Mills Quarterly Summer 2013

C r e at i v e w r i t i n g : a r t a n d p r a c t i c e  S u m m e r r e a d i n g  A l u m n a e a u t h o r s

Mills Quarterly Summer 2013

The

Reading Writing and

ISSUE

You're part of the equation 20 gifts of $25 = $500

Supply of 120 beakers for the chemistry lab

10 gifts of $1,000 = $10,000 15 gifts of $50= $750

Promoting and producing the Mills Music Now concert series

Honorarium for a guest speaker

20 gifts of $500 = $10,000 10 gifts of $100= $1,000

Fellowship for a graduate student

Subscription to an academic journal for the library

18 gifts of $2,000 = $36,000

Average financial aid award for an undergraduate student

It all adds up to a stronger Mills College Each donor to the Mills College Annual Fund plays an important role in shaping the lives of our students. Gifts from alumnae and friends—no matter the size—add up to educational experiences that prepare students to make a difference in the world.

Charitable giving makes the greatest impact when everyone takes action. Your participation is key to the equation for Mills’ success.

Make your gift today.

Give to the Mills College Annual Fund by calling 510.430.2366, visiting alumnae.mills.edu/give, or returning the enclosed envelope.

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Mills Quarterly

contents Summer 2013 8

From inquiry to insight: the writer’s journey by Linda Schmidt

The practice of creative writing starts with a question, and the path to finding the answers often unearths surprising insights and unexpected benefits.

12

Vox populi by Whitney Phaneuf, MFA ’07

Community-based writing workshops, led by Mills students, help marginalized people find their voice.

14

Bites for bookworms

What books will you be toting to the beach this summer? English Department faculty offer plenty of tantalizing suggestions!

16

Women of their words by Sara Wintz ’07

In a variety of formats, these four alumnae demonstrate how English Department graduates are making an impact—and a living.

18

Something for everyone by Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04

Whatever your age, major, or geographic location, alumnae clubs offer fun and rewarding opportunities for socializing, networking, and giving back.

32

Brains and beauty

The Heller Rare Book Room houses centuries’ worth of gorgeous books.

Departments 3

Message from the President

4

Mills Matters

20

Class Notes

29

In Memoriam

On the cover: Maggie Slover ’14, an English major and editorial assistant for the Quarterly, enjoys a sunny afternoon on Toyon Meadow. In the background are Saleha Ahmed ’16 and Rose Lopez ’14. Photo by Teresa Tam.

A Message from the President of Mills College “Yesterday the simple curriculum, the small group of students, the isolation of campus life; today the diversified curriculum, the enlarging group of students, and the linking of all campus activities with the needs and opportunities of the great world.”

The “Mills College Strategic Plan: Preparing Students for the 21st Century” opens Volume CI Number 4 (USPS 349-900) Summer 2013 President Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cynthia Brandt Stover

with this 1927 quote from President Aurelia Henry Reinhardt. How profound her comments seem as we envision Mills on our 175th anniversary in 2027, plan the strategic direction of the College, and prepare students for their education at Mills and beyond.

The College’s work on this plan has involved an iterative, inclusive process to engage the Mills community to think creatively and identify strategic imperatives that will inform our work over the next five years. I am so pleased with the community’s commitment to this process and am excited by the imperatives we have identified.

One of these imperatives—to develop a curriculum with a purpose in a changing

Senior Director of Advancement Communications and Outreach Dawn Cunningham ’85

world—will prepare students for success as scholars, in the workplace, and as citizens.

Managing Editor Linda Schmidt

mer and January terms, and opportunities to connect the curriculum to career paths are

Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Witney Phaneuf, MFA ’07 Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04 Sara Wintz ’07 Editorial Assistance Maggie Slover ’14 The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Copyright © 2013, Mills College Address correspondence to the Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or length.

In response to changing demographics and student need, we will create more flexible ways to obtain a Mills education. The interdisciplinary “classroom without walls,” sumamong the commitments we are making to enhance the student experience at Mills and the value of the education we provide.

I know that in the past Mills has had a larger cohort of international students than our current 2 percent of the student body. Today’s students live in an increasingly global environment, where work, family, and civic life cross international boundaries.

Meaningful participation in this world requires greater global understanding and intercultural awareness than ever before. The strategic imperative to internationalize Mills will help create a campus that attracts and retains students from around the world, develops curricular offerings that provide cross-national perspectives, and provides

At Mills, for Alumnae Alumnae Relations alumnae.mills.edu 510.430.2123, alumnae-relations@mills.edu Alumnae Admission Representatives Vala Burnett, Assistant Director of Admissions 510.430.2269, vburnett@mills.edu

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312

Career Services 510.430.2130, career@mills.edu

Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

Giving to Mills alumnae.mills.edu/giving 510.430.2366, mcaf@mills.edu Library Services 510.430.2377, library@mills.edu

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M Center/Transcripts 510.430.2000, mcenter@mills.edu Pool and Gym Trefethen Aquatic Center 510.430.2170, pool@mills.edu Haas Pavilion Fitness Center 510.430.3376, athletics@mills.edu Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) aamc.mills.edu Lucy Do ’75, President (starting July 1) 510.430.2110, aamc@mills.edu AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613-1301

For more information on these and other alumnae services at Mills, visit alumnae.mills.edu.

Some benefits, such as access to the pool and fitness center, require you to show your AAMC membership card, available from Alumnae Relations and the AAMC. M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

opportunities for Mills students to live and study abroad. Success in these areas will also help achieve another imperative: to provide a vibrant and inclusive campus life.

Mills has a strong tradition of social engagement and civic responsibility. These core values are paramount in our curriculum, our internship opportunities, and in connections to our community. To expand on the College’s community outreach, we will develop institution-wide partnerships with a small number of prominent, local community organizations. This concrete demonstration of our commitment to the Bay Area community will enhance the College’s profile locally and nationally and will provide internship and other opportunities for our students.

As we implement the strategic plan, the following three factors are paramount: • Increasing enrollment through greater numbers of new first year, transfer, and graduate students as well as improved retention of current students • Developing a balanced budget grounded in financial best practices within five years • Enhancing a student-centered culture, where administrators, staff, and faculty promote students’ academic success and overall satisfaction with the Mills experience.

I hope you join me in my enthusiasm about our direction for the next five years.

While there is plenty of work to accomplish through the life of this plan, many steps toward implementation are already underway. Specific action and financial plans and timelines are being developed. I am grateful for the numerous ways alumnae have helped shape the plan, and look forward to your engagement in the work ahead. I invite you to review the strategic imperatives, which were approved by the Board of Trustees at its May meeting: alumnae.mills.edu/strategicplanning.

When you reach the last page of the plan, take a moment to reflect on President Reinhardt’s prophetic comments. I think she was correct. The emerging Mills will indeed be one known for “the diversified curriculum, the enlarging group of students, and the linking of all campus activities with the needs and opportunities of the great world.”

How exciting for Mills and our students!

Sincerely, Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

X

Mills College Art Museum Women of the West & A World at War May 7–September 1 This exhibition, organized by history students, showcases works from the collection of the Mills College Art Museum. Additional selections are on view in the lobby of the Vera M. Long Building for the Social Sciences.

West of Center: Art and the Counterculture Experiment in America, 1965–1977 June 12–September 1 In the 1960s and 1970s, a diverse range of artists based in the American West broke the barriers between art and lifestyle and embraced the new, hybrid sensibilities of the counter-cultural movement.

West of Center, organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, brings together a range of projects by groups and individuals that demonstrate this outlook.

For more information, see mcam.mills.edu or contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu. The museum is open 11:00 am–4:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 am–7:30 pm Wednesday, and is closed Monday. Admission is free.

From West of Center: The Ultimate Painting, Richard Kailweith (in collaboration with Clark Richert, JoAnn Bernofsky, Gene Bernofsky, and Charles DiJulio, 1966), 2011.

SUMMER 2013

3

Mills Matters New provost named Kimberley L. Phillips will join Mills

ate professor of history and American

College as the new provost and dean of

studies, and dean for educational policy,

the faculty on July 1.

arts and sciences.

Phillips holds a BA in history from the

A scholar of African American and

University of California, San Diego, and

20th-century US history, she is a distin-

an MPhil and PhD in American studies

guished lecturer for the Organization of

from Yale University. She comes to Mills

American Historians and her numerous

from her most recent position as profes-

fellowships and awards include selection

sor of history and founding dean of the

as a Fellow, Charles Warren Center for

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

American History at Harvard University.

at Brooklyn College—City University of

Look for an extended interview with

New York. Prior to that, she held several

Kimberley Phillips in an upcoming issue

academic and administrative positions at

of Mills Quarterly. Sandra Greer, who has

the College of William and Mary, includ-

served as provost since 2008, will remain

ing director of American studies, associ-

at Mills as professor of chemistry.

Kimberley L. Phillips

Retiring faculty leave a legacy of learning These past two semesters have brought

Christian Marouby, professor of

as well as the Campanil newspaper,

difficult farewells to the Mills com-

French and francophone studies, retired

campus representative to the National

munity as several valued faculty

last fall after teaching at Mills since

Educational Media Network, head of

members retire from active teaching

1982. He received the Siekhaus Faculty

the Department of Dramatic Arts and

and assume the title of professor

Achievement Award, was co-chair of

Media Studies, and an active voice in the

emeritus. Each leaves a well-cultivated

the Department of Languages and

Humanities Division film lecture series.

legacy behind and lasting memories

Literatures, and served as faculty advisor

for the students who were fortunate

to the Fulbright Student Program. His

Mills since 1986, headed both the Biology

enough to know them.

many noteworthy publications include

Department and the Environmental

L’économie de la nature: Essai sur Adam

Studies Program. He has conducted valu-

Smith et l’anthropologie de la croissance

able research studies of small mammals

(Paris, 2004) and Utopie et Primitivisme:

and birds, especially in the Mono Lake

Essai sur l’imaginaire anthropologique

area, that have advanced the understand-

à l’âge classique (Paris, 1990), as well as

ing of biologists in his field. He is also

John Harris, professor of biology at

many translations.

