Constance Riley ‘73, wrote Chair City of the World (Xlibris, 2009). The story of more than a century in the life of her Timpany/ McConnell/ Riley/ and LaRoche extended family against the background of the chairmaking industry in Gardner, Massachusetts, from 1869 to 2008.
For more on Riley and her book: chaircityoftheworld.com.
Mimi White's ’70 poetry collection, The Last Island (Deerbrook Editions, 2009), has been praised for its unexpected transformations and revelations that arise from common events. The Last Island has received The Jane Kenyon Award for Outstanding Book of Poetry, 2009.
Albin Irzyk ’40 wrote Unsung Heroes, Saving Saigon (Ivy House Publishing Group, 2009)
Product Description (Amazon.com)
Unsung Heroes, Saving Saigon, the latest work by retired Brigadier General Albin F. Irzyk, recounts the harrowing events that occurred in Saigon during the notorious TET Offensive of 1968. Irzyk, as the leader of Headquarters Area Command (HAC) in Saigon, was the citys unofficial Military Mayor, and was at the heart of the action in Saigon when the Viet Cong forces launched attacks all over Vietnam in the midst of that nation s greatest holiday. Though taken by surprise, the forces that Irzyk commanded, none of whom were trained for tactical engagement, rose to the occasion and
courageously helped prevent VC attackers from taking control of key installations in the capital city. Many of these brave men have gone unrecognized for many years, but Unsung Heroes, Saving Saigon corrects that grave error by highlighting their amazingly bold deeds. From the U.S. Embassy to dark, dangerous alleys, numerous battles took place in the middle of Saigon. Many soldiers fought. Some were wounded. Others perished. Unsung Heroes, Saving Saigon will help ensure that they are never forgotten. Cover photo by Don Hirst
Stephen Cummings ’71G wrote Red States, Blue States and the Coming Sharecropper Society (Algora Publishing, 2008).
Product Description (Algora.com)
Countering the conservative Red State culture and its result, a quasi-vassal state indebted to foreign interests, the author analyzes Democratic Party politics and lays out a theoretical justification and historic, economic and social framework for advancing a new set of liberal-progressive ideas. Analyzing Red and Blue regions and the links with economic history, he shows how the Democrats can become the majority party again.
Jill C. Dardig ’74EdD wrote Involving Parents of Students with Special Needs: 25 Ready-to-Use Strategies (Corwin Press, 2008).
Product Description (Amazon.com)
The author provides general and special education teachers with ready-to-use techniques, sample completed forms, and tips for increasing the involvement of parents of students with special needs.
Todd MacAlister ’76 wrote Einstein’s God: A Way of Being Spiritual Without the Supernatural (Apocryphile Press, 2008).
Product Description (Amazon.com)
Albert Einstein's genius included a spiritual sense that fits comfortably with science. With quotes that illustrate Einstein's views, and with a look at how spiritual feelings may be understood and valued by modern science, this book shows a way of being spiritual that does not include belief in the supernatural. This book examines parallels between some modern views and long-standing systems of belief. It looks at ways of gaining from both the old and the new. But, it also identifies a choice that must be made. So, if traditional beliefs don't fit with what you see-if you see yourself as "spiritual, but not religious," if you attend services, but only partially believe, or if you think you're not really spiritual at all-take a look. You may find something you can say you do believe.
Joseph Niemczura ’77 wrote The Hospital at the End of the World (Plain View Press, 2009).
Product Description (Amazon.com)
There are 2,600 hospitals in Asia, Africa and South America which could be classified as "Mission Hospitals" - far off the beaten path, providing basic medical service to the poorest people of the world. The Hospital at the End of the World tells the story of a nurse from the USA and his first experience as a teaching nurse in Nepal.
Joe Niemczura brings to life the day-to-day realities of life in a rural teaching hospital, literally at the "end of the road." The harsh realities of a lack of modern medical equipment when mixed with the humanness of endurances demonstrates that above all, it is the individual who matters; both patient and caregiver. All else pales in comparison. The strength of this story is in relationships with students, physicians, other nurses, patients, families and most importantly with Nepal itself. There is a sense of community connectedness which the author brings alive as the reader becomes one with the story. The heartbreak and grief of death to the celebrations of life will elicit those same emotions. The thread through it all is the author's own journey as he discovers himself and renews his spirituality. The reader is immediately pulled into the drama and nakedness, and the beauty and mystery of this incredible part of the world.
