“Publication” Class Notes

Ken Manson (Com ’68) published Bring Me Back Alive: A Memoir of Adventure, Luck, and Terror in the Air. Manson’s first book covers his harrowing flying experiences as a U.S. Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War years. The book starts in 1967 with his initial training at he the UVA Airport (Milton Field) and concludes with his experiences as a Jolly Green Giant rescue pilot in 1973. Among the many unforgettable characters in the book is CMSGT Duane Hackney (the most decorated airman in the history of the Air Force) who flew with then-Capt. Manson during his time in the Air Rescue & Recovery Service. Flip Viles (Col ’68) served as an editor to make the book a reality. Mr. Manson is the father of Ashley Manson Marratt (Col 94) and William Manson (Col ’99), who is a doctor at the UVA Hospital.

Charles W. Snyder (Grad ’73, ’79) published an article, “The Economics of Plenty: Glenn Frank and the Great Depression,” in Summer 2018 issue of The Historian.

Maya Lazarevic Rodriguez (Col ’03) published her first book, Grenades as Lullabies, which tells the inspirational true story of a thrilling escape from a harrowing civil war in Bosnia. 

Catherine Keller Brown (Col ’97) co-edited Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders with Christina Tinke. The book’s diverse essays emphasize each writer’s journey to recovery, providing hope for individuals suffering from an eating disorder and their loved ones. In addition to these highly personal, vulnerable essays, the book includes informative sections with insights from mental health professionals on topics such as how families can help loved ones affected by eating disorders. A portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to local and national eating disorder organizations. 

Pamela Harris Lawton (Col ’81), associate professor in art education at Virginia Commonwealth University, just completed a distinguished chair Fulbright at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and a Tate Modern Exchange Artist Associateship in London. She published Community-based Art Education Across the Lifespan: Finding Common Ground based on 18 years of research in community-based art.

Khalilah L. Brown-Dean (Col ’98) published Identity Politics in the United States, a book that moves beyond the headlines to show how conflicts over group identity are an inescapable feature of American political development. From battles over voting rights and immigration to the 2017 rally on Grounds, there’s no question that the United States is incredibly divided. Brown-Dean shows us how we got here, and more importantly, how we move forward. She is a tenured associate professor of political science at Quinnipac University and a frequent political contributor to numerous media outlets. 

Thomas B. Gore (Res ’83), a cardiologist in LaGrange, Georgia, published his first book, a tribute to the life of David Carr Glover of Portsmouth, Virginia. Glover composed many teaching pieces for students learning piano and, having worked for Disney for many years, was associated with the Mickey Mouse theme song. Glover wrote a “method book” for learning piano and it sold a million copies worldwide. Photographs and memories from his many friends are included.

Johnny “Jon” Hunt (Col ’75 L/M) self-published a book, Asking the Moon to Leave, which is available at Outskirts Press and on Amazon. 

Christina Hendrick Melton (Col ’93) coauthored Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seeds and Stories with Blackberry Farm master gardener, John Coykendall. With an upcoming book launch and presentation at Monticello’s Heritage Harvest Festival in September, the book was listed as Amazon’s #1 New Release in South Region Gardening in advance of its November publication. Melton was also executive producer and director of the documentary, Seize & Secure: The Battle for La Fière, which broadcast on PBS on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, is currently being distributed by PBS Plus, and is available on demand on iTunes and Amazon Video. The film chronicles a relatively unknown but pivotal battle fought over a small stone bridge along a critical inland route for American forces during the allied invasion.  

Melton was nominated for a 2019 Webby Award nomination from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, as writer and producer of the Louisiana Public Broadcasting/PBS Digital Studios series, Nourish. The series featured NASA rocket engineer and South Carolina whole hog BBQ pitmaster, Dr. Howard Conyers, as host in his exploration of Southern food culture and traditions.

Melton was also recently appointed deputy director of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, with management and oversight of strategic planning for Louisiana’s statewide media network. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, Dr. Jamar Melton (Col ’92), and their three teenage sons.