Ken Burke, professor of film studies as well as of art and art history, retired at the end of spring semester along with four faculty colleagues. Burke had been the linchpin of the Film Studies Program since arriving at Mills in 1987. A recipient of the Trefethen Faculty Award, he played Christian Marouby

4

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

many roles on campus: advisor for the Association for Women in Communication

John Harris

S te v e Babul jak

AAMC president and alumna trustee announced Lucy Do ’75 will be the next president of the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC). She will take office on July 1, when Linda JaquezFissori ’92 will conclude her term. Do has been an AAMC governor since 2009 and currently serves as treasurer and chair of the Travel Committee. She has been a member of the Executive Committee the past three years and is committed to leading the AAMC, serving alumnae, and representing the voice of alumnae on the Board of Trustees.

Another voice for alumnae in College governance will be provided by Melissa Stevenson Dile ’91, who was elected to the position of alumna trustee. In this role, she will join the AAMC Board of Governors and the Mills College Board of Trustees on July 1. Among many other leadership positions held as a student, Dile was president of the Associated Students of Mills College during her senior year and is currently the assistant city manager of the City of Mountain View in California.

Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92 and Lucy Do ’75

Europe, and her work is included in the

(UC Press), and vice president of the

collections of the Whitney Museum of

California Native Plant Society. His book,

American Art, the Metropolitan Museum

The California Deserts: An Ecological

of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of

Rediscovery, is a beautifully illustrated

Modern Art.

compendium which explores the remark-

David Roland-Holst, professor of economics since 1986, is one of the world’s leading experts on policy modeling. He

able diversity of life in this harsh yet fragile quarter of the Golden State.

—Maggie Slover ’14

has conducted research in over 40 countries in areas of economics related to environment, development, agriculture, Hung Liu

and international trade. Author of more than 100 articles in professional journals and books, he has worked with the Inter-

known by many alumnae for leading

American Development Bank, World

campus bird walks during Reunion.

Bank, several United Nations agencies,

Hung Liu became a professor of studio art at Mills in 1990 and is internationally recognized for her highly evocative paintings, murals, drawings, mixed

and governments in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.

Also retiring is Professor of Biology Bruce Pavlik, who has played a vital role

media, and printmaking. Liu is the

in developing scientific approaches to

recipient of numerous awards, honors,

restoring plant populations and eco-

and grants, and a two-time recipient

systems. Since his arrival at Mills in

of a National Endowment for the Arts

1985, he has been director of the Mills

Painting Fellowship. She has exhibited

College Botanic Garden, series editor for

widely in the United States, Asia, and

California Natural History Guide Series

Bruce Pavlik SUMMER 2013

5

dana dav is

Renovation doubles biology lab capacity This spring, Mills’ biology faculty and students conducted their first experiments in newly renovated laboratories, thanks to a $2.5 million grant from The Joseph and Vera Long Foundation.

The renovation, which began in August 2012, transformed the dated Biology Department facility in the old Life Sciences Building, originally built in 1950, into state-of-the-art labs and doubled the amount of usable research space.

“The renovation has also doubled the number of students who can use the labs,” says Professor of Biology John Harris.

“Previously the space could support just 15 student researchers, and now we have room for as many as 30.”

Demand for lab space has been growing along with the number of students majoring in biological sciences: more than 50 in the past academic year, an all-time high. Access to lab space is particularly important for advanced students who participate in Mills’ facultydirected summer research programs.

In addition, the grant significantly upgraded lab technologies. Among the improvements that researchers now enjoy are small incubators for growing specimens, modern fume hoods for safety when working with chemi-

The Mills community celebrated the completion of the biology labs renovation with a reception and lab tour on February 14. Nan Gefen, Mills trustee and Joseph and Vera Long Foundation board member; Ron Plomgren, vice president of the Long Foundation; and President Alecia DeCoudreaux (right) were on hand for the festivities.

cals, improved temperature controls for specialized experiments, and two sterile rooms for bacterial and tissue culture work.

Scholar and diplomat to hold Barbara Lee Chair Martha A. Crunkleton has been appointed to the Barbara Lee

Vanderbilt University, and a doc-

Distinguished Chair in Women’s Leadership for 2013–16.

torate in philosophy of religion

Established in 2006, the Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair in

from Vanderbilt University. She

Women’s Leadership was named in honor of Mills alumna and

has served on the faculties at

senior US Congresswoman Barbara Lee ’73 for her outstanding

Bates College and Pitzer College

leadership in politics, policy, and social justice. In addition to

and was vice president for

teaching and mentoring students, appointees lead scholarly semi-

academic affairs at both institu-

nars on emerging social issues and expand discussions at Mills

tions. In addition, she was execu-

on community, national, and international affairs.

tive director of the Institute for

“The Barbara Lee Chair attracts exemplary scholars to teach

the Arts and Humanities at the

at Mills,” says Provost Sandra C. Greer. “Martha Crunkleton’s

University of North Carolina,

accomplished background in higher education and her extensive

Chapel Hill.

experience with diplomatic efforts around the world will provide

Crunkleton will play a pivotal role in Mills’ partnership in

a multifaceted global perspective to the Public Policy Department

the Women in Public Service Project, joining leading women’s

at Mills.”

colleges and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for

Since 2005, Crunkleton has served as a diplomat for the

Scholars in training a new generation of women to enter the

US State Department in Mexico, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and

public sector. She will provide curricular oversight when Mills

Indonesia. She received a bachelor of arts degree in religion

College hosts the Women in Public Service Project’s Institute

from Duke University, a master of arts degree in religion from

for Women’s Leadership in Latin America in 2015.

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students President Alecia DeCoudreaux was

prize provides a stipend and a studio as

Biology in Focus, a reconceptualized

named as one of the “Most Influential

well as room and board in Rome, Italy.

text for biology and related majors.

Women in Bay Area Business” for 2013

Wagner’s photographic work is repre-

She attended the Biology Leadership

by the San Francisco Business Times in

sented in the collections of the Museum

Conference meeting in Tucson,

May. The Oakland–Bay Area Chapter

of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of

Arizona, in March.

of the National Coalition of 100 Black

American Art, the Metropolitan Museum

Women also honored DeCoudreaux for

of Art, and the Victoria and Albert

of biology, was lead author on the

her effectiveness as an advocate for the

Museum, London. She has received sev-

paper “Evolution of cooperation

advancement of women. Their March

eral major awards, including fellowships

among mammalian carnivores and

event recognized 10 Bay Area women

from the Guggenheim Foundation and

its relevance to Hominin evolution,”

who exemplify the organization’s vision

the National Endowment for the Arts.

published in the Current Anthropology

as a force for gender equity and advocate

Ron Nagle, professor emeritus of

Jenn Smith, assistant professor

special issue on Human Biology

for leadership development critical to

ceramics, has been selected to rep-

and Origins of Homo. Her research

the success of women and girls of color.

resent the United States in the 2013

on hyenas gained additional cover-

Venice Biennale. Other artists invited

age in stories by National Public

Wagner has been awarded the presti-

include Robert Gober, R. Crumb, Richard

Radio and the American Society of

gious Rome Prize from the American

Serra, and Cindy Sherman. The 55th

Mammalogists. Smith also had papers

Academy in Rome, a premier center

International Art Exhibition will take

examining social behaviors in yellow-

for independent study and advanced

place in Venice from June 1 to November

bellied marmots in the March 27 issue

research in the fine arts. Awarded annu-

24, 2013.

of the Proceedings of the Royal Society

Professor of Studio Art Catherine

ally through an open competition juried by leading artists and scholars, the

Professor of Biology Lisa Urry is first author of a new textbook, Campbell

B and in the April issue of Animal Behaviour.

Let’s talk Renowned national figures enliven campus discourse Several prominent women came to

Christine Pelosi discussed the current

by Beat Generation artist Jay DeFeo, a

share their insights on campus during

political climate, the challenges unique

former professor of studio art at Mills.

Women’s History Month in March.

to women candidates, and the expanding

November also saw a performance by

role of social media and technology in

Laurie Anderson, the 2012–2013 Jean

modern campaigns.

Macduff Vaux Composer-in-Residence.

Women in Science Lecture on March 14.

Her talk examined the current state of earthquake forecasting, disaster pre-



paredness, and recovery. A renowned

These events cap a year of top-level

geophysicist, McNutt served as president

speakers at Mills. Last fall, the campus

and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

hosted a performance/lecture by inter-

Research Institute for 12 years. In 2009,

nationally acclaimed director and artist

she became the first female director of

Robert Wilson, who offered an intimate

the United States Geological Survey.

self-portrait of his creative process and

Funded by Cristine Russell ’71, the





referenced some of his original works

annual lecture series introduces students

for the stage, such as Einstein on the

to leading female scientists and high-

Beach and his audacious stagings of

lights the career opportunities available

Madame Butterfly and Wagner’s Ring

to women in the sciences.

Cycle. On November 5, noted author

Earlier in the month, veteran political

Allisun Novak

Marcia McNutt delivered the Russell

and cultural arts critic Greil Marcus

observer Linda Wertheimer, a corre-

delivered an address examining the

spondent for National Public Radio, and

unconventional approach to materials

author, attorney, and political activist

and intensive physical methods used

Provost Greer, Marcia NcNutt, President DeCoudreaux, and Cristine Russell SUMMER 2013

7

From inquiry to insight the writer’s journey by linda schmidt • photos by dana davis

As a child, micheline aharonian marcom was a voracious reader.

“I mean, voracious. I read all the time,” she says. The experience was full and satisfying: “When you’re reading, you’re inside the book, you’re in the consciousness of the book.

Through reading I discovered what felt like someone’s expression of their soul, their deepest thoughts, and sometimes they were the same as my own, my own thoughts mirrored. I felt, in those moments, like the book was talking directly to me, like it was written only for me. That’s the deep communication that a book can provide. That’s probably why writing makes sense for someone like me, because I love books: they make me feel alive.”

“I didn’t know i was going to be a writer,” says patricia powell.

It’s an unexpected statement from a woman who has four published novels to her name. Powell was an economics major at Wellesley when she took a creative writing class and discovered a story within herself that just kept “coming and coming.”

“I had just moved to this country from Jamaica, where I was born, and I was writing about my family and all the people in the little village I had come from,” she says. “I didn’t realize how much I had missed them and the great loss I was feeling.

The writing allowed me to bring them with me. It was a way of making that all come alive again.”

For elmaz abinader, literary expression is part of her cultural heritage.

