Celebrating the restoration of the new Dinan Hall, friends and family gathered in the heart of the Wharton School on a warm spring afternoon for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting
The building received a substantial renovation thanks to a leadership gift by Penn Trustee Jamie Dinan
a Wharton School alumnus and member of the School’s Board of Advisors
he founded York Capital Management in 1991 and is currently chairman
Dinan said that as an undergraduate finance and computer science major—then called “decision science”—he spent considerable time in the building
which then housed a computer spanning half the floor
“I actually lived in this building a lot writing code,” he said
He also took as many graduate MBA classes as he could during his junior and senior years
amazing four years laid ahead of me,” said Dinan
“I not only learned about business and finance
but more importantly I gained the confidence in my judgment and abilities that was the foundation of my career and my life successes.”
several of whom are counted among Penn’s alumni
thank you for your leadership in advancing Penn’s highest priorities
You walk the walk of our values: Open-minded and curious
It’s right that this historic Penn building here in the heart of campus now bears your name.”
After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, during which Dinan wielded the scissors, Wharton School Dean Erika H. James presented him with a watercolor image of the new building bearing his name
“We are eternally grateful for the ways in which you have committed yourself and your generosity to the University of Pennsylvania and particularly the Wharton School,” James said
“You bring deep knowledge and fondness for this University to every conversation
the 102,000-square-foot building was formerly known as Vance Hall
named after the late Wharton graduate and Trustee Henry T
It runs along Spruce Street with the main entrance on the Tannenbaum Quad to the north
and lighting; wall and floor treatments; open workspaces
Jameson noted the building was originally designed in the Brutalist style by the Philadelphia architectural firm Bower & Fradley
whose principals John Bower and Fred Fradley trained under leading architect and Penn faculty member Louis Kahn
the Wharton faculty—with the insight from the boards—are thinking very hard about how to adapt to the current environment and the future
and we see that happening every day,” Jameson said
stands as a versatile destination for Wharton students
“The Dinan name is a true pride point on campus today and forever in our University’s history.”
the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life
With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises
candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar
that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt
The new Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology boasts adaptable laboratory spaces to support the dynamic needs of pioneering research
Katie Dinan went into this year’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final knowing it was going to be the biggest test yet for her mare Out Of The Blue SCF
but hoped the experience would only strengthen for their 15-month partnership
The pair emerged from the three-day championship
finishers and the winners of the final day’s class as the only horse and rider to finish without a single penalty
“Bridie,” an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Verdi TN—Casa Blanca La Silla
by Lisa Lourie and owned by Grant Road Partners LLC
came up through Lourie’s young horse training program at Spy Coast Farm
Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam started riding her in bigger classes
Dinan purchased Bridie as a coming 10-year-old
and the pair was able to step right onto the international stage
“She has so much power and ability; she has so much scope,” Dinan said
She understands the sport; she understands that she should clear the jumps
She has quite a competitive nature herself
and she really wants to do the job really well and takes herself very seriously
Especially this past week—what she put into it
it just took my breath away how hard she tries to do the right thing
but also so smart at the jumps is such an amazing combination.”
already had five World Cup Final appearances under her belt
paired with a little extra good luck in the form of memes of retired top mounts Brego R’N B and Nougat Du Vallet wishing her luck
Bridie showed she was ready for the intense three days of jumping
culminating with a pair of clear rounds on the final day of competition
They were one of just three pairs to jump clean and the only ones not to have a time penalty that day
boosting them to eighth overall and making them the highest-placed U.S
“It was definitely a very exciting week,” said Dinan
Sunday was definitely a really big day for me.”
We caught up with Dinan to talk about Bridie
their World Cup experience and Dinan’s research endeavors
She was bred by Lisa Lourie at Spy Coast Farm
which is not something you see that often in show jumping
That was something really cool to be part of
to have a horse that was bred in the States
the stallion from Maikel van der Vleuten that had so much success
and her mother has unbelievable results as a broodmare
[who was] ridden by Edward Levy and Brianne Goutal-Marteau in big grand prix
and Bridie’s younger sister by one year [Paso Doble SCF] is now ridden by Nayel Nassar
the fact that the same mother had three babies that have all jumped 1.60 meters is pretty remarkable
We got her at the end of her 9-year-old year
She’s just an unbelievably fantastic horse
and I am pinching myself that I am lucky enough to be her rider and that we have her in the stable
She has so much blood and really wants to go and has so much just
forward energy and is always looking to the next thing
She’s the kind of horse that you could go galloping outside and she could canter for hours and hours
who I’ve worked with for over 10 years now
He had seen her with Shane that summer jumping some big classes
I think he saw in her that she was a mare with a lot of blood
and that really pulled you to the front and wanted to go
and he thought it would be a really good combination for me
and I’m always hesitant to make any assumptions [that] a horse will be a good fit for me or not based on their prior results
She’s definitely a bit different than horses I’ve had in the past
She’s the first mare I really competed at this level
You don’t know until you go in the ring with them a few times
I also have a huge respect for Shane Sweetnam
and I knew the horse had a really good upbringing
and that he had done a really good job producing her
I felt really good that we were getting a horse that had had such a positive experience and been asked the right questions at the right time
What made this was a good year to make a bid to go to World Cup
I think the World Cup Final is always a really big deal and something that is great to aim for
It’s been a priority of mine for many years
and it’s the only championship we have this year
I have an 11-year-old horse that I’ve had for just over a year
and the experience of jumping this championship together I hoped would make us stronger
and how she kept on jumping and got stronger and better as the week got on
One of the toss-ups was that I did not jump for the last few weeks in Florida in preparation for the World Cup
I wondered if I was making the right decision
And I kind of jokingly said that I would know after the fact if I made the right decision; hindsight is always 20-20
You two hit the ground running last year and made the short list for the Paris Olympic Games
How do you feel like your partnership has grown over the last 15 months
We accomplished a lot and had a few really good rounds early on in our partnership
towards the end of [the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida)]
which was a real vote of confidence from our chef d’equipe and selection committee
and I was really honored by that and wanted to rise to that occasion
And then we had the opportunity to go to Aachen [Germany] last summer
and I think that experience made us stronger as a combination
I really feel that we’ve been learning each other and growing together ever since
She was clear in our last five-star grand prix we jumped
and I felt like that was one of our best rounds we’ve had together
We’re getting more and more in sync in the rounds and trusting each other more and more
Lou Beudin has been taking care of my horses now for almost eight years and has been taking care of Bridie since we got her
And she’s had really the same program now for 15 months and is getting more and more comfortable in our program
We’ve just gotten all stronger together as a team
You were the only person to go clear in both rounds on the last day of World Cup
Can you talk about how it felt to pull that off
I was really motivated to have a strong finish on Sunday
I thought [the first round] walked very big
“You live for that moment of exhilaration when you’ve done it
and I think that’s what made it like such a special moment for me.”
