward the universal. —Margaret Kirby, tutor

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When we tried to take him off once on the Santa Fe campus, the rising seniors wouldn’t let us. We could not persuade them that there could really be a substitute. I think Dostoyevsky is right to say that Tolstoy writes the way a dreamer dreams: with every detail in place, fully realized down to the last cuff link and collar button. Or so at least it seems to the rapt audience. The deployment of such Old Master portraiture on the biggest story of the 19th century—the story of Napoleon’s conquest of Russia and subsequent ignominious retreat—makes a book un- like any other I know. Tolstoy means to step into the same arena as Homer: War and Peace is his Iliad and Odyssey in one. And he is worthy of his model without ever seeming a mere imitator. Robert Bart once proposed life is complicated.” Similarly, Mark Twain him somewhat comical, at least some of the that we read great works of begins Huckleberry Finn with the disclaimer: time; part of the reason is that he sometimes literature partly in order to ap- “Persons attempting to find a motive in this seems to think that the meaning of life should proach the various Medusas of narrative will be prosecuted; persons at- be easily expressible in the form of doctrine human life as Perseus did the tempting to find a moral in it will be banished; or a proposition. If learning comes through Gorgon: not looking directly into their petrifying faces but persons attempting to find a plot in it will be suffering, perhaps these characters learn not in the reflection of a shield. shot.” Apart from a desire to be funny, Twain to expect such easy answers. Because they Tolstoy offers a shield for may have other motives here, but he knows, seem so real, we suffer along with them, and anyone who hopes not to wind and we know, that his story has a moral con- we learn, too. If the story can make us wiser, up paralyzed by Love or War, tent that can be questioned and discussed. it must be a complex kind of patient, experi- Ambition, Ideology, Politics, or History. One comes to live That’s why Huck Finn is a great book. There ential wisdom. It’s fitting, then, that we sur- inside his book and through is and should be wisdom in the best stories, vey the events of the story in retrospect, as his characters for the weeks even if it is hard to specify it in the form of a the characters do themselves. one reads it, and perhaps (es- proposition. Although Tolstoy’s story seems If Tolstoy erred in Part Two of the Epilogue, pecially after a good seminar to tell itself, as Babel said, there is always a it was only in his tone of impatience and overt or two) never entirely leaves it behind again. The characters teller behind the tale, and a reason for telling didacticism. In the greatest stories—and are unforgettable. Sixteen-year- it. Stories that provoke reflection and repay War and Peace is one of them—the ideas, the old Natasha is able to look into rereading are never just about themselves. themes, the world view are fully incarnated in a mirror before her first ball Pace Socrates, the war between philosophy the action and the characters. Often it’s nec- and say, in all sincerity, “Who and poetry need not last forever. essary to abstract them in order to speak of is that charming girl?” Pierre The heroes and heroines of War and Peace is saved from a firing squad them, but it should feel like an act of violence, because of how he looks into all suffer greatly in their search for happi- like a translation or a prose paraphrase of a an officer’s eyes. For Prince ness and meaning. Some of them, especially poem. The way to regain the perfect interpen- Andrei, living becomes an Pierre Bezukhov, continually ask about the etration of Aristotle’s big three—plot, charac- insoluble problem. How does meaning of their experience, even while it ter, and thought—is to read the novel again. one know that the pictures a is happening; but all of them engage in such book shows of human hearts questioning at the novel’s end. Though most Jonathan Tuck is a tutor in Annapolis. readers love Pierre, it is hard not to consider

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Illustrations: below and page 18: Illustrations for War and Peace Our desire to make our stories philosophical may assure found in the collection of the State Borodino War and History us of our own seriousness, but do we then misrepresent Museum, Moscow. Paintings by Andrei Nikolayev. page 20: The reading of the the concreteness of our experience of reading? I have novella, The Kreutzer Sonata, at the Leo Tolstoy House (1889), sometimes flippantly tried to deflect students who try painting by Grigori Myasoedov. opposite page: Tolstoy in his to turn a novel into a treatise by saying, “The moral of study. Engraving in “The Artistic Illustration” (1892). every great novel is that life is complicated.” are true pictures? Maybe the into the past, scarcely holding in great books are the ones that check the frailties and tensions help you start to know. Tolstoy in their lives and those of their writes that kind of book. several guests. And yet the —Cary Stickney (A75), tutor revealing, unsettling power of the past is made beautifully and I like to think of the four years clearly present through song as starting with adventure and memory, in Joyce’s words. stories. In my romantic way of —Pamela Kraus, looking at things, the freshman Annapolis dean year would be better served by the Odyssey, but you can’t read “Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War the Odyssey before the Iliad. was the first thing I had ever The sophomore year used to read that showed me there was start with the Aeneid. The junior movement toward order in the year begins with Don Quixote. world (as well as chaos).” War and Peace fits right in there —Jim Beall, tutor with that—a large adventure story for every year. One What story is more compelling might say that War and Peace than the story of Odysseus’s shouldn’t be on the Program homecoming? And who can because it doesn’t fit in so well tell a better tale than Odysseus with the other books. We don’t himself? Disguised as a beg- have a good way of studying gar, he responds to Penelope’s Napoleon, and War and Peace insistent questions about his is not a good way of studying identity by claiming to be a man Napoleon because you just get from Crete who entertained a caricature of him. Odysseus on his way to Troy. —Sam Kutler, (Class of 1954), Penelope melts in tears at the tutor emeritus story, but tests him by asking what Odysseus wore and “what sort of man he was.” The beggar Is there a work of fiction or describes a purple mantle and a storytelling on the Program tunic made of exceptionally fine saw Odysseus off, and “attached she was bound to her depart- that you find to be especially fabric, but pins his reply on the the shining pin, to be his adorn- ing husband by its tangible compelling? description of a golden brooch ment.” At the same time, the presence and the physical act James Joyce’s “The Dead” is that fastened the mantle. So brooch, on which the story fas- of pinning it on his cloak. By a story I return to again and artfully did it depict a hound tens, begins to bind Penelope to focusing on a work of visual art, again. It is, to my mind, one of attacking a fawn that the viewer her husband in a new way. The Odysseus also binds them in the the great short stories in the forgot he was looking at an object itself is long lost; what knowledge that this story never English language. A pensive, image and simply saw the fawn remains and makes itself pres- fully reaches its conclusion—the gentle, but uncompromising struggling convulsively in the ent is their common memory fawn is forever struggling in spirit pervades the annual hound’s grasp. The beggar’s tale of it. Whoever the stranger now the hound’s grasp; the hound is dance and dinner at the Misses takes Penelope back, vividly and before her is, Penelope must be forever unable to relax his grip. Morkan’s. Their small evening is concretely, to that day, some bound to him by the memory —Margaret Kirby, tutor a civilizing force that is slipping twenty years earlier, when she of that marvelous brooch, as

ILLUSTRATIONS: HIP, ART RESOURCE, NY The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 23 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Mike Lacy (A12); Lee Zlotoff (A74); detail of textile art by Richard Saja (SF00); sketch by Jules Feiffer of himself with Norton Juster in Hannah Jayanti’s (SF07) film; detail of animated film, Mars, by Geoff Marslett (SF96)

24 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 Modern Takes Storytellers What makes a story memorable and compelling? When these alumni connect with our deepest emotions, we recognize ourselves in their stories. They use everything from modern digital filmmaking and editing techniques to traditional, time-honored methods—visualizing a great story, observing character, directing a scene, writing a screenplay, scribbling notes and plot outlines on napkins and whiteboards, dreaming, even embroidering fabric—to reach us. Great Expectations A Film by Hannah Jayanti (sf07) Premiers at the New Yorker Festival

by Anna Perleberg Andersen (sf02)

Norton Juster’s children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth, with illustrations by cartoonist Jules Feiffer, has inspired love bordering on worship for generations. It’s the story of a boy named Milo “who didn’t know what to do with himself—not just sometimes, but always.” ELLI CHUNG

He comes home one day to find a mysterious package containing the dialogue into stream-of-consciousness. This “strange little materials for a small purple tollbooth. After putting it together for piece” required extensive editing, and Jayanti “lost herself” in lack of anything better to do, he idly drives a toy car past it—and the process, discovering that “this is the way my mind works. finds himself in the Lands Beyond. There, he explores a world both Editing is a form of writing in the visual world.” fantastic and overly literal, and sets forth on a quest to free the After that, she left SVA to explore forms of film that relied princesses Rhyme and Reason, “without whom wisdom withered.” heavily on the editing process. Among other freelance projects, A few years ago, Hannah Jayanti (SF07) felt as aimless as Milo. she made book trailers for Random House—a strange new genre, She left St. John’s not intending to follow in the footsteps of her “half commercial and half artistic.” While they often resemble father, a documentary filmmaker. Instead, she was torn between movie trailers, book trailers are not excerpts of a previous visual “building incredibly hippie eco-houses” and academia. At first, work; a book trailer must film scenes that reference an entirely the latter won out. Then she moved to New York City to study different medium. Jayanti also made documentary-style author photo and video at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). She found videos, which she enjoyed: “Editing is half of directing [a docu- herself struggling with the visual side of the MFA. Then she mentary],” she says. “You have no idea what the story will be made an experimental film for a video class that took the open- until you get into the editing room—it’s where the story really ing narration of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and rearranged comes together.”

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Her chance to make a feature-length The documentary showcases Hannah Jayanti (SF07) in the field directing. documentary came in 2011. Janice Kaplan, An illustration by Jules Feiffer from The a communications consultant she had met interview footage with Juster, Phantom Tollbooth used in Jayanti’s film. in Washington, D.C., sought Jayanti out in connection with the 50th anniversary Feiffer, Jason Epstein, New writer Adam Gopnik, children’s illustra- of The Phantom Tollbooth. They intended Yorker staff writer Adam tor Eric Carle, and kids sharing their to make a short video commemorating the enthusiasm for the story. To break up the anniversary, but after spending a weekend Gopnik, children’s illustrator film’s inevitable talking-head nature, with Juster at his home in Amherst, Mas- Eric Carle, and kids sharing Jayanti commissioned two sequences from sachusetts, they knew there was enough Eleanor Stewart, a Scottish stop-motion material to sustain a longer film. “After their enthusiasm for the story. animator. During the opening credits, the that, people came out of the woodwork,” first sequence is accompanied in voiceover says Jayanti. That project became The the movie would entail, and she is now by actor David Hyde Pierce, describing the Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expecta- fully freelance. To raise money for the film, book’s creation: Juster and Feiffer lived tions, which premiered at the New Yorker she turned twice to Kickstarter, the crowd- up and downstairs in a Brooklyn Heights Festival in October 2013. It continues to funding website. Both times, she raised brownstone, and would climb the stairs to appear at venues throughout the country: twice what she was asking for. She liked share pictures and chapters. “art institutions, libraries, universities, that “with Kickstarter, people feel they’re The second sequence brings to life some museums, non-profits.” part of the process, like a mini shareholder of Juster’s philosophy, “which is, essen- Jayanti herself was a big fan of the book in the film.” It’s a way for artists to con- tially, that facts aren’t important in and of as a child. She loves “how many levels [the nect directly with their audience and vice themselves;” it’s “the connections between book] works on, how much you can get out versa—readers for whom The Phantom Toll- them.” Jayanti points out that “everyone in of it at any age. The combination of really booth has “tremendous emotional value” the Lands Beyond is a specialist.” Words are sharp wit and real, real warmth—that’s a were able to contribute meaningfully to a separate kingdom from math, the borders really tricky combination to get for a writ- what they loved. jealously guarded. Milo’s rescue of Rhyme er.” She finds herself thinking often of the Still, Jayanti didn’t want to make just a and Reason unites the kingdoms and brings Terrible Trivium, a blank-faced monster fan movie. So she explores general themes: harmony to the Lands Beyond, which can who delays Milo’s quest by asking him and the importance of books in shaping our be read as Juster’s argument for a liberal Tock to do menial tasks such as moving worldview, and the decades-long friendship arts education. “That’s really what life and a pile of sand grain by grain—a metaphor between Juster and Feiffer, who trade quips learning is about,” according to him, “mak- that rings painfully true for anyone who and memories on screen together. Through ing connections with things, not how much has had a day job. them, she hopes viewers who haven’t read you know or what specifics you know,” says When she started filming, Jayanti was the book will be able to connect to the film. Jayanti. “Which is quite St. John’s.” still managing a photography studio in “You can love these men, and then fall in Chelsea. “For the first eight months, I love with the book.” The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations just paid for things, worked nights and The documentary showcases interview is available on DVD or live streaming at weekends,” she says. Gradually she went footage with Juster, Feiffer, Jason Epstein phantomtollboothdoc.com. More information: part-time as she realized how much work (the editor at Random House who www.facebook.com/TollboothDocumentary published the book), New Yorker staff and hannahjayanti.com.

26 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 storytellers

When did you realize that you have a gift for storytelling? Accidental CEO Probably when I got away with a number of bald-faced lies when I Writer, producer, scholar, film executive– was quite young. Tell us about working with James Schamus (a81) takes up cycling award-winning film director Ang Lee. You wrote and Interview by Patricia Dempsey produced many of his films. Is he a mentor? “ here have been a couple of film scholars who wrote scripts, but he’s the only Ang and I are kind of co-men- person in the business I’ve ever seen who said, ‘I can’t go to Cannes because tors. We have come of age, and I’ve got to work on my doctorate,’” notes Variety editor Tim Grey in a New have indeed aged, together. We both have a combination of York Times story ( “The Professor of Micropopularity”). It’s a wonderful ambition on the one hand, and quote about James Schamus (A81), an Oscar-winning collaborator. Brokeback a kind of childlike interest in Mountain, which Schamus produced and Ang Lee directed, won, among other new things we’re ignorant about honors, three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and four BAFTA Awards. This and humbled by, on the other T hand. Hence, I suppose, the wide year he stewarded Dallas Buyers Club, which was nominated for six Oscars and won three. variety of films [for example, Schamus is a delightfully eclectic, passionate professor in Columbia University’s School Brokeback Mountain; Crouching of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, an academic whose career as a film Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Sense and executive is legendary. Many of the films he wrote, produced, and distributed around the Sensibility; The Ice Storm] we’ve done together. world during his 12-year stint as CEO of Focus Features not only won awards, they broke barriers. Films such as Lost in Translation and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have a Is there a favorite film, one that captivated a generation of filmgoers. “Think of all the great films you’ve seen in the past 15 “sets the standard” for you? years—chances are James Schamus was behind them,” notes The Guardian. The thing about movies is that On leave for a year from Columbia, the visionary film executive has traded in funding your favorites can be less than classics and your most-admired frenzies and boardroom politics—everything, it seems, except his bow ties and love of film. works can be less-than-loved. Schamus lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, novelist Nancy Kricorian. He shares a And often truly imperfect mov- Manhattan moment with us, taking a break from cycling and the writing life. ies have moments of profound sublimity and emotion that more perfectly crafted films can’t compete with.

