Prompted by the efforts of Massachusetts U.S. Senator, Harvard Law School alum, & abolitionist Charles Sumner, on January 16, 1865, General W. T. Sherman signed the order popularly referred to as “40 Acres and Mule“ at his Savannah, Georgia headquarters. The order granted a homestead to recently freed slaves.

This month, Harvardwood's Savannah/Hilton Head chapter is pleased to be a lead sponsor of The Mission Winds Clarinet Quartet's concert at this historic location. The Quartet is part of the U.S. Air Force’s Band of The West.

Admission is FREE! Simply RSVP at the bottom of this page to let us know you are coming.

This lively and informative conversation will provide insights to first-time and independent authors to help them address the challenges writers face in finding publishers and promoting their books. 

The panel includes: Holly Smith, editor-in-chief of the Washington Independent Review of Books; Laura Strachan, literary agent/principal at the Strachan Literary Agency; local authors J. Michael McNealy KSG ’14 (Skeleton Horse), John Wasowicz MPA ’88 (Daingerfield Island); and local editor/poet/writer Richard Peabody (Mondo Barbie, A Different Beat: Writings by Women of the Beat Generation).

Organized by John Wazowicz, this event is free and open to the public.

Colonel (Retired) J. Michael McNealy KSG '14 is a career military intelligence officer who has served in command and staff positions from the Platoon Level to the Army Staff and Joint Agencies.  He is the author of “Skeleton Horses,” written during his second deployment to Iraq and published in 2017.

Richard Peabody is a DC resident and the founder and remaining editor of Gargoyle Magazine and editor (or co-editor) of 25 anthologies including Mondo Barbie and A Different Beat: Writings by Women of the Beat Generation. The author of a novella, three short story collections, and seven poetry books, Peabody taught fiction writing at Johns Hopkins University for 15 years. His most recent  book is The Richard Peabody Reader (Alan Squire Publishers, 2015). His new book of poems, “Guinness on the Quay,” is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry in 2019.

Holly Smith is editor-in-chief of the nonprofit Washington Independent Review of Books, a university lecturer, and a longtime freelance writer. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Style, CNBC.com, More Mirth of a Nation, Brain, Child, and other publications. She also co-authored Seafood Lover's Chesapeake Bay, a travel guide that keeps getting shelved with the cookbooks.

John Adam Wasowicz MPA '88 is an Alexandria, VA, attorney and author of “Daingerfield Island,” published in 2017 by Baltimore’s BrickHouse Books.  He has conducted book signings at 36 indie bookstores from Vermont to South Carolina. 

Last film of the Autumn series sponsored by Friends of the Library, Rockville Memorial Chapter: Is Anybody Listening? is one woman's search for ways to bridge the chasms between veterans and non-veterans. It is a story of love.

Following the film, there will be a discussion with the filmmaker, NAACP officials, and veterans. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Friends of the Library, Rockville Memorial Chapter. 

LA-based Jack Monderer AB '82 will be in Washington, DC and is happy to meet with a few local members over a casual dinner to chat about Acquiring Story Rights for Producers & Writers. With 25 years of film studio experience at Columbia and Fox, Jack managed hundreds of rights situations of every conceivable type.

As a producer or writer, when and how do you initiate a rights agreement? How much of an agreement do you need? Is there any way to price a particular type of material?

Attend this Harvardwood Salon with Jack, who will share his experience and give guidance on these and other story rights issues. Dinner is limited to five attendees (six total, including Jack). The restaurant location will be selected amongst Jack and the confirmed participants. Free to attend, but each attendee will be responsible for their own food/drink at dinner.

To attend, please RSVP below by October 12th!

Jack Monderer AB '82

Jack Monderer has several decades of experience as the key manager and analyst in Business and Legal affairs for film development projects at Fox and Columbia. He recently completed 20 years at the Fox film group, administering all talent deals and property rights for the film projects at Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight, Fox Animation and Fox International Productions. Projects he has managed from development through production include everything from franchises like Ghostbusters, X-Men,Avatar and Ice Age, to specialty films like Slumdog Millionaire and Grand Budapest Hotel.

Please join us in welcoming the Class of 2018 this fall! The College Classes of 2004-2018 will be coming together for Welcome to Your City on October 18. These events are a fun, informal way for recent graduates who may be new to town to connect with other local, recent Harvard alumni.

Register with your LinkedIn profile and other social media accounts to see who's coming and connect with other attendees before, during, and after the event. This event is jointly co-hosted by Harvardwood, the Harvard Alumni Association, and the Harvard Club of Southern California.

*Please note, this venue will have a cash bar. 

Harvardwood and the Harvard Club of Southern California are delighted to present a special screening of an episode from Netflix's Disenchantment, followed by a discussion with two of the show's writers and co-executive producers, Patric M. Verrone AB '81 and David X. Cohen AB '88! Patric and David have a long history of collaboration on The Simpsons, Futurama, and now Disenchantment, the latest adult animation hit from Matt Groening. At this event, they'll chat about how the sausage gets made, focusing on Episode 2 ("For Whom the Pig Oinks") to shed some light on the inner workings of the comedy writers' room.

The evening will begin with a screening of Episode 2 of Disenchantment. To prevent spoilers, we encourage all attendees to have already watched Disenchantment Episode One ("A Princess, an Elf, and a Demon Walk into a Bar"), now streaming on Netflix!

This event is only open to Harvardwood Members & Friends. If you're not currently a member, visit this page to join today before you register to attend. Advance registration is mandatory, so that we can give all guest names to Emerson LA security in advance. You will be asked to log in at the front security desk, before being directed to the Emerson LA screening room.

