Alumni Updates: Class Years 1970-79

Archive

Below are archived updates for alumni graduating between 1970 and 1979. Visit the main Alumni Updates page for more updates received this year.

Sylvia Foley '76- B.A. in English Literature- Happy to report some prose poem acceptances. "The Fireman" is currently online at Typishly (https://typishly.com/2019/04/10/the-fireman/), and "The Dead Woman's Daughter" is forthcoming in the next issue of the Cincinnati Review (https://www.cincinnatireview.com/issue/16-1/). (04/2019)

Margaret Carter '72- B.A. in English- Margaret L. Carter's humorous paranormal romance novella "Yokai Magic," inspired by Japanese folklore, was published by the Wild Rose Press in January 2019.
https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2464_margaret-l-carter (01/2019)

James Fox '72- B.A. in English- I teach English Support at Canton McKinley High School, in Canton, Ohio. Working with "at-risk," students proves to be a challenge! (10/2018)

Maggie Kneip '77- B.A. in English (Minor Dance and Theatre)- At the dawn of 2016 I self-published a memoir, Now Everyone Will Know, about my young husband's diagnosis and death to AIDS in 1991, eight months after our second child was born. Mercifully, we, his young family, were spared the virus, but fear of stigma forced me to keep the truth of what happened to him, (along with any mention of him), in lockdown for 25 years. In that time, my kids grew up. The initials LGBTQIA surfaced. Will and Grace appeared on TV. Brokeback Mountain was in movie houses, and Angels in America in theaters. Drugs were developed that could keep people with AIDS alive. Once I managed to screw up my courage, it felt like the right time to tell this story. At first, my book was repped by a well known literary agency, only to be rejected by a host of young women editors citing it as "dated," and me, as "too angry." (Too bad they didn't have crystal balls...talk about angry women finally finding their voices – we're everywhere!) Last March, Now Everyone Will Know was optioned for film. (10/2018)

Jean Kreiling '76- A.B. in English- My second collection of poetry was published in March 2018: Arts & Letters & Love (Kelsay Books) offers poems that respond to paintings, music, and books. Both this book and my first collection, The Truth in Dissonance (2014), reflect an interdisciplinary interest in music and literature that began at William & Mary; I am currently a Professor of Music at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Both books are available on amazon.com. (04/2018)

Glenn Bowman '73- BA in English- Glenn Bowman has retired from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK as Emeritus Professor of Socio-Historical Anthropology. Please note my current status is Emeritus Professor in Socio-Historical Anthropology at University of Kent Canterbury. (04/2018)

Frances Aylor Jones '71- BA in English- After retiring from a career in financial investing, I am pursuing my love of writing. My first financial thriller, Money Grab, was published in May 2017. Financial advisor Robbie Bradford has just landed a $20 million account that puts her on the fast track to partnership at her wealth management firm. Then a family tragedy shatters her world. She returns to work to find that her colleague Vivian has stolen the account and the partnership. When Vivian is murdered, Robbie becomes the primary suspect. Can Robbie find the killer before she becomes the next victim of a malicious money grab? Money Grab is a story of greed and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of resilience even in the face of catastrophic loss. The ebook is available on Amazon. The paperback can be ordered from Amazon or your favorite bookstore. Money Grab is the first in a series featuring financial advisor Robbie Bradford. The second novel is planned for 2018. (10/2017)

David Shields '73- A.B. in English- Just published from the University of Chicago Press: The Culinarians--Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining. This is the first collection of historical American chefs biographies--175 in all, from the first restaurant in 1794 to Prohibition. This is the third book I've published with the Press since 2013. The first, STILL American Silent Motion Picture Photography won the Browne award as the best single work in American Popular Culture published in 2013. The second, Southern Provisions, the Creation and Revival of a Cuisine (2015) earned the Southern Foodways Alliance "Keeper of the Flame" award in 2016. It chronicled the work that the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation has done since 2005, finding and restoring to cultivation southern landrace grains and heirloom vegetables--the ingredients that help fuel the southern food revival of the past decade. David S Shields, Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina and Chair, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation. (10/2017)

