Celebrity | Princeton Magazine

Ernest Hemingway Exhibit at The Morgan Library and Museum

The Morgan Presents the first major museum exhibition of the life and writings of Ernest Hemingway

From September 25 through January 31, The Morgan Library and Museum will present Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars. This is the first major museum exhibition devoted to the work of Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), one of the most celebrated American authors of the 20th century. Organized in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, it includes multiple drafts of Hemingway’s earliest short stories, notebooks, heavily revised manuscripts and typescripts of his major novels—The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. more

Jhumpa Lahiri Speaks at McCarter Theatre, October 14

Lahiri web 2 Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri will speak at McCarter Theatre on Wednesday, October 14 at 4:30 p.m. Lahiri will be joined by Mary Szybist. The event is presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Creative Writing and is free and open to the public.

Lahiri joined the Princeton University faculty in September 2015. She has been appointed Professor of Creative Writing and will teach workshops in fiction and translation.

Lahiri’s debut collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000, as well as the PEN/Hemingway Award and The New Yorker Debut of the Year. Her most recent novel, The Lowland, published in 2013, was short-listed for both the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction. Her first novel The Namesake (2003) was a New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist and was selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications, and was adapted into the popular film of the same name. Lahiri’s second collection of short stories, Unaccustomed Earth (2008), received the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Her work has also appeared frequently in The New Yorker and has been translated into over 30 languages.

Born in London, Lahiri moved to Rhode Island as a young child with her Bengali parents. Although they have lived in the United States for more than thirty years, Lahiri observes that her parents retain “a sense of emotional exile” and Lahiri herself grew up with “conflicting expectations…to be Indian by Indians and American by Americans.” more

Eram Siddiqui’s 10 Favorite Things

The fashion-forward CEO and founder of Hudson + Bleecker shares the ten things she cannot live without

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Eram Siddiqui understands women on the go. A world traveler and fashion guru, Siddiqui has transformed her passions into the esteemed luxury travel accessory brand, Hudson + Bleecker. From shoe bags to jewelry organizers, Hudson + Bleecker ‘s curated collection covers every need of the modern traveling woman. Each piece features Hudson + Bleecker’s signature patterns and prints that are inspired by Siddiqui’s global travels. When this business-savvy designer isn’t conceiving her next accessory, she can be found enjoying fall foliage, riding her bike, or indulging in another one of her favorite things. more

The NYC Wine & Food Festival

(Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for NYCWFF)

Get ready to eat, drink, and end hunger at the NYC Food and Wine Festival starting October 15

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival has announced its 2015 events to eat, drink, and end hunger. From October 15 – 18, 100% of the net proceeds from more than 100 events taking place throughout NYC will benefit the Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry®. To date, the Festival has raised more than $8.5 million to help fight hunger with the nation’s leading hunger-relief organizations.

The Festival will be held at Piers 92 and 94, with the latter being the epicenter for the event’s tasting compound, where guests can sample food and wine from some of NYC’s best restaurants. Pier 92 will host several signature events that anchor the Festival each evening. Some of the premiere happenings include Giada De Laurentils’ Italian Feast featuring NYC’s best trattorias, a competition for the best mac and cheese dish hosted by Rachael Ray, and a cocktail showdown hosted by Emeril Lagasse. Other Festival staple events include Chicken Coupe hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and the Best Bloody Mary Brunched hosted by the cast of Chopped.
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Academia’s A-Listers

From Pulitzer Prize winners to former Secretaries of State, some of the world’s most influential minds have also established themselves as college professors.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

There’s a key question involved in the college course selections for the upcoming semester – “Who’s the professor?” While most faculty require a quick search on the oft-used website ratemyprofessor.com, other names speak for themselves. Here, Princeton Magazine highlights an elite sampling of celebrity professors teaching courses this fall. more

Emily Mann Discusses McCarter’s Production of “Baby Doll” at Princeton Public Library

Babydoll 1 Artistic Director Emily Mann and leads Dylan McDermott and Susannah Hoffman discuss McCarter Theatre’s upcoming production of “Baby Doll” Tuesday, September 1, at Princeton Public Library. The McCarter Live at the Library event is at 7 p.m. in the Community Room.

Mann will direct the darkly comic drama she adapted for the stage with Pierre Laville. Joining the discussion will be “Baby Doll” leads Dylan McDermott and Susannah Hoffman who will talk about the joys and challenges of bringing the tale to life. Based on the controversial 1950s Tennessee Williams film, “Baby Doll” is the story of a failing cotton gin owner, his beautiful, childlike, 19-year-old wife and the man who plots to seduce her. The production opens September 11 and runs through October 11.

