Thomas Pynchon

The Poetry of Paranoia — Playing Post Office with Thomas Pynchon

Nabokov must be writing this script. many citizens, deliberately choosing not to courtiers, receiving the news at the flipping miracle.” Later, after rhapsodizing Who else but the creator of Humcommunicate by U.S. Mail. It was not an right-hand side of the stamp, had been on LSD (“You’re an antenna sending your bert Humbert, Dolores Haze, and act of treason, nor possibly even of defi subtly altered to express uncontrolpattern out across a million lives a night, Jonathan Shade could conceive of a presiance. But it was a calculated withdrawal, lable fright.” and they’re your lives too”), Mucho endent named Trump appointing a postmasfrom the life of the Republic, from its maThe postal service underground thuses: “The songs, it’s not just that they ter general named DeJoy to sabotage the chinery. Whatever else was being denied WASTE’s sinister defacing of U.S. say something, they are something, in the U.S. postal system ahead of the 2020 them out of hate, indifference to the power postage stamp representations of pure sound. Something new.” election? The USPS subplot of my home of their vote, loopholes, simple ignorance, American icons resonates loud and The next chapter has Oedipa hanging made conspiracy theory can be traced this withdrawal was their own, unpubli clear in 2020’s cancel culture. The out with the Paranoids, a Beatlesque fourto Thomas Pynchon’s short novel, The cized, private. Since they could not have virus of paranoia infecting the straight some whose leader has written a song that Crying of Lot 49 (CL49). The Cornell withdrawn into a vacuum (could they?), status quo reflects the “intrusions into brings the Nabokovian conspiracy connecconnection, formed when Pynchon was a there had to exist the separate, silent, un this world from another,” when Oedipa tion back into play, the lyric bemoaning student taking one of Vladimir Nabokov’s suspected world.” verifies “with her own eyes,” evidence of “all these Humbert Humbert cats coming courses (presumably “Masters of European In the spring of 1969, when I read that the WASTE system, in the form of two on so big and sick. / For me, my baby was Fiction”), is signaled in the opening para paragraph in my marked-up copy of the WASTE postmen, a WASTE mailbox, a woman, / For him she’s just another graph’s reference to “a sunrise over the Bantam paperback of CL49, with its generWASTE stamps, WASTE cancellations, nymphet.” library slope of Cornell University.” ic psychedelic cover art (dancing woman and “the image of the muted post horn Los Paranoias A Postmarked Bookmark When I’m in need of something to mark my place in a book, I usually choose from a stash of photos, actual bookmarks, and old postcards like the one of Grand Cen tral Terminal I’ve been using for CL49. Addressed to a Mrs. N. Adams in Franklin, Indiana, the card is postmarked 1 a.m. Nov. 22, 1922, and bears a canceled dollar-green U.S. Postage 1 ¢ stamp of George Washington (profile facing left). According to the Mystic Stamp Company, the earliest known use for this series was December 17, 1922. Readers familiar with Pynchon’s work will recognize one of his signature tropes in the note stating that due to “poor centering and other minor defects, a number of coil stamp sheets had been set aside as ‘waste’ to be destroyed.” In CL49, the acronym WASTE (We Await Silent Tristero’s Empire) refers to an un derground postal service created by fusing the poetry of paranoia with the thermodynamics of entropy; the system’s emblem, a muted post horn, can be seen on the cover of the first edition of The Crying of Lot clad in paisley, drummer with Beatle haircut), I understood “the power of the vote” in the context of the 1968 debacle that put Nixon in the White House. Reading the same passage now, af ter the virtual opening night of the Democratic convention ( a bizarre contrast to the Chicago