A Special Message to Our Readers

We invite you to be part of Emory Magazine in a new and meaningful way

By Paige P. Parvin 96G

Four days from now, according to the color-coded schedule on my wall, we will release this issue of Emory Magazine into the capable hands of our production manager.

The term “release” is standard in our business, but lately I’ve been reflecting on just how apt the word really is. For three months, associate editor Mary Loftus, art director Erica Endicott, and I—as well as our extended staff, copy editor Jane Howell and lead photographer Kay Hinton—have been largely consumed by the words and images that make up this magazine. We have happily obsessed over every page, every phrase, every photo. We have labored over decisions, laughed (a lot), argued (not much), changed things, changed them back. There have been moments of frustration and also of inspiration.

Soon we will have to let go. The digital pages we have spent these weeks creating will take physical shape, morphing into the magazine you now hold. It’s exciting, and as always, a little scary, too.

In recent issues, Emory Magazine has, we hope, brought alumni readers some of Emory’s most compelling and timely stories. Our fall 2006 issue on religion confronted the deepest questions of faith; last summer our “Crossing Over” theme focused on life transitions, including the way we die; and last fall, we took you to the Holy Land, offering an Emory perspective on one of the most critical conflicts of our time.

We’ve enjoyed some lighter subjects, too: we have celebrated the craft of teaching and the joys of food, and more recently, taken you on a search for true happiness with the Dalai Lama.

In every issue, we have sought to include your voice—through alumni letters, profiles, and written contributions. This spring we were honored with an Award of Excellence in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s District III competition.

Always, our aim is to inform you, entertain you, and help you stay connected to Emory in a meaningful way.

Now, for the first time, we are inviting alumni to be a part of Emory Magazine in a more significant way than ever before. The envelope you will find in these pages is an opportunity to purchase a voluntary subscription to the magazine. Please know that you will continue to receive it regardless of whether you choose to make a gift.

But even as our aspirations for Emory Magazine soar, so does the cost of producing a publication of which we can all be proud. One issue costs more than $80,000 just to print and mail. By buying a tax-deductible voluntary subscription, you can help the University’s flagship alumni publication continue to tell Emory’s stories, maintain our tradition of quality, and further our mission to make the magazine ever better.

Each gift of $35, $50, or more will make a difference. And if eight hundred readers show that they value Emory Magazine with a contribution of $100 or more, your generosity could help offset the cost of an entire issue. As a token of our thanks, the first 250 readers to buy an annual subscription for $100 or more will receive a complimentary copy of Vice President Gary Hauk’s handsome history of Emory, A Legacy of Heart and Mind: Emory Since 1836.

As you make your gift to support the work of Emory Magazine—or if you decide to check “other” on the envelope provided and give instead to another worthy area of the University—we would be delighted to hear from you. There is a box on the envelope where you can share your comments, and we welcome your feedback at any time.

Thank you for reading, for considering a voluntary subscription, and for being part of Emory Magazine. It is a genuine privilege to tell Emory’s stories, and we look forward to those ahead.

In this issue, we honor the arts and creativity of all kinds—from the brilliant writing of Distinguished Writer in Residence Salman Rushdie to the zany antics of our student comedy-improv troupe. As with every issue of Emory Magazine, we hope you find much that interests, educates, amuses, or inspires you. And we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

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Spring 2008

• Prelude
• Letters to the Editor

Of Note

• Walk with an Egyptian The Carlos Museum brings Tutankhamun to Atlanta
• The Lost Kingdom of Nubia at the Carlos through August 31
• The Emotional Fallout of War Virtual reality therapy is advancing treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• One pill, once a day Thanks in part to Emory researchers, a new treatment for adults with HIV
• Rewriting Life Visiting Professor Dorothy Allison writes to revise the world she knows
• ‘Dooley goes on forever’ A movement is afoot to bring a statue of Dooley to life size
• Off the Cuff Emory’s comedy-improv troupe Rathskellar helps students learn to think on their feet
• ‘Sweet real things’ English Professor Frances Smith Foster examines love, courtship, and marriage in early African America
• Perfect Pitch Emory in the News
• Tracing the Origins of Syphilis A graduate student adds new knowledge to the debate
• Green Technology EcoRide offers computer matchmaking for carpoolers
• Carter Center campaign closing in on Guinea Worm
• Poison Apples Public health researcher Chensheng Lu finds that pesticides linger in children
• Ticker Theology professor elected APA fellow, and more news

Features

• The Creative Campus The transformative power of the arts is being championed across disciplines, filling empty spaces with fresh visions
• Creativity Taking Shape By Rosemary M. Magee 82PhD and Leslie Taylor
• Rushdie Hour Distinguished Writer in Residence Salman Rushdie is living proof that books can change your life
• A New Angle Film Studies rolls out production class
• Down in Sugarland Kristian Bush 92C is on a roller coaster to country music fame—and he’s clearly enjoying the ride
• Arts in Motion Arts faculty across Emory and Oxford are inspiring students with talent and innovation
• An Outlet for Student Art

Register

• Letter from the President
• Letter from the EAA
• Point of Impact Donors to the University help not only Emory, but also the world beyond
• Alumni Ink War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims
• A Natural Gift Musician Kevin Gift 95C has performed around the world, in both classical and hip-hop styles
• Turman recipient comes full circle with Emory
• Class Notes
• Coda “Almost Famous,” by Mike Sager 78C