In my October 2017 column I indicated enjoyment of thriller novels and encouraged classmates to email me their favorite authors. Larry Seymour responded with “Alan Furst, a writer who lived in Paris for many years and wrote spy-espionage thrillers.” Larry recommended reading these novels in chronological order, and I picked Night Soldiers, written in 1988 and the first of 14 related books. Although Furst is not the page-turner that Lee Child and Vince Flynn are, Night Soldiers is very interesting—great descriptions of Eastern Europe, Moscow, Spain and Paris in the 1934 to 1945 period. He has a unique style of writing that makes one stop and think. It’s wonderful coverage of training to be a Russian spy and living that life. Larry also recommended Olen Steinhauer.

Now, the sounds of the Barbary Coast jazz band marching up Main Street signal the passing of classmates Robert Dilwyn Hall, John Eichholtz Kramer Jr., John Shepard Parke and Bert Robinson Whittemore. All remaining class members bow their heads in silent tribute as the procession marches around the Green. I must mention that Bert Whittemore lived in Pembroke, New Hampshire, and was very active in attending class meetings in Hanover. We spent many pleasant moments chatting about Dartmouth and life in our state.

Sandy and Phil Hinkle visited during February, and we attended a men’s hockey game vs. St. Lawrence. After beating Clarkson the night before, the Dartmouth team was listless for the opening two periods and trailed 1-0. Dartmouth scored early in the third period to tie it up and with one minute to go the home team scored again. The final minute was complete excitement for Big Green fans as Dartmouth scored an empty netter and won 3-1.

Having never visited Moscow, I present the first stanza of a poem titled “Moscow: The Forbidding City,” written in 1999.

In winter this town is the worst,

To come here one must be coerced;

With not much to do,

Summer days are gray too,

Inconvenience and distrust rank first.

—Joel D. Ash, P.O. Box 1733, Grantham, NH 03753; (603) 863-3360; jash_125@comcast.net