I didn’t actually watch anybody before I went
and I wanted to just stick to that and focus on my warm-up
just follow the plan; she’s right there.” The more we went the more confident the two of us got because she was giving me such a good feeling
a test of endurance and fitness from the week
which is a great position to be in as a rider
just buckle up.” But I also so badly didn’t want to let her down
because I knew that she was there to do it
The whole team I had behind me—Beat and Lou
and my parents and my fiancé also came for the weekend—I felt really supported
and then I felt like she was jumping so well in the second round
I thought [the course] was tough because the last two lines were like so interconnected
and my horse made that easy for me because she was just simply spectacular
I had an overwhelming sense of joy and relief
because it’s what you dream of and what you work hard for through ups and downs
and you live for that moment of exhilaration when you’ve done it
and I think that’s what made it like such a special moment for me
I am a third year Ph.D student at Rockefeller University
which is a research institute in New York City
I am working in the lab of a guy named Mike Young
who won the Nobel Prize in 2017 for discovering basically the molecular mechanisms for circadian rhythms of our body’s clock
The lab does all their work with fruit flies
and I am studying sleep and sleep deprivation in fruit flies to try to better understand the genetics and epigenetics of why we’re so affected by sleep deprivation
I’m really interested in sleep and different like sleep cycles. I also sometimes wonder how the sleep patterns of different types of animals have evolved, and it’s given me a new perspective on some of my horses’ behavior, [on an] evolutionary biology level. They have made new rules about how you need to have the stable areas at shows dark at night and things like that
Everything from a fruit fly to a dog to a horse to a person has this internal molecular clock in them that’s operating on a 24-hour cycle
and that’s something that I think about in myself and in my horses
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The author on the short stories that taught her about grief
The writer who changed my mindTeju Cole in Tremor
we often have banal lessons thrown at us – about not using adverbs
for example – which can become very ingrained
The book that made me want to be a writerMy Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
I opted for more “realistic” goals – study science
I basically stopped reading fiction when I went to university
I read only nonfiction and “classics” – Tolstoy
Those books didn’t leave me much room to contemplate my own voice
and so when I turned back to contemporary fiction in adulthood
The author I came back toMaggie Nelson
I’m trying to let go of applying rigid logic to understand everything I read
as if words are a puzzle with a defined solution
Free weekly newsletterThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine
Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns
My comfort readA Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
There are so many complete lives in this novel
which could also be described as a set of interweaving stories
I would put it in a time capsule for whatever civilisation follows ours
“I’ve lost many friends to heteronormativity in the last couple of years. Even queer ones. Engagements. Cardigans. Looking out at the sea while rubbing the outside of their arms.” So says Max, the complicated, vulnerable and intimidatingly astute protagonist of Disappoint Me, the follow-up to Nicola Dinan’s critically acclaimed first novel Bellies
clever and well-paid but she’s also kind of sad: her new year begins in hospital after falling down a flight of stairs at a party
but she’s feeling emotionally bruised after a breakup
while the tricky relationship she has with her father gnaws at her
She questions what her future holds with jaded scepticism
The novel tracks Max’s new relationship with Vincent – a good guy
kind and a lawyer – and Dinan explores to what extent the mistakes from someone’s past should define who they are now
Moving between Max’s present and Vincent’s past
Dinan skillfully sets the stakes for a shattering reckoning
questions around gender and race recur alongside ruminations about what it means to belong
These are big ticket issues but Dinan’s prose is knowing
funny and by turns both cynical and tender
Nicola Dinan talks more about her writing process and what she hopes readers will take away from Disappoint Me
Martha Alexander: What prompted you to write Disappoint Me
Nicola Dinan: I turned 27 and started noticing a shift in energy
People were talking about the future in a way they hadn’t before
Friends’ relationships were getting serious
As a trans woman I wasn’t really sure how I fit into this world
Heteronormativity is something I have felt alienated from
I wanted to write a book which spoke to that tension between the comforts of heteronormativity but also its teeth
My opinions on the matter shifted in real time as I wrote the novel because I was growing up
MA: How did you come up with the title Disappoint Me
I was thinking about feelings of romantic and interpersonal disappointment and how we can preempt or anticipate disappointment in order to try to lessen the pain of it
Max in many ways spends her life waiting for the other shoe to drop
And if you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop
The title might be sexy but it’s also an invitation by Max for others to disappoint her
She’s trying to immunise herself against disappointment by asking for it
I wanted a title that got to the root of that jadedness which I think many of us move into when we turn 30 and feel isolated and unsure about what life has in store
What happens when your dreams don’t materialise how you wanted to and you have not just gone through one heartbreak but several
MA: Can you tell me a little about your process
And how do you know when you’ve finished a novel
ND: I usually know where the start is and roughly the end but I don’t really know what happens in between
I am not a hugely spontaneous person in my life but I am in my writing
I like to experience a lot of what I’m writing about at the same time as my characters
This means I’m reacting at the same time as they are and really thinking about how I would feel about certain things rather than working from a pre-determined space
I like deliberately ambiguous endings that don’t spell out what’s in store for the rest of the characters’ lives
There’s a part in Disappoint Me that describes life as a series of happy endings and sad endings
Life continues and happens in sequence and we have all these epochs adjoining one another
knowing that the characters’ lives will continue after the novel in a way that even as the author I can’t and don’t want to define
“Heteronormativity is something I have felt alienated from
I wanted to write a book which spoke to that tension” – Nicola Dinan
MA: How has your background in science and law informed your career as a novelist
ND: In both of those fields you are required to write in a really direct way
I have always aspired to a style of writing that is imaginative but is still clear in the communication of the emotional message
Those years of training and then working as a lawyer honed that
It’s also provided me with a lot of material: I find myself returning to lawyers constantly
Max and Vincent are both lawyers and Max’s mum was also a lawyer
I’m finishing a third book which is also about lawyers but in the 1980s in Hong Kong
I find myself drawn to aspects of the profession: its rigidity
And working in law introduced me to such wild personalities
Max explains that she switched private practice for a cushier job in a tech firm because she wanted to leave an environment which rewarded undiagnosed personality disorders
which is essentially pretending to be a robot
Can you tell me more about what inspired it
I reviewed contracts for a company who wanted to make their clients think we had AI
I tell people I had this job and they just can’t believe it – one of those moments the truth is stranger than fiction
Of all the things in the book people might assume are based on reality this feels the most fanciful but it’s the one I borrowed most closely from
Science has provided a lot of source material for me
MA: How much attention do you pay to reviews
ND: I am almost ashamed to admit that I’ve read my own Goodreads [reviews] for Bellies
I don’t read a bad review and think I need to make changes
it just feels like being part of a literary workshop en masse
There’s sometimes negative criticism that probably speaks to an intuition I’ve already had about my work – and I don’t think that’s a bad thing
I’m still in a place of wanting to grow and develop my voice and style
It doesn’t make sense to me to turn off what people are saying about my novel and sometimes that means seeking broader feedback than just congratulatory reviews of my work
“What happens when your dreams don’t materialise how you wanted to and you have not just gone through one heartbreak but several?” – Nicola Dinan
MA: Some sections of the media have abhorrent views of trans people
how cautious are you about how you present your trans characters
I shouldn’t have to characterise trans people as virtuous or shy away from them having nasty thoughts or opinions because that’s denying them their humanity
There’s a line in Disappoint Me that says that “there always comes a time where you can’t deny the bones their flesh” and the reality is that people always grow beyond our initial impressions of them and that depth is not totally defined by good
I want to offer full and complex characterisations of trans people: I’m not in the business of trying to convince anyone that trans people are deserving of basic human rights
I can’t cater my work to people who don’t have a basic level of empathy for trans people
To write with the goal of converting transphobes feels like a fruitless exercise and too much of a burden
MA: What do you hope readers will take away from Disappoint Me
I can’t say that I write didactically and I can’t say I have a specific moral point
Rather I hope the work can challenge people’s thinking or preconceptions around the nature of change in others and in ourselves
Books are an amazing way to affect an emotional change in the reader
That is the holy grail for me – to encourage people to turn inward and reflect
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan is published by Doubleday, and is out now.
