Miranda July - The John Adams Institute

The John Adams Institute
ANNUAL REPORT
2007
Michael Ruse - Daniel Mason - Ariel Levy - Antoine van Agtmael - Michelle Goldberg - Niall Ferguson - Miranda July
John Adams & Peter Sellars - William Easterly - Daniel Mendelsohn - Stedman Graham - Dana Thomas - Nigella Lawson
Table of content
4
Our mission
5
Message from the director
6
Our events
20
Other programs
22
Support
23
Sponsors & Friends
24
Publicity
25
Staff
26
Board of directors
28
West-Indisch Huis
29
Overview of Events 2007
30
2007 Attendance
31
In the Press
34
Sponsors & Friends 2007
36
Finances
Our Mission
To be one of the premier speaker’s podiums in Europe on American culture.
To bring American culture to a Dutch and international audience by organizing
public lectures, readings and discussions.
To maintain our independent, nonprofit status, with freedom to choose
speakers and topics.
To provide our audience the opportunity to listen, learn and engage in
discussions on the broad subject of the United States, its culture, and its impact
on the world, without necessarily advocating particular viewpoints ourselves.
4
Message from the Director
Coming into the directorship of an organization at the start of a year, one discovers
that among the more curious initial duties is to write an overview of the previous year,
preferably one brimming with enthusiasm, never mind that one had no role in those
activities. This task did however give me a focused excuse to review everything that the
John Adams Institute did in 2007, and in doing so I found a curious sense of
satisfaction bordering on pride welling up inside me, as though I were somehow
responsible for presenting this eclectic lineup of talent to audiences in Amsterdam
and The Hague. Performance art, opera, economics, fashion, celebrity food
writing…and oh yes, literature: such was the array of material the John Adams
Institute brought to the Netherlands. To say that the United States of America is a
cultural stew is to state the obvious, or to understate it. American society is so big, so
teeming and sloppy, so effusive and exuberant, obese and absurd, charming and
malevolent, so deeply varied that the work of an institute such as ours is, really, an
impossibility, but a very pleasant one. For we aim to present American culture and
society to European audiences. How does one achieve such a goal? Much of the time
we feel like kids in a meadow, grabbing what catches our eye, whether a rare flower or a
pretty weed.
Who are you, anyway? Pardon the non sequitur, but I am suddenly aware of the fact
that I am rather ignorant of the intended audience of an Annual Report. Are you a
member of the John Adams Institute—one of the hundreds of residents of Amsterdam
and other parts of the Netherlands with an interest in the U.S., who pay a modest 25
euros in exchange for discounted tickets to and advance notice of our events? Are you
a supporter on a higher level: a Friend or Sponsor, someone who takes pleasure (and
maybe pride) in helping what is after all a tiny, independent, nonprofit organization
pull off some rather grand feats, which might involve a member of the Dutch royal
family, a former U.S. vice president, the head of an international bank, a Nobel Prize
winner or two? Are you someone who is considering joining the select ranks of our
supporters, and wondering what you might get out of it? (If so, turn to page 23.) Are
you affiliated with the Holland America Friendship Foundation, AEGON, the city of
The Hague, Boekhandel Paagman, or the U.S. Embassy in The Hague? If so, let me
thank you here, up front, for finding value in the work we do, for thinking that a
small, independent institute devoted to bridging an oceanic divide and reminding
Europeans that their former colony isn’t so culturally removed after all (or maybe
planting the opposite idea) is providing a genuine service. And I would like also to
thank all the other categories of supporters: nonmembers (who pay much more per
ticket than members, so thanks for that—though wouldn’t it be more cost effective to
join up and save ¼7.10 a ticket?), volunteers, florists, coat checkers, chair stackers,
mike testers, publicists, agents and journalists.
Whoever you are, I hope you like the looks of this overview of 2007. I hope you find
what’s to come even more enticing.
-Russell Shorto
5
Our events
29 March 2007
Michael Ruse
The Evolution-Creation Struggle
Moderated by Herman Philipse,
Professor of Philosophy at Utrecht University
Felix Meritis
Keizersgracht 324
Amsterdam
6
March 29th had an evening with
intriguing questions and a sharp
intellectual debate.
Ruse was called "one of the most
stimulating writers on the neverending cultural debate over
evolution" by New York Times
Magazine.