Sylvia Foley ’76- B.A. English, My short story "o's story" appeared in Hypertext Magazine: https://www.hypertextmag.com/os-story/. The story was also a 2015 Calvino Prize Honorable Mention. My poem "Hinge" is forthcoming in the winter issue of The Literary Review. (10/2017)

Karen Hall ’78- B.A. in English, Simon & Schuster is publishing my novel, "Dark Debts," on May 15, 2016. It was originally published by Random House in 1996. I rewrote it for the same editor (now at S&S) and it is being published for its 20th anniversary. (9/2015)

Nancy Eller '74- B.A. English- After W&M graduation, I taught junior high English as part of a behavior modification team in Frederick, Maryland. At age 29, I moved to Philadelphia to attend U of PAs Wharton Graduate School a totally logical segue from teaching 8th and 9th grade discipline problems! (I always say that I learned more “ incrementally “ than anyone who ever went through Wharton, as at that time, I had no idea whatsoever as to how the World of Business operated.). I received an MBA in Finance in 1983 and spent the rest of the 1980s doing financial analysis/management in the DC area: for MCI, Earle Palmer Brown Advertising and Washington International Teleport. In 1991, I bought into a start-up Audio Visual Event Production company, CPR MultiMedia Solutions, where I worked as CFO until June of 2013.
FrederickVacationRentals.com, my current business venture, is located in Frederick, Maryland (just 1 hour from DC and Baltimore). I renovated and luxuriously furnished three row houses in the heart of Fredericks Downtown Historic District, which I rent out to visitors, tourists and businesspersons on a short term basis (2-night minimum). I am active in a local Rotary Club and with Frederick County Tourism. I will offer a Special W&M Discount to any English major who wants to experience a visit to a delightful and charming Main Street America city Frederick is a wonderfully vibrant little town.

Footnote: I am completely in awe of my fellow W&M English majors who have actually WRIITEN BOOKS! For my part, I just never found my muse; the longest written document I have produced since 1974 is my annual and always VERY chatty - holiday letter! (09/2014)

Martha (Marti) A. Hunt '70- A.B. English- I am not sure that there have been any big changes since my last entry. I spent last year working intensively on a death penalty repeal campaign in New Hampshire. Our repeal bill was defeated by the lack of one vote in the NH Senate. The vote was tied. I was responsible for five moving vigils in different parts of the state during "crossover" day when the bill moved from the House to the Senate. This involved working with five local committees on routes, programs, booklets for these interfaith events. The vigils were incredibly effective and meaningful street actions. I also continued my involvement with a small ballet school rewriting the narration for the story ballet performed in March, 2014. I had originally written the narration in 2010 and it was rewarding to revise the script for the current dancers in the performance. I also read the narration for the school performance attended by 750 students and for the two public performances. Never thought I would enjoy performance so much.

For the second year in a row I taught chess as the after lunch quiet activity at our church summer art camp for underserved upper elementary students. Although not an exceptional player myself, I so enjoy teaching chess to children. It was a great time. So my retirement from the elementary principalship and teaching is incredibly rich and productive. (09/2014)

Jean Kreiling '76- A.B. English- Jean Louise Kreiling, 76, earned an M.A. in English at the University of Virginia and briefly taught English at Western Carolina University. However, her musical experiences in Williamsburg (with Pappy Fehr), in Charlottesville, and elsewhere led her to pursue further study in music; she earned a B.A. in music history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now a Professor of Music at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, she has taught there since 1987, twice earning the Presidents Award for Academic Excellence. Funded by a variety of grants, she has presented her interdisciplinary work on music and poetry at conferences in Edinburgh, London, Toronto, Honolulu, San Francisco, and elsewhere, and has published articles in several academic journals. Meanwhile, she has continued to write poetry, and her first poetry collection, The Truth in Dissonance, was published in 2014. Her poems have appeared widely in print journals, online journals, and anthologies; she is a past winner of the String Poet Prize and the Able Muse Write Prize for Poetry, and has been a finalist for the Frost Farm Prize, the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award, and the Richard Wilbur Poetry Award, among other honors. (09/2014)