“In the Arab culture we write,” says Abinader, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Lebanon. “We write to mark a birthday or a death, we never have an occasion where somebody doesn’t get up and recite a poem. My dad wrote poems on napkins and envelopes, my mother kept a journal every day of her life, and everybody in my family wrote poetry.” Growing up in a little town in Appalachia, she was keenly aware of the disconnect between her family traditions and those of the culture around her. “There was no place for me there,” she says. But she found writing to be a natural tool to examine that difference: “I grew up learning to handle my life by filtering it into this art.”

8

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

These three authors are now among the dozen creative

tory. It’s a process that continues today, as she is working on a

writing faculty members at Mills who are pursuing their own

personal memoir that looks at her own childhood in Appalachia.

active writing careers while fostering the skills and artistry of

Similarly, Marcom’s first book, Three Apples Fell from Heaven,

their students. Each of them was spurred to write by the need to

was driven by her grandmother’s experience surviving the

address a personal, irresistible question. “I write to know better

Armenian genocide—and the recognition that there were very

than I do. Not to conclude anything, necessarily, but to inquire,”

few fictional works that contend with that episode of history.

says Marcom, who earned her MFA at Mills in 1999.

Written when she herself was a student in the Mills MFA pro-

Powell agrees: “Writing is an invitation; I don’t know where it’s

gram, Marcom explains that the book was born of her obses-

going to take me,” she says. “As I work on a story, I sometimes

sion with social justice and stories that don’t get told. “Those

feel as if some of the questions bubbling up might not be the

things created a real tension and a real urgency in me to write

questions I was looking to answer—but the places the work takes

that story,” Marcom says. “But it ended up becoming much more

me are so curious.”

than just about my grandmother”—the novel expanded to tell

Following the adage “write what you know,” each author’s

the story of two villages in Eastern Turkey. “I wasn’t sure if I

debut work began by examining topics close to home. The pro-

was good enough to do it, but it was bigger than me; I just felt

cess, however, inevitably showed that there was much more

it mattered.”

to know about every story than they had initially anticipated.

By the time Patricia Powell was writing her third novel, The

The inquiries and insights of their own creative journeys inform

Pagoda, her storytelling began to produce truly unexpected

their classroom teaching today.

insights. After writing two books with male leads, Powell was

With her family memoir, Children of the Roojme, Abinader set

determined that the The Pagoda’s protagonist be female—specifi-

out to learn more about why her family had left Lebanon—a

cally, a Chinese woman who immigrated to Jamaica in the 19th

country that, from their telling, was nearly ideal. The effort

century. But her historical investigations turned up a difficult

opened her eyes to a wider personal and political history than

fact: Chinese laws at that time did not permit women to leave

those family tales had ever suggested.

China. “So I decided that she would cross-dress”—a not uncom-

“The stories my family told about how perfect Lebanon

mon practice for Victorian-era women traveling alone—“and it

was were based on myth,” she says. Extensive interviews and

was a perfect metaphor,” Powell says. “When we leave one place

research, utilizing everything from personal diaries to newspa-

for another we’re no longer the self that we once were; we take

pers to train schedules, revealed a more difficult and challeng-

on a new identity. Once I stepped into that character’s shoes, I

ing truth. “When you go into the history and you find out about famine, and war, and betrayal in the family, the myth comes crashing down,” she says. The process, she says, required a deep emotional and intellectual recalibration as she learned to place her family into a wider context of Lebanese and immigrant his-

Writing is an invitation;

I don’t know where it’s going to take me. As I work on a story, I sometimes feel as if some of the questions bubbling up might not be the questions I was looking to answer— but the places the work takes me are so curious.

–Patricia Powell

SUMMER 2013

9

learned a lot about my own experience. Writing the novel helped

unending effort, revision, and more revision. “Revising is the

me articulate so much about being an immigrant that I hadn’t

most essential part of writing,” says Powell. “With each rewrite

thought about before. In fact, that is how I have found my books

you’re re-envisioning, you’re getting closer to the truth.”

to be; they are able to articulate for me a fuller, richer experience of anything than I could ever articulate on my own.”

But beyond these proficiencies, the ultimate measure of success is an author’s ability to touch the reader’s heart with integrity, transcending time, place, gender, and race. The challenge

Those rich experiences are at the heart of great writing,

of creating a character who is different from one’s self demands

and great writing is both a practice and an art. These teachers

that the writer enter thoroughly into a mindset where the integ-

all agree that exposure to a wide range of literary masters—in a

rity of a particular character, within a specific situation, is utterly

variety of genres and traditions—is the most basic foundation for

robust and completely convincing. A woman writing as a man,

all would-be authors. A rigorous reading schedule is a first step.

an American writing as a Central American, a modern professor

“I usually teach books that are kind of strange and outside of

writing as a 19th century traveler—all require the writer to pen-

what my students might be familiar with,” says Marcom, who read-

etrate the external trappings and expose inner truths.

ily cites a syllabus of writers from well outside the usual British

“Poetry and stories and plays are a dialogue that takes place

and American canon, from Brazilian author Clarice Lispector to

across centuries,” says Abinader. “The questions that they’re

the Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata. “If you were a painter, it

concerned with are what is love and what is society? What is

would never occur to you to only study American painting from

justice, and how do we treat each other?” As we explore those

1950 on,” she says. “Painters study the masters; in the literary arts,

questions, we create new perspectives and new ways of address-

too, you need to look at history and understand movements, to

ing them, she says. “Each writer contributes to the dialogue on

learn the traditions and how they’ve been broken.”

questions that are larger than any of us can answer.”

A mastery of language and technique is the next step on the

“We are made up of all the stories that existed before us, all

path. Matching form and content and developing a critical eye

the stories that are to come,” says Powell. “We come out of cul-

are some of the practical skills that must be honed, along with

tural stories, family stories, ancestral stories. When we write we are tapping into all of those. The process of listening and curiosity and investigation invites this interior universe to unfold and come alive.”

Poetry and stories and plays

are a dialogue that takes place across centuries.

The questions that they’re concerned with are what is love and what is society?

What is justice, and how do we treat each other?

Each writer contributes to the dialogue on questions that are larger than any of us can answer.

—Elmaz Abinader

10

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

When I read a book

I can be somebody, some character, who’s completely different from me. If I read The Iliad, I become a man in Greece 3,000 years ago.

It’s an ancient poem, but it’s so beautiful and it has lasted. Art has that transcendent quality.

—Micheline Marcom

These abilities are beneficial even for those who will not become

of truth and not truth—increasingly necessary in our media-sat-

esteemed journalists or published authors. For students—for

urated world, where ratings and spin influence the presentation

thinkers—the study of creative writing expands understanding in

of information as much as objective facts.

multiple directions. For many, an immediate effect of learning to

“It helps people not completely accept what they’re being fed,

develop character and plotlines outside one’s own experience is

so that they have this notion that there’s another way to look

a more finely attuned sense of empathy. More than just a slight

and see and think,” she says. “Not everybody who comes in here

stretch of the imagination, these teachers coach their students

is going to end up being a writer. But we can hope that the per-

in some real heavy lifting.

spective stays alive and that they can look at the world through

“One of the things that is most important is to know your character inside and out, and she will lead the rest of the story,”

a lens that says this part is rhetoric and this part is not. I want people to be able to identify rhetoric when they see it.”

says Abinader. “You have to know her moral life, you have to

“The student who has taken creative writing reads differently,”

know her interior life, you have to know if she farts, I mean you

agrees Powell. “That person is more aware, more conscious of

have to know everything.”

the mechanics at work—they won’t just allow themselves to be

As an exercise, Abinader writes full letters and diaries in order

taken.”

to flesh out a character’s point of view, and encourages her stu-

Most importantly, creative writing enlightens analytical

dents to do the same. Other teachers employ improvisational

thought with a human dimension. “Critical thinking that does

role-playing, meditations, or more apprentice-like relationships

not engage the heart can potentially be cruel,” says Powell. “If

to help their students become fully engaged with their writing

your thinking isn’t also engaging the experiences of others then

and explore the most compelling truths within their narratives.

it becomes solitary and one-sided.”

Powell notes that there were many premed students in her

Marcom expands on that thought: “The critical mind is actu-

classes when she was teaching creative writing at Harvard. “It

ally sort of narrow. Criticism breaks things down into pieces. But

turns out that a lot of medical schools want their students to

that’s not what life is, there’s this other way of thinking. Humans

become more empathic. They want them to be great doctors

think symbolically, and symbols are not reducible to one or

but they also want them to learn how to listen,” she says. “In

two meanings. Creative writing—symbolic texts—give us a very

creative writing, students often have to write outside of them-

expansive way of thinking.

selves. They have to fit into other people’s points of view and

“I don’t know who the readers of my books are, or will be—

take on their challenges and move through the world as that

they may not even be born yet,” she says. “When I read a book

person,” she says. “And you can’t help but be emboldened by

I can be somebody, some character, who’s completely different

that experience.”

from me. If I read The Iliad, I become a man in Greece 3,000

Abinader believes the skill of adopting unfamiliar perspectives and learning rhetorical techniques attunes one to the subtleties

years ago,” Marcom says. “It’s an ancient poem, but it’s so beautiful and it has lasted. Art has that transcendent quality.”

◆

SUMMER 2013

11

Vox populi

By Whitney Phaneuf, MFA ’07

Project (CTP), a two-semester course, takes

“We thought about how we could use fel-

undergraduate and graduate students out

lowship funding to further our mission

of the typical classroom and places them

around art and social justice,” says Young.

in non-traditional settings. During the fall

The new graduate assistantships cover

hen Tessa Micaela walks into

semester, CTP students learn the basics

full tuition for two- or three-year MFA

her classroom to teach writ-

of pedagogy and how to tailor topics and

candidates in exchange for community

ing each week, she doesn’t

techniques to particular groups of learn-

teaching—the only such opportunity in

know what students will be waiting for

ers; they also build relationships with local

the nation. There’s also a professional

her, whether they’ll speak English, or

after-school programs, elder homes, half-

development benefit to the new assis-

even if they’ll be able to stay for the entire

way houses, battered-women’s shelters,

tantship which gives Mills’ graduates

class. Micaela’s students are incarcerated

and other community organizations. In the

an advantage when applying for social

women inside San Francisco County Jail

second term of the course, they go out into

justice/nonprofit jobs and teaching posi-

and she’s there as part of a new Mills

the field to lead writing workshops with

tions.

