“Publication” Class Notes

Kimberly Behre Kenna (Col ’79) will publish her latest novel, Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances, on March 3. The middle-grade adventure, the third installment in her Brave Girls Collection, follows a 13-year-old grieving the loss of her twin sister while spending the summer in her quirky agoraphobic uncle’s unique castle home. Part of the proceeds from book sales will benefit Friends of Gillette Castle State Park and The Cove Center for Grieving Children in Connecticut.

Grace Elizabeth Hale, Commonwealth Professor of American Studies, received a Whiting Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress for her upcoming book, They Don’t Own Us: Harlan County, Kentucky and the Past and Future of American Works. The grant gives contemporary nonfiction authors $40,000 to aid their projects, as well as publicity guidance. They Don’t Own Us examines labor struggles in the changing political social and economic climate of the 60s and 70s, and reflects on how this period impacts our labor climate today.

Clifton W. Potter Jr. (Grad ’64,’70 CM) published Yankees in the Hill City, The Union Prisoner of War Camp in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1862-1865 with McFarland and Company, Publishers, Inc. It is the first comprehensive study of the rarely-mentioned transit camp that existed in Lynchburg from June 1862 until April 1865. Using the diaries of soldiers who were held there, as well as extant manuscripts and burial records, Potter fashions the story of a POW camp unlike any other in the Confederacy. He is professor of history emeritus at the University of Lynchburg.

Adam Kadlac (Grad ’07) published his second book, The Magic Kingdom and the Meaning of Life, with Polity Press in November. In it, he argues that Disney theme parks are a remarkably fruitful environment in which to reflect on the human condition. He reflects how a day out at the Magic Kingdom can prompt parks-goers to ruminate on all sorts of important topics and questions: authenticity and pleasure; what it means for corporations to play such a large role in our culture; whether nostalgia is always bad; and, of course, princesses (so, so many princesses).

George Coussoulos (Educ ’65 CM) wrote his third book of historical speculative fiction, The Unknown, Surprising, and Fascinating Life of Jupiter Evans: Thomas Jefferson’s Personal Valet Tells His Story, released in October.

Emily Goodson (Educ ’09) will release her debut memoir, Dating Disability: 15 Stories of Dealing with the BS and Building Confidence on December 9. Goodson experienced a brain bleed at age 8, which resulted in partial paralysis on one side of her body. In this book, she invites readers into intimate stories about growing up, navigating relationships and building confidence in a world that often fails to talk about disability. Now 40, with a plethora of adventures (and misadventures) to draw from, she openly shares her realities and takeaways in Dating Disability. A Kirkus Review said that the book is “A cheerful chronicle of bravery and self-compassion that encourages all readers looking for love.”

Cara Goodwin (Col ’07 CM) published her article “Kids and Sugar, Does it Equal Bad Behavior?” in CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine. The article discusses research showing little correlation between sugar consumption and small children’s behavior and gives advice on how to handle sugary foods in a child’s diet. Goodwin, a licensed clinical psychologist, lives in Charlottesville with her four children.

Ritt Deitz (Col ’88 CM) published a novel, Settle Down, through Ten16 Press. The surreal sense-of-place novel follows a young Wisconsinite, freshly graduated from UVA, who comes home to find he must rediscover what it means to be from the Midwest. UVA alumni who worked for University Catering in the 1980s will recognize glimpses of the Birdwood Pavilion kitchen and Newcomb Hall. Deitz is Distinguished Teaching Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has taught French since 2000.

Jim Harshaw (Col ’99, Educ ’99 CM) published the 500th episode of his podcast, Success for the Athletic-Minded Man. He interviews world class performers including Olympic gold medalists, Navy SEALs, New York Times best selling authors and others (including several Wahoos). Episodes can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts as well as his website, JimHarshawJr.com.

Ruika Lin (Col ’11 CM) launched Fieldnotes from a Watcher, an independent literary journal that publishes creative nonfiction stories monthly. Fieldnotes from a Watcher explores many of life’s timeless moments that seem to be shared by many yet voiced by few. Themes include families of origin and of choice, belonging, parenthood, grief, cross-cultural musings and the creative process. Lin invites fellow UVA alumni to sign up as a member of the journal, and/or become a guest writer.

Ann M. Ryan (Grad ’87) published The Ghosts of Mark Twain: A Study of Manhood, Race, and the Gothic Imagination with the University of Missouri Press. Ryan examines Twain’s writings and his uneasy relationship to Black culture and masculinity, even as he imagines a future in which Black men will gain an authentic voice and agency. The work investigates the tense intersections of white fathers, Black men, the histories they reflect and the future they promise, as expressed in Twain’s life and writings. Some of the works considered in The Ghosts of Mark Twain are not widely known: “Which Was It?,” “The United States of Lyncherdom,” No. 44: The Mysterious Stranger and the Morgan manuscript of Pudd’nhead Wilson. Written into the record of these fragments is Twain’s desire to be a different kind of white man, just as their incomplete nature demonstrates how often he stumbled in that effort.

Elizabeth Atwood (Grad ’83) published Deadline: 200 Years of Violence Against Journalists in the United States with the University of Missouri Press. In her book, Atwood offers the first comprehensive look at the history of fatal attacks against journalists in the United States between 1829 and the present. She was inspired to explore the pressing issue of violence against American journalists after the tragic death of one of her colleagues at the Baltimore Sun, Rob Hiaasen, in the Capital Gazette shooting in 2018. Throughout, she demonstrates that distrust of the media and violence against the press in the United States are hardly new developments. Her work examines how intimidation, violence, and censorship have, in fact, been used against the American press since both its and the nation’s founding.

Mauricio Velásquez (Col ’88 CM) published his first book, Tackling Toxicity: A Skill-Based Guide to Addressing Toxicity, which provides strategies for professionals to create healthy and successful workplace environments, as well as for people navigating difficult family and social situations. The book won an April 2025 International Impact Book Award. Velásquez is president and founder of the Diversity Training Group, and has decades of experiences in diversity and inclusion and harassment prevention.

Mike McGrew (Col ’75) published his second picture book, The Boy Who Would Be Santa, with Kharis Publishing. The book tells the story of Saint Nicholas, including his struggle after the death of his parents, his teenage journey of discovery, his kindness and charity, the miracles he performed and his evolution into Santa Claus. The book serves as a resource on the historical origins of Santa and as a model of kindness for children.

Tina Schust Robinson (Col ’94) will publish her first book, Developing Your Business Leaders: A Guide to Investing at All Levels in March 2026 with ATD Press. In the book, Robinson discusses the leadership qualities and outlines the reasons and methods for investing intentionally in leaders. As a seasoned public speaker, workplace consultant and executive coach, she’s grateful every day for her Virginia education, particularly the UVA English department.