You are known for your interest in films about “outsiders,” such as films about the West, the story of America, and immigrants. Is this still true today? Examples include films that you stewarded at Focus Features, such as Dallas Buy- ers Club, Brokeback Mountain, The Pianist, and Milk. Outsider narratives will always draw me in at first blush, but sometimes you find them by go- ing “inside,” too; The Ice Storm concerns wealthy, privileged suburbanites, but emotion- ally I find them all compellingly outsider-y. PETER BOWEN

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Give us a glimpse into a “day Any essential differences in in the life.” How do you spend “ Outsider narratives will always draw the film industry in Hollywood most of your time? me in at first blush, but sometimes as compared to New York? I’m on leave from Columbia Yes, there really isn’t a New York this year, so my commute is the you find them by going ‘inside,’ too; film industry—though there are 1-train to my office in Chelsea, very good crews, producers, and supplemented by my current ad- The Ice Storm concerns wealthy, filmmakers who live in New York. diction to New York’s bike-share program, an addiction that has privileged suburbanites.” How do you “teach” film? Are resulted in the saving of hundreds you a film critic as well as a teacher? of dollars in taxi fares and the You have successfully financed, Is there a film you saw in burning of thousands of calories. produced, distributed, and your youth that moved you, I actually don’t teach film—I teach Since October and my departure written many major, award- inspired you to write and film history and theory, and often from my former job running winning films. Did you ever produce movies? teach philosophy and aesthetics. Focus Features, I’ve written two My undergrad lectures are not consider directing? No. I loved all films and all kinds screenplays (and I am working on Johnnie-style, but my graduate No—when you have a choice of films—from the trashiest to a third), have set up as a producer seminars—in which we often read between yourself and Ang Lee the most artsy. As a kid, I was of a few movies, and have been folks such as Plato and Kant—are to direct your screenplay, whom odd enough to enjoy watching doing my usual compulsive movie run “revolving-chair” style, so would you choose? the Friday night classics line-ups going and reading. (Current the last person to speak chooses on my local public television obsession, one embarrassingly the next, a habit difficult for non- In a Guardian (January 2014) station. Hard to imagine PBS shared with much of New York’s Johnnies to form. But they get interview, you say that being actually running D. W. Griffith’s hipsterdom, is Karl Ove Knaus- there after a few weeks. a “boy wonder screenwriter” Intolerance for its full duration! gaard’s My Struggle). would not have been a good Any changes with this gen- thing for you. If not writing, If you could take one book and How did you come to be CEO eration of students—are they what aspect of filmmaking is one film with you, marooned on of Focus Features? What skills more sophisticated readers your passion? a deserted island, what would did it take to do this job well? or filmgoers than previous Producing—making things pos- they be? I was an accidental CEO, but generations? Are they better sible for creative people to do A handbook and video on boat found the work very gratifying, storytellers? their best work. making. though the past few years I found Students today are much more it increasingly difficult to balance It has been said that films Do you enjoy going to the at home thinking of audiovisual my creative work with the busi- rather than books are the movies alone? Or is it always media as forms of communica- ness side of things. What makes a dominant storytelling medium a social occasion? Favorite tion rather than as forms of good CEO? Like teaching, there of our century. Do you agree? theater? mystifying entertainment. For them it’s another language they are no hard and fast rules—great Neither is the dominant form. I make it a point to head to the can learn. teachers tend to mold their meth- The dominant forms of storytell- multiplex at least once a week, ods around their own strengths ing of our time are the result of usually by myself, to check out and weaknesses. I’d say my own Any up and coming filmmakers the algorithms which track and the latest on offer from the whose work excites you? strengths centered around an construct our digital identities studios, as well as the trailers Happily, way too many to list attention to creating an environ- and experiences. Every day, and pre-roll. New York has still, here. There is an ocean of great ment of trust and support at the some 300 pieces of data you thankfully, a great range of art- work being done in so many dif- company, making sure everyone, generate through your phone, house screens; I’ll bike to any of ferent genres today. It’s dizzying. from assistants to presidents, felt computer, car, etc., are sold or them for the right film. secure raising their voices and bartered, and that data is con- Do you wear signature bow safe knowing they had permission At the Cannes Film Festival, stantly reconfigured and repack- ties in the classroom? Or was to fail. I made it a point to ap- aged to shape what you see, hear, did you take to the red carpet? plaud everyone’s failures, my own that more as a film executive, and interact with. The story of No. I’m not much of a tuxedo fan. and for black-tie affairs? included, as well as our successes. your life has become a function Somehow, the whole bow-tie thing If you don’t fail, that means you of this constant feedback loop What, if anything, has changed became a schtick, but yes, I do haven’t risked anything. between the data you produce in the film business since wear them often when I teach, too. and the data field constructed you got into filmmaking and At Focus, how did you know producing? which films—many were “in- for you as the space you have to Tell us something about The complexity of the business dies”—would be popular at the signify and produce more data. yourself that readers may be and the corporatization of the box office? surprised to know. culture. I didn’t. I’m a VERY slow reader.

28 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 storytellers

n the romantic comedy Don Juan DeMarco, written and directed Love Story by Jeremy Leven (A64), the title character declares, “There are Jeremy Leven (a64): only four questions of value in Writing the Subtext of Our Lives life. What is sacred? Of what is Ithe spirit made? What is worth living for, by Paula Novash and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: only love.”

It’s a compelling line typical of its author. Leven is a successful Hollywood screen- writer, director, producer, and bestselling novelist who infuses his storytelling with thought-provoking, soulful subtexts. “Everything I do has a spiritual and philosophical underpinning,” he says. “I think that’s true for almost anybody in the creative arts. We experience some energy within us that reconstitutes into inspira- tion and vision, and where does that come from?” Leven explores this mystery in modern fables, where the stakes—love, fortune, and destiny—loom large.

“ You try to create dialogue that reveals the truth of the moment, so that what the characters say and do sounds real.”

Leven’s career spans five decades. His films, which have taken him to locations across the U.S. and Europe, include The Notebook, Don Juan DeMarco, Alex and Emma, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and My Sister’s Keeper. He is also the author of the novels Creator and Satan: His Psycho- therapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S., both of which he adapted for the screen. Leven’s early credits include directing the musical, “The Perils of St. John’s,” for the Johnnie’s Modern Theater Group— which he founded and directed—during his college years. “I always thought I’d begin

Jeremy Leven (A64) discusses a scene on the set of Don Juan DeMarco with Johnny Depp.

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an Oscar speech with ‘I owe my whole pro- fessional life to St. John’s College, where I “ Everything I do has a spiritual and philosophical learned how to think, write, and read,’” he underpinning. I think that’s true for almost anybody in says with a smile. Leven began that professional life as the creative arts. We experience some energy within a Harvard-and-Yale-affiliated clinical us that reconstitutes into inspiration and vision, and psychologist and neuroscientist. After the breakout success of Creator, he took a where does that come from?” leave from Yale University Medical School. Leven realized he was at a crossroads. details of our lives are different from what audience by the 12-minute mark. There’s He consulted a Yale mentor who told the characters are experiencing.” a set, three-act structure: You can have him, “You will never not write; you are a Leven was reminded of this when he a great idea and a great ending, but you writer.” Leven began adapting his novels wrote the screenplay for The Notebook, have to make sure you have enough story for the screen. adapting the love story from the book to fill that 60 minutes in the middle.” “Writing and psychology are both about by Nicholas Sparks. “Lots of what’s in And, Leven explains, “You’re writing problem solving, which is what I like to my screenplay isn’t in the book. I added with others in mind. A screenplay needs to do,” Leven says. Both professions also events and made the characters much show studio executives that the story will involve examining the complex behaviors, more complex,” he says. “But Nicholas appeal to a wide audience. It needs to give emotions, motivations, fears, and desires told me the movie was the closest adapta- the director enough information to see that connect us. On film, Leven says, the tion he’s seen of any of his books.” how to make it, and also create characters magical process of creating a believable “Emotions can be conveyed powerfully that actors will want to play. The fun part character is collaborative. “You try to cre- in film, because you can get in so close and of this is it becomes a scientific process, ate dialogue that reveals the truth of the really focus on tiny facial movements and a challenge.” moment, so that what the characters say gestures,” Leven continues. “It’s com- Leven jokes that in Hollywood, studios and do sounds real. It’s like a blueprint, pletely different on stage, for instance, look for a “high concept” film—which and hopefully you’re giving the actor where gestures have to be larger than life refers to a concept so low it can be something interesting to work with.” to be appreciated by the audience.” expressed in one sentence. “It used to Another powerful layer is the subtle art As a Hollywood veteran, Leven has be that films like One Flew Over the of subtext, infusing what is felt, but not worked with many A-List actors, from Cuckoo’s Nest or The Lion in Winter had explicitly stated, into a scene. “In the best whom he has learned subtleties of subtext more substance dramatically,” he says. acting, the viewer is seeing two emotions and dialogue. He tells a story about “This doesn’t happen anymore. Execu- from the character. For example, say we’ve Marlon Brando, whom he directed in Don tives look to invest $100-200 million and set up a story of abuse that reaches back Juan DeMarco. “I jokingly said something make billions of dollars.” through generations. A man and his elderly in an Irish accent and he said, ‘Well, you Leven’s most recent film, 2013’s Girl father are driving by a playground and they know, there’s not just one Irish accent.’” on a Bicycle, (which the New York Times see a child being spanked. The father tears Leven says Brando proceeded to perform called a “sweet, often witty romantic up and the son, who is driving, reaches out at least a dozen different roles: “a barkeep, comedy”), is set in Paris. The plot revolves and places his hand on his shoulder. This a farmer, a barrister, a judge, an aristocrat. around a recently engaged tour-bus driver gets that double emotion, as we sense that And with every one not just the accent, but who dreams about a beautiful woman he the father is saddened by what he did to his body, muscles, and face changed as he encounters on his route. his son but is also feeling vulnerable as he tapped into the emotion, the essence of One of the movie’s themes is “the imag- remembers how he was beaten by his own the character. It was riveting, and every ined life, the life you might lead,” says father. And the son is both comforting his character was someone who will keep me Leven. “What is life without dreams? Our father for what the father went through watching a screen for two hours.” dreams keep us going.” His new novel, himself, and in doing so, forgiving him.” As a novelist, work is solitary bliss. As The Savior and the Singing Machine, is When writing a screenplay or adapting a screenwriter, Leven compromises and about a young woman who may be a mes- one from a book, how does Leven show the collaborates with directors, actors, and siah. He’s also working on a stage musical studio, director, and actors that his script other writers, changing characters and for his love story, Don Juan DeMarco. will make a good film? He says it’s by tap- plot lines. Even the music, says Leven, is a “Love is the greatest emotion, and argu- ping into the emotions underlying his char- character in the film. “For a movie script, ably the one people identify with most,” acters’ actions. “Emotions are what pull us there are specific rules to follow,” he he says. “It is probably the most spiritual in—the characters’ vulnerabilities, desires, continues. “One page equals one minute thing we can experience.” and fears. We can relate to them even if the of screen time, and you have to capture the

30 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 storytellers PHOTOS: THOMAS ALLEMAN “There is no limit to what is possible,” says Lee Zlotoff (A74). “We need to get out of the way so our creative process can succeed.”

The noted writer, producer, and director often sketches with colored markers to visualize plot outlines and character and Whiteboarding screenplay ideas. “I do most of my creating on the whiteboard— not the keyboard. By the time I sit down to write on the comput- er, the heavy-duty lifting is done. I turn to the computer to flesh in Malibu out, say, dialog that I’ve already imagined for the piece.” Zlotoff, known for his hit television series MacGyver Lee Zlotoff (a74) Taps (launched in 1985), has a new gig: he is writing a book to share his creative process. It will help everyone—from writers and mili- tary officers to entrepreneurs and teachers—to be more effective. the Narrative Power The book, The MacGyver Method, provides a step-by-step pro- cess for tapping into the power of the subconscious to solve prob- of the Subconscious lems, discover new ideas, and clear the cobwebs of “conscious interference,” says Zlotoff. “It’s about having an active dialog by Patricia Dempsey with your subconscious; that’s the key, so you can, whenever you hat a view. choose, tap into the most effective part of your mind.” Some 2,500 feet above the Zlotoff calls the subconscious “the storehouse of our stories. We are a narrative species; each night we dream, and each of our legendary surf of Malibu, Lee Zlotoff dreams is a story. We need these stories. This is why film is so com- (A74) is in his living room, scribbling on pelling—it connects directly with your subconscious in a way that a whiteboard. It’s an infinite horizon for books do not. Between the visual images, the music, and the dialog ideas, a place to dream big. He works in of a film, your mind is being subtly stimulated on many levels.” Certain stories endure, he says, because they resonate or con- his mountaintop home amid simple inspiration: the folk nect with deep, internal narratives shared by a large population. Wart he collects, a studio for building models, and the view— “Ironically—or should I say paradoxically—the more unique and when the foggy “June-gloom” lifts—of the blue Pacific. specific the details of a given story, the more universally it tends

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to be embraced and accepted—as who now directs a preschool in opposed to the frequent homog- Los Angeles. (They are divorced, enizing that is a hallmark of many with four children and four grand- Hollywood films. Some examples children). are The Graduate, Star Wars, or Zlotoff got his start as a screen- The Godfather series, which are writer in the mid-1970s in New very specific visions that tap into York City as a secretary on a soap the universal narratives of the opera, The Doctors. He told the search for identity, purpose and producer that he could write a bet- family.” In fact, the great turns in ter show, and gave him Disasters stories, says Zlotoff, are based on in the Sun, a sample script. “You paradox. “What you don’t expect have to be gutsy to survive—it’s happens, but it still makes perfect a rough business,” says Zlotoff. sense, like John Nash’s journey in “He liked the script and I became A Beautiful Mind. You follow the a soap opera writer.” Zlotoff’s story, accepting all that you see, speed as a writer was invaluable. only to realize midway that you’ve “I could create an okay script in been sharing the delusions of the 10 days. My speed, in part, fueled main character.” my meteoric rise from freelance How does one tap into this power writer to story editor to being ap- of stories and the subconscious— proved to write pilots.” whether making a film, writing Later came MacGyver. a screenplay, or trying to solve Although CBS/Paramount still a business problem? The steps retains the rights to the original are simple. To name a few: Write “ Whenever I would return from model series, all the “so-called separated down the problem. Task the sub- rights reverted back to me,” says conscious. Incubation. “We need building, I kept seeing this man hiding Zlotoff. But those 139 episodes to get out of the way so our creative behind a tree, watching the main of the original show continue to process can succeed,” says Zlotoff. run all over the world. In some To let his ideas incubate, Zlotoff character, who was a young woman.” places, MacGyver is a household builds models, a skill acquired word. “In Korea,” Zlotoff notes, during his high school years at integral part of the final story. Clearly, “a pocket knife—any kind of knife Brooklyn Tech, working with molten met- something in my subconscious was telling that one carries—is called a ‘MacGyver.’” als and other materials. He is currently me I needed this figure.” Zlotoff sees MacGyver as “Johnnie perfec- building a World War I trainer plane. To give voice to his creative method, tion. He takes a Johnnie approach of think- “I like to work with my hands. I started Zlotoff draws not only on his ability to visual- ing across disciplines to solve problems.” by making paper models of world monu- ize on a whiteboard; he uses his well-known The character merges an “ability to think ments: the Empire State Building, the Taj character, MacGyver, a pragmatic, can-do outside the box, as we’re encouraged to do Mahal, the Vatican, whatever I could find Boy Scout of a cop who sports a Swiss Army at St. John’s,” with “my technical exposure a kit for,” he explains. “I then progressed knife and a blonde mullet. Through “Mac,” from Brooklyn Tech.” Zlotoff also attri- to wood models of ships and planes, as Zlotoff has found a voice. The fictional Mac- butes a good part of Mac’s character to his model building proved the best ‘incubation Gyver is rooted in Zlotoff’s own experiences. father—“certainly the Swiss Army Knife.” activity’ for my creative process.” Zlotoff “He is non-violent, resourceful. MacGyver’s Currently Zlotoff is in discussions with describes how it helped him develop a world,” says Zlotoff, “is ‘you take what several publishers for his book, The Mac- character’s narrative story in The Spitfire you got, turn it into what you think you Gyver Method. MacGyver walks its pages, Grill feature film script. “Whenever I need, not what you want.’ He has a sense sharing Zlotoff’s step-by-step method for would return from model building, I kept of honor, humor, and humility. MacGyver creating—and living. Zlotoff is also develop- seeing this man hiding behind a tree, uses a Swiss Army knife for everything.” ing a feature film about MacGyver. “I don’t watching the main character, who was Zlotoff , whose name means “gold” in usually quote Yoda,” says Zlotoff, “but a young woman. I made a note of it but, Russian, is as enterprising as MacGyver. Yoda did say, ‘There is do or do not. There having no clue who this man was, I put His flair for business emerged as an under- is no try.’ You must believe you can do it, it aside. He continued to reappear when graduate, living on Maryland Avenue, and that there is no limit to what is possible.” I worked on the story, so I realized I had running a contracting company with David to figure out who this guy was, and why Huston (A74). He married Rebecca Ann More information: www.macgyvermethod. he was there. Eventually he became an Soloff (A74), his high school sweetheart, com and www.macgyverglobal.com.

