“Publication” Class Notes

Anne Hampford (COL ’83 CM) published a poetry chapbook Everywhere Is North in October 2021. The poems of Everywhere Is North are both self-portraits and portraits of the Antarctic continent—its ice, its creatures, and the ocean that surrounds it. They are meditations on home and rootedness in a most inhospitable but alluring place.

Carole Sargent (Grad ’92, ’94 CM) has written Transform Now Plowshares, a book about the nun who committed the largest breach in U.S. nuclear security history. It will be published in December 2021 by Liturgical Press. In August, 2020, in time for the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Georgetown University Press published A World Free From Nuclear Weapons – The Vatican Conference on Disarmament, co-edited by Sargent under the guidance of one of Georgetown’s Jesuits who advises the Holy See on disarmament issues. Their article on the book in The Conversation was published in hundreds of newspapers worldwide. Sargent’s article in The Conversation about Sister Ardeth Platte, who inspired the character of Sister Jane Ingalls in Orange is the New Black was also published in hundreds of newspapers. Sargent  is a literary historian of early modern women’s political thought and founding director of Georgetown University’s Office of Scholarly Publications.

Michael Pillow (COL ’79 CM) has published his second novel, Summer Brush Men. The novel tells parallel stories of a younger man and an older man “coming of age” in their own ways. Michael has retired from his day job and lives with his partner Stephanie in Crozet.

Natasha Saje (Col ’76) published Terroir: Love, Out of Place (Trinity UP, 2020), a memoir-in-essays that was a finalist for Pen, Lambda, CMLP, and Indie Book Awards, and was awarded first prizes for the essay by Foreword Reviews and IPPY/ebook.

Lorisa Bates (Col ’91) has published Benita Renee Jenkins 2: Boxing Rings and Cages, the second edition in the Benita series. It is is an action-packed page-turner filled with intrigue, romance, and twists – a perfect read on those crisp cool fall and winter nights! An entertainment veteran and author, Bates has always had a zest for telling stories. As a young child, while children her age were playing with dolls, she was developing characters and writing short stories. As she got older, her love for  writing only grew. With a career in the media industry spanning over two decades, her talents have expanded to include development, writing, producing and editing for film and television. Benita Renee Jenkins 2: Boxing Rings and Cages and Benita Renee Jenkins: Diva Secret Agent and are available everywhere books are sold.

Betty Lou Roberts (Nurs ’53) has published her fourth book, Still Climbing, a combination of biography and fiction, featuring 13 short stories. She would love to hear from classmates.

David A. Cook (Grad ’71) published A History of Three-Dimensional Cinema with Anthem Press, London, in September 2021.  This is a companion volume to his A History of Narrative Film (New York:  Norton, 1981, 1990, 1996, 2004, 2016), W. W. Norton’s longest running publication, translated into eight languages, and one the world’s best-selling film history textbooks.  He also wrote Lost Illusions:  American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979, Volume 9 of the History of American Cinema series (New York: Scribner’s, 2000, and Berkley: University of California Press, 2002).  After teaching in the Purdue and Emory University English departments, 1971-1985, he served as Program Director and Chair of the Emory’s Film Studies Department, 1986-2007, which he also founded, and then served as Head of the Department of Media Studies, 2007-2012, at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, where he still teaches and does research.

Suzanne Miller (Engr ’60) has published I Am An American: Is America Racist? It uses the stories of her ethnically-mixed heritage (English/Scot/Native American/West African Black) to tell the story of America, and their place in that story. Carefully researched, the book contains or cites a substantial amount of relevant documentary evidence. The goal is to give readers a sound factual basis to form their opinion on this topic of current national importance. Many will may learn quite a few things about America that are not widely known, such as: Where did the phrase “all men are created equal” come from? Why were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution written as they were? How were colonists with little military training able to defeat the most powerful military force on the planet at that time, the British Army? How and why did racism take root and develop in America? What does the very concept of “race” really mean? It is available as both an e-Book and paperback through Amazon, Apple Books and Barnes & Noble.

