alumni

Nigerian Chigozie Obioma, whose The tinue releasing about eight new titles a two years, those titles account for a third Fishermen was long-listed for the 2015 Man year—among the newest is the hilariously of Pushkin Press’s revenue, despite being Booker Prize. illustrated Meet at the Ark at Eight! by Ulrich far fewer in number than its adult books. The children’s books have also earned Hub, about spirited penguins rushing to “Most of our children’s books are reprint- critical praise—and, like The Letter for the claim their spots on Noah’s Ark. Some ing, some of them multiple times,” he ex- King, have sold unusually well. The U.K. of the imprint’s books are distributed plains, beaming. “There’s really no one do- bookstore chain Waterstones chose the to booksellers in North America, and all ing what we’re doing on the children’s side.” first volume of the Oksa Pollock trilogy are available at Pushkin’s website (www. He has high hopes for Pushkin’s first for its children’s book club and The Story pushkinpress.com); the rights to other venture into young-adult fiction,The Red of Antigone has done well enough to go books have been purchased by American Abbey Chronicles—a prize-winning Finnish into paperback. Freudenheim attributes publishers (as often happens): The Letter for fantasy series by Maria Turtschaninoff, to some of the imprint’s success to the lack the King, for instance, is printed by Scho- be published early next year. The first vol- of any real wall between the editing of lastic in the United States. ume, Maresi, is “set in an imaginary medi- the adult and children’s books: the same eval world where young women live on an editors read the same books in the same Freudenheim is pleased with the prog- island without men,” he explains. “It’s an room. Pushkin Children’s plans to con- ress of the children’s imprint. After just incredibly powerful story.” Online chat- ter—all-important—is growing among fantasy fans and advocates for strong fe- male characters in anticipation of the Eng- lish translation’s publication. Most books ultimately become successful through word-of-mouth, Freudenheim says—a phenomenon difficult to manufacture. Publishing, he says, is fundamentally an art of sharing: writers and publishers send a book out into the world and hope peo- ple like it. “That’s the fun of it,” he adds. “Thinking, ‘I love this! Now, how do I get you to love it?’”

Spencer Lenfield ’12, a former Ledecky Under- graduate Fellow at this magazine, lives in Wash- ington, D.C., where he works for the Research Library. In May-June 2015, he pro- filed poet and translator David Ferry.

Congratulations Are in Order

Seniors Help Houses Thrive Six alumni received the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) Awards—for their out- Recognizing the importance of House life, the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) standing service to alumni activities for the honored seniors Gabriela D. M. “Gaby” Ruiz-Colón ’16, of Quincy House, and Jordan University—during the fall meeting of the Weiers ’16, of , as the 2015 David and Mimi Aloian Memorial Schol- HAA’s board of directors. ars during the fall meeting of its board of directors. Thomas E. “Ted” Blamey, M.B.A. ’70, Ruiz-Colón, of Woodbury, Minnesota, the current co-chair of the Quincy House of Sydney, Australia, is a “life member” of Committee, previously served as operations chair, with responsibility for Quincy’s the Harvard Club of Australia and received annual Winter Feast and its Cinema Josiah series. She also worked with the Office of its Legends Award in 2011 for contribu- Undergraduate Education to create the Transitions Program, which supports under- tions that include chair- graduates moving into sophomore year. ing its nonprofits program As the Resource Efficiency Program representative for Winthrop, Weiers, of Savage, from 2001 to 2015 and Minnesota, led the House to second place in the annual intramural Recycling Quiz helping establish fellow- Challenge and founded the Worms of Winthrop composting project, which included ships for the Harvard Busi- both a blog and a music video (“Talk Wormy to Me”), to raise awareness among ness School (HBS) course housemates. And as a House representative on the Harvard Undergraduate Council, “Strategic Perspectives in he helped organize the gender-neutral housing campaign. Nonprofit Management.” Thomas E. Blamey also initiated the Blamey

