The Quadrangle Times December 2019

Newsletter of The Quadrangle Residents Association Written and Produced by The Quadrangle Residents

2019 ART & CRAFT FAIR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

11am -- 3pmWhen the Auditorium doors swing open on Sunday, December 8, at 11:00 a.m., you will be greeted by the 9th Annual Quadrangle Art and Craft Fair! The photographs here and on the poster in the Living Room are just a sampling of what 35 talented resident artists and craftspeople have produced for sale this year. On the tables will be jewelry, knitwear, fabric bags, ceramics, fine art, photographs, hand-crafted notecards, and much more. It is a great opportunity to shop for holiday gifts and perhaps buy at least a little something for yourself.

The Fair Committee welcomes several new artists/craftspeople. Here are just a few of them:

• Ann Keech will be selling her unique “tiebags.” Everett Keech says that it’s all for a worthy cause, even though only two of his neckties have escaped becoming Ann’s raw materials.

• Beverly Brill will be featuring fashionable women’s leggings of her own design. She plans to offer other items covered with her fabric patterns.

• Toby Anderson’s mother taught him the art of fudge-making when he was in 6th grade to keep him out of mischief after school. Chocolate is his specialty.

• If you are in the market for delicious home-preserved jams, Elizabeth Kolowrat will be selling her orange marmalade, strawberry/fig jam, and more.

• Hugh Rosenbaum will be featuring an assortment of beverage glasses he made from empty wine bottles. It’s an environmentally friendly hobby, and making them provided entertainment for neighborhood children when he and Rowena lived in England.

• Members of the Knitters Group are contributing items for sale at the Art and Craft Fair..

As you can see, there will be plenty of splendid items for sale. So come ye to the Fair—and invite family and friends, too! All proceeds benefit the Resident Assistance Fund.

— Tom Unkefer

EVENTS IN DECEMBER 2019THURSDAY NIGHT LECTURES

Thursday, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., AuditoriumWilliam Dunham, Bryn Mawr Visiting Professor in Mathematics, presents “Bertrand Russell at Bryn Mawr: The British Mathematician and Philosopher Visits the Main Line.”

MUSICSaturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., AuditoriumAstral program: Hannah Tarley, violin; Ronaldo Rolim, piano.

QUADRANGLE ART AND CRAFT FAIRSunday, Dec. 8, 11:00–3:00 p.m., Auditorium

Holiday shopping for beautiful, unique gifts made by The Quadrangle’s artistic and crafty residents.

OPERA IN THE AUDITORIUMSunday, Dec. 29, 1:30 p.m., Auditorium

Jacques Offenbach’s beloved The Tales of Hoffmann, starring Placido Domingo.

SECOND SATURDAY Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., Auditorium

Joy of Singing invites everyone to enjoy the “Happy Holidays” program—featuring talented residents and an auditorium of singers.

READERS GROUPTuesday, Dec. 10, 3:30 p.m., Auditorium

Mark Ball will present Testament of Youth, a memoir by Vera Brittain.POETRY GROUP

No meeting in December. To prepare for the January Residents’ Choice meeting, please give a copy of your favorite poem to Ceil Frey or Ruth Gottlieb by January 10.

COMPOSERS FORUMThursdays, 4 p.m., Club Room

Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26: Professor Robert Greenberg on DVD: “How to Listen to and Understand Opera.”

GREAT CONVERSATIONSAlternate Thursdays, 10:30 a.m., Club Room

Dec. 5: “What We Cannot Speak About, We Must Pass Over in Silence,” by John Edgar Wideman.Dec. 19: “Along the Frontage Road,” by Michael Chabon.

NEW ART SHOW, “FUN,” OPENSSaturday, Dec. 14, 4:00–5:30 p.m., Gallery Q2, outside the Forest GrillFirst look at fun-themed exhibit. With refreshments.

DECEMBER MOVIESCINEMA AS ART

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., AuditoriumAndrew Douglas from Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents The Apartment, co-written and directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemon.