Lynda Marie Rozell (Col ’84, Grad ’86, Law ’88) recently published a bestselling non-fiction book Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim: from corporate attorney to Airstream nomad, finding joy in everyday life with st. john’s press.  Three years ago, Lynda retired from her position as project manager and in-house counsel with a non-profit in northern Virginia, sold her home, bought an Airstream travel trailer and a RAM 1500 truck, and hit the road full-time.  She writes a travel blog about shrines, religious sites, and areas of natural beauty.  Her book chronicles how she came to be a nomad ministering to the people she encounters on the road.  Based on her personal experience, the book shares entertaining stories and tips for how to live and travel in an RV.  Lynda’s travels take her all over the United States (except Hawaii because, although an Airstream resembles a submarine, it does not float!).  Lynda currently is on a book tour and has been interviewed in podcasts, radio stations, and publications listed on the media page of her book web page.  She frequently speaks at churches, RV parks, and community events.  On occasion, she rolls into town in Fairfax, Virginia to visit her grown children and spends several months each year visiting friends in Florida.  Previously Lynda served as Attorney Advisor to two sequential Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. and worked in private practice for Hunton & Williams.

Kim Harrison Greer (Col ’89 CM) published her first novel in September 2021. Masked Intent: A Modern-Day Morality Play blurs the lines between contemporary romance and literary fiction, blending thoughtful prose with pointed observation, insights, and drama. The story arc follows the new, shaky romance between a divorced mom — who happens to be a UVA alumna — and a younger college professor. Told through a series of seemingly disconnected vignettes, the book examines our tenuous relationship with the truth and each other in a world where honesty and authenticity take back seat to the power of influence.

Michelle Jones Coles (Col ’02 CM) has written a debut young adult historical fiction novel called Black Was the Ink about the collapse of the Reconstruction Era. It will be published by Lee and Low Books on November 2, 2021. 

Thad Long (Law ’63 CM) has written a sequel to his first book, The Impossible Mock Orange Trial, which was released in 2020 and received composite 4.6 of 5-star reviews. The sequel is entitled The Vow: Ted Born’s Last Trial.  Released in August 2021,  it is also being well-received in early reviews.  Though the books fall under the category of “legal thrillers,” Long intends them to go beyond that, in exploring justice in America’s courtrooms.  Both are available in hardback, paperback and eBook formats.

William Darwin Prillaman (Arch ’76 CM) published Richmond In Watercolor -dining out + drinking in, an effort to help restaurant workers displaced by the pandemic by donating the profits to their cause. Plein air paintings of over 30 Richmond restaurants are featured, along with thumbnail sketches and recipes. The project began in the winter of 2020, when closures prompted him to decide to help the industry by sharing his art. His watercolor skills were honed by Professor John Ruseau (Arch ’56), while he was a teaching assistant in the Master of Architecture program. The book may be virtually viewed online at boprillaman.com.

Gary Alexander (Col ’64 CM) has published Poems For Your Pandemic, a light-hearted look at the way we lived in 2020. The book contains poems such as “My Wife’s My Barber!”, “Line Up, Line Up, Its For The Test!”, “Why Is Toilet Paper So Hard to Find?”, “I’ve Lost My Mask!” and many more. For more details, visit www.downtimewithme.com.

Gary’s love of history started at the University. It was the only subject he did well in, he says. Included in the book are  humorous poems written more than a century ago by Americans struggling with the Spanish Flu. As Gary observes, it’s pretty amazing how history repeats.

Gary hopes everyone stays safe and takes time to look back and marvel at how our lives have changed.

Richard Rannellone (Engr ’68) has published a novel,  Auslander (German for foreigner). The story deals with a World War II German soldier, who is captured in  North Africa by the American army.  After spending his captivity at  a POW camp in Texas, he returns to war-ravaged Germany, but is disillusioned by the dismal state of the country and the lack of professional opportunities for him, a degree holder in aeronautical engineering.  He longs to return to the U.S. and finally achieves that goal. Life in the U.S. presents a new array of opportunities and challenges that he must confront.  

