November / December 2005

Rock Climbing

Brown owns the highest point in Rhode Island. But can you get there from here?

It Still Bothers Them

Peter Kramer discusses why even doctors resist seeing depression as a disease.

On Stage

Fresh Ink

He's Just Mad About Melancholy

Psychiatrist Peter Kramer explains why we love depression so much that we really don't want to cure it.

60 Seconds with James Miller '73

Dean of Admission

Since Last Time

Data Points

A Tough Act to Follow

"We used to be known for our obsession with rights," Constitutional historian Gordon Wood reminds students.

Preparedness Speech

John Kerry takes "the Katrina Administration" to task.

In Their Native Tongues

International grad students come to campus as language teachers.

Welcome to Trade School

Ruth Simmons welcomes Brown's 242nd class while mourning the "crushing indifference" that followed Hurricane Katrina.

Paying Up

To pay for the Plan for Academic Enrichment, the University must raise $1.4 billion. Only $825 million to go.

In the News

Dinosaur Dream

Matt Carrano '91: Sometimes you get paid to live out your fantasies.

The Trillion-Dollar Lawsuit

Don Migliori '88: Al Qaeda's real nemesis may turn out to be a pack of plaintiffs' lawyers.

Flour Power

P. J. Hamel '75: From ice hockey to King Arthur's test kitchen, she cooks.

Swimming Lesson

Sara Toney '35: On doctor's orders, she quit springboard diving at 90.

Obituaries

Mail Room

Net Winner

During her first season on the soccer team, Hilary Wilson '06 tied the single-season record for saves.

Really, Really, Really Good

In his new novel, Rick Moody takes a hilarious swipe at Hollywood.

Who Needs Critics?

In his comedies, Michael Showalter '92 channels Frank Capra and the Three Stooges.

Winning on Her Own Battlefield

In her debut collection, Susie Suh stakes out  fresh emotional ground with universal appeal.

Burying Sophie

Teaching her kids about a cat's death, a mother learns about life. [Alumni POV]

The Last Man Standing

A junior explains why he still won't buy a cell phone.

Fashion for the Fun at Heart

Throw out your Prozac and let your house list your spirits, says interior designer Jonathan Adler '88, who's out to prove that chic is not a synonym for cold.

Seeking Higher Ground

Among the victims of Hurricane Katrina were thousands of college students whose education came to an abrupt halt.  When Ruth Simmons invited some of them to temporarily resume their studies at Brown, the campus community set about improvising ways to help. They've been so successful that at least a few students don't want to go back.

Under Water

For three alumni at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the challenge is not just to get out, but to get a paper out, as well.

Sweating the Big Stuff

At Brown, Chip Giller '93 shunned clothes dryers and hung his wet laundry in his dorm room. A decade later, he's teaching a Web-savvy generation that you can save the planet and still have a few laughs along the way.

The Evolution of Ken Miller

How a Roman Catholic cell biologist became one of the country's leading defenders of evolution - and what's at stake.