LETTERS

Praise for Spring ’99 authors

I want to tell you that the Spring ’99 Bulletin is a knockout. Fascinating! Moving! Eye opening! Disconcerting! Challenging! Etc. etc. Is there any way it can get wider distribution? These women should be heard! Can a book be developed?
—“Fifi” Manya Garbat Starr ’41

Just wanted to let you know that the Spring ’99 Bulletin is extraordinary. The design, layout, artwork are all lovely, but the WRITING! That took my breath away. All of the pieces are beautifully written and bring alive their authors’ experiences. The courage and sheer persistence of these Mawrters demands respect and admiration—even though all of them might happily trade all that for even a short period of renewed health. ... All of them wrote from the heart and reached mine.
     Our society prefers winners and happy endings. Overwhelmingly, the authors in this issue tell us that there will be no happy endings for them in the sense that they’re never going to get well, they're not going to “win” over their disabilities. Yet they keep living, keep working, keep finding meaning; in fact, what they’re learning are lessons not available to most able-bodied, “successful” people.
     Congratulations on a splendid job of letting these authors speak to us! What a wonderful issue. Thank you so much!
—Ilze Jaunzemis Brown ’69

The Spring 99 Bulletin was probably the most helpful one I've ever read in terms of making my daily doings both honest and supportive. The articles, especially those by writers whose handicaps are chronic and invisible, gave us a view that is usually closed to the able bodied. It is a view that will make me more understanding, more intelligent in my relationships with people whose responses to me miss the mark of my expectations. In these articles, we are strongly reminded that there is a reason. Perhaps, finally, I am learning to listen.
     Thank you, and please thank your contributors.
—Bertie Dawes Wood ’52

Editor’s note: Teresita Sparre Currie ’43, one of the Spring ’99 authors, has written newspaper articles and The Villnäs Children, 1995 (published in Finland in 1997 as Louhisaari Lapset), a book about her grandmother, six siblings and their life in a family castle in the 1870s, based on archival letters from Finland and Sweden. She is working on a second book.
     We also would like to note that past students attending the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research have used wheelchairs and that the Social Work building became completely wheelchair accessible when an elevator was installed in 1984.

Helen “Holly” Maddux ’71

I’d like to, first of all, compliment you on the Spring ’99 Bulletin. I found it very moving. It is so very true that anyone can become “disabled” at any moment, and that any disability brings about a huge change in perspective. ... This is one Bulletin I plan to keep, particularly as the writers are so much more articulate than I could ever hope to be. Hopefully, we will all learn to be more aware and understanding.
     On a less positive note, I have to tell you that I have been very troubled for quite some time now at the utter silence on the part of the Alumnae Association regarding the Holly Maddux/Ira Einhorn matter, which has been in so many of the major news media lately. ... Holly was in my graduating class, and I have been upset and angry about what happened to her ever since I first read about it 20 years ago in the Village Voice. ... Recently, I have wanted to write to the authorities in France, but have not known where to send a letter. I feel that a campaign of support for Holly’s family and for the Philadelphia law enforcement officials who have been working for decades to bring Ira Einhorn to justice would be an appropriate memorial on the part of the College and the Alumnae Association.
     I have always felt that Holly was a victim of domestic abuse, which I consider a gender-based hate crime (in fact, the parallels to the O.J. Simpson case are really rather eerie). Clearly, like disability, this too could well have happened to any number of us. Why has the Bulletin been silent about Holly all these years?
—Marthe Schulwolf ’71

Editor’s note: Helen “Holly” Maddux has been remembered in Class Notes columns and in 1971 reunion gifts. One of Holly’s sisters, Meg Maddux Wakeman, has kept the College up to date on the efforts to extradite Einhorn. In addition, with the Maddux family's encouragement and permission, the College cooperated with an independent film company in production of a documentary about Holly. The website provides documents on Holly’s life and the quest for justice on her behalf.

Bi-co alumnae/i honor Roger Lane

Roger Lane is retiring after 36 years of teaching history at Haver-ford. During his decades at Haverford, Roger has taught thousands of students, including many Bryn Mawrters. He has written six books, won two national scholarly awards, and been an influential force in campus life. In his honor, a group of former students have decided to start The Roger Lane Scholarship Fund at Haverford. At Roger’s request, the scholarship will support a graduate of the A Better Chance program, which provides inner-city minority students an opportunity to attend high schools with strong academic programs.
    Bryn Mawr alumnae who have fond memories of Roger’s Western Civ or American History lectures or classes at “Mr. Lane’s home” may wish to participate with a tax-deductible gift in his honor. Anyone wanting more information may contact Debby Prigal ’81 at (202) 265-3145 or dprigal@aol.com, or Violet Brown, Haverford Director of Special Events, at (610) 896-1130 or vbrown@haverford.edu.
—Debby Prigal ’81

We welcome letters expressing a range of opinions on issues addressed in the magazine. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication. We may edit letters for accuracy, length and civility.

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