Occupation: I'm a freelance copy editor. Usually I do scholarly books and articles, and some literary articles. I was one of the editors of the Yale Review for a number of years. And five times a year, I review chamber music concerts.
Occupation: Iâm a freelance copy editor. Usually I do scholarly books and articles, and some literary articles. I was one of the editors of the Yale Review for a number of years. And five times a year, I review chamber music concerts.
Family: Iâm married to Mark Aldrich. We have two kids, Lola and Miles. Lola is 21 and an elementary education and psych major at Southern Connecticut State University. Miles is a senior at Newtown High School.
Pets: We have two miniature dachshunds, Autumn and Cheyenne. Theyâre about 6years old now. We have one cat named Grizzabella, a black, domestic long hair. Sheâs close to 10 years old, and she keeps the dogs in line.
How long have you lived in Newtown? Weâve lived here since 1997, moving up from New Haven.
What do you like to do in your free time? I read a lot and watch films. I like to take walks and walk wherever I can. The dogs get me out. Iâm a member of the Newtown Choral Society and the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library. I work for the book sale all year. The poetry, classics, and literature sections are âmine,â although we all work together.
What are you reading right now? Iâm reading White Noise by Don DeLillo, a novel about the deep âthingsâ around the fear of death. Itâs hard to explain. At times itâs screamingly funny, although itâs not a comic novel at all. I just finished The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, for about the fourth time, and I read a lot of Dickens. Every few years I make my way through Bleak House. For fun, I like mystery author Ruth Rendell.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? Last year we went to San Diego to visit family. It was marvelous. It was the first time Iâd ever been west of Ohio.
What is the best thing about Newtown? The land is so beautiful. Iâve spent most of my adult life in cities, so sometimes just driving or walking around here, even in winter, is just lovely. The landscape is only one of Newtownâs many virtues.
Who do you admire? Emily Dickinson. She was a very solitary and self-created person who wrote some of the greatest poetry ever. I donât know if I would want her life, but that genius is amazing.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Itâs something I associate with Henry James: Try to be someone on whom nothing is lost. Just be open to experience and think about things.
What do you most cherish? The English language and its endless possibilities. And with that, the ability to laugh and to have a sense of humor. I cherish that in myself and in others.