Eric Winer interviewed cancer researcher with the Yale School of Public Health
She discussesd her research into cancer outcomes and experiences such as access
Dinan is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Yale School of Public Health
and Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center
She is also a member of the Cancer Outcomes
and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center
Dinan has extensive research expertise in leveraging existing real-world data sources as well as novel data linkages to examine oncology outcomes
« Back
2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dinan Capital Advisors (“Dinan”)
is pleased to welcome Michael Brill as Managing Director
where he will lead the private capital markets practice
Brill and his team will establish Dinan’s New York office
providing sponsors and entrepreneurs with capital solutions supporting a wide range of corporate initiatives
“We’re thrilled to have Michael on board,” said Michael Dinan
“Private capital solutions are a strong complement to Dinan’s existing buy-side and sell-side services
and Michael's capital markets expertise and proven track record across industries will be invaluable as we continue to expand our value-added services to more fully serve our clients.”
Brill brings over 25 years of experience from both bulge bracket and boutique firms
he served as Senior Managing Director in the investment banking practice at B
Brill launched the New York office of FocalPoint
and headed the private capital markets practice at Duff & Phelps
He also led private financing practices at Lehman Brothers and Barclays
as well as the fixed income practice at Canaccord Genuity
Brill has structured and executed transactions across a variety of sectors
Brill's expertise spans the full spectrum of the private capital markets
He has extensive experience working with entrepreneurs
and private equity firms to develop and implement innovative capital structures that drive strategic growth
“I’m excited to join Dinan and contribute to the firm’s continued success,” said Brill
“Dinan has built a strong reputation for delivering M&A solutions to the middle market
Brill’s addition to the Dinan team and the expansion of Dinan’s private capital markets practice marks an important step in the firm’s ongoing evolution as the M&A partner of choice for middle-market companies
LLC is an established middle-market investment bank specializing in merger
“Dinan” is the brand under which Dinan & Company and its subsidiary
Dinan offers Wall Street-caliber expertise to the thriving middle market
business owners and investors have relied on Dinan to turn M&A opportunities into results
Let Dinan help unlock your next success story
of being the only rider to jump flawlessly on the final day of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final—including the day’s daunting jump-off
with fences up to 1.65 meters—but it was Julien Epaillard whose performances over three days earned him the overall trophy as France’s first World Cup Finals winner in 21 years
Epaillard employed some daring tactics along the way
forgoing his place in day two’s jump-off (and some considerable prize-money) in preference of conserving the energy of his homebred equine partner
having worked out that he would still hold onto his lead without contesting Friday’s second round against the clock
as his 12-year-old Selle Français gelding Donatello D’Auge (Jarnac—Tequila D’Auge
Hello Pierville) returned in Sunday’s first round in Basel
to produce a crucial clear round that saw them hold a 3-fault advantage with just one round remaining
“Today I felt him a little tired already in the first round,” Epaillard said
but he has a super head and with this he always wants to help me
Then he was maybe more fresh for the second round.”
rider Lillie Keenan were the athletes poised perilously close to Epaillard
less than a fence behind him before Sunday’s second and final round
Of the 20 combinations qualified for the final round
only four delivered a faultless performance
but none were close enough in the overall standings to catch the podium
That included Dinan and Out Of The Blue SCF
who won the day with the only double clear round.
“I am over the moon with my horse,” Dinan said of the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Verdi TN—Casa Blanca La Silla
San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Grant Road Partners LLC and cared for by Lou Beudin
and she just jumped her heart out this week
I felt like today she was going to go clear with or without me
so I just did the best I could to help her do her job and she absolutely delivered
by Lisa Lourie at Spy Coast Farm and developed through their young horse program
and we bought her at the end of her 9-year-old year,” she continued
“I feel like being here representing the USA on an American-bred horse isn’t something that you see very often
and it makes it a really special way to represent the country.”
With her performance Sunday, Dinan became the top-placed U.S. rider in the overall standings
finishing on 13 total penalties for eighth place overall
three fences on the floor in the first round put an end to her podium dreams—she finished 11th in the overall standings
contingent—but took nothing away from her eye-catching performances in her first Longines FEI World Cup Final with the relatively inexperienced Kick On
Staut returned with 4 faults guaranteeing himself a podium position with his final score of 7 faults
albeit gifting Maher and Epaillard some breathing room
When Maher’s Point Break breathed on the final element of the ornate Cherry Blossom combination
he too completed on 7 faults and the door was left ajar for Epaillard as he knew he could afford to have one fence down
“Donny,” undoubtedly benefitting from the energy conserved by not jumping off on Friday
returned to the stadium once more where the audience was perched on the edge of their seats waiting for history unfold
The little gelding with the heart of lion matched the enthusiasm of his pilot while demonstrating his incredible athleticism and immaculate technique
but so many rounds had fallen apart after this
An extra stride around the corner from fence 9 to 10 made the three strides down to 11A a little flat
a rub here saw the partnership notch up their first fault of the week
one being the final towering 1.65-meter vertical
6,500 spectators held their breath in anticipation
With nerves of steel and riding on a partnership built on a lifetime of trust
Epaillard and Donny kept their composure to sail over the final two formidable obstacles
securing France’s first Longines FEI World Cup Final title in 21 years
“I totally lost concentration before the last line,” he said
and I lost concentration and came too deep to the double
“It’s a dream for all the staff working with me and my family
There’s a lot of people around this performance so I’d like to thank everybody.”
who finished second despite jumping three days with a recently broken foot
was philosophical in his reflection of his performance over the week and final result
“A small mistake from myself on Friday meant I didn’t get it done enough early on and put myself on the back foot with no room for error,” he said
“Point Break deserved a little more from me
maybe a little more support going in there
Today he jumped perhaps the best he’s ever jumped
Julien is an incredible competitor and hard to beat on any given day
Staut was overjoyed with his horse and his second Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final podium finish
despite coming tantalizingly close to victory with Visconti Du Telman
“I can’t be sad because it was a really great competition,” he said
It’s also two podiums for France at this final
We’d have signed for that at the beginning of the week.”
four riders contested the final day of competition
Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Jireh completed their first FEI Jumping World Cup Final together on a total combined score of 31 (19th overall)
Kaitlin Campbell and Castlefield Cornelious punched their ticket to Sunday’s Round B in their first World Cup Final appearance together
but a miscommunication at Fence 3 dislodged Campbell from the saddle
Both Campbell and Castlefield Cornelious left the ring unharmed
still earning a spot inside the top 20 to conclude the week
“We had some really great results this week in Basel
and a few of our younger combinations really stepped up and showed off some class riding,” Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland said
“I was really impressed today in the first round when all four of our combinations laid down clear rounds
For Katie to finish the way she did with Out Of The Blue SCF was very impressive
considering none of the other combinations in the whole class delivered two consecutive clear rounds today.”
