CSW ALUMNI BOOKS

Making Friends with Other Trees and Flowers: A Story of Low Vision and High Expectations

By Janne E. Irvine ’66

A professional classical musician and writer, Janne Irvine’s vision was damaged at a young age and grew progressively worse. Her parents were determined that she have an upbringing similar to any other child. Instead  of attending a school for the blind, Irvine went to CSW, where music teacher Joe Schaaf helped nurture the budding pianist. A reviewer praised this book by saying: “Janne has provided us with an insightful, inspirational, and evolutionary journey of triumph over challenge which demonstrates that in many ways she has had better vision than most of us.”

The Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed: A Mother’s Story of Loss and Hope

By Kathleen Willis Morton ’88

In this memoir, Kathleen Willis Morton describes how the Buddhist faith helped her come to terms with the tragically short life of her infant son Liam. A reviewer characterized Morton’s writing as “an intimate portrait of seeking peace of mind in the midst of the unthinkable.” For her fondest memories of CSW, Morton mentioned “spending time with friends in ‘the pit,’ Cat Rock, and late night talks in the common in Trap.”

Remove Trouble from Your Heart

By Esther Pasztory ’61

Today, Esther Pasztory is an esteemed art historian specializing in pre-Columbian art from Central America. As a child, however, her future was uncertain. Her family had to flee their native Hungary after the failed 1956 Revolution, coming to the US with few resources and limited English. Shortly thereafter, Pasztory enrolled in CSW, where she excelled in art and theater. In this memoir, she weaves together her personal and professional experiences bridging multiple cultures. When asked about her fondest recollections of CSW, Pasztory mentioned “walks in the woods, singing at assembly, and people dropping trays in the dining hall[!]”

The Diary of Ned Sanderson: January 1, 1939 – January 1, 1944 

By Ned Sanderson ’43 

Edited by David (’45) and Colin Sanderson

Ned Sanderson attended CSW during World War II. A day student, he commuted by what is now the Fitchburg commuter rail line, developing a passion for trains. After graduation, he began studying engineering at Yale, but soon joined the army to continue his training there. Sadly, Ned was sent to the Western Front, where he died in battle at the age of 19. This book reproduces Sanderson’s daily diary entries as well as several letters he sent to his father while in the army. Multiple references to the Cambridge School can be found in the index at the end.

Charlotte au chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood

By Charlotte Silver ’99

“Every paragraph here is a confection of wit, color, texture, and taste”--is how a reviewer praised Charlotte Silver’s memoir on growing up in her mom’s fancy restaurant in Harvard Square. But life wasn’t all glamour: the restaurant was often on the brink of bankruptcy. According to Silver, her fondest CSW memory is “the scent and the heady atmosphere of the art building and all of the talented student artists working there.”

My Summer Vacation 1965

By Mary Swope ’51

While finishing her master’s degree in art, Mary Swope noticed advertisements for a volunteer program run by Martin Luther King, Jr. Swope signed up and spent the summer of 1965 registering African American voters in places where literacy tests and other forms of suppression were happening (the Voting Rights Act passed later that summer). On her time at CSW, Swope wrote: “the primary memory that stays with me is the teachers, strong individuals in their own right.”