College graduate teaching assistantship—

the clients of those organizations. The CTP

“We’re going for really thoughtful

an effort that builds upon the success of

culminates with an anthology of writings

engagement with the community to build

the Community Teaching Project that

generated in its workshops, one of many

long-term relationships,” says Young,

launched in 2003.

ways to extend the class long after it’s over.

adding they also modeled the assistant-

“The literary arts are not only some-

“Creative writing is at its most relevant

ship after June Jordan’s Poetry for the

thing that happens in academic institu-

when it’s in communities and not in insti-

People, Mark Nowak’s poetry workshops

tions,” says Cynthia Scheinberg, chair of

tutions,” says Stephanie Young, a visiting

with auto workers in the United States

the English Department. The department

assistant professor who also serves as

and South Africa, and Heriberto Yepez’s

has a mission to extend free creative writ-

director of English graduate programs.

public poetry/art movement in Tijuana.

ing classes to members of the greater

Last year, Mills began awarding gradu-

So far, three students have held the

community who would otherwise have

ate assistantships that further the com-

MFA assistantship, which requires them to

little access to these resources. “Through

munity-based approach of the CTP. Mills

develop a curriculum and ongoing work-

our curriculum, we want to attract stu-

could have awarded these fellowships

shop specific to their students, who have

dents who want to do this type of work

solely on the merit of an applicant’s writ-

included incarcerated women, formerly

outside of the institution,” she explains.

ing, similar to other prestigious MFA pro-

incarcerated men, and Filipino American

Teaching is a typical component of

grams like The Iowa Writers’ Workshop at

activists. Students apply for the assistant-

the curriculum in many college English

The University of Iowa. But the College

ship by submitting a proposal explain-

departments. But the Community Teaching

very consciously made a different choice.

ing how their workshop will benefit the

W

12

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

The literary arts are not only something that happens in academic institutions.

–Cynthia Scheinberg

R Creative writing is at its most relevant when it’s in communities.

–Stephanie Young

greater East Bay community. From there,

middle of a workshop: “We were all writ-

to discuss the way writing intersects the

Young says, it comes down to choosing the

ing and all of a sudden her name gets

personal and political, particularly for

right students for the assistantship—those

called. Then we all started crying and

activists seeking to comment on or affect

with a passion for social justice, teaching,

did a free-write about her release.” Even

political and cultural issues.

and writing.

though her students change every time

Oakland poet Mg Roberts—one of the

The first recipient of the assistant-

she teaches, Micaela says she’s figuring

more experienced writers in Sipin’s work-

ship, Tessa Micaela, had worked as a

out how to build connections within the

shop—compared the experience to her

longtime advocate for reproductive jus-

strict parameters of jail. She’s enlisted

MFA program at New College. Roberts’

tice before applying to Mills. Through

established local writers to correspond

prose poems explore the Filipino immi-

her professional connections, Micaela

with her students about their writing.

grant narrative, drawing from personal

was introduced to Forward Together, an

Though publishing the writing pro-

Oakland-based sex education and repro-

duced in the workshops is not a require-

ductive

Micaela

ment of the assistantship, Micaela is

“It was so mind-opening for me,”

spent her first semester at Mills designing

working on a blog to host student writing

Roberts says. “The workshop forced me to

a workshop that used creative writing to

and eventually wants to create a chap-

ask myself, ‘How much can I write about

help women express concerns about their

book (a ’zine-style, DIY book), even if she

narratives that don’t belong to me in the

health and bodies. In her second year

produces it after she graduates this year.

context of my culture? Who has a right to

at Mills, Micaela took her workshop to

“I’m not going to stop once school ends

tell certain stories?’”

women at San Francisco County Jail, who

because this is a long-term commitment

have emotional and mental health issues

of mine,” Micaela says.

rights

organization.

history like her go-go dancer mother marrying an American GI.

Since the workshop ended, Roberts and her classmates still meet regularly to

specific to being incarcerated, such as the

A second recipient of the MFA assistant-

share their writing. “I wrote more in those

stresses associated with being separated

ship, Melissa Sipin, is well on her way to

classes than I had in years,” says Roberts,

from partners and family.

publishing an anthology or journal featur-

who is working on the second draft of

“Women are often the ones that hold

ing the writings of the Filipino-American

her collection of poems, titled Missives

families together,” says Micaela. “When a

activists who took her five-week work-

of Appropriation and Error. “I still can’t

lot of that support system falls away, it’s

shop in late 2012. Before coming to Mills,

believe it was free.”

hard for them to stay resilient, which will

Sipin cofounded TAYO, a literary maga-

affect their health.”

zine devoted to the Filipino and Filipino

An earlier version of this article appeared

The chaos of teaching in jail doesn’t

American experience. For this class, she

as “Writing Without Borders” in the East

seem to faze Micaela. She recalls how

secured esteemed local authors like the

Bay Express on February 6, 2013.

one of her students was released in the

Philippine-born poet Barbara Jane Reyes

SUMMER 2013

13

Bites for bookworms

A good book is a treat at any time of year, but is especially welcome during the long vacation days of summer. With that in mind, we asked several English Department faculty members to recommend “summer reading” titles for alumnae. Their responses, encompassing works of both fiction and nonfiction, will transport readers across continents and through the ages with stories that are well-written, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

The Hour of the Star

Salvage the Bones

By Clarice Lispector

By Jesmyn Ward

Lispector, a Brazilian writer who lived from 1920 to 1977, is one of the great writers of the last 50 years. This is her final novel, written just up to her death. It’s a small book, less than a hundred pages, and on the surface it’s about the misfortunes of a young poor woman, Macabéa, as told by the male narrator who is “writing” her story. But it’s so much more than that as it meditates on love, art, how to live, and where and how we make and find meaning. It begins, “Everything in the world began with a yes.”

This book is a yes!

This is a book about expectations and anticipation. Esch, a girl who is living near the Gulf of Mexico where a storm is brewing, knows that danger is approaching: her father's illness, the storm that will surely sweep them away, and the baby she carries inside. She is surrounded by men and boys who are scraping together glory from sports, dog fights, and their own lack of means. Even though the book takes place in the very real world of Bois Sauvage, the life of this family is of another world. We enter and are completely wrapped in it.

I also recommend King of Cuba, by Cristina Garcia, which pits two historic figures against one another: a Fidel Castro–type dictator and an old man who hangs on to the old ideologies. The humor that underlies these weirdly real stories reminds us how random and ridiculous the political posturing is and how little it has to do with real world living.

—Visiting Assistant Professor Micheline Aharonian Marcom

—Professor Elmaz Abinader

14

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

photo by Teresa tam

Starbook

The Decameron

By Ben Okri

By Giovanni Boccaccio

Okri, a Nigerian writer living in London, won the Booker Prize for his novel, The Famished Road—but to me, Starbook, his more recent novel, is far superior. On the most basic level, the book tells of a prince and a maiden who, on the eve of the slave trade, are tested by life’s trials in their mythical African village.

But it’s so much more—a fascinating meditation on art and creativity and life and love. It is a dazzling achievement of language and style alone; the author is a wordsmith of the highest order. There are passages I read and reread, they are so wonderfully radiant!

The book is magical, unforgettable; nonlinear as time collapses and characters live along multiple timelines; it’s deliciously long, almost 450 pages; and it is a profound, truly transformative work of the imagination.

Despite the recent onslaught of zombie apocalypse movies, I don’t think any of us truly can imagine what it would be like to live through 50 percent of the population dying from an incurable disease. This is just one of the reasons that I find Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron so compelling. This 14th-century text opens with a harrowing, heart-breaking description of the plague and the complete breakdown of familial and community bonds that follow in the wake of this disaster. The year is 1348 and, to avoid the ravages of the plague, 10 upper-class young people have fled from Florence to a country home, where they pass the time telling stories. The actual stories jolt us with their salaciousness, yet offer serious commentary on politics, law, and religion. They invite us to think about how categories of race, class, gender, and sexuality are constructed—and how those constructions still linger today. Perhaps Boccaccio wants us to see as self-indulgent those who would tell (or read) stories while the world is coming to an end. However, whenever I reread The Decameron, I think about the power of narrative, its ability to entertain, to make us laugh, to make us think.

During these times especially, I find such thoughts comforting.

—Associate Professor Patricia Powell

Walsingham, or the Pupil of Nature

By Mary Robinson

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

By Stephen Greenblatt I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, in which Greenblatt traces Poggio Bracciolini’s discovery of Lucretius’ ancient philosophical poem “On the Nature of Things,” a text filled with exciting and dangerous ideas that set the stage for much modern thought.

Greenblatt’s prose is elegant and accessible, even to a modernist with little or no familiarity with Lucretius or the Renaissance. I chose the book because its author was my favorite professor when I was a graduate student at UC Berkeley, before he went off to Harvard.

And I am not the book’s only fan: it was awarded both the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction and a National Book Award.

For those who prefer fiction, I also recommend Debra Dean’s The Madonnas of Leningrad, Andrea Levy’s Small Island, and anything by Francesca Kay or Jane Gardam.

—Professor Ruth Saxton

Robinson’s 1797 novel is a bracingly good read written by a nearly forgotten woman who deserves wider attention. During her life, Robinson was imprisoned for debt, a successful actress, the mistress of the Prince of Wales, an outspoken social critic and supporter of the French Revolution, a single mother who suffered from severe rheumatic fever, a popular poet, and a relentless advocate for the rights of women. This novel is a delightful plot-driven romp propelled by sensational twists, cross-dressing heroines, and dangerous carriage chases. It is also a serious novel of ideas: concerned with genre, gender, politics, and philosophy, it offers a bitingly accurate and radical critique of the economic, legal, and social constraints that bound late 18th-century England. The novel follows Walsingham Ainsforth and his cousin, Sir Sidney Aubrey, a daughter disguised as a son so that she will become the family heir.

The Broadview edition includes a rich selection of primary source material, including contemporary reviews; historical and literary accounts of 18th-century female cross-dressers; and selections from contemporary works that focus on the figure of the “fallen” woman.