32 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 storytellers

Toile Tales Richard Saja’s (sf93) Whimsical Threads

by Paula Novash

t first glance, the textile art in a wooden frame appears to portray This creation is typical of textile artist a scene from classical mythology. A cupid sits atop a rearing Richard Saja (SF93), who gives centuries- steed, and a young maiden in a long gown makes an offering to old fabric patterns a modern sensibility by infusing them with fanciful style, a touch of a reclining figure wearing a crown. The group is surrounded mystery, and most of all, a sense of humor. by colorful bunches of grapes, lush foliage, and stylized birds, Saja embellishes traditional toile fabrics embroidered on a background of pale linen. (think Colonial Williamsburg) with whim- When you look closer, another layer of complexity appears: the figures are sical embroidery, creating delightfully A offbeat stories that celebrate the quirkiness stitched in metallic and glow-in-the-dark threads. The crown is actually a black- of everyday living while exploring themes and-blue Mohawk, the witnesses include a rabbit, and the fluffy-haired maiden is such as tolerance and acceptance. holding not wine or sacred fruit, but a box that looks a little like a birthday cake, “Toile is similar to a coloring book in emanating spiky rays. Its title? “Behold: ELECTRICITY!” that it’s begging to be enhanced,” Saja explains. “What I do is draw out a story with my embroidery, embellishing so you can see yet another narrative.” It’s remi- niscent of what a fool or joker in medieval times might do, revealing a greater truth within a cheeky, irreverent presentation. The word “toile” means cloth, and the fabric most often replicates traditional French designs that depict pastoral scenes in a repeating pattern, using a single color on a light background. What Saja does with his needle, he says, is create a sort of “playful subversion to toile’s tradi- tional role, where everything blends and has equal weight. By giving attention to some element and making it special and individual, I’m taking something old and making it relevant again.” Saja grew up in the Jersey Shore town of Point Pleasant, where he felt out of step with many of his peers. Navigating “summer crowds and deserted board- walk in winter,” he was “kind of a weird and imaginative kid,” Saja says. “I was constantly making things, like dioramas of haunted houses and superhero costumes.” He was also an avid reader, whose favorite books featured kids who had “to fend for themselves, like My Side of the

JOHN EMERSON PHOTOGRAPHY Mountain or From The Mixed Up Files of Richard Saja (SF93) savors irreverent twists in a modern retelling of traditional stories. Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.”

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(See it at http://historically-inaccurate. “ It’s not my intention to tell someone what to think about blogspot.com.) it. People see my art all at once, like a painting, but then “But then it evolves organically,” he continues, “It’s not my intention to tell it can unfold more like a book or film, depending on someone what to think about it. People the viewer. My work appeals to many types of people see my art all at once, like a painting, but then it can unfold more like a book or film, because it can be interpreted on many different levels.” depending on the viewer. My work appeals to many types of people because it can be interpreted on many different levels.” In a hard-edged, high-tech world, people seem to appreciate the time and energy that goes into his creations. “There are no shortcuts; these are labor-intensive projects that need care and love to bring them to life,” Saja says. “I will probably never have copycats because it takes too long to do this kind of work well.” Creating his art is contemplative, even meditative, says Saja. He often embroiders to documentaries, which serve as a sort of “white noise” to his creative process. “I’ll turn on something about apes or Egypt— it’s learning while doing.” Saja’s art constantly surprises him. “There’s a magic that comes through in some pieces that I couldn’t possibly plan for, where the stitching is imbued with emotion,” he explains. “When I was young, I was different. That was oppres- sive. Now being different has become a positive for me, with external affirmation coming from many quarters. My design vo-

COURTESY RICHARD SAJA COURTESY cabulary is conveying a message of accep- tance and hope, and I love that emotion At that time, there was little “awareness After completing his degree, he worked can be conveyed through my embroidery about tolerance and acceptance, or the as an art director in a Madison Avenue and shared and felt by the viewer.” impact of bullying,” he continues. “So I advertising agency. Then, laid off during Saja’s art has been featured in outlets came to identify with the marginalized, the dot-com bust, he started a decorative such as the New York Times and Vogue. It misunderstood monster types from old arts business with fellow Johnnie Martha is displayed in museum and private collec- movies and comic books.” In Saja’s works, Alexander. While working on a design tions around the world. He has partnered unusual characters often interact seam- project for cushions, Saja recalls, he woke with designers that include Mother of lessly with conventional ones; in “Scenes from a dream picturing Maori facial tat- Pearl, Opening Ceremony, Keds, and from a Marriage,” for example, an allur- toos embroidered onto figures in toile. A Christian Lacroix. Examples of his art are ing masked woman in a ball gown holds self-taught artist, he soon realized that currently on display at the Snyderman- the hand of a gentle green, fur-covered embroidery was “a natural outlet for my Works Gallery in Philadelphia. creature as they dance the minuet. overall fastidiousness, and I fortunately “A monstrosity is added to something have some innate talent for it.” bucolic, and it can co-exist and be accept- Saja says an endless number of SEEKING WOMEN IN FILM ed within that framework,” Saja explains. tales exist within every toile; his “It celebrates difference; the freaks are interpretation is only one among many. If you are a Johnnie, a female, recognized, accepted, and affirmed.” “I usually have some general idea in mind and working in the film industry, Saja moved to New Mexico after high when I begin a piece. For example, I liked please share your stories with school and created ceramic art before the idea of using candy colors, which The College. enrolling at St. John’s Santa Fe campus. then became “Dionysos in Candyland.”

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Swerve: Walk on the Wild Side From Sci-fi Animation to Live-action Drama and a Rocker Documentary, Geoff Marslett (sf96) Hops

By Anna Perleberg Andersen (SF02)

“ like delving into things, at least for a little while, and storing them for later on,” Mars is an animated sci-fi says indie filmmaker Geoff Marslett (SF96). This intellectual restlessness drives romantic comedy that Marslett his art: he has written, produced, and directed short films both animated and live- wrote and directed. He also had a hand in editing and produc- action, including the first video for cartoonist/musician James Kochalka’s epic ing, as well as leading the ardu- ditty, “Monkey vs. Robot” (sadly, no longer available to watch online). His produc- ous process of animation. For tion company, Swerve Pictures (yes, it’s a Lucretius reference), has made two very the film’s unique look, Marslett different feature films, Mars (2010) and Loves Her Gun (2013). Lately, he has directed trail- wrote a computer program that I reduced images of actors in ers and even acted in a few films—he enjoys providing just a little of other people’s stories. front of a green screen to be- Off-camera, he teaches at the University of Texas at Austin, having earned an MFA in film tween 16 and 64 colors, then production there in December 2000. into vectors—scalable graphics defined not by the position of pixels but by the mathematical curves that make up the image. Marslett’s math background came in handy; while at St. John’s, he studied theoretical physics and differential equa- tions on the side, and pursued an associate’s degree in math during a few summers. Processed through this program, Marslett explains, footage acquires “weird, drifty color palettes” similar to traditional rotoscoping, where an animator draws over film footage. Marslett and his team used this technique for features like eyes and mouths that they wanted to look more polished. All the backgrounds were CGI-generated. Creat- ing these composite images took years to accomplish, with five animators working nearly nonstop in a kind of artistic delirium. In 2007 and 2008, the terabytes of space required to store the images were “expensive and ridicu- lous,” says Marslett. Now a four-terabyte drive is $150 on Amazon. Techne moves ever more rapidly. LAUREN MODERY, SWERVE PICTURES LAUREN MODERY,

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 35 storytellers

Independent Film Festival, along with many others. Loves Her Gun has won accolades from the Los Angeles Review of Books and Indiewire. Marslett thinks Mars will have more lon- gevity, despite the film world’s snobbery about animated films. Marslett estimates that making an animated film takes roughly ten times as much work as a live-action movie, yet the festival circuit often takes an “aw, it’s almost like you made a real film” attitude toward them. As a filmmaker outside the New York-Los Angeles axis, he’s happy with modest suc- cess, with “doing something because I like doing it,” even if it doesn’t pay well—yet. Marslett’s new feature project is, as one would expect, en- LAUREN MODERY, SWERVE PICTURES LAUREN MODERY, tirely different from those that above left: Geoff Marslett (SF96) preceded it: a documentary Marslett’s new feature project is, as one talks barbeque and film at an on “costume rockers,” bands Austin eatery. above: Frames from with a shtick to their outfits or Marslett’s animated film, Mars. would expect, entirely different from songs that occupy a “strange those that preceded it: a documentary on place between music and theater.” He knows that place “costume rockers,” bands with a shtick to scripted the action of every well, since he plays accordion scene tightly, but wrote no in a band that performs songs their outfits or songs that occupy a “strange dialogue. The actors impro- inspired by The Karate Kid, vised every word, which was while wearing prosthetic arms place between music and theater.” “probably terrifying,” says and legs frozen in permanent Marslett, but results in a natu- crane-kick position. (One of ralistic rhythm not often found The final result of all this labor Marslett is always looking for the bands on his radar is The in film. Hesitations, misspoken is stunning. Part dream, part different ways to tell stories. Pizza Underground, a Velvet words, and filler syllables are comic book, part solid reality, “I’m gonna call it a strength,” Underground cover band that all intact. This approach to it’s a perfect visual comple- he asserts. “Some people sings songs like “I’m Begin- storytelling—obviously far from ment to a story of space call it a problem.” So where ning to Eat the Slice” and the constraint of the multi-step exploration and romance, Mars was “very much about “Papa John Says”; it consists animation in Mars—adds to two human endeavors that construct, very controlled,” of four of his friends and Ma- the tale’s gritty, bleak nature. Marslett feels have much in Loves Her Gun takes a nearly caulay Culkin. Really.) There is Even in the trailer, it’s eerie common. “As soon as you opposite approach. A live- no firm date for the documen- and effective. talk to [a person who catches action drama shot on loca- tary’s completion, but it’s sure your eye], you change her, she tion in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Both movies have had some to be quirky and thoughtful, changes you—neither of you and Austin, it’s the story of success at film festivals like like Marslett himself. is really the same as what you a woman who flees the city Austin’s own SXSW. Loves Her Learn more about Geoff saw across the room. That’s after being mugged and finds Gun won the Louis Black Lone Marslett’s (SF96) filmmaking: always completely unattain- herself caught up in Texas Star award in 2013, an unex- www.swervepictures.com able.” Exploring a new country gun culture, struggling to find pected achievement. (Marslett is the same, he says: “The an emotional middle ground almost skipped the award cer- minute you get there, you’re between safety and paranoia. emony.) In addition, Mars has slightly different, the country’s Marslett and his co-writers, shown at BAMCinemaFest in slightly different. Going to Laura Modery and Geoff Lerer, Brooklyn, the BFI London Film Mars is the same way.” Festival, and the San Francisco

36 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 storytellers

Pursuing a Dream Nashville’s Music Row Sets the Stage for Mike Lacy (a12)

by Gregory Shook

arely a decade after making his first film, Mike Lacy’s (A12) work appeared on the silver screen—and took him by surprise. Alone at the movies, Lacy watched in amazement as the 2011 PSA for the Tennes- see Department of Mental Health, in which he had acted and helped to produce, rolled with the commercials. He announced to everyone in the theater, “I made that. That was me playing the drug dealer.” B JOSH ANDERSON It’s such a moment that motivates Lacy to the L.A. skyline.” pursue his longtime dream of a career in “ A hard thing for me, During his sophomore year at St. film. After graduating from St. John’s in as someone who likes John’s, Lacy experienced an existential 2012, he moved to Nashville to be part of dilemma that ultimately led to a fate- what he calls the city’s “developing indus- storytelling, is that music ful discovery. “I was conflicted because try with a thriving freelance community.” here I was learning ancient Greek and A year later, he launched his own freelance videos are not about astronomy,” says Lacy. “I thought, ‘What company, Prometheoid Films, creating telling a story as such.” am I doing with my life? Is this really my music videos, short films, and multi-media passion?’” He found his answer in books projects. At age 24, he can practically do said [to Berg], ‘Look, I don’t know how to by renowned film editor Walter Murch, it all—act, direct, produce, and edit. Lacy’s explain my [idea], but this [video] is some- whose résumé includes The Godfather, industrious nature is the main ingredient thing that is really important to me.’” The English Patient, Cold Mountain, for his success. “I spent a lot of last week Music has always been close to Lacy’s and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. uploading 160 hours of footage for a Jimi heart. In high school, he played guitar and Lacy discovered that classical literature is Hendrix documentary,” he says. “On the keyboards with his band, The Shel Silver- woven into Murch’s work; he once edited a weekend, I was second camera on a music steins, and absorbed a steady diet of MTV film scene inspired by a canto from Dante video shoot. We shot overnight in this and VH1. Today, he admits that making and used Kepler’s harmonic theory to fig- motorcycle shop from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. It’s a music video is among his greatest chal- ure out how to interplay music with edits. nerve-wracking to think about making a lenges. “A hard thing for me, as someone The summer before his junior year, creative life for myself, but it’s something who likes storytelling, is that music videos Lacy sought out the film editor at his San I’ve been passionate about since I was are not about telling a story as such,” says Francisco home. “I looked him up on the about 12 years old.” Lacy. “There may be a beginning, middle, Internet and wrote him an e-mail,” says Lacy’s first music video with his com- and end, but it’s not always clear whether Lacy. A few weeks later, he was in Murch’s pany is for the 2013 single “Not So Much there’s a protagonist and a clearly stated kitchen, where the like-minded souls Anymore” by David Berg, an acclaimed conflict.” Being a Johnnie, Lacy views talked for hours about the role of music in songwriter who has worked with country ambiguity as an opportunity to explore, the lives of human beings and the ways that music luminaries Kenny Chesney, Carrie learn, and be creative. In a music video, he classical thought can be applied in modern Underwood, and Keith Urban, and has wants to elevate the song, using images to films. “We sometimes draw a line between penned chart-topping hit songs for Reba elicit emotion and bring out fresh, some- classical learning and modern day, making McEntire and others. The video centers on times unexpected elements of the music. them seem at odds,” says Lacy. “But there a young woman in anguish over a troubled “A good video conveys something that are people like Murch, who are in love with romantic relationship, who finds comfort cannot, or maybe should not, be put into creating things for modern audiences and in her circle of friends. “I had a vision for words,” says Lacy, who typically avoids don’t think it’s such a harsh dichotomy. I the video, but I wasn’t making a good el- literal visual interpretations of a song. find that inspiring.” evator pitch,” says Lacy, who says that the “If the lyrics are about the Los Angeles Learn more about Mike Lacy (A12): project almost didn’t happen. “I finally skyline, you don’t want to show images of prometheoidspeaks.wordpress.com

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 37 A Vision Becomes a View by Sus3an Borden (A87)

38 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 For 50 years, students and tutors in Santa Fe have been inspired by the view of neighboring mountain Atalaya and the tantalizing snow on the Santa Fe Ski Basin as they read, write, meet, study, and socialize in the campus coffee shop. This vista, it turns out, is not a lucky accident, according to Charles “Chuck” Nelson (Class of 1945), a former member of the Board of Visitors and Governors. It is part of the earliest vision of the campus. Nelson recalls a day in 1962 when John Gaw Meem drove him and other board members to the site of what would be the Santa Fe campus:

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 39 “ He showed us where he thought the main buildings would be put and I remember him describing to us where the dining hall would be [and saying that] there would be large windows with panoramic views of the mountains while you’re sitting there having your lunch.... That, of course, all came out as he indicated it would.”

