Family Meal: A Hunch at Brunch
By Faye Liu
On Sunday, September 24th, Fordham English students, alumni, and faculty gathered for brunch at The Library at The Public.
The warm, intimate, and cozy tone of the setting reflected the theme – Family Meal: A Hunch at Brunch. Located north of Houston Street, the Library was tucked away on the mezzanine of The Pubic Theater, which had been housed in the landmarked red Romanesque revival building since 1967. The early morning rain filled the air with coolness and serenity. Headed down from Lincoln Center and Rose Hill Campus, students gathered in the main lobby recounting to friends the semester so far, the weekend, and their train rides.
There was something peculiar about the rhythmical flow of the gloomy day, as if repeating moments lived before, as well as something new. While the Fordham English community already had the tradition of coming together around late September to celebrate students and alums, the space and the event hosts were entirely new. Minutes before the brunch began, Alum hosts Shan Rao and Isabel Daniel were busy working with Sarah Gambito – the Director of Creative Writing together to coordinate with the Library staff.
At noon, the doors opened. Lining up the stairs, students and alums waited for check-in. Dr. Mary Bly, the Chair of English at Fordham, warmly welcomed the attendees as they each stepped into the room. The sight behind the draperies was one with paneled walls, long wooden dining tables, bookshelves, and pendant lights. Putting away their umbrellas and raincoats, the guests were comforted by the intimate space, and began to initiate conversations with other not-so-familiar faces. Fiction writing, early modern literary history, editing, and screenwriting were some of the many paths that the current students were pursuing. The intensity and diversity of interests, among the Fordham English community, were particularly exciting.
Alumni hosts Shan Rao and Isabel Daniel gave welcoming remarks to the events. Both Shan and Isabel had been attending the family meal event since their first year at Fordham. Shan, stated, “We’re so excited to be here with you all in this beautiful space surrounded by an incredible selection of food. Thank you all so much for joining us and for being a part of this Fordham English family.” Isabelle followed by stating, “As a recent alum it’s been a joy to watch this event grow from the first high tea when I was a freshman to this family meal, and it’s an honor to play a part in shaping it since it’s played such a huge part in shaping the lifelong connections I’ve made in the English department.” Sarah Gambito gave a short speech welcoming the students and alums, which marked the official beginning of the brunch.
The attending Fordham English Alumni were part of a wide array of fields and professions. Michael Ryan, who attended Fordham’s Humanities Day as a panelist the week before, currently works at Macmillan Publishers, and has been working in the field of publishing continuously since his internship at Fordham. From literary travel agents, lawyers, to journalists, Alum guests not only shared their professions, but also the journey of how they had come to their field as Fordham English graduates.
Inspired by the benefactor of the event – Mary Higgins Clark, Shan Rao and Isabel Daniel organized a murder mystery activity for the guests. Isabel explained, “As you may have seen when you arrived, we have a little activity set up in the spirit of Mary Higgins Clark and this wonderful dark atmosphere. We need your help to uncover the evidence and solve the mystery of who stole Mary Higgins Clark’s diary from Mary Bly. Once you solve the mystery, come find one of us and let us know. The first three people to solve it will receive prizes!” Then, Dr. Mary Bly gave a toast highlighting the contributions of alums that made events such as this one possible.
Served family style, the three-course meal was bright-flavored, fresh, and nourishing. Right before dessert, Dr. Mary Bly, Sarah Gambito, and hosts Shan Rao and Isabel Daniel went from table to table and checked in with students and alums. The attendees made sure to talk to more guests. Shan and Isabel announced prizes for the mystery winners, which concluded the successful event around four o’clock in the afternoon.
All Photos are taken by Tony Olivas: tony.b.olivas@gmail.com