Bookshelf

What's Been Happening

Tag Teaming the Press: How Bill and Hillary Clinton Work Together to Handle the Media by James E. Mueller, associate professor of journalism (Rowman & Littlefield).

Mueller traces the evolution of Bill and Hillary Clinton's relationships with journalists, from the couple's earliest student political activism through Hillary's run for the White House. The book includes interviews with journalists who covered them to explain how the Clintons learned to handle the media and how they have fulfilled a number of roles for each other in dealing with reporters, including "lightning rod," "good cop/bad cop" and "schmoozer."

Art and Architecture of Viceregal Latin America, 1521-1821 by Kelly Donahue-Wallace, associate professor and chair of the Department of Art Education and Art History (University of New Mexico Press).

The book surveys the visual culture of the Spanish Viceroyalties of New Spain, Peru, New Granada and La Plata from conquest to independence. It offers a chronological review of major objects and monuments, separated by category — painting, urban planning, religious architecture and secular art. Donahue-Wallace also wrote Teaching Art History with New Technologies: Reflections and Case Studies (Cambridge Scholars Publishing).

Friends of the Supreme Court: Interest Groups and Judicial Decision Making by Paul Collins, assistant professor of political science (Oxford University Press). Collins traces the influence of interest groups and their filing of amicus curiae ("friends of the court") briefs on Supreme Court decisions from 1946 to today.

The Vocal Jazz Ensemble by Paris Rutherford, professor of music and director of the Jazz Singers (Hal Leonard Publications). The book covers all areas of vocal jazz ensembles, including rehearsal techniques and interpretation, soloist issues, the rhythm section, the sound system and programming. Included is a CD with vocal examples.

A Texas Journey: The Centennial Photographs of Polly Smith by Evelyn Barker ('92 M.S.) of Flower Mound (Dallas Historical Society). Librarian Barker's debut book gives a historical account of the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration and relates the journey of a young photographer assigned to tell the state's story through photos.

The Christmas House by Carol Bullman ('05 M.A.) of Allen (Ideals Children's Books). Bullman's first book is a picture book that celebrates the power of music. A poor young mother's neighbors are in danger of losing Christmas until her piano playing causes them to remember.

Mindwalking 1937-2007: New and Selected Poems by Edward Mycue ('59) of San Francisco (Philos Press). Mycue's poems have been published in more than 25 books, chapbooks and anthologies, in addition to countless journals. His first collection, Damage Within the Community, was named one of the 10 best poetry books of 1973 by Library Journal.

Ioanneis: The Story of the Last of the Romans by Jonathan Perez ('06) of Irving (PublishAmerica). Under the name J. Perez Bula, Perez writes his first book on the life of Ioanneis Petrius Burrus. The fourth-century Roman joins the army to defend his country and faces persecution in the midst of civil war and Germanic invaders.

Two Men Fighting with a Knife by John Poch ('00 Ph.D.) of Lubbock (Story Line Press). This second collection of poetry by Poch won the 2008 Donald Justice Poetry Prize, administered by the West Chester Poetry Conference. An associate professor of creative writing at Texas Tech, Poch includes a poem from his UNT days titled "A Curse on the Denton Cops, the Lot of Them."

Invite by Glen Pourciau ('92 M.S.) of Plano (University of Iowa Press). This collection of 10 stories received the 2008 Iowa Short Fiction Award. Characters include a man who will not stop talking and a man stunned into silence. Pourciau's works have been featured in top literary magazines and nominated for Pushcart Prizes.

Fate of Camelot by Cynthia Roepke ('80 M.Ed.) of Corpus Christi (Highland Press). This sequel to Camelot's Destiny is written under the pen name Cynthia Breeding and is the author's third novel. The book follows the capture of Queen Gwenhwyfar, stolen from King Arthur by the god of the wild hunt, and Lancelot's efforts to bring her back to Camelot.

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus: A Journey Through the Lands and Lessons of Christ by Wayne Stiles (`88) of Aubrey (Regal Books). Stiles provides a personal travelogue from the Holy Land, combining archeology, history and the Bible to talk about Christ's life and lessons. He is executive vice president for Insight for Living.

Other Media

Gentle Friend by the Shelley Carrol Quartet, featuring Shelley Carrol ('92) on saxophone (Nichelson Entertainment). Carrol, a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra since 1989, teamed with the group from the New Amsterdam Bar in South Dallas for this work. President of Nichelson Entertainment is alumnus Frederick A. Nichelson ('86).

Mutopia by Jeff Coffin ('90) of Nashville, Tenn. (Compass Records). Saxophonist and composer Coffin released another album with his Mu'tet, which he formed to explore music and "mutate" the sound and dynamic of the band. He is a member of the two-time Grammy Award-winning Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. The group was again nominated this year for two Grammy Awards. Winners will be announced in February. Coffin toured this fall with the Dave Matthews Band.

The Davidson Brothers: Assurance by Scott Davidson ('81) of Dallas, Bruce Davidson ('84) of Carrollton and Blake Davidson of Richardson, who attended UNT for two years. The brothers — now a dentist, attorney and chiropractor, respectively — all studied voice with Virginia Botkin and sang in choirs on campus. This is their second collection of sacred songs. Their parents, Neil and Sandra Davidson, also are alumni.