CURRENT MOVIESMondays/Tuesdays, 7:45 p.m., Channel 99

Dec. 2/3: Maiden, 2019 (97 min.) Documentary about how, against all odds, 26-year-old charter-boat cook Tracy Edwards became skipper of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World yacht race in 1989. Riveting, 5 stars.Dec. 9/10: Pavarotti, 2019 (114 min.)Documentary by Ron Howard. A nostalgic tribute to a towering cultural icon. Dec. 16/17: Wild Rose, 2019 (101 min.)Complicated story of a female ex-con seeking to become a country music star while balancing parental responsibilities.Dec. 23/24: The Souvenir, 2019 (119 min.) Shy film student pursues her dream as an artist while running afoul of an untrustworthy man. Will she make it?Dec. 30/31: Beast, 2018 (107 min.) A young woman in a small island community, a stifling family, a free-spirited young stranger: trouble, trouble, trouble.

CLASSIC CINEMAFridays, 7:45 p.m., Channel 99

Dec. 6: The Night of the Hunter, 1955 (93 min.) Menacing Robert Mitchum steals homeless children to obtain money stolen by their father. An allegory of innocence and evil.Dec. 13: An American in Paris, 1951 (91 min.) Inspired by George Gershwin’s score and featuring his music. Gene Kelly is torn between two very different women. Songs and dancing are superb. Dec. 20: Courage under Fire, 1996 (115 min.) Tale of a career Army officer troubled by Persian Gulf War incident in which he was involved in an accidental death. Denzel Washington stars.Dec. 27: Diabolique, 1956 (114 min.) Tyrannical schoolmaster is bumped off by his wife and mistress. A classic thriller. With English subtitles.

SATURDAY FILM FESTIVAL 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 2:00 p.m., Auditorium

Dec. 7: The Children of Men, a chilling vision of the future, based on a dystopian novel by P. D. James.Dec. 21: The Ref, a raucous comedy.

DECEMBER TRIPS COMMITTEE NEWS Check for seats for the December 7 trip to the Metropolitan Opera regional auditions at the Curtis Institute of Music.

And don’t miss out on Christmas at the Brandywine River Museum on December 19. This is one of our favorite trips—Wyeth family paintings, the café’s wonderful mushroom soup, the small gauge trains, and holiday decorations galore!

Sign up this month for our January 8 trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building for “Off the Wall: American Art to Wear”— a display of more than 130 one-of-a-kind wearable fashion pieces by 60 artists.

On January 22, weather permitting, plan on getting away for lunch at the Iron Hill Brewery in Ardmore.

Looking ahead, we have scheduled a trip to The American Revolution Museum on February 5, with a snow date of February 12.

>>>AN INVITATION<<<

Visit a Trips Committee meeting on any second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. in the Club Room. Find out how we research, plan and lead our trips. We are looking for volunteers to join us in our work.

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SCHEDULED TRIPS

Saturday, December 7 – Metropolitan Opera regional auditions

Thursday, December 19 – Christmas at Brandywine Museum

Wednesday, January 8 – Perelman Building’s Fashion Display

Wednesday, January 22 – Lunch at Iron Hill Brewery in Ardmore

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Information on trips is posted on the main bulletin board outside the dining room, on Channel 78, and on building bulletin boards.

— Ellie Hinsey, Chair, Trips Committee

BRIEF NOTES ABOUT COMING EVENTSSee the bulletin boards for further information.

Readers GroupOn Tuesday, December 10, at 3:30 p.m. in the Auditorium, Mark Ball will present Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain, the final work in the series of books dealing with World War I. This book deals with the price paid by the women who lost so many husbands, sons, and lovers in the War. At that time, the steering committee will accept orders from residents who want to buy some or all of the books that will be read next year.

Great Conversations On Thursday, December 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the Club Room, Great Conversations will meet to discuss “What We Cannot Speak About, We Must Pass Over In Silence,” by John Edgar Wideman—the last story in this year’s anthology, Best American Short Stories of 2004. The group will meet again on Thursday, December 19, to discuss the first story in the new book, Best American Short Stories of 2002. That story will be “Along the Frontage Road,” by Michael Chabon. A limited number of copies of the book are still available at six dollars for anyone who wants to buy one.