David X. Cohen
(Writer & Producer, Disenchantment, Futurama, The Simpsons)

David X. Cohen ’88 is a writer and producer of the Netflix original animated series Disenchantment.  He graduated magna cum laude in physics from Harvard College, where he also served as President of the Harvard Lampoon and delivered the class day Ivy Oration.  He went on to earn a Masters Degree in theoretical computer science from U.C. Berkeley before abandoning his long and expensive education and heading for Hollywood.  There he spent five years as a writer for The Simpsons and developed the animated series Futurama (along with Simpsons creator Matt Groening).  He subsequently served as Futurama’s showrunner, head writer, and voice director throughout its long and frequently-interrupted run.  He is the recipient of four Emmy Awards, four Annie Awards, three Environmental Media awards, and zero Nobel Prizes.

Patric M. Verrone
(Writer & Producer, Disenchantment, Futurama, The Simpsons;
Former President of the Writers Guild of America West)

Patric M. Verrone ‘81 is co-executive producer of the Netflix original animated series Disenchantment. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1981 (where he was an officer of The Harvard Lampoon) and earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School. His television writing credits include The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Larry Sanders Show, The Critic, The Simpsons, Pinky and the Brain, rugrats, Muppets Tonight!, Class of 3000, and Futurama (including all three TV incarnations and two mobile app games). He has been nominated for 11 Emmys in four categories and won three. He also has an Environmental Media Award, two ASIFA Annie Awards, a People’s Choice Award nomination, and the Writers Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Animation Writing. He is a past president of the Writers Guild of America West, and current president of the Harvard Club of Southern California. He is married to fellow writer Maiya Williams ‘84. They have three children including Patric C.W. Verrone ‘18 whose own IMDB page is making things very confusing.

Three hurrahs for Harvardwood! Come revel in holiday cheer and happy festivities with your fellow Harvardwood members, friends, and volunteers on Friday, December 7th. It'll be a wonderful way to kick off not just your weekend, but also the season of holiday festivities! We'll be celebrating at The Parlor on Melrose, where you'll rub shoulders and make merry with entertainment's favorite Harvard alums. 

Food will be available for purchase at The Parlor. Cash bar. One free drink ticket per person to the first 75 people to RSVP!

• Early-bird tickets are $15/Members & Friends and $20/Non-Members now through November 30th
• Regular tickets will be $20/Members & Friends and $25/Non-Members from Dec. 1 - 7th
• All walk-ins will be $25, regardless of Harvardwood membership status

In addition to the holiday festivities, join Harvardwood Helps in a toy drive for the holidays!  The Los Angeles County Fire Department's "Spark of Love" drive collects new toys and sports equipment for the Department of Children and Family Services for distribution to the foster children of Los Angeles County.  Any remaining toys are then distributed to non-profit charitable organizations within Los Angeles County.  New, unused, unwrapped toys and sports equipment for every age are appreciated.  Every year, however, there is an extra need for "Toys for Teens" and "Infant Toys. 1 DONATED NEW TOY = 1 RAFFLE TICKET

You can also get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping while celebrating. We are hosting our annual holiday silent auction in support of the Harvardwood Fund. Auction items, which will be featured at the holiday party for in-person bidding, include one-on-one lunches with industry VIPs, autographed feature film scripts, unique film/TV memorabilia, gift certificates, museum/show tickets... the list goes on and on.

Need a ride to/from the party and new to Uber? Use the following link to claim a free ride: 
https://www.uber.com/invite/uberHarvardwood

Members & Friends   

Non-Members

"Song & dance man nonpareil" (New York Times), choreographer, and director, Lee Roy Reams has long been a pillar of the Broadway musical theater. Reams originated the role of Billy Lawlor in the legendary David Merrick-Gower Champion production of 42nd Street, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations. He played Roger De Bris on tour and then on Broadway in The Producers. He had leading roles in Beauty & the Beast, Hello Dolly!, Lorelei, Oklahoma, La Cage aux Folles, and Applause. In addition, Reams directed and choreographed the 1994 Broadway revival of Hello Dolly! and directed and starred in An Evening with Jerry Herman. His concert, TV, and cabaret performances have taken him to the White House and around the world, performing for Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. Most recently, he's played to sold-out houses at Feinstein's.

Lee Roy Reams will be interviewed about his long career and the fascinating people he's worked with, by Foster Hirsch. Hirsch is Professor of Film at Brooklyn College and the author of 16 books on film and theater, including the classic study Film Noir: The Dark Side of the Screen, as well as Harold Prince and the American Musical Theatre, and, most recently, Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King.

As a special treat, Lee Roy Reams has agreed to cap the evening for us by performing a few songs, accompanied by his Music Director James Followell.

Cost: Dues-paying Harvardwood members can buy tickets for $5; $10 for all others.

Advance Registration is REQUIRED. No tickets will be sold at the door.

DRESS CODE: Business Casual is fine for the event itself, but if you are thinking of staying for dinner (the Pub at The Lambs will accept credit cards), JACKETS & TIES will be required for men. No denim, sneakers, or such.

This is a joint event with THE LAMBS.

Special thanks to Anne Griffin

Members, Register Here

Purchase tickets   $5.00 Members & Friends

This calendar features all member-submitted events!

You can invite the Harvardwood community to your upcoming stand-up show, concert, screening, art gallery launch, and more. Events can only be submitted by dues-current members.