1980

Tales from the Crypt, Volume XII, Chapter 3: April is the crudest month—at least according to T.S. Eliot. Obviously, Eliot wasn't a Red Sox fan. April is the month when Clement, Pena, Greenwell and company are generally in first place by a comfortable margin. Which is precisely where the team remains for most of the summer. September, as all the Fenway faithful are painfully aware, is historically the cruelest month. That's when the Sox customarily fold . . .

Three cheers for Craig Thorn who was chosen by the Council for Basic Education as a CBE Fellow for independent studies in the humanities. Craig, who has been teaching English at Andover since 1982, devoted his summer study to American poetry and focused on Walt Whitman's influence on poets William Carlos Williams, Hart Crane, Wallace Stevens, T.S. Eliot, and of course, the Red Sox. Craig, who put the "extra" in "extracurricular," advises, "Never let your schoolwork interfere with your education."

Years ago, Eric Ziolkowski's reputation grew to mythical levels of oxymoron. Throughout a storied high-school career in academics as well as athletics, this gentle giant pursued weight lifting with maniacal fervor. His arms were like hawsers, his chest like a Coke machine. By the time he arrived at football camp freshman year, the Dartmouth coaches deemed him "big enough to eat hay." He studied the liberal arts. Overheard in Music 1: "Hey, Eric, pass me that piano." As a linebacker he was considered as a case study for Ralph Nader's landmark book Unsafe at AnySpeed. However, the cleat is on the other foot now. Eric is now an assistant professor of religion at Lafayette College. He has been a junior faculty member and doing research in the area of religious pluralism since 1988.

As the Brides Go Tearing By: The news spread like wildfire among the fairer sex. The headline, featured in the weddings (i.e., women's sports) section of the Sunday New York Times said it all: "Bart Littlefield Marries." This took the wind out of a thousand collective sails at once. Dr. Christian Barnard is reported to be on call for all the members of Bart's broken hearts club. The lucky lady is the former Miss Bar Gooding. Martha Stewart's wedding gift suggestion: send a book from the Babar the Elephant series. Incidentally, as a prelude to the long run of matrimony, Bart ran the Boston Marathon last April.

As the Bart goes Tearing By, part II: Congratulations to Tom Bartlett who also conquered 26.2 miles and the hills of Boston in last spring's marathon. Tom, how did you train? "I've always been a big believer in the seven-course Irish feast—a six-pack and a potato. And with the way I can put on the feedbag, I'm carbo-loaded for life." Tom is now teaching at the American School in London. In an unusual corollary to the "bringing coals to Newcastle" theme, Tom is teaching—you guessed it—English History!

Degree daze . . . ? In an effort to singlehandedly turn back the tide of recession, Roger Glovsky travels from one exclusive private college to the next in search of the eternal degree. In Hanover he earned a bachelor of arts as well as a bachelor and a master's in engineering. While this might have been a lifetime supply of academic exercise for mere mortals, Roger was just warming up. Next stop on Casey's hit parade was law school at Boston College during the height of the Doug Flutie madness. (He still dusts off the "I Dig Doug" button occasionally. Everybody was a wannabe...) Then it was off to MIT's Sloane School for a master's in management of technology (variation on a theme, sung to the Mouskateers tune: "M-I-T... P-H-D ... M-O-N-E-Y"). This is remarkable. The man has collected more sheepskins than the Big Bad Wolf. Roger recently settled down as the better half of Kirkpatrick and Glovsky in Worcester, Mass., where he specializes in corporate law for high-tech firms. He also has direct deposit to SLMA—the Student Loan Marketing Association.

Make Way for Ducklings: Please welcome Aaron Michael Novick who weighted in at 8 1bs., 8 oz. on May 28. He is the son of proud parents Craig Smith and Laura Novick. Unlike his namesake, Hammerin' Hank," this Aaron bats left, throws left, and drools right.

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