Joan Detz '75- M.A. English- I'm hoping to return to campus in 2014. It's been too long! The highlight of 2013 was being invited to speak in Montenegro at the SEECOM (South East Europe Communicators) Conference. Budva Montenegro (on the Adriatic Sea) was stunningly beautiful, and working with the top government communicators from a dozen countries was an incredible professional experience. (12/2013)

Harold Martin '79 - writes: "Since my graduation from W&M in 1979, I married my college sweetheart, Lela Early, whom I met in an English class in the Wren Building (and who was also an English major in the Class of '79)! I have worked for 25 years in public accounting and specialize in valuation, forensic accounting, and litigation consulting. In addition to my professional practice, since 2005 I have served as an adjunct lecturer for the W&M Mason Graduate School of Business and teach a course on forensic accounting. While one might initially question the usefulness of an English degree to a CPA, I have found it to be invaluable, as a large majority of my time is spent writing detailed reports in which I have to communicate complex concepts to clients, attorneys, judges, and other parties. I have also written numerous articles and co-authored one technical textbook, Financial Valuation, 2nd ed., and have served as a contributing author to another, Cost of Capital, 3rd. ed. After completing my career in public accounting (and putting three children through college), I eventually hope to transition to teaching full time at the university level. (2010)

Christopher Bram '74 - "In 2006 I published a novel, EXILES IN AMERICA, which is set in Williamsburg on the eve of the Second Iraq War. And in 2009 I published a collection of essays, MAPPING THE TERRITORY, which features two pieces about my time at William and Mary. (2010)

Dale Ramsey '72 English Literature - Dale tells us: "I have been in New York city since 1975, following graduate work at Virginia Tech, where I received a Master's in English. I subsequently received an MFA in Dramatic Writing in 1981 and began writing plays. I worked in publishing as a book editor for 21 years and helped to found the off-Broadway Pearl Theater Company, now located at the City Center here in NYC. Today I am a writer working in nonprofit fundraising at the Municipal Art Society of New York, and am completing my first novel. I live on the Upper West Side with my wife Sarah Schindler. (2010)

Leslie (Slemmer) Clark '74 - Leslie tells us: "I have had several careers since graduating and have used my English degree for all of them. Right now I'm in the association management business, where written communication is a big part of what I do. There are a number of former English majors in the industry, all doing quite well. So to all my professors I say thank you!! (2010)

Bruce Replogle '79 - earned his A.B. double major in English and Philosophy, and in his words is "Recently inspired by the wordsmithery of T.C. Boyle, and the author's pithy endorsement of his scribbling "cool", Mr. Replogle is threatening to begin releasing his own short stories to the general public." (2010)

Anna (Barron) Billingsley '79 - Anna received a B.A. in English and now serves as Director of Publications and Design at the University of Mary Washington where she oversees all written material that emanates from campus and edits the alumni magazine. Prior to taking this position six years ago, Anna worked as a daily news journalist, and taught college journalism courses. She earned her M.A. in communications from American University. (2010)

Steven Miller '72 has been teaching English at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He teaches folklore, literature, and writing courses, co-sponsors the English Club, and does pre-law advising. He lives in Lancaster County, noted for tourism, buggies, and shoo-fly pie. "Come visit!" he says. (2007)

Bernard L Herman '73 – went on to pursue a PhD in Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. He is now Chair and Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Art History at the University of Delaware. His books include Town House: Architecture and Material Life in the Early American City, 1780-1830 (2005), Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic (1997), The Stolen House (1992), A Land and Life Remembered: Americo-Liberian Folk Architecture (1989), with S. Holsoe and M. Belcher), and Architecture and Rural Life in Central Delaware, 1700-1900 (1987). (2007)

