A Williams Life

Stacy Schiff '82 — Pulitzer Prize-Winning Biographer

This episode features Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff. Her most recent book, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, drew wide acclaim on release and landed on most 2022 best-of lists — including the Wall Street Journal's Top Ten Books of the Year and President Obama's Favorite Books of 2022. Schiff has also written about another founding father, Benjamin Franklin — fitting timing, as we mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Her book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America won the George Washington Book Prize and inspired the Apple TV+ miniseries Franklin, starring Michael Douglas. She recently explored the founders' legacy again in a New York Times essay imagining what they might make of the current administration. Her other books include The Witches: Salem, 1692, the widely praised Cleopatra: A Life — now translated into 30 languages — and the Pulitzer-winning Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov). Across her career, Schiff has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and recognition from the French Ministry of Culture as a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. You can learn more about Stacy Schiff and her work at stacyschiff.com. Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/] to view pictures and hear more episodes of A Williams Life. Senior Producer: Jon Earle [http://www.jonearle.co/] ('09)

Kurt Van Steemburg '75 — Lessons in Living

This episode features a recent conversation between Gordon Earle '75 and his classmate and close friend, Kurt Van Steemburg, when Kurt was in hospice with only a few weeks to live. Gordon recorded the episode because he was struck, in the weeks and months leading up to their conversation, by how willing Kurt was to talk openly and honestly about his life and what lay ahead.  It was a conversation that was serious but also filled with smiles, joy and laughter. In talking with Kurt, Gordon was reminded of The Last Lecture: Lessons in Living, a powerful and deeply moving memoir written by Carnegie Mellow professor Randy Pausch after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; the same disease that took Kurt’s life.  Whether you knew Kurt or not, those who listen to this episode will be moved by Kurt’s observations on living a good life, as well as preparing for its end with wisdom, courage, humor and grace. Gordon also felt his conversation with Kurt provided valuable lessons on how to cope with his own mortality. Gordon first met Kurt in the fall of 1971 in Morgan West, their freshman entry. Little did he know that those in the entry would remain close friends over the next half century. During that time, Gordon and other members of the Class of ’75 also became close to the spouses of their classmates, especially Jinx, Kurt’s wife of 50 years, who joined the conversation. Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/] to view pictures and hear more episodes of A Williams Life. Senior Producer: Jon Earle [http://www.jonearle.co/] ('09)

Shoshana Clark Stewart '02 — From Astrophysics to Afghanistan

Shoshana Clark Stewart ’02, President of Turquoise Mountain [https://www.turquoisemountain.org/], reflects on her journey from Williams—where she majored in astrophysics and led her rowing team to three national championships—to Afghanistan, and the lessons she's learned from leading an international NGO in some of the world’s most turbulent places. Shoshana began as an intern at Turquoise Mountain, which supports artisans and communities to protect and revitalize their heritage. Working directly with communities in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and the Levant, the organization has trained thousands of artisans, restored more than 170 historic buildings, and provided primary healthcare to over 250,000 patients. Shoshana discusses the realities of operating in conflict zones, including the decision to remain in Kabul after the Taliban recaptured the city in 2021, and how craft traditions provide income, dignity, and continuity in times of upheaval. The conversation also explores leadership, resilience, and her advice to young graduates searching for meaningful work. Williams College awarded Shoshana a Bicentennial Medal [https://alumni-awards.williams.edu/bicentennial-medal/shoshana-clark-stewart-class-of-2002/] in 2018. Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/shoshana-clark-stewart-02/] to view photos from Shoshana's life. 00:00 From New York to Williams 06:10 The Zambia Eclipse That Changed Her Life 11:30 Rowing, Discipline & “I Choose” 14:15 Teaching Before Turquoise Mountain 16:45 Arriving in Afghanistan as an Intern 22:45 Reviving Vanishing Afghan Crafts 29:20 Why Cultural Heritage Matters in Crisis 37:10 The Fall of Kabul & Choosing to Stay 43:30 Expanding to Jordan, Palestine & Myanmar 1:01:00 From Intern to President — Leadership & Advice Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/] to view pictures and hear more episodes of A Williams Life. Senior Producer: Jon Earle [http://www.jonearle.co/] ('09)

Toby Cosgrove ’62 — From Vietnam to the Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Toby Cosgrove ’62 reflects on a remarkable life that took him from upstate New York to Williams, through medical school at UVA, into the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, and ultimately to the helm of the Cleveland Clinic. A renowned cardiovascular surgeon who performed more than 22,000 operations and later served as CEO of one of the world’s leading medical centers, Cosgrove shares stories from his military service, his decades in medicine and leadership, and his lifelong experience managing dyslexia. This episode offers an intimate look at the journey behind his extraordinary career. Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/] to view pictures and hear more episodes of A Williams Life. Senior Producer: Jon Earle [http://www.jonearle.co/] ('09)

Reflections on A Williams Life

In this final episode of A Williams Life before the Class of 1975's 50th reunion, host Gordon Earle is interviewed by Jon Earle, his producer, nephew and fellow Williams alum ('09). Gordon reflects on his positive experience talking with fellow classmates, most of whom he didn't know, or knew only slightly during his undergraduate years. He discusses their lives and legacies, and how they were shaped by their time at Williams—and beyond. Gordon also reflects on his family legacy at the College. His father, Harry Earle ('47), had his initial years at Williams interrupted when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and flew 50 missions as a B-17 pilot in Italy during WWII before returning to the College to graduate. Gordon also talks about his uncle, John Earle, a multi-sport star athlete at the College, who graduated from Williams in 1941, but tragically died in the Pacific theater of the war. In addition to his father and uncle, Gordon's two brothers (David and John) attended Williams, as did two of David's sons (Jon and Matthew). Gordon also discusses his own years at Willams, including memories of this favorite professors and the impact they had on his life. Click here [https://alumni.williams.edu/a-williams-life/] to view pictures and hear more episodes of A Williams Life. Senior Producer: Jon Earle [http://www.jonearle.co/] ('09)