Quick Take

Creative Juices

Terry Birdwhistell ’75 ’78 AS,

’94 ED has written “Washington’s Iron Butterfly: Bess Clements Abell, An Oral History (Kentucky Remembered)” with Donald A. Ritchie. Had Elizabeth “Bess” Clements Abell (1933–2020) been a boy, she would likely have become a politician like her father, Earle C. Clements. Effectively barred from office because of her gender, she forged her own path by helping family friends Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. Abell’s Secret Service code name, “Iron Butterfly,” exemplified her graceful but firm management of social life in the Johnson White House. After Johnson’s administration ended, she maintained her importance in Washington, D.C., serving as chief of staff to Joan Mondale and cofounding a public relations company. Ritchie and Birdwhistell draw on Abell’s own words and those of others known to her to tell her remarkable story. Focusing on her years working for the Johnson campaign and her time in the White House, this engaging oral history provides a window into Abell’s life as well as an insider’s view of the nation’s capital during the tumultuous 1960s.

Jamie Creek ’02 BE published “We the People and the President,” with her husband, PJ Creek. Perfect for reluctant readers, and anyone interested in American history, the non-fiction book offers a glimpse into the intricacy of the American presidency for a foundation of knowledge for the youngest of readers. Ever wonder who the presidents really were? Ever wonder if our electoral system will evolve or remain the same? Who’s your favorite president? This accessible, uniquely formatted picture book covers it all. Find out everything you want to know about the United States presidency — who the presidents were; how we vote; whose votes count the most — in this book completely comprised of infographics. Jamie Creek teaches middle school in southern Illinois. Each summer she and her husband travel the United States, exploring historic sites with their three children. In 2006, they founded Periodic Presidents, a company designed to teach American history through art and infographics. William (Bill) Hugh Jansen ’71 AS has written his first book-length work of fiction “When the Owl Speaks.” A mystery set in the Arctic, the story follows an American graduate student who arrives in the far north to conduct research in a small Nunavut town in Canada. Unfamiliar with Inuit culture and unprepared for the demands of life in the far north, the American struggles to understand the powers of mystic shamanism and the possibility of emerging supernatural forces following a woman’s untimely death. Like the story’s main character, Jansen went to the Canadian Arctic to do research for his doctoral degree and lived in a small town in Nunavut. Although his book is a work of fiction, some of his own experiences in the Arctic provided inspiration for the story.

Paul Whalen ’78 AS is the author of “Profiles of Kentucky’s United States Senators 1792-Present.” Since 1792, a total of 66 men have represented the Commonwealth in Kentucky’s two Senate seats. Through the years, proud Kentuckians have been leaders in that body, including many big names such as Henry Clay, John J. Crittenden, Alben Barkley and Mitch McConnell. In his book, Whalen presents biographical essays, with portrait photographs, from everyone who has represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate since its inception. The book also includes interesting “First and Onlys” for Kentucky U.S. Senators, Senate salaries since 1789, and U.S. Senators from other states who were born in Kentucky. Whalen is a resident of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and is past chair of the KY Conference of the United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History.

Nathan L. Vanderford ’99 AFE, ’08 MED recently published the second edition of “The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia: Kentucky Students take ACTION.” In the book, Appalachian Kentucky high school and UK undergraduate students write personal, poignant essays about their experiences with cancer in their families and in their communities, they discuss why they believe cancer rates are so high in Appalachian Kentucky, and they write about how they think the cancer problem in the region can be addressed.

Charles Dowling Williams ’79 LAW has published a book of haiku “Echo Ridge.” Williams, a Kentucky lawyer and nationally recognized tree farmer, has crafted three volumes in seven years — each more interesting and compelling than the other. The basis for Williams’ book is a daily journal he has kept for 40 years while working at West Wind Farm, a Kentucky tree farm in Munfordville.

UK and the UK Alumni Association do not necessarily endorse books or other original material mentioned in Creative Juices. The University of Kentucky and the UK Alumni Association are not responsible for the content, views and opinions expressed on websites mentioned in Creative Juices or found via links off of those websites.

Quick Take

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022!

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