John Kimble '73 writes: "After leaving W&M, I graduated from LSU Medical School, did my Internship at Ochsner Foundation Hospital and my Residency training at Tulane. It is only fitting that my training is in Otolaryngology (Ear, nose and throat) which includes treatment of communicative disorders. I received board certification in 1981. My only job after graduation has been in private practice in a suburb of New Orleans. I've been here 26 years including the 19 days I stayed in the hospital after Hurricane Katrina. I guess I'm one of the few surgeons who can recite long passages from King Christopher Bram '74 - "In 2006 I published a novel, EXILES IN AMERICA, which is set in Williamsburg on the eve of the Second Iraq War. And in 2009 I published a collection of essays, MAPPING THE TERRITORY, which features two pieces about my time at William and Mary.Lear, Macbeth, and the Canterbury Tales." (2006)

Katherine Winfree '73 was appointed Maryland's Deputy Attorney General in November, 2006. Winfree studied law at the University of Oklahoma after attending William & Mary. She later became a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. before becoming deputy state's attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1999. Her most famous case has been the beltway snipers. (2006)

Christopher Bram '74 continues to pen critically-acclaimed novels. His latest Bram pic work, Lives of the Circus Animals, appeared in 2003. (2006)

Greg Bartholomew '79 Batholomew pic practiced law for 18 years but is now a full-time composer. His choral works have been premiered by such ensembles as The Esoterics, the Oregon Repertory Singers, the Ars Brunensis Chorus, the William & Mary Choir, and the American University Chamber Singers, and have received performances by Seattle Pro Musica, Octarium, Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble, and the Seattle Bach Choir as well as readings by the Gregg Smith Singers and the Princeton Singers. His choral setting of text "From the Odes of Solomon" is available on CD from Capstone Records. Connecticut Choral Arts (Concora) released "The 21st Century (A Girl Born in Afghanistan)" on their CD "Songs and Stories of Liberation." Read more. (2007)

Lisa Sanders '79 worked for ABC News and CBS News following graduation, but ended up with a degree from Yale medical school in 1997. Her interests came together recently when she began writing a column called 'Diagnosis' for the New York Times. This column in turn inspired the television show 'House'. (2007)

Martha Hunt – '70 I taught high school English for half a year and then took a different path. I earned an M.Ed from the University of Virginia in Special Education with an endorsement to teach students with behavioral and emotional handicaps. I taught in state institutions for six years and then in the late 70's moved into the local public schools in New Hampshire consulting with teachers of students with emotional handicaps. Later I taught in a public school program with a focus on returning students with these handicaps to regular classrooms. After twenty years, I earned an M.Ed in supervision and administration at the University of New Hampshire and became an elementary school principal. I also earned an endorsement in elementary education at a small private college in New Hampshire. I was a very good teacher, but an excellent principal. I served in two principalships and retired in June, 2006. I am now on the steering committee of the New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty returning to the civic activism of my years at the College. I am also the performance narrator for a small ballet company. After many years of budgets, evaluations, data analyses, and other work oriented writing, I am now engaged in creative writing for the first time. I am responsible for creating the narration that I read to support the choreography for our younger or less ballet experienced audiences. Also, at the age of sixty-two, I have discovered crossword puzzles. I continue to be a life-long reader. (10/2011)

Christopher Bram – '74 BA English After nine novels and a book of essays, I will be publishing my first work of narrative nonfiction in February 2012. EMINENT OUTLAWS: THE GAY WRITERS WHO CHANGED AMERICA begins with such authors as Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Allen Ginsberg and James Baldwin, then, follows the next generations--Edmund White, Armistead Maupin, and Tony Kushner--right up the present. The book is being published by Twelve. (10/2011)

Anna Bilinsgsley Barron – ’79 BA English I serve as Associate Vice President for University Relations at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. In this capacity, I oversee all of our editorial, design, media relations, web, and marketing functions. (10/2013)