free-for-all), what stands out along with Pynchon’s pre s c i e n ce i s his prose. In the last sentence, you can feel him gearing up for the rhapsodical pyrotechnics of Gravity’s Rain bow. all but saturating the BayArea.” The Beatles Connection Pynchon was writing The Crying of Lot 49 in 1964-65, a turning point in the history of American culture. On Friday, February 7, 1964, some two months and two weeks after Friday, Novem ber 22, 1963, a jetliner from the United Kingdom delivered a phe nomenon called The Beatles and a state of mind the British press called Beatlema nia. In Volume Two of the DVD version of The I have no idea whether any of the Beatles read or even heard about the appearance of “She Loves You” in CL49, or if they knew of the recording of “I Want to Kiss Your Feet” by another Pynchon creation, Sick Dick and the Volkswagens. If you believe or want to believe in a Pynchonesque alternate reality, then you should enjoy an outtake from the Beatles recording session of September 16, 1968 (it’s on the CD version of The Beatles Anthology 3). Paul McCartney is playing tunefully around with “Step Inside Love,” a song he wrote for Cilla Black. After putting a Bossa Nova spin on the melody, hamming it up in slick-suave pop star style, he assumes the voice of a smooth emcee, giving the performer a name made up in the spot (“Joe Pararey and the Pararey Wallflowers”), which prompts John Lennon to shout “Los Paranoias!” Paul laughs, instantly taking the cue (Lennon-McCarrney teamwork in action) and begins improvising a theme song to the beat he’s strumming, “Los Para-noias in-vite you to come and en-joy us.” 49 (shown here). Published in 1966, the Eyeballing Beatles Anthol The spontaneous shout-out nature of the novel presages not only the hauling away the Capitol ogy, shortly afmoment makes it seem unlikely that John of post office drop boxes and sorting ma Dome ter you hear the could be consciously alluding to Thomas chines in August 2020, but the president’s obsession with voters in a specific constituency, namely the “suburban housewives” who are the subjects of an experiment on the effects of LSD-25 being conducted by psychotherapist Dr. Hilarius. Refusing to take part in the experiment after being told “We want you,” CL49’s fantasy-prone protagonist Oedipa Maas hallucinates “the well-known portrait of Uncle that appears in all our post offices, his eyes gleam ing unhealthily, his sunken yellow cheeks most violently rouged, his finger pointing between her eyes. I want you.” The Nabokovian absurd of Humbert world in CL49 makes way at one point for a passing intimation of Terry Southern’s The Magic Christian (1959) and the grandiosely perverse prac tical jokes of the billionaire trickster Guy Grand. I’m thinking of the sequence when Oedipa studies the familiar carmine 8 ¢ airmail stamp “with a jet flying by the Capitol dome,” where “at the top of the dome stood a tiny figure in deep black with its arms outstretched.” Oedipa isn’t voice of manager Brian Epstein ex plaining the longterm significance of the moment, a young fair-haired girl heaves into view, almost as if she’d flung herself through the air into the rapture of that arrival, eyes closed in a transport of infatuation as she’s caught and held back, like the others you later see rushing the limousine carrying the Beatles to the Plaza Hotel. Cut to the moment when Oedipa’s DJ husband Mucho Maas tells her, “Whenever Pynchon’s Beatles spin-off the Paranoids, even in a conspiracy-theory-driven universe. But why not be a believer? Why not assume that the music of coincidence is the air you breathe and the beat of creation never stops? W hen I saw the cable news clips of uprooted mail boxes being trucked off to parts unknown, my first thought was of the drop box that served as home base for a faraway and long-ago neighborhood version of hide and seek we called Taffy on the Ice Box. I don’t know the origins of the name; it

