1991
1991
Hi, fellow ’91s.
I am writing this update during the blurry week between Christmas and New Year’s. My heart is full because all my people are home and under one roof in Vermont. What a reason to celebrate.
We have a few other reasons to celebrate as we ring in 2025. First, two of our classmates recently published books. Shary Taylor Gentry penned All He Wants for Christmas Is an Easter Basket: A Mother’s Memoir. Sharyprovided this fabulous summary, “After being told her son is unlikely to have a normal life, a devoted mother teams up with experts to fix him, but when the gulf between the boy and his peers widens, she must reimagine what it means to have a meaningful life.” Sounds like an inspirational television special isn’t far behind! Congratulations, Shary.
Next, Taylor Keen has written Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples’ Account of the Sacred Geography of America. Taylor’s book “examines the complexities of Indigenous legends and creation myths and reveals common oral traditions across much of North America” and “presents an Indigenous revisionist history regarding Thomas Jefferson, expansionist doctrine, and manifest destiny.” Wow, Taylor, it sounds fascinating, and the raves and reviews are truly wonderful.
Both works are available on Amazon.
And for our final reason to celebrate in this edition, the San Antonio Zoo recently announced “the promotion of Dr. Tarah Hadley to senior director of veterinary care, making her the first female and African American to lead this pivotal 18-person department in the zoo’s 110-year history. This appointment marks a significant milestone not only for the zoo but also in the broader context of a field where African American veterinarians represent only 1.2 percent of the profession, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2021.” Awesome news, Tarah!
In closing, I’ve been told that a 1991 class lasagna cookoff may be in the works. Mine features both beef and spinach with just a hint of nutmeg. I predict I will be in the Top 10—who out there is going to challenge me?
Please keep the news coming. It takes just two minutes to send a note. I take texts, email, and snail mail.
—Tracey Cushing Gilliam, P.O. Box 131, Manchester, VT 05254; (917) 951-1472; tragilliaml@gmail. com