Amy Jarmon- ’71 AB English, ’83 EdD Higher Education, ’92 Law My current position is Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs and Instructor at Texas Tech University School of Law. I love combining my education and law backgrounds to assist law students in their academic studies. My first career in student affairs with undergraduates (ten of those years at William and Mary) provides me with an excellent background for my current work. I use my three W&M degrees regularly. In the summers I teach a legal writing segment for our Introduction to Legal Studies course. I teach a course in European Union Law and a Comparative Law course alternate spring semesters. My book Time and Workplace Management for Lawyers was published by the American Bar Association in April 2013. The book is focused on helping attorneys with five or less years of experience to be more efficient and effective in their work. I also regularly write articles on law school study for the Student Lawyer, the magazine for the ABA's Student Division. I am one of the Co-Editors for the Law School Academic Support Blog. (10/2013)

John Hare – 77 MA English It's been a long trip, sometimes strange, but mostly interesting. After finishing my degree, I worked as a writer/editor in government and the private sector for thirteen years. Then I had the good fortune to get laid off. After a year of teaching part time, I got a full time job at Montgomery College, a community college outside of Washington D.C. This is my twenty-seventh year. I was department chair for six years and chaired governance bodies at the campus and collegewide levels. My students honored me four times by nominating me for Who's Who Among America's Teachers; each National Dean's List Student was allowed to identify one teacher who had the greatest impact on him or her. I was also included in Who's Who in America. I earned my PhD in American Studies at University of Maryland while teaching full-time. My dissertation was published as "Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Family and Sectionalism in the Virginia Novels of Kennedy, Caruthers, and Tucker, 1830-1845." My focus seems to have shifted to public history/public memory, my motorcycle, and my granddaughters, not necessarily in that order.(10/2013)

Joseph Carlin – ’78 BA English ’80 MBA Finance I published the following biography: J. Van Lindley His Ancestors, Life, and Legacy
Authored by Joseph C. Carlin
Link: https://www.createspace.com/3636138
Several generations of the Lindley family were an integral part of early American and Quaker history. From 1615 to 1918 they participated in migrations seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. This story follows their journey from England to Ireland as they became some of the first American Colonists of Pennsylvania and then central North Carolina. The Revolutionary War "Battle of Lindley Mill" that was fought on the land of Thomas Lindley, Sr. is detailed in this book. It continues following them to Indiana as some of the first settlers before returning later to North Carolina. Joshua Lindley, J. Van's father was one of the first fruit tree growers, a Pomologist, in both Indiana and North Carolina.
In North Carolina, the focus is on J. Van Lindley, whose life and ambitions represented the fulfillment of the American Dream. Born in Indiana in 1838, he grew up in modest circumstances, with limited education, then became a man who built multiple companies that provided employment for many of his fellow Southerners. These companies included Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance, Pomona Terra Cotta, J. Van Lindley Nurseries and J. Van Lindley Orchards. His 1000-acre orchard between Southern Pines and Pinehurst, NC marked the start of the peach industry which still thrives in Moore County. His extensive land holdings within present day Greensboro, NC were developed into suburban neighborhoods, including Lindley Park.
J. Van Lindley's involvement in creating and building professional associations and civic, educational and philanthropic groups helped to provide a solid base for these organizations. Many of these organizations are still in existence and have passed the century mark. These include Guilford College, John Van Lindley Elementary, Children's Home Society, Southern Nursery Association and the park he donated: Lindley Park in Greensboro, NC.
The inspirational story of his life and on-going legacies challenges each of us to look close to home and find where we can make a difference by being involved in our businesses, churches, local governments, schools and communities. About the author: Joe Carlin grew up in Northern Virginia and attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA where he majored in English, then completed a Masters in Business Administration.
After a 30 year business career, Joe began writing and this is his first book. John Van Mons Lindley, who preferred to be known as J. Van Lindley, was the great-grandfather of Joe's wife Shirley. Her family gatherings always included stories about a person they referred to as "John Van Lindley." Researching J. Van and his family revealed a lot of information that confirmed, and some that contradicted, the family stories. This book, citing over 100 sources, takes advantage of Joe's research and business background as he documents the evidence left by this line of the Lindley family and how they intersected with well-known historical events. (10/2013)