—Associate Professor Kirsten Saxton

—Associate Professor Diane Cady

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

By Katharine Boo This book is notable for its magnificent, compassionate, and detailed reporting, as well as its extraordinary narrative line.

As a journalist, I admire Boo’s talent and commitment, as well as her heart. We are all enriched by being drawn deeply into the impoverished community of Annawadi, hidden in the shadow of the Mumbai airport, and experiencing the very local implications of our global interconnectedness.

—Professor Sarah Pollock

Look at Me

By Jennifer Egan This novel is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a great read but also a great tool for writers trying to learn craft. Also recommended: The Gentrification of the Mind

by Sarah Schulman. It is one of the most important books I’ve read in the last 10 years. It discusses AIDS, gentrification, capitalism, and censorship. Really a must-read for our times!

—Visiting Assistant Professor Ali Liebegott

SUMMER 2013

15

Women

of their

By Sara Wintz ’07

words

The pleasures of poetry Dorianne Laux ’89 started writing as a young girl—“silly poems I

Many homes, many stories

kept in a journal under my bed,” she says—and her junior college

For Carolina De Robertis, MFA ’07, home is a hard spot to pin-

it wasn’t until she was in her early 30s, when her daughter was

point. “I have many ‘froms,’” she explains. Her grandparents

10 and Laux was working as a waitress, that she decided it was

instructors encouraged her to take writing more seriously. But

immigrated to Uruguay from Argentina; her parents transplanted

time to finish her bachelor’s degree. The timing was right: “Even

the family to Switzerland and

though I was older than most of the students, I feel I matured as

England

to

a woman at Mills, gained confidence and composure, and came

California when De Robertis was

into my own as a writer,” says Laux. “My teachers were my men-

10 years old. “Home is, for me,

tors on all these levels.”

before

moving

an expansive concept.”

Her first book of poetry, Awake, was published in 1990 with

De Robertis returns to her

a forward by US Poet Laureate Philip Levine. Since then, she

South American countries of

has published four more collections of poems—including 1994’s

origin as the settings for her first

What We Carry, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle

two novels, which have been

Award—and three chapbooks, and had a poem inscribed in a

translated into 16 languages and

stone path at Bucknell University. In addition, she is co-author of

earned great critical acclaim.

The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry.

It was not an easy road,

Laux has also had a wide-ranging career within the halls of

though. De Robertis enrolled in

academia. “One of the most rewarding things about teaching is

Mills’ MFA program in creative

passing on what my teachers gave to me: a sense of pride in

writing to hone her manuscript The Invisible Mountain, which

hard work and accomplishment, confidence to enter the world

portrays three generations of adventurous mothers and daugh-

outside of school, and how to make the classroom a place that’s

ters, seen within the context of 20th-century Uruguay. After

an open invitation,” she says. “I love integrating my great love of

more than six years of work, the finished novel was named a

poetry with what I do every day.”

“Best Book of 2009” by the San Francisco Chronicle and Booklist and also earned Italy’s Rhegium Julii Debut Prize.

Currently the director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at North Carolina State University, she is founding faculty of

Perla, De Robertis’s second novel, follows a young woman in

Pacific University’s low-residency MFA in Writing Program,

Buenos Aires as she comes to terms with her family’s participa-

where she still teaches in the summertime. Laux previously

tion in the recently deposed military dictatorship. The book, the

taught poetry at the University of Oregon, and cites her Mills

New Yorker review said, is “haunting… a sensitive exploration of

education as one of the deciding factors that landed her the

love, loyalty, and hope in the wake of atrocity.”

position: “Mills is known as a top-flight university, and that was

“Publishing these novels opened up a new chapter in my life,” De Robertis says. At book events in more than a dozen US cities, Europe, and South America, interactions with readers and writers left her “inspired and fired up,” she says. The experience was not unlike her time in the MFA program: “Mills gave me incredibly important tools to push my writing open, become an ever-more intrepid reader, and to build a writing community that could provide nourishment and support,” she recalls.

De Robertis is spending 2013 in Montevideo, Uruguay, where she is co-producing a documentary about people of African descent in that country and working on her third novel. But her permanent home now is Oakland, where De Robertis and her wife have converted their garage into a writer’s cottage. “This is a luxury, of course,” she says. “I wrote my first novel in all sorts of different spaces, wherever I could.”

16

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

a big help walking in the door,” she says. “Mills taught me everything I needed to know to walk back out that door with a job.”

In novels, poetry, academia, film, and journalism, these alumnae leave an indelible mark Writing is an act of listening Laleh Khadivi, MFA ’06, is a storyteller—but don’t expect a sweet fairytale from the author of The Age of Orphans. Publisher’s Weekly called her debut novel “ironic, beautifully written, brutal, and ugly.” Her follow-up novel, 2012’s The Walking, is “a deliberate, nakedly passionate confrontation with her past” said the New York Times review, adding that “the precision of Khadivi’s sentences, each with a gentle rhythm and a sure-footed intelligence, engenders deep sympathy.” These books are the first two installments in a planned trilogy following seven generations of an Iranian family as they grapple with exile, migration, and the concept of home.

It’s a subject that Khadivi knows well: born in Esfahan, Iran, at

“My aim is to be shameless”

the start of the Islamic Revolution, she spent her childhood shifting from one foreign place (Puerto Rico, Canada, Los Angeles) to

Tracy Clark-Flory ’06 has one of the coolest—or hottest—reporter

the next (Dallas, Danbury). As a result, although her books have

beats ever: she writes about sex and relationships for Salon.com.

been rooted in the specifics of her own heritage, Khadivi’s out-

“Sex is one of the most complex and interesting topics in the

look is most attuned to the general mindset of those who live as

world,” she says. “I attempt to bring an all-inclusive feminist per-

outsiders in a place that is not “home.”

spective to discussions of sex and relationships and, most of all,

Khadivi started telling stories through film in 1999, the year

I’d like to help de-stigmatize honest conversation about sex and

after she earned her bachelor’s degree from Reed College in

sexuality. In short, my aim is to be shameless.”

Oregon. Her documentary 900 Women, following six inmates at

Clark-Flory, a Berkeley native, cut her teeth as a columnist for

the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, was narrated

the Berkeley High School newspaper. She thrived on the staff of

by Susan Sarandon and screened at the Human Rights Watch

The Weekly at Mills, where she received valuable support from

Film Festival; Khadivi toured the country to screen the film at

Weekly advisor Sarah Pollock: “A male editor at [an off-campus]

maximum-security women’s prisons, hold workshops, and facili-

newspaper where I was interning while in college had verbally

tate conversations with prison inmates.

ripped me to shreds and told me I would never amount to any-

“I have always been interested in the voice, both in films and in

thing,” Clark-Flory recalls. “I wrote to Sarah about it, and she

books,” she says. “The move from documentary to literary fiction

very matter-of-factly brushed off his remarks. She told me that

is easy in that both require

it wouldn’t be the last time I encountered an older man fond of

long ruminations with the

trying to invalidate young women.” Such mentorship fostered

authentic voice of a place, a

Clark-Flory’s confidence and prepared her for the competitive

person, a scenario. Ultimately,

nature of journalism.

both writing and film making

This resilience has been especially helpful in the world of

are acts of listening.”

online journalism, where readers freely post the most scathing

Khadivi found the creative

critiques. “For a long while I would obsessively read reader com-

writing MFA program at Mills

ments on my stories,” Clark-Flory admits. “At times, it would

to be a perfect fit, both for the

make me sick to my stomach. Now I have a rule of never reading

quality of its faculty and the

the comments. It’s just not good for my mental health!”

skills it instilled. “Getting an

Clark-Flory’s work has also appeared in Elle, Marie Claire, and

MFA is an interesting tight-

the yearly Best Sex Writing anthology. Her research is always

rope walk between humility

exciting. “Oh man, I’ve done all sorts of crazy stuff related to

and audacity,” she reflects.

work,” she says. “I’ve gone into the woods for a kinky ‘fox hunt;’

“On the one hand, you prostrate yourself a little before the great

witnessed porn shoots, orgasmic meditation, and g-spot therapy;

writers that have come before you—whoever your literature

and used a turn-of-the-century vibrator—on my hand, but still.”

heroes may be—so that you can learn the craft. On the other

But it’s not always fun and games: “I was also subpoenaed for a

hand, you must take it into yourself to have the confidence that

federal obscenity trial against a pornographer. It’s rarely boring.”

you yourself can write, can join those ranks.”

SUMMER 2013

17

Something FOR

everyone

1

Whether you want to expand your social and professional network, enjoy a variety of cultural outings, support the College and its students—or all of the above—your local alumnae club may be the answer 5

By Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04 Sarah Wigdor-Roberts ’04, attorney.

becoming involved in a Mills club would

year were a docent-led private tour of

Malindi Zimmer ’98, mother of two tod-

be a great way to meet some people,”

an exhibit at the Jewish Museum and a

dlers. Wendy Hull Brody ’68, Mills trustee.

Zimmer says.

tour of the Glass House in New Canaan,

Trina Cook ’93, police information analyst.

Wendy Brody has a similar story. When

A diverse group of women, at first glance,

she moved to San Diego four years ago,

together in unique settings, and the

but what they do share is unforgettable:

the once-active alumnae club in that area

lunches that followed were accompanied

their Mills College experience.

had been defunct for over 10 years. Brody

by great conversations,” Chan-Norris says.

Connecticut.

“Both

brought

alumnae

For many of us, our time at Mills was a

used President DeCoudreaux’s visit as an

As in real estate, alumnae club activi-

season of change, of challenge; it stretched

opportunity to reach out to other alum-

ties rely on location, location, location—

our intellectual boundaries and nurtured

nae in the area who might want to con-

groups often plan events that are fitting

our strengths, surrounding us with bright,

nect with fellow Mills grads.

to their unique region and member pref[President

erences, says Caitlin McGarty, who sup-

Our student days may be behind us, but

DeCoudreaux], I asked if there was any-

ports alumnae clubs through the Office

Mills can still be an important presence

one who was interested in reactivating

of Alumnae Relations. The Seattle Mills

in our lives, breaking down boundaries,

the San Diego Mills Club,” Brody says.

