On Wednesday, Feb. 16, seven of us gathered on Zoom to discuss “The Souls of Black Folk” by W.E.B. Du Bois. We were all glad we’d read this multifaceted classic. We were very impressed with Du Bois’ impactful writing, by turns scholarly and poetic, with moving descriptions of the conditions of the freed slaves and powerful arguments for improving those conditions. It’s a telling commentary on America in 2022 that a lot of what Du Bois says is still relevant today.

We tackled Marcel Proust’s “Swann’s Way,” and the nine of us who met on Wednesday the 19th were glad we did. When you accept that you have to read in a different way, slowly, giving in to page after page of his complex, endless sentences, with layers of imagery and detail, you are rewarded by exquisite descriptions and perceptive psychological characterizations. Plot, not so much, which explains why most of us found it wearing to read. Those who had read the graphic novel found it helpful in presenting what plot there is, but missed the full impact of Proust’s extraordinary language.

It was a beautiful day above the clouds at Mount Umunhum! A small and happy trio hiked to the top of the of mountain, where we were met by another club members who was able to drive to the parking at the top of the trail and provide some refreshing treats!

Thanks to club member Joy Silver '96, we were able to gather outdoors on her back patio and take the necessary precautions to rekindle our annual tradition of the cookie exchange. It was a great way to reconnect and an excellent excuse to eat our weight in cookies.

This micro-volunteer event was an opportunity to meet up at a local park in Santa Clara for a quick task to assemble care packages for current students from the Peninsula Bay Area, letting them know that their local Smith Club is thinking of them and wishing them the best during finals.

Each student received a metal pencil tin with a highlighter, pencil, pencil sharpener along with a typed calligraphy note reading "Smithies are so sharp!". Thanks to everyone who helped out!

“The Optimist’s Daughter,” by Eudora Welty, provided plenty of material for nine of us at the book club’s November meeting. A Pulitzer Prize winner, this novel focuses on Laurel, a 40-ish designer, as she navigates her father’s illness, death and funeral. We found the book easy to read and difficult to understand. Subtle and indirect, rich with imagery, it shows a woman freeing herself of the claims and deceits of memory—a protagonist we never get close to and never warm up to. We appreciated Welty’s portrayal of a small Mississippi town, a close-knit and supportive society that is also judgmental and restrictive to a young woman who wants a career; its abiding traditions; its class structure. We were struck by a kind of timelessness in the novel: set in the 1960’s, it shows nothing of that era’s politics, racial strife, and cultural clashes. All told, a multi-layered book that would probably reward a second reading.

What a beautiful day for a hike! 7 Smith alums met up at Pulgas Ridge near Woodside and had a lovely time climbing up the ridge and finding some very funky purple algae.

On Sunday, October 9th we gathered to celebrate Mountain Day with an easy out-and-back hike on the Schilling Lake Trail located above the town of Woodside in the Thornewood Preserve. And extra special thanks to Donna Dong ‘13 (and her husband Will) and Indira Deonandan ‘08 for providing delicious sandwiches and drinks after our stroll through the woods.

The Annual Meeting of the Smith Club of the Peninsula was held on Sunday, September 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

What an amazing in-person gathering for the Smith College Club of the Peninsula Annual Meeting 2021! An ENORMOUS thank you to Joy Silver '96 for offering up her beautiful home and backyard, and for proving an unbelievable spread of quiche, scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts. 24 members gathered on Joy's back patio, reviewed the club's previous 12 months, and planned for the upcoming year.

Another book club tradition continued in August. We enjoyed a movie based on a book: Nomadland based on the book by Jessica Bruder, directed by Academy Award winner and Mount Holyoke graduate Chloé Zhao. .

We gathered at Ludwig's Biergarten in Mountain View for beer, food and socializing. Fröhlichen Freitag - Happy Friday!

We met in person for this recurring opportunity for local Smith Alums to gather, network, get assistance on resume writing, and have a cocktail. Hosted by Donna Dong ‘13.

On Thursday night, April 22nd, we gathered via zoom to hear from Lisa Blanchard, the founder and Executive Director of the Grateful Garment Project (TGGP), a non-profit organization that provides victims of sexual violence the clothing and other resources they need to reclaim their dignity and begin the healing process. The group works with hospitals, shelters, law enforcement and other nonprofits to meet victims’ immediate needs after a crisis, and support their ongoing needs along their road to recovery.

For its April book, the book club set a precedent (we believe) by selecting a poem, in honor of Poetry Month. On April 21, eight of us met to discuss Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha,” a retelling/ reimagining of some Native American legends.

On April 17th for the second time, a small group met in a virtual setting to play board games together. Donna Dong '13 guided us through Lucky Numbers, Can't Stop, and Love Letter. There was no previous experience required to have a great time!

Throughout the month of March we reached out to our members and alums in an effort to gather clothing and other items for the Grateful Garment Project (TGGP), a local non-profit that provides victims of sexual violence the clothing and other resources they need to reclaim their dignity and begin the healing process. The group works with hospitals, shelters, law enforcement and other nonprofits to meet victims’ immediate needs after a crisis, and support their ongoing needs along their road to recovery.

As a club, we were able to donate nearly 650 items of clothing, plus toiletries, books, food, and comfort items to the Grateful Garment Project, far exceeding expectations. Your participation and generosity was overwhelming.

A bumper crop of Smithies—thirteen—Zoomed together on Wednesday, March17th to discuss “The Dry” by Jane Harper. We all enjoyed this Australian murder mystery with its evocative scene-setting and well imagined central characters, although we weren’t entirely happy with the author’s choice of interpolated back-flashes to illuminate the mysteries of the past. We talked about the pros and cons of small towns and the desperation of this little community suffering under extended drought and heat. Most of us plan to read more of Harper.

Eight of us gathered on Wednesday, Feb. 17, to discuss “Childhood” by Nathalie Sarraute. We all enjoyed this unusual memoir, which combines impressionistic memories with an innovative structure in which a second voice interrogates the author. We appreciated the evocative details that illuminate moments in her childhood; descriptions of the individuals and relationships that shaped her; a glimpse of a circle of Russian ex-pat intellectuals and revolutionaries; and Sarraute’s exploration of the power, and limitations, of language. And we admired the perceptive, resilient young Nathalie.

On Sunday, January 31, 2021 we gathered virtually to celebrate the local students who have applied to Smith to matriculate in the upcoming 2021/2022 school year. We had 12 prospective Smithies join us as we told stories of our time at Smith and answered questions to the best of our ability. It was great fun to meet these excited young students and to share our enthusiasm for Smith College with them.

At our meeting on Wednesday, January 20th, eleven of us discussed a pair of American classics, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Both present wrenching pictures of the life of enslaved people, with Douglass’ having the sting of reality. Stowe’s writing is saccharine and emotional, intended to move the reader and to move the national discussion; in crisp, unadorned prose, Douglass contributed to the abolitionist cause and also moves us to admiration for him. Stowe writes passionately about the hypocrisy of northerners and the Christian church; both emphasize how the institution of slavery dehumanizes owners and undermines otherwise decent people. The two books complement one another and worked well as a pair.