Seating for this event will be on a first-come, first-seated basis with a line forming at 6 p.m. The doors to the Community Room will open at 6:30 p.m. Additional seating will be available just outside the Community Room and in the first-floor fireplace area where the event will be simulcast.

All Princeton Public Library programs are free and open to the public. If programs require registration, preference is given to library cardholders. more

Princeton Record Exchange Changes Hands, Maintains Vision

By Stuart Mitchner

The legend known as the Princeton Record Exchange (Prex) originated in April 1977 in the U-Store parking lot on University Place on the same block as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first residence. “I used to find students and offer them an album or two to help unload a van full of heavy orange crates of records,” Barry Weisfeld told Town Topics Monday, regarding his sale of the Princeton landmark to store manager Jon Lambert for an undisclosed amount. In 1980, Mr. Weisfeld’s traveling record fair found a home on Nassau Street, across from Holder Hall, before moving five years later to the Tulane Street building it occupies today.

Mr. Lambert, 53, still shares the attitude he expressed to a New York Times interviewer in October 2008. Referring to the “cold, sterile world on the Internet,” he said, “people get an experience here you can’t get online,” adding, in the context of the plight of independent record sellers, “If there are five stores left standing, I think we can be one of them.”

Customers and dealers all over the world will agree.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Mr. Lambert emphasized, “No big changes, no turning everything on its ear.” The “main thrust” is to continue doing what has worked so well. Prex has been named among the top 20 record stores in Rolling Stone; in the top 10 in GQ; the top 10 in Time; and in the top five in the Wall Street Journal. more

China Lifts International Travel Ban For Zodiac Sculptor Ai Weiwei

By Linda Arntzenius

After a four-year ban that prevented him from all international travel and kept him from visiting Princeton in 2012, Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has had his passport returned to him.

Last week, Mr. Ai posted a photo of himself on Instagram holding the document, which had been confiscated by Chinese authorities following the artist’s outspoken remarks on number of national scandals, including collapse of badly-constructed schools during a 2008 earthquake. more

Great Authors To Follow On Twitter

By Taylor Smith

The wonderful thing about following your favorite writers on Twitter is that they suddenly become relatable. They are people with opinions, a sense of humor, and a life outside of their writing duties. more

India Hicks: Island Style

Escape to paradise with the fashion guru’s newest book on island living.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Caribbean flair collides with British sensibility in India Hicks’ third and newest tome, India Hicks: Island Style. A miscellany of breathtaking personal and professional photographs, design tips, and personal advice, Island Style acts as a bona fide scrapbook of Hicks’ home life. Readers are thrown into the colorful and free-spirited world of her Hibiscus Hill home in the Bahamas where she lives with her designer husband, four children, and fostered Bahamian son. more

Brandon Uranowitz’s Favorite Things

From a Canon 5D camera to Chapstick, the Tony nominated actor tells Urban Agenda his go-to products and places.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

With 12 Tony Award nominations – including best musical – An American in Paris is taking Broadway by storm. An adaptation of the 1951 Vincente Minnelli movie, the Gershwin musical effortlessly captures the spirited attitude of Post-WWII Paris. Among a triad of ex-pats vying for a single woman is the quick-witted and sardonic character, Adam Hochberg. more

Everything Pia

The Dutch Novelist Pia De Jong Calls Princeton Home

By Linda Arntzenius

Photography by Benoit Cortet

Illustrations by Elaine Gerrits

Regular readers of Princeton Magazine will recognize Pia de Jong from a feature story that ran in 2013 shortly after the Dutch novelist and her family moved from Amsterdam to Princeton for her husband Robbert Dijkgraaf to take up his appointment as director of the Institute for Advanced Study. The focus of that first article was Robbert Dijkgraaf. This time around, it’s all Pia. more

Jesse Marsch: Writing a New Chapter in the History of the Red Bulls

By Bill Alden

The New York Red Bulls franchise of Major League Soccer has a tortured history, featuring big-name players and underachievement. Despite attracting such internationally known players as Thierry Henry, Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Juan Pablo Angel, and Bradley Wright-Phillips over the years, the club has never won an MLS Cup in its 20-plus seasons.

So when the franchise underwent its latest changing of the guard last year with former MLS executive Ali Curtis taking over as Sporting Director, popular head coach Mike Petke landed on the hot seat. Curtis fired Petke in January and the smart money was on the club bringing in a high profile replacement. Instead, the Harrison, N.J.-based Red Bulls hired a volunteer college coach toiling 45 miles south for the Princeton University men’s soccer team. more

In Ruth Reichl’s Writings, Food Is Always the Star

By Anne Levin

Ruth Reichl is sometimes asked the question: If you had a superpower, what would it be? For the author, food writer and editor — formerly the restaurant critic at The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times and the editor-in-chief of the late and lamented Gourmet magazine, the answer is a no-brainer: To have a heightened palate.