As one of the leading participants
in the contemporary debate, Ruse
gives a new perspective on the
historical continuity of thinking
about creation, evolution, and the
relationship between religion and
science. He uncovers surprising
similarities between evolutionist
and creationist thinking. He
reveals that those most hostile to
religion, like Richard Dawkins, are
just as evangelical as their
fundamentalist opponents.
2 April 2007
Daniel Mason
A Far Country
Author of the bestseller The Piano Tuner, joined us
on April 2nd for a lecture of his highly anticipated
novel, A Far Country. Relating the story of a teenage
girl's search for her beloved older brother in a Third
World country, A Far Country is a vivid,
uncompromising portrayal of poverty and desperation
and a universal tale about the bonds of family.
Moderated by Hans Steketee
NRC Handelsblad
Pulchri Studio
Lange Voorhout 15
The Hague
Mason's reviewers mention that his work evokes such
classics as E. M. Forster's A Passage to India, Joseph
Conrad's Heart of Darkness, or George Orwell's
Shooting an Elephant. The Piano Tuner received
raving reviews from critics like The New York Times'
Michiko Kakutani, who wrote that 'He has written a
seductive and lyrical novel that probes the brutalities
and compromises of colonization, even as it celebrates
the elusive powers of music and the imagination.'
Mason's new book A Far Country has been sold to
publishers across the world and promises to be as good
as his first.
7
12 April 2007
Ariel Levy
Female Chauvinist Pigs
Author Ariel Levy and regular contributor to The
New York Times, The Washington Post and Vogue,
joined us on April 12th for a lecture on her latest
book, Female Chauvinist Pigs.
A bold, piercing examination of how twenty-first
century American society perceives sex and women.
The book cleverly leads us to explore the role models
women aspire to emulate. Levy argues that rather
than pursuing the confident, self-determined,
powerful, free ideal the women's liberation
movement would have dreamed for its daughters, we
have turned porn stars and strippers and prostitutes
into icons.
Asking "what does sexy mean today?” Levy argues that
the term is defined by a pervasive raunchy culture
wherein women make sex objects of other women and
of ourselves.
Levy was called "feminism's newest and most
provocative voice, brilliantly laying bare the
contradictions and evasions and self-deceptions that
pass for empowerment" by Malcolm Gladwell,
bestselling author of The Tipping Point.
8
Moderated by Heleen Mees
Author and columnist
Odeon
Singel 460
Amsterdam
The John Adams Institute invited Antoine van Agtmael to speak on the
Dutch-American Friendship Day on April 17th. The topic was: Emerging
Markets - The Challenge for Western Companies and the Strategies They
Should Be Aware Of!
In his keynote speech Van Agtmael demonstrated how a new breed of
world-class companies is taking over the world. Van Agtmael picked up
where Thomas Friedman in his book The World is Flat left off and showed
us that the world's center of gravity is already tipping in favor of the
emerging economies.
The discussion that followed focused on the question of what Western
companies can learn from the strategies of emerging companies: how they
can adapt and whether they should be afraid of takeovers.
9
14 May 2007
Michelle Goldberg
Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
Moderated by James Kennedy,
Professor of Contemporary History ,
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Panelists:
J.J. van Dijk
Member Dutch Parliament for CDA
H. Hagoort
Director EO
H. Noten
Member Dutch Senate for PvdA
Felix Meritis
Keizersgracht 324
Amsterdam
10
Investigative journalist Michelle Goldberg joined us on
May 14th to discuss her ideas on the influence of Christian
Evangelical organizations on politics, the educational
system and the legal system. In her book Kingdom
Coming, Goldberg traces the financial and ideological
ties of these groups with the Republican Party and how
educational programs in many states in the US have been
adapted to the creationist vision of the world.
Goldberg's introductory talk was followed by a debate on
the influence of religion on Dutch politics and
education.
22 May 2007
Niall Ferguson
The War Of The World
British historian Niall Ferguson joined us on May 22nd to
discuss the question why the 20th century was the bloodiest
in modern history. Another theme he discussed was why he
thinks the American Century will be remembered for the
exhaustion of the West and the rise of China. He challenged
Americans to rethink their place in the world especially now
in the light of the War in Iraq.
Niall Ferguson is considered to be one of the finest
historians of his generation. He is a bestselling author,
teaching at Stern Business School, Harvard and Oxford.
Times Magazine named Ferguson one of the 100 most
influential people of the World. Ferguson's book The War
of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent
of the West won raving reviews.