The Power of the Vote sure “what exactly was supposed to be I put the headset on now... I really do was just there, in the air, it came with the

The passage from CL49 wherein Pynon top of the Capitol,” but she knows “it understand what I find there. When those game. Whoever was “it” would lean on the chon actually seems to be picking up wasn’t anything like that.” In the deep kids sing about ‘She loves you,’ yeah well, big mail box, hands over eyes, count to ten errant signals from the future, as if inviolet 3 ¢ regular issue of 1954 there’s “a you know, she does, she’s any number of and then yell “Here I come, ready or not,” tercepting scrambled partisan feedback faint menacing smile on the face of the people, all over the world, back through and if you made it home, you yelled “Olly generated by the voting-by-mail debate Statue of Liberty” while in the 15 ¢ dark time, different colors, sizes, ages, shapes, Olly Oxen in free.” You won, you survived, of 2020, begins with “intrusions into this green from the 1893 Columbia Expodistances from death, but she loves. And you were no longer “it,” you were home. world from another, a kiss of cosmic pool sition Issue (“Columbus Announcing the ‘you’ is everybody. And herself. Oe —Stuart Mitchner balls .... For here were God knew how His Discovery”) “the faces of three dipa, the human voice, you know, it’s a

Featuring gifts that are distinctly Princeton

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NO BOUNCING BALL NEEDED: Sing along with Music Mountain Theatre of Lambertville on Saturday, August 22 at 3 p.m. According to Music Mountain, you’ll know the words to the songs at this virtual family sing-along, which promises popular family favorites for audiences of all ages. Tickets are $25 per household. Visit www.musicmountaintheatre.org or call (609) 397- 3337 for ticket information and instructions on viewing.

“Nutcracker” is Canceled, But Excerpts Will be Online

Due to many unknowns about the global pandemic, American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker has been canceled for the holiday season. But a virtual series of excerpts will be available for online viewing.

“It was a difficult decision, but our top priority remains the health and safety of our staff, artists, and audiences,” said Executive Director Julie Diana Hench. “Since 1964, American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker has been a celebration of community and youthful imagination. We look forward to the day when we can all be together again in-person to celebrate the magic of this professional and joyous holiday tradition.”

While the traditional stage production cannot be performed this year, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School will still create a way for students and families to experience the ballet. Featuring professional dancers from American Repertory Ballet, the School’s new Nutcracker Suite will be a virtual series of scene selections and socially distanced choreography performed and recorded in the studio, complete with sets and costumes.

American Repertory Ballet also plans to increase its outdoor community presence, bringing elements of Nutcracker directly to sidewalks and town squares this holiday season.

Registration is now open for the fall season at Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet. Classes begin September 9, offering in-person and online instruction for all levels ages 3 through adult. To learn about fall classes, please visit arballet.org.

McCarter Cancels Performances Through the End of January

McCarter Theatre Center’s administration has made the decision to cancel performances through January 31, 2021 due to the global pandemic.

“It’s difficult to imagine so much time without artists, staff, and patrons in our building, but we believe that this is the best choice for the health and safety of our community,” reads a press release issued last week. “We continue to evaluate plans and opportunities for February onward and what might be possible for programming. As government orders continue to evolve and artist schedules change, we will keep you posted as we have information and news.”

McCarter is offering vir-

tual material through McCarter@HOME. The digital platform hosts a weekly series of educational activities and creative content including interviews, timely conversations, playlists, behind-the-scenes clips, community play readings, and virtual classes.

“Pine Mud” To Premiere At Outdoor Screening

Filmmaker Jared Flesher’s new documentary, Pine Mud, is the story of the degradation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens by illegal offroad vehicles.

After four years in production and two canceled world premieres due to the coronavirus, the film will be screened under the stars, on the green of Princeton Shopping Center on Thursday, August 20 from 7-9 p.m.

“It’s kind of a rough time to be a documentary filmmaker, or any type of creator who makes work for public consumption,” said Flesher. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to premiere this film in real life, rather than virtually, which is less fun.”

The screening is sponsored by the shopping center, the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, and Sustainable Princeton. Tickets are free but limited, social distancing guidelines will be in effect, and preregistration is required at https://bit.ly/PineMudPton.

“Should the New Jersey Pine Barrens be protected as a nature preserve, or used and abused as a giant off-road vehicle park? That’s the central question of my film,” Flesher said. “It’s our public land, so I hope the film teaches New Jerseyans a little more about it.”

Pine Mud was originally scheduled to premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C. in March, but the festival was canceled at the last minute due to the emerging pandemic.

The documentary’s trailer can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/pw_QBkq9WgU .

Central Jersey Jazz Festival Goes Virtual in September

The Central Jersey Jazz Festival (CJJF) will be presented virtually on Sunday, September 13 from 1-5 p.m. The free event is a collaboration of the Flemington Community Partnership, New Brunswick Jazz Project, and Downtown Somerville Association & Arts on Division.

