Shelf Life

Fiction

Cold Comfort By Don Bredes ’69
On his third novel, Bredes creates a work of gripping literary suspense. Hector Bellevance is a former Boston cop who returns to his native small town in Vermont to a life of vegetable farming and serving as town constable. After his half-brother Spud is accused of murdering a wealthy couple, Bellevance discovers some secrets that the town has kept quiet for years. (245 pp. Harmony Books. $22)

The Presence of Grace By Daniel R. Surdam ’90
Set in Skaneateles, New York, Surdam’s first detective novel features Holden Grace, a small-time private investigator who finds trouble when he begins searching for his best friend’s missing sister. Grace ultimately uncovers a tangled web of deception, wealth, and a family’s dysfunctional history. (351 pp. 1stBooks Library. $12.95)

Too Dead to Swing By Hal Glatzer ’67
The voices of three Tony Award nominees are featured in this murder mystery audio-play set in 1940. Musician Katy Green is in an all-female band touring California when she discovers somebody is getting away with murder. (4 audiocassettes. Audio-Playwrights. $29.95)

The Plutonium Blonde By John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem ’86
This comedic science-fiction adventure—which began as a serialized weekly on the SciFi Channel web site—features Zachary Nixon Johnson, the last private investigator on Earth. His assignment: Save the world from a nuclear-powered ex-exotic dancer android. (352 pp. DAW Books. $6.99)

Miami Twilight By Tom Coffey ’80
In this Miami-based thriller, public relations executive Garrett Doherty risks his marriage, career—and possibly his life—when he has an affair with a mysterious beauty. Through his shady dealings in business and romance, Doherty becomes involved with a notorious Cuban expatriate and land developer who is connected to the international underworld, U.S. intelligence agencies, the anti-Castro movement, and a vast cocaine empire. (293 pp. Pocket Books. $23.95)

The Clouds in Memphis: Stories and Novellas
By C.J. Hribal G’82
Winner of the 1999 Associated Writing Programs Award for Short Fiction, this collection features stories that dig into the heart and reveal the resiliency of the human spirit. Among the characters are a divorced woman who loses her only son to a reckless driver, a woman whose sister is killed in what may have been an industrial accident, and a son trying to understand the havoc that his father causes the family. (212 pp. University of Massachusetts Press. $25.95)

Poetry

Terrain Vague By Richard Meier G’93
Terrain Vague, winner of the 2000 Verse Prize competition, features powerful poems that are anything but vague. Meier displays great imagination and paints pictures of emotions shared by everyone. (107 pp. Verse Press. $12)

A Stone That Burns By Sherry Fairchok ’93
In A Stone that Burns winner of The Ledge Press’s 1999 Chapbook Award, Fairchok creates 13 related poems that portray life in a coal-mining town in Northeastern Pennsylvania from the end of the 19th century to the present day. She deals with difficult topics through her tough-witted humor and beautiful writing. (28 pp. The Ledge Press. $6)

Biography

Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara By Jerry Stiller ’50
Stiller shares recollections of his life on stage and his marriage to Anne Meara, his stand-up partner for many years. The actor/comedian presents many details of his personal and professional life, including his doubts, fears, and insights on show business. (320 pp. Simon and Schuster. $25)

Daughter of Suicide By Dempsey Rice ’91
In this touching film created 15 years after her mother’s suicide, Rice explores her mother’s battle with severe depression by using interviews with loved ones, her mother’s journal entries, and memories. Daughter of Suicide can help all survivors of suicide cope. (72 minutes. Women Make Movies Inc. $34.99)

In the Shadow of a Miracle: Loretto Academy of Our Lady of Light for Girls, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1949-1953 By Nancy Seale Osborne G’77
This memoir provides a vivid recollection of Catholic-school life in the early ’50s. Whether Osborne is writing about home economics class, conjugating French verbs, or harmonizing with Sister Bernadette Mary, her stories are filled with warmth and humor. (144 pp. Hale Mary Press. $20)