See complete results for Sunday’s competition.See complete overall results
The author of Bellies explores contemporary questions of sex
relationship etiquette and gender identity
Disappoint Me is a novel structured around meals, whether assembled distractedly or seasoned with care, and people making strained conversation over birthday barbecues or overpriced small plates in Hackney restaurants. Like her cult debut Bellies
Nicola Dinan’s highly readable and engrossing second novel paints mealtimes as a sociocultural ritual as much as a means of giving characters something to chew on while they reach new understandings or fail to connect
the heart and the stomach are deftly entwined in this deeply contemporary story which explores friendship
the pacifying allure of couplehood and evolving social mores among millennial Londoners
Reformed party girl Max meets gallant lawyer Vincent over a sushi date in the opening pages: not so much a meet cute as a swipe right
Dinan is adept at capturing the apathy and cynicism engrained in dating via “the apps”
where the paradox of choice gives rise to a second-guessing diffidence and a shirking of real intimacy
The two bond over their shared Chinese heritage and corporate backgrounds
and to her surprise Max finds an understated attraction and the promise of something meaningful growing between them
Max is used to people making reductive assumptions about her identity
Her prickliness and understandable sensitivity make her a contradictory and complicated protagonist; both dissociative and painfully attuned to those around her
drolly sarcastic yet striving for sincerity and transcendence through writing
A poet who works as the overpaid legal counsel for a tech company
her disillusionment at her job aggravates her longstanding dysphoria and existential malaise
often hovering between irony and outright melancholy
Her zingers are cutting and camp: an annoying acquaintance is a “Poundland Arca”- referring to the uber-cool non-binary Venezuelan music producer – and a hangover is “like an angry twink has poured poppers into my skull”
Disappoint Me cements Dinan as one of the UK’s most perceptive young novelistsAn ugly breakup and minor accident have left Max’s already fragile self-esteem in tatters
and Vincent represents a light at the end of a tunnel
“a stab at good old-fashioned heteronormativity”
Max ponders her new partner – “a Chinese lawyer
If anyone says he’s gay for dating a trans woman
show that picture of him in a shacket at the pub
setting the reader up for the question of when and how the seemingly wholesome and evolved Vincent will be revealed as a less than ideal partner
Or is it Max herself who will act out a self-destructive prophecy of romantic failure
Max’s narration in 2023 is interspersed with Vincent’s point of view during a pivotal gap year trip to Thailand in 2012
While bar hopping with strangers from his hostel
someone cracks a crass joke about ladyboys and refers to trans women as “it” – a reflection of the era’s dehumanising views
the novel poses the question of whether those views have merely been obscured by virtue-signalling niceties; camouflaged under modern etiquette
It does the same with attitudes towards race and otherness: Vincent meets a beautiful and warm young woman named Alex at the hostel and confides that as a Chinese boy growing up in Britain
people called him “Vincent Ching Chong all the way through primary school”
His infatuation with Alex forms the crux of Vincent’s storyline
complicated when his aggressively straight best friend
Fred and Vincent are still friends in the 2023 sections
but the narrative lacuna left by Alex intrigues and unsettles
The inarticulacy and passive aggressiveness that can clog longstanding male friendships is especially well drawn
as is the portrayal of Max’s brother Jamie: all steam-rolling privilege
Max and Vincent may not be the most endearing of protagonists
and they are certainly not fun at parties – but as a couple they are believable and easy to root for as they struggle with how best to love each other despite their messiness and the secrets Vincent is keeping from Max about his past paramour and less than stellar behaviour
Disappoint Me is a refreshingly unsentimental and moving exploration of millennial ennui
It eschews essentialism by depicting modern relationships and the flow of power and secrecy with astuteness and compassion
cementing Dinan as one of the UK’s most perceptive young novelists with her finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary behaviour
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan is published by Doubleday (£16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com
And what does it have to do with this $135,000
Only the most down-bad of BMW nerds will know: CarBahn is Steve Dinan’s newest venture after selling off his previous company
The mission is the same: It takes new BMWs and thoroughly optimizes them for balance and function without going for ridiculous
internet-breaking power numbers or lap times
The car operates fundamentally as it did from the factory
this particular CarBahn M4 (which happens to be Dinan's personal car) does have Hellcat levels of horsepower
But it also has extraordinarily wide Michelin Cup 2R tires
custom springs and sway bars personally tuned by Dinan himself
and a host of other upgrades meant to support that immense power
This is a tuner car that achieves what the factory should've
The story goes much deeper than simple tuning parts
the CarBahn CB3 treatment on paper does not necessarily warrant its $20,599 price tag
save for the abundance of carbon fiber aero parts
which nets the aforementioned 735 horsepower and 668 pound-feet of torque through an intake
Then you get a host of suspension updates built around Dinan's IMSA-winning magic
Dinan retuned everything to meet his handling expectations and the stickier tires
he "better matched the spring energy required" of the stock dampers in Sport+ mode
and spent eight months carefully iterating the thickness of both sway bars and rates of the springs
Dinan spent considerable time tuning the bump stop characteristics to finely control every inch of suspension travel
"We spent months figuring out the best packer for the car
as it's essentially another tunable spring rate." He makes it clear that a nice bump stop engagement makes a meaningful difference in ride and handling
Where the M4’s normal springs have a linear rate—stiffness remains the same throughout suspension travel—bump stops have a progressive rate
meaning that stiffness increases as they compress
bump stops can give the suspension a nice end-of-travel landing pad that helps further control the body over large bumps
they can even act as a supplemental spring to aid handling—which is what Dinan achieved
a set of spherical front bushings remove needless rubber from the front control arms
the rear toe links are converted to sealed spherical bushings of the Lemforder type
and a five-point carbon-fiber front strut-tower brace aids overall rigidity
While the CarBahn suspension is called "coilover," it’s actually a height-adjustable spring on the stock M4 Competition damper
both sway bars are four-position adjustable
accelerating as hard as 735 horsepower should
it is easily the least interesting thing about the CarBahn M4
What truly sent my coccyx and brain into another dimension was the handling; How this car conquered every situation I threw at it was core-shakingly impressive
I took this brute on my roads of choice—the canyons surrounding Los Angeles—before even speaking to Dinan
I was convinced he used some highly bespoke and ludicrously expensive dampers
not a relatively simple retune of springs and sway bars built around factory dampers
What he achieved with stock dampers is exceptional
The CarBahn M4 dispatches huge bumps with the suppleness of an S-Class minus the annoying secondary motion of an overly soft suspension
It has the transient response and direction changes of a much smaller sports car
all while maintaining pinpoint-perfect mid-corner attitude control and balance
is weightier and more precise than stock thanks to the wide rubber—295mm front and 305mm rear Michelin Cup 2Rs—and it works better with the new chassis tuning
It’s easier to feel the wheel tighten up thean lighten with brake pressure and overall grip
Those looking for actual steering feel should still look elsewhere; there isn’t any extra granularity or texture through the wheel
and the front spherical bushings communicate road surface information through the car’s body
the M4’s steering matches the effortless character of the CarBahn powertrain
The tune and throttle mapping are reassuringly progressive
while the linear pedal feels refreshingly intuitive
What was loveliest about the CarBahn M4 was how organic it all felt—it wasn’t an exercise in defeating physics through electronics
The handoff between every stage of cornering and braking was beautifully controlled
and the value of old-school chassis tuning
All of CarBahn’s parts interfaced well with what already existed from BMW
The all-wheel-drive and adaptive dampers helped Dinan tune more rotation and aggression into the car
all while keeping it relaxed enough for everyday use
Surprisingly little else is changed; The gearbox tune for the ZF eight-speed is stock
as is the all-wheel drive torque distribution
It’s a marriage of what’s so good about BMW
It feels like a return to form that could’ve been from BMW
full of character that made old M cars so spectacular
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Nicola is nominated for the Polari First Book Prize
‘It always just feels nice to be recognised,’ says Nicola Dinan, who is on the shortlist for the Polari First Book Prize alongside Munroe Bergdorf, Rachel Dawson, Joshua Jones and more – a prize which was bagged by Jon Ransom last year and Julia Armfield the year before
Ahead of the winner’s big reveal this Friday (29 November)
Olivia Emily sat down with Nicola to talk all things Bellies
as well as her follow-up Disappoint Me and delving into sci-fi for book three