Moderated by Hans Steketee
NRC Handelsblad
Kloosterkerk
Lange Voorhout 4
The Hague
11
31 May 2007
Nathan Englander
The Ministry of Special Cases
Author Nathan Englander joined us on the 31st of May 2007
to discuss his long awaited first novel. The novel is set in 1976
in Buenos Aires during Argentina's "dirty war." It’s a timeless
story of fathers and sons and the search for the
'desaparecidos'. In a world turned upside down, where the
past and the future, the nature of truth itself, all take shape
according to a corrupt government's whims.
Here again are all the marvelous qualities for which
Englander's first book was immediately beloved: his exuberant
wit and invention, his cosmic sense of the absurd, and his
genius for balancing joyfulness and despair.
Nathan Englander is a graduate of the Iowa Writers'
Workshop and won several prizes like the Pushcart Prize and
the 2000 Pen/Malamud Award and appeared on a dozen
best-seller lists and garnered comparisons to Chekhov and
Roth.
Moderated by Pieter Steinz
NRC Handelsblad
Odeon
Singel 460
Amsterdam
12
7 June 2007
Miranda July
No One Belongs Here More Than You
Filmmaker, performing artist and writer
Miranda July joined us on June 7th to
discuss her work and her new collection of
short stories, No One Belongs Here More
Than You.
After writing, directing and starring in the
feature film Me and You and Everyone We
Know, which won the Camera d'Or at the
Cannes Film Festival, she now turned her
prodigious talents to fiction.
Author Dave Eggers said: "The book that I
keep pushing on people is Miranda July's
No One Belongs Here More Than You.
July has one of the strangest and most
hilariously alienated brains of anyone I've
read"
Moderated by Wilfred Takken
NRC Handelsblad
Hotel Arena
‘s-Gravesandestraat 51
Amsterdam
13
11 June 2007
John Adams & Peter Sellars
Dr. Atomic Revisited
Part of the Holland Festival
Composer John Adams and theater
director Peter Sellars joined us on June
11th for a joint interview to mark the
Dutch premiere of their opera Dr.
Atomic. Following the success of the
opera Nixon in China, Dr Atomic once
again explores a politically current theme
with great artistic flair, which Sellars,
who wrote the libretto, skilfully links to
the psychological and philosophical
issues of our time.
The winner of numerous awards,
California-based John Adams is one of
the most frequently performed living
American composers. Sellars is one of
the leading theatre, opera, and television
directors in the world today, whose
previous productions include the John
Adams-composed opera A Flowering
Tree, Olivier Messiaen's St. François
d'Assise, and Paul Hindemith's Mathis
der Maler.
Moderated by Elmer Schönberger
musicologist, writer and composer
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ
Piet Hein Kade 1
Amsterdam
14
12 September 2007
William Easterly
The White Man's Burden
New York University Professor and former World Bank economist William Easterly joined us the 12th of
September for a discussion on why the 100 billion USD the rich world yearly dedicates to end poverty in
the developing world is for a big part wasted. The Millennium Development Goals, an initiative of the UN
directed by Jeffrey Sachs, are the principal targets of Easterly. Ending a country's poverty with foreign aid
is not possible, though individual living conditions can be improved according to Easterly.
Mr. Easterly is the author of The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done
So Much Ill and So Little Good. In this book, he contends that the West has failed, and continues to fail,
to enact its utopian aid plans and acts very paternalistic. Existing aid strategies, Easterly argues, provide
neither accountability nor feedback. He believes in local solutions, initiatives from the developing world
and is opposed to grand schemes and planners.
Moderated by Chris Kijne, journalist, VPRO
Panelists:
Jan Pronk
Professor ISS, former Special Representative
of the Secretary General of the United Nations
in Sudan
Peter Konijn
Deputy Director Cordaid
Felix Meritis
Keizersgracht 324
Amsterdam
15
18 September 2007
Daniel Mendelsohn
The Lost
Award-winning author and critic Daniel
Mendelsohn joined us on September 18th
to discuss his latest book The Lost: A
Search for Six of Six Million, which has
won the National Book Critics Circle
Award and received extraordinary critical
acclaim e.g. in The New York Review of
Books ("the most gripping, the most
amazing true story I have read in years")
and O, the Oprah Magazine ('stunning...
beautiful and powerfully moving').
The story is about Mendelsohn's search of
the fates of family members who perished
in the Holocaust. The book's most
striking element is the author's
recounting of the book of Genesis in
parallel with his own story, highlighting
eternal themes of origins and family,
temptation and exile, brotherly betrayal,
creation and annihilation.
