Bookshelf
The following books by Hamilton and Kirkland alumni have been added to the Burke Library collection. We welcome other new or recent books for annotation in upcoming issues of the Alumni Review. Bibliographic information for ordering purposes may be sent to florenz@hamilton.edu, or, preferably, copies of books to Bookshelf Editor, Alumni Review.
Sue Beevers '97, Dancing Dragonfly Quilts (Lafayette, Calif.: C&T Publishing, 2009). Lavishly illustrated in color, this "how to" book will delight any quilter. It contains instructions for 12 quilting projects, with design and piecing options in addition to variations. The author, who began as a weaver, dyer and spinner, divides her creative artistry between art and music as a painter as well as a quilter, and as an instructor in the violoncello at Hamilton.
Chuck Cutolo '73, Parables… And Other Stuff From Life ([no place]: Denise Publications, 2009). Reading the author's essays has been likened to "having a solid breakfast, nourishing, healthy and satisfying." In this collection of almost 50 of them, he once again offers solid, inspirational fare, food for the spirit. Highly personal, even confessional, but resonating with the reader because of their wit and insight, these "off beat" essays provoke reflection. The author, a lawyer, longtime Capitol Hill aide, and now director of governmental affairs at Nassau Community College, pays special tribute in his acknowledgements to the late Professor of English Edwin Barrett for having encouraged him, while he was at Hamilton, to bring to his compositions "life, imagery and truth."
James L. Ferguson '49, So Far, So Good: A Memoir (New York: iUniverse, 2008). In this slim, 125-page autobiography, the former chairman and chief executive officer of General Foods and a life trustee of the College reflects on his childhood, family, education and business career. Written with candor and in smoothly flowing prose, the reflections begin with his boyhood in Evanston, Ill., and family influences upon him, especially his mother's. A close friend in his youth, whom he knew as "Bud," turned out to be the actor Marlon Brando, later best man at his wedding. After a few pages devoted to Hamilton and the Harvard Business School, he provides an outline of his highly successful business career with Procter & Gamble, where he led the marketing efforts for Charmin, and at General Foods. There, as CEO from 1973 until 1986, when a hostile takeover by the Philip Morris Co. ended his tenure, he compiled a record of accomplishment that included restructuring and expanding the giant corporation and quadrupling its sales. Now in retirement, he resides in Charleston, S.C., where, as chairman of its board, he played a key role in the construction and launching of the South Carolina Aquarium, today one of the state's chief attractions. Far from a dull account of a life in business, these reminiscences quickly capture the reader's attention as fast-paced, unfolding human drama. This reviewer read them with sustained and avid interest in one sitting.
W. Lawrence Gulick '52 (co-author), Dark Harbor: A Chesapeake Bay Mystery (New York: iUniverse, 2009). The authors draw upon their first-hand experiences with the academic world as well as seafaring to craft a mystery novel that is a police procedural combined with in-depth character portrayal. The plot unfolds in precisely detailed fashion, and the cumulative effect on the reader is a growing fascination with the characters involved. The book, beginning with the murder of a college professor, pays enormous dividends in pleasure and satisfaction to those who are looking for more than just a quick read. The co-author (with Vivian Lawry) is a former dean of the College and retired president of St. Lawrence University who has "skippered sailboats from New England to the Caribbean."
Eric Jackson-Forsberg ’90 (editor), Frank Lloyd Wright: Art Glass of the Martin House Complex (San Francisco: Pomegranate, 2009). For his design of the Darwin D. Martin house, built in 1903-05 in Buffalo, N.Y., famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright created almost 400 pieces of art glass. Now, as part of a comprehensive reconstruction effort at the complex, the art glass designs are being restored to their original locations. This volume, extensively and beautifully color-illustrated, focuses on those spectacular creations, which Wright called "light screens" to bring "the outside" in. With additional text by art and architectural experts, the book is edited by the curator of the Martin House complex, who is also an adjunct professor of art history at Canisius College. He contributes the text on the glass patterns, especially on the outstandingly impressive "Tree of Life" window.
Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy ’90, Panorama: An Introduction to Classical Mythology (Pittsburgh: Clew Publishing, 2010). The author, a former classroom teacher who now conducts workshops and writes in the educational field, has taken a complex subject, classical mythology, and, thanks to clarity of writing, along with creative format and design, made it invitingly accessible to readers young and old. Lavishly and gorgeously illustrated, the volume tempts the reader to dip in. The reward in so doing is a delightful retelling of the ancient myths. The author's first book, it was designed by her husband, Kevin. They reside with their two daughters in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ben Moore '82, Ben Moore: 14 Songs: Medium High Voice and Piano (New York: G. Schirmer, 2006). These songs about love, "but love in quite a wide variety of modes and orientations," were inspired by the words of such poets as Joyce and Yeats. Many have been performed and recorded by well-known singers, including the opera diva Deborah Voigt. In addition to composing music in a classical vein, Ben Moore is also a painter, and one of his oils graces the cover of the book. For further information on his life and music, see The Songs of Ben Moore and a Performer's Analysis of Ben Moore's Settings of James Joyce's Chamber Music, a doctoral dissertation submitted by Jeeyoung Park at Temple University in 2008.
Scott Sipprelle '85, The Golden Dog ([no place]: BookSurge Publishing, 2009). In the author's own words, this debut novel "explores the various forces, the personalities, and the moral ambiguities that inhabit the murky realm of Wall Street." In a work begun in the wake of the Crash of 1987, and based upon his own experiences as a keenly observing insider, he tells a fascinating story that encompasses love and greed as well as intrigue. In depicting human nature at its worst and best, he compels the reader's attention. Recent events on Wall Street have inspired numerous non-fictional books. This timely novel, by a seasoned Wall Streeter who has been an investment banker and hedge fund manager, lends credence to the proposition that fiction can at times be more revealing than fact.