“I wish I had it, but I so do not,” she said during a telephone interview last week. “Especially in my business, it would be a great asset.” Ms. Reichl will speak this Friday at a sold-out Book Lover’s Luncheon hosted by the Princeton Public Library and the Friends of the Library, at Springdale Golf Club. “The closest I’ve ever seen is Paula Wolfert, whom I traveled with once,” she continued. “She really does have an uncanny ability to pull flavors apart.” more

Mary Helen Bowers’ Favorite Things

From rosehip oil to baby bonnets, the creator of Ballet Beautiful and loving mother to Lumina Belle shares the ten items she loves most.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Photos provided by Ballerina Mary Helen Bowers, copyright Ballet Beautiful

Even though Mother’s Day has passed, Princeton Magazine decided to extend our appreciation for all the resilient women in our lives beyond a single day. So, we sought out the woman who has built an entire brand on her understanding of mothers-to-be, Mary Helen Bowers. Professional ballerina turned fitness mogul and proud mom of 16-month-old Lumina Belle, Bowers has become a global icon for mothers. more

“Crystal Cut and Clean” — Former Ballet Star Teaches Master Class at Princeton University

By Anne Levin

Wendy Whelan’s retirement from the New York City Ballet last fall was marked with great fanfare and emotional tributes. In her 28 years with the company, she performed a broad range of repertory and won loyal fans for her individualistic style and distinctive approach to her roles.

Teaching a ballet class Monday at Princeton University, a day before she was to appear at McCarter Theatre in a program of contemporary choreography called “Restless Creature,” Ms. Whelan made it clear that though she still loves ballet, she isn’t exactly bereft about no longer being a principal dancer with one of the largest ballet companies in the nation.

Michael Graves – Drawn to Design

By Ilene Dube

Images courtesy of Michael Graves Architecture and Design

In the weeks before his death, Michael Graves gave one of his last interviews to Princeton Magazine for the article that is printed here as written, with some modifications. He was still reporting to work every day, painting, making travel plans, seeking new building projects and looking forward to another year of teaching.

In this world there are numerous entities titled Michael Graves. There’s the Hotel Michael in Singapore, a luxury facility named for and featuring everything designed by the Princeton-based architect. The rooms are a sort of Michael Graves catalog, filled with his hallmark shapes that evoke roots in classical architecture. Even the paintings and murals come from the hand of Graves. more

Alan Turing: Princeton’s Celebrated Alumnus and the Digital Universe

By Linda Arntzenius

Photo illustration by Jorge Naranjo

Mathematical logic seems an unlikely field for a national hero. And yet, Winston Churchill described Alan Turing as having “made the single biggest contribution to Allied victory in the war against Nazi Germany.” Churchill was referring to Turing’s code-breaking for the British intelligence service. As astounding as that was, Turing’s impact goes far beyond his efforts to break the German “Enigma” at Bletchley Park. To computer scientists he’s venerated as a pioneer whose theoretical “Universal Turing Machine” laid the groundwork for today’s digital revolution.

So why did it take so long for Turing to become a household name?

The answer to that question can now be quite simply stated. Turing was a practicing homosexual at a time when homosexual acts were subject to criminal prosecution in the U.K. Not only that, in the paranoid post-war period, homosexuals in Britain, as in the United States, were highly suspect, assumed to be vulnerable to blackmail during the spy-games of the Cold War.

Center Of Theological Inquiry – Where Scholars Take On Life’s Big Questions

By Linda Arntzenius

Photography by Nicholas Babladelis, NJB Photography

There was a time when the words science and religion rarely appeared in a sentence without the word versus holding them apart. This adversarial attitude can still be found in high-profile sword fencing between media personalities. But at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton you are more likely to find scientists sitting down with theologians, among other scholars in the sciences and humanities. Part of this change in the intellectual landscape is due to the inescapable importance of religion across the globe. Center Director William Storrar (“Will” to friends and colleagues) is fond of quoting the scientist who, when asked if he believed in God, responded: “I believe in humanity and humanity believes in God.” As Storrar puts it: “if you are going to deal with the problems of humanity, you need to deal with the question of God.” more

Michael Blumenthal’s Search for Answers Takes Him Full Circle Back to Berlin

By Linda Arntzenius

Michael Blumenthal has made his home in Princeton since 1951 when he was a graduate student at the University. He has a fondness for the place, which he finds has retained its essential character even after six decades. “It hasn’t changed significantly in the last 30 years and even though there are new buildings, it isn’t overwhelmed by the franchises that have made this country so ugly,” he says. Besides, he has good friends here and it’s convenient to New York, Philadelphia and even Washington, D.C more