Bookshelf

What's Been Happening

Strange Communion: Motherland and Masculinity in Tudor Plays, Pamphlets and Politics by Jacqueline Vanhoutte, associate professor of English (University of Delaware Press). Vanhoutte explores a tendency in Tudor culture, especially in the language of politicians and playwrights, to identify the common good with the health of the "motherland." She examines how maternal representations of England came to be used, how they changed in response to political crises and how they shaped literary ideals of masculinity by the end of the 16th century.

Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State edited by Randolph B. Campbell, Regents Professor of history (Oxford University Press). From the arrival of humans in the Panhandle 10,000 years ago to the oil industry and modernization of the state, Campbell writes of the land, people, politics, economics and conflicts of Texas. In addition to the Mexican revolution, the Anglo-Texan revolution, the Civil War and reconstruction, he writes of the Populist and Progressive movements, the prosperous '20s, the Great Depression and the effects of World War II on the growth of the state. Along the way, he emphasizes Texas' Southern character and dispels a few myths.

Music Business Made Simple: A Guide to Becoming a Recording Artist by J.S. 'Skip' Rudsenske ('85) of Houston (Schirmer Trade Books). An entertainment attorney who represents national recording artists and has managed artists on independent and major labels, Rudsenske offers constructive advice for people hoping to make a living with their music. Chapters include advice on setting goals, developing a stage presence, recording demos, creating promotional materials and getting a record deal.

On the Journey Home: The History of Mission of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1946-1968 and Initiatives for Mission, 1980-2002 edited by Charles Cole ('57) of Santa Fe, N.M. (United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries). These books are part of a series exploring the history of mission of the United Methodist Church. Cole, a retired General Board of Global Ministries executive, is acting as a consultant editor for the seven-volume series.

Other Media

Left End by by the Rick Peckham Trio, including guitarist Rick Peckham ('85 M.M.E.) of Boston, Mass., and bassist Tony Scherr of Branford, Conn., who attended North Texas from 1983 to 1987 (Perfected Music). Musician and composer Peckham combines elements of jazz and rock in this CD. "When I'm making a record, I'm not trying to document what somebody else has done," he says. "I want to go somewhere different." Peckham is a professor and assistant chair of the guitar department at Berklee College of Music in Boston.