Club, for example, holds traditional

helping us reconnect, and introducing

She ended up with 15 to 20 responses.

events like an annual holiday party,

us to new friends—friends who share the

The club started small: a sculpture tour

but they’ve also had great success with

same formative experience.

at UC San Diego, a spring luncheon get-

smaller events that reflect a uniquely

President Alecia DeCoudreaux has

together. Now in its third year, the group

Pacific Northwest slant, like a day of

been instrumental in bringing alumnae

offers a wide range of different activi-

bread baking at the home of Trina Cook

together. During her first year in office,

ties to draw in the diverse array of Mills

and their upcoming salmon barbecue.

DeCoudreaux met with alumnae across

women: a happy hour for recent grads,

“It was really fun to be able to teach

the country, often drawing enthusiastic

a welcome event for new Mills students,

something that I know how to do,” Cook

audiences with a fervent interest in main-

and, most recently, a tour and presenta-

says, adding that she enjoyed the event’s

taining ties with fellow graduates.

tion by the president of the Salk Institute.

casual vibe. Anne Regalia Repass ’66,

That’s how Malindi Zimmer ended up

“We definitely try to come up with

also of Seattle, credits the broad range of

as a leader for the Portland Mills Club in

events that will reach a broad audience,”

ages in their group for coming up with

Oregon. After attending an event featur-

says Sarah Wigdor-Roberts, a member of

ideas that appeal to all types of alum-

ing President DeCoudreaux, Zimmer was

the San Diego group’s steering committee.

nae, whether they prefer lectures and

keen to join a group with other alum-

The Mills College Club of New York

nae. But, she says, “I contacted Mills

faces a similar situation: “Trying to fig-

It’s just this type of variety that makes

and learned that there was no longer an

ure out what engages alumnae living in

for the most vital clubs. Successful

active local club.” So she volunteered to

a vibrant, action-packed environment

groups find ways for everyone to help.

start one up herself.

such as New York is a challenge,” says

“There’s really no contribution too small,”

“When I initially moved to Oregon, I

Annette Chan-Norris ’65, the group’s co-

says Joni Goddard Roylance ’02, MA ’04,

didn’t really know anyone, and I thought

chair. Her own favorite events from last

a college English instructor in Portland.

driven women from around the world.

18

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

“Before

I

introduced

museum tours or informal happy hours.

3

2

6

4

7

8

Wilkins Henderson ’80, president of the 1 PAAMCC President Anna Wilkins Henderson ’80, Mills business lecturer Michael Bush, and PAAMCC Vice President Kate Whiting Pickard ’11, MBA ’12.

Palo Alto Area Mills College Club. Beyond

2 A welcome reception for President DeCoudreaux was the spark that ignited a group of San Diego alumnae to re-establish their club. Pictured here are Victory Heramb Lareau ’64, Wendy Hull Brody ’68, DeCoudreaux, Mary Ann Childers Kinkead ’63, and Kay Hall Porter ’49.

events provide a link back to the campus

3 Trina Cook ’93, at left, shared the secrets to a perfect loaf with Seattle area alumnae Christina Hannan ’91, Rennie Joynt Walker ’92, Catherine Morrow Smith ’92, Lisa Kremer ’90, and Lisa’s daughter, Nora.

thing to being back at Mills,” she says.

4 Malindi Zimmer prepares to welcome guests to a Portland club event.

5 Julia Tucker ’78, Carol Conlee Caughley ’66, Joni Roylance ’02, MA ’04, Malindi Zimmer ’98, and Alexis Nelson-Blakey ’05, MBA ’06, are the steering committee members who keep the Portland Mills Club on track.

6 Tamika Workmon, MBA ’11, Dean of the Lokey Graduate School of Business Deborah Merrill-Sands, and Carrie Maultsby, MBA ’11, at an afternoon of networking for alumnae who are small business owners and entrepreneurs. The event at Google headquarters in Mountain View was sponsored by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club.

bringing alumnae together, the club and an affirmation of shared experience.

Trina Cook agrees. “It’s the closest Being part of a local alumnae group creates an instant network of professional and social contacts, and provides a sense of community and belonging. “Joining a Mills group can be a great way to find like-minded women,” notes Anne Repass.

It’s also a great way to give back. Many alumnae clubs, including those in New York and Palo Alto, are directly involved

7 Jalila Bell ’90, Steve Burrell, Annette Chan-Norris ’65, Hima B. ’96, and Laura Dolp ’90 at a New York club event last year.

in fundraising—holding benefit events

8 Professor of History Bert Gordon chats with Portland Mills Club members prior to his lecture to the group, “The History of Chocolate: From Bean to Beverage to Bar.”

instance. Supporting Mills can take many

To find your local alumnae group, see alumnae.mills.edu or call 510.430.2123.

For the latest news about events in your region, make sure to create an account with the online alumnae community and keep your contact information up to date!

at it this way: “If we can help alums stay

“You can actually contribute quite mini-

Diligent alumnae volunteers are the

keep people engaged with the Mills com-

mal time and still build a community,”

driving force in the most thriving and

munity and with one another. And, for

she says.

inclusive groups, but whether the club

nearly all of the alumnae mentioned

that raise money for scholarships, for forms, though. Anna Henderson looks connected to each other, that is supporting the College.”

Those connections are powerful. They

Roylance notes that even younger

is brand new, recently revived, or long-

above, the rewards of being involved with

grads—who face the challenges of try-

established, the Alumnae Relations Office

their local Mills club have far exceeded

ing to juggle career, family, and alumnae

is available to help. The staff works with

their expectations.

involvement—can play a significant role.

club volunteers, assisting with email out-

“When I first joined the committee, I

“When younger alumnae aren’t as par-

reach, securing faculty speakers, and pro-

thought more of what I would be giving

ticipatory, it’s not because they don’t feel

viding some logistical support.

versus what I would be getting,” says Joni

that deeper connection,” she says. Even

“The College has worked with us so

Roylance. “In fact, I feel like what I get

just a few hours on email or Facebook

well that we feel like we’re hosting a

from it has been far more than what I’ve

can make a difference.

Mills event on the Peninsula,” says Anna

been giving.”

SUMMER 2013

19

Virginia left a legacy at Mills.

You can too.

Virginia B. Smith (1923–2010) An economist, lawyer, and educator, Virginia led Vassar College as president between 1977 and 1986, then became a trustee of Mills College. In 1990, she came out of retirement to serve as acting Mills president for one year following the Strike of 1990. Today, her unrestricted bequest is helping to underwrite student scholarships.

Javkhlantugs (GiGi) Enkhtuvshin Cupp ’14 GiGi, an economics major, receives a merit-based

Bequests from friends of the College and alumnae enable Mills students to pursue their passions. Your unrestricted bequest will help Mills educate the leaders of the future.

scholarship funded in part by Virginia’s bequest. This spring, GiGi took five economics courses, audited another, and held a job in the Finance Office. She plans to start a school in her native Mongolia.

To learn more about creating a legacy of your own at Mills contact us toll-free at 1.877.PG.MILLS (1.877.746.4557) or planagift@mills.edu.

22

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

If you’ve already included Mills in your estate plans, please let us know.

In Memoriam Notices of death received before March 31, 2013

Mary Ann Childers Kinkead ’63, MA ’65

To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

Mary Ann Childers Kinkead, professor emerita of dance and former provost and dean of the faculty at Mills, passed away May 15.

Alumnae

Kinkead first came to Mills as a freshman in 1959 and, with the exception of a two-year period, she remained on campus until her retirement in 2005. A resident of Ethel Moore Hall as a student, she studied under Eleanor Lauer and Rebecca Fuller—teachers who prepared her for life as a dance scholar, Mills faculty member, and educational leader. She was named a full professor in the Dance Department in 1988, served four years as department chair, and was honored with the Mary Metz Professorship for outstanding teaching from 1992 to 1994.

Jean Logan Henderson ’34, December 11, in Santa Rosa, California.

A longtime resident of Orinda, she was a drama teacher at Oakland High School who performed regularly in local theater groups and was named Orinda’s Man of the Year in 1955. A volunteer at the Children’s Valley of the Moon Home, she participated in its annual fundraiser until age 94. She is survived by her daughters, Judith Knauss Whitehead ’97 and Julia Jacobsen, and four grandchildren.

Emma-Jane “Emmie” Peck White ’35, January 8, in San Ramon, California. An enthusiastic writer and needle worker, she enjoyed fine arts, helping community organizations, and maintaining her ties with Mills alumnae. She is survived by her niece Elizabeth “Betty” Peck Hutchins ’47.

In addition to being an exceptional teacher, Kinkead held several critical administrative positions, serving as dean of fine arts, provost and dean of the faculty, and, for six months in 1999, as acting president of the College. Throughout her tenure, she was dedicated to academic excellence and faculty involvement in the College’s decision-making process, and worked tirelessly to ensure that faculty had sufficient resources to meet their needs.

Jane Standen Tucker ’38, December 19, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

She worked with the US War Department on a project to build an oil pipeline across the Yukon, served in Europe with the Red Cross during World War II, and spent several years with ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia.

She lived in the “Castle Tucker” in Wiscasset, Maine, for 30 years before donating the property to the Lincoln County Historical Society.

Sara “Sally” Stepp McLeod ’41, January 6, in Palo Alto, California.

An active supporter of her community, she was a leader in PTA, Girl and Boy Scouts, Children’s Health Council, several garden clubs, and Committee for Art at Stanford. A lifetime member of AAUW and the Palo Alto Historical Society, she is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Ann Colyer Rook ’42, November 30, in Carmel, California. She was a court advocate working with the families of mentally ill and developmentally disabled patients at Camarillo State Hospital and was active with the Carmel Foundation, the Carmel Library, the Point Lobos Foundation, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.

Margaret “Peggy” Pounds Anderson ’43, November 14, on Mercer Island, Washington. A dedicated reader, volunteer, and gardener, she is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

Mary King Holmes ’43, January 13, in Greer, Arizona.

Kate Morrow Whitley ’43, June 7, 2012, in Encinitas, California. She studied studio arts and art history for many years and earned a second BA in art from California State University Los Angeles; she also worked at the Pasadena Star News and taught elementary school. She was a member of the Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League and the San Diegutio Art Guild. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

Jane H. Gaylord ’44, June 13, in Loveland, Colorado. She was employed by the Colorado State Child Welfare Division. Survivors include four children.

