In response to the question, “What is your salient 35th reunion memory?” Lou Mabley writes, “Attending the 35th reminded me how something like an acceptance letter and a decision to go to a certain place can change you forever. My Dartmouth years were few but magical; there is always a classmate with whom I can reconnect and share a laugh. I feel extremely lucky to wear the D.” Quincy Vale writes, “My salient memory is ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ stuck on repeat seemingly 90 times: ‘Brown Eyed Girl,’ ‘Brown Eyed Girl,’ ‘Brown Eyed Girl,’ and so on.” Bernadine Wu’s salient memory is “the room full of ’90s standing up, raising hands, yelling, ‘We did that!’ and the energy and love in the air!” Bernadine also shared a couple of lessons gleaned from our reunion: “First, I need more time to reconnect with so many awesome green people! (Shout-out to my Dartmouth housemates who have already planned our next trip together!) Second, ‘connection’ and ‘inspiration’ from our class and college are a really cool, new part of this stage of our lives!”

Next, I asked all of you (for the fourth time since 2014) to identify the best (or most impactful or memorable) book you’ve read since 2021. Jane Blum DeMarchi writes, “I went through a period earlier in the year where I just couldn’t get motivated to read. Either I didn’t like the books that I came across or the pull of TikTok was too strong. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride brought me back to reading actual books (not Audible or Kindle). The story and writing are terrific, and the book is full of hope and kindness while not avoiding the poverty and racism of the era.” Ali Long writes, “The Women by Kristin Hannah.” Jim Morris writes, “A Theory of Everyone by Michael Muthukrishna.While there’s lots to absorb from this book, read it for an updated lay person’s understanding of dual inheritance theory. It will change your understanding of how we have evolved and can continue to evolve more rapidly than predicted by classical genetic evolution, offering a very hopeful outlook for our species.” John Williamson writes, “The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist.”

Nathan Emerson writes, “My favorite recent read was Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.” Nathan also has some news to share: “After 30-plus years in Asia, I’m moving back to the United States for a bit. Might not be permanent, but hey, figure I’d give it a shot. My kids are either just graduating college, in college, or in U.S. high schools; my parents are thriving in the wilds of rural Maine. Thus, I have been feeling kind of silly being in Hong Kong when my family is in the United States. I bought a warehouse space in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, about two years ago and installed some key things such as rooms, a kitchen, and plumbing. I’m looking forward to trying to be an American in America. Seems like, err, an interesting place these days. I plan on retooling and learning a lot of new skills in Providence (tons of schools here). It’s time to pick up some hobbies to carry me into my dotage. I’ll also be planning lots of hiking trips in this hemisphere. If anyone would like to team up, please reach out. Looking at the Azores, Madeira Islands, and all trails in northern Italy for the spring and summer of 2025. Hit me up at nathan_emerson@me.com.”

—Rob Crawford, 22 Black Oak Road, Weston, MA 02493; crawdaddy37@gmail.com