Michael Widener (Col ’72 CM) has digitally published a novel, Fishbein, Ascending, now available, together with his non-fiction writings, at https://widenerites.com. Mike retired from law practice and public officialdom in 2021, and divides his time between Arizona’s deserts and the hills of Middle Tennessee with his wife Peggy.

Rod MacDonald (Col ’70 CM) published his 13th compact disc of songs, Boulevard, and second novel, The American Guerillas, in 2021. The CD is a collection of his first songs, written when he was a graduate student in New York City, living on upper Broadway. Though released on the independent label Blue Flute Music, the CD made the top twenty in national folk & roots music charts. The novel, a story of a man on the run who ends up on a remote desert American Indian reservation, was published by Archway Publications in April. MacDonald lives in South Florida and is a “geezer dad”, with two teenage children. He works full-time, as a performer, as co-producer of the monthly Greenwich Village Folk Festival, and as Music Americana instructor in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic University, where he was named Distinguished Faculty Member in 2012. 

Justin Humphreys (Col ’01) appears on two recent BluRay video releases: he recorded an audio commentary for Flight to Mars and wrote and narrated a documentary included on The Brotherhood of Satan. 

Robert Graboyes (Col ’76) interviewed Eric Topol (Col ’75) on the podcast “Healthcare’s Reluctant Revolution.” The two discussed artificial intelligence, the doctor-patient relationship, medical ethics, mRNA vaccines, CRISPR, telehealth and other topics—including a personal experience at UVA Student Health in the 1970s. Graboyes is a senior research fellow and healthcare scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a former clinical professor at the UVA School of Nursing. Topol is founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute and a senior consultant at the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at the Scripps Clinic.

Geoffrey F. Weiss (Engr ’91 CM), a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, will publish first book, The New Art of War: The Origins, Theory, and Future of Conflict in September.

Marcia Thompson Friedman (Col ’89) recently published her second cookbook, The Essential Jewish Cookbook. The book includes a brief history of Jewish culinary traditions along with 100 recipes. Her first cookbook, Meatballs and Matzah Balls: Recipes and Reflections from a Jewish and Italian Life, was published in 2013. In June 2021, she received the honor of membership in Les Dames d’Escoffier, a prestigious international culinary organization.

Craig W. Sampson (Col ’90, Law ’93) has coauthored Family Law: Theory, Practice, and Forms, 2021 ed. (Vol. 9, Virginia Practice Series). Sampson is a shareholder at Barnes & Diehl P.C. in Richmond and parent of Sabrina Sampson (Col ’21).

Anna Caritj (Col ’12) published her debut novel, Leda and the Swan, in May 2021. The book follows Leda, a sorority girl in her third year at a Southern university. Leda’s crush, Ian, is implicated in the disappearance of a fellow classmate, Charlotte Mask. As the campus rouses itself to respond to Charlotte’s disappearance, rumors swirl, suspicious facts pile up, and Leda’s obsession with Charlotte grows. She soon finds herself reassessing her commitment to Greek Life and all that it entails. Her allegiances and motivations begin to blur. The novel examines contemporary youth culture and the dynamics surrounding sex, consent, risk, regret and power.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman (Grad ’11) has published a new book. Hope Matters: Churchless Sermons in the Time of the Coronavirus is a collection of weekly editorials he wrote for the local newspaper over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Part memoir, part social commentary, he draws on biblical interpretation and theological reflection to make connections with a reading audience beyond my faith community in a time in which we were all tested. One hundred percent of the profits support a food assistance ministry in his community that began during the pandemic: the church partners with a local farm and restaurant to provide nutritious meals to people living with special needs.

