Monk’s Travels: People, Places and Events, by Rev. Edward A. Malloy, CSC, ’63, ’67M.A., ’69M.A. (Andrews McMeel Publishing). Father Malloy always keeps a diary during his travels as president of Notre Dame. Here the man nicknamed Monk shares highlights of various trips and meetings, with destinations from Iceland to Cameroon and visits with such divergent notables as Pope John Paul II and Donald Trump. He occasionally recommends books and movies that flesh out events he discusses, including the 1980 slaying of Archbishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador.
The Best Catholic Writing 2004, edited by Brian Doyle ’78 (Loyola Press). This first anthology of best Catholic writing features essays on subjects ranging from Harry Potter and Dorothy Day to Catholic art, living faith, and the clergy sex abuse scandal. The writers include Scott Appleby ‘78, director of Notre Dame’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; Patrick Hannon, CSC, ‘88M.Div.; Lawrence Cunningham, ND professor of theology; John O’Callaghan, ‘86M.S., ’90M.A., ’96Ph.D., ND associate professor of philosophy; Kathleen Norris; Andrew Greeley; and Alice McDermott.
What You Need to Know About the Economics of Growing Old (But Were Afraid To Ask): A Provocative Reference Guide to the Economics of Aging, Teresa Ghilarducci (Notre Dame Press). The ND economist, who is one of the nation’s leading experts on pensions, analyzes the economic and physical status of the elderly, the structure of the Social Security system, elderly labor force participation and the lifetime economic path. As the life expectancy of the elderly continues to rise, the book notes, a heavier burden falls on Social Security and on the seniors’ own savings. The lessons here often are pointed at the young, who may face a large gap between their spending habits in old age and the money available to them. The professor’s Economics of Aging class helped compile the book.
New Selected Poems, John Matthias (Salt Publishing). A gathering of poems from the ND English professor’s eight previous books, the selections here include both early lyrics and late work. That body of work, says critic Guy Davenport, makes Matthias “one of the leading poets in the USA.” The poet has taught in both England and the American Midwest, and his poetry reflects those differing cultures and locales. The author has said the book’s “grand collage” of poems allows his objective historical poems to serve as a context for the more personal poems. He dedicated the book “To my students at the University of Notre Dame 1967-2004.”
Classic Ground: Mid-Nineteenth Century American Paintings and the Italian Encounter, Paul A. Manoguerra ’92 with an essay by Janice Simon (Georgia Museum of Art). American artists of the mid-19th century frequently included Italy in their grand tours and just as frequently translated their visits into paintings. That work, the author says, “ultimately becomes a commentary not on the visited place but on the homeland.” The paintings discussed here are part of an exhibit at the Georgia Musuem of Art. The book is available through the museum at www.uga.edu/gamuseum.
Diamond Presence: Twelves Stories of Finding God at the Old Ball Park, edited by Gregory F. Augustine Pierce (ACTA Publications). Patrick Hannon, CSC, ‘88M.Div., and Robert Raccuglia ’74 are among those who share their stories of how they connected to God while enjoying the great American pastime. “I go to churches and ballparks for pretty much the same reason: because God is there,” writes Father Hannon in “The Banjo Man.” The 12 pieces here also include “Under the Lights” by famed storyteller Andre Dubus.
Books in brief:
Lost Souls, by Michael Collins ’87, ’91M.A. (Viking). The author of the Booker Prize-nominated The Keepers of Truth turns to a psychological thriller here, as a despairing small-town cop investigates the Halloween death of a child and becomes embroiled in a cover-up.
Rogers Hornsby: A Biography, _Jonathan D’Amore ‘99_ (Greenwood Press). This look at “The Rajah,” the player who led the Saint Louis Cardinals to World Series triumph in 1926, is complete with statistics of one of baseball’s greatest hitters.
A Prayer Book of Catholic Devotions: Praying the Seasons and Feasts of the Church Year, William G. Storey ’54M.A., ’59PhD. (Loyola Press). The popular devotions included here, the author notes, “are compatible with and supplement the official liturgy.” Storey is an ND professor emeritus of liturgy and church history.