Ellen L. Bridge, RN, BS, MTS, Public Health Nursing Consultant
Linda Thomson ’77G wrote Harry the Hypno-Potamus: Metaphorical Tales for Children, Volume II (Crown House Publishing, 2009).
Product Description (Amazon.com)
Harry the Hypno-potamus is a collection of metaphorical stories that deal with a variety of physical and behavioral problems faced by children. Embedded in each story is a metaphor as well as hypnotherapeutic techniques that can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of a host of disorders. Reading the title story, “How Harry the Hypno-potamus Got His Name,” to a child is a wonderful way to introduce him or her to the idea of hypnosis as well as understanding the power of the child’s imagination. The thirty-two illustrated stories feature animals in the Ashland Zoo that rely on the guidance and support of Dr. Dan, the zoo’s vet, to help master such problems as: --Phobias and anxiety attacks --Pain management --Sleep disorders --Asthma and other serious medical disorders --Habits and habit control --Death and dying A clinician may wish to read one of the stories with a child or may find it more suitable to adapt the techniques to his own unique style. Some of the therapeutic interventions are very problem specific while others are more general and can be used for a variety of conditions. Each story contains full-color illustrations and is designed so that a specific story can be read by the clinician to the child. In addition, there is introductory clinical material included that explains how to use the book and the stories it contains, as well as additional references.
Lev Raphael ’78G, wrote My Germany: A Jewish Writer Returns to the World His Parents Escaped (University of Wisconsin Press, 2009). Raphael lives in Okemos, Michigan, and has written 18 other books. levraphael.com.
From Booklist
Germany was, Raphael says, “a country I had sworn never to visit . . . anywhere I turned in that country, I might face something that had belonged to a murdered relative.” But a book tour for his Holocaust-survivor novel The German Money (2003) took him there. Haunted by his mother’s experiences in a slave labor camp, he wondered whether forgiveness is possible. In this book, that leads to flashbacks personalizing the horrors of the Holocaust. A photo of relatives in pre-war Vilna, “as much at ease as a Jew could be in Poland,” prompted musings about the Poles’ anti-Semitism, which eventuates in recollections of his mother’s desperate retreat in 1941 from the Polish-Soviet border to Vilna, where Germans were rounding up Jewish men for mass execution. Encompassing recollections of childhood with parents grimly silent on the defining experience of their lives as well as accounts of historic atrocities, Raphael’s chronicle of growth and self-discovery isn’t easy reading, but his hard-earned healing and freedom from a tortured past make it remarkably satisfying. --Whitney Scott
Robert Surbrug ’92, ’03G, is assistant professor of history at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. His book Beyond Vietnam: The Politics of Protest in Massachusetts, 1974-1990 (University of Massachusetts Press, 2009) reassesses the impact of the activist left on American politics after the Vietnam War. “I made extensive use of the UMass Amherst Special Collections and Archives, which has an abundance of excellent material on activist history,” Surbrug writes. “UMass Amherst itself comes into play at several points in the book, most notably during the 1986 anti-CIA protests.”
John Galluzzo ’93 is program coordinator and citizen science coordinator for Mass Audubon’s South Shore Sanctuaries by day, freelance writer and editor by night. He has 26 books in print and four more on the way. His latest two books are Images of America: Monhegan Island (Arcadia, 2009) and Lifesavers of the South Shore: A History of Rescue and Loss (History Press, 2008), about the heroism of local men who served in the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Inspired by an NPR piece about the habits of centenarians, Galluzzo walks a minimum of 30 minutes daily and blogs about his walks at: halfanhouraday.blogspot.com.