This experience of a vision realized is a theme and tutor and former assistant dean Don Cook often repeated when people talk about the (H97) talking about riding his horse to and from founding and history of the Santa Fe campus. the campus: “I can remember times I would ride It’s a theme that tutor Claudia Hauer is captur- home after seminar. It was a nine-mile ride each ing and preserving as she works on an oral histo- way, and I would go out and saddle my horse and ry project in celebration of the 50th anniversary go home in the complete dark down the arroyo of the founding of the Santa Fe campus. behind school. That was before any houses were Hauer had just returned from a leave of ab- back there. I remember the sense of solitude, and sence in October 2012 when Santa Fe Vice Presi- it made me think about the west and how people dent Victoria Mora mentioned that she was plan- were alone for long periods of time. I remember William Darkey (Class of 1942) ning to start an oral history project interviewing the ice cracking under the horse’s hooves, just Santa Fe’s founders. Hauer, that one sound going down the arroyo. I remem- who has a long-standing ber feeling the isolation and how welcoming it “ He [Weigle] was passionate about interest in creative nonfic- was to come up over the hill about three or four liberal education in the St. John’s tion, told Mora to sign her miles down and see lights and [thinking about] up for the project. what that must have meant to people who were way and he just thought it should Hauer began the project out here in places like Arizona and New Mexico, be offered to more people. When that December with inter- to be weeks by themselves and then to come views of the people who upon a campfire or some other sign of human we couldn’t accommodate as many were present at the found- life. I got quite a bit out of those rides back and students as wanted to come in ing, including Nelson and forth to school.” [Annapolis], that’s when he wanted to former board member Bud Richard Weigle’s vision is another common Kelly (H02). She then spoke theme in the oral histories. It reveals itself in come out and start this new college.” with all of the living for- the campus’s history through the visionary en- — Tom Slakey, tutor emeritus and mer deans and presidents, deavors of those who sought not to recreate the former dean, Annapolis along with tutors who Annapolis campus out west, but to create a St. were either present at the John’s College of their own. campus’s opening in 1964 Hauer describes the work of the founders and or came to the campus in the following three early tutors: “That core group brought incred- years. She expanded the project to include ible passion to building this campus. They felt board members, campus benefactors, the cur- that the more they put into it, the more they rent dean and president, and a few alumni. could get out of it. The founding faculty in Santa “What we’ve got is a treasure trove of memo- Fe drew their inspiration from Dick Weigle’s vi- ries and reflections,” says Hauer. “The goal for sion of multiple campuses of St. John’s.” the 50th anniversary is to disseminate these Tom Slakey (H94), tutor emeritus and former recordings as much as we can. But the database dean of the Annapolis campus, recalls Weigle’s will stay with the college after the celebration as commitment to the Program: “He was passion- an archive we can use to remember our history.” ate about liberal education in the St. John’s way, The treasures she has collected include tutor Clementine Peterson (H88) and he just thought it should be offered to more Roger Peterson (H94) and former buildings and people. When we couldn’t accommodate as grounds journeyman Johnny Zamora reflecting many students as wanted to come in [Annapo- on the campus’s early culture of pranks, tutor Ray lis], that’s when he wanted to come out and Davis discussing the summer senior program, start this new college.”

40 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 Hauer’s interviews capture this passion and in- clude stories of how Santa Fe tutors reworked ju- “ I can remember times I would ride home after nior math, developed the biology and chemistry sequences in lab, and had the Evans Science Lab- seminar. It was a nine-mile ride each way and I oratory built with private lab spaces for students would go out and saddle my horse and go home to pursue independent research. Stories from lat- er years show how the Santa Fe faculty continued in the complete dark down the arroyo behind to innovate, creating the Graduate Institute and school….I remember the ice cracking under the later its Eastern Classics program, Summer Clas- sics for the community, and the art program that horse’s hooves....the sense of solitude...and how was on the curriculum from 1990 to 2003. welcoming it was to come up over the hill about In his interview, Warren Winiarski (Class three or four miles down and see the lights….” of 1952) and founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cel- — Don Cook (H97), tutor and former assistant dean lars, draws Hauer’s attention to the carvings in the beams in the new Winiarski Center, which

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Richard Weigle, president and founder of the Santa Fe campus, realizes his vision (photo circa 1961). The finial, detailed with books, placed atop Weigle Hall (opened in 1971 and named for Weigle in 1973). In the early years of the campus, some students rode horses to seminar.

depict animals that undergo a metamorphosis: frogs from tadpoles, butterflies from moths, dragonflies from larvae. While the carvings re- flect the transformative effects of a St. John’s education, Hauer notes that the view from the Center, like the view from the dining hall, also matches the transformative spirit of the Santa Fe founders. “The view is meant to show the skyline and the hills behind, which is an aspira- tional vision that you see with that background of hills reaching up and pointing toward heav- en,” Warren explains. “It’s a kind of American Indian vision, which I believe is meant to sug- gest reaching upward beyond yourself to what is above and beyond.”

Alumni are invited to participate in the oral history project; please contact: [email protected]). The College magazine will celebrate Santa Fe’s 50th in the next issue; if you are from one of the early classes (1960s-70s) and wish to share a story please email: [email protected].

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 41 bibliofile

Johanna Omelia (SFGI03) Michael Waldock (SFGI03): Come Fly With Us!

Celebrating a decade Us! shows how uniforms played an integral since its original part in this image, incorporating stylish date of publication, and innovative elements that reflected high Come Fly With Us! A fashion as well as evolving social mores. This Global History of the expanded edition highlights “even more Airline Hostess: Tenth coverage of the 1960s, when, astoundingly, Anniversary Edition women wore hot pants and short (flammable) (Ailemo Books, 2013) paper dresses,” says Omelia. Waldock’s provides a colorful interest in flight attendants began in this history of the airline decade, when he first came to California from hostess in “an industry England. “When he changed planes, the started by a woman for stewardess kissed him,” says Omelia. “I was women,” according to its never kissed by a flight attendant, but I think authors Johanna Omelia the history of working women around the (SFGI03) and Michael Waldock (SFGI03). Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 images of commercial Boeing’s 747 elevated the airline advertisements and archival photos, this status of air travel; passengers expanded edition documents the industry’s could book tables for dinner, 83-year history, during which flight attendants have been the face of the airline companies. view in-flight movies, and The book explores the social, economic, and gather around a piano for a political trends that have affected the role of song or two—in Coach! the airline hostess as well as the public’s ever changing perception of sky travel. In addition, the book features flight attendants’ stories world over the decades is fascinating.” about the early days of aviation. As the book points out, the advent of the Come Fly With Us! traces the profession’s first “jumbo jet,” Boeing’s 747, elevated the origin to 1930, when a young Iowan named status of air travel; passengers could book Ellen Church convinced an airline executive to tables for dinner, view in-flight movies, and hire her, thus becoming the world’s first airline gather around a piano for a song or two—in hostess. In the 1930s, Church and seven other Coach! However, in 1978 the airline industry stewardesses—known as the Original Eight— was deregulated, resulting in an influx of new represented United Airlines and established the carriers, furious competition, the collapse of foundation of passenger care and safety stan- some established companies, and, ultimately, dards. They were registered nurses whose duties decreased legroom and in-flight amenities included repairing loose seats, loading baggage, that remains the standard today. soothing nervous passengers, and even touch- In January 2014, Omelia and Waldock ing up paint on planes. launched the online publication, Come Fly For the next two decades, flight attendants With Us Magazine. The premier issue features were cabin safety professionals, thoroughly articles on 1970s Hawaiian Airlines fashion, trained in safety procedures. In the 1950s, travel in Iceland, and more. Read the magazine they were viewed as the “perfect wife,” at www.comeflywithusmagazine.com. celebrated in the media for being “as adept at —Gregory Shook warming a baby’s bottle as mixing a martini.” The Swinging Sixties and Groovy Seventies saw flight attendants as sex symbols, marketed to lure passengers aloft. Come Fly With

42 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 bibliofile

Anne Leonard (A89) and John C. Wright (A84): Storytelling and Sensawunda

When it comes to storytelling that involves Empire and their mission to save their country princes, dragons, and sorcery, “avoiding on the brink of battle. Leonard embraces stereotypes is a challenge,” says Anne Leonard fantasy’s most compelling elements: (A89), a lawyer-turned-writer who lives in intrigue, magic, war, and forbidden romance. Northern California. To keep it fresh, Leonard “Conventions put a [story] structure in infuses her debut novel Moth and Spark place,” says Leonard, an avid reader of fantasy (Viking Books, 2014), with colorful details fiction. She also looks beyond fantasy for from her life. “The book has an entire chapter inspiration, observing authors such as Jane that takes place at a ball, which is influenced Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and W. B. Yeats to by St. John’s waltz parties in Annapolis,” says create archetypal and distinctive characters. Leonard. Fantasy devotees and readers beyond “I try to put my own twist on the fantasy her intended demographic can appreciate the genre,” says Leonard, who models her novel’s novel’s nuanced characters and panoramic heroine on Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist prose. “[Moth and Spark] was written as a of Pride and Prejudice. Leonard also gives a love story for a niche audience: teenage girls nod to contemporary best-selling works such and young women,” says Leonard. “But I’ve as The Hunger Games and the Twilight saga; been thrilled and amazed by the response from there is a heated romantic tension between middle-aged guys!” Prince Corin and Tam, Moth and Spark’s In her book, a young prince, Corin, and dual protagonists. “I wrote this book for my Tam, a doctor’s daughter, are torn between 15-year-old self,” says Leonard. “I always liked Corin’s quest to free dragons from an evil making up characters.”

“I get my ideas from the subconscious fate of the planet mind, the persistence, the work—and and its human inhabitants. the muse Sensawunda.” At its core, the story is Science fiction author John C. Wright’s conventional (A84) highly-anticipated Judge of Ages (Tor science fiction, Books, 2014) is a space opera for the ages. In riffing from this third volume in his Count to the Eschaton legendary Sequence, Wright says that science fiction’s authors such as hallmarks of “the gigantic, the over-the-top, Isaac Asimov, with extreme villains and lots of action” widely regarded are abundant. “The term space opera is a as a master of science-fiction storytelling. little tongue-in-cheek. Being a St. John’s “On some level, though, my attitude and graduate, I write philosophy, deep thought, personality come through,” says Wright. “I and other abstract theory into my stories. But get my ideas from the subconscious mind, entertainment is the first priority. I want to the persistence, the work—and the muse beguile on an idle afternoon.” Sensawunda.” Sensawunda, or “sense of Set in the year AD 10,515, the novel centers wonder,” is one of science fiction’s defining on two adversaries who endeavor—each in characteristics. “The sense of wonder of their own different ways—to thwart an alien science fiction differs from other natural threat, the Hyadas Armada, headed to Earth wonders or personal miracles in a man’s life— to assess humanity’s value as slaves. In Judge the wonders of first love, or childbirth, and so of Ages, opposing leaders Ximen del Azarchel on,” says Wright. “Science fiction concerns and Menelaus Montrose ultimately converge only those specific wonders that are not in a climactic battle, replete with hi-tech eternal and not known to all men.” weaponry and cliometric calculus, for the —Gregory Shook

TheThe College College | | st. st. john’s john’s college college | | summer spring 20142013 | 43 bibliofile

Bliss Serafina Wilde, a pastry chef whose seemingly perfect life begins to unravel. Her eccentric By Hilary Fields (SF97) Aunt Pauline comes to the rescue when she Redhook Orbit (Hachette Book Group), 2013 offers to let her take over the family business, “Pauline’s House of Passion,” and turn it into a Santa Fe-based writer Hilary Fields (SF97) bakery, so long as she retains the shop’s “adult wrote her first novel at age 16 and later penned store” in the back room. Throughout the novel, three historical romances under another name; Fields makes clear her love of baking; the today she continues the bliss of reading and book is chock-full of sumptuous descriptions wordplay. A voracious reader since childhood, of gooey pastries and other delectable baked Fields cites Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and goods. But food is secondary to the novel’s Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the exploration into matters of the heart: finding Galaxy as her all-time favorites. Set in the courage, friendship, family, and self-discovery. City Different, her new novel, Bliss, centers on

Moonlight Sonata at the Mayo Clinic Gallagher set off on a yearlong search to find a diagnosis and treatment for her mysterious By Nora Gallagher (SF70) condition. A meditation on faith, spirituality, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 and vulnerability, the memoir is structured in three sections—“Drowning,” “Limbo,” Anyone who has experienced a baffling illness or and “Recalled to Life”—each chronicling struggled to have a health condition diagnosed significant phases of her pilgrimage. Devoid may well empathize with Nora Gallagher’s of sentimentality, she candidly describes her (SF70) journey recounted in her new memoir, encounters with the marvels and madness of Moonlight Sonata at the Mayo Clinic. A the modern medical system and illuminates preacher-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal the sometimes dark path that ultimately leads Church in her hometown of Santa Barbara, her to the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, California, Gallagher begins her quest in 2009, Minnesota, a place built for those seeking when a routine eye exam reveals an inflamed answers and cures. “It’s the nature of things to optic nerve, a mysterious condition called be vulnerable,” says Gallagher. “The disorder is optic neuritis. The cause is unknown, and if imagining we are not.” left untreated, it can lead to total vision loss.

Plato’s Laws: detail, the contributing authors explore the Force and Truth in Politics facets of the text that they found to be most interesting and rich. In addition, they read Edited by Gregory Recco and Eric Sanday drafts of each other’s essays and, in some Indiana University Press, 2013 cases, included responses to other essays within their own compositions. Although its For this collection of 14 interpretive essays by contributors come from different backgrounds as many authors, editors Gregory Recco, an and concentrations, this collection has a Annapolis tutor, and Eric Sanday, an assistant sense of connectedness throughout. Both professor of philosophy at the University of newcomers and veterans of the Laws can Kentucky, organized a team of scholars. Due discover fresh and valuable insight into Plato’s to its length and density, this work of Plato’s work, reminding us of its relevance today. is not as well studied as the others. This —Erin Fitzpatrick (A14) volume looks at all the individual books of the dialogue and reflects on the work as a whole. Rather than provide interpretation of every

44 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 alumni notes

1946

Peter J. Davies, Class of 1948, work of the Lawyers Committee on writes, “Peter Weiss (A) was Nuclear Policy (LCNP), which he honored on April 2, 2014, at a co-founded in 1981. He retired in reception following a forum on 2013 as president, having served Law’s Imperative: A World Free of in that position since its founding. Nuclear Weapons, which examined Weiss and LCNP played a key role the current state of the law on in the 1996 advisory opinion of the nuclear weapons and what needs International Court of Justice at the to be done to bring the obligation Hague, which held unanimously to fruition. The event recognized that ‘there exists an obligation to Weiss’s contribution to nuclear negotiate in good faith for the total disarmament and the rule of law, abolition of nuclear weapons.’” and raised funds for the future

1952 A Contemplative Life

Pierre Grimes (A) reflects: “In 1948, my freshman year, I dis- covered in Plato’s Parmenides the roots of a profound meta- physics. In his Republic, I found the primary role of dreams, dialectic, and contemplation. Clearly, with the Dark Ages we lost that legacy.” In 1961, while earning his PhD from the University of the Pacific’s graduate school, the American Academy of Asian Studies, Grimes studied the Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, and, with Zen, contemplation. The publication of Grimes’s 1961 study of the Alcibiades dialogue in Yale Journal, QJSA, marked the beginning of his “philosophical counseling,” says Grimes, 1966 1967 “as philosophical midwifery. Later, as the founder of the interna- Julia du Prey (née Busser) (A) Sandra Hoben’s (A) volume tional philosophical movement, American Philosophical Practi- writes, “I now have four grandchil- of poetry, The Letter C, will be tioners Association, I have given more than 20 demonstrations dren who keep me feeling young. published by the Ash Tree Poetry and papers at international conferences held at the University Last October, I was in Bhutan on Series in 2014. of Liverpool, Oxford University, the University of Athens, the a special tour, hiking to remote University of Vancouver, and the University of Ontario. In 1978, monasteries and temples in this 1969 I founded the Noetic Society, Inc., for the Study of Dialogue very Buddhist country. My cousin, and Dialectic, and directed its Philosophical Midwifery Program, Ian Baker, was the tour leader, a Lee McKusick (SF) writes, “My Buddhist scholar and mountaineer. which included dream study. In 1983, I joined with Chong-An partial (three years) St. John’s educa- Otherwise, my life has continued S’nim of the Korean Chogye Ch’an Sect to form the Opening tion continues to fiercely interact more or less predictably. I still sing with my Cal State Los Angeles Mind Academy, which joined the Platonic tradition with Bud- and play the flute, do some writing, American Studies education. I am dhism. Chong-An sealed me as Hui-An, his Dharma Successor and participate in a philosophy in my third career as a paraeducator and master dharma teacher. In his autobiography, In My Own study group.” working with children. One of the Way, Alan Watts described me as a Jnana Yogi who ‘comes to language problems I have run into an authentic realization, or satori, by an intellectual rather than (with a nod to Wittgenstein) is how an emotional or physical discipline.’” to describe a young person without

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 45 alumni notes

1975 Class of 1969 using the painfully closed phrase, ‘severely mentally disabled.’ Every Memory Book day I bring both a scientific and “Stone Boat’s” Personal Best Celebrates emotional attentiveness to my work with individual special-education 45 Years children. I am often puzzling over the learning pathways. For these children, learning is a physical process. While most of what I do is simply caring for kids and keep- ing them safe, I get to see learning as an interaction between brain, Annapolis Alumni Director Leo Pickens (A78) writes, “Kudos memory, senses, and muscles. I have to Mike ‘Stone Boat’ Van Beuren (A) on his personal best been studying human motor-skill performance at the Head of the Charles Regatta held on development to provide words and October 19, 2013. Stone Boat finished sixth in a field of more ideas to clarify what I observe in my than 50 competitors in the Men’s Veteran I & II Single Sculls students. A side puzzle: Where and with a P.R. [Personal Record] of 20 minutes and 5 seconds.” how do disabled and slightly disabled Commenting on the photo from the race, Van Beuren says, To celebrate their 45th children show up in the great books “I had just made a move to the inside of the long turn at mile class reunion, members and other classical literature? Where two here. The wake of the boat in front is visible to the right. of the Class of 1969 are are portrayals of children with I was by him 300 meters later.” invited to share their mem- cerebral palsy, non-verbal condi- ories for an online memory tions, and autistic behaviors? What book. Joseph Baratta (A) are some of the books that explore will assemble the book, how the classical Athenian Greek 1973 which will be shared with culture reckoned with the Spartan 1978 Greek infant practices? Separately, I alumni at Homecoming Since June 2013, Constance The 35th class reunion also capped recently ran for a local elected office 2014 in Annapolis from McClellan (SF) has been serving off 30 years of international living [in San Mateo County, Calif.], and September 12 to 14. a two-year term in Moldova and banking work for Chris Olson had the fascinating experience of Alumni may submit text as with the Peace Corps. She is (A), and 12 years of evaluation work knocking on doors and establishing well as a photo or two. He working with Moldovan teacher at the European Bank for Recon- face-to-face political understanding suggests you answer ques- partners as an English teacher struction and Development in with hundreds of voters. Others run- tions such as: How has for grades 5 - 12 in a village of London, England. (The curious can ning for the same position outspent the college influenced your 7,000 outside of the capitol city read his study of “EBRD’s Response me by an enormous margin. While I life? What memories of the of Chiinu. Although Moldova to the 2008-09 Financial Crisis” did not win, I drew a fair number of may be Europe’s poorest country, at www.ebrd.com/downloads/ years in college particularly community votes.” stand out in your mind? Connie enjoys the Internet, about/evaluation/1011.pdf.) In the Where have your travels hot water, Western toilets, and evenings, he practices as a trainee excellent Eastern European food, taken you? 1971 psychotherapist with the Indepen- including homemade wine. After dent Group of Analytical Psycholo- Send your responses to: Victoria Manchester Garrison (SF) almost a year and much language gists (IGAP.org), in the classical Joseph P. Baratta completed reading All On Fire, the training, she is finally beginning tradition of Carl Gustav Jung, who 32 Hilltop Circle inspiring biography of the abolition- to understand conversations in discovered psychological types Worcester, MA 01609 ist, William Lloyd Garrison, her Romanian, and to be more or less (familiar as Myers-Briggs typology) 508-756-6015 ancestor by marriage. She is fre- understood when speaking about and the collective unconscious. [email protected] quently in Taos doing grandmother concrete things (or about matters He hopes to complete the training volunteering at the Waldorf School. with lots of English cognates). within four years and to practice Read her blog at cdmcclellan. analytical psychology at his home in wordpress.com. Rotherhithe, London.

46 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 alumni notes

Bryan Cave, focusing on interna- 1982 tional and domestic litigation, ar- bitration, and regulatory disputes. Rob Crutchfield (A) has started an Ryan will serve as the Miami office’s online fundraising effort to help managing and hiring partner, and I Ruth Johnston (A85), who has a will serve as co-leader of the firm’s debilitating illness. For more infor- international dispute resolution mation, visit www.gofundme.com/ practice (together with Rod Page).” help-ruth-johnston. 1983 1988 Tobias Maxwell’s (A) fifth book, Désirée Zamorano (SF) writes that 1977: The Year of Leaving Monsieur, her novel, The Amado Women, a was published in March 2014. family drama, will be published in summer 2014. 1993 1984 Inspired from her own experience, Rachel Blistein (A) launched her Pedro J. Martinez-Fraga (A) hair-care business, Original Moxie, writes, “I am pleased to announce in 2009. She credits her ability to that, effective March 17, 2014, C. teach herself basic chemistry and Ryan Reetz and I have opened a Mi- to formulate complex hair-care ami office for the law firm of Bryan products to her St. John’s education. Cave LLP, a leading international “The process of reading original law firm with offices across the texts on subjects from ancient Greek 1979 United States, as well as in Europe to advanced physics gives you the and Asia. The firm’s commitment tools to learn anything,” says Blis- to its ‘one firm’ culture has resulted tein. “It also breaks down the fear To Greece and Back in a strong track record of col- of tackling a totally foreign subject Karen Bohrer (Anderson) (A) writes, “After 12 years living and laboration and cooperation across from scratch and without intermedi- working in Greece, first at the American College of Thessaloniki the firm, with obvious benefits for aries. Once you get over that fear, it and then at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, clients that have endured since its opens up a whole new world of possi- I have repatriated. I am now the collections assessment and founding 141 years ago. We will be bilities.” Visit the company’s online development librarian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in continuing our existing practice at store at www.originalmoxie.com. Massachusetts. It’s a big change in ever so many respects, but I’m jumping in with both feet, knowing it’s never the same river. Before I left Greece, I had a wonderful experience related to the college. A friend in the U.S. had advised a young acquaintance who was traveling through Europe to look me up when she got to Athens, and she came to see me at the library of ASCSA, expressing a particular interest in the ancient authors. When I asked why, Zara Amdur (SF11) revealed the name of her alma mater. Neither of us was aware until that moment that we were both alumnae. Despite our circumstantial differences, age being not the least among them, the shared experience of St. John’s enabled us to immediately connect on the human and intellec- tual levels that matter. E-mail is probably the best way to reach me for anyone who’d like to. My addresses are karenbohrer@ yahoo.com or [email protected].”

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 47 alumni notes

club soccer, which keeps us busy Correction: Richard Field (SFGI) and on the road most weekends. writes, “I received my PhD in 1993 We are excited to celebrate our from the University of New Mexico 15th wedding anniversary this in health, physical education, and summer. Feel free to drop us a recreation, not history and philoso- line, especially if you will be in Los phy as stated in the fall 2006 issue Angeles: [email protected] and of The College.” [email protected].” Dana (Ostrander) Warford (A) and 1999 her husband, Mark, welcomed their daughter, Peyton Avery, into the On October 1, 2013, at Camp world on July 30, 2013. Pendleton, Major Benjamin I. Closs, USMC (A) received a medal for outstanding meritorious service 2001 while serving as the Executive Paige Maguire (A), who still lives Senior Briefer, Intelligence Depart- in Austin, Texas, has remarried. ment, Headquarters Marine Corps, In December 2012, she and Kevin Washington, D.C., from July 1, M. Schneider, a composer and pro- 2010 to June 30, 2013. 1997 1998 ducer, welcomed a son, Asa Wilder, Mike Soejoto (A) and Abby Soe- who joins his older brother, Daschel In addition to running her bee In fall 2013, Santa Fe Advancement joto (A) write, “We had another Auden Maguire, now 11. Paige is se- farm (www.ziaqueenbees.com) and Services Director Nick Giacona baby—Peter Dominic, born March nior strategist at Springbox Digital having her second child a couple (SFGI) returned as guest lecturer 6—who slots in at the bottom of the Partners in downtown Austin. She of years ago, Melanie Kirby (SF) to a Native American music class totem pole after Lucy (10), John is also @fluxistrad on Twitter. served as the president of the West- at the University of Oklahoma. He (8), Cecilia (6), James (4), and Bea- ern Apicultural Society of North discussed the mythology behind trice (2), but ahead of McDuff the America in 2013. Currently she is some of the ceremonial music and dog. Abby continues to homeschool the editor for an online beekeeping dance the class was studying. He led the kids. Mike is partner at Pircher, newsletter with more than 30,000 the class in a comparative mythol- Nichols, & Meeks in Century City Cosmina Popa (A) is managing subscribers (www.kelleybees.com). ogy exercise by examining the local and is head of the firm’s tax depart- director at Conscious Venture Lab She started the Rocky Mountain differences and universal similari- ment. The older kids are playing (CVLab), a new impact-focused Survivor Queenbee Cooperative, ties between the Native American which is an educational service orga- Corn Maiden myths and the Clas- nization helping to build capacity for sical Greek myths of Demeter and local pollinator preservation, pro- Persephone. On the home front, motion, and production. She shared Nick’s daughter, Sarah, graduated their efforts at the 2013 Apimondia from New Mexico State University World Beekeeping Conference last spring with a degree in fashion in Kiev, Ukraine. This spring she design. She begins an internship organized the 2014 North to South with the Walt Disney Company New Mexico Pollinator Benefit in January. His son, Kyle, has Lecture series, bringing pollinator been accepted to the University of scholars to the Land of Enchant- Hawaii for the spring semester; he ment. St. John’s hosted a lecture plans to major in food science and by Dr. Thomas Seeley, a world- human nutrition, with an emphasis renowned conservation biologist in sports and wellness. Nick and his from Cornell, on May 3, 2014. More wife, Keiko, are looking forward to information: www.survivorqueen- becoming “empty-nesters.” (Don’t bees.org. Kirby is buzzed to be tell Sarah and Kyle.) sharing her apicultural academia with her beloved alma mater. Mike and Abby Soejoto (A99) are homeschooling their family.

48 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 alumni notes

business accelerator being created Thanks to that fateful debut in in conjunction with the Howard Rigoletto, she fell into the arms of County Economic Development a British baritone. His role in Act Authority and the Maryland Center I was to grab her as she was about CELEBRATE for Entrepreneurship. Their goal is to deck the reprobate Duke across to create new businesses that oper- the face with a right hook—and ate at the intersection of profit and drag her, kicking and flailing, off Homecoming 2014 purpose, using the power of capital- stage right. Helluva first meeting. ism to create a more joyful, just, The baritone, an Oxford man, is and equitable society. For more a chorister and a Catholic. Ms. information, visit www.conscious- Buker would like to take a moment venturelab.com. to thank Mr. Tomarchio for his Thomas Aquinas preceptorial, since the sacred, the profane, and 2002 the reason lying underneath come Ronald Osborn’s (AGI) new book, up quite a bit with her fancy man. Death Before the Fall: Biblical Who knows, she may have to move to London yet...and nay, even Annapolis Literalism and the Problem of September 12–14 Animal Suffering, was published confess? Next up, Santa Fe tutor in February. Jacques Duvoisin and she have been 410-626-2531 compiling an anthology about St. Shelley Saxen (née Walker, SFGI, John’s College, with a working title, EC03) and her husband, Doug The Selected Life. It’ll be chock Santa Fe Saxen (EC03), are starting their full of essays from tutors, alums, third and final year living in Peru. current students, and others with September 19–21 Shelley covers human rights and an abiding relationship with St. 505-984-6103 social conflicts as a diplomat with John’s. The project was the posi- the U.S. Department of State. Doug tive outcome of various Facebook continues his love of writing and has interactions in which dissatisfied alumni.stjohnscollege.edu been dedicated to his new digital il- alums were offering no active luminated manuscript project. They solutions to telling the “story” of hope to be back in Santa Fe later this SJC. “If there’s one thing I learned year for a visit and always joyfully welcome Johnnie visitors to Peru. five financial publishing gig still Lauren Shofer (A) is living in Aalst, goes gangbusters, and she’s on the Belgium, where she is a chiroprac- board of PostClassical Ensemble, tic physician and mother of four: the D.C.-based orchestra, which is Amelie (5), Julien (4), Emile (2), enjoying its 10th-anniversary sea- and Celestine (7 months). Her son. She’s pleased to announce her husband, Baldwyn Bourgois, is also involvement in the newest thing in a chiropractic physician. so-called “classical” music: Future Symphony Institute. This “think tank” for music provides innovative 2005 research and new initiatives whose left: Samantha Buker (A05) shines impact reverberates from her Mt. On February 18, Samantha Buker in the 2013 production of Rigoletto Vernon neighborhood around the (A) got a request from the director at Baltimore’s Lyric Opera. above: world. Au fond de l’Inconnu pour of Lyric Opera Baltimore: “Are you Celebrating at the Nabucco cast party. trouver du nouveau.... interested in being a lissome He- brew maiden in Nabucco?” Given from seminar, it’s that saying what In what time might be called spare, her wonderful first time onstage something is NOT, is not the same Samantha runs a portrait studio last year in the Belle Époque house, as saying positively what it IS,” says (photography, drawings, paintings) how could she resist a reprise? Buker. Incidentally, her nine-to- and can be reached for sittings via [email protected].

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 49 alumni profile Generous Leadership

by Chelsea Batten (A07)

in 2011 at Harvard; he is currently an admissions officer at Harvard Gradu- ate School of Education and proctor at Harvard College. In addition, he serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, and as a trustee of the Touchstones Discus- sion Project (founded by tutors Howard Zeiderman and Nicholas Maistrellis). “I’d say that the thing that connects my life’s activities is a firm commitment to supporting the holistic development of children and youth from all environ- ments,” Barnes reflects. That key word— environment—gives Barnes’s work in public service a character unique to his field. His insight that personal develop- ment is heightened by responding to a given environment’s opportunities and challenges was fostered by his experi- ence with St. John’s College. The setup for Barnes’s story reads like the opening act of a highbrow comedy. Jamaal Barnes (A10) shines as mentor, musician, and advocate You take a first-generation college applicant with energy, vision, and a 12- Those who graduated with Jamaal year plan to pilot his life. You give him Barnes (A10) will remember a highlight one of the country’s most competitive “ THE THING THAT CONNECTS of his junior year: he was summoned scholarships, and send him off to an MY LIFE’S ACTIVITIES IS to the office of President Nelson and “East Coast” school, launching him on A FIRM COMMITMENT TO informed that he had won the Harry S. his promising future. What happens then? This goal- SUPPORTING THE HOLISTIC Truman Scholarship, commonly viewed as the Rhodes of public service. oriented, energetic activist finds himself DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN “It was funny,” he chuckles, in the midst of about 500 philosopher- AND YOUTH FROM ALL remembering the “hurrahing” of his poets who spend hours pondering the ENVIRONMENTS.” friends when they found out about it. question, “What is virtue?” Looking back, he imparts credit for this Of course, Barnes’s story is not accomplishment to those who celebrated extreme. But his choice to attend St. with him. “The community at St. John’s John’s, and the day-to-day experience is a huge part of why I’m passionate of life and study at the college, was about public service.” somewhat lost in translation when he Barnes’s passion for public service described it to family and friends. has taken him to various parts of the “It’s one thing to be a first-generation world, as well as deeper into the relation- college student in a traditional sense; ships he has been cultivating since high it’s a completely different thing to be a school. He made progress on his long- first-generation college student and go term goals by earning an EdM degree to St. John’s,” he says.

