40 / MIXED MEDIA / BOOKS,
MOVIES,
AND
MUSIC
JUST RELEASED
Alan Gertner ’72 (A&S) had his new book, Auditory Disorders in the Classroom: A Guide for Speech Language Pathologists, Audiologists and Educators, published in February 2021. Gertner is a professor in the School of Communication Disorders and Deafness, Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean University in Union, N.J. He is also the attending audiologist at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J. and is the team audiologist for the Monmouth Medical Center’s Regional Cleft Palate Team. He was also awarded the 2020–2021 Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award from the New Jersey Speech Language and Hearing Association.
Barbara Bergren M’86, (Barney) wrote Witness for My Father: A World War II Story of Loss, Hope, and Discovery about her father’s experience during the Holocaust. The book was published in 2020 and has won awards from the National Indie Excellence Awards and the Florida Writers Association.
Shannon Dass ’15 (ENHP) published a book titled Charlie’s Journey. The book aims to help people understand students with special needs. Dass is a high school teacher and helps with special education students who need assistance with English classes. She drew on her experiences in the classroom to write the book.
Share your newly released book, album, or film with the UHart community. Email editor@hartford.edu.
Sundeep R. Muppidi, professor of communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, published his fourth book, COVID-19, Racism and Politicization: Media in the Midst of a Pandemic. The co-edited volume explores the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of national and international media and governments in the initial coverage of the developing crisis. The chapters highlight various issues specific to individual countries, such as racism, conspiracy theories, Sinophobia, stigmatization of victims, media bias, and othering.
LISTEN UP
“Blissful and beautifully arranged; compressed sunshine to brighten a miserable year,” The Guardian’s John Lewis says about Force Majeure, a recently released album by Dezron Douglas ’05 (Hartt) and Brandee Younger ’06 (Hartt). It features 11 pieces that were self-recorded from their living room with a single microphone. The album was born from weekly livestream performances the duo started at the beginning of the pandemic to create a sense of community during a dark time.
Jolie Rocke ’89 (Hartt) recently released the production Remembering Juneteenth, a historical account of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans through the narratives and spirituals of former slaves from Texas. Rocke also wrote and produced a performance titled Triumphant Over Triple Negative, which premiered last October. The performance is an autobiographical fragment of her life and demonstrates the healing power of music and the importance of a supportive community.
H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE
