Come enjoy an evening with a local luminary from the arts, media, sports, politics, or business who will share insightful ideas.
In addition to the company of this Special Guest, you will savor a superb meal with interesting dinner companions in the home of one of Greater Boston's most gracious hosts.
Tickets are no longer available online. If you are still interested in attending a dinner please call Tanya Crowley at 617-965-2026 for more information.
Dinner Party Selections
Scientific Duo
HOST: Marlene and Jonathan Leffell, Chestnut Hill, KOSHER
Paula and Sheldon Apsell are on the cutting edge of science together. Paula is the Director of the WGBH Science Unit and the Senior Executive Producer of NOVA, the most popular science series on TV. Sheldon was CEO of MicroLogic and inventor of the LoJack Recovery System and other innovative tech products. He also has developed and used electronic “toys” in his exploration of Scotland’s Loch Ness in search of the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
Family Treasures
HOST: Susan and Barry Benjamin & Chana and Steve Meyer, Newton, KOSHER
Marsha Bemko is the Executive Producer of the five-time Emmy Award nominated
Antiques Roadshow – America’s first reality TV program and PBS’s top-rated show! Come hear about the participants, the appraisers, the fans, and the antiques that make up the show direct from the person who makes it all happen.
All That Jazz
HOST: Lisa and Ed Goldfinger, Newton
Jazz journalist
Bob Blumenthal has been a columnist for
The Boston Globe and
The Atlantic Monthly, a contributor to
Rolling Stone, a jazz commentator for TV and radio, and recipient of Grammy Awards for Best Album Notes (Miles Davis and John Coltrane) and the Jazz Journalists Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob’s book
Jazz: An Introduction to the History and Legends Behind America’s Music explores the essence of jazz.
Lights! Camera! Action!
HOST: Lynne and Patt Sullivan, West Newton
As film critic for
The Boston Globe,
Ty Burr is our movie afficionado. Ty has authored three books on films including his latest
The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together and writes for several publications including
The New York Times.
Hardly Bitten
HOST: Amy Cody and John Furst, Newton
Vicki Croke has covered animal issues on TV, radio, and in print for over 20 years. Her NECN-TV show
The Secret Life of Animals tells breathtaking stories of survival in the wild and also gives pragmatic tips on understanding pets. Vicki’s best-selling book and soon-to-be movie,
The Lady and The Panda is a captivating true story of adventurer Ruth Harkness.
Medicine Man
HOST: Arlene and Larry Rand, Waban
The Dean of Harvard Medical School,
Dr. Jeffrey Flier, is at the helm of prestigious medical, academic, and research programs. He is one of the world’s most prominent endocrinologists in research on obesity and diabetes and has been recognized with numerous grants and honors. As an outstanding academic leader, scientist, and medical educator, Dr. Flier has many insights to contribute regarding health issues of national and international concern.
News Fit to Print
HOST: Bonnie and Ken Kornman, Newton Centre
Since 2000
Bob Giles has headed the Neiman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Technology is expanding journalism audiences with every person a potential publisher. Traditional news outlets lose their domination of the flow of information, and news is increasingly fused with opinion. The Foundation’s mandate “to promote and elevate the standards of journalism” is critically relevant to our society.
Got Beer?
HOST: Sara Lou and Jeff Sherman, Newton
The Boston Beer Company led by founder and brewer
Jim Koch has won more awards in international beer-tasting competitions in the last 5 years than any other brewery. Its flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, is brewed using the same recipe that Jim’s great-great grandfather used in the 1800s.
Celtic Sojourn
HOST: Lindsay and Brian O'Donovan, West Newton
For over 20 years, native Irishman
Brian O’Donovan has hosted the popular WGBH radio program
A Celtic Sojourn. The show is a weekly exploration of traditional and contemporary music from the Celtic countries and England. Brian is a musician and world music afficionado whose expertise extends to the musical genres of rock, folk, classical, opera, and country.
So You Think You Can Act?
HOST: Roberta and Paul Carson, Chestnut Hill
As founder of Boston Casting,
Angela Peri, former actress and stand-up comedienne, knows the challenges involved in finding just the right person - for each role. She has worked on hundreds of local, regional and national projects, including television shows, commercials and major motion pictures such as
Pink Panther 2,
The Game Plan,
Paul Blart: Mall Cop,
The Proposal, and
Edge of Darkness.
Idiot America
HOST: Debbie and Todd Krasnow, Newton
A sharp wit and insightful perspective characterize all that is
Charlie Pierce. He appears on NPR’s
Only a Game and
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me and writes for
Esquire and
The Boston Globe Magazine. Come hear him discuss his latest book
Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free.
By The Glass
HOST: Lisa and Ethan Lerner, Newton
As Wine Director at
UpStairs on the Square,
Matt Reiser has selected a wine list dedicated to preserving family-owned, eco-friendly wines that offer great value. Matt’s philosophy on wine: never judge a wine by its packaging; always trust your palate; drink your California wines with pride; never let a wine guy push you around; and last but not least: screw caps are here to stay.
Chronicling Life
HOST: Rosa Hallowell and Mark Stein, Concord
Since 1984
Mary Richardson has co-anchored WCVB-TV’s
Chronicle, the nation’s longest running, locally produced nightly newsmagazine. For the last 25 years,
Stan Leven,
Chronicle’s senior producer. This husbandand wife team’s work has been syndicated nationally on A&E, taking viewers from “The Main Streets and Back Roads of New England” to the Great Wall of China and Castro’s Cuba.
The Green Monster
HOST: Jane Price and David Schwartz, Waban
Sports journalist and TV/radio personality
Dan Shaughnessy has been covering the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics for
The Boston Globe for over 20 years. Dan has authored several books including
The Curse of the Bambino and
Reversing the Curse and is a popular guest of TV and radio sports shows.
Journalist par Excellence
HOST: Suzanne and Andrew Offit, Newton KOSHER
Breaking new ground in broadcast journalism comes naturally to
Carole Simpson, former weekend anchor of
ABC World News Tonight. She moderated the first town-meeting presidential debate in 1992 and covered the release of Nelson Mandela (Emmy award), the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, China’s Tiananmen Square massacre, and the Oklahoma City bombing.
Financial Pioneer
HOST: Ethel and Gary Furst, Newton
Robert Smith’s career in finance rivals that of Indiana Jones! Adventurer and financier, Bob spent over 30 years buying and selling the government debt of developing countries as a pioneer in the emerging market investment community. This high-stakes business makes for a gripping story in Bob’s newly published book:
Riches Among the Ruins: Adventures in the Dark Corners of the Global Economy.
Show No Mercy
HOST: Merle and Steve Winer, Newton
Dan Wasserman of
The Boston Globe is one of America’s most creative editorial cartoonists. His visual skits – sharp, sly, humorous, and memorable – show no mercy. Dan’s cartoons are syndicated in 40 newspapers worldwide and are reprinted in Time, Newsweek, the Economist, and The New York Times Sunday Week in Review.
Book to Screen
HOST: Rachel Goldstein and James Elkind, Newton
Laura Zigman is the author of four novels: national bestseller
Animal Husbandry,
Dating Big Bird,
Her, and
Piece of Work. 20th Century Fox made
Animal Husbandry into the movie
Someone Like You starring Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman. Her most recent book,
Piece of Work, has been optioned by Tom Hanks’ production company.
For more information please contact Tanya Crowley, Special Events Coordinator at
tcrowely@thesecondstep.org or 617.965.2026.