Authors & Editors
Diane Woodward Sawyer, B.A.’61, published her sixth novel, The Tell-Tale Treasure. The missing-person mystery is set in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Sawyer resides, and was inspired by a Florida Orchestra concert she attended with husband Robert Sawyer ’54, ’59.
Alvin Breisch, M.S.’69, is the author of The Snake and the Salamander: Amphibians and Reptiles from Maine to Virginia. The book is available through Johns Hopkins University Press.
Jim McArdle, B.S.’69, M.B.A.’72, writes about living in the Middle East for more than 30 years in A Yank in Libya… Living and Working in Gaddafi’s Jamahiriya.
Kevin Sheehan, B.A.’71, M.A.’72, is the co-author of Growing a Growth Mindset: Unlocking Character Strengths Through Children’s Literature. The book provides teachers the latest research and strategies for developing growth mindset, hope, grit, character strengths, and happiness in children.
Laurel Bossen, M.A.’72, Ph.D.’78, co-authored Bound Feet, Young Hands: Tracking the Demise of Footbinding in Village China. Bossen and co-author Hill Gates provide a detailed analysis of Chinese footbinding and women’s labor during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book is available through Stanford University Press.
Christine Volker, B.A.’73, M.L.S.’74, is the author of Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City. Set in Venice, the novel is a sensual and intimate portrayal of a woman’s perilous voyage of self-discovery. Volker penned the international mystery after retiring from a 30-year career in finance. More: www.christinevolkerauthor.com
UAlbany basketball alum Barry Cavanaugh, B.A.’79, published the children’s book Tree Trolls and Their Secret Gifts through Log Cabin Books of Hamilton, N.Y. Cavanaugh tells the story of a boy and a girl who encounter magical tree trolls during a walk in the woods. “I’m sure many of my coaches, teammates and friends will be a little taken aback. My playing career is now just fading memories, but I believe this book will have a longer and more important impact on children’s lives than my basketball career ever had.”
Angelo Falcón, M.A.’80, is the co-editor of Latinos in New York: Communities in Transition, published by University of Notre Dame Press.
Abby Donnelly, B.A.’84, published Straight Talk About Planning Your Succession: A Primer for CEOs, which explores critical strategies and tools to use for a successful exit from the workplace.
Marc Hoberman, B.A.’85, recently published his second book, a memoir titled Search and Seizure: Overcoming Illness and Adversity. Hoberman shares the details of his lifelong battle with epilepsy and triumph over illness.
David Shelters, B.A.’91, recently published Building Startup Ecosystems: Introducing the Vibrancy Rating, the third book in his Finance for Geeks trilogy. Highly recommended for university students studying entrepreneurship and public policy, it is available on Amazon.
Michael Castrilli, B.A.’98, co-authored Parish Finance: Best Practices in Church Management. Castrilli is an adjunct professor at Villanova University.
Marissa Scheinfeld, B.A.’02, showcases her photography in The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland, published by Cornell University Press. Scheinfeld presents a contemporary view of the abandoned hotels and bungalow colonies of New York’s Catskills Borscht Belt.
Andrew Puckey, M.A.’05, published his first book, Elevator Babies. The collection of interconnected short stories describes the narrator’s childhood and early teenage years in a time without modern technology. More: andrewpuckey.com.
Chivuta Simona David, M.A.’07, is the author of How Art Is Made: In the Catskills, a collection of interviews with some of the world’s most accomplished artists living and working in the Catskill Mountains.
CaTyra Polland, B.A.’10, published Professionalism, What’s That? The e-book is available on Kindle and Nook.
Michael Papa, M.B.A.’17, recently
published The Wurlitzer Model 1015, which tells the story of the most iconic jukebox ever made and includes more than 200 pictures and illustrations. It is available on Amazon.