Deborah E. Sheetenhelm Hammond (Arch ’82 CM) published her 24th novel, These Foolish Things. The second in her Someone to Watch Over Me series, the book brings to life the story of Victoria Sloan and Matthew Madison. They met at the wedding of her best friend, Alexandra Wesson and sparks flew. The problem is, Victoria lives in New York City and owns a marketing firm. Matthew lives on a horse farm in rural Virginia and rescues people in peril for a living. Can these two seemingly diverse lives mesh and if they do, will the precarious nature of Matthew’s vocation endanger them both?

These Foolish Things is available on Amazon.com along with the prior 23 novels of the author and at local book signings and events in the tri-state area. For more information, contact the author at downtongirl13@gmail.com  on Facebook at dhammondbooks and Twitter @DeborahHammon18.

A Falling Waters, West Virginia, resident, Hammond was also recently appointed to a four-year term on the West Virginia Broadcasting Foundation Board of Directors. She also serves on the Eastern West Virginia Home Consortium and has worked as a fundraiser for United Way of the Eastern Panhandle for six years.

Peter Coy (Col ’71) published a book of plays, A House In The Country and Other Plays. The collection, by the award-winning playwright, includes A House in the Country, Will’s Bach, The Gift of the Magi, Poe & All That Jazz and A Shadow of Honor. Coy’s plays explore chaos and emotional depth as his characters confront disorder, wrestle with love and struggle with the effects of trauma and loss. He tackles these issues with a mixture of psychological realism, offbeat humor, musicality and theatrical inventiveness. Currently based in Nelson County, Virginia, Coy has directed more than 60 productions and written or adapted more than 45 plays. His plays have been produced in Washington, D.C., New York City, across Virginia, and beyond, including at the Charter Theatre, Barter Theatre, Capital Fringe Festival, D.C.; Theatre at Saint Clement’s, Keegan Theatre, Lime Kiln Theater and more.

Jay B. Marcus (Law ’66) published The Coherence Effect: Tapping into the Laws of Nature Governing Health, Happiness, and Higher Brain Functioning. The book, which he wrote with Chris Clark and Robert Keith Wallace, is about the daily health routines followed for centuries by yogis and sages and what these routines can do for health and clarity of mind today. He also published an article adapted from the book and produced a short podcast promoting the importance of brain wave coherence. This is his fifth book on this topic. 

Nebil Husayn (Col ’04) published his first book, Opposing the Imam. Husayn is an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Miami. His research broadly considers the development of Islamic theology, historiography and debates on the caliphate. Husayn earned his doctorate in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University and a master’s in Arabic and Islamic studies from Harvard University. He is the recipient of a Fulbright award and the University of Miami Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities. 

Phil Garn (Col ’82 CM) and his old master chief, Jim Gray, wrote Warboats: 55 Years of Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft History for their veteran’s nonprofit organization, the Combatant Craft Crewman Association. This is the first history of “The Silent Ones” and traces the history of what is now known as Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewmen (SWCCs). They have been part of naval special warfare since their inception late in the Eisenhower administration and deployment early in the Kennedy administration. Initially the largest individual component of the former Naval Operational Support Group during the Vietnam War, SWCCs currently compose more than a quarter of the operators in naval special warfare, including the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Heavily illustrated with many never before published photos, documents, insignia and veterans recollections, it is available through the Combatant Craft Crewman Association Website.

Carolyn DeMain Pipitone (Engr ’94, ’96 CM) self-published her first book now available on Amazon. Based on her personal experience, Make Your Boomer Parents Do This Now!: A Generation X Guide to their Boomer Parent’s Estate Plans, provides a short and manageable list of the critical documents and accounts every Gen Xer needs their Boomer parents to make immediately. Convenient “Gotcha Tips” provide hints for how to avoid pitfalls you would never know about until you live through them.

Golara Haghtalab (Col ’17) published Immigrant, a book about change and adaptation and explores the personal and professional identities of a 30-year-old immigrant woman. She writes: “I wrote this book because I believe everyone can learn something about accepting what is, letting go of what is not working, and starting anew from immigrants.