50 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 20132014

Despite the challenges and his “We read the Apology, the Crito, and He pauses again, and when he expectations of how he would function in three or four other texts, and really continues speaking, his voice is choked the college community, Barnes quickly struggled with what does it mean to be with emotion. “The fact that music can came to appreciate the opportunity a person of society? To be good, both to make me feel like I’m in community with presented by the contemplative framework yourself and to others?” Those discus- someone, that it can bring about emotions of learning. “The ability to listen to each sions, Barnes says, exemplified for him that I can’t articulate in words...I don’t other carefully, to take what we’ve learned the kind of generous leadership he was get that sensation with anything else. My and cooperate effectively, was something striving to grasp. He also cites former hands are actually shaking right now.” I learned to refine over the next few years. staff members Maggie Melson and Bronte Barnes was also struck by the impact of, The most wonderful deliverable that came Jones as profound influences. as he puts it, “that quiet person in class, out of it was the Epigenesis project.” [who] opens their mouth one time, and In December 2007, Barnes joined forces really changes the way thoughts are built with three other Johnnies in creating a “It’s one thing to be a first- in seminar.” It showed him that everyone leadership and mentoring program for generation college student is able to play a valuable role in shaping a low-income youth in Annapolis. For 10 community, whether their strengths are weeks the following summer, Epigenesis in a traditional sense; it’s a in speaking, doing, listening, or simply led workshops based on the cornerstone completely different thing waiting for the right moment. texts of the St. John’s Program, to help to be a first-generation To those students who, like himself, participants identify their community’s are burning to take their education most urgent needs, and consider what it college student and go to beyond the conversation and into meant for them to be good citizens. St. John’s.” the greater community, Barnes says “It’s hard for me to talk about justice that St. John’s provides an important and equality,” Barnes says, “and not opportunity to generate self-momentum. think about what goes on at Clay Street. “If I didn’t go to St. John’s, I wouldn’t I tried to play that out by being actively Barnes says that singing with the have won the Truman, I wouldn’t engaged in the St. John’s community, college choral group, Primum Mobile, have won the Reynolds Fellowship in as well as being actively engaged in the brought him back to the human element Social Entrepreneurship from Harvard Annapolis communities.” of living in community. “One of the University. If you learn through taking Following the success of Epigenesis, most beautiful things about music—in action, the ability to be independent Barnes devoted his energies to Crossroads particular, when there are multiple and entrepreneurial in terms of creating for Kids. As the director of their outdoor people singing in polyphony—is a opportunities to be active in your youth leadership program, Barnes was moment of unity that’s created. Music community is powerful.” repeatedly confronted with a gadfly-like can create the ideal community.” question: “How do you measure growth in He brings up the example of singing leadership behaviors?” In the midst of the “Sicut Cervus” in Freshman Chorus. rigors of junior year, he was led to answers “These voices coming together, weaving through several formative influences. their ways. You take any line by itself and One was Michel de Montaigne, whom it’s an individual, but when you tie it all Barnes calls—laughing but with perfect together, it’s this beautiful community, sincerity—his “self-help guide” in what it and the remarkable thing is that you don’t means to be socially responsible. Another have to be great singers. Freshman chorus was tutor Chester Burke, who offered to singing ‘Sicut Cervus’ is just as beautiful reread several Platonic dialogues with as Primum Mobile.” He pauses and adds Barnes as graduation approached. this amendment: “The tenors can be a little iffy sometimes.”

The College | st.st. john’sjohn’s collegecollege | summersummer 20142013 | 51 alumni notes

2008 Aerospace Award Trystan Popish (SF) was se- lected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Awards and Recognitions Committee as the recipient for the 2014 Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Award

AMANDA RITTER for her exemplary work with Wint Huskey (SFGI10) is a writer based in Philadelphia. informal aerospace science. Popish, an Aviation Learn- ing Center educator at the Toby Burress (A) and Alena 2007 Museum of Flight in Seattle, Sinacola (A) welcomed their Wash., was presented with daughter, Jane Woolf Burress, on Maia (Huff-Owen) Nahele (SF) the award at the NSTA Teacher December 4, 2013, in Cambridge, writes, “I now live in Paris, where Awards Gala during the asso- Mass. Named in honor of Jane I have a research and teaching ciation’s national conference Goodall and Virginia Woolf, baby position in the Department of Phi- Trystan Popish (SF08) and held in Boston, Mass., from Jane is a delight. Their dogs Charlie losophy at the Sorbonne (Paris IV). Carol Mohling at the 2014 April 3 to 6. In the whirlwind of the last few and Maggie have accepted the new NSTA Teacher Awards Gala human into their pack with grace years, I’ve regrettably lost touch in Boston, Mass. and understanding. In other news, with many of you, and welcome after seven years in the Boston the chance to reconnect. I also area, they have recently moved to welcome visitors and passers- Brooklyn, N.Y. Toby is enjoying his through! I am looking to sublet new job as a systems administrator my lovely, quiet, light-filled, one- with Google in Manhattan, and bedroom apartment in the fourth 2012 both Jane and Alena are having a arrondissement for July and/or wonderful time being a baby and a August of this year. If there are A New Course mama, respectively. They’d love to any Johnnies (students, alumni, meet up with other Johnnies in the faculty, or staff) who would be Alexander Schmid (AGI) area: [email protected]. interested in landing in Paris for has joined the faculty the summer and need a fantastic at Escondido Charter home-base, please drop me a line High School (ECHS), 2006 at [email protected], and I’ll one of the American send more information.” Aran Donovan (SF) was featured Heritage family of in the annual anthology, Best New charter schools Poets 2013: 50 Poems from Emerging 2010 based in Escondido, Calif. Schmid teaches freshman logic and Writers, edited by Brenda Shaugh- rhetoric—a new course that he developed—and a law and nessy. Equally exciting, she is now Wint Huskey’s (SFGI) first debate elective for juniors and seniors. Shawn Roner, the ECHS living in New Orleans, where several novel, Blowin’ It, is scheduled to Traditional Classroom program director, says that Schmid is a other ’06 and ’07 Johnnies have also be published in August. valuable addition to the faculty “because we are focusing more congregated. Let her know if you’re attention on developing student thinking skills in the freshman passing through the Big Easy! year.” Schmid says, “I was delighted to have the opportunity to teach a subject which I both love and live. When I was offered the position, I knew I had to take it.”

52 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 alumni profile Mentoring Women in Business by Gregory Shook

Elizabeth Powers (A89) Reveals circumstances as a new mother rather than her talent and ability, “he convinced the firm to keep me and for me to stay on part- Hidden Bias in the Workplace time,” says Powers, who continued to work part-time with the company for the next five years. “That never would’ve happened As a senior principal without that particular champion.” That experience helped Powers become aware of hidden biases at the New York- and their potential impact on a person’s career. “Integrity and based IMS Consulting equality are always at the forefront of my mind,” says Powers. Group (IMSCG), “Both men and women carry around unconscious bias which says that women don’t belong in the workplace. It’s quite acceptable serving clients that now to be a woman as an entry-level associate or a mid-level include four of the top manager, but it’s still very hard [for women] to rise to the top 15 pharmaceutical ranks.” To thwart the trend, Powers is coordinating a women’s initiative at IMSCG to empower future business leaders to companies, Elizabeth become champions of their own careers and to raise awareness of Powers (A89) has unconscious bias in the workplace. “I’m in a client service field, followed a career and I love what I do,” says Powers, whose work on unconscious bias is a topic at the forefront of many large businesses today. trajectory full of twists A Wall Street Journal article (January 9, 2014) reports that as and bends. At one point, her plans were nearly many as 20 percent of large U.S. employers who offer diversity derailed altogether. “I had a daughter early in training programs now provide unconscious-bias training. Powers looks at what my career at Booz & Company (formerly Booz other companies are Allen Hamilton),” says Powers, who spent nearly “Integrity and equality doing in terms of 13 years with the company, working her way up are always at the shedding light on forefront of my mind.” hidden biases in the from associate to vice president and partner. workplace—in particular, “When I came back [to work], there weren’t that understanding many options for alternative schedules.” Powers communication style. “It can be challenging to coach others to hit the right level of soon learned how hidden biases, or unconscious assertiveness without being too assertive,” she says. “There’s a bias—an implicit preference for certain types different solution for everybody.” of people based on their upbringing, gender, Inspired by Robert Greenleaf’s book, Servant Leadership, Powers advocates mentorship and the idea of a servant actually race, experience, and values—can influence being a leader. “That’s at the core of how I operate,” she says. important decisions, such as hiring, promotions, “I wish I could do that a lot better with my family, but when assignments, performance reviews, and dismissals. I manage to do it, I’m always successful.” A graduate of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, she mentors For the next six months, Powers shuttled back and forth between Wharton students and alumnae but is “even happier to mentor New York and Chicago “on a team that wasn’t particularly family Johnnies. [Mentoring] is absolutely a way of paying back into the friendly.” With the pressure to succeed at her job at the expense karma bank,” says Powers. “And it’s just fun.” of spending considerable time apart from her husband and Whether with her family, at the workplace, or at her Brooklyn newborn daughter, Powers says that she nearly imploded. When dojang (Powers is a red belt in hapkido), Powers says that being she was on the brink of leaving the company, a colleague came successful means “living up to my commitments. I was given many to her support as both a mentor and a champion. Recognizing gifts, both in terms of talent and in terms of people who have cared that Powers had been put in an unfair situation based on her for me. It’s all about how I can live up to those gifts.”

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 53 transitions

A Good Conversation Is Hard to Find By Chelsea Batten (A07)

decided to do something about this. In “That said,” he continues, “folks are collaboration with Annapolis Alumni getting together and having a St. John’s- Director Leo Pickens (A78), they created style conversation—a serious conversation a virtual format for homesick Johnnies to about a difficult reading—in a way that engage with tutors and with each other. feels genuine to what we try to do in our An online seminar? According to Mr. community. If you can’t get out of the Pickens, it was a hard sell to many tutors. house and cross an easy distance to a room It’s difficult to recreate the magic of where people are gathered, this is the next seminar by dint of screenshots and earbuds. best thing. There’s a hunger out there for In addition, says Mr. Pickens, some this kind of conversation.” members of the faculty feel that having The online seminars have attracted different groups of alumni, led each time alumni as far apart as Karen Immler by different tutors, isn’t as pure as the (AGI07), who lives in Slovenia, and Sunny undergraduate experience, the thematic Hills (SF78), who lives in Maui. In the unity achieved by one group that spends a online seminar I attended from Phoenix, year in discussion together. Arizona, nine other participants from LAUREL FISCHER (A11) But perhaps alumni hunger for a good around the U.S. gathered together with Mr. “It’s hard to find a good conversation, conversation merits a leap into the digital Pickens and tutor Michael Dink. Mr. Dink after St. John’s.” This was the warning age. Many first-time participants came to chose the book of Jonah as the reading. It delivered by Dr. Bernard Davidoff (A69)— the online seminar I attended with skepti- was, I thought, a perfect selection—short or, as classmates of his daughter knew cism. “It doesn’t surprise me anymore,” enough that it was easy to read at the last him, Bernie. He would say it while casting says Mr. Pickens, chuckling. “But every minute (which, it turns out, is even easier a long glance around the perimeter of the online seminar I’ve participated in has that to do when you’re not a full-time student), quad, part resigned, part wistful, and part feeling of a genuine St. John’s seminar!” but full of opportunities for contention, something else that I never could define. thoughtful silence, and questions following It’s only now, seven years out from the “ If you can’t get out of the upon the one with which Mr. Dink opened: college, that I realize what he meant. “Why is Jonah angry?” First, there’s the deflated anticipation house and cross an easy What followed was, in fact, a powerful that follows most Johnnies after attending distance to a room where rewind to freshman seminar, with all their first Homecoming or croquet match its exaggerated tropes. There were the as alumni. There are new kids sitting on people are gathered, this is stock participants: the over-talker, the your bench, living in your dorm room, the next best thing. There’s chronically silent one, the one who occupying your spot on the basketball consistently brings everyone back to the court or the FSK stage. a hunger out there for this opening question. There were the outside The tutors will talk to you, of course, but kind of conversation.” references, the stalled silences, the odd even that’s not the same. Much as you love autobiographical analogy, and the follow- their appreciation of your life, their undying up question that starts as a statement, enthusiasm for whatever you’ve chosen to devolves into a ramble, and ends with a do (or your efforts to make a choice), what One tutor, Michael Dink (A75), who gave a confession that the asker has forgotten the you really want to talk about with them is seminar in March, reported to other faculty question he intended to ask. what you used to talk about: Great Books. members that the reason it felt genuine to Also true to freshman seminar fashion Many Johnnies experience this, post- him was “because everybody in the seminar is the kindly tolerance with which the graduation. If you don’t live within is seasoned in this form of conversation.” tutor views the seminar’s foibles. Mr. Dink proximity of an alumni group, or can’t Admittedly, Mr. Pickens says, nothing seemed satisfied, even mildly surprised, make it back to your campus for alumni can equal the synergy of 12 to 20 minds by the discussion. The online format, he events, you’re stuck in that wistful malaise in a room—despite the technical hiccups: allowed, did lend itself to serial speech- that Bernie was talking about: A good broken audio feeds, the tendency for making. “I believe it’s important that conversation is hard to find. participants to look at their own faces while people be able to interrupt one another in Two years ago, two alumni, Harry talking. (Mr. Pickens chuckles again as he seminar.” But, he adds, he’s sanguine that Zolkower (A82) and Nicole Levy (SF92) recounts these hiccups.) online conversations have all the potential

54 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 in memoriam

provided opening and closing remarks. “I had the great pleasure of having Santa Fe tutors Janet Dougherty, Philip freshman summer seminar with Mr. Nee. LeCuyer, Michael Ehrmantraut, and Greg- His presence was felt strongly at every ory Schneider, along with alumnus Adam session and his sense of humor—especially Visher (SF11), shared testimonials in honor his tolerance of what I tried to pass as of their colleague and friend. The following humor—is something I shall never forget.” are some remembrances and excerpts from – Nareg Seferian (SF11) remarks at the service: During the five years that he taught at the “Laurence taught me many things as a college and the years that followed, Nee teacher, but one thing stands out. He made a remarkable impact on the com- always tried to figure out what made a munity as a teacher, colleague, and friend. student care and what things a student He is remembered for his extraordinary cared about. Laurence could also make character and service to the college. “Per- you laugh, a gift that I appreciate more sonally, I have seen in him a kind of answer and more every day. His skill with the quick to a question I consider significant, that I remark and the friendly jab were to be en- first heard posed several decades ago: ‘Can vied. In some ways, he was one of the best a Christian be a great-souled man?’ says conversationalists that I have ever met.” Santa Fe Dean J. Walter Sterling. “Lau- – Gregory Schneider, Santa Fe tutor rence’s character is, for me, evidence in favor of such a possibility. Be that as it may, Laurence Nee “Through his efforts as a tutor, my what one heard from his colleagues at the August 5, 2013 appreciation for a much beloved novel memorial was that he possessed an extraor- Tutor, Santa Fe awakened, and my understanding and dinary range of virtues of character, as well appreciation continually grows. I will as of intellect, a combination as beautiful as In 2005, Laurence Nee (1970-2013) joined never re-read Pride and Prejudice without it is rare. He made us a better college.” the faculty in Santa Fe, where he was reflecting upon Mr. Nee’s love and respect treasured for his sense of humor, thought- for the work. I am eternally grateful.” The College magazine is grateful to Laurence ful insights, and gift for conversation. The – Lealia Nelson (SFGI11) Nee for his article, “The Greatness of Shake- community gathered for a memorial held speare’s Plays,” in the summer 2012 issue. on November 2, 2013, in the Junior Com- mon Room. Santa Fe President Mike Peters www.sjc.edu/news-and-media

