Vidal, John Irving, Jorge Luis Borges among them—were hugely inspiring. I certainly wanted to be a writer, though many years would pass before I could ever voice that desire. Q: What do you read for ideas? What do you read for inspiration? I read a little bit of everything. I don’t read for anything but pleasure. I figure the ideas and inspiration will come if they come. I have faith that way. There are about 14 books on my nightstand, novels, of course, but also poetry collections and nonfiction. I alternate between newly published books and classics. I also am a newspaper reader, and can’t really start my day without going through The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. There’s information there, of course, but the ritual of it is still pleasurable, even when the news is horrifying and depressing, which it often is. Q: What are some of the challenges for you in the time between completing one book and starting the next? How long does it take for new work to find a shape? Have you begun another book or do you have plans for one? I always have ideas for novels brewing, and at some point after finishing my previous (usually with about a six-month hiatus), I’ll follow the idea I’m most cur ious about and begin to get serious about finding my way into its world. Again it’s always the mystery of a story or character that compels me, rather than what I “know” about it.The knowing gives one the confidence to pursue a years-long project, but it’s the mystery that makes the work worthwhile and exciting, sentence by sentence. I’ve just begun a new novel, which I won’t say much about, except that it’s quite different once again. I guess we’ll see how it turns out.
Alumni are urged to advise the Exonians in Review editor of their own publications, recordings, films, etc., in any field, and those of classmates. Whenever possible, authors and composers are encouraged to send one copy of their books and original copies of articles to Edouard Desrochers ’45, ’62 (Hon.); P’94, P’97, the editor of Exonians in Review, Phillips Exeter Academy, 20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833. ALUMNI 1951—Sabin Robbins.
Amazing Wonders of the Oceans. (CreateSpace, 2013)
1979—Kevin Boileau.
The Return. (Epis, 2013) —and Ethan Claunch, illustrator. 99 Deceptions: Brief Vignettes. (Epis, 2013)
1954—Jonathan Aldrich.
Injury: Poems. (Custom Museum Publishing LLC, 2013)
—and Jessica Finnigan. “ ‘I’m a Mormon Feminist’: How Social Media Revitalized and Enlarged a Movement.” IN Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. (v. 9, no. 12, 2013)
1955—John M. Saul.
A Geologist Speculates on Gemstones, Origins of Gas and Oil, Moonlike Impact Scars on the Earth, the Emergence of Animals and Cancer. (Les 3 Colonnes, 2014) 1959—Jan Schreiber.
Peccadilloes. (White Violet Press, 2013) 1963—Donald Caplin.
Sports Therapy for the Mediocre. (Oak Tree Books, 2014)
1998—Nancy Ross. “Teaching Twentieth Century Art History with Gender and Data Visualizations.” IN The Journal of Interactive Technology & Pedagogy [CUNY]. (no. 4, fall 2013)
1979—Glenn Williamson.
Inside Out: Building a Glass House in Russia. (Archway Publishing, 2014) 1983—Chang-rae Lee.
On Such a Full Sea: A Novel. (Riverhead, 2014) 1991—Sarah Varney. XL Love: How the Obesity Crisis is Complicating America’s Love Life. (Rodale Books, 2014)
FACULTY Ming Fontaine [as Wang
Ming] and others, translators. “Qiu Hu Tries to Seduce His Wife,” by Shi Junbao. [“Part 4: Female Agency,” no. 8] IN The Columbia Anthology of Yuan Drama. [Edited by C.T. Hsia, Wai-yee Li and George Kao]. (Columbia University Press, 2014)
2002—Rufi Thorpe. The
Girls from Corona del Mar: A Novel. (Knopf, 2014) BRIEFLY NOTED 1962—Larry I. Palmer. 1977—Melissa Orlov and Nancie Kohlenberger. The Couple’s Guide to Thriving with ADHD. (Specialty Press/A.D.D. Warehouse, 2014)
“The Haircut.” [nonfiction] IN New England Review, “Recollections.” (v. 35, no. 1, 2014)
SUMMER 2014
The Exeter Bulletin
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