Skip to content

Series 1, “Now What?” Episode 7: Leslie Lewis

Leslie Lewis ’79 calls herself “one of the lost Dukies.” In a world where our alumni offerers of advice in general suggest pursuing what interests you and letting things shake out from there, she looks back from her 60th birthday and wonders whether more planning might not have helped her. Mind you, she’s accomplished great things, and her look backwards might suggest more about Duke alumni and their high standards than anything else. Her story ends our first season of The Devils’ Share. Don’t forget to email us at dukemag@Duke.edu if you have thoughts or suggestions for upcoming seasons or stories.

TRANSCRIPT

TRACK
I’m Scott Huler and this is The Devils’ Share — a podcast of Duke Magazine

Series One: Now What?

[music]

ACTUALITY
So turning 60 is a big deal and it makes you think about this last act and I’m changing a lot of things because of that.

TRACK
This is the last episode in which we talk to alumni about how they found their spot after graduation — how they stumbled into their work, and what they’ve learned along the way. Looking back from age 60 yields perspective — and plenty of it.

ACTUALITY
Ok my name is Leslie Lewis. I graduated in 79 I graduated from trinity double major econ and french

TRACK
But no real sense of where she was headed.

ACTUALITY
I did not have a plan. That was my whole problem. I consider myself one of the lost Dukies. The world was a big and interesting place and i learned nothing. Because all i did was kind of pursue what was most int to me at the moment

TRACK
But that sounds like the advice every single alum gives — follow your heart, pursue what you love. Lewis sees things a little differently from her perspective.

ACTUALITY
I’m 60. I would say i’m learning now about planning. I would say i’ve had a fantastic and varied life and i want to have more impact than i have before. Because I’m looking at the end instead of the middle. And so It is changing how i’m approaching what i need to do to make sure i leave a positive legacy on the planet when i’m gone

TRACK
Ok, well enough, but remember: these are Duke alums. So we have to take a look at the impact Lewis feels has been lacking thus far.

ACTUALITY
Now I’m doing work in strategic planning. I’m a facilitator

The major portion of what you would call my career in quotes is in conflict resolution mediation resolution and restorative justice. So I ran a nonprofit i did some training before that i was a musician. Ive just done all kinds of things. I’m a playwright. Studied herbalism done all kinds of things

TRACK
And that fascinating, varied life of accomplishment, contribution, and exploration feels somehow lacking?

ACTUALITY
So i’m a Dukie. And I DID have impact. So I’m very proud of the fact that i introduced restorative justice to the CT state court system. And I can die knowing that I did have a positive legacy. But as I said I’m a Dukie. Not enough not big enough. Not … There is much more that that can be done, and that needs to be done. And the world is an exciting place

TRACK
I’ll say. Lewis has found her way — and still feels the need to find her way further. She’s made great contributions — but isn’t done yet. As alum after alum has told us, it’s a lifelong process. With that perspective, if she could lean back to 1979 and whisper into the ear of young Leslie Lewis as she graduated from Duke, what would she tell her?

ACTUALITY
I would tell her that freedom is not freedom. Freedom is born of discipline.

TRACK
There may be a more-Duke piece of advice, but as a conclusion to our first season of The Devils’ Share, that will definitely do.

[music]

Have ideas for our next round of interviews? Have thoughts about what you’ve heard, topics you’d like to hear about? Reach out to us at dukemag@duke.edu. Or leave a message for us at 919-684-2863 and we can use your comments in a future podcast.

Thanks for listening to The Devils’ Share from Duke Magazine.