Saturday Film FestivalOn Saturday, December 7, at 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium, the Saturday Film Festival will present The Children of Men. This movie, based on the dystopian novel by PD James, offers a chilling vision of the future in which women have lost their fertility, and no more children are being born. On Saturday, December 21, the Film Festival will show a repeat of The Ref, a raucous comedy starring Dennis Leary as a bank robber trapped on Christmas Eve with an extremely dysfunctional family of hostages.

Poetry GroupThe Poetry Group takes a break in December because of Christmas, but we need you to help us get prepared for our popular January program, Residents’ Choice, when YOU will be the presenters of your favorite poems. We ask you to give copies of these poems to Ceil Frey or Ruth Gottlieb by January 10. Call them if you have any questions. The Residents’ Choice program will be held on Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.

Cinema as ArtThe Apartment (1960) is the sardonic tale of isolation and infidelity that, in the words of Roger Ebert, strikes “a precise balance between farce and sadness.” Co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, the film stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. It won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best (Original) Screenplay. The film will be presented on December 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium, with an introduction by Andrew Douglas of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.

Opera in the AuditoriumJoin us on Sunday, December 29, at 1:30 p.m. for Jacques Offenbach’s beloved opera fantastique, The Tales of Hoffmann. This lavish production, noted for its spectacular design, was directed by the distinguished British film director John Schlesinger, and stars Placido Domingo in a 1981 Royal Opera House performance. You won’t want to miss such famous arias as the “Barcarolle” and the “Doll’s Song.”

A NOTE FROM OPERA IN THE AUDITORIUMAs we prepare for our 2020 season, we would like to thank the committee members who choose our operas, distribute our posters, and prepare our printed programs—Elizabeth Kolowrat, Phyllis Taterka, Ruth Kaufman, and Toby Anderson. Special appreciation goes to Don Verrier for showing our films, and to Marvin Macnow for designing our beautiful posters. We also thank our informative guest speakers, growing audience, and all those who have offered us DVDs and opera suggestions. If you would like to help us plan our 2020 season, please contact Joan Reivich, Committee Chair.

COME TO THE CABARET!When it was obvious that our residents were having a wonderful time listening and dancing to “our” kind of music at the New Year’s Eve party of 2017, an idea was formed. Let’s have dance parties several times a year . . . and thus, the start of Cabaret!!!

Miguel Cintron, our deejay, plays the songs that our generation appreciates: some slow, others fast. He occasionally intersperses the music with a bit of music trivia, and sometimes he, himself, sings the old favorites. He certainly keeps us entertained!

Four Cabarets are scheduled for 2020, all of them on Fridays: February 28th, May 1st, August 7th, and November 6th. Mark your calendars now! And look for Marvin Macnow’s colorful posters on your building bulletin boards a week before each dance. See you at the Cabarets next year!

— Tom and Lois Gasper

Thursday Night Lectures

BERTRAND RUSSELL AT BRYN MAWR: THE BRITISH MATHEMATICIAN AND

PHILOSOPHER VISITS THE MAIN LINEBy William Dunham Thursday, December 12, 7:30 in the Auditorium

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a mathematician, philosopher, social activist, anti-war protestor, prisoner of conscience, devout atheist, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. For most of the 20th century, he ranked among the world’s greatest public intellectuals.

Not so well known is his long and deep connection to Bryn Mawr College. In this talk, we examine that connection, focusing on Russell’s 1896 visit to Bryn Mawr, when he shocked the staid Quakers who had founded the institution, and on his 1943 visit, when Bryn Mawr provided him with a much-appreciated refuge from American provincialism.

William Dunham (PhD, The Ohio State University, 1974) is an historian of mathematics who has authored four books on the subject: Journey Through Genius; The Mathematical Universe; Euler: The Master of Us All; and The Calculus Gallery.

Since retiring from Muhlenberg College (Emeritus, 2014), Bill has held visiting positions at Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Cornell, and Bryn Mawr College, where he and his wife, Penny, are currently Visiting Professors and Research Associates in Mathematics.

LIBRARY NEWSOur November 13th Book Sale was a HUGE SUCCESS! For the first time ever, we made over $1,000!! This will help to replenish our much-depleted Self-Generated Fund.

We are extremely grateful to the residents who made this sale possible: Judy Clifford, Gary Rigg, Pete and Julie Stern, and the many volunteers and cashiers. Our thanks, too, to Susan Phelps and her staff for preparing the Auditorium and transporting the books. Finally, we want to thank all the residents who supported the Library by donating books for the sale and also purchasing them.

Here are some new titles you will find on the shelves during the coming weeks: 

The Night Fire, by Michael Connelly, offers murder, salty talk, and noisy domestic disputes to add interest to life. 

Martha Grimes, who has been absent from the publishing scene for many years, returns with The Old Success, a classic “whodunit” for fans of Long Piddleton.

Another mystery, but this time a true one by Laura Cummings, is Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother’s Disappearance. The author, an art critic and journalist, explores the shaping of identity and what makes us belong to the people and places that call us their own.

Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo, recently won the Booker Prize. “As she creates a space for immigrants and the children of immigrants to tell their stories, Evaristo explores a range of topics both contemporary and timeless. There is room for everyone to find a home in this extraordinary novel” (Kirkus Review). 

Buzz, Sting, Bite – Why We Need Insects, by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, drives home the idea that ours is an insect’s world, and answers the question “What good are insects anyway?”

She Said, by New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, is the story of their investigations into sexual harassment that helped ignite the #MeToo movement.

And finally, The World That We Knew, by Alice Hoffman, a dazzling storyteller, transports the reader to Germany and France in the 1940s.

ENJOY!

— Mary-Ann Reiss, Charlotte Thurschwell Library Committee Co-Chairs — Pete Stern, Chair of Library Sale

Second Saturday Invites You to Join

THE JOY OF SINGING HAPPY HOLIDAYS PROGRAM

featuring

TALENTED RESIDENTS

and an auditorium of SINGERS!

Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m.

QUADRANT 2019 NOW ON SALE IN THE LIBRARY!

161 Pages of Writings by Residents—Yours for ONLY $3.00 while supplies last

SYMPOSIUM ON MORTALITYOn Sunday afternoon, January 19th, The Quadrangle plans to hold a symposium on the difficult but profoundly important issues of aging and dying. The program is centered around the book Being Mortal, by the prominent surgeon and author Atul Gawande, and will feature a panel discussion led by Terre Mirsch from Main Line Health.

In his book, Gawande chronicles his own experience as a physician coming to realize the problems faced by older people, when he encounters them in his own family. He examines the stresses and diminishment faced by the elderly when they can no longer manage comfortably in their own homes. This leads him to explore alternative living arrangements that can make senior lives more meaningful. Later in the book, when his own father, also a surgeon, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Dr. Gawande learns for the first time to see mortal illness from the perspective of the patient—the desire for autonomy and dignity, the choices that must be made, and the important business that has to be taken care of.

Since the book is a jumping-off point for the symposium, residents are strongly encouraged to read it in advance. Copies were made available at the November book sale, and others are on hand in the Library. The panel will be prepared to answer questions about palliative and hospice care, advance directives and how they work, the discussions we need to have with our children before we get sick, and other difficult subjects that we will all have to face eventually.

As a follow-up to the January program, there will be a day of workshops on the same topics in February, for which residents can sign up in advance. Inspired by Dr. Gawande’s book, the symposium is a joint project designed by The Quadrangle’s Clinic Director, Janet Salerno; Co-Chair of the Library, Mary-Ann Reiss; QRA President, Carol Roberts; Outside Marketing Director, Janis Hamilton; and residents Pete and Julie Stern.

— Julie Stern

LET’S MEET TEMPORARY HARDSHIP WITH THAT OLD PIONEER SPIRIT!

After two long years, we have arrived at the final frontier. Barring unforeseen circumstances (which are inevitable in any construction project), Sunrise will replace the salad bar in the Grill by the end of this month! The good news is that the outside vendor will remedy a highly unsatisfactory arrangement by installing a structure we will all love. The bad news is that accomplishing this miracle will require two weeks of complete privacy. Hence, for two weeks there will be no Grill—not for meals, not for morning coffee, not even for just dropping in to cadge a banana. . . .

Some residents worry: What will we do? How will they manage to feed us all without turning the upstairs dining room into a rush-hour crush?! Well, there’s more good news: Dining Services Director Colin Gallagher and his Team have developed a plan—one that will be in effect for the duration of the project.

