Origin Stories

Where do you get your ideas? I am asked this a lot, often while driving alums on a golf cart during reunion weekend. Stories land in the magazine after following a variety of trajectories, both winding and direct, and this issue is a testament to the many journeys good ideas take.

“The Humanity of Primates” came to us over the transom—a term of art in publishing that refers to the small, horizontal windows over doors that were popular in the 19th century as a way to promote air circulation while keeping privacy. Writers were known to drop their unsolicited manuscripts through them into publishers’ offices. Professor of Anthropology Adam Van Arsdale sent an idea to me over the digital transom last October, the week after primatologist Jane Goodall died.

Van Arsdale was following the outpouring of memories about Goodall and reflecting on Wellesley’s connections to the world of primate research—including alums who were pioneers alongside Goodall and young alums currently making their mark. Maybe, Van Arsdale thought, there was a story there. I agreed, and I even knew the perfect person to write it: E.B. Bartels ’10, a senior writer in Wellesley’s communications and public affairs department, who has a particular interest in animals. (Check out her book, Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter, now out in paperback.)

Catherine O’Neill Grace’s feature “Lessons From the Road” was inspired by the 60th anniversary of Wellesley’s Mary Elvira Stevens Traveling Fellowship, which funds independent international travel for alumnae. Sixty years is impressive, but more importantly, the story gave Grace an excellent excuse to talk to five fascinating alumnae—a writer, a historian, a sustainability strategist, an artist, and an entrepreneur—about how the gift from Wellesley changed their lives. I have a feeling their experiences will inspire a record number of applications next year.

“Signal Strength” by Amy Mayer ’94 is a story ripped from the headlines—or perhaps I should say from the airwaves. When federal funding for public broadcasting was abruptly pulled last summer, I thought of the many alums working in the industry who would be impacted, and how the change would affect listeners and viewers across the country. It then occurred to me that I don’t know much about the history of public media in the U.S., or the business models behind the 1,500 stations in the country. In her feature, Mayer explains the industry’s complexities and introduces us to just a few of the alums in the field adapting to this new era.

We are always interested in hearing new stories, so we encourage you to send your own ideas over the transom via magazine@wellesley.edu.