Class Note 1983
Issue
July-August 2024
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the setting for a mini-reunion of classmates. Bruce Redman recounts: “Dave Badger, Steve Brosnihan (with spouse Susan and son Teddy), Bob Dinan, Stu Downs, Jeff Teich, Dan Veno, and I recently visited Rich “Dicky” Goldman and family members to catch up on old friendships that started with Dicky, Bob, Dan, and Stu as freshmen in the River Cluster and later included Dave, Steve, Jeff, myself, and others; many stories, hugs, much laughter, and love—even a pie in the face for Stu and a dog pile to honor the occasion.”
The April book discussion group (virtual) featured Jonathan Howland and his book Native Air, grand prize winner of the Banff Mountain Book Competition 2022 and a finalist for the California Book Awards 2023. Summer is approaching, so I asked Jonathan, “Which books are on your nightstand?” His reply: “The Fraud by Zadie Smith—a clever, funny, touching romp; A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James—inventive, energetic, virtuosic; A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin—traces the long walk of an old Italian man and his young companion, unique, tender, hors catégorie.”
Lisa Feinberg Ballard writes: “I’m still racing on the international masters circuit, chasing the FIS Masters Cup. This winter I defended my overall women’s super G title and placed second in my age group (women 60-64). I swept our age group at the World Criterium Masters (world championships) at Kimberley, British Columbia; winning the super G, giant slalom, and slalom. That was a thrill! My highlight of winter was skiing in Park City, Utah, with two of my Dartmouth ski team buddies, Betsy Cowles ’84 and Sarah Millham Horton ’85, and her husband, Tom Horton ’85.”
In March Lisa Quirk Kaija, Bill Hammond, and Kevin Connolly were in White River Junction, Vermont, to support Jim Sterling when he performed in Shaker Bridge Theatre’s production of Tracy Lett’s The Minutes, a play that examines the inner workings of a town council meeting room. Later in April Jim appeared in a musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Axis Theater Company in N.Y.C.
After reconnecting with Julia Mueller McNeal during our 40th reunion, Daniel Gelb and his wife, Jillian, recently traveled from New Hartford, Connecticut, to San Francisco to see Julia perform alongside Tony Award-winning actor B.D. Wong in the American Conservatory Theater’s world premiere of Big Data, written by Kate Atwell and directed by Tony Award-winning director Pam McKinnon, the artistic director of A.C.T. Atwell revealed to the San Francisco Chronicle, “when we give up our digital privacy, our homes, family, love, and sex lives feel the cost.” Julia also wrote 5 Ways In to Character, A Workbook for Creators.
Peter Kilmarx wrote, Unraveling Roots: A Journey through DNA, Identity, and Family History on Medium (https://bit.ly/3vbccXs). Peter’s work “friend” ChatGPT summarizes his essay: “Dr. Peter Kilmarx recounts the seismic impact of his son’s innocuous question about their family’s ancestry. Triggered by a 23andMe test, Dr. Kilmarx’s exploration leads to a startling revelation.”
—Shanta Sullivan, 1541 North Sierra Bonita Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; shantaesullivan@gmail.com
The April book discussion group (virtual) featured Jonathan Howland and his book Native Air, grand prize winner of the Banff Mountain Book Competition 2022 and a finalist for the California Book Awards 2023. Summer is approaching, so I asked Jonathan, “Which books are on your nightstand?” His reply: “The Fraud by Zadie Smith—a clever, funny, touching romp; A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James—inventive, energetic, virtuosic; A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin—traces the long walk of an old Italian man and his young companion, unique, tender, hors catégorie.”
Lisa Feinberg Ballard writes: “I’m still racing on the international masters circuit, chasing the FIS Masters Cup. This winter I defended my overall women’s super G title and placed second in my age group (women 60-64). I swept our age group at the World Criterium Masters (world championships) at Kimberley, British Columbia; winning the super G, giant slalom, and slalom. That was a thrill! My highlight of winter was skiing in Park City, Utah, with two of my Dartmouth ski team buddies, Betsy Cowles ’84 and Sarah Millham Horton ’85, and her husband, Tom Horton ’85.”
In March Lisa Quirk Kaija, Bill Hammond, and Kevin Connolly were in White River Junction, Vermont, to support Jim Sterling when he performed in Shaker Bridge Theatre’s production of Tracy Lett’s The Minutes, a play that examines the inner workings of a town council meeting room. Later in April Jim appeared in a musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Axis Theater Company in N.Y.C.
After reconnecting with Julia Mueller McNeal during our 40th reunion, Daniel Gelb and his wife, Jillian, recently traveled from New Hartford, Connecticut, to San Francisco to see Julia perform alongside Tony Award-winning actor B.D. Wong in the American Conservatory Theater’s world premiere of Big Data, written by Kate Atwell and directed by Tony Award-winning director Pam McKinnon, the artistic director of A.C.T. Atwell revealed to the San Francisco Chronicle, “when we give up our digital privacy, our homes, family, love, and sex lives feel the cost.” Julia also wrote 5 Ways In to Character, A Workbook for Creators.
Peter Kilmarx wrote, Unraveling Roots: A Journey through DNA, Identity, and Family History on Medium (https://bit.ly/3vbccXs). Peter’s work “friend” ChatGPT summarizes his essay: “Dr. Peter Kilmarx recounts the seismic impact of his son’s innocuous question about their family’s ancestry. Triggered by a 23andMe test, Dr. Kilmarx’s exploration leads to a startling revelation.”
—Shanta Sullivan, 1541 North Sierra Bonita Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; shantaesullivan@gmail.com