New & Notable
Nine new books from UVA alumni
We Were Flying to Chicago
by Kevin Clouther (Col ’01)
In this debut book of short stories, characters across New England, South Florida and the Midwest wrestle with small, everyday decisions that come to define who they are. Clouther creates conflict through his characters’ competing desires. A man drives to the wrong mountain, a hubcap cleaner moonlights as a karaoke star, a woman trusts a stranger on the bus. In “The Third Prophet of Wyaconda,” a stranger forces more than one character in the town to reassess his or her self-worth. “That sort of exchange, where one character moves another to look frankly at who he or she is, fascinates me,” Clouther says, “because the results can be so frightening.”
The Burning Shore: How Hitler’s U-Boats Brought World War II to America
by Ed Offley (Col ’69)
On June 15, 1942, as thousands of vacationers lounged in the sun at Virginia Beach, two massive fireballs erupted just offshore, sinking two oil tankers. Within 24 hours, two Navy warships were also sunk, all by the crew aboard German U-boat U-701. Offley, a military reporter, leads readers into a little-known theater of World War II, where, for six months, German U-boats prowled the waters off the Eastern Seaboard, sinking merchant boats with impunity and terrifying the American public as never before.
Body Knowledge: Performance, Intermediality, and American Entertainment at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
by Mary Simonson (Grad ’05)
Simonson, an assistant professor of film, media studies and women’s studies at Colgate University, looks at female performers of the early 20th century, specifically the Ziegfeld Follies, Salome dancers and Isadora Duncan’s Wagner dances. She weaves together dance, music, cultural history, and media studies to examine how turn-of-the-century technologies and media changed performance, arts and entertainment.
by Benjamin Rubenstein (Col ’07)
Sixteen-year-old Benjamin Rubenstein was playing tennis when he felt a pain in his hip. A deep, searing, unknowable pain. Through humorous text and informative illustrations, he chronicles his fight with bone cancer and then with a form of leukemia. Rubenstein’s belief in his superhuman ability to fight his cancer gave him the courage to face chemotherapy and its devastating side effects.
Make Me a Mother
by Susanne Antonetta (Grad ’89)
In this memoir, Antonetta adopts an infant from Seoul, South Korea. She and her husband learn the lessons common to all parents, such as the lack of sleep and the worry and joy of loving a child. They also learn lessons particular to their own family—not just how another being can take over your life but how to let an entire culture in, how to discuss birth parents who gave up a child and the tricky steps required to navigate race in America.
The Billfish Story: Swordfish, Sailfish, Marlin, and Other Gladiators of the Sea
by Stan Ulanski (Grad ’77)
Billfish, comprising sailfish, marlin, spearfish and swordfish, are noted for their speed, size and long, spearlike beaks. Ulanski, a professor of oceanography and marine resources at James Madison University, argues that billfish occupy a position of unique importance in our culture, linking natural and human history.
Mistake-Free Golf: First Aid for Your Golfing Brain
by Robert K. Winters (Educ ’99)
While at UVA, Winters, who earned a Ph.D. in sport psychology, was on the coaching staff and worked with several teams and professional athletes. His new book, Mistake-Free Golf, applies to golfers of all levels about how to specifically correct their mental errors. Winters uses interviews with more than 50 established golf stars such as Nick Price, Michelle Wie, Charles Howell III and Justin Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, to show that players of all levels make the same mental mistakes.
500 Time-Tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them
by Barbara Brownell Grogan (Col ’76), Barbara H. Seeber and Linda B. White
From insect bites, insomnia and upset stomach to nasal congestion, stress-reducing tips and hints for heart health, this comprehensive family reference offers accessible and effective recipes for DIYers who want to treat manageable ailments naturally. The authors explain the science behind these remedies, debunk common myths and let you know when to call the doctor.
In Service to Their Country: Christchurch School and the American Uniformed Services
by Alexander “Sandy” G. Monroe (Col ’64)
On a Virginia hillside overlooking the Rappahannock River, at Christchurch School, sits a simple granite monument. It was placed there to honor the school’s faculty, staff and alumni who have served in the American uniformed services. In this book, Monroe looks at the link between Christchurch School and the military through the histories and personal interviews with those who have served.