Mr. Mendelsohn is a frequent
contributor to the New York Review on
literature and film and currently the
Charles Ranlett Flint Professor of
Humanities at Bard College.
Moderated by Michaël Zeeman
author and critic
Felix Meritis
Keizersgracht 324
Amsterdam
16
16 October 2007
Stedman Graham
Diversity: Leaders Not Labels
Stedman Graham demonstrates in his
latest book Diversity: Leaders not Labels a New Plan for the 21st Century, that
cultural diversity is changing the face of
nations across the world. Either embrace
diversity or get left behind. In an
inspiring talk on October 16th he showed
the great variety of opportunities cultural
diversity has to offer by focusing on
leadership, talent and excellence.
Following his talk there was a debate on
Diversity in the US and the Netherlands.
Moderated by Yoeri Albrecht
journalist
West Indisch Huis,
Herenmarkt 99
Amsterdam
Graham has a consultancy organization in
Chicago and is a New York Times-bestselling author selling millions of copies of
his books. Graham is also known as the
partner of the celebrated talk show host
Oprah Winfrey.
17
20 November 2007
Dana Thomas
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre
The topic of luxury today is all about
globalization, capitalization, class and
culture. Dana Thomas explores with a blend
of history, culture and investigative
journalism the whole of today's high-end
shopping experience. Thomas answers some
pressing questions in her book Deluxe: What
happened to brands like Louis Vuitton,
Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent? What is the
new definition of luxury when advertising
for this lifestyle is targeted mainly toward the
mass market? What are we paying for when
quality has given way to quantity? Is luxury
still the best that money can buy? How do
the rich and chic distinguish themselves
today? We got some answers on November
20th.
Dana Thomas is the cultural and fashion
writer for Newsweek in Paris, contributes to
various publications, including the New
York Times Magazine The New Yorker,
Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, the Washington
Post, and the Financial Times in London.
Moderated by Milou van Rossum
De Volkskrant
Felix Meritis
Keizersgracht 324
Amsterdam
18
6 December 2007
Nigella Lawson
Nigella Express
The John Adams Institute
proudly presented on December
6th an evening around the multi
talented author, journalist and
TV personality Nigella Lawson.
According to Salman Rushdie
she is one of the most original
and funny literary food writers.
Nigella is an interesting
personality in her own right. She
has written extensively about the
loss to cancer of two loved ones.
She is married to advertising
mogul and art dealer Charles
Saatchi. Nigella's latest success is
her book Nigella Express,
featuring meals for busy lives. At
the John Adams Institute,
Nigella was equally at ease
discussing recipes, the arts or
politics with our moderator.
Moderated by
Hanneke Groenteman
journalist
The Grand
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197
Amsterdam
19
Other Programs
The Quincy Club
The Quincy Club is the educational branch of the John Adams Institute. It is a traveling program
for high-school students in the Netherlands, which every year presents a different aspect of
American culture and society. It strives to present American themes in a non-partisan and
informative fashion. It gives Dutch high school students a deeper understanding of democracy in
the U.S. and a better idea of the diversity of American society. Over the last four years, more
than 70 schools applied, half of which have been accommodated. The lectures have reached more
than 2000 students. The target groups at the schools are the two highest levels of VWO and
Gymnasium. In 2007, 17 schools participated in the program.
In 2007, the lectures focused on immigration issues. The lectures were delivered by Frans
Verhagen, a journalist with an impressive record of publications on U.S. matters and many years
of reporting experience in Washington D.C. His most recent publication is The American Way.
At each lecture he was joined by either an American Fulbright exchange student or an American
diplomat. The discussions focused on the respective ideas on both sides of the ocean about
immigration and integration.
Part of the services of the Quincy Club is a website that provides background information and
reading material for the classes . Teachers can provide their teaching materials online.
For 2007 the Quincy Club was sponsored by the Holland America Friendship Foundation and
the American Embassy.
To Hiram Powers.
Sculptor, thy hand has moulded into form
The haggard features of a toil-worn face;
And whosoever views thy work shall trace
An age of Sorrow, and a Life of Storm.
And, canst thou mould the Heart? for that...... is warm;
Glowing with tenderness for all its race:
Instinct with all the Sympathies that grace
The pure and artless bosoms where they swarm.
Artist! may Fortune smile upon thy hand!
Go forth, and rival Greece's art sublime:
Return....and bid the statesmen of thy Land
Live in thy marble through all after-time.
