The Bicentennial: A Special Issue of Amherst Magazine

 For the Fall 2021 magazine, the editors commissioned nine essays from an accomplished group of alumni authors. These pieces will bring you onto the Connecticut River before dawn. You’ll walk through an open door to meet an unforgettable group of friends. You’ll witness a moment of deep humanity in the office of a thesis adviser. And you’ll go to class, where you’ll teach writing to new students, take responsibility for your own ideas and embrace your endless contradictions. Here are the Bicentennial essays. 

The River in the Dark, by Lauren Groff ’01, author of six books, including the new novel Matrix
 
Reaching Back to Frost, by Rand Richards Cooper ’80, author of The Last to Go and a contributing editor at Commonweal
 
Revise, Revise, Revise, by Jennifer Acker ’00, founder and editor-in-chief of The Common and author of The Limits of the World
 
Begin on Page 85, by Debby Applegate ’89, whose second book, Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age, came out last week
 
The Equation, Given, by Rafael Campo ’87, H’04, a physician and the author of, most recently, Comfort Measures Only: New and Selected Poems, 1994–2016

A Little House and a Lot of Love, by Carmella de los Angeles Guiol ’09, who ghostwrites memoirs and blogs about digital health

Samovars, Hope and Promise, by J.M. Holmes ’12, author of the story collection How Are You Going to Save Yourself and a writer for Showtime’s City on a Hill

The Last Line of the Poem, by William H. Pritchard ’53, the Henry Clay Folger Professor of English, Emeritus, whose books include Frost: A Literary Life Reconsidered 

The Return Visit, by Helen Wan ’95, whose novel The Partner Track is in development as a Netflix original series

Also in the special Bicentennial issue:

The Bicentennial Rereading Project
 
In a typical issue, Amherst magazine reviews new books by alumni and faculty. This time, the editors asked two reviewers: What’s one book you encountered in college that you’d want to review today? For Paul Statt ’78, it was Moby-Dick, “the greatest work I’ve ever read.” Makena Onjerika ’10 chose Aké: The Years of Childhood. As an Amherst senior, Onjerika was “biting my nails over whether I would ever amount to anything.” Aké offered comfort. What would it do for her now, in 2021?

Plus: 

A wide-ranging interview with President Biddy Martin on her 10 years at Amherst and the final year of her presidency
 
An opening essay by Matthew Randolph ’16 on a surprising discovery he made in the Amherst College archives
 
A Bicentennial poem by Haoran Tong ’23, the 2017 young poet laureate of China, titled “Our Story Keeps Writing Itself”
 
And much more

Coming Soon: The Amherst Bicentennial Podcast 

Stay tuned for an Amherst Bicentennial podcast, available soon!  Amherst at 200: Celebrating Mind, Heart and Community is narrated by Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Wright ’87 and showcases the stories of 14 graduates from 70 years ago until the present. The podcast series will include a special episode featuring President Biddy Martin and past Amherst presidents Tony Marx and Tom Gerety, moderated by Cullen Murphy ’74, reflecting on their experiences at the College and the importance of the liberal arts in higher education, and three encore episodes hosted by President Martin. Watch your inbox for the premiere date, and listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Homecoming 2021

Homecoming is this weekend! Join us in person or online for athletics, concerts and fun: Learn more and register today!

Bicentennial Pop-Up Shop at Homecoming

For the Bicentennial, we explored the College’s extensive archives for beautiful, interesting and fun designs. View the collection on the Bicentennial site and learn about the Amherst history that inspired the designs. Items will be available on campus at Schwemm’s Café and at a pop-up shop at the concessions stand in Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, during Homecoming. View the Collection.