The Main Dining Room (the elegant, upstairs one with chandeliers and fresh flowers and the delightful waitstaff) will be open for all three meals! And to accommodate additional diners, the hours will be extended.

In order to relieve congestion at the dinner meal, two alternatives will be offered to residents who would prefer dining at home:

1. For Takeout: The Team Member Café (staff cafeteria) adjacent to the Forest Grill will be open Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for takeout only. Residents can choose from the regular menu as well as the “Always Available” items (salmon, shrimp, filet mignon, etc.). On Sundays, as usual, meals will be available for takeout from the Main Dining Room. So come with your green bag, fill it up, and carry it home—just as our pioneer ancestors did.

2. For Delivery: Residents can also call 610-658-7699 to have a meal delivered directly to their apartment—free of charge! In other words, just as in those pioneering days, there will be no $10.00 delivery charge. Please note, though, that the “always available” items will not be available for delivery, and that orders must be placed before 3:00 p.m.

So while there may be some inconvenience and a bit of crowding in the Living Room, let’s face these temporary hardships with that good ol’ Quadrangle pioneering spirit of resilience and good humor. Soon those not-so-good ol’ salad days will be behind us, and we’ll be crossing into the promised land!

—The QT Staff

ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPINGIt’s time to buy gifts for all the people on your list. This year consider doing something nice for Mother Nature at the same time! For example, when you shop, carry your own shopping bag. The Environmental Action Group reminds you that your Quadrangle Green Bag for food takeout can also double as a great shopping bag.

Consider shopping close to home:

1) The Quadrangle’s Gift Shop has some eco-friendly new items:

Reusable silicone straws with cleaning brush. Both fold up into a nice little packet!

Reusable silicone drink bottles with a handy clip and great colors!

Stop by! The Gift Shop welcomes your suggestions for further promoting this effort.

2) And of course, for more shopping close to home, don’t forget the Quadrangle Art & Craft Fair on Sunday, December 8. It will offer countless beautiful resident-artists-created items.

All proceeds benefit the Resident Assistance Fund. It’s a great way to support the arts and the RAF—and definitely environmentally friendly shopping!

You can also Google “Gift Giving for the Environment” for millions (literally) of eco-friendly gift ideas and links! If the millions of choices are too overwhelming, try going to the Pennsylvania Resources Council website (https://prc.org/green-gift-giving/) for a more manageable list of suggestions.

In addition, the EAG offers some other eco-friendly gifts to consider:

• Make a donation in honor of someone to PennEnvironment, Penn Future, Audubon Society, Natural Lands Trust, Sierra Club, Citizens Climate Lobby, NRDC.org, or some other environmentally concerned organization.

• Give someone an “experience” gift card for a museum, a massage, a movie, a sporting event, etc.

Not enough ideas here for you? Use your imagination and think of more . . .

Whatever you do, help make this holiday season GREEN with ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPING!

— Environmental Action Group

It’s Holiday Time!The time to buy giftsFor everyone specialOn all of your lists!

The QUADRANGLE GIFT SHOPHas GREAT GIFTS for All!So buy! Buy! Buy! BUY!!And come have a ball!

LET’S MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW!It’s December—the time of year when the Quadrangle Board asks for your annual contribution to the Resident Assistance Fund, the fund that provides help, confidentially, to Quadrangle residents who, through no fault of their own, are no longer able to pay their fees.

The last two years have been record-breakers for the appeal, so let’s stay “on a roll” and make it happen again! Last year, we had 225 donors; this year, in honor of The Quadrangle’s 30th Anniversary, our goal is 255.

Since 2005, when we received our first request for support, the Board has provided over $800,000 to residents needing assistance. We were able to do this only because of the generosity of the Quadrangle community. Your continued generosity will help provide this safety net for residents now and in the future.

The appeal will appear in your mailbox the first week in December. It will be printed on beige paper and will ask for your tax-deductible contribution. Please consider this request thoughtfully, and then join the members of the Quadrangle Board in giving to the Fund. By working together, we will reach our goal.

Thank you!

— Jane Unkefer, for The Quadrangle Board