Dear Reader,
It may be true that “April is the cruelest month,” but you don’t have to go through it alone. We’re here for you. Join us at www.reedthegrail.com for all things Reed both Olde and Nü. From a glam-rock Julius Caesar (3), to Nitrogen Day 2K14.0067 (10), there will be plenty of events to break the monotony.
And, if things get worse, you could always check out alumna Annelyse Gelman’s first book of poetry, published last week (4). For those of you who would rather be in lab, read about Lisa Hiura ’14 and her work with animal social behavior (8). Or step inside the Paradox and see how student artists are taking ownership of Reed buildings and filling them with their works (1).
However, if love is bringing you down, then perhaps Charles Nunziato’s serial story “First Love” will cheer you up (5). If all else fails, remember that at least you’ll never find yourself in the cast of “Nymphomaniac.” Max Carpenter critically discusses the context and influences of Lars Von Trier’s new film (7).
“Remember, I’m pulling for ya, we’re all in this together.” As always, we invite you to our weekly open meetings, Mondays at 8 in PAB 105.
Love,Ben, Brendan, Clara, Jordan, Lauren, and Vikram
News & Features
Despite the passion of students for various artistic endeavors, the Reed campus lacks space dedicated to displaying student art pieces year-round. This seems to clash with Reed’s “artsy” reputation, the popularity of RAW and the plethora of students puffing on cigarettes outside the Paradox or lounging on the lawn with dried clay and paint on their clothes.
The Reed College Theatre’s production of “Julius Caesar,” now beginning the second week of its two-week run, is many things. It is the final production by Kathleen Worley, the head of the theatre department, after her thirty-year dedication to the performing arts at Reed. Also, it is the sound design thesis of Jenn Lidell ’14, and the final performance of ebullient senator and Reed Relieves administrator, Andrew Watson ’14.
Last Friday, Annelyse Gelman ’13 published her first book of poetry, Everyone I Love is a Stranger to Someone. The book was published by Write Bloody, a small press Gelman describes as “unpretentious and interested in bringing poetry to new audiences.” She had been a fan of the publishing house during her time at Reed, even inviting some of their writers to campus to give readings in the Chapel. “When I heard they were reading submissions during my senior year,” she says, “I read through hundreds and hundreds of my own poems and made the skeleton of a book.”
Fiction
From as far back as I can remember our family would spend the summers in the home near Hartford. Every year through the end of middle school I would come home on the final day of class to find the station wagon parked in front of our brownstone, loaded and ready, glowing in the early summer heat. My brother and I crowded into the backseat, our pasty legs knocking together, and our father drove us on past the city limits. I remember watching him with a sort of reverence. He had the face of a boxer, his jawline sharp as glass, and dark eyes that seemed to take in everything and nothing all at once. On these drives he would stop for nothing, his meaty fingers gripping the wheel with a firm tenderness, manipulating it this way and that. He would tap his calloused fingers, a thrumming which drove my mother into a silent fury. I noticed a slight smile on his face as this all transpired.
Film Review
Graceful Grousings
Science
Maddy's Questions
Miss Lonely Hearts
Dear Miss Lonely Hearts,
There’s this girl in one of my conferences who is unnecessarily aggressive, like a Jack Russell Terrier. She makes good points but the way in which she makes them makes me and other members of my class visibly uncomfortable. It’s like she’s a human Brillo pad. How do I get her to realize that her behavior is negatively impacting the conference and possibly intimidating people who have good things to say but are shy? How can I share my similes in peace?
Advise me,
Scared in conference
De Sastre