I’ve had a busy week with press things
I’m in a bit of a weird spot where I have a new book coming out in January [Disappoint Me
but I’m still doing press for Bellies
So I’m sort of promoting two books concurrently
has been nominated for the Polari First Book Prize
It always just feels nice to be recognised
particularly for a prize that has a very specific vision in uplifting certain stories
it feels very special because there aren’t a lot of trans writers in the UK or even globally
who are recognized in mainstream publishing
Have you read any of the other books on the shortlist
I’ve read Monroe Bergdorf’s book [Transitional]
and I read quite a few in the long list as well
including Liv Little’s book Rose Water
She and I have done a few events in the past where we’ve discussed our books together
so it was really nice to see us both on that initial long list
How would you describe Bellies to anyone who hasn’t read it
Bellies starts initially as a boy meets boy
You meet Tom who’s a middle class white boy from South London who loves Mark Fisher
From across the room at a university drag night
But when they move to London to start the next chapter of their lives
Ming comes out as trans – and so suddenly it’s not a boy who meets boy anymore
and they’re forced to reconcile what Ming’s transition means for their relationship
It definitely felt good… But for the majority of the time I’ve known Bellies as a project
It’s been something I’ve written in my own home
whether that’s with my agent or selected friends
And suddenly it was sort of thrust into the world
The wonderful thing about that is that people can finally read it
but it feels very scary and vulnerable to open yourself to criticism
that process of making your book a target for any opinion is a scary thing
I feel very adjusted to the fact that it’s out in the world
and just really happy when people read it and tell me that they’ve enjoyed it
But even now I have a habit of going on the Goodreads of my own book
which I think is sort of bad behavior from an author
But even seeing people who maybe haven’t loved it and people who have more critical things to say about it
I really do on the whole enjoy reading those things
Having produced something which people can engage with on a critical level is really rewarding
It makes me feel like I’m contributing something to the culture
You don’t come from a writing background on paper
You studied Natural Sciences at university
Have you always wanted to be a writer despite all of that
me and my best friend – who’s still one of my best friends today – would send each other bits of creative writing
But I didn’t know any authors growing up
and I didn’t see it as something that would be possible for myself
so I eventually packed that dream away along with that really lovely process of sending things to my friend to read
I didn’t revisit it until I maybe reached my mid 20s
By that time I had finished that science degree and then trained and qualified as a lawyer and began practicing in a very corporate law firm
I started to feel as if I had more of a voice and something to say as an adult
and started to really consider not necessarily writing as a career
and ended up writing Bellies while I was still working as a lawyer
I quit my job after finishing my first draft of Bellies
because I just had a really good feeling that it was going to work out
you don’t quit your job after the first draft!’
But it was just such an exciting time to reconnect to this part of me which really craved creating things and writing things that felt meaningful
What was the process like after you’d written that first draft
I was actually on a workshop run by Faber for aspiring novelists
The agent who I’m with now at the time had said ‘no for now
but please make these changes to the novel’
we just edited and edited and sent it out to publishers what would be around a year and a half after I started writing the book
So it all came together really quickly; I hear stories of people writing debut novels over 10 years
it ended up being quicker because I was just really hungry
not only to leave a career that I wasn’t enjoying
I also think some books take as long as they need to write
really caught up in the excitement of being young
I think I was quite possessed by that spirit as I was writing
and managed to get through it quite quickly
Do you remember when you were growing up the kinds of things that you would write
and did it feel like returning to an almost childlike magic
I was trying to imitate the writers that I was reading
and trying to attempt at something that was profound
I didn’t really focus on writing what I knew and what was familiar to me
and I didn’t see much interest in my own life or the circumstances around me
But that writing felt a bit flat – it was often a bit too fantastical
When I got to the stage in my 20s when I was trying to write again
it was almost more childlike than it was when I initially was writing when I was a teenager
because I really let go of that pressure to imitate any writer beyond myself
I gave myself permission to just write like myself
That’s not to say we shouldn’t aspire for greater things – we absolutely should – with our writing
I didn’t feel the pressure to aspire at the profound
but allowed that to work its way into the writing over time
Did writing that come with a new sense of pressure
or did you still feel quite free after writing Bellies
I’m so lucky because I started writing Disappoint Me about three years ago
so I was completely free of the pressures of having had a novel out there in the world
I had a draft of Disappoint Me that was substantially done
I was able to use the style I’d created for myself in writing Bellies and carried it over to Disappoint Me
but without the pressure of other people’s expectations for what my work should be
I think that’s why second novels can be so difficult: because people feel as if they’re writing a follow up to
whereas I was just writing a follow up to a novel that was going to be published in a couple of years time
you do just carry the experience of writing the first novel into the second
I find that having written a third novel now – that I’m starting the third draft of – I feel much more confident in experimentation and much freer
and that’s grounded in a belief that I can write what I want to write
but can you tease any details about novel number three
It’s so funny because people always ask that question with the expectation I’ll be really protective over my intellectual property
It always makes me question if I am too loose-lipped about what I’m writing
The third book is actually a sci-fi novel set in pre-handover Hong Kong in the ‘80s
It’s very loosely drawn from some of my parents’ experiences who met in Hong Kong
That sounds amazing – and coincidentally I was going to ask you about how your education feeds into your writing
Did you think your science education would ever feed into your writing
Is that something that you always wanted to do
And my third book follows two air stewardesses and their barrister husbands
and I find myself interested in the legal field… I find myself writing about lawyers continually
I think just because I find it interesting
There was a reason I was drawn to it initially – maybe not drawn enough to it to want it as a career
but certainly interested enough in it as a profession
and also the personalities in particular that are drawn to that profession to find it worthwhile writing about
I actually specialised in the history and philosophy of science and moved away from what I’d initially started doing
I did that because I was really interested in it – not enough to pursue it thereafter
But in my third novel I’m returning to a lot of those ideas – the philosophy of memory
theories of personal identity – that I found myself reading about when I was 21 at university
I think much like people and like friends; some friends move out of your life and come back into it unexpectedly
I also find that with what I write and the themes encoded in what I write
Is there then another genre that you would love to tackle that you haven’t engaged with yet
I’ve started to think about what I might do for a fourth novel
though it sounds very insane that I haven’t even had my second novel come out yet
and I’m already planning number four
I’m thinking about returning to the style in Bellies and Disappoint Me
But I think I’m particularly interested in sibling relationships… In Disappoint Me
I sort of explored that a bit through the main character
there wasn’t quite enough room to fully develop that relationship in the way I could in a separate novel
So I’m thinking of going back to very relationship-driven fiction
I hope it always speaks to something very human or deals in very human problems
Genre is a really amazing tool for that; it provides such useful metaphors for human experiences
I certainly found that in writing the third book
I hope that will be an ongoing theme in my work
Do you have an idea book where you store things you’d like to come back to
They’re very bemused by the fact that I spend a lot of my working day walking with headphones in or just sitting at a desk or watching movies
because so much of the testing that comes with an idea is about letting it marinate
watch movies and allow those inputs to sort of shape that idea
I decide whether or not it’s worthwhile
The ideas that stick with me are the ones I deem worthy
But the ones I keep returning to in my brain or continue to turn over as I’m going on these walks are the ones that I find I end up writing about
Are your reading and watching quite varied
Is there anyone that you repeatedly reach to
I obviously have some of my favorite writers: Rachel Cusk
But that’s not really representative of all the fiction that I read
and I have quite wide tastes for things like film and television as well
I just started teaching at Royal Holloway only for a short period of time on their creative writing MA
and I actually told the students to watch The Real Housewives
There’s some fantastic dialogue in there
and also just very absurd conversations that still feel very realistic
