Alumni in the News, October 28, 2019

Professor Haruo Shirane ’74, GSAS’83, chair of the department of East Asian languages and cultures, is the first recipient of Japan’s National Institutes for the Humanities International Prize in Japanese Studies. From the announcement: “The prize recognizes Shirane, professor of Japanese literature and culture at Columbia University, for outstanding achievement in Japanese studies (defined as the fields of Japanese history, literature, linguistics, folklore, ethnology, and environmental studies) and for major contributions to the development of Japanese scholarships overseas.”

Matt Salinger ’83 has organized a new exhibition at the New York Public Library about his father, author J.D. Salinger. The exhibition, the first public showing from J.D. Salinger’s personal archives, offers “an unprecedented glimpse into the novelist’s creative process and private life,” according to a New York Times review.

In streaming TV news, Jenny Slate ’04 recently released a Netflix comedy special, Stage Fright, a mix of stand-up and behind-the scenes documentary. Brandon Victor Dixon ’03 makes a guest appearance in the first episode of Modern Love, the new Amazon Prime series based on the popular New York Times column of the same name.

Francesca Trianni ’11 JRN’13 filmed and directed Time’s first feature documentary, Paradise Without People, a look at the refugee crisis in Europe. The film is currently screening at film festivals and will premiere in November in New York City.