Alexis Morrast

Instead of canceling the annual event because of COVID-19, the threecity, three-day event was trimmed to a one-day online production. “Team work and improvisation, cornerstones in jazz, are essential in any partnership. The CJJF team is committed to presenting great artists,” said Sheila Anderson, who has curated and emceed the Somerville portion of the festival for 11 years.

The concert opens with vocalist Alexis Morrast, followed by pianist/organist Matthew Whitaker. Alto saxophonist Mark Gross will close the show.

Matthew Whitaker

“This year’s CJJF featured Jazz Legend, honored on festival collateral, is the late saxophonist Jimmy Heath, with whom Mark worked for many years. Jimmy Heath was the headliner at the very first festival in 2009 and this is a great way to celebrate his legacy,” Ander son said.

Morrast, who is 19, was the 2017 recipient of Hot House Jazz Guide‘s Best Up and Coming Young Artist award, and winner of Showtime at the Apollo. She now attends Berklee College of Music and has just returned from touring with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Mark Gross Whitaker mixes old-school jazz with new school sounds. At 15, he became a Yamaha Artist, becoming the young est musician to join this group of jazz pianists. He has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, and The Kennedy Center, as well as international venues in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 17 • TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 He has been awarded the ASCAP Foundation’s Herb Alpert Young Jazz Compos ers Award.

Gross studied classical music at the Baltimore School for the Arts, followed by four years at Berklee College of Music. He has toured with the Mark Gross Quartet, Buster Williams, Delfeayo Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Philip Harper, Nat Adderley, Dave Holland, Mulgrew Miller, Nicholas Payton, Dizzy Gil lespie, Nancy Wilson, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Charles Mingus Big Band, Freddie Hubbard, Captain Jack McDuff, Cyrus Chestnut, Regina Carter, Lionel Hampton, Stephon Harris, and many others.

Performances will stream on CentralJerseyJazzFestival.com. Visit the site for more information.

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“EAGLETS”: Artist Doris Ettlinger, who created this painting, will be one of the participants as the Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) and D&R Greenway Land Trust celebrate GSWS’ juror and top award winners from “Out of the Wild,” their 50th Anniversary Juried Exhibition. The virtual happy hour is Wednesday, August 26 from 5 to 6 p.m.

Virtual Happy Hour For “Out of the Wild”

On Wednesday, August 26 from 5 to 6 p.m., the public is invited to pour their favorite beverage and join others who appreciate the varied and vital connections between nature and art as the Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) and D&R Greenway Land Trust celebrate GSWS’ juror and top award winners from “Out of the Wild,” their 50 th Anniversary virtual juried exhibition. Via Zoom, viewers will discover which wild settings and what interactions with wild creatures inspired the chosen winners of the exhibit’s top prizes. The first presentation of the land trust’s new D&R Greenway James Fiorentino Nature Award will also take place that evening.

Register for this free Zoom event at rsvp@drgreenway.org.

GSWS President Tess Fields will discuss the role of art in 21 st -century conservation, and address art in the time of COVID. D&R Greenway CEO and President Linda Mead will moderate the nature-focused discussions. She will speak about how the land trust’s management of their preserves uses conservation data to ensure protection of wild creatures.

Internationally renowned artist and D&R Greenway Trustee James Fiorentino will

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speak of birdwatching and bird-banding expeditions with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and the Raptor Trust, which inspire his action paintings of New Jersey animals including threatened and endangered species.

The watercolors of “Out of the Wild” were selected by Steve Zazenski, renowned for his own award-winning landscapes. Zazenski will share insights on his process of jurying a show. Exhibit prize winners who will participate in this insightful conversation include Joan Capaldo, Doris Ettlinger, and Richard Hoffman.

“Our virtual happy hours are fun ways, in their brief format, to learn about places and people who care about the conservation of land in our region, in our state,” said Mead. “Now that the virtual has become the norm, D&R Greenway is increasing the conservation community through opportunities that prove pleasant, informative, and restorative at the end of complex days. We are told that our happy hours catalyze interesting dinner conversations!”