Helen Holmquist Halnan ’44, January 29, in Phoenix, Arizona. A longtime professor at Phoenix College, she did television lectures on psychology on KPHO TV in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she studied child therapy courses in London under Anna Freud, the daughter of Sigmund Freud. She is survived by her son and grandson.

Salle June Harris Saunders ’44, September 29, in Capitola, California.

Most of her career was spent as a medical office worker; she also enjoyed spending time in the Sierras. Survivors include her son and grandson.

She also made significant contributions to the world of dance beyond Mills College.

She served more than 10 years on the Paul Taylor Dance Company board of directors and, in 2003, received the Isadora Duncan Award— an “Izzy”—for her great support of the Bay Area dance community.

Mary Ann Kinkead demonstrated an uncompromising commitment to dance and to her alma mater and will be fondly remembered for her lively personality, great sense of humor, and ability to never take herself too seriously. She leaves behind her husband, Jordan; two sons; and three grandchildren.

Mary Ausplund Tooze ’44, January 29, in Portland, Oregon. A gifted pianist, she supported many of Oregon’s major arts groups, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Oregon Symphony. For the past 20 years, she hosted a monthly musical performance group in her home. Survivors include her daughter, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

SUMMER 2013

29

Jane Peck Alexander ’45, January 3, in Concord, Massachusetts. She participated in civil rights, educational, environmental, and peace organizations; became deeply involved in protesting racial segregation in the 1950s; and helped found the Nashoba Association for Equal Rights. In 1993, she was honored for her work campaigning to clean up depleted uranium waste. She is survived by her husband, Samuel; three children; and her cousin Muriel P. Loomis ’52.

Laura Lundegaard Anderson ’45, November 21, in Berkeley, California.

She worked as an occupational therapist at Dibble Army Hospital in Menlo Park, ran a concession business at Cal’s Memorial Stadium with her husband, and continued to work throughout her life for the family businesses. A member of several civic clubs and a volunteer for local hospitals, she is survived by five children and 11 grandchildren.

Marian Zork Given ’45, December 21, in El Paso, Texas. An executive director at El Paso Child Guidance Center for many years, she later went into private practice as a licensed psychologist. Her extensive volunteer work was recognized with the Hannah G. Solomon award from the National Council of Jewish Women and the First Lady of El Paso award in 1988. She is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Rosebeth Doerr Briggs ’47, January 3, in Seattle. She was active with Junior League, Senior Services, and Epiphany Parish, and was a fixture at the Seattle Tennis Club. She is survived by her husband, George; two sons; and three grandchildren.

Martha Findley Lee ’48, December 22, in Newport Beach, California.

Survivors include a son.

Barbara Mossman Courtney ’50, June 14, in Seattle. She worked as a counselor for families, public school and university students, and homeless people for many years. Her writing was published in several journals and she was also a sketch and collage artist. She is survived by her daughter.

Zoe Townley Murray ’50, March 8, in Lincoln, California.

Betty Pease Krahmer ’51, March 9, in Greenville, Delaware. She was an economic analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and served as a trustee on the boards of the Templeton Mutual Funds and the Delaware Art Museum. She was also an avid gardener who acted as treasurer of the board for the Delaware Center for Horticulture and president of the Delaware Daffodil Society. Survivors include her husband, Johannes; two daughters; and four grandsons.

Caryl Bader Emerson Roeder, MA ’52, November 4, in Benicia, California. She earned a master’s degree in library science and a doctor of education degree from San Francisco State College and worked as a children’s librarian in the Richmond Unified School District. In retirement, she taught piano to a generation of students. She is survived by her husband, Charles; two daughters; and two grandchildren.

Patricia Armstrong Warren ’53, December 13, in Santa Monica, California. She was historical curator at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, president of the Associated Historical Societies of Los Angeles County, and taught college-level California history. She later became a stockbroker and started her own practice, also teaching classes at UCLA Extension. She was a docent for the Getty Museum, was active in Girl Scouts, and was a member of the Southern California Society of Architectural Historians. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth; three children; two grandsons; cousins Elizabeth Ross McCormick ’51 and Margaret Ross Roberts ’49; and her sister-in-law, Joan Thompson Armstrong ’51.

30

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Marilyn A. Baldwin ’55, January 21, in Roseville, California. A fourthgeneration Californian, she was a dedicated kindergarten and elementary school teacher. Survivors include two children, two grandsons, and one step-grandson.

Bethilda “Beth” Olson Vieira ’59, February 26, in Vancouver, Washington.

Kristen Johnson Fluhrer ’69, January 16, in Seattle. She graduated from the University of Washington Law School and went on to become the first female director of the Snohomish County Public Defender’s Office. She had a second career as an international tax specialist, retiring from KPMG in 2011. Survivors include her husband, Gary, and two daughters.

Diane David-Healy ’73, July 31, in Alburgh, Vermont. After working with students facing severe disabilities, she developed a career as a professional artist, holding shows, teaching workshops, and supporting other artists. She is survived by two sons, three grandchildren, and her companion, Ted Boyd.

Molly Hua Isham, MA ’84, December 15, in Champaign, Illinois. A native of China, she was admitted to Mills in 1949 but could not go due to the civil war in her home country. In 1982, she came to the United States and enrolled at Mills College. She was a translator for the United States Federal Courts in San Francisco and San Jose, the Municipal and Superior Courts, and the Immigration Court for many years. She also taught ESL and English and lectured on Chinese culture. She is survived by her two sons, four grandchildren, two stepsons, and four step-grandchildren.

Joan Cudal Luz ’93, December 23, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She had a successful career in finance in Atlanta. Survivors include her husband, Alan Howard; a son; and her parents.

Alison Immel Maheu ’08, December 23, in Oakland, California. She volunteered weekly for eight years at the tall ship CA Thayer at Hyde St. Pier in San Francisco. Alison received the Mills Biology Prize and went on to assume the position of rigger at the SF Maritime National Historical Park.

She is survived by her husband, Luc Maheu; her parents; and her brother.

Spouses and Family David W. Davis, husband of Andronike Janus ’64, November 3, in Boston, Massachusetts.

James Gianulis, husband of Deborah Stevens Gianulis ’73, November 22, 2012, in La Mesa, California.

Bruna Panagopoulos, mother of Irene Panagopoulos ’85, October 28, 2012, in Athens, Greece.

Hans-Peter Solle, husband of Judy Ann Solle ’64, April 16, in Kentfield, California.

Gary Wright, husband of Lynn Elliott ’69, October 27, in Diamond Bar, California.

Faculty and Staff Keiko Fukuda, an instructor in the athletic department from 1967 to 1978, died February 9, just two months shy of her 100th birthday. A native of Japan, she earned a degree in Japanese literature at Showa Women’s University and, instead of marrying, dedicated herself to the study of judo. She moved to the United States in 1966, established her Soko Joshi Judo Club for women practitioners in San Francisco, and became the highest-ranked female judo instructor in history: in 2006, she became the first woman to earn the rank of 9th dan from the Kodokan (the headquarters of the worldwide judo community) and 10th dan from USA Judo. She received Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1990, published two textbooks, and was the subject of a documentary entitled Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful. Survivors include a sister, two nieces, and two nephews.

Gifts in Memory of Laura Lundegaard Anderson ’45 by Deborah Andrews, Joe and Joan Rose Enloe ’57, Sally Mayock Hartley ’48, Joan Kiekhaefer

Joan Cummings Hobbs ’48 by Muffy McKinstry Thorne ’48

Margery Disman Anson ’42 by her sons, John and William Knox

Kenneth and Virginia Holmgren by their daughter, Janet Holmgren

Mary “Curry” Woodin Babcock ’39 by Mary LeDonne ’84, MA ’88

Michael Craig by Anne Lugthart Barnett ’84

Marilyn Carlson Baldwin ’55 by Anne Mayberry Parachini ’55

Marvin Jackson by Hazel Wheeler ’11, MBA ’13

Lynne Bantle ’74 by John Deeming, Judy Greenwood Jones ’60, P ’92, Sharon Tatai ’80

Keiko Uchida Kakutani ’40 by William Bade, P ’88

Mary Helen Barrett by Bette Krause Spagel ’63, P ’79 Timanna Bennett ’02 by Marcia Randall ’02 Robert Berendsen by his sister, Barbara Berendsen Capron ’65 Marilyn Frye Bettendorf, P ’75, by her daughter, Marilyn Barrett ’75 Patricia “Pat” Tiggard Boese ’50 by Kathleen Miller Janes ’69 Darl Bowers, husband of Anita Bowers ’63, P ’84, by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64 Donald Bozorth, husband of Gene Bozorth ’48, by Cynthia Taves ’48 Linda Nelson Branson ’77 by her husband, James Branson Rosebeth “Beth” Doerr Briggs ’47 by Ann Thomas Jones ’47 Dave Brubeck, MA ’46, by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64, Mills College Club of New York

Patricia Wells Holmberg ’49 by her son, Eric Holmberg

Charles Larsen by Mura Kievman ’64 Eleanor Lauer, MA ’40, by Rebecca Fuller, MA ’54 Fred Lawson by Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk ’90 Edward LeFevour, P ’90, by Susan Slothower Spangler ’72 Carol Lennox ’61 by Angelique Di Schino Felgentreff ’90 Joan Luz ’93 by Elizabeth Bales-Stutes ’93, Julie Smith Moyca Christy Manoil ’41 by Jonae Bedke DeLong ’59 Norma Ross Maris ’47 by Ellen Graue Ferris ’46, MA ’51 Linda Rooney Markstein Shaw ’61 by Ann O’Brien Hildebrand ’61 Eugene Martin by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64 Eloise Randleman McCain ’57 by her husband, Leonard McCain Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’08 by Yolonda Young Armstrong ’06

