Fiction, Memoirs

Acid, a collection of short stories by Edward Falco of the English department, won the 1995 Richard Sullivan Prize for Short Fiction. Characters include Barrett, a middle-aged actor who "lived with the knowledge of nothing at the center of everything." University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

That Shining Place by English instructor Simone Poirier-Bures narrates the author's return to the scene of her youthful adventures on the island of Crete to come to terms with the brave, idealistic person she used to be. Pocahontas Press., P.O. Drawer F, Blacksburg, VA 24063-1020.

Poetry

Dead Snakes, Cats, and the IRS: Poetry of Rock and Rebellion, edited by Anne Cheney of the English department, includes works by Katherine Soniat and Jeff Mann, also of English. Cheney's title poem describes dead snakes and the IRS as both lying "as nether souls in the grass beneath the Blacksburg sky." Mellon Poetry Press, P.O. Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092.

The Humming Birds by Lucinda Roy, associate dean of arts and sciences, focuses on challenges faced by contemporary and historical women, sometimes in re-created slave narrative. The book, a winner of the Eighth Mountain Poetry Prize, contains poignant glimpses of the slave, Lucy, who wears her hair in "plaits of suffering like corn in rows, in rows." The Eighth Mountain Press, 624 Southeast 29th Ave., Portland, OR 97214.

The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni, English professor, reflects changes in her life as a black woman, a lover, mother, teacher, and poet. The poem "Poetry" is descriptive of the her work:

"poetry is motion graceful
as a fawn
gentle as a teardrop
strong like the eye
finding peace in a crowded room"

William Morrow and Co., 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

Philosophy, Religion, Sociology

Descartes and His Contemporaries: Meditations, Objections, and Replies, edited by Roger Ariew and Marjorie Grene of philosophy, includes the arguments and positions of leading 17th-century intellectuals who criticized Descartes' meditations. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL 60632.

Great Awakenings: Popular Religion and Popular Culture by Marshall Fishwick of humanities and communication studies examines religious awakenings that have influenced American life and culture from the Puritans to today. Harrington Park Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580. Fishwick also is co-editor of Preview 2001+: Popular Culture Studies in the Future, which explores the possibilities of popular culture studies in the new age and examines topics ranging from religious fervor to tourism. Bowling Green State University Popular Press, Bowling Green, OH 43403.

Integrative Meditation: Towards Unity of Mind, Body & Spirit by James W. Green (AGRN '38, M.S. AGEC) combines original meditative techniques from around the world used by participants in seminars conducted by the author over the past 17 years. Integrative Meditation Seminars, 6430 Lily Dhu Lane, Falls Church, VA 22044.

The Fire and the Rose by Robert Turner Jr. of sociology is a guide to making human choices based on four basic needs - to exchange love, to nurture the body, to have spiritual grounding, and to have identity and approval in a social world. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 E. 53rd St., New York, NY 10022.

Marriage After Mourning: The Secrets of Surviving Couples by Judy C. Pearson, director of the Northern Virginia Graduate Center, examines the strengths of eight couples who have stayed together through the ultimate trial - losing a child. Pearson advises grieving parents to "embrace the world, but alter it" and reminds them that "grief has no prescribed rules." Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 4050 Westmark Dr., Dubuque, IA, 52002.

Medicine for the Mind: Healing Words to Help You Soar by management professor Christopher Neck is a compilation of inspirational stories, poems, and quotations from sources as diverse as Emily Dickenson, Jerry Seinfeld, and the author. McGrawHill Inc., 1-800-338-3987, or write Department of Management, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

History, Government

Jackson and Lee: Legends in Gray by Alumni Distinguished Professor James Robertson Jr. combines Robertson's biographies of Gen. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and the story of their contributions to the southern cause with Mort Künstler's 79 color paintings. Rutledge Hill Press, 211 Seventh Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219.

Generations of Women Leaders at Virginia Tech, produced by the 75th anniversary steering committee, contains the history of women at the university and stories of alumnae in their own words. Available for $10 from Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Alumni Hall (0102), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

Arab Middle East and the United States by history professor Bernard Kaufman examines U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East since World War II, including the Arab side of U.S.-Arab relations. Twayne Publishers, 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.

France in the Sixteenth Century by historian Frederic Baumgartner examines life in France during "the long 16th century," concluding that "the society and government that would be destroyed by the French Revolution was already mostly in place by 1614." St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

Governing the White House: From Hoover Through L.B.J., by Charles Walcott and Karen Hult of the political science department, traces the development of specialization of the White House staff from the time that Herbert Hoover expanded the staff beyond the traditional single secretary. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049.

The Sandinista Legacy: Lessons from a Political Economy of Transition by Ilja Luciak of political science examines the Nicaraguan post-insurrection period from the perspective of popular classes, including rural women, farmers, and other agricultural workers. University Press of Florida, 15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611.

Outdoor Recreation

Terrestrials, co-written by biology professor Harrison Steeves III and illustrated by staff art director Creed Taylor, examines the terrestrial insects that are a major food source for trout and contains detailed instructions for tying dozens of imitations, including eight new patterns. Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Rd., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

The Winter of Our Discount Tent, a humorous look at flora, fauna, and foolishness outdoors by Jim Mize (FW '75, M.S. AGEC), won the Outdoor Press Association's 1995 Award for Excellence. It contains chapters such as "Gnuts to Gnats," which the author calls "the bug version of junk mail." University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC 29208.

Other Nonfiction

Changing Sex: Transsexualism, Technology, and the Idea of Gender by Bernice Hausman of the English department examines the significance of medical technology such as endocrinology and plastic surgery in transsexualism and traces the history of the concept of gender. Duke University Press, Box 90660, Durham, NC 27708-0660.

The Commercialization of American Culture: New Advertising, Control and Democracy by Matthew McAllister of communication studies, chronicles the changing nature of advertising and the way it is expanding into everyday life. Sage Publications, 2455 Teller Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320.

Rip-offs and Fraud: How to Avoid and How to Get Away, by E. Thomas Garman of housing, interior design, and resource management, gives practical advice about the frauds and rip-offs to which one in every six Americans falls prey. Dame Publications, 7800 Bissonnet, Suite 415, Houston, TX 77074.

Books for Children

The Genie in the Jar by Nikki Giovanni is an illustrated poem for children of all ages. It begins with a picture of a young black girl who is told to "take a note and spin it around." With the guidance of her mother, she begins to spin the note around the black loom and learns to "sing a Black song." Henry Holt and Co., 115 W. 18th St., New York, NY 10011.

Melvin's Melons by Sherry Marshall Vaughn (HORT '78) tells of a boy who travels through the Appalachians, learning to befriend all kinds of people. It includes a glossary defining terms such as "smidgeon" (the tiniest little bit) and "mosey" (to move slowly). Overmountain Press, 325 Walnut St., P.O. Box 1261, Johnson City, TN 37605.

Sammy Seahorse Teaches Chess, written by geology professor emeritus F. Donald Bloss, combines more than 100 three-dimensional illustrations with lively narration by a seahorse to guide beginning players, step-by-step, into the moves and strategies of chess. Pocahontas Press, P.O. Drawer F, Blacksburg, VA 24063-1020.