GSWS President Tess Fields looks forward to hearing of the prize-winning artists’ inner realities as they worked on “Out of the Wild.”

“I always find it interesting to hear stories about how artists create,” said Fields. “Feelings,

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atmosphere, and technique combine to produce fresh, sometimes unexpected, results that speak to a specific time and place. This happy hour with our friends at D&R Greenway and their audience will allow artists to connect newly during this time of seclusion.” At any hour of any day or night, GSWS’ array of “Out of the Wild’s” nature art may be enjoyed, indoors or out, with piano accompaniment, through September 30. Visit www.drgreenway.org.

Area Exhibits

Check websites for information on safety protocols.

Art Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “The Princeton Paper Crane Project” through August 29. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 1:30-4:30 p.m. and Saturday 12-4 p.m. artscouncilofprinceton.org.

D&R Greenway Land Trust, One Preserva

tion Place, has “Garden State Watercolor Society’s 50 th Anniversary Virtual Juried Exhibition: Out of the Wild,” through September 30 and the ongoing virtual galleries “Trail of Breadcrumbs: Nature in Fairytales” and “Portraits of Preservation: James Fiorentino Art.” The center is currently closed to the public. drgreenway.org.

Ellarslie, Trenton’s City Museum in Cadwalader Park, Parkside Avenue, Trenton, has the ongoing virtual exhibit “Not Quite Open: The Art of Sheltering in Place.” The museum is currently closed to the public. ellarslie.org.

Grounds For Sculp

ture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Bruce Beasley: Sixty Year Retrospective, 1960-2020,” and other exhibits. Hours are Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Timed tickets required. Indoor buildings are closed to the public. groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “A Virtual Tour of Hamilton’s Princeton” and the “History@Home” series. princetonhistory.org.

James A. Michener Art

Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Selma Bortner — The Journey” through August 30, “Ponstingl: Dreams of Past Futures” through September 27, and “Rising Tides: Contemporary Art and the Ecology of Water” through January 10. The museum is now open to the public. michenerartmuseum.org.

Morven Museum &

Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Dreaming of Utopia: Roosevelt, New Jersey” through January 24. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. morven.org.

Old Barracks Museum,

101 Barrack Street, Trenton, has the ongoing virtual exhibit “When Women Vote — The Old Barracks and the AntiSuffrage Movement.” The museum is currently closed to the public. barracks.org.

Princeton University Art Museum has a virtual tour of “Life Magazine and the Power of Photography” along with many online events. The museum is currently closed to the public. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

West W indsor Arts

Council, 952 Alexander Road, has the online exhibit “See Beauty Everywhere” through August 28. The center is currently closed to the public. westwindsorarts.org.

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PRINCETON PAPER CRANE PROJECT: On view through August 29 at the Arts Council of Princeton, this public art installation, displayed throughout the Taplin Gallery, features more than 17,000 colorful paper cranes contributed by the community. Note that occupancy in the gallery is limited to six guests at a time, and masks are required. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.

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Wednesday, August 19

5-7 p.m.: Business After Business Virtual Event, presented by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber. Visit princetonchamber.org to register. 6-7 p.m.: Princeton Family YMCA presents Lionel Arteaga, NASA oceanographer, as part of its virtual “Paths to Success” interview series for students sixth grade and up. Register at surveymonkey. com/r/B77YKFF .

Thursday, August 20

7-9 p.m.: Screening of Pine Mud, new film by Jared Flesher about the degradation of the Pine Barrens, on the green at Princeton Shopping Center. Free but registration required at https://bit.ly/ PineMudPton.

Friday, August 21

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Jerry Steele. terhuneorchards.com .

Saturday, August 22

1-4 p.m.: Weekend Music series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Brian Bortnick. terhuneorchards. com .

Sunday, August 23

1-4 p.m.: Weekend Music series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Barbara Lin Band. terhuneorchards. com .

