Archives: January 2005

January 31, 2005

An Amherst perspective on fraternities at UVa

Brian Glover ‘96, a teaching assistant in the Department of English at the University of Virginia and one of those indie-pop DJs we always looked up to at WAMH, is quoted in today’s Cavalier Daily article about the influence of...

Brian Meacham '97 at 08:51 AM

January 28, 2005

Jones '81 wins inaugural art history prize

Dr. Kellie Jones, member of the class of 1981 as well as former professor at Amherst, was named this week the first recipient of the David C. Driskell Prize for contributions to the field of African American art and art...

Brian Meacham '97 at 04:52 PM

Rieckhoff '98 on Operation Truth tour

Paul Rieckhoff ‘98, who served in in the U.S. Army as a 1st Lieutenant in Iraq from April 2003 to February 2004, is the founder of an organization called Operation Truth, whose mission is to “amplify the soldiers’ voice in...

Brian Meacham '97 at 04:25 PM

January 27, 2005

Flores '81 receives State Dep't. nod for OAS post

Francisco Flores ‘81, former president of El Salvador, received a key endorsement in his campaign for Secretary General of the Organization of American States: that of the U. S. State Department. Flores was El Salvador’s leader from 1999-2004, and is...

Brian Meacham '97 at 11:09 PM

January 26, 2005

Jeffrey Wright '87, the Man

More than even Dan Brown, Jeffrey Wright is an alum who could have a blog or two devoted to him, so we won’t try to follow his every move, but a few items came up in recent days that we...

Brian Meacham '97 at 06:45 PM

January 23, 2005

Why not duck sauce?

With a full-scale blizzard blanketing the town of Amherst this morning, it’s worth another slightly edited re-post from Flashes of Panic. This came up before a December snowstorm, but I noticed the same thing earlier this week. There’s snow forecast...

Parker Morse '96 at 09:02 AM

January 21, 2005

Sarat on Schwarzenegger

Austin Sarat, William Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, is quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle article on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to deny clemency to death row inmate Donald Beardslee. Schwarzenegger refused to grant Beardslee clemency, saying...

Brian Meacham '97 at 10:49 PM

The view from Memorial Hill

One of the results has been the preservation of a lot of very nice open space in South Amherst; another is this view, pretty much hills and trees straight back to the Holyoke range, where Bare Mountain and Rattlesnake Knob look back at the viewer…. I wonder how many students stop for a few seconds at the top of the hill when they pass by, and look out, and think about the world beyond the little microcosm they’re in. I know I used to look, but I can’t remember what I was thinking about.

Parker Morse '96 at 02:53 PM

January 20, 2005

NPR: Novels by Brown '86 attract tourists to Rome

In a report on “Morning Edition” today, NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli (so that’s how you spell it…) discussed the latest author whose works are encouraging readers to go abroad: Dan Brown ‘86. Now, there’s enough Brown-related news out there for an...

Brian Meacham '97 at 06:29 PM

Route 9 safety under investigation

Town and College officials have decided that raised crosswalks on Route 9 have improved pedestrian safety on the street, a Springfield Republican report notes. The 2003 improvements, which include approach slopes and LED lights to help slow traffic, were made...

Brian Meacham '97 at 10:52 AM | Comments (1)

January 19, 2005

Linklater '98 in 'Singing Forest' in New Haven

Hamish Linklater ‘98 stars in “Singing Forest,” a new play by Craig Lucas that made its East Coast premiere this month at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. Linklater plays dual roles in the play, which shifts among...

Brian Meacham '97 at 11:26 PM

Assisted Living by Greenebaum '99 to be released in February

At the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX, in March, 2003, I enjoyed Assisted Living, a film by Elliot M. Greenebaum ‘99, and talked with Elliot a few times around the festival. His film will be released in February,...

Brian Meacham '97 at 12:43 PM

January 18, 2005

Turow '70 among writers for tsunami relief

Publishing house Bloomsbury announced this week that they will publish a collection of first chapters from works in progress by notable writers, with all proceeds going to aid relief for areas hit by the recent tsunami. Scott Turow ‘70, author...

Brian Meacham '97 at 10:36 PM

Susannah Grant '84 adapts Charlotte's Web

A new live-action/CGI production of Charlotte’s Web, based on a script co-written by Academy Award-nominee Susannah Grant ‘84, is expected for a 2006 release. Today’s major voice casting announcement includes luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, and Andre 3000....

Brian Meacham '97 at 07:49 PM

January 13, 2005

Columbia Pictures acquires Coben novels

Coming Soon! reports that the rights to the series of seven Myron Bolitar novels by Harlan Coben ‘84 have been acquired by Columbia Pictures and producer John Calley. Calley is a well-known and successful producer, but if the films have...

Brian Meacham '97 at 07:57 AM

January 12, 2005

Lord Jeffs in the NFL

In covering the upcoming Patriots-Colts playoff matchup, sportswriter Bob George mentions former Lord Jeff and Baltimore Colt Freddie Scott ‘74 in his daily column asking “Quick, how many guys from Amherst College make it in the NFL?” Well, let’s let...

Brian Meacham '97 at 09:05 AM

January 11, 2005

Amherstiana Interview

I spent some time today talking with a writer for the Amherst Magazine about Amherst memorabilia, Amherst collectibles on eBay, and my collection, which I’ve dubbed “Amherstiana.” His first question: how do you pronounce it? I guess it’s got a...

Brian Meacham '97 at 11:15 PM

Reck performs veena recital in India

Dr. David B. Reck, Professor of Music and Asian Languages and Civilizations (and my ILS professor for “Worlds of Music”), performed a veena concert at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Information Centre in Tirupati, a town in the Chittoor district of...

Brian Meacham '97 at 08:12 PM

January 09, 2005

Jeffs take down Purple Cows in Williamstown

The Amherst men’s basketball team handed Williams their second consecutive loss last night at the Chandler Athletic Center in Williamstown. Amherst led 44-30 at the half, and ended up with a 88-78 victory, bringing their record this year to 8-1....

Brian Meacham '97 at 11:57 PM

January 05, 2005

Anniversary of the Death of President Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge, thirtieth President of the United States and member of the class of 1895, died 72 years ago today in Northampton. A 1996 article from Yankee Magazine, an official biography, a postcard of the old Phi Gamma Delta house...

Brian Meacham '97 at 01:41 AM

January 04, 2005

Micciche '93 to Head Friends School of Baltimore

The Friends School of Baltimore announced yesterday that Matthew Micciche '93 will be the new head of the school, as reported in a Baltimore Sun article. Read the Friends' press release on the announcement as well....

Brian Meacham '97 at 09:38 AM

January 02, 2005

Richard Wilbur '46 in another 'Best of 2004' list

Collected Poems: 1943-2004 by Richard Wilbur ‘46 was named one of the best works of fiction or poetry published in the past year by Mary Ann Gwinn, book editor of the The Seattle Times in her “Best Books of 2004”...

Brian Meacham '97 at 03:08 PM

David Foster Wallace '86 on New York Times 'Best of' List

Oblivion, the latest book by David Foster Wallace '86, was named to the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year list this week....

Brian Meacham '97 at 02:59 PM

Cullen Murphy '74 on Peter Davison

Today's Boston Globe Ideas section features an article by Cullen Murphy '74 on his friend, the late Peter Davison, poetry editor at The Atlantic Monthly as well as distinguished author, lecturer, publisher, and teacher. Murphy, managing editor of the Atlantic,...