West Meets East: Sacred Music from the Torino Codex, Schola Antiqua of Chicago, Michael Alan Anderson ’97BBA, director. Recorded at a May 2010 concert in Chicago, the CD showcases compositions of the early 15th century, with selections that include sacred plainchant, polyphony and a secular song. Translations are at chicagochant.org. The album is a follow-up to Long Joy, Brief Languor, directed by Calvin M. Bower, ND emeritus professor of music.
Why Enough Is Never Enough: Overcoming Worries about Money — A Catholic Perspective, Gregory S. Jeffrey ’91MBA (Our Sunday Visitor Press). This is not about how to make or spend money. Instead, using real-life examples, the author focuses on how to find peace in the face of economic anxiety. His prescription involves a journey with God, a spiritual remedy that includes living a life “marked by generosity and gratitude.”
Prayers of the Faithful: The Shifting Spiritual Life of American Catholics, James P. McCartin ’00M.A., ’03Ph.D. (Harvard University Press). In this look at the dramatic shifts in U.S. Catholic identity in the 20th century, the author cites the changing face of prayer as the catalyst behind Catholics’ growing spiritual independence and movement away from traditional Church practices, rather than the institutional changes of Vatican II.
Bill Warrington’s Last Chance, James King ’77 (Viking). Winner of the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the book follows an aging Korean war veteran who attempts to connect with his three grown children and his teenage granddaughter before his increasing dementia robs him of a final opportunity to mend broken family ties. Booklist says the novel “achieves the exact right balance of humor, redemption and reconciliation.”
The Poems of Charles O’Donnell, CSC, edited by George Klawitter, CSC, ’63 (iUniverse). Father O’Donnell was a Notre Dame professor of English literature, lover of football and president of the University from 1928 until his death in 1934. He also was a poet of renown and first president of the Catholic Poetry Society of America. This comprehensive anthology offers some of O’Donnell’s previously published works along with never-before-seen poems collected from the ND archives, as well as a letter the priest wrote to his nephew on the pitfalls of being a poet.
Shadow Lessons, Tim Reardon ’90 (All Things That Matter Press). With the help of his friend, a black, female firefighter, a white, male high school English teacher submits his work to a publisher looking for African-American voices. Unfortunately the resulting book is a big hit. When the literary hoax eventually is discovered, it fuels a national race debate. The debut novel has been called “a thoughtful, funny and inspired book.”
The Wabash Trilogy: The Wabash Baseball Blues, The Redneck Mafia, Civic Theatre, William J. Palmer ’65, ’69Ph.D. (Parlor Press). The three novels share their characters and setting, the Wabash valley of Indiana, but move in time from 1976 to 1990. The genre also changes, as the first is a working-class sports novel, the second a crime novel and the third a comic novel. The author previously published a series of Victorian mysteries that feature Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as detectives.
All Rise: The Remarkable Journey of Alan Page, Bill McGrane (Triumph Books). Alan Page ’67 was known at Notre Dame for his exploits on the field, and he continued that football success as a defensive lineman with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. When he stepped off the pro field in 1981, he stepped into the field of law, eventually being elected a Minnesota Supreme Court justice. This biography follows the unique path of a man who still gives back through the Page Education Foundation — “Education,” he says, “was my way to avoid working in a steel mill.” Former President Bill Clinton wrote the foreword.
The 4-Ingredient Vegan: Easy, Quick, and Delicious, Maribeth Abrams with Anne Dinshah ’91 (Book Publishing Company). The authors, who provide a helpful introductory section on stocking a vegan kitchen, share the secrets of creative combinations that add up to everything from filling entrees to sweet treats. Dinshah is also the author of Healthy Hearty Helpings, published by the American Vegan Society.
A Third Life: Sculptures for God, Country & Notre Dame, Jerry McKenna ’62 (Glountane Books). The former Air Force officer has created more than 150 public works of art, including 27 sculptures at Notre Dame, from Knute Rockne, Moose Krause and the Four Horsemen to Saint Brigid’s Cross. The foreword is by Father Ted Hesburgh, CSC, who encouraged McKenna to write the book, which includes biographical details of the sculptor’s life and the background stories of many of his works. See jerrymckennasculptor.com for ordering information.
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Voice: Disability and Ability at LOGAN, 1950-2010, Gene Stowe (Corby Books). Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Notre Dame president emeritus, wrote the foreword to this book about the history of South Bend’s Logan Center, an organization dedicated to offering resources and support to people with developmental disabilities. The Logan Center, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2010, has a long standing relationship with Notre Dame — students have volunteered with the organization for years, since its original location was right across from campus.
