Whim ‘n Rhythm perfom at Woolsey Hall

Last weekend I traveled from Miami Beach up to New Haven for my Yale College Class of 1990 20th reunion.  Wow–time has flown.  But it was great to see so many people.  The head of reunions said we had 450 classmates show up out of a class of 1,300 students–not bad.  I only took a few photos over the weekend because I spent the entire time talking and by Sunday my voice was hoarse.

1990 Whiffenpoofs performing at our reunion

I stayed right in the dorm (Silliman College) on campus!

I just remembered I had taken some images with my iphone (the resolution is pretty weak!).  Before everyone had arrived at the reunion on Friday, I wandered around campus and visited a few of my favorite “haunts” and here they are:

Calhoun College’s common room piano.  I have many fond memories of my suite-mate, Harrison Pollak playing amazing music on this piano.

For lunch on Friday, I had my favorite Greek salad at Yorkside Restaurant on York Street.  This is the same great salad that I’ve been having since 1982 when my brother first matriculated at Yale!

I also visited The Selin Courtyard inside Sterling Memorial Library.  I remember the first time my brother showed me this wonderful place to read.

And of course for dessert, I had to go to Ashley’s Ice Cream on York Street!

Today I went to Jackie Gleason’s Mausoleum at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery with my friend Ashley.  Ash told me he had been wanting to visit Jackie‘s grave since moving here 13 years ago but Jackie is buried way out near the everglades on the west side of Miami and Ashley doesn’t drive.  So I offered to drive and I’m glad I did because I have fond memories of my Dad watching Jackie on TV when I was a kid and laughing late at night.  I wasn’t expecting much because of how far out the cemetery is but was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful, quiet, walled and well landscaped area.  Also surprising was how classy Jackie’s mausoleum is–all marble, tastefully done and rather simple.  The only wording anywhere on the entire mausoleum besides his name and dates was the following favorite saying on the front and back steps: “AND AWAY WE GO”  Definitely worth a little side-trip if you are a Gleason fan.  And I was surprised at how few people actually visit his grave–the secretary at the cemetery office said he gets visitors only about once a month.  So, he’s probably lonely–go visit him.

[View with PicLens]

I first met Annie at a college alumni gathering at the Solo Bistro restaurant in Bath, ME.  Later that week I checked out her website,  and was so impressed with her work as a poet, I asked if she would like to participate in my upcoming photography exhibit: “Mainiacs – Portraits of Prominent Mainers.”  She agreed.

So, this Fall I photographed her at her home just outside Portland.  When I do portraits of people in their homes, I ask them which part of the home means the most to them.  Where do they spend most of their time?  This was easy for Annie to answer and there were four separate locations: a nook downstairs with a reading chair and a side table for her tea cup; a bookcase with a wonderful mask (a gift from a former student); her office upstairs and her writing desk which overlooks her back yard.

My favorite story Annie shared with me was about her husband Glen.  I had asked her to describe a special time in her writing.  She described one day when she was in the back yard, Glen came home and he was about to tell her about his day.  He stopped, looked at her face, and said, “You need time alone to write, don’t you?”  “She said yes.”  So, Glen went back inside.  Annie said that one moment she’ll always remember because it meant so much to her to have a husband who recognizes her needs.  What a great story?

Anyway, I truly enjoyed my portrait session with Annie and look forward to hearing about her upcoming work.

To view more photos from this portrait session or for prints, click here.

To receive an invitation to this exhibit, click here and submit your contact information.