Compiled by Carol Schaal ’91M.A.
Americas, Kevin McCormick ’90 (Mirabilis Records). The musician’s second solo guitar release focuses on classical music with a Latin touch. The 15-track CD also includes some of the guitarist’s original compositions. Visit kevin-mccormick.com/ for more information.
American Songs, volume 2, Josephine Cameron ’00MFA (Modo Records). The singer’s selection of American folk songs focuses on travel, with “Goin’ to the West” and “Unclouded Day” among the choices on this nine-track CD. Anthony Walton ’82 and Nashville musician Carter Little collaborated on the CD. For song samples or to order, visit josephinecameron.com.
Known by Name: Inside the Halls of Notre Dame, James B. King, CSC ’81, ’87M.Div., ’07MNA (Corby Books). The priest who’s been rector at Sorin College, as the residence hall is known, since 2003 offers a behind-the-scenes view of the funny, touching, annoying and joyful events that mark the Notre Dame residential tradition. Read an excerpt.
Romero’s Legacy: The Call to Peace and Justice, edited by Pilar Hogan Closkey ’89 and John P. Hogan (Rowman & Littlefield). What does “the option for the poor” truly mean? This book gathers the past seven annual Romero lectures, which honor the vision of the martyred archbishop and are presented in Camden, New Jersey, one of America’s poorest cities. Contributors include Notre Dame theology professors Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P., and Daniel G. Groody, CSC, ’86.
The Konkans, Tony D’Souza ’00MFA (Harcourt). The author hit publishing gold with his debut novel, Whiteman. Now this son of an Indian father and a white American mother plays off his heritage with a fictional take on cultural alienation. Entertainment Weekly praises D’Souza as “a savvy storyteller with a clear, soulful voice.”
Unmentionables: poems, Beth Ann Fennelly ’93 (W.W. Norton & Company). Words may at times be insufficient, but the author finds language that works in this collection of short narratives and three longer sequences. From the kudzu that “breeds its own welcome mat” to the French impressionist painter Berthe Morisot, who “swallowed brilliance,” the bold unmentionables become the award-winning poet’s wordplay.
Miles from the Sideline: A Mother’s Journey with Her Special Needs Daughter, Maura Weis, with Jessica Trobaugh Temple ’92 (Sorin Books). Maura Weis does not join her husband, Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis, and their son, Charlie Jr., in the stadium on game day. For good reason—daughter Hannah, diagnosed with global developmental delay, is frightened of crowds. Here, with candor, joy and sorrow, Maura Weis unfolds the challenges and blessings of raising a special needs daughter.
For Boys Only: The Biggest Baddest Book Ever, Marc Aronson and HP Newquist ’80 (Feiwel and Friends). Where are the scariest amusement park rides? How do you get out of quicksand? What is the most poisonous creature on earth? Designed for boys ages 7 to 12, the book includes cool tips, random facts and card tricks, as well as several secret-code puzzles.
Imagine When You’re Feeling Better: A Workbook for Hope and Healing, written by Jack Greiner ’83J.D., illustrated by Laura Kujawa (Clerisy Press). A cheerful poem and colorful illustrations lead off this book, which includes plenty of room for hospitalized children to draw and write about their feelings and experiences. To order call Clerisy Press at 513-861-4045.
Amazing Grace: Self-Taught Artists from the Mullis Collection, organized by Paul Manoguerra ’92 (Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia). This oversized catalogue highlights the works of 60 folk artists. The collection, writes Carol Crown, professor of art history at the University of Memphis, “celebrates the fierce individuality of spirit that has long been cultivated in the South, where idiosyncratic characters are still tolerated and loved.”
Compiled by Carol Schaal ’91M.A. Also see choices in brief.