What Is a Person?: Rethinking Humanity, Social Life, and the Moral Good from the Person Up, Christian Smith (The University of Chicago Press). Smith, the William R. Kenan, Jr. professor of sociology and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Notre Dame, found much current scholarship on the concept of personhood to be confusing and misleading. So he developed his own model for social theory, examining the importance of personhood to understanding social structures, social life and human rights and dignity.
The Wounds That Heal: Heroism and Human Development, Judith A. Schwartz and Richard B. Schwartz ’63 (University Press of America). According to some theories of human development, individuals must pass through certain stages to achieve so-called normalcy, and those who do not have certain “disabilities.” The husband and wife authors make the argument that these disabilities are actually the cause of heroes’ success, analyzing the lives of four well-known heroes: Jane Austen, T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill and George S. Patton, Jr.
American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell (Simon & Schuster). Campbell, the John Cardinal O’Hara, CSC, associate professor of political science and founding director of the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy at Notre Dame, co-authored this book with Putnam, the acclaimed author of bestseller Bowling Alone. In their new text, the authors examine the relationship between religion and politics in America for the past 50 years.
Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame, Jim Dent (Thomas Dunne Books). After six straight losing seasons, the 1964 Notre Dame football team staged one of the greatest one-season turnarounds in college football history, led by first-year coach Ara Parseghian. Booklist calls Dent’s chronicle of the miracle season “an inspirational underdog saga, humor, pathos, tragedy, and triumph.”
Easy English, Sam McClelland ‘65. A guide to basic writing skills that encourages students to write clearly and simply. The book covers a variety of English topics, from capitalization to using quotes in a text, presenting examples with each.
Cowboys Chronicles: A Complete History of the Dallas Cowboys, Marty Strasen ’89 (Triumph Books). A recap of Cowboys football from 1960 through 2009, featuring photos and a season-by-season analysis. Strasen, an award-winning sportswriter, wrote the book in honor of the Cowboys’ 50th anniversary season in 2010.
Canon Law: A Comparative Study with Anglo-American Legal Theory, John J. Coughlin, OFM (Oxford University Press). Father Coughlin, a Notre Dame law professor, explains the canon law of the Catholic Church in light of Anglo-American legal theory, analyzing its implications for contemporary issues like the clergy sex abuse crisis.
So You Want to Give a Party They’ll Never Forget, D.B. Hipp ’61. A guide to the perfect party, from planning details to the actual event. It features 10 uniquely themed parties given by the author and his friends, from a clambake to a mystery party. For more information, write to Dave Hipp, 1026 Prairie, Aurora, IL 60506.
Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics, and Praxis, edited by Robert J. Schreiter, R. Scott Appleby and Gerard F. Powers (Orbis Books). A collection of articles reflecting on Catholic peacebuilding around the globe, focusing on official social teaching, interreligious dialogue, Christology, pastoral theology and ritual. Appleby is a professor of history and John M. Regan Jr. director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame, and Powers is the director of Catholic Peacebuilding Studies at the Kroc Institute.
The Apartment Plot: Urban Living in American Film and Popular Culture, 1945-1975, Pamela Robertson Wojcik (Duke University Press). Wojcik, an associate professor of Film, Television, and Theater at Notre Dame, traces the popularity and prevalence of the “apartment plot” in film and television in the mid-20th century. The apartment functions as the central narrative device in these shows and films, causing them to transcend genre and make statements about gender, sexuality, race, and class.
Teaching Diverse Learners: Principles for Best Practice, Amy J. Mazur and Patricia Rice Doran ’00 (Corwin). A user-friendly guide for teaching students that are culturally and linguistically diverse, as well as those with special needs. The authors present strategies, case studies, guiding questions, extensions and ready-to-use activities for grades pre-K through 12.
Unearthed: The Economic Roots of our Environmental Crisis, Kenneth M. Sayre (University of Notre Dame Press). Sayre, a philosophy professor and director of the Philosophic Institute at Notre Dame, argues that the solution to the current environmental crisis is to reduce energy consumption to the point that the entropy (degraded energy and organization) produced does not exceed the biosphere’s ability to dispose of it. Society can achieve this by eliminating the desire for wealth, gratification, convenience, and acquisition of goods.
Playing Ball with the Boys: The Rise of Women in the World of Men’s Sports, Betsy M. Ross ’77 M.A. (Clerisy Press). A collection of conversations with women who have broken sports barriers as columnists, reporters, talk show hosts, coaches and team administrators. Ross, a former ESPN news anchor herself, shares the stories of these women, from USA Today columnist Christine Brennan to NBC Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Andrea Kremer.