I think it’s a really good lesson in dialogue for absurdist comedy
but I think they were sort of dumbfounded that that would be my homework for them
I think inspiration for writing exists everywhere in the world
for whether something might actually inspire what I write
or are you someone who dives in and just lets it spill out
I often find that the plot points reveal themselves to me as I’m writing
because then I sometimes feel as if I’m the characters and I’m making these decisions with them
and the things are happening to me as they’re happening to the characters
because I’m deciding as I’m writing
I often have a sense of roughly where it’s going to start and then roughly where the novel may end
but whatever lies in between always feels up for grabs
because I’ve gone in a direction that has made that initial planned end impossible
I struggle with character planning as well; I struggle to know who my characters are fully at the outset
I’ve described writing characters as a bit like dating: you don’t know who the characters are from the beginning
and you have to give yourself time to get them to know them
I find as I move through iterations of the novel from draft to draft
I gain this understanding of who a character is and write that into the novel – but that can only be done with time and redrafting
So I think planning would have limited use for the way that I write and the way that I understand the characters that I write
Do you find writing an emotional experience
if you’re experiencing the plot along with the characters
Definitely – and particularly with Bellies
and the novel follows Tom and Ming from when they’re 20 to around 24/25
and I often remember what it’s like to write the books and to feel what those characters were feeling
both in terms of reaching into my own experiences
but also just through empathising with what’s on the page
I definitely find the process quite emotional
I feel a lot of character empathy and connection
‘what are Tom and Ming doing now that they might be
I feel as if they’re a part of my life
That’s probably because all my characters are
Even though they might seem very different by the time they reach the page
they have to start from me or my experiences – or what I know and what I’ve observed
So I feel a huge emotional tie to them that’s very difficult to let go of
Are there any writers that really inspire you
or writers you would almost want to write like
I spent so much time as a teenager trying to write like other writers
‘I wish I wrote that’ – but then I always add a dash of caution
and that’s the platform from which you jump off’
imaginative novel; I have a lot of admiration for it
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan is one of my favorite novels
I love the way she has woven so many different stories together across so many different times; it feels so cohesive
and if you read a bit about how that novel was published – her publisher’s initial
and then how it blew up after – it’s very inspiring as a writer to read her story
Also Han Kang: I think she’s an incredible writer when it comes to perspective
which is about a blind man and a mute woman taking ancient Greek lessons together and how they’re able to communicate and build a relationship
Another writer who I absolutely love is Banana Yoshimoto
who wrote Kitchen and more recently Premonition
and as someone who writes quite heavily realist fiction
she embodies some of what I’d like to have in my own writing later on – something a little bit more imaginative and maybe without the pressures of being so grounded in reality
there are things I’d like to take from all of them – but I still have to stand in my own style and my own voice
Bellies has been shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. Find out more here
The winner will be revealed on Friday 29 November 2024
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Disappoint Me will be published on 23 January 2025
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If you’ve ever modified a vehicle produced by the Volkswagen Group
these two mainstays of the Euro tuning scene operate under the Holley brand umbrella
combining their respective experiences to serve a modern market that increasingly favors software tweaks over hardware replacements and package deals over bespoke builds
To get some insight into how APR and Dinan have joined forces in their approach to the evolving tuning landscape
Director of Euro Product Strategy at Holley Performance Brands
starting when the company was privately owned and very small
I have seen it go through every stage since then
first with private equity and now under public ownership
Dinan joined us at our headquarters in Opelika
and we’ve been growing together ever since
“Lately we’ve both been seeing more consumers that just want the easy button
especially when they’re buying a new car
and Dinan’s neatly packaged upgrade approach is something we’re taking to the APR side: We’re going pick out core vehicles like a Volkswagen GTI and Golf R
and sell them with an APR powertrain warranty at a discount through our dealer network compared to people buying all the components separately and making them work together correctly.
“We will work directly with the dealership
and even if the failure item is covered by the factory warranty first
we’ll still just replace it if it’s part of our warranty package
The idea is just to make it easy for customers to modify their cars without the typical risks of doing so
There are still people that go down the full custom build route
but we’re seeing less of that; we’re basically selling solutions that people know will work
They know what they’re going to get.”
But what about the parts and packages themselves
with marketing and brand management roles being the only real silos
there’s a good chance a Dinan engineer worked on it
and vice versa if you’ve fitted a new exhaust to your Bimmer
The two brands understand their customers and choose which products to develop accordingly (Arin is the APR counterpart to Dinan’s brand manager
but the actual development is a one-team effort
and other physical products are still in demand
but ECU tuning has grown significantly over the years as a means of unlocking and sharpening the inherent potential in late-model performance cars
The range of what’s adjustable is huge
too: from fully remapping a Golf R to simply controlling how much you want the exhaust valve to open when you put your new Porsche in Sport mode
you would have to physically bring your car to APR
or a certified dealer to flash the ECU every time you wanted to make a change
APR’s latest tuning toy is called the Ultralink (A Dinan version is on the way)
It plugs into your car’s OBD2 port via a USB dongle and pairs with an internet-connected laptop to give owners access to the APR Ultralink Marketplace
where they can select from “more than 10,000 popular high-performance tunes for leading European-brand makes.”
Per the APR website: “APR Ultralink will support vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen
and is designed for vehicle models ranging from the early 2000s to new 2024 models
Customers can buy and tune an unlimited number of vehicles with one Ultralink device.” Cost depends on your application
with the physical Ultralink unit coming in at $129.95
APR claims you can go from buying to completing a tune installation in as little as 15 minutes
As Arin puts it: “Here’s an example: You have a newer GTI with some mods
it will show you all the different tunes you can apply to your car depending on the hardware configuration you have
Then you can buy and install the tune of your choosing without needing anything more than an internet-connected laptop
Then you can swap between the tunes and maps that you own without having to spend the time to bring the car to us.”
And the Ultralink is not just for modified cars
Say you have a new Audi S4 but want more adjustability than the factory-designated settings: You can tweak the stock hardware to dial the car’s behavior to your liking without turning a wrench
you can just dial the existing suspension to your liking
Because newer cars have more sensors and settings and therefore more inherent adjustability baked in
being able to tap into that OEM hardware with aftermarket software is an increasingly appealing option for drivers who’d rather not take a deep plunge into hardware swaps
let alone cracking a modern ECU’s nest of interconnected systems
The hardcore tuning crowd will always exist
but there are a lot more enthusiasts out there who prefer manipulating OEM parts than doing something drastic like bolting a turbo onto an engine that didn’t come with one.
If you’re at SEMA this week and would like to check out the latest APR and Dinan upgrades
the demo cars with all the latest products can be found at the Holley booth
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Dinan Captures ACC Performers of the Week10/15/2024 3:59:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Florida State cross country student-athletes Lucas Bouquot and Nicole Dinan collected ACC Performers of the Week on Tuesday following their performances at the FSU XC Invitational on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park
Dinan was named the Women's Freshman of the Week
while Bouquot was named Men's Performer of the Week
"This is a huge honor for Lucas and another great vote of confidence for our program," said FSU assistant coach Ian Frazier
" Lucas has been incredibly diligent and trusting in our program this fall
and the confidence he raced with on Saturday to earn this honor was proof of that
It's hard to ask for more here as he got a course best
team win and now ACC Performer of the Week."
Dinan turned in the top time for the Noles in the women's 5k
"Nicole had a great performance at home last week and it was a testament to all the hard work that she and the ladies have been putting under coach Halsey," said FSU Director of Cross Country Matt Kane
"Very excited to see what she can do heading into Pre-Nationals this coming weekend."