Second Generation Voices: Reflections by Children of Holocaust Survivors & Perpetrators Co-edited by Alan L. Berger G’76 and Naomi Berger G’76
This important book is a forum for expression in which members of each group reflect candidly on the consuming burdens and challenges they have inherited as heirs to the legacy of Auschwitz. (400 pp. Syracuse University Press. $24.95)

Why Lawsuits are Good for America: Disciplined Democracy, Big Business, and the Common Law
By Carl T. Bogus ’70, G’72
Bogus considers the “frivolous lawsuit” a myth created by right-wing politicians and big business to spark the war against product liability law. Common law, he says, is an essential adjunct to governmental regulation because it’s not easily manipulated by big business interests seeking to make it harder to sue corporations. (272 pp. NYU Press. $34.95)

Saturday Night Live—Equal Opportunity Offender: The Uncensored Censor By William G. Clotworthy ’48
Clotworthy, who worked in the television industry for more than 40 years, shares his experiences as the NBC television censor whose chief responsibility was the notorious Saturday Night Live. He offers a rare glimpse of how censors attempt to define and uphold standards while balancing the interests of artists, sponsors, and audiences. (224 pp. 1stBooks Library. $9.95)

Prom Night: Youth, Schools, and Popular Culture
By Amy L. Best G’95, G’98
Proms are an iconic event for American teenagers, a time when young men and women explore their gender differences and sexuality. Best analyzes proms and their ties to consumerism, conformity, body image, and the structure of adolescent relationships. She also gives a historical look at the development of proms, including their move from school gymnasiums to luxury hotels. (228 pp. Routledge. $19.95)

Chaim Potok: A Critical Companion
By Sanford Sternlicht G’62
Sternlicht presents a biography and a critical study of the prominent Jewish American writer and his works. Potok, a rabbi and philosopher, wrote eight novels that explore the conflict in young men and women between traditional Jewish values and secular American life. This book offers a close reading of the subjects, style, and historical background of Potok’s novels in light of contemporary literary theory. (158 pp. Greenwood Press. $29.95)

Modern Armenian Drama: An Anthology Edited by Nishan Parlakian ’48 and Peter Cowe
The authors translate seven classics from the Armenian stage that explore such issues as science and religion, injustice, women’s emancipation, and political reform. The book includes a comprehensive introduction to the history of Armenian drama, an overview of drama’s importance and development, and a biography of each playwright. (480 pp. Columbia University Press. $35)

Never a Dull Moment: Teaching and the Art of Performance By Jyl Lynn Felman ’75
Felman, a feminist, performance artist, and professor, transforms collegiate classrooms into stages where teachers are actors and students are their captive audiences. Through a collection of 10 essays, she covers a wide range of topics pertinent to campus life: politics, sexual harassment, race relations. (233 pp. Routledge. $16.95)

White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture By Chrys Ingraham ’82, G’86, G’88, G’92
Ingraham examines American society’s obsession with weddings by analyzing popular films, commercials, magazines, and children’s toys. She describes the influence of weddings and the role they play in maintaining the romance of heterosexuality, the myth of white supremacy, and the insatiable appetite of consumer capitalism. (208 pp. Routledge. $17.95)

The Working World

Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand By David F. D’Alessandro ’72 with Michelle Owens
SU Trustee Emeritus D’Alessandro, president and CEO of John Hancock Life Insurance Co., offers an entertaining read on what it takes to create and maintain a brand. Drawing on his years in advertising and public relations, he discusses how to build a brand and emphasizes the importance of its having one simple image. He also recounts his battle with the scandal-ridden International Olympic Committee, in which he pushed for reforms to preserve the reputation of Olympic sponsors like John Hancock. (208 pp. McGraw-Hill. $24.95)

Last Minute Meetings By Fern Dickey ’82
If you’re putting on an event, Dickey’s advice can help you succeed. Whether it’s a meeting, conference, or black-tie affair, Last Minute Meetings offers tips on planning, organizing, and budgeting, including numerous ideas and resources to assure that every detail is covered.
(160 pp. Career Press. $11.95)

You are the Product: How to Sell Yourself to Employers By Allison Blackman Dunham ’75 This guide—ideal for students ready to launch their careers—casts the job seeker as a product and employers as customers. Dunham, a syndicated advice columnist, offers tips on how to conduct a job search, enhance a sales pitch, succeed in interviews, and beat the competition to land the job you want. (130 pp. Fabjob 2000. $9.95)