Decline and Recovery of the Island Fox: A Case Study for Population Recovery, Timothy J. Coonan ‘81, Catherin A. Schwemm, and David K. Garcelon (Cambridge University Press). The first account of the natural history and ecology of the rare island fox, which inhabits only six southern California islands. The species was driven to near-extinction in the 1990s but has since recovered due to the extraordinary conservation measures detailed in this book.
In So Many More Words: Arguments and Adventures, Robert Schmuhl, (University of Notre Dame Press). A follow up to Schmuhl’s 2006 book, In So Many Words, this collection expands on the first edition, including 17 new essays written over the past four years. Schmuhl, the Walter H. Annenberg-Edmund P. Joyce Chair in American Studies and Journalism and director of the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy at Notre Dame, evaluates the new political landscape in America in light of the 2008 election.
Wonderful to Relate: Miracle Stories and Miracle Collecting in High Medieval England, Rachel Koopmans ’01 Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania Press). Koopmans traces the history of the generation, circulation and replication of miracles in medieval English monastic culture. She focuses on the collections of Benedict of Peterborough and William of Canterbury, finishing with the decline of miracle collection in the 13th century, which coincided with the establishment of the Church’s formal canonization process.
Evangelization and Religious Freedom: Ad Gentes, Dignitatis Humane, Jeffrey Gros and Stephen Bevans ’84 M.A., ’86 Ph.D. (Paulist Press). An analysis of two Vatican II documents, Ad Gentes (missionary activity) and Dignitatis Humane (religious freedom). This book is the last in the Rediscovering Vatican II series by Paulist Press and addresses the development of each document, its major points, implementation and any current debates on the topic.
Urban Catholic Education: Tales of Twelve American Cities, edited by Thomas C. Hunt and Timothy Walch ’70 (Alliance for Catholic Education Press). A collection of 12 essays that trace the development of Catholic schools in 12 urban areas across the country, including Boston, Saint Louis, and San Francisco. Researchers in all 12 cities found that, despite the different communities, all shared the common goals of preserving the faith of Catholic children and preparing them for productive lives in American society.
Literature: Reading to Write, Elizabeth Howells ‘94 (Pearson). Using writing prompts, literary selections and writing exercises, Howell’s book challenges students to make connections between literature and their personal experiences. The combination of critical thinking skills, writing and reading instruction helps students transition from active readers to critical writers.
Better Grades, Less Effort, W.R. Klemm, 63Ph.D. (Benecton Press). Klemm is known as the “Memory Medic,” and his new e-book shares memory tips to help students study and learn more efficiently. He draws from his 47 years as a professor and his own experiences as a valedictorian and university honors student — who earned his doctorate in just two-and-a-half years.
The Channel, Frederick Schnurr ‘67 (CreateSpace). A Mexican migrant worker channels a mythical 20th century German surgeon named Dr. Fritz in this psychological thriller about saving the world from potential environmental disaster. Schnurr, a member of the 1966 national champion Notre Dame football team, presents the story in a multicultural dialogue, using Spanish, Portuguese and German.
An Introduction to Theology in Global Perspective, Stephen Bevans ’84 M.A., ’86 Ph.D. (Orbis). Bevans presents a comprehensive guide to doing theology as part of the Catholic ecclesiastical community in today’s globalized world. He emphasizes that theology is an activity that is anchored in Scripture but interpreted by ecclesial tradition and the magisterium.
Third and Long, Bob Katz (Trolley Car Press). A former Notre Dame football player is the central character in this novel about a dying Midwest factory town. NPR commentator E.J. Dionne Jr., wrote, “If John Steinbeck had known as much about sports as Bob Katz does, he would have been proud to have written Third and Long. Katz has offered us a smart, moving, beautiful and important book.”
The Art of the Storyboard: A Filmmaker’s Introduction, Second Edition, John Hart ’63M.A. (Focal Press). Components and principles of the storyboard, adding reality with perspective, composition and color, and illustrating action in a storyboard are among the topics covered in this updated edition of the how-to book.
The Isle of Monte Cristo: Finding the Inner Treasure, S.T. Georgiou (Novalis). A collection of meditations that explore the understanding of the divine Presence in everyday life, drawing inspiration from the life and work of Robert Lax, a poet, mystic and friend of Thomas Merton. The foreword is by Brother Patrick Hart, OCSO, a 1966 ND graduate.