For more information on Florida State cross country
follow Twitter @FSU_Track and Instagram @FSU_Track
BMW M3
Home » E46 BMW M3 Enhanced with H&R Suspension
Few BMW models command respect and admiration like the iconic E46 M3. Renowned for its superb balance, naturally aspirated engine, and timeless design, the E46 M3 has become a modern classic among BMW enthusiasts. With carefully chosen upgrades, this iconic M3 coupe can be even better—combining enhanced performance, handling, and visual improvements. This is precisely the case with this stunning E46 M3 Coupe
Central to this E46 M3’s transformation is the installation of an H&R Sport Spring Set
The Sport Spring Set lowers the car by approximately -1.2 inches in the front and -0.5 inches in the rear
providing a more aggressive stance while effectively eliminating wheel gap
The result dramatically enhances both the aesthetics and handling characteristics of the E46 M3
It’s also one of the most popular upgrades on the E46
H&R’s progressive spring rate ensures the car maintains a compliant and comfortable ride
while significantly reducing body roll and eliminating the “slop” experienced with stock springs
Installation of the H&R Sport Spring Set is straightforward
designed to work seamlessly with either the stock shocks or upgraded performance aftermarket shocks
H&R offers a variant of this kit featuring an adjustable rear spring perch
ideal for drivers who prefer more precise control over the rear ride height
H&R is committed not only to providing suspension solutions for the newest BMW models but also continues to support iconic and classic models such as the E46 M3
which is exactly what owners of BMW classic owners would like to hear
this E46 M3 has been thoroughly enhanced with a suite of performance parts from Dinan
Included in this upgrade package is a Dinan carbon-fiber intake system
and exhaust flow to amplify the performance of BMW’s legendary 3.2-liter inline-six engine (S54)
renowned for its high-revving character and distinctive sound
the S54 produces 333 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque
achieving a 0–60 mph sprint in under five seconds
Matching the improved handling and acceleration capabilities
this E46 M3 features a premium braking upgrade in the form of Dinan brakes based on Brembo’s highly respected GT system
these brakes deliver improved stopping power
and fade-resistant performance—perfect for spirited road driving or occasional track days
Adding further visual and performance enhancements
this E46 M3 rides on iconic BBS LM wheels—lightweight
forged wheels recognized for their motorsport heritage and classic mesh design
Paired with high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires
The E46 M3 is beloved for its muscular yet elegant design
and subtle aerodynamic elements that have gracefully aged into automotive history
This particular build perfectly blends that timeless design with a selection of upgrades that significantly elevate both its performance and aesthetics
And these photos showcase why the E46 M3 will always be a top choice for BMW enthusiasts
[Photos: Photos: @seamusjhickey / Owner: @jonnyslasher]
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Chris Dinan will be the new executive producer of ABC World News Tonight with David Muir. ABC News announced his new role on Monday; he fills the role vacated by Almin Karamehedovic, who was promoted to ABC News president in August.
“With three decades of network news experience
Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his new role,” Karamehedovic wrote in a note to staff
alongside the incredible ‘World News Tonight’ team
he will help us continue our legacy as the No
1 newscast for nine consecutive years and counting.”
Dinan has been with ABC News since 2011 and served as WNT’s senior broadcast producer prior to this promotion
he was the senior broadcast producer of the CBS Evening News
and also worked as a senior and field producer with anchors Dan Rather and Katie Couric
ABC News notes that senior producers Enjoli Francis
and Brian Reiferson will take on additional live broadcast producing duties in the WNT control room
Read Karamehedovic’s note to staff below:
I’m thrilled to share some fantastic news with all of you: Chris Dinan has been promoted to executive producer of “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
Chris has become an indispensable part of the “World News Tonight” team
He has tackled some of the most significant stories of our time
from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East
His dedication to journalism shines through in his extensive experience covering war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan
Chris has built a well-deserved reputation as a straightforward journalist who knows brilliantly how to navigate a control room with skill and confidence.
With three decades of network news experience
Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his new role
alongside the incredible “World News Tonight” team
1 newscast for nine consecutive years and counting.
Having worked closely with Chris for over a decade
I can genuinely attest to his leadership and collaborative spirit
I have no doubt that his partnership with David and the entire team will elevate our show even further
ensuring we deliver the very best to our audience
It’s a testament to the team’s hard work that “World News Tonight” has earned two back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Live News Program and Murrow Awards for Best Newscast.
I truly feel fortunate to continue collaborating with Chris
David and all of you at “World News Tonight” and across ABC News
and Brian shine as they take on additional roles in the control room
I’m so proud of our amazing “World News Tonight” team — from our seniors to producers
editors and the brilliant technical and support staff.
and I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together in this next chapter.
Let’s all take a moment to congratulate Chris on his new role!
Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem
Chris Dinan has been named executive producer of “World News Tonight with David Muir,” announced today by ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic
Dinan will report into Karamehmedovic and will be leading the team previously overseen by Karamehmedovic
Dinan will oversee all aspects of “World News Tonight.”
“Chris is an accomplished producer and gifted storyteller who has been a part of the ‘World News Tonight’ DNA for over 13 years
helping to shape the newscast and deliver the best reporting to serve our viewers,” said Karamehmedovic
“His strong leadership and deep collaboration with David and the entire team across ABC News will continue to take the broadcast to new heights.”
Dinan is an award-winning journalist with over three decades of network news experience
he served as senior broadcast producer of “World News Tonight with David Muir,” the No
1 newscast across all broadcast and cable for the ninth year in a row
and oftentimes the most-watched program on all television
His work with the team earned “World News Tonight with David Muir” an Emmy® for Outstanding Live News Program and an Edward R
Murrow Award for Best Newscast in 2023 and 2024
where he held positions in both radio and television
He worked as a senior and field producer for anchors Dan Rather and Katie Couric
covering breaking news stories from hurricanes and tornadoes to presidential elections
he rose to the position of senior broadcast producer at “CBS Evening News.”
Dinan has traveled and produced stories from around the world
including from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan
He has overseen extensive coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war for “World News Tonight.”
