Welcome!

This is the new blog for the Cleveland Club of Oberlin Alumni. I'll be posting upcoming events on this site, both official club events, as well as events that alumni would like publicized. This blog will essentially be the same as our e-newsletter, just a different format.

Coming right off of Alumni Council Weekend, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kira McGirr, class of 2006, and I am delighted to be your new regional coordinator. I hope that I'll get to meet all of you over the next few months as we have events.

A little about myself: I live in Oberlin, with my husband, Charles McGuire, '91/'92, professor of musicology at the Conservatory. I am the store supervisor at the Oberlin Bookstore, and sing with the Cleveland Opera chorus. I love being outdoors, biking, camping, swimming, etc; working in my garden and am an avid reader.

To start off the newsletter, here are two events that will be happening in Oberlin over the next week. My apologies for the short notice, but the newsletter has to start somewhere!

On Thursday, September 17, at 4:45pm, in Craig Auditorium at the Science Center, Dan Chaon, Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Oberlin, will be reading from his newest novel Await Your Reply. Professor Chaon is the author of Among the Missing, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and You Remind Me of Me, which was named on of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. For more information, please visit http://new.oberlin.edu/calendar/index.dot?id=1317372

Kazim Ali, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, and Jessica Grim, Lecturer in the Creative Writing Department, will be reading from their most recent works on Monday, September 21 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm at the Oberlin Public Library. Professor Ali most recently authored the novella The Disappearance of Seth and memoir Bright Felon. Ms. Grim's most recent book is titled Vexed.

Please keep an eye out for an invitation to our next official regional event, which will be held at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage on Sunday, October 11, at 3pm. All details will be included in the invitation.

I welcome all of your thoughts, suggestions and help in planning events that are appealing and interesting.doing so. Please contact me by e-mail (kmcgirr [at] gmail [dot] com) if you are interested in being on the steering committee for the Cleveland Club, or have an idea for an event. If you'd like to have your event or announcement included in the e-newsletter, and on the blog, please contact me at the above e-mail me no later than the 25th of every month to be included in the next month's e-newsletter. The e-newsletter will be sent sometime during the first week of each month. Please be sure to leave plenty of time for publicity!

Looking forward to meeting you all!