Drawing Interest

Five years ago, Edward Koren ’57 graciously welcomed a team from CCT into his Vermont home to film an interview about his career in cartooning. At the time he had been a New Yorker contributor for nearly 60 years, with no intention of ever retiring. In the posted video, we see Koren sketching at his drafting table as he explains his process: “It’s surprising to me sometimes how one mark will lead to another mark and lead to an expression, which will lead to an idea.” His delight in the work is palpable. “This is my friend,” he says with a wiggle of his hand.

Koren also reminisces about his time with Columbia’s celebrated humor magazine, Jester. He began drawing for it as a first-year and continued through senior year, when he was also editor-in-chief: “That really charted the way for the rest of my life,” he says.

Koren isn’t the only one, as “Drawn by a Columbian” — a fall exhibition at Butler’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) — shows us. The subject of this issue’s cover story, it features Koren along with three other alumni who began their artistic careers with Jester: Charles H. Alston CC 1929, TC 1931; Ad Reinhardt CC 1935; and Charles Saxon CC 1940. Among other things, the show offers a fascinating look at how their styles developed — and in some cases diverged radically — from what they produced while at the College. Our cover is a case in point: Reinhardt’s blazing lion footballer in shades of red and orange is a far cry from the monochrome minimalism that characterized his final years.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we feature Lang Fisher ’02. Across more than two decades, Fisher has established herself as one of the industry’s top comedic writers, co-creating hit TV shows with powerhouses Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling. Speaking with writer Scott Meslow, Fisher reflected on her journey from learning improv at the College, to sharpening her skills in writers’ rooms in New York City and Los Angeles, to helping to run the show on set for her latest success, The Four Seasons.

We also profile ornithologist Roger Pasquier ’69, whose love of feathered fauna began at age 7 and has informed a lifetime of conservation work, writing and birding. Central Park is his favorite spot; he has kept records for more than 60 years of the species he sees there, and has become a legend among local birders.

Finally, don’t miss “Hall of Fame,” part of our “Around the Quads” section, where we shine a light on Gouverneur Morris CC 1768. This Founding Father is all too often forgotten among giants like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton CC 1778, but is worth getting to know. Surely you’ll recognize his most memorable words, “We the People … .”

We hope you enjoy the issue. And if you’ll be on campus in the next few months, do make a plan to visit “Drawn by a Columbian.” It’s on view in RBML’s Chang Octagon through Dec. 14.

Alexis Boncy SOA’11
Editor-in-Chief