Class Note 1993
Just in time for summer, my mailbag overflows with fun information on many sides of the literary front. I would say that this has nothing to do with my being a literature professor, but that’s not entirely true: After not encountering each other in years I got to hang out with Jon Eburne at the American Comparative Literature Association conference in New Orleans, where he gave a fun paper on David Lynch (and introduced me to a fantastic drink involving elderberry liquor). He teaches in comp lit and English at Penn State and his book, Surrealism and the Art of Crime, is out from Cornell University Press. (Shameless self-plug: If you were dying to know more context around the “surprise” Peruvian foreign film nominee at this year’s Oscars—and I know you do—check out my Writing National Cinema: Film Journals and Film Culture in Peru, published by Dartmouth College Press, of all places, as part of their dynamic Interfaces series.)
Our class has definitely made a dent in the world of children’s literature. Last time I mentioned Tracy (Masonis) Trivas; this time an update from James Lind reveals more kid-book fun: “I wanted to give a shout out to my old roommate Matt Royer and his wife, Kerry, who published an incredible children’s book titled Nightbear & Lambie. Kerry wrote the book and Matt illustrated it. Who would have thought a Dartmouth football linebacker had a sensitive touch? My 4-year-old daughter loves it—and wants me to read it every night. Pottery Barn Kids carried it for a while but the local store has sold out. Fear not, you can order it online at www.nightbearandlambie.com.”
A couple of months ago I received a couple great kid-lit books by Sara Leach: Mountain Machines, for the preschooler who likes counting things like gondolas and snow-makers, and Jake Reynolds: Chicken or Eagle? a chapter book about a couple of kids on an island with a wolf that no one believes exists. The books are quite different—and my 5-year-old ate both up. Sara lives the book-lover’s dream out in Whistler, British Columbia, where, in addition to writing, she’s an elementary school librarian. Google her and you’ll find her website has some reading tips for parents as well.
There appears to be a brand-new reader in southern California. David Katz announces the arrival of Henry Solomon Katz, born on February 17, weighing in at 7.5 pounds and measuring 20 inches. David says, “My wife, Julia, is doing an amazing job of feeding him seemingly around the clock. I launched a hedge fund with a good friend in early January and am working from home, so have the pleasure of seeing Henry grow every day. I’m living in Newport Beach, if anyone is in the neighborhood.”
If you’re a writer, you might be looking for a place to publish—so consider the Whitefish Review, a Montana-based literary journal that happens to be run by Brian Schott. Publishing since 2007, the journal focuses on “fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, photography and interviews, with a slant toward mountain culture.” (The journal’s website also lists Adam Blue as associate arts editor.) Brian says he’s looking for submissions, so drag out those Mac Classics from freshman year and get cracking.
Speaking of which, this month marks a whopping 20 years from the end of our freshman year. It might be high time to look for your old UGA group on Facebook to see what they’re doing, and whether they still listen to Diamanda Galas. (Maybe that was just my roommate. Actually, now I like her. Thanks, Chris!)
—Jeffrey Middents, 505 Ethan Allen Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912; dartmouth93@gmail.com