Oh! snatch the fire from Heaven Prometheus stole;
And give the lifeless block, a breathing Soul.
20
John Quincy Adams.
Washington 25: March 1837.
Literature Course
In 2007, The John Adams Institute organized a literature course—taught in Dutch—on
the theme “Family Matters.” Ever since the publication of Nathaniel Hawthorne's
The Scarlet Letter in 1850, American writers have used the subject of family to explore
the wider cultural landscape. Most Americans still see family as the cornerstone of
society. But much of American literature presents another image. In the 2007
program of 2007 the focus was on the conditions behind this phenomenon: the
shifting power relations within family and the failure of marriages.
This series of 16 lectures by Dr. Eleonore van Notten was held in The Hague and
Amsterdam. It covered these novels:
Russell Banks – Affliction
Annie Proulx – The Shipping News
Jane Smiley – A Thousand Acres
Barbara Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible
Louise Erdich – The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
21
Support
As a nonprofit organization in the Netherlands, the John Adams Institute has always been ahead
of its time, in the sense that, ever since its launch in 1987, the Institute has depended heavily on
the private sector. We are also fortunate to benefit from a small number of public sector grants
and funding.
This year we received a very generous donation from the Holland America Friendship
Foundation and we hope to continue this new friendship over the following years.
In addition to annual support from our Friends, Sponsors and members, we also seek partners
with a particular interest in individual events. In 2007, we received specific event-related
support and assistance from the following:
Publishers and book importers
Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers
Other supporters
22
Sponsors & Friends
Becoming a Sponsor or Friend of the John Adams Institute brings a
company or individual with interests in the United States into an
eclectic community, which includes politicians, entrepreneurs,
writers, artists, journalists, professors and publishers. Indeed, our
audiences and network of supporters include people of
accomplishments that rival those of our speakers. Our Sponsors
and Friends tell us they find value in their affiliation in various
ways, whether by inviting clients to hear a Nobel Prize winner or
former U.S. Secretary of State in an intimate setting or by mingling
at our receptions. Many times a corporation will approach us
asking to sponsor an individual event; this gives them a large bloc of
seats and the chance to use a reception—with the featured speaker—
as a special occasion for their members or customers.
In 2007, we gained the following corporate sponsors: Greenberg
Traurig, Kadaster Apeldoorn and Rabobank. A very warm welcome
to all! For a complete list of Friends & Sponsors for 2007, see page
34 & 35.
Sometimes supporters indicate from the beginning that their contribution will be limited to
a certain time period. We wish to thank the following departing Friends for their generous
support in past years: Bain & Co, Cisco Systems International, Staalbankiers, DuPont de
Nemours and West-Holland Foreign Investment Agency.
Individual support:
Member (¼25),
Patron (¼65)
President’s Club (¼500)
Personal Friend (¼1500 and up).
We currently have 1162 members. Of this total, 19 are members of the President’s Club (see
below) and 13 are donating at the Ambassador level. In 2007 the board of the John Adams
Institute has decided to cancel the Ambassador level for new members.
President’s Club
R.M. Amato, E. M. Van Basten-Batenburg, M. van der Borgh, K. van den Broek, R.
Donehoo, R.W.H. Groen, W. Knibbeler, M. Meijer-Bergmans, M.S. Menéndez, C.S. de
Meijere, E.M. van Notten, W. van Roijen-Van Nispen, H.O.C.R. Ruding, M.J. Sandersten Holte, F. Schaik, M. Schuit-Williams, W.F.C. Stevens-Mullens, L.S. Vetter, F.
Warmelink.
23
Publicity
We get the word out with news cards, e-cards, posters, press releases and
advertisements.
Apart from our own promotional materials, we occasionally advertise lectures in
local newspapers. The International Herald Tribune once again provided a large
advertisement to announce our program and to enable us to thank our Friends and
Sponsors for their support.
Posters
Posters are provided to booksellers in Amsterdam, The
Hague and selected stores outside the capital. In addition,
they are sent to all Friends and Sponsors and are widely
distributed to cultural venues in the Netherlands.
News cards and EE- cards
News cards and e-cards are sent to JAI members, patrons
and relations, containing information on specific guests
and topics plus venue and ticket information.
Press releases
Press releases are prepared for each lecture and sent out to a
wide range of contacts throughout the Netherlands.
Upcoming lectures are mentioned in many publications.
