AitN: September 23, 2019

Ady Barkan ’06 was featured in The New York Times on September 19 in “Ady Barkan Won’t Let Dying Stop His Activism.” Three years after his diagnoses with A.L.S., Barkan has become a passionate proponent for Medicare for all, and the Times' article showcases Barkan’s both political influence and his upcoming memoir.

Ady Barkan ’06 (center) at the Los Angeles Supports a Dream Act Now! protest at the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on January 3, 2018.

GABRIEL OLSEN / GETTY IMAGES

Nia Batts ’07 appeared on Inc.’s list of “100 Women Building America’s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses” for Detroit Blows, the inclusive blow-dry bar she co-founded in Detroit that offers affordable blow-outs to serve all ethnicities and hair types. One dollar of every blowout service and a percentage of retail sales goes to Detroit Grows, the store’s philanthropic branch that supports Detroit-based female entrepreneurs with micro-grants and invests in programs that help women entering and re-entering the workforce.

On September 14, Sam Bisbee ’90 won a Creative Arts Emmy Award as producer of the documentary The Sentence; the film tied for a win in the Outstanding Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking category. The film is described as a "searing look at the consequences of mandatory minimum sentencing."

Eric Myerson ’02 wrote, co-produced and edited the film Chasing Einstein, released on September 13. It features Columbia’s Professor of Physics Elena Aprile as one of the main subjects, focusing on Aprile’s work developing technology to facilitate the search for dark matter.

In more movie news, Julia Stiles ’05 stars in the feature film Hustlers, portraying a journalist. The film was released on September 13.

On September 12, Louis Vlahos ’84 was selected for the 2019 New York Metro Super Lawyers List in the tax category. The list recognizes leading lawyers in their respective areas of practice.

In television news, the casting of Julia Jones ’05 as part of the new Disney+ live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian was announced on September 5.

Artist and poet John Giorno ’58 opened a solo show at Sperone Westwater Gallery on September 5. The show, titled “You Got to Burn to Shine,” was featured in “The T List,” The New York Times Style Magazine’s roundup of “what to see, eat and wear this week,” on September 4.

Jessica Craig ’94’s literary agency, Craig Literary, was in the news on September 3 when Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma’s novel An Orchestra of Minorities was short-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize; Obioma is represented by Craig.