A Good Conversation (continued from p. 50) of those that take place in the classroom, of community and culture, all intense and if cultivated the same way: “I thought with endearingly weird, threaded together by a CONNECT TO THE COLLEGE practice, and experience, participants love of deep conversation. In some ways, could get pretty good at it.” I’m loath to rejoin the online seminar. Alumni online community: It’s still a young endeavor, and alumni Like going back for Croquet or Homecom- http://alumni.stjohnscollege.edu are still being attracted to it. I imagine that ing, it was hard to revisit that environment Agora career mentoring network: as these seminars go on, they will be like the without it being exactly the same as I re- http://alumni.stjohnscollege.edu learning curve within a St. John’s class, in which member. On the other hand, I’m not ready Click on “Career Services” students become stronger, more generous, to resign conversation to the past. Like the and honest conversants with each other. books themselves, great conversation is Alumni offices: [email protected] I recognize now that the look on my a daunting endeavor, especially when dis- [email protected] friend’s father’s face was determination. I’ve placed by culture and time; nevertheless, found that life after St. John’s requires such it’s worth pursuing. Facebook: resolve, if you’re not going to spend it in per- The next virtual seminar will be in September. facebook.com/stjohnscollege petual mourning for four irrecoverable years For more information: [email protected]

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 55 in memorium

John Dendahl (H87) November 9, 2013

John Dendahl (1938-2013), former Board of Visitors and Governors chair, former Santa Fe Martha B. Jordan (SFGI86) the first director of the Adult Educa- treasurer, and one of the founders October 24, 2013 tion Division at the U.S. Office of of the St. John’s College, Santa Fe Education, and began a long career campus, passed away in Colorado. Martha Black Jordan (1932-2013), in higher education. Pagano served He was 75. alumna and member of the Board as dean and associate vice president Born in Santa Fe, Dendahl at- of Visitors and Governors, died at of Florida International University, tended the University of Colorado her son’s home in Coronado, Calif. during which time he earned his in Boulder, where he earned She was 80. MPA and DPA from Nova University. degrees in electrical engineer- Jordan was In 1979, he was recruited by Bard ing and business administration. born in Mexico College to serve as vice president During that time, he won two City and educated and provost of Simon’s Rock. He NCAA titles with the university’s in the United later served as president of the Say- ski team and was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic ski team. He was States. She first brook Institute, a graduate school inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame and the visited Santa Fe and research center. New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame. in the summer of Pagano and his elder brother, In the 1960s, Dendahl worked as an engineer for the Eberline 1980 and fell in Lee, attended St. John’s College Instrument Corporation (now a subsidiary of the Thermo Electron love with the city. As a student at St. in Annapolis, where Pagano’s life- Corporation) and later became CEO. Later that decade, during an John’s, her favorite readings were long love affair with education was extended absence from the company, he served as chief financial officer the Russians, especially Dostoevsky. cemented. He authored dozens of for the new St. John’s College, Santa Fe campus. From 1985 to 1987, “I like Dostoevsky’s view of how the articles on higher education, as Dendahl served as chair of the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors. world could be changed, and not well as vocational and adult educa- Transitioning to a career in politics, Dendahl was appointed to the necessarily through revolution,” she tion. Pagano served as director State Investment Council and later served as secretary of New Mexico’s recalled. of the St. John’s College Alumni Economic Development and Tourism Department. In 1994, he ran Known for her generosity, Board from 1984-1988. unsuccessfully for governor. However, that same year he was elected quiet grace, and inquisitive mind, He is survived by his wife, Kathy; as state Republican Party chairman, a position he held until 2003. Jordan was also a gifted poet and brother Mo; son Ed; daughters Several years later, Dendahl and his wife moved to Colorado, where he translator. She was a founder of the Debbie and Penny; grandchildren continued his interest in politics and wrote columns and letters to the Tramontane Poets of Mexico City, Joy, Erin, Elise, Tiffany, and Jack; editor of The New Mexican. a collective dedicated to being a great-granddaughters Rylee, Ellie, He is survived by his wife, Jackie, and his five daughters: Debra bridge between the poetry worlds and Arianna; and stepchildren Hadley, Ellie Thurston, Katherine, Karen, and Lisa West. of Mexico and North America. Angela, Jimmy, and Karen. Jordan read her own work, as well as translations, on The Poet and 2006 she was ordained a priest at Robert Stewart (A09) the Poem, National Public Radio in Jules O. Pagano Christ Church in Mexico City, the December 5, 2013 Washington, D.C.; at the Society of Class of 1948 church where she was baptized and the Americas and the Poetry Project July 14, 2013 Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., married. That same year, Jordan at St. Mark’s Church in New York Robert Stewart (1977-2013) found and her husband established the City; in Mexico City at La Casa del Jules Pagano (1925-2013), who his home at St. John’s, where he Jordan Tutorship on the Santa Poeta and the Universidad Nacional helped launch President John F. explored his many interests and met Fe campus, which has been used Autónoma de México; in San Kennedy’s Peace Corps program, others who shared and appreciated to support the director of the Miguel de Allende at the Instituto passed away at his home in those interests. “His dream job Graduate Institute. Nacional de Bellas Artes; and at St. Jamesville, N.Y., surrounded by was to be a tutor at St. John’s,” She is survived by her husband John’s in Santa Fe. family members. He was two days says his mother, Brenda Stewart. of more than 50 years, Purdy; three Jordan committed herself to a shy of his 88th birthday. The community gathered for a children, Stephanie, Colebrooke, long but fulfilling journey when Pagano helped to formulate memorial held on March 15, 2014, and Robert; and four grandchildren, she decided to pursue ordination Peace Corps policies in training and in the Great Hall. “The room was Cecelia, Daniel, Nicholas, and David. in the Episcopal Church of Mexico. education of volunteers for overseas full of laughter and joy, as we all She enrolled in a graduate pastoral assignments, and established the remembered the sting of his wit, theology program at St. Mary of first Peace Corps Training Centers. the depths of his wisdom, and the the Woods College in Indiana. In After the passage of the Higher Edu- warm, all encompassing feeling cation Act in 1965, he was named

56 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 in memorium

of his friendship,” says Elizabeth Also Deceased: Ernest Dominguez, SF95 Harry O’Neill, SFGI79 Burlington (A08). August 24, 2013 December 10, 2013 To read remembrances about Joseph Ablow, Class of 1950 Paul Ehrlich, Class of 1942 LeRoy Pagano, Class of 1948 Robert Stewart, visit www.sjc.edu/ November 14, 2012 October 26, 2013 February 6, 2013 news-and-media Rachel Abrams, A72 Arthur Fort IV, SF91 Milton Perlman, Class of 1943 June 7, 2013 December 20, 2012 February 18, 2014 George Ackerman, A74 Douglas Fraser, AGI90 Emanuel Pushkin, Class of 1940 January 3, 2014 February 15, 2014 October 24, 2013 Lewis Alexander, Class of 1941 Charles Gentile, Class of 1950 Richard Rickard, SFGI72 May 9, 2013 July 24, 2013 October 24, 2013 Rodney Arthur, AGI88 Josef Gilboa, Class of 1962 Caroline Saddy, SF81 November 7, 2013 December 4, 2013 March 31, 2013 Lydia Aston, Class of 1955 Raymond Haas, Class of 1958 Roberto Salinas-Price, Class of 1959 December 26, 2013 September 1, 2012 August 13, 2012 Roland Bailey, Class of 1935 Darrell Henry, Class of 1961 Louis Shuman, Class of 1938 April 22, 2014 August 16, 2013 August 3, 2013 Constance Weigle Mann Eugene Blank, Class of 1945 Joseph D. Hines, SFGI70 John E. Siemens, Class of 1956 (SF68) July 15, 2013 December 27, 2013 November 5, 2013 February 19, 2014 Rosalie Levine Boosin, Class of 1960 Henry DeMuth Jawish, Class of 1952 Warren Skidmore, Class of 1947 November 1, 2013 October 21, 2013 December 21, 2013 Constance “Connie” Weigle Mann, William S. Bradfield, SFGI79 George W. John, Class of 1949 Robert Snower, Class of 1944 (1947-2014), daughter of Richard January 16, 1998 March 27, 2014 July 2, 2013 D. Weigle—president of St. John’s Wayne Brandow, Class of 1966 Beverly Kincaid, SFGI72 John M. Sommer, SFGI90 College in Annapolis for 31 years, September 14, 2013 February 11, 2014 May 18, 2013 and founder and president of the Gerald Buchen, SF72 Santa Fe campus—died at age 67 in Thomas D. Lyne, Class of 1946 Edward Paul Thomson, A80 July 31, 2013 May 20, 2008 October 10, 2013 Winston-Salem, N.C. Catherine Ann Caffrey, A69 A graduate of St. John’s College Patrick Ramsey Magee, SF16 Judith S. White, Class of 1964 February 12, 2014 in Santa Fe, she had an affinity for July 12, 2013 May 23, 2013 the “Land of Enchantment” and Richard B. Carter, Class of 1954 Stephen Mainella, Class of 1954 Cary Wilcomb, SF79 October 19, 2013 cherished her time and the many March 4, 2014 March 17, 1987 friends she made there. After Lindsay Clendaniel, Class of 1944 Richard T. Mallon, Class of 1943 Norma Eleanor Williams, graduating, she attended Yale March 10, 2014 June 9, 2013 Class of 1967 Divinity School, where she met Peter Clogher, Class of 1947 John Mark Mason, A75 March 19, 2014 her husband, Tom. She also held June 28, 2013 April 10, 2014 Everett Wilson, Class of 1956 a master’s degree from Rutgers Cornelia Corson-Reese, Class of 1957 Richard Matteson, Class of 1948 October 22, 2013 University and worked as a sales August 9, 2013 February 13, 2014 Bernard E. Wolsky, AGI91 representative for an organizational Paul G. Cree, Jr., Class of 1952 Wilbur Matz, Class of 1940 November 8, 2013 management company. April 8, 2014 March 29, 2014 Kevin C. Young, A78 Known for her kindness, gener- Cyril K. Crume, SF81 David McMorran, SF75 June 5, 2013 osity, and loving spirit, Connie had September 28, 2013 February 24, 2014 a special concern for hunger, and Ellen Nancy Davis, Class of 1960 Grace McNeley, SFGI75 served as a volunteer at the Second July 15, 2013 July 25, 2013 Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Anna Dietz, AGI80 North Carolina, where she was a Harry Neumann, Class of 1952 February 20, 2013 March 31, 2014 Volunteer of the Year in 2013. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Tom; her daughter, Mary Liz; her sister, Marta; and countless other family members and friends.

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 57 philanthropy

The Philanthropy of Memory by Sus3an Borden (A87)

James McClintock was a member of the Class of 1965 who excelled in mathematics. William O’Grady was a tutor with a strong commitment to helping students in times of need. Kitty Kinzer was a library director on the Annapolis campus who cared for the college community as much as she cared about its collection of books. Tom McDonald was a tutor who enthralled students with his enigmatic but brilliant analyses of poetry. All four were beloved while they lived and all share something in common after their deaths: Each was honored by a memorial endowment fund established by loved ones, contributed to by friends and family, and appropriate to preserve the memory of the way they lived. Endowment funds are perpetual; they serve as a solid foundation for the college, which spends about five percent annually “ Anjali believed in paying one of the things we could do for Larry that on the purposes set out by those who es- would be truly meaningful for him.” tablish each fund. The principal remains it forward. She felt that It turned out to be truly meaningful intact and can grow through market per- knowledge was to be shared, for Lisa as well, playing what she formance or additional gifts to the fund. describes as a tremendous role in For McClintock, who had won both the love was to be shared, processing her grief. She decided that geometry and the analytical mathematics affection was to be shared.” the fund would support scholarships prizes as a student, the James R. Mc- for students who, like Larry, intend to Clintock (1965) Memorial Prize Fund was pursue a PhD after graduating from established to permanently endow the prize in March 2008, just a few months after St. John’s. After establishing the fund, for analytical mathematics. For Kinzer, the she finished her studies at the Graduate Lisa created a website for it (www. Kitty Kinzer Library Fund was established Institute. Anjali was teaching in the AVID lawrencelsaportaphd.org/memorial_ to support all aspects of the library’s mis- program with the Santa Fe Public Schools scholarship.php). sion. For O’Grady, the William O’Grady and preparing to move to Japan to teach The Pais have also found that establish- Fund was established to continue his work English. Her parents decided that the fund ing the fund has helped them in their helping students stay in school when finan- should be used to support financial aid for sorrow. “Grieving is one thing, but keep- cial concerns put their continued atten- Graduate Institute students who plan to ing Anjali’s memory alive is even more dance in jeopardy. And for Tom McDonald, become teachers. Her mother explains the important,” says Dinesh. a scholarship endowment established in his decision: “It’s not a profession that will Thanks to the permanence of endow- name means need-based aid for students make anybody rich, it’s a profession of the ment funds, every year, in perpetuity, who could not otherwise afford tuition. heart. And Anjali was all about heart.” one student in Annapolis will be named These are just four of more than 400 Lisa Boughter Saporta also chose to the Lawrence Saporta Scholar, and one funds that make up the college’s endow- create an endowment fund to honor her student in Santa Fe will be named the ment, and they are among the roughly 10 husband, Larry Saporta (A91), a professor Anjali Pai Scholar. percent that are memorial funds. These of art history at Rosemont College in Penn- Lisa hopes that future Saporta scholars funds serve both as tributes to the people sylvania. A few months after Larry’s death will share Larry’s enthusiasm for St. they memorialize and a way for their sur- in September 2011, Bryan Dorland (A92) John’s College and his love of learning: vivors to channel their grief and ensure contacted her to suggest that they create The Pais hope that Anjali’s values will that a silver lining accompanies what is an endowment fund in Larry’s memory. “I be transmitted along with the scholarship usually a very dark cloud. responded without hesitation that it was a that bears her name: “Anjali believed in Dinesh and Jyotsna Pai chose to create great idea,” she recalls. “It was a concrete paying it forward. She felt that knowledge such a fund when their daughter An- way to keep Larry’s spirit alive at an insti- was to be shared, love was to be shared, jali (SFGI08) died in a traffic accident tution he cared deeply about. I knew it was affection was to be shared.”