Our Website:
www.johnwww.john- adams.nl
Our website is an important source of information for the public, providing the
latest updates on our program as well as ticket reservations. Individuals can also
become members through the website, and the public can purchase tickets to our
events via the website.
24
Staff and Volunteers for 2007
Staff
Corine Krijgsman,
Marike Paauw
Cobie Ivens
Director
Assistant to the Director
Project Coordinator
Project volunteers
Christine Boreel
Kiekie Pabbruwe
Quincy Club coordinator
Ambassador The Hague
Office volunteers
Karen Drake
Heather Gould
Copywriting
Office assistance
Event volunteers
Amsterdam
Heather Gould
Liesbeth van den Heijden
Naomi Kamphuijs
Veronika Kovacsova
Richard Nyuka
Rebecca Sekoun
Sam Simons
Tycho Verheul
Den Haag
Wendela van Beuningen
Hanneke Enthoven
Ellen Kroese-Kane
Madeleine Ovethoff
Aadje van Ree
25
Board of Directors
Arie Westerlaken, Chairman
Arie Westerlaken was Philips' Chief Legal Officer and a member of the Group
Management Committee. He joined the company’s legal department in the Netherlands
in 1973 and was appointed General Counsel to Philips Japan in 1979. After six years in
Japan and five years with the Corporate Legal Department in Eindhoven, he left the
company in 1990 to become Director of Legal Affairs for DAF Trucks. Returning to
Philips in 1994, he was appointed Director of Legal Affairs. He became Chief Legal
Officer of Philips on April 1, 1996, Secretary of the Board of Management in July 1997
and a member of the Group Management Committee on May 1, 1998.
Mr. Westerlaken was born in 1946 and graduated with a degree in Law from the University
of Utrecht. He is married with two children.
Evert van de Bergh, Treasurer
Until 2002 he served on the board of management at ExxonMobil Benelux, with contact
responsibility in the area of financial affairs. After his retirement in 2003, he was
appointed in 2004 to the Supervisory Board of Esso Nederland. Among his many other
activities, Mr van den Bergh currently holds the post of Director for Strategy and Policy at
Delft University of Technology. He is treasurer of the Dutch String Quartet Academy,
and sits on the Gasunie pension fund investment advisory board. Since 2003 he has
served as a mediator for ACB, an intermediary organization dedicated to dispute
resolution. In 2003 Mr van den Bergh was appointed a member of the Committee set up
to adjudicate and allocate non-personal claims to 'Jewish' funds relating to damages
sustained in World War II and released by the Dutch government, banks and the stock
exchange.
Marry de Gaay Fortman, Secretary
Marry de Gaay Fortman graduated in 1988 from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Since
then she has worked as a lawyer with Houthoff Buruma. In 1997 she was named partner
and from 2001 until 2007 she was Managing Partner at this firm. Alongside her daily
tasks, she also works as a mediator (affiliated with the Dutch Mediation Institute, NMI)
and contributes regularly to roundtable discussions on leadership, management and
diversity. Marry de Gaay Fortman occupies various additional functions, she is member of
the supervisory board of AMREF Flying Doctors, the Nederlands Dans Theater and the
Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, sits on the Commission to promote sound management
and integrity in Public Broadcasting, and is a member of the Advice Council of the Dutch
Care Authority.
26
Chris Kijne
Chris Kijne is a VPRO broadcaster and journalist. He started as a print journalist but later
switched to radio, both as a domestic- and foreigndesk reporter. The last decade he was one of
the anchors for the VPRO broadcasts on Radio 1, the national news-channel. He also works for
television, making documentaries and most recently with a series of extensive interviews for both
the digital channel HollandDoc and the in depth-program 'Tegenlicht'. Among his recent guests
were Salman Rushdie, Madeleine Albright, Elie Wiesel, Amos Oz and Amartya Sen. He also
moderates events of the Institute.
Tracy Metz
Tracy Metz, a native of California, is a journalist with the NRC Handelsblad. She writes regularly
about architecture, urbanism and landscape and has written a number of books, such as Snelweg:
Highways in the Netherlands, Nieuwe natuur: Reportages over veranderend landschap Atlas of
Changes. Rearranging the Netherlands. Her most recent book is FUN! Leisure and Landscape.
She is also a correspondent for the American magazine Architectural Record. For the John Adams
Institute, where she has been a member of the board since 2004, she also regularly moderates
evenings with authors.
