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Journey into the Arts

Nearly 600 Duke students and alumni explored careers in the arts during the Duke Alumni Association's annual DEMAN Weekend, Nov. 12-14, 2016.

Crowd of alumni and students sitting in an audience during DEMAN Weekend

Hollywood reporter Dave Karger '95 introduces classmate and HBO comedy chief Amy Gravitt '95 and MSNBC host JJ Ramberg '92 during an exclusive DEMAN talk at the Nasher Museum on Nov. 12, 2016.​ Every year DEMAN Weekend, which stands for Duke Entertainment Media and the Arts Network, invites alumni who are working in creative industries such as art, comedy, dance, film and journalism to lead small workshops for Duke students and to share their insider tips.

Amy Gravitt '95 has been at HBO for 12 years, most recently rising to the role of executive vice president of comedy programming. Gravitt is responsible for the development of all of the network’s comedies — including Silicon Valley, new comedies Divorce with Sarah Jessica Parker and Vice Principals with McBride and Walton Goggins, and Emmy-award-winning Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus (whose late father, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, earned two degrees from Duke).

 

MSNBC host JJ Ramberg '92 talks about her journey into journalism and her role as the host of MSNBC's Your Business show.