Wednesday, August 26

5-6 p.m.: Virtual Happy Hour for “Out of the Wild.” The Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) and D&R Greenway Land Trust celebrate the juror and top award winners from GSWS’ 50 th Anniversary Juried Virtual Exhibition. Free. To register, email rsvp@drgreenway. org. 6-7 p.m.: Princeton Family YMCA presents Marlise Correa, Rutgers University police officer, as part of its virtual “Paths to Success” interview series for students sixth grade and up. Register at surveymonkey.com/r/B77YKFF.

Friday, August 28

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Bill O’Neal & Andy Koontz. terhuneorchards.com.

Saturday, August 29

1-4 p.m.: Weekend Music series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Roundabout. terhuneorchards. com .

Sunday, August 30

1:30 p.m.: “Electronic Environmental Detectives,” via Zoom, is the Sunday at the Sarnoff talk by physicist Jonathan Allen, who will discuss the evolution and current state of electronic instruments for atmospheric measurements, and analysis including both gaseous and particulate pollutants, as well as instruments developed by the author. For registration information visit davidsarnoff.tcnj.edu. 1-4 p.m.: Weekend Music series at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. With Jerry Steele. terhuneorchards. com .

Monday, August 31 Recycling

7:30 p.m.: Author and Sat urday Night Live writer Alan Zweibel discusses his new book Laugh Lines in an online presentation by The Jewish Center Princeton. A Zoom link will be sent to participants. Free and open to the community. To RSVP, email info@thejewishcenter.org.

Tuesday, September 15

11 a.m.-7 p.m.: Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber’s 2020 Golf and Tennis Outing, at Forsgate Country Club and Cherry Valley Country Club. princetonchamber.org or (609) 924-1776.

Tuesday, September 22

9:30-11 a.m.: 10th Annual Virtual Regional Healthcare Symposium presented by Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber. For information, visit princetonchamber.org.

Sunday, September 27

1:30 p.m.: “Science on the Small Screen: A Short History of Science Education via Remote Learning,” via Zoom, part of the Sundays at the Sarnoff series. Science historian Ingrid Ockert takes viewers through a tour of the groundbreaking science television genre and will discuss what early lessons are useful for educators today. For registration information visit davidsarnoff. tcnj.edu.

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have both fully in-person and virtual options so that students can experience the continuity of rehearsals, coaching, and community building during this Fall and holiday season. To learn more, please visit arballet.org or call (609) 921-7758.

Princeton Dance and Theater Studio

Princeton Dance and Theater Studio, Inc. was founded in 2003 by Susan Jaffe (former principal dancer at American Ballet Theater) and Risa Kaplowitz (former principal dancer with Dayton Ballet). Its mission is to provide students with the highest quality training available enabling them to grow as performing artists and dance enthusiasts.

While PDT anticipates many of its students to grow into professional performers, its main goal is to empower all students with confidence, discipline, and creativity. These attributes, along with an appreciation for the performing arts, are often the result of authentic dance training. The skills gained by exceptional dance training last a lifetime.

Princeton Dance and Theater Studio’s purpose is to provide the best possible dance education for all ages in a supportive environment. We believe that great dance training fosters physical and mental acuity, self-awareness, intrinsic motivation, determination, grace, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

How we are dealing with COVID-19: We are taking the pandemic very seriously and are providing stringent cleaning using medical-grade antiviral products, options to take classes in-studio with socialdistancing and masks or live online via Zoom, and the use of a satellite studio across the pedestrian walkway to comply with capacity limits. 116 Rockingham Row, Princeton. For more information, call (609) 514-1600; email studiomanager@princetondance. com, or visit princetondance. com.

908.359.8388 Route 206 • Belle Mead

Princeton Speech-Language & Learning Center

Your child’s safety is our top priority. Princeton SpeechLanguage & Learning Center (PSLLC) is here to help you with speech-language evaluations and therapy, executive functioning services, social communication groups, psychological services, and academic tutoring.