Jeannette Sanders
A fervent reader and art collector, Jeanette is responsible for co-hosting receptions at lectures and
organizing the Women's Leadership Circle fundraising dinners together with Swe Thant.
Jeannette is a member of the Board of the Groninger Museum.
Honorary Board
The Hon. Roland E. Arnall, U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, Chairman
Mr John H Bryan, former Director, Sara Lee Corporation
The Hon. K Terry Dornbush, former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands
The Hon. Cynthia P Schneider, former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands
The Hon. Clifford M Sobel, former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands
Advisory Board
Mr B Alexander, Director, McKinsey & Co
Mr A Rinnooy Kan, Board of Directors, ING Group
Dr H Ruding, former Minister of Finance
Mr C van Lede, former Chairman, Akzo Nobel
Mr J Hessels, former Chairman, Vendex KBB
Ms A Wertheim, former Director, John Adams Institute
Honorary Membership
Dini Bolck
27
WestWest- Indisch Huis
Where Amsterdam meets New York
For almost 400 years, Amsterdam’s West India House has been a symbol of
Dutch-American relations. It was here that two historic decisions were made: to
establish a Dutch trading base in the New World on the island of Manhattan and,
three centuries later, to create our institute, dedicated to transatlantic cultural
exchange.
Following stints as an orphanage, retirement home and warehouse, the West
India House was fully restored in the 1980s. In 1987 it became the home of the
John Adams Institute.
28
Overview of Events 2007
29-Mar
2-Apr
12-Apr
17-Apr
14-May
22-May
31-May
7-Jun
11-Jun
12-Sep
18-Sep
16-Oct
20-Nov
6-Dec
Guest / Moderator
Topic / Location
Michael Ruse
Moderator Herman Philipse
The Evolution-Creation Struggl
Daniel Mason
Moderator Hans Steketee
Ariel Levy
Moderator Heleen Mees
Antoine van Agtmael
Felix Meritis Amsterdam
A Far Country
Pulchri Studio The Hague
Female Chauvinist Pigs
Odeon Amsterdam
Emerging Markets - Amcham
Barbizon Palace Amsterdam
Michelle Goldberg
Moderator James Kennedy
Kingdom Coming
Niall Ferguson
Moderator Hans Steketee
The War of the World
Nathan Englander
Moderator Pieter Steinz
Felix Meritis Amsterdam
Kloosterkerk The Hague
The Ministry of Special Cases
Odeon Amsterdam
Miranda July
Moderator Wilfred Takken
No One Belongs Here More Than You
John Adams & Peter Sellars
Moderator Elmer Schönberger
Dr. Atomic Revisited
William Easterly
Moderator Chris Kijne
Hotel Arena Amsterdam
Muziekgebouw Aan 't IJ Amsterdam
The White Man's Burden
Felix Meritis Amsterdam
Daniel Mendelsohn
Moderator Michaël Zeeman
The Lost
Stedman Graham
Moderator Yoeri Albrecht
Diversity: Leaders not Labels
Dana Thomas
Moderator Milou van Rossum
Deluxe: How Luxery Lost Its Lustre
Nigella Lawson
Moderator Hanneke Groenteman
Nigella Express
Felix Meritis Amsterdam
West-Indisch Huis Amsterdam
Felix Meritis Amsterdam
Hotel The Grand Amsterdam
Photography
Copyright of the photos of our lectures and readings by: Chris van Houts, Piet Gispen & Gerrit Serné
29
2007 Attendance
date
writer
number
29-Mrch
Michael Ruse
130
2-Apr
Daniel Mason
42
12-Apr
Ariel Levy
157
17-Apr
Antoine van Agtmael
85
14-May
Michelle Goldberg
102
22-May
Niall Ferguson
103
31-May
Nathan Englander
7-Jun
Miranda July
162
11-Jun
J.Adams & P.Sellars
195
12-Sep
William Easterly
240
18-Sep
Daniel Mendelsohn
157
16-Oct
Stedman Graham
137
20-Nov
Dana Thomas
121
6-Dec
Nigella Lawson
277
TOTAAL
30
55
1963
In the Press
Thursday 24 May 2007, De Telegraaf
31
32
Artikel Smulweb.nl
Smulweb.nl:
nl : Een ontmoeting met Nigella Lawson
Dit is een bijdrage van: webredactie
Artikel geplaatst op: 17-01-08
Dit artikel is al 3195 keer gelezen
Hotel The Grand: het hotel waar beroemdheden als Michael Jackson verblijven als ze ons land aan doen.
