When it comes to picking the subject of one of his acclaimed biographies, fascination is always a factor for author and journalist David Maraniss. Speaking to fellow author Jeff Pearlman, Mr. Maraniss said that each new book “insinuates itself into my life and in a sense takes over.”
“Formats change but two things remain eternal, or so I hope,” he noted during the interview. “The human need to understand ourselves through story and the essential need to search for truth and separate fact from misinformation.”
The author and Washington Post associate editor will lead off the 2015 Writers’ Workshop Series at the Williston Northampton School with a public lecture on September 24 in the Dodge Room, Reed Campus Center.
Delving into the very personal is at the heart of the 2015 Writers’ Workshop Series, which will explore a range of journeys—of professional growth, political power, and revenge—through the work of four strong storytellers this fall.
Williston Northampton School’s popular lecture series, conceived by authors Madeleine Blais P ’00, ’04 and Elinor Lipman P ’00, is celebrating its 18th year of hosting inspiring and inventive writers on campus.
Lectures are always free, open to the public, and take place in Williston’s Dodge Room in the Reed Campus Center at 7:00 p.m.
Ian Cheney
The 2015 series begins with acclaimed journalist and award-winning biographer David Maraniss, who will speak about his most recent work, Once in A Great City: A Detroit Story, on September 24. Mr. Maraniss has been nominated in the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting for the Washington Post, and has written acclaimed biographies on Barack Obama, Vince Lombardi, and Bill Clinton, among others. His latest book explores his hometown during the rapid changes of the 1960s.
The Williston Northampton School will be celebrating its 175th anniversary with special events throughout the year, starting with a kick-off ceremony at Convocation on September 18.
It seems fitting then, that the keynote speaker of Williston’s opening ceremony will be someone with a long history of service to the school.
John P. Booth Jr. ’83 is an alumnus who, since 2012, has also served as a Williston Northampton trustee. As Upper School academic dean at Brunswick School in Greenwich, and former chairman of Brunswick’s History/Social Sciences Department, Mr. Booth has a long track record of excellence in education.
Mr. Booth received his bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College, where he was Herbert H. Lehman Scholar, and his master’s in American History from Fordham University.
The Convocation ceremony will be held on the main Quadrangle of the school’s campus at 5:30 p.m. (in the event of rain, Convocation will be held at the Athletic Center). Senior class president Nate Gordon will also address the Williston Northampton student body and faculty. Students will then proceed to class dinners following the ceremony.
Photo by Kathleen Dooher
Mr. Gordon said in an email that the goal of his speech will be to motivate students to uncover what they enjoy at Williston and then invest themselves in that.
“I talk about my own experience as a Williston student and my work with the newspaper,” he wrote. “In honor of the 175th Anniversary, I am incorporating aspects of Williston history as it relates to the theme of my speech.”
In a letter about the speaker, Chief Advancement Officer Eric N. Yates P ’17, ’21 noted that he expected Mr. Booth to use the keynote to “convey his passion for his Williston Northampton experience.”
Contact Liz Cheney, in the Advancement Office, at (413) 529-3074 or at echeney@williston.com with any questions.
An advocate for school safety and security will share her story of an intensely personal tragedy during Williston Northampton School’s faculty orientation on September 3.
Michele Gay lost her daughter, Josephine Grace, during the Newtown, CT shooting in 2012. She later became one of the founders of “Safe and Sound: A Sandy Hook Initiative,” a nonpartisan group that works with communities and schools across the country to improve safety through discussion, collaboration, and shared resources.
“We all felt safe in our peaceful town and in our high ranking schools,” the group notes on its website. “We learned, too painfully, that we were not […] The measures, plans, and procedures we relied upon failed us, tragically.”
Exploring light and dark—how to capture it, how to play with it, and how to mold it with equipment both new and old—is at the core of this year’s Photographers’ Lecture Series.
Eduardo Angel, Abelardo Morell, and David Wells work with vastly different mediums—from the high paced digital world to the camera obscura, one of the oldest-known imaging devices—but bring a common interest in illumination and its sources.
The three are also dedicated educators, using a range of blogs, podcasts, and online courses to explore photography and filmography in all its forms: equipment, lighting, composition, framing, and other creative and technical skills.
“I was looking for a range of image makers,” wrote Fine and Performing Arts Teacher Ed Hing, who organizes the series. “Abelardo is well known for his work with the camera obscura, Eduardo is a technical wizard, and David is a working photojournalist. All will bring something different / unique to the students.”