58 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 Lecture Fund in Memory Kristensen’s memory. Known Milestone for his great love of the arts of Lieutenant Commander and literature, Kristensen spoke Senior Gifts Erik S. Kristensen (AGI00) French and was selected as an Olmsted Foundation Scholar. He The 2014 senior classes in planned to attend the Institute of Annapolis and Santa Fe are Political Studies in Paris after his Erik S. Kristensen (AGI00) aviators were killed when their each leaving behind record- tour in Afghanistan. June 28, 2005 helicopter was shot down. Four high class gifts, thanks to their soldiers fought courageously, Kristensen is survived by his An alumnus of the St. John’s strong philanthropic spirit and though only one survived. The father, Edward K. Kristensen, College Graduate Institute in support from college staff and 2007 book and 2013 film Lone RADM, USN (Ret.), and his Liberal Education and the United alumni. The Class of 1984 Survivor tell the story. mother, Suzanne Carrico Samsel States Naval Academy, Lieutenant offered a $2,014 tribute gift Kristensen, of Washington, D.C. Commander Erik S. Kristensen In 2013, Michael A. Zampella when senior classes from both died on June 28, 2005, while (A92), a Navy Reserve To make a gift to the Kristensen campuses as a whole reached he led a daring mission in Lieutenant, founded a lecture Lecture Fund, send a check to 84% participation. Board of Afghanistan to rescue a four-man series, jointly sponsored by the college, or use the online giving Visitors and Governors mem- SEAL reconnaissance squad St. John’s College and the form for the Annapolis campus ber Claiborne Booker (A84) engaged in a firefight with Taliban U.S. Naval Academy, to be at www.sjc.edu. (Select “other” says, “When students both in forces. LCDR Kristensen, seven held annually at St. John’s and designate the Kristensen Annapolis and Santa Fe said Lecture Fund.) other SEALs, and eight Army in Annapolis to honor LCDR they wanted to raise money for student scholarships, [several of us from the Class of 1984] Class of 1963 Honors Curtis A. Commencement to the student had a thought: What if we could who carries out a fine laboratory do a little something in tribute Wilson with Endowment Fund project. Members of the Class to them, some of whom are, in of 1963 thought offering the fact, our progeny? At the very prize would recognize Wilson’s least, we share that final digit traditional for the 50th anniversary devotion to the college and his ‘4’ with them, which means of a class to make some contri- example of scholarship in the we’ll see them at Homecomings bution to the college to mark our sciences. passage there,” note Class of to come.” To read more about Curtis 1963 alumni Robert Thomas and Annapolis seniors raised Wilson, visit www.sjc.edu/news/ Miriam Duhan in a letter to their memoriam-wilson.shtml. $13,792, which will be used to classmates. “One that everyone create the Class of 2014 Schol- felt we could rally around would To make a gift to the Curtis Wilson arship Endowment Fund. Santa Scholarship Fund, send a check to be some memorial or tribute to Fe seniors raised more than [Curtis], whom almost all of us the college, or use the online giving $7,100 for financial aid and knew and respected.” form for the Annapolis campus at www.sjc.edu. (Select “other” scholarships. Although 100% The endowment will provide and designate the Curtis Wilson participation has been reached funding for the prize awarded at before in Santa Fe (Class of Curtis A. Wilson Endowment Fund.) 2002), this was the first time August 24, 2012 that 100% participation was Tutor and dean, Annapolis About the St. John’s College Endowments reached without a single cau- Inspired by his many contribu- The college has three separate endowments that are composed of more tion deposit gift or pledge. Staff tions to St. John’s, and to schol- than 400 individual funds: one that benefits the Annapolis campus, on both campuses also offered arship in the history of science, one that benefits the Santa Fe campus, and a common endowment generous matching gifts. members of the Class of 1963 that benefits both. The total value of the funds as of June 30, 2013, was established a fund to honor the about $145 million. Managed by the Board’s Investment Committee, the memory of Curtis Alan Wilson. endowment is invested in diversified products, from equities to bonds Wilson was a world-renowned to real estate; some alternative and hedge fund investments are also historian of astronomy who twice included in the mix. For more information on the funds, please contact served as dean of St. John’s Col- Barbara Goyette (A73) at [email protected] in Annapolis and lege in Annapolis. “It has been Victoria Mora at [email protected] in Santa Fe.

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 59 alumni news

save the date Homecoming 2014

Annapolis Santa Fe Alumni Mentors Change Lives

September 12-14 September 19-21 the Hodson program’s 14-year history; students accepted 31 of the awards. Hodson sites include the National Prison Project with the ACLU in Washington, D.C.; the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience in Philadelphia; the Hainan Provincial Cultural Heritage Research Association in China; and Center Stage in Annapolis Career Services Director Baltimore. Jaime Dunn with Hodson interns. This summer, four Hodson interns will work with two Many alumni who provide intern- alumnae: Dr. Rachel Dudik (A02) ships for St. John’s students find at the U.S. Naval Observatory the experience so rewarding that and Elisabeth McClure (A08) at it becomes a lifelong mentorship Georgetown University’s Depart- opportunity. The Hodson Intern- ment of Psychology in its Culture ship Program in Annapolis and and Emotions lab. Dudik, who the Ariel Internship Program has hosted four Hodson interns in Santa Fe provide alumni with over the last few years, and Mc- such opportunities. Clure, who has hosted three, still Each program offers stipends keep in touch with past interns. ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 McClure meets every few weeks and encourages students to with Robert Malka (A15) via gain practical experience while Skype to analyze data for the exploring potential career survey study he designed while fields. Alumni-sponsored Ariel in her lab; they are hoping to opportunities include working present the data as a conference with Adam Braus (SF08) at his poster sometime in the next year. Homecoming 2014 is gearing up to be a fantastic weekend for new computer entrepreneurial McClure says that another former alumni. In addition to the annual Homecoming festivities— venture, 100State, in Madison, Hodson intern, Liyu Jiang (A12), seminars, banquets, dancing, student/alumni networking Wisconsin and establishing stayed in her lab for nearly a full events, and more—both campuses are commemorating special a self-sustaining community year as a volunteer before return- occasions this year that will make your return to St. John’s garden at Fresno State University ing to China. “She remains the even more fun and memorable. Be a part of celebrating 200 with Christina Raines (A12). standard by which we judge re- years of the “Star-Spangled Banner” in Annapolis and 50 years Thirty-seven Hodson Intern- search assistants,” says McClure. of great books in Santa Fe! Please join us and your classmates ship Program grants were award- “We often say, ‘For this task, we as we celebrate and support St. John’s College. Online ed for summer 2014, the most in would need a Liyu!’” registration will open in early June. A special rate is offered to recent alumni. Reserve your lodging accommodations early. Sarah Palacios and Leo Pickens, TEXAS SUPPORTS SUMMER ACADEMY directors of Alumni Relations The Austin/San Antonio alumni a complete 54-volume set of the chapter, in an initiative led by Encyclopedia Britannica’s Great For more information: Kelly Bradford (SF79), Larry Davis Books of the Western World to http://alumni.stjohnscollege.edu. (SFGI87), and Paul Martin (SF80), one or more underclassmen from Click on “Homecoming” raised scholarship funds for six the Austin/San Antonio area. high school students from the East Central Independent School Does your alumni chapter Annapolis Alumni Office Santa Fe Alumni Office District to attend this year’s have a story to share? Please 410-626-2531 505-984-6103 Summer Academy at St. John’s. send your stories to: [email protected] [email protected] The chapter also plans to present [email protected]

60 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 alumni news

Alumni Association Board President Phelosha Collaros (SF00) Truth by the Glass “ Alumni are passionate about making sure current students have advantages they didn’t have in the past by providing networking and mentorship opportunities. Alumni volunteers also benefit by building their leadership and coaching skills, the ability to recruit for their organization or industry, and the satisfaction of helping someone achieve their goals.”

Piraeus 2014 Piraeus is offered several times each year on each campus. In Santa Fe on August 3-8, Santa Fe tutors Jim Carey (Class of 1967) and Marsaura Shukla (A93) will lead five seminars on selected Greek and Roman Lives by Plutarch. Tuition: $575 for seminars; “Red wine is in the realm of $250 for on-campus housing Apollo, white wine is in the realm and meals. Recent alumni of Dionysus,” says August Deimel (graduates of the classes of (SF04) of Keuka Spring Vineyard, 2003 and later) receive a 50% New York, one of several alumni discount on tuition. winemakers at the second Register online: https:// annual Judgment of Annapolis community.stjohnscollege.edu/ at In Vino Veritas on April 25. piraeus2014-august CROQUET GOES GREEN Representing wineries from Kudos to the Annapolis Alumni Office, the student Environmental Club, California to New York, the event and Ted Canto, general manager of Bon Appétit Dining Services in also featured former tutor Abe Annapolis! They took the initiative to make the annual Croquet match Schoener (A82) of The Scholium an example of sustainability. “Our event sponsor, Waste Neutral, set up Project; Dan Speck (A96) and several recycle stations around the front campus,” says Canto. “By the Paul Speck (A89) of Henry end of the day, we recycled 4,000 pounds, about two tons, of products.” of Pelham; Christina Turley, daughter of Helen Turley, Class of 1967, and John Wetlaufer, HOMECOMING Class of 1967, of Turley Wine BOOK SIGNING Cellars; Rory Williams (A07) During Homecoming 2013 in of Calder Wine Company; Annapolis, Ruth A. Johnston and Zach Rasmuson (A95) of (A85), Michael Berger (A78), and Goldeneye. The group joined a Jan Lisa Huttner (A73) signed discussion on “Transparency, copies of their recent publications. Truth, and Terroir” and explored Berger’s Writing Well in School the virtue of various grapes, and Beyond and Thoreau’s Late soils, and vines, as participants Career and the Dispersion of Seeds; tasted their wines. “A good wine Huttner’s Penny’s Picks: 50 Movies translates time and space,” says by Women Filmmakers 2002-2011; David White, founder and editor and Johnston’s A Companion to of the website, Terroirist.com; he Beowulf and Excavating English, moderated the discussion. are available at the Bookstore. GARY PIERPOINT GARY

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 61 johnnie traditions History-Making Match by Gregory Shook For all its beloved nostalgia, the annual St. John’s- Leader of Togas U.S. Naval Academy Croquet Match on April 12 broke “As I thought about competition and what a few barriers this year: Navy walked off with the it means at St. John’s, I became more con- cerned with making sure that everyone just Annapolis Cup for the second year in a row. Spectators has a good time,” says Imperial Wicket Sam donned hats as large and colorful as parade floats. Collins (A15) a junior from Fallsington, Penn- sylvania. He admits that “it was “intense to play such a close match again this year.” Collins and Hector Mendoza (SF14) wowed the crowd with a comeback shot that won the only match in the Johnnies favor.

Secret Weapon from Santa Fe “Let’s make history!” says Hector Mendoza (SF14), a senior from Tucson, Arizona, who flew more than 1,600 miles to play with the St. John’s croquet team. He played Certain Johnnie traditions still reigned: Johnnies revealed their uniforms: Greek an amazing game (he calls it “risky”) alumni reunited with friends and togas. Bursting through the doors of and helped win the first match of the faculty, alumni from the Class of 1984 Barr Buchanan, with mallets hoisted day. “During my junior year in Annapolis, and Class of 2009 hosted friends in in the air, the Johnnies greeted the I joined the team, along with this year’s courtside tents, the Freshmen Chorus cheering crowd. “I wanted something Imperial Wicket Sam Collins (A15), and fell sang a spirited rendition of “St. John’s that would make a statement,” says in love with the sport. I flew in the night Forever,” and the crowd of more than Collins. “The togas are a return to before, so I could help prepare the lawn on 4,000 spectators in festive attire—top our roots.” For nearly eight hours, the the morning of the match. Croquet is the hats, seersucker, feathers, and pearls— Johnnies and Midshipmen jousted for best event at St. John’s.” gathered for champagne picnics and the Annapolis Cup, the longest match swing dancing. Imperial Wicket and since the rivalry first began. As the St. John’s junior Samuel Collins (A15) sun set, the Johnnies lost 4-1, though led the charge against Navy after the conviviality won the day.

Photos by Anyi Guo (A14)

62 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 Know Thy Neighbor Navy Team Captain Midshipmen 1st Class Ryan Lluy and Imperial Wicket Sam Collins (A15) are comrades. “We played a match or two against each other last year, so we’re friendly,” says Collins. “He is a great competitor and a good guy.”

Freshmen Have Spirit, Too! A newcomer to the team, Stephanie Hurn (A17) (left) from Darien, Connecticut, made the spirit-spot video for this year’s croquet match. “It was a really great collaboration Design Champion and a lot of fun to make,” says Hurn. “We Daniela Lobo Dias (A13) was this year’s were a bit nervous because we were doing winner of the annual 2014 Croquet it a week before croquet, but we pulled postcard/t-shirt design contest. “I wanted it together.” Visit: www.youtube.com/ to include the platypus, the unofficial watch?v=QlcVVQKiBc8 mascot at the Annapolis campus, as its uniqueness and combination of many spe- cies suits St. John’s students quite well,” says Lobo Dias, who plans to attend the New York Film Academy this fall. Lt. Bobby Schmidt, 28th Company officer, happily accepts a t-shirt gift. Navy’s Secret Weapon Surprise! Navy alumnus, Dr. Ed O’Loughlin from Hunt Valley, Maryland, has recently begun mentoring both the Navy and the St. John’s croquet teams. “St. John’s students are a phenomenal group of men and women who really get the idea of the sport—the style, tactics, and play,” says O’Laughlin, who Mallet Man invites the Johnnies several times a year to play at his home croquet court. “It’s been a Gary Dunkelberger, laboratory technician wonderful thing to be involved with them.” in Annapolis and this year’s Prime Mover (who has the honor of opening the game with the first shot), handcrafts the St. John’s team’s mallets. “I built nine mallets last year and eight this year,” Feminine Touch says Dunkelberger. “I give the students “Croquet is such a unique aspect of the St. their choice of woods, weights, and sizes, John’s life,” says Catherine Moon (A14) a although all of the handles are made of senior from Wolcott, Connecticut and one one wood (ash) and of a standard pattern. of three women on the team of twelve. A couple of players provided wood from “We just had a wonderful team dynamic home, of familial/sentimental nature. this year. We’re all close friends and like Those who purchase them treat them as doing things together outside of croquet.” souvenirs of their St. John’s experience, as much as sporting implements.”

The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 | 63 st. john’s forever

Simian Souls What are Annapolis tutors Peter Kalkavage, Eva The trio of tutors collaborated on translations of Brann (H89), and Eric Salem (A77) telling us? two of Plato’s other masterpieces, each of which “The occasion was the publication of our very was published by Focus Philosophical Library. first Plato translation, the Sophist, in 1996 by In 2003, Brann, Kalkavage, and Salem translated Focus [Philosophical Library],” says Kalkavage. Phaedo, the great dialogue of Socrates talking “We were supposed to do a ‘straight’ photo op by about death, dying, and the soul due to his the [original] Liberty Tree, but decided to ham impending execution. In 2012, they translated it up instead. There are three pictures, with each Plato’s Statesman, including an introduction, of us taking turns being one of the monkeys. glossary of key terms, and essay. Several years ago, I had them framed for us.”

64 | The College | st. john’s college | summer 2014 eidos

“I never had a plan to be a photographer. I am just an amateur. My punk friend in middle school was into filming skateboarding and encouraged me to get a film camera because they were better cameras for less money. I liked the feel of film and stuck with it. I learned from the books of Ansel Adams. I have photography to thank for nourishing my love of science and laboratories. I developed a deep connection with the darkroom at the college and actually cried pretty hard when I left it. I think its presence in my life is evident in my work—the strange loneliness I felt while read- ing those difficult books, and the real struggle to seek after things beautiful....I am a pho- tographer rather than a painter or a sculptor because I love light and chemistry....Photog- raphers are, at least in some way, operators of machinery. I think photographers push the boundaries of tools just like other artists. For a photographer like me, luck is a big part of the task: you cannot plan to stumble upon something odd or intriguing. Since reading War and Peace and some of the senior labora- tory readings, I have come to appreciate things that are beyond my own control.”

PHOTOS: From Etude for Freedom by Adam Maraschky (A13). He developed them in the college darkroom, then self-published the digital scans as a book. To raise funds, Maraschky “jumped on the Kickstarter bandwagon” and is “grateful to all those who donated to or encouraged the project and hope they find joy in the images.” In the Annapolis Admissions office, there is a copy of the book inscribed by Maraschky: “To the prospective students of St. John’s, may this book excite your imaginations about the College.”

www.maraschkyphoto.com/ st-johns-college.html Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Annapolis, md Permit N0. 120

Communications Office 60 College Avenue Annapolis, MD 21401 address service requested ANYI GUO (A14)