Tevens het decor voor een gesprek tussen Hanneke Groenteman en Nigella Lawson, presentatrice en
publiciste en vooral bekend van haar kookboeken (o.a. How to be a domestic goddess) en
kookprogramma`s (o.a. Nigella Bites). Ter promotie van haar nieuwste boek, Nigella Express, bezoekt ze
Nederland. De organisatie van het als lezing bestempelde uurtje is in handen van Uitgeverij Contact en
het John Adams Institute.
Een zaal vol huisvrouwen die de nieuwe bijbel van Nigella, Nigella Express, tegen zich aangedrukt houden
en op het puntje van hun stoel zitten om ademloos naar haar te luisteren, dat had ik verwacht. De realiteit
is anders: het lijkt meer op een zakelijke (netwerk-)bijeenkomst. Een feest der herkenning voor veel
genodigden en het valt me op dat er opvallend veel bossen bloemen zijn mee genomen. Ik kom er al snel
achter dat naast een gesprek met Nigella de avond in het teken staat van het afscheid van de directrice van
het John Adams Institute.
Na wat informatie over de historie van De Grand wordt met een "koningin Beatrix trouwde hier en hier is
de Queen of the kitchen" Nigella aangekondigd. Nigella Lawson is in het echt nog mooier dan op tv en in
haar boeken! Tel daarbij op het prachtige `proper English` en de omschrijving `Goddelijke Huisvrouw`
lijkt bevestigd.
Lees verder op: http://www.smulweb.nl/156489/artikel/Een-ontmoeting-met-Nigella-Lawson
33
Sponsors & Friends 2007
The Friends of the John Adams Institute are directors of American companies based in the
Netherlands and top executives of Dutch companies with significant interests in the United States
Private Friends
Sponsors
T. Dornbush,
Former U.S. Ambassador to the
Netherlands
K.J. Storm
Former CEO AEGON
Additional Supporters
34
&$$
+ROODQG$PHULFD
)ULHQGVKLS)RXQGDWLRQ
Friends
ABN AMRO
Ahold
Amsterdam Foreign Investment Office
Amsterdam Institute of Finance
AON Groep Nederland
Bain & Co.
Baker & McKenzie
Bank Insinger de Beaufort
BearingPoint
Boekhandel Van Rossum
Boer & Croon
Booz Allen Hamilton
Buhrmann
Citigroup
Clifford Chance
DuPont de Nemours
Esso Nederland
Fugro
Greenberg & Traurig
Greif
Heineken
Houthoff Buruma
ING Groep
Jefferson Wells
Kadaster Apeldoorn
McKinsey & Co.
Fortis / MeesPierson-PWM
NIBC bank
PCM Uitgevers
Philips Electronics
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Provincie Zuid-Holland
Rabobank
Sara Lee International
Siemens
SNS Reaal Groep
Theodoor Gilissen Bankiers
Uitgeverij Boom
Uitgeverij Nieuw Amsterdam
Unilever
Weekblad Pers Groep
Wolters Kluwer
Kuiper, J.Ch.L.
Wakkie, P.N.
Beer, M. de
Childers, B.
Steen, J.W.Th.
Ms. Pherwani
Scheer, E.T.H.
Kantor, I.R.
Roest, P.
Johnson, Ms. B.
Groot, E.P. de
Mensing, P.B.
Ventress, P.
Boom, P.F.
Eijsbouts, Ch.J.R.
Mendel, J.
Baeckelmans, N.
Jonkman, A.
Jong, W. de
Engelen, Ms. W.H. van
Boxmeer, J.F. van.
Bosman, J.
Tilmant, M.
Haverhals, H.J.K.
Meiling, E
Alexander, B.C.
Mol, P.W.
Bodes, P.
Groenewegen, H.L.L.
Sivignon, J.P.
Nijhuis, J.A.
Dijk, J.W.A.
Heggeler, R.H.L. Ten
Garvey, M.
Pernis, M.C.J. van
Verburg, J.H.
Dam, E. van
Ingen, E.A. van
Borg, H. ter
Waaij, K. van der
Jong, P.F.M. de
McKinstry, Ms. N.
35
Finance
36
37
The John Adams Institute
West Indisch Huis
Herenmarkt 97
1013 EC Amsterdam
T. +31 (0)20 624 72 80
F. +31 (0)20 638 11 45
E. [email protected]
W. www.john-adams.nl
Photos: Chris van Houts & Piet Gispen