Privacy-Enhanced Business: Adapting to the Online Environment By Curtis D. Frye ’90
Frye examines ways to conduct business over the Internet and legislative scenarios that could affect how online business takes place. He also proposes steps to help organizations determine what policies work best within privacy-enhanced environments, and discusses privacy interests and related concerns that are relevant to both the public and private sectors. (264 pp. Quorum Books. $67.50)

Work Smart and Succeed: Lessons and Examples on How to Succeed in Your Career By Jeff Rosenblum ’88
Rosenblum offers advice on how to get ahead in the work world. He shows people how to capitalize on the success of others and how to avoid common pitfalls. (72 pp. Infinity Publishing.com. $10.95)

Sports

Lady Hoopsters: A History of Women’s Basketball in America By Linda Ford G’84
This comprehensive history opens with women’s basketball in the 1890s and traces its progress to the current day. It also explores the dilemma women have faced between being a “lady” and an “athlete.” (174 pp. Half Moon Books. $14.95)

Great Donald Ross Golf Courses You Can Play
By Paul and Betty Jane Breidenbach Dunn ’46
Hit the links with the Dunns as they provide history, descriptions, and directions covering 103 active courses that were designed by renowned golf architect Donald Ross. All of the courses are either public, semi-private, or resort, so they can be played by anyone. (300 pp. Derrydale Press. $50)

Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?
By Jane Gottesman
Created in conjunction with a Smithsonian photo exhibition and national tour, this book celebrates women’s athletics with works from some of America’s best photographers combined with personal stories of the athletes. Marathoner Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’7N and weight lifter Patrina Thomas ’93, G’97 are among the featured athletes. (224 pp. Random House. $35)

Potpourri

The Field Guide to UFOs By Dennis Stacy and Patrick Huyghe ’77
According to the authors, millions of people have spotted UFOs. This book includes detailed information on sightings and the basic shapes of UFOs. (180 pp. Quill/HarperCollins. $13)

The Art of Seeing Things: Essays by John Burroughs Edited by Charlotte Zoë Walker G’72
Walker brings together a number of insightful essays by the noted naturalist. The essays cover a range of topics, including farming, religion, and conservation. (256 pp. Syracuse University Press. $24.95)

The Composting Toilet System Book: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Planning, and Maintaining Composting Toilet Systems, An Alternative to Sewer and Septic Systems By David Del Porto and Carol Steinfeld ’87
This book details why and how to choose, install, and maintain a composting toilet system. It features descriptions of more than 40 systems, experiences of owner-operators, and regulations and advice for getting a system approved. (240 pp. Chelsea Green Publishing. $29.95)

Facing the Congo By Jeffery Tayler ’83
With vivid descriptions and wit, Tayler recounts his intrepid travels through the jungles and waterways of sub-Saharan Africa, detailing the people, landscapes, and life-and-death encounters he faces on his journey. (260 pp. Ruminator Books. $27)

LegalEats: A Lawyer’s Lite Cookbook By Flavia J. Tuzza G’83
Tuzza, a lawyer and gourmet chef, serves up dishes for the hungry practitioner. Through fun recipes like Legal Lasagna and Prosecutor’s Pizza, everyone can lighten up and enjoy a home-cooked meal. (177 pp. Writers Club Press. $13.95)

To Love, Honor...And Travel By Norma E. Davidson ’45
Davidson documents 35 years of travel with her husband to six continents through dramatic photographs and detailed descriptions of the landscape, restaurants, transportation, native peoples, and such unique housing accommodations as elder hostels. (325 pp. 1stBooks Library. $16.95)

Insects on Palms By Forrest W. Howard ’58, G’61, and D. Moore, R. Giblin-Davis, and R.G. Abad
Palms, one of the largest botanical families, produce food and materials important for human life, such as coconut, African oil, and dates. This book discusses the biology of insects associated with palms, describing how some act as pollinators that help the trees reproduce, while others are damaging. The authors also outline strategies for managing the pests. (400 pp. CABI Publications. $140)