74 November - December 2015 Photograph by Juliette Lynch Reprinted from . For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 alumni revitalization of the nearby Harvard Club president of the Harvard Club of Boston has been an executive committee member of Victoria in 1998, and has been instru- and a past officer and member of the HBS of the Association of Class mental in coordinating the annual Kro- Club of Boston. Secretaries and Treasurers) and has chaired kodiloes tour in Sydney for well over 20 Robert M. Kraft ’76, of Encino, Califor- several reunions (including those of her years. nia, has co-chaired the Harvard Office for HBS class). A member or former member Peter A. Carfagna ’75, J.D. ’79, of Shak- the Arts’ advisory committee and been a of Harvard and HBS clubs er Heights, Ohio, has been a member of member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in France, Luxembourg, the Harvard Club of Cleveland’s schools Arts Resource Council, the Harvard clubs Minnesota, New York, and and scholarships committee since 1979, of New York and Southern California, and Boston, Sinsabaugh was served as a senior class marshal, been Harvardwood. A panelist also an alumni interviewer active in the quinquennial reunion-gift for the “Harvard in Hol- from 1994 to 2005. As a vet- committees through the lywood” Alumni College eran of the HAA’s Happy Harvard College Fund, in 2005, he has also lec- Observance of Commence- Nancy and in 2002 became an tured on film music and ment Committee, she de- Sinsabaugh elected director of the participated in workshops signed the hats now worn HAA. The former presi- with student composers. by its women members and provides tele- dent of the Harvard Law Robert M. In 2008 he became an HAA vised commentary for the Annual Meeting School Association of Kraft elected director. of the HAA. Her roles on the HAA’s board Peter A. Cleveland has also been a Nancy Sinsabaugh ’76, M.B.A. ’78, of of directors have included treasurer and Carfagna visiting lecturer in sports Cambridge, serves as class treasurer (she chair of the classes and reunion committee. law at the school and faculty adviser to the Sports Law Clinical Placement Pro- gram since 2006. Robert P. Fox Jr. ’86, of Cambridge, has held numerous roles in the HAA, in- Hiram Hunn Awards cluding vice president for College affairs, chair of the classes and reunions commit- Seven alumni received Hiram S. Hunn tee, and appointed director. He has also Memorial Schools and Scholarships chaired four reunions and serves as class Awards from the Harvard College Of- secretary. Fox is active with The Holden fice of Admissions and Financial Aid on Choruses: he recently chaired its long- October 2 for their volunteer work: re- William L. Tanya Ryk Anita Warren range planning commit- cruiting and interviewing prospective Eisenhart Friedman Fritze tee, is the Harvard Glee undergraduates. Club’s graduate adviser, William L. (“Ike”) Eisenhart ’74, of Se- vard Club of Boston. and became vice presi- attle, has co-chaired the Harvard Club of Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi, Ed.D. ’81, of dent of the glee club’s Seattle’s schools and scholarships com- Los Angeles, is executive vice president of foundation in October. In mittee since 2002, following several years the Harvard Club of Southern California. September, he chaired the of interviewing candidates. She also recently served as the interim vice Harvard Gender & Sexu- Robert P. Tanya Ryk Friedman ’94, of New York president for the schools and scholarships Fox Jr. ality Caucus’s Cambridge City, is a vice president of the Harvard Club committee. conference, “What Should We Do After of New York City. A recent past president of Meg Streeter Lauck ’79, of Sugar Land, ‘I Do’?” the Harvard Club of New York Foundation, Texas, was the interview coordinator for Joan Keenan ’45, HRP ’47, of Lexington, the , worked on behalf of Rad- Club of Houston from cliffe for decades, including as a trustee 2009 to 2014. from 1974 to 1980, a class and reunion chair Garrett Scott Ol- (most recently for her seventieth), and as msted ’68, Ph.D. ’76, of an officer of the Alumnae and Friends of Tazewell, Virginia, is a . Her contributions, ben- long-time admissions in- efiting both the College and the Radcliffe terviewer, most recently Marsha Meg Streeter Garrett Scott David F. Pinto Institute for Advanced Hirano- Lauck Olmsted in western Virginia. Study, earned her the Nakanishi David F. Pinto ’82, Radcliffe Distinguished Ext ’88, of Longmead- Service Award in 1995 and she has also served as the club’s schools and ow, Massachusetts, was an alumni inter- the Radcliffe Institute scholarships committee co-chair. viewer for several years and has chaired Apple Tree Award in 2005. Anita Warren Fritze ’64, of Chestnut the Harvard Club of Western Massachu- Keenan is also a 50-year Hill, Massachusetts, has interviewed stu- setts’s schools and scholarships commit- Joan Keenan member and former vice dents for more than 25 years for the Har- tee since 2005. www.alumni.harvard.edu Harvard Magazine 75 Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746