Optimal Aging Manual: Your Guide from Experts in Medicine, Law and Finance, edited by Dr. Kevin O’Neil and Renno Peterson (Optimal Aging, LLC). A source book for seniors covering investments, insurance, and the physical and emotional challenges of aging. Dr. Ed Duthie ‘72 and Dr. Peter Kelly ’72 are among the contributors to the volume, available at www.optimalaging.com or by calling 800-956-0037.
Pilgrimage: Exploring a Great Spiritual Practice, Edward C. Sellner ’78M.A., ’81Ph.D. (Sorin Books). Significant holy places, a historical perspective, stories of pilgrims and pilgrimages, and practical suggestions for pilgrims today are part of this guide to sacred journeys.
What It Means to Be Fighting Irish: Ara Parseghian and Notre Dame’s Greatest Players, edited by Tim Prister ’82 (Triumph Books). First-person accounts from football coach Parseghian, winner of two national championships at ND, and such players as John Lujack ‘48, Paul Hornung ’57, Joe Theismann ’71, Joe Montana ’79, Allen Pinkett ’86 and Raghib Ismail ’94 fill this volume of football memories.
Couples in Love: Straight Talk on Dating, Respect, Commitment, Marriage, and Sexuality, John Waiss ’79 (Crossroad Publishing). These dialogues between a young couple and a priest cover such issues as deciding on a vocation, building a relationship and sexual ethics.
Monsignor Romero: A Bishop for the Third Millennium, edited by Robert S. Pelton, CSC, ’43 (Notre Dame Press). A collection of lectures given at Notre Dame in honor of human-rights advocate Oscar Romero, the archbishop who was assassinated in El Salvador in 1980. Father Pelton is a fellow in Notre Dame’s Helen Kellogg Institute.
Is the Market Moral? A Dialogue on Religion, Economics & Justice, Rebecca M. Blank and William McGurn ’80 (Brookings Institute Press). A discussion of faith and public policy as it relates to the global economy, with a focus on what it takes to make an economic system just.
Bill Miller: Do You Know Me? Libby Miller Fitzgerald (Warwick House). William Miller ‘35 was the Republican candidate for vice president in 1964. His daughter writes about his private life and his career, from his years at Notre Dame to his time in the political arena.
The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling and the MGM Publicity Machine, E.J. Fleming ’81MBA (McFarland & Company). From 1920 through the 1940s, MGM’s Mannix and Strickling “fixed” the publicity problems of the MGM studio’s movie stars. This dual biography of two powerful men delves into the stories behind the “official” stories.
Why Literature Matters in the 21st Century, Mark William Roche (Yale University Press). The dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters here discusses literature as a teacher of virtue. Great literature, he points out, grapples with the ethical challenges of the day.
The Quality of Democracy: Theory and Applications, edited by Guillermo O’Donnell, Jorge Vargas Cullell, Osvaldo M. Iazzetta (Notre Dame Press). New democratic regimes can range from dismal to acceptable. How to " judge" a democracy is the focus of here. O’Donnell is an ND professor of government and international studies.
Protestantism and the American Founding, edited by Thomas S. Engeman and Michael P. Zuckert (Notre Dame Press). These essays by historians, theologians and political philosophers look at the intersection of Protestant theology and the political thought that shaped the nation’s birth. Zuckert is a Notre Dame professor of political science.
Peace Talks—Who Will Listen? Fred Dallmayr (Notre Dame Press). “Wherever one turns, hatred, ill will, aggressiveness, and warfare seem to be the order of the day,” the ND professor of political theory writes. Here he offers a historical narrative as well as ethical and religious arguments for a peace-making culture.
Morals and Politics, Vittorio Hosle, translated by Steven Rendall (Notre Dame Press). Hosle, a concurrent professor of German, philosophy and political science at Notre Dame, first wrote this book in German. In it, he attempts to create a concrete political ethics for today’s world. With this translation, his book is available for the first time in English.