ALUMNI IN PRINT

Recently published works by Mason alumni

Necessary Sins: Lazare Family Saga, Book One

Elyse Becker, MFA Creative Writing ’07 In antebellum Charleston, South Carolina, a Catholic priest grapples with doubt, his secret African ancestry, and his love for a slave owner’s wife in this debut novel (ClaireVoie Books, August 2019), the first book of the Lazare Family Saga. Becker, who publishes under the pen name Elizabeth Bell, is a staff member with Mason’s University Libraries. She was a finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

Choose to Cruise: The Ultimate Resource for Cruising with the Family

Nicole Emard Ratner, BA Communication ’00 Going on a cruise can be a daunting proposition. This guide (BookBaby, December 2019) answers many commonly asked questions, from the true cost of cruising to the best way to cruise with children. In addition to her writing career, Ratner is the CEO of The Next Steps LLC. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and business partner, Dan, and their two daughters.

I Love You Bye Bye Bye Bye

Alyse Knorr, MFA Creative Writing ’12 This chapbook (Ethel, 2020) is being published in a limited run of 60 handmade copies. The poetry explores the function of language in a society full of technology. Knorr is an assistant professor of English at Regis University. She is also the coeditor of Switchback Books. She has published several works of poetry, including Mega-City Redux, Copper Mother, and Annotated Glass.

One Dark Morning: The True Story of Surviving a Fallen Trooper

Linda Cavazos, BA Government and Politics ‘97 This memoir (selfpublished, March 2020) traces what it takes to survive the death of a loved one who dies in the line of duty. Cavazos tells her story from the time her husband became the first Mexican American state trooper in Virginia to how she has continued to grow and recover in the years following his death. Cavazos, the mother of two adult children, now lives in Colorado. This is her first book.

The Last Voyage of the Whaling Bark Progress: New Bedford, Chicago and the Twilight of an Industry

Daniel Gifford, PhD History ’11 For the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, a whaling vessel, the Progress, was redesigned to be a mobile museum of whaling. This book (McFarland Press, May 2020) traces the last days of the Progress and how its rise and fall mirrors the whaling industry as a whole. Gifford is a public historian with particular interests in American history and pop culture. His previous book, American Holiday Postcards 1905–1915: Imagery and Context, was published in 2013. He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, where he teaches at several local universities.

Things Are Not RosyDory: Malaphors from Politicians and Pundits

David Hatfield, JD ’84 A malaphor is a mixture of a metaphor and a malaprop. This book (Amazon, July 2020) collects malaphors from the world of politics, where malaphors run wild on both sides of the aisle. Hatfield is a longtime fan of wordplay. His first book, He Smokes Like a Fish and Other Malaphors, was published in 2016. A retired administrative law judge, Hatfield currently lives in western Pennsylvania.

The Book of Real-World Negotiations: Successful Strategies from Business, Government, and Daily Life

Joshua Weiss, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’02 This book (Wiley, August 2020) takes negotiation out of the hypothetical world and into the real world. The author emphasizes that no solution is impossible, as he outlines how to achieve “winwin” outcomes, how to successfully negotiate across cultures, and the vital importance of underlying interests. Weiss is an author, consultant, and speaker specializing in conflict analysis and resolution. He is also the co founder of the global negotiation initiative at Harvard University, the president of Negotiation Works Inc., and the director of the master’s in leadership and negotiation program at Bay Path University.

Modern Manners for Moms and Dads: Practical Parenting Solutions for Sticky Social Situations

Evanthia Granville, MEd ’08, and Sarah Davis While there is an abundance of parenting books, many of them ignore the reality of parenting. This book (Mango Publishing, October 2020) takes a more realistic and humorous approach to helping new parents. The authors combine their experience as parents and their careers as educators to help readers develop a parenting style that will fit even the wildest of situations. Granville holds degrees from Mason and Columbia University. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, their two children, their dog, and their cat.

The Greek Fire: American-Ottoman Relations and Democratic Fervor in the Age of Revolution

Maureen Connors-Santelli, MA History ’08, PhD ’14 This book (Cornell University Press, December 2020) examines the United States’ entanglement in the Greek Revolution of the 1820s and 1830s and how that involvement shaped the course of U.S. diplomacy and foreign relations. ConnorsSantelli is an associate professor of history at Northern Virginia Community College.

Paradoxes of Power: A Collection of Essays on Failed Leadership and How to Fix It

Carl Hunt, PhD Information Technology ’01, editor This text (September 2020) collects several essays that dissect failures of power in the past few decades. Power, in this context, is discussed in areas such as religion, government, education, and gender. Hunt, a retired U.S. Army colonel, enjoyed a career as a military police officer and an information technology officer. He has published work in political science and information technology. He lives in Colorado.