I hope that, in reading this book, you will discover the resilience of a 30-year-old immigrant woman and her journey to self-realization in a new country. In this book, I hope to instill in you the same sort of passion and excitement I have for immigrants and the lessons of enduring change and achieving adaptation. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to help you unlock your superpowers when faced with a new situation that is unknown to you.

Because of the current state of the world, I decided to build a community around the immigrant journey topic. The New Degree Press gave me the best shot at it, so here I am building a community, and I would love for you to join us too!

Your support won’t be for the book alone. It will be for immigrants in the U.S. to be heard and seen. After all, aren’t we all immigrants in the U.S.?

Please join me in my journey by pre-ordering my book.“

J. William Lewis (Law ’68) will publish his debut novel, The Essence of Nathan Biddle, in June 2021. The book is a timeless coming-of-age tale that, as novelist David Armstrong observed, “is like discovering The Catcher in the Rye all over again.” 

Timothy Shelley (Grad ’98) has written two books, Stories When Little: Growing Up Under MK-ULTRA and Playboy’s Progress: Coming of Age Under MK-ULTRA, which are available for free at his website, Fighting Monarch, which now has more than one million hits. The books are an epic detective story exploring the themes of memory, forgetting, sexual programming, personal and national identity, globalism, and their intersection with conspiracy theories.

Lloyd F. Stamy Jr. (Col ’73 CM) published his newest book, Strangers No More, a sequel to Reunion of Strangers published in 2018. Interwoven plots of passion and patriotism collide in this gripping drama of global cyberwarfare and looming economic enslavement. Stamy serves up a riveting tale of intrigue, espionage, cyberterrorism, betrayal, revenge, the dethronement of an American president, and a reconciliation of anxious hearts and flawed psyches – all during the throes of a global pandemic. He lives in Fox Chapel, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and the direct link to his author page is: 

www.amazon.com/author/lloyd.stamy

Richard F. McGonegal (Grad ’75 CM) published a mystery novel, Sense of Grace. While attending UVA, he studied creative writing with Peter Taylor, who later won a Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 1973. McGonegal and his wife, Kristie, live in Jefferson City, Missouri, where their two adult daughters, Heather and Jane, also live. He retired in 2017 after a 41-year journalism career at the Jefferson City News Tribune, a daily newspaper in Missouri’s capital city. Twenty-four of his short stories have been published in magazines, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.

Ian Jenkins (Col ’97, Med ’01) has published his first book, Three Dads and a Baby: Adventures in Modern Parenting, a memoir about becoming the first polyamorous family recognized as the legal parents of a child anywhere in the world. Learn about the legal, personal and health struggles the family overcame on their journey to being proud parents of two amazing children. The story has been covered in the Huffington Post, CNN, DailyMail, numerous blogs and podcasts, and international media from Latin America to Spain, Austria, and Australia.  

John B. Gordon III (Col ’95, Educ ’00 CM) published his first book, The Teacher’s Lounge: The Real Role of Educators in Your Schools. The semi-autobiographical book describes the impact of educational decisions from our past, and how local and national pop culture and political events changed the culture in education. This is not your typical book about education that overwhelms the reader with research, while not thinking about the practical application in schools. Instead, readers will be provided with insight into how education has changed based on everyday experiences, the increased levels of accountability, and the influence of social media and technology in schools and student lives. The Teacher’s Lounge further looks at the role each stakeholder plays in education, and how those roles work together and unfortunately, sometimes are in opposition of each other. From the growing diversity in schools in the 1970’s, to the effect of Reagonomics in the 1980’s, the educational system became the platform for politics. The influx of reality television and music in the 1990’s, and the effect of technology and social media in the 2000’s, gave all audiences a broad view of what it is like to be a student in school today. The Teacher’s Lounge is guaranteed to make you laugh, reflect, and begin the debate on what is needed for the future of education.