Media Matters

“The African American story, with all of its complexities, was the one I wanted to learn and the one I wanted to tell,” said Mark Curnutte ’84, author of Across the Color Line, published by University of Cincinnati Press in December. The former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter is now teaching at Miami as a visiting instructor of social justice studies and journalism.

Chloe Vyzral ’21, from Columbus, is a social justice studies and environmental science major. After graduation, she wants to gain some experience in farming and food sustainability, and then earn a master’s.

Crossing the BlackWhite Divide

Mark Curnutte ’84 shares 25 years of reporting in Black Cincinnati

By Chloe Vyzral ’21

It was a blisteringly cold January day as I trudged through the city slush to my internship at Our Daily Bread, the largest soup kitchen in Cincinnati. The numbing chill threatened to turn my mood sour, but I simply couldn’t help but feel a light elation wash over me on those lively streets.

I saw children skipping home from school, old women smoking cigarettes while chatting at the bus stops, and jam-packed little corner markets, their windows steaming up with customers’ collective exhales.

Then a passerby waved and smiled at me from a cocoon of winter garments. It was my Miami professor, Mark, the man who connected me with this incredible internship. He blended in seamlessly with the bustling ecosystem that is Over-the-Rhine. He is a devoted observer of the stories told on every street. He is the author of Across the Color Line.

Mark Curnutte ’84, the former race and social justice reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer, spent decades cultivating a bond with the Black community, illuminating its triumphs and tribulations.

“It was bigger than me. Nothing ever made more sense to me — intellectually, emotionally, spiritually — than the singular African American experience of racism, oppression, brutality, and through it all, resilience and perseverance,” Curnutte said.

For Across the Color Line, he curated 80 of his journalistic works and selected those that illustrated a narrative of experience, ranging from civil rights victories to the lived reality of generational poverty, setting them up with an original 11,000-word introduction that explains how, for him, the professional turned personal.

The book has a symbiotic relationship with the author, as if the stories helped write the author, instead of the other way around. He explains, “Every story, in a way, added another piece to my ongoing education.”

University of Toronto: The Campus Guide Larry Wayne Richards’67

Princeton Architectural Press Featuring beautiful photos, maps, and essays, this second edition provides an updated and in-depth tour of Canada’s largest university while showcasing some of the finest architecture and landscapes in 11 curated walking routes.

Surviving in a Ruthless World: Bob Dylan’s Voyage to Infidels Terry Gans ’68 MA ’70

Red Planet Books For a history on the Infidels album, Terry was granted unique permission to write, research, and quote from Dylan’s personal notebooks, voluminous song drafts, and 49 reels of master session tapes, offering a detailed picture of Bob Dylan creating his magic.

Socially Distanced Robert Stern ’70

SociallyDistancedJournal.com This journal of fun verse and illustrations is for all ages to record their thoughts and experiences regarding the coronavirus pandemic. For you, friend, parents, and grandchildren, it is designed to evoke meaningful memories to be shared for generations.

The Take-Away Sleigh: An After Christmas Adventure Kevin King ’78 & Neil Hunn ’94

Take Away Sleigh, LLC

Annie and Tommy’s adventure, during one spring day, is a whimsical journey that highlights the true meaning of Christmas. Through their story, children will be taught, and parents reminded, about the importance of giving and the value of others.

From the Lookout Kathleen Harris ’81

Wisconsin Historical Society Press Discover how two St. Louis socialites with big ideas, little money, and no experience keep Camp Meenahga on Lake Michigan in Door County’s Peninsula State Park running through two world wars and the Great Depression.

The Board Member’s Guide to Risk David Koenig ’84

Independently published Focused on the role a company’s board of directors plays in governing how a company manages risk, David offers ideas that will help board members transform risk from something they fear into something they welcome and use to better serve their mission.

Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams Larry English ’90

Centric Consulting Sprinkled with funny, insightful stories from Larry and his Centric colleagues, his guidebook to sustaining remote collaborate teams shares his 20 years of experience in creating successful virtual cultures.

John R. Mott, the American YMCA, and Revolutionary Russia Matthew Lee Miller ’90, editor

Slavica Publishers/Indiana U. This is a collection of public addresses and letters created during Mott’s participation in a U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia sent by President Woodrow Wilson and led by Elihu Root from May to August 1917.

Pockets of Promise Laurie Stroup Smith ’98

Vinspire Publishing Laurie’s debut book follows Mariah Mast, an 18-year-old Amish woman, torn between two worlds and two men, who travels to the Amish snowbird community of Pinecraft, where she receives guidance through secret letters tucked into a special quilt.

Still I am Pushing Candice Kelsey ’92

Finishing Line Press

This is Candice’s debut book of poetry. A finalist for Poetry Quarterly’s Rebecca Lard Award, she was nominated for a 2019 Pushcart Prize for her creative nonfiction.