Marian Jeanne Bohn Burch ’50 by her daughter, Pamela Burch

Diane McEntyre by Elizabeth Kelley Quigg, MA ’89

Jean Schweers Burns ’46 by Ellen Graue Ferris ’46, MA ’51

Darius Milhaud by Clare Rosenkranz Sig ’68

Ann Jones Cahill ’48 by Marilyn Wilson Newland ’48, P ’75

Edith Ottenheimer Miller ’25 by her son, Alan Miller

Marian Van Tuyl Campbell by Rebecca Fuller, MA ’54

Esther “Lee” Mirmow by Bette Krause Spagel ’63, P ’79

Marion Church by Anonymous

Joan Morrow by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64

Bob Clark, husband of Judith Clark ’63, by Patricia Yoshida Orr ’63

Lenore Glen Offord ’25 by Darlene Holbrook ’64

Diane David-Healy ’73 by Cynthia McLaughlin ’74

Evelyn Oremland by her husband, Jerome Oremland

Evelyn “Peg” Deane ’41 by her sister, Margaret Deane, Elaine Bowe Johnson ’62

Bruna Panagopoulos by her daughter, Irene Panagopoulos ’85, Kathleen Burke

Doris Dennison by Rebecca Fuller, MA ’54

Robbyn Panitch ’79 by Betsey Shack Goodwin ’76

Martha “Marty” Miller Evans ’63 by her husband, Geoffrey Evans, Victoria Foster

Bernice Pantell by Anonymous

Kristen Johnson Fluhrer ’69 by Gayle Rothrock ’68

Elizabeth Pope by Elaine Bowe Johnson ’62

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fong, P ’ 41, parents of Borgee Chinn ’41, by Momi Chang ’74

Nathan Rubin by Joyce Grantham ’61

Timothy Francis by his mother, Jamey Coopman Francis ’60

Susan Rubenstein Schapiro ’52 by her husband, William Schapiro

Barbara “Bobby” Coleman Frey ’68 by Patricia Abelov Demoff ’68

Joseph Shuttleworth, husband of Rebecca “Becky” Marsh Shuttleworth ’64, by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64

Rheta Dattner Goldberg ’61 by her daughter, Rae Ann Goldberg ’73 Beate Sirota Gordon ’43 by Martha Ashton-Sikora, Linda Ben-Zvi, Alfred Cerrullo, Sue Dodell, Ester Fuchs, Frederick Herrmann, Melvin Hershkowitz, Japan America Society Women’s Association, Robert Kaufman, Mills College Club of New York, Marilyn Patrik, Jerome Rubenstein, Motoatsu Sakurai, David Saltonstall, Marilyn Saltus, June Holden Schneider ’43, Eric Schorr, Frederick Schwarz, Joseph Shein, George Spera, Marion Tsutsui

Helen Pillans by Jan Broman Westmore ’70

Eleanor Marshall Schaefer ’29 by Nicole Bartow

Edith Merrell Swayne ’42 by her goddaughter, Deborah Andrews Mary Ausplund Tooze ’44 by Molly Fairbank Grassi ’59 Frances Weiler Varnhagen ’52 by her daughter, Elizabeth Varnhagen ’79 James Wanzer by his mother, Sue Ann Coopman Peterson ’55 Nancy Warner, P ’63, by Peggy Weber ’65

Denyse Gross ’72 by her husband, Kenneth Morrison

Patricia “Pia” Armstrong Warren ’53 by her sister-in-law, Joan Thompson Armstrong ’51, Jeanne Thomas ’51

Glynda Cober Hardin ’77 by Katja Geldhof ’03

Hugh Cargill Wass by his brother and sister-in-law, Warren and Honor Wass

Nancy Martin Harper ’80, P ’78, P ’90, by her daughter, Kristin Harper Bush ’78

Marcia Marple Weston, MA ’37, by Kirsten Colello, Barbara Hatheway

George Hedley by Mura Kievman ’64

Jack Woida by Jane Cudlip King ’42, P ’80

Raymond White by the Estate of Bette Waddington

F. Warren Hellman by Diana Hirsch Cohen ’81

p=parent; For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

SUMMER 2013

31

Brains & beauty O

pen a book, and you can easily be transported to worlds familiar and fantastic, populated with characters, creatures, and concepts that expand the imagination and the soul. A serious student will find the knowledge of the universe—from algebra to zoology—waiting to be discovered between the covers of a weighty volume.

Books are rich fodder for the mind, but they’re often objects of great beauty as well, and the Heller Rare Book Room is a repository of tomes that exhibit both characteristics in abundance. Among the room’s holdings are numerous examples of artistic bookbinding techniques, specialty papers, and gloriously illuminated and illustrated volumes. The Heller Room notably houses the creations of the Eucalyptus Press, founded

by Rosalind Keep at Mills College in 1932, and three dozen books from William Morris’ Kelmscott Press, including the 1893 masterpiece The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, illustrated by Edward Burne-Jones (shown at right with Cynthia Taves ’48 and Sue Brund Lamon ’47).

The most recent additions to this august assemblage are a number of volumes (shown above) from the collection of Mills Professor Emerita of English Roussel Sargent, including a 1696 edition of Seneca’s Morals by Way of Abstract and works by Jonathan Swift, Ovid, and Anthony Trollope—books that satisfy the pursuit of knowledge and the desire for pleasure equally.

32

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

dana dav is

Alumnae tr avel 2014

Galapagos

Cruise the Panama Canal Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal, a true wonder of the modern world! Set sail from Miami and visit delightful ports of call including Grand Cayman, British West Indies, with its stunning coral reefs; Cartagena, Colombia, full of old-world architecture; and Huafulco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, vibrant and picturesque towns.  January 5–18, 2014

Sicily Dordogne

Wonders of Galapagos Experience the unique biology of these famed islands aboard the Santa Cruz, a vessel featuring complimentary snorkeling gear, a fleet of Zodiacs, and a glass-bottom boat. Excursions are led by experienced naturalists whose knowledge will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of this fascinating natural realm. A post-tour extension is available to the legendary city of Machu Picchu.  January 24–February 1, 2014

See the AAMC travel website at aamc.mills.edu for dates, prices, and full itineraries as they become available. For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

Normandy: the 70th anniversary of D-Day Honor the courageous World War II soldiers who fought to liberate Europe. From your base in scenic Honfleur, a historian will guide your visit to historic landing beaches and you’ll walk through history at the American Military Cemetery, the Caen Memorial and museum, and Sainte Mère Église, one of the first towns liberated on D-Day. Other attractions include majestic Mont-Saint-Michel and Monet’s home and studio in Giverny.  April 22–30, 2014

Croatia’s Adriatic Coast Croatia’s historic cities, pristine parkland, and sun-drenched coastline provide a rich landscape with a vibrant cultural heritage. Explore Zagreb, Croatia’s ancient capital; the charming seaside towns of Trogir and Split; the island of Hvar; and the lush forests and crystal blue lakes of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Conclude your journey in Dubrovnik, where a spectrum of architectural styles coexist within the medieval city wall.  June 9–20, 2014

Great Journey through Europe Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel aboard the MS Amadeus Princess, sampling the charms of fairy-tale towns studding the route of the Rhine River. Then, travel overland through Switzerland’s verdant countryside, as legendary railways convey you in style through the Alps to complete your journey in lovely Lucerne.  June 24–July 4, 2014

National Parks and Lodges of the Old West Discover the legends and unspoiled wilderness of the old American West while overnighting in extraordinary historic lodges. An expedition leader guides you through spectacular Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Custer State Park. Other highlights include the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and a fascinating woolly mammoth dig.  July 26–August 4, 2014

Alaska’s Inside Passage Rugged, remote, majestic—Alaska is a land of superlatives. Listen for the distinctive crack of glaciers “calving” in Glacier Bay. Keep a keen eye open for eagles, bears, and other wildlife in spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument, and search for humpback whales in Icy Strait. The small ship Alaskan Dream offers the chance to see it all up close.  August 16–23, 2014

India

Grand Danube Passage This land and cruise journey follows the footsteps of the traders, artists, and others who have traveled this important waterway for centuries. After two nights in Sofia, Bulgaria, board the MS Amadeus Brilliant to venture into opulent palaces and elegant cathedrals of Belgrade, Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna—all situated amid exquisite natural beauty.

Conclude with three nights in Prague.  August 15–29, 2014

Village Life in Dordogne Experience the best of France’s picturesque southwest region from beautiful Sarlat-la-Canéda. Explore the dramatic cliffside village of Rocamadour, famous prehistoric paintings of Rouffignac Cave, and the troglodyte village of La Roque Saint-Christophe, inhabited for more than 25,000 years. Enriching lectures and modern accommodations complete this sojourn.  September 25–October 3, 2014

Sicily and the Amalfi Coast The island of Sicily boasts sun-bleached Greek temples, Roman ruins, and ancient amphitheaters. The incomparable Amalfi Coast and nearby Bay of Naples have their own treasures: Positano, a “vertical” town of pastel buildings that cascade towards the sea; Pompeii, destroyed (and preserved) by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD; and Sorrento and Naples, with their idyllic piazzas and museums.  September 26–October 5, 2014

Treasures of India and Nepal These countries offer incomparable landscapes and fascinating culture.

Discover grand mosques and lively markets in Delhi; relax over dinner with a local family in Jaipur. Set out on a safari at Ranthambore National Park, and marvel at the romantic Taj Mahal. Your journey continues in Kathmandu, with excursions to the sacred Hindu Pashupatinath Temple and the holy Buddhist site Boudhanath.  October 19–November 2, 2014

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu Address service requested Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA, and at additional mailing office(s)

2013

Reunion

Thursday, September 26 through Sunday, September 29 Every alumna is invited H Honoring the Golden Girls of 1963 and alumnae from class years ending in 3 or 8

Highlights include: • Convocation on September 27 • Updates from President DeCoudreaux, members of her cabinet, and leaders of the Alumnae Association of Mills College • Class Luncheon and AAMC Awards Ceremony • Family Barbeque Lunch • After-hours drinks and music at Reinhardt Alumnae House • Alumnae of color short film festival • Campus tours, open houses, demonstrations, and presentations • Class dinners and photos • A trip to San Francisco to view the Bay Lights installation • And much, much more! Schedule updates will be posted online at alumnae.mills.edu/reunion.

Join the Reunion book group The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan’s classic nonfiction work, was published 50 years ago and helped fuel the women’s movement. We invite reunioning alumnae to read the book, which is also this year’s assigned book for incoming students, and join a faculty-led discussion of the text on Saturday morning.

for more information:

Reunion hotline: 510.430.2123 Email: alumnae-relations@mills.edu Web: alumnae.mills.edu/reunion Brochures with full schedules and registration information have been mailed to all alumnae from class years ending in 3 or 8; they are available to other alumnae by request.