Ron Brown – ’75 MA English Taking advantage of a new job opportunity at Ektron in Nashua, NH. I'm still doing technical writing after all these years. The job title may be the same, but the tools, technologies and subject matter couldn't be more different. From data element dictionaries and solid propellant rocket motors in Virginia, to factory automation systems and all manner of software products in New England, it has been one continuous learning curve. The one constant about the work is the satisfaction of turning facts and figures into information for human consumption, and the joy of a well formed sentence. (10/2013)

John Gibney – ’73 BA English I'm not sure whether I mentioned this to my friends in the English department. In 2010, President Obama nominated me to be a United States District Judge. In December, the Senate approved my nomination by voice vote, and on 12/26/10, I was sworn in as a judge. I sit in Richmond. Professor Conlee was kind enough to attend my investiture. I am now embarking on a one-judge campaign to eliminate the use of "impact" as a verb, except when referring to impacted teeth or colons. Passive voice will be frowned upon as well. In passing, i would like to mention that both my children graduated from the College of Knowledge. After graduation, my son (John III) spent several years in Teach for America, and is now a school administrator in Philadelphia. My daughter (Sarah) is wrapping up a stint in the Peace Corps in Namibia. I am extremely proud of both of them. To my fellow English majors, if any of you pass through Richmond, please stop by for a visit. If you are indicted for a federal offense in Richmond, I guess I'll see you then as well. (10/2013)

Carol Anne Vogel Jones – ’75 BA with Honors English After receiving an MA in English Renaissance Literature at UVa in 1978, I worked for several years as Editorial Manager of the Shakespeare Quarterly published by the Folger Library. After raising two sons with my college sweetheart Kevin Jones (W&M '75, JD at UVA '78), I returned to the workforce as an Associate Editor for MENC (National Association for Music Education), editing six periodicals and several books. I then became a Director of Religious Education at several parishes in Northern VA for about ten years. Beginning in the early 1990s, I also published articles in the St. Austin Review, Crisis, Sacred Architecture, Catholic Faith, Voices, and Celebrate Life, with poems in America and Celebrate Life. Currently, as sole proprietor of my own publishing business Coronae Rosarum, I offer enrichment materials that I have developed for religious education programs. I also lead a book/film discussion group on Shakespeare's plays. Thank you to all my profs for bearing with me and giving me a solid foundation in both literature and composition!!! (10/13)

Anna (Barron) Billingsley '79 - B.A. in English and now serves as Associate Vice President of University Relations and Communications at the University of Mary Washington. She is married to Robert T. Billingsley ‘76 and is the proud mother of Leslie H. Billingsley, a member of the W&M Class of 2013. Previously, Anna worked as a daily news journalist and taught college journalism courses. She earned her M.A. in communications from American University. (10/2013)

Greg Bartholomew '79 B.A. in English and Government. I am extremely pleased to announce that internationally acclaimed trumpeter James Ackley has released a new CD titled "New American Works for Trumpet" that includes my "Summer Suite" as well as Robert J. Bradshaw's new ballet, "The Girl in White," and Gordon Goodwin's "Sonata for Trumpet & Piano." James' playing on the CD is amazing throughout and I think you will really like it.
"Summer Suite" is a 3-part suite originally for trumpet & string quartet, with alternate arrangements of the accompaniment for piano, sax quartet, string orchestra, chamber orchestra and concert band. For this CD, at James Ackley's request I made a special arrangement combining the piano and string quartet accompaniments, and I think the combination turned out great.
You may listen to previews of all tracks on the CD on iTunes at: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=rYX8Brp1KcM&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Falbum%2Fnew-american-works-for-trumpet%2Fid545389243%3Fuo%3D4%26partnerId%3D30
The CD is available for purchase on amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, and on my website (www.gregbartholomew.com/cd.html). (10/2013)