John Stith (Col ’06) published his first children’s book, The Climbing Tree, about two brothers exploring the contours of their relationship through the power of imagination. The book, described as “an eloquent, poetic fable with a timeless message,” was an immediate No. 1 New Release on Amazon.

Lauren Ritacco Seufert (Engr ’02 L/M) published her first book this spring, True Connection: Discovering Ourselves in a Distracting Digital World. The book covers topics such as emotional intelligence, self-awareness and inclusive communication, and provides tools and strategies for the digital age. Seufert has received her MBA and held several global leadership positions in the chemical industry. In 2018, she started her company, emOcean Coaching & Consulting, which supports individuals and businesses to develop the skills necessary for leadership and organizational impact in the future. 

Joe Essid (Col ’83) was coeditor of Writing Centers at the Center of Change, a look at how 11 writing centers internationally have adapted to widespread institutional change. He is director of the Writing Center at the University of Richmond.

Jay Cost (Col ’01 L/M) earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago in 2017. He is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and is currently writing his fourth book, a biography of James Madison, to be published by Basic in 2021.

John W. Warner (Col ’86 L/M) is a writer and “gentleman farmer” whose passion for history, vintage cars and the unsung heroes of WWII has inspired two large-scale creative ventures: a DVD documentary series on the early bootlegging days of NASCAR, ​The Golden Era of NASCAR​ , and a historical novel titled Little Anton.

Warner is the son of retired Senator John W. Warner III (R-VA), former Secretary of the Navy and Chairman of the Armed Services Committee (KBE), ​and Catherine Mellon, daughter of philanthropist Paul Mellon (U.S. Army, OSS, CIA, KBE). Growing up in a whacky military family that had a seat at many of the most historically significant tables––military, corporate, and intelligence––led to his insatiable quest to find and reveal the hidden truths behind world events. 

A “gear head,” he has spent most of his adult life quenching his thirst for knowledge about race cars, first as a professional Grand Am, IMSA, and American LeMans Series racing driver (a plodding “middle of the pack man” behind the wheel of a Corvette GT1 and a Porsche GT3R, back in 1995-2001), and later researching the southern history of the sport for his NASCAR DVD series, “The Golden Era of Nascar,” and the “Wendell Scott Story,” (find them on Youtube).

He has now finished his first book, “Little Anton,” which is the first in a series.

An avid researcher of revisionist/alternative history, both ancient and recent, he began writing this book series during a two year-long recovery from a racing car accident. His extensive research for ​”Little Anton​” evolved into a gripping historical narrative that reveals hidden truths about technological advancements, top secret German non-linear physics, and the many prominent leaders active in the WWII era, including Adolf Hitler, Henrich Himmler, physicist Walter Gerlach, Ferdinand Porsche, and Winston Churchill. Part love story and part satire, the book centers on Hitler’s use of Porsche’s brilliant engineering mind to build the world’s fastest and most advanced machines, and the occultism of the SS to further new advanced weapons of the ​”Wunderwaffe​ .”

He and his wife, Teba,  split their time between our Washington D.C. area residence and their humble Virginia hay farm, where he is finishing the sequel to L​ittle Anton​, titled​ Lion,Tiger, Bear​. They also host a biannual deer hunt and picnic for wounded veterans with the Virginia Wildlife Foundation.

Tony Gentry (Educ ’06), associate professor in occupational therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University, has published his debut novel, The Coal Tower, a domestic drama set in Charlottesville on the first day of the UVA football season. The book is available in paperback or e-book. He will be reading from the novel at New Dominion Book Shop on the downtown mall on August 28, 2019.

Brian Sayre (Col ’75 L/M), Craig N. Thomas (Col ’82), and Cody Pennetti (Engr ’07, ’25) contributed to the publication of the fourth edition of The Land Development Handbook as reviewer, legal contributor, and co-editor and contributor, respectively. The handbook is a reference for design professionals, students, and private and public land developers. Authored by Dewberry and originally published in 1995, the first three editions have sold nearly 40,000 copies. The new edition and accompanying books are available through McGraw-Hill, Amazon and other retailers.