EUREKALERT, March 16, 2010
University of Toronto historian wins prestigious international prize
Smith Medalist Natalie Zemon Davis ’49, professor emerita from Princeton University and now a University of Toronto history scholar whose books have reached a wide audience, has won the Holberg Prize, one of the world’s top academic prizes.
Eudora Pendergrast is throwing some beautiful pots…and I don’t mean against the wall!
Here is what Eudora has to say about her work:
I’ve been making pots off and on since the summer of 1971, when I took an intensive summer course at Toronto’s Central Tech school. Over the years since then children, graduate school and work, among other things, limited the time available for pottery, but I continued to take evening classes, and some years ago became a member of a wonderful women’s cooperative studio, The Woodlawn Pottery. When I retired from the Ontario Municipal Board in 2007, I really got back into clay, first at Woodlawn, and, since last September, in my own studio in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. I make functional stoneware and porcelain pieces, fired in an electric kiln to cone 6—a mid-range firing regime suitable for a small studio. I have pots for sale in the studio but I also love to have visitors who’re just taking a look. So, if you’re in the area drop by. My hours are irregular, so if you’d like to make sure I’m there, please call or email me first. I have grandchildren and week-ends are usually family times, so the best time to catch me at the studio is on a week-day afternoon, until about 6. Here’s the info:Studio 204
Case Goods Warehouse (Building 74)
55 Mill Street
The Distillery District
Toronto 3C4M5A
Did you know that our very own Sarah Hampson of the Globe and Mail has a book coming out in April? Here is what she says about it:
“Happily Ever After Marriage, There’s nothing like divorce to clear the mind, is memoir, inspired by the wonderful response I have had to my columns about marriage and divorce in The Globe and Mail. It will be published by Knopf in late April, and part of what I write about is Smith and the messages we did and did not get about entering the wife identity. I write about divorce as a contemporary rite of passage to maturity – how my marriage of 18 years was a second childhood in a way.”
Here’s more:
“Happily ever after” are still the fairytale words that many newlyweds aspire to, despite the independence so many women have achieved, and despite the evidence that happiness in marriage is rarely possible without heaps of compromise and a lot of hard work. Even when two people have tried, divorce seems to be the only solution sometimes—38% of Canadian couples, despite great effort and painful consequences, never make it to their thirtieth anniversary.When Sarah Hampson began her Generation Ex column for the Globe and Mail she could not predict the incredible response it would receive. Despite divorce being everywhere and touching everyone, it is still a taboo subject that most choose not to discuss. The dream of a happy life, so intertwined with marriage, is always the goal, with divorce a glaring, unsightly sign that the dream has ended and our lives have not followed the cultural script.Sarah herself embraced what traditional marriage has to offer. But after eighteen years of marriage, Sarah and her husband called it quits, leaving her to raise three boys while working to reestablish her career. Here Sarah bracingly and humanely exposes the story of her own life (from her childish dreams to midlife renewal) and those of the people around her (including a visit to Leonard Cohen!) to bring this hidden subject to light. Her sharing of these stories, the finding of common concerns and voicing them, has helped her many faithful readers begin to move beyond the d-word. Sarah shows it is possible not only to recover from divorce’s messiness and useless anger, but also to use divorce to forge a new identity in mid-life—a time that used to be considered too late for such profound change.Candid, humorous, and full of fascinating stories, Happily Ever After Marriage is part modern guide, part passionate conversation with friends and part meditation on what can be seen as a new rite of passage to self-actualization in mid-life. By bravely examining her own life,she brings clarity to the underlying cultural messages that inform the choices we make—and shows how better choices and hard-won confidence can lead to paths that we may never have seen before.
Other Smith Club of Toronto authors…
Elaine Slater ’47 available at Chapters/Indigo The stories in this collection deal with life”s quotidian mysteries. Almost all are true yet not true, several are pure fantasy. In each, something has been set in motion that will change forever the lives of the protagonists in small or large ways. Often it is left to the reader to discover what it is that has happened. Each vignette deals with an aspect of human relationships, good or bad, relationships that transform themselves as we stumble through different stages of life, relating to one another in humorous, serious, or even murderous ways. Some told in a man”s voice, others in that of a woman, the stories explore the relationships of parent and child, of lovers, of husband and wife, of neighbors. They explore our relationship with authority, with government, and even with the horrors of a future world without promise. They explore the sweet mysteries of life. Although most stories in this collection are based on actual events, this is not to suggest that award-winning author Elaine Slater is a serial killer. Adept at turning murderous thoughts into laughter and life experience into wisdom, her frequently anthologized stories, and some juicy new ones, are here in one volume.
Lisa Slater ’73 is the Manager of the Whole Foods in Oakville..and the author of The Brownie Lover’s Bible
Available at Chapters/Indigo and The Cookbook Store!Who doesn’t like to indulge in a dense, chocolatey, rich and gooey brownie every now and then? Decadent yet simple, versatile yet humble, lavish yet comforting -the brownie is a staple dessert in any baker”s collection. With her new book The Brownie Lover”s Bible, which features over 100 modern and classic brownie-inspired recipes, Lisa Slater takes the brownie to a whole new level. Alongside some of the best classic brownie recipes, Lisa provides a delightful collection of brownie-inspired cakes, cookies and puddings. She also offers vegan, nondairy and gluten-free variations that can satisfy any sweet tooth. With Lisa”s expert advice and guidance, the The Brownie Lover”s Bible is the ultimate handbook for brownie and chocolate lovers alike. Whatever recipe you choose, these delectable and inspiring treats will delight your taste buds and impress your guests: Grown-up Rocky Road Brownies Not so Wacky Brownie Cake with Balsamic Vinegar and Marinated Strawberries Brownie Molasses Ginger Cookies Crème Chocomel Chocolate Eggnog Tart
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