Goshen is home to some fascinating people.
I came to this conclusion as I read through “Goshen Portraits 4,” a delightful new collection of personality profiles written by Goshen College students. This book–the fourth of its kind–offers windows into the lives of 11 intriguing people who live or work in the Goshen community.Vera Hochstetler, for instance, is a mother, bowler, golfer and former bartender originally from England. Marvin Graber is a piano-tuner and musician who lost his eyesight at age 10. Evelyn Kreider is a spunky 98-year-old who volunteers and uses an iPad to send emails.
There are even some people from Goshen College featured in the book: Julie Reese, professor of psychology; Glenn Gilbert, sustainability coordinator and utilities manager; and Sophie Metzger, assistant director of diverse student support.
Now, I could be a little biased because I wrote one of the profiles. But even if I hadn’t, I still believe “Goshen Portraits 4” is worth the read. Filled with rich, well-crafted stories, this book is a great reminder that we live in a pretty special community.
One of my favorite parts of writing for “Goshen Portraits 4” was the opportunity to attend the release party that was held on Tuesday evening. That night, dozens of people gathered to celebrate the book’s publication and honor the people whose stories were in it.
During the event, each writer and the person they interviewed were invited to share a few words about their experience. As I reflected on my own experience interviewing Naomi Lederach, I realized how lucky I was that Naomi was willing to share such personal tales from her life. I can only hope that my writing did her story justice.
So, if you get the chance to purchase this book, I highly recommend that you do. (It’s available for $4 in the Newcomer Center office).
You would be surprised how many interesting people live just beyond the Goshen College bubble.