In addition to our high quality, individualized treatment programs, PSLLC proudly offers numerous specialized interventions to assist in these unprecedented times. We offer Fast ForWord, a computer program, geared for a wide range of ages, which aims to improve language, auditory processing, and literacy skills. Cogmed is another computer program that improves working memory and attention. Working memory is key to the brain’s processing capacity and is vital for concentration, reasoning, learning, and resisting distraction. PSLLC has a staff speech-language pathologist who is a certified dyslexia and Orton Gillingham therapist. Orton Gillingham is a direct, multisensory, structured program for individuals who are challenged with learning reading, writing, and spelling. Tutors in elementary education, special education literacy and math, and high school language arts and history are also available through our practice.

We are proud to offer all of these services remotely. We are now doing evaluations in the clinic with strict social distance measures and increased sanitation along with all recommendations from the CDC for distance learning strictly in place. We at PSLLC are committed to helping families get through the circumstances we are now facing while keeping the safety of your child and our staff at the forefront of our high quality, personalized services. We are ready to sup port your academic, speechlanguage, social communication, and psychological needs. 615 Executive Drive, Princeton. (609) 924-7080; psllcnj. com. Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Discover the all-girls’ advantage — on campus or online! Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart will be offering in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction options to families five days a week this fall. We are able to provide a safe environment for learning due to our campus layout, small class sizes, extensive investments in technology 21 • TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 to enable live instruction for remote learners, and facility upgrades to monitor and ensure the school’s air quality.

Our expert faculty are also leaders in delivering live remote instruction. When the school closed and shifted to distance learning back in March, our teaching staff nimbly transitioned to teaching live and were able to deliver the Stuart experience of academic excellence and social-emotional support.

A parent of daughters in both the Lower and Middle School said, “The transition from normal school to virtual school was incredible — both from the academic side and the emotional wellbeing side of our girls. It was visible from the beginning that the faculty worked very hard to get it right without wasting any time. Through the whole distance learning process, seeing my daughters still fully engaged and inspired is so comforting and reassuring.” Learn more at www.stuartschool.org.

CONCERTS . THEATRE . CHILDREN’S CONCERTS HOLIDAY . OPERA . COMMUNITY ENSEMBLES Presenting world-class performances and exhibits in Princeton and Lawrenceville

Learn more at www.rider.edu/arts

ART EXHIBITS . RECITALS . CHAMBER MUSIC MASTER CLASSES . DANCE . MUSICAL THEATRE

CHAPEL.PRINCETON.EDU

Guest Preaching Sunday, August 23, 2020 REGINA D. LANGLEY African Methodist Episcopal Church Itinerant Elder

Protective Masks Crafted For CASA Community

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children Mercer Burlington announced that more than 400 personal protective equipment (PPE) masks were recently crafted and donated for use by CASA children, advocates, and Department of Children Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) case workers in Mercer and Burlington counties.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of volunteers from the CASA Advisory Committee, the Princeton Sankofa Stitchers Modern Quilt Guild, and friends and family of both groups worked to sew hundreds of PPE masks that will be used by CASA children, advocates, and DCP&P case workers in both Mercer and Burlington counties.

The idea began in March as the pandemic was beginning to disrupt day-to-day activities across the state of New Jersey and worldwide. CASA’s Advisory Committee members had a strong desire to contribute. Nikki Dolin, one of the Advisory Committee members, had the idea of crafting masks that were acutely needed and difficult to secure.

With dozens of volunteers contributing to the effort, protective face masks have now been delivered to DCP&P case workers who have continued to work in the field to serve children and families. CASA advocates have been serving their children virtually through phone and video calls. Advocates and children will receive their masks as their advocates are able to safely return to in-person visits.

“It was a sheer pleasure to hand deliver the masks to the dedicated DCP&P case workers in both Mercer and Burlington counties,” said CASA Executive Director Laura Wall. “CASA greatly values its partnership with DCP&P and are so thrilled that these masks will be used by case workers, advocates, and the children they serve.”

CASA’s mission is to train and supervise community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and/or neglect. The need for advocates is great as there is currently not a sufficient number of volunteers to serve all children in need. Visit casamb.org for more information on how to volunteer or donate.

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