Janet MacFadyen ’93G wrote a book-length poem drawn from her travels along the west coast of Newfoundland, A Newfoundland Journal (Killick Press, 2009). “For almost 20 years I have kept journals while traveling or hiking,” she says. “It was my UMass Amherst advisor, Peter Elbow, who got me in the habit of using journals for all kinds of purposes. I started exploring longer poems, longer lines; trying to capture more of an experience rather than less of it, not letting the demand for conciseness shut a poem down before it had a chance to breathe.” MacFadyen’s husband and fellow traveler, Stephen Schmidt ’73, took the book’s cover photo.
Robert Forrant ’94G has published Metal Fatigue: American Bosch and the Demise of Metalworking in the Connecticut River Valley (Baywood Publishing Co., Inc, 2009). Forrant is a professor in the department of regional economic and social development at UMass Lowell and has been a consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Labour Organization. Before completing his graduate education, he worked for many years as a machinist and union business agent.
David J. Valley ’57 was a member of General MacArthur’s security unit during the occupation of Japan in World War II. He later spent several years in Japan working in high-tech. His seventh book and fourth novel, Bright Life: Framing Japan’s Constitution (Sektor Publications, 2009), is a historical novel that draws on his life experience. Valley is also active in veterans organizations and writes for Poker Player. He and his wife, Dottie, live in Rancho Bernardo, California.
Nancy Rial ’70 was always curious about her uncle Alan, killed in World War II in the battle for Metz. She tells his story in Alan’s Letters (self-published) through his letters, maps, photos, and background history. “I created this book because when I traveled with my family to World War II museums in the U.S. and Europe, there were few books that would appeal to families with teens,” she says. “This book could introduce the topic to another generation of Americans.” Rial is a library media specialist with the Cambridge Public Schools. alansletters.com
Peter Manseau ’96 designed his BDIC major in religious studies and creative writing. His latest book, Rag and Bone: A Journey Among The World’s Holy Dead (Holt, 2009) examines relics—the bits and pieces of long-dead saints at the heart of nearly all religious traditions. One reviewer said the book “reads like a novel, entertains like a television docudrama, and educates like the best college professor you ever had.” Manseau is the editor of Search magazine, which explores the intersection of science, religion, and culture. He is a doctoral candidate in religion and lecturer in journalism at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two daughters. petermanseau.com
Caroline Liebenow ’98 has produced a coloring and storybook, Color a Lizard’s Tale (lulu.com, 2009). The book teaches children about anole lizards and encourages respect for wildlife. Liebenow showcases her work in fi ne textile designs, graphic design prints, and decorative photography on her website, liebenowdesign. com. “I would love to network with other alumni in the fi ne craft or other creative fi elds,” she says. She lives in New Hampshire.
Trudy Milburn ’98G moved with her husband, Chris Christian ’96G, and their daughter back to her home state of California to launch the communication major at the newest California state university, Channel Islands. She was formerly an associate professor of communication studies at Baruch College in New York City. Her book is Nonprofit Organizations: Creating Membership Through Communication (Hampton Press, 2009).
Timothy Willig ’02G is an assistant professor of history and coordinator of the Native American Studies Program at Onodaga Community College in Syracuse, New York. He is the author of Restoring the Chain of Friendship: British Policy and the Indians of the Great Lakes, 1783-1815 (University of Nevada Press, 2008).
Jean Williams ‘06 says she is “an avid reader, writer and volunteer for charity organizations in her area….the mother of one son and a mentor to many.” She has published The State of Gracie (Xlibris, 2009), about a single working mother who is wary to love again, but a chance encounter brings new possibilities and a new love. For more information: jgraciew.com.
Claire Puccia Parham ’94G published The St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project: An Oral History of the Greatest Construction Show on Earth (Syracuse University Press, 2009). Puccia Parham reveals the human side of the project in the words of its engineers, laborers, and carpenters. “As a graduate of the Labor Studies program,” she writes, “this book is a reflection of what I learned during my time at UMass.” She is an instructor in the History Department at Siena College in Loudonville, New York.
Holly Robinson ’84G has been a freelance writer, including working as a contributing editor to Ladies’ Home Journal and Parents, since 1995. Prior to that, she was a science writer at UMass Medical Center. Her affectionate memoir, The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter (Harmony Books, 2009), recalls her childhood in West Brookfield on a farm with nearly 9,000 gerbils. authorhollyrobinson.com