Jennifer Metz and Brian Reiferson will take on additional live broadcast producing duties in the control room for “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only
retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC
Images are distributed to the press to publicize current programming
Congratulations on winning the Polari Debut Prize for Bellies. Tell us about that novel and what winning the prize means to you.Bellies follows two young adults, Tom and Ming, who fall in love at university. When they move to London to start the next chapter of their lives
It’s a novel about fumbling through your early 20s and the mistakes
excitement and heartbreak which comes with that
It’s a huge honour to win the Polari debut prize – especially because it’s an award for books written within the queer community
I’m particularly happy because my book centres the experiences of a trans character and I can only hope that
and I think part of that is also a result of being a poor planner
I don’t know what shape my novels will take when I start them
other than a vague sense of where they begin and may end
I’m often navigating difficult conversations and decisions at what feels like the same time as my characters – it’s hard not to find that emotional
But if I didn’t feel much for my characters
[ Bellies by Nicola Dinan: A beautiful love storyOpens in new window ]
and to stop feeling embarrassed by taking writing seriously
Both fields value unambiguous communication
and working as a lawyer taught me how much can turn on a single word
I was always too clumsy to actually be a scientist – I was awful at labs – but I think my previous education and career means I’m a lot less clumsy with words
I’ve also done some work to let go of this
Not all words are a puzzle with a clear and defined solution
It’s important because people are fallible – nobody believes anyone is flatly pleasant
Being gentle with representing Ming because she’s trans would be unfair to her
I didn’t want Ming to fall into the long history of trans characters in literature and film who are not complete people
I don’t write my books with the expectation that anyone hugely opposed to the rights and autonomy of trans people will be totally changed by my fiction
I do think that if there’s some openness in a reader – and I’d say this is true for the great majority of them – fiction can be transformative
I’m not sure I want to explain that I’m a trans woman to Dostoevsky
who falls down the stairs at a New Year’s Eve party
wakes up in hospital and decides to find a boyfriend
and finds herself drawn to the allure of heteronormativity
even if she feels deeply alienated from it
The novel also follows Vincent during his gap year in Thailand in 2012
opening a dialogue between two relationships over a decade apart
Disappoint Me is about how and when we accept change in others
how we reckon with our complicated histories
and what it is we are actually seeking when we look for a partner
I’m writing a speculative novel set in 1987 Hong Kong
10 years before its handover from the United Kingdom to China
but also stylistically – it’s the first novel I’ve written in third person
and this has had surprising effects on voice and tone
I’ve really loved writing it and it’s made me feel hopeful about where my fiction can go next
I haven’t. Should I have? The closest I’ve come is with the artist James Turrell
If there’s an installation of his remotely close to somewhere I’m visiting
Two of his installations appear in my second novel
which I think makes those trips literary pilgrimages of sorts
To not judge myself for how I work – advice from my therapist
My life as a writer is very different to many of my friends’
who are working steady jobs with defined hours
and doubt myself and my career as a result
I repeat the mantra that I write when I like and when I can
[ ‘It’s been quite the journey’ – Life as a trans person in IrelandOpens in new window ]
and while she has always been a national treasure
my heart swells each time I see her in a new movie
Ban arms sales and military aid to genocidal regimes
Book: Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa; Film: Crossing; Podcast: The Kill List
and watching world leaders line-up to support it through action and inaction
A tiny island filled with incredible galleries
housing installations and sculptures by artists like (you guessed it) James Turrell
A watch which belonged to my deceased father
and which my mother passed down to me for my 25th birthday
I treasure it so much that it actually causes me a great deal of stress
thinking I’ve lost it when in reality I just haven’t worn it that day
books are incredibly expensive in Denmark and it definitely shows in the paper quality
Oh, no. I think if I were to invite some of my favourite writers to dinner – Rachel Cusk or James Baldwin, for example – I would crumble beneath the weight of their penetrating observation. I’m not sure how I’d hold up, or how much fun I would have. That being said, I’d love to meet Jennifer Egan, Sally Rooney
[ Jennifer Egan: ‘I was astonished to find I made a lot of factual errors’Opens in new window ]
it’s the epigraph for my third book – a quote from Chungking Express
Disappoint Me is published by Doubleday on January 23rd
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illustrating how these fusion-powered craft can attach to large space vehicles and tow them vast distances.Pulsar Fusion has a history of groundbreaking achievements in propulsion
including its 2023 UK Space Agency-funded work on integrated nuclear fission power systems for electric propulsion
developed in collaboration with leading institutions such as the Universities of Southampton and Cambridge
Pulsar is reaffirming Britain’s role as a global hub for advanced space technology
Sunbird is already being closely analysed by our global competitors,” said Richard Dinan
“Pulsar has built a reputation for delivering real technology—not just concepts
but two of the largest space propulsion testing chambers in the UK
Pulsar is now an international space propulsion testing powerhouse
and we have ambitious plans to expand rapidly
We actively welcome visits from appropriate partners and prospective international clients and look forward to sharing more exciting developments we have in the pipeline.”
Pulsar Fusion is advancing towards in-orbit testing
with components of Sunbird’s power system set for demonstration later this year
The company aims to achieve nuclear fusion in space as early as 2027—an ambitious milestone that underscores the growing global interest in fusion-based propulsion
By maintaining a fleet of heavily shielded
fusion-powered spacecraft stationed in orbit
the Sunbird concept offers a scalable solution to support interplanetary missions for international partners
For more information, visit https://pulsarfusion.com
Established in 2013 as Applied Fusion Systems, Pulsar Fusion develops hyper-fast space propulsion systems using nuclear fusion. Fusion offers the best alternative with sufficient exhaust speed and thrust to propel spacecraft beyond our solar system. In 2022, Pulsar Fusion was awarded funds from the UK Space Agency to conduct research into nuclear electric propulsion
Pulsar is creating an ecosystem of propulsion systems and services that advance the use of fusion as a near-limitless
For more information, visit https://pulsarfusion.com
Danielle PerezFirecracker PRdanielle@firecrackerpr.com (888) 317-4687 ext
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d1765a9-f287-41e2-938c-d00ad9a22318https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f53e394c-c0f8-41e6-8943-6d6aa30a448f
A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/914f7b5e-676f-482f-aa3a-c45133401fcf
The ABC vet takes over for Almin Karamehmedovic
ABC News has named Chris Dinan executive producer of “World News Tonight with David Muir,” taking over for Almin Karamehmedovic
Dinan will report to Karamehmedovic and lead his former team
overseeing all aspects of “World News Tonight.”
“Chris is an accomplished producer and gifted storyteller who has been a part of the ‘World News Tonight’ DNA for over 13 years
helping to shape the newscast and deliver the best reporting to serve our viewers,” Karamehmedovic said in ABC News’ statement
“His strong leadership and deep collaboration with David and the entire team across ABC News will continue to take the broadcast to new heights.”
and has served as senior broadcast producer of “World News Tonight with David Muir” since 2014
His team won Emmys for live news broadcast in 2023 and 2024
has produced stories from around the world
Timothy Dinan has become co-managing partner of Laddey Clark & Ryan with Thomas Ryan
Ryan has served as solo managing partner of the Sparta law firm for the past 30 years
Dinan is the practice leader of Laddey Clark & Ryan’s personal injury practice
he joined the firm in 2010 and has taken on increasing responsibility for his practice’s and the firm’s leadership
he is active in the local business and legal community
including serving as a member of the Newton Medical Center’s Community Advisory Board and Community Health Subcommittee
the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey
the Sussex County Bar Association and the New Jersey Association for Justice
Renata Mizak has become a certified elder law attorney
the only organization approved by the American Bar Association to offer certification in the area
said Mizak completed its examination leading to the certification
Elder law of the fastest-growing fields in the legal profession
Mizak has practiced elder law for nearly her entire legal career
2024 at 9:50 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Thomas J
(West Milford Police Department)BRIDGEWATER
NJ — The Bridgewater community is mourning the death of highly decorated retired police lieutenant Thomas J
"It is with deep regret that I announce the passing of retired police Lt
Tom Dinan who died in a boating accident on Greenwood Lake
I ask for thoughts and prayers for the family and friends in this tragic incident and ask for a moment of silence," said Bridgewater Councilman Howard Norgalis at the Aug
Dinan served for 27 years with the Bridgewater Police Department
Detective including Narcotics Investigator
Bias Crimes Officer & Counter-Terrorism Liason
Patrol Sergeant & Administrative Sergeant and Patrol Lieutenant
Dinan also served 6 years as an Officer and then Detective with the UMDNJ Police Department
Dinan leaves behind his wife Gloria (O'Donnell) Dinan
children Mariah J Dinan and Thomas P Dinan
Services for Dinan will be held at Richards Funeral Home
A Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church
Interment will follow at Warwick Cemetery in Warwick
If any department is planning to send Officers or Vehicles for the services
Stephen Herzog at 973-728-4218 or S.Herzog@WMTPD.Org
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