Home / Issues / Books by UU authors, Winter 2009
Books by UU authors, Winter 2009
A selection of books written by Unitarian Universalists.
Children and parents
More Pocket Poems. Selected by Bobbi Katz. Illus. by Deborah Zemke. Dutton Children’s Books, 2009; $17.99. Charmingly illustrated poems for every season. Katz is a member of the UU Congregation of the Catskills, and has published many books for children, including, most recently, Pocket Poems, A Rumpus of Rhymes: A Book of Noisy Poems, and We, the People.
The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk. Diana West and Lisa Marasco. McGraw Hill, 2009; $17.95. The authors, both board-certified lactation consultants, help mothers identify the cause of low milk supply and explore effective ways to create more milk and keep a milk supply going when away from the baby. West is a member of the Morristown, N.J., Unitarian Fellowship.
Something Happened: A Book for Children and Parents Who Have Experienced Pregnancy Loss. Cathy Blanford. Illus. by Phyllis Childers. SomethingHappenedBook.com, 2008; $12.95. Cathy Blanford, a children’s grief counselor and member of the UU Church of Hinsdale, Ill., has written a children’s story about a boy who has lost a baby sister. Beautifully illustrated by Phyllis Childers, a member of the UU Church of Rockville, Md., the book contains text on each page advising parents on how to help children in the grieving process.
Fiction and nonfiction
Blame. Michelle Huneven. Sarah Crichton Books, 2009; $25. After killing two people in a drunk driving accident, Patsy MacLemoore, a history professor in her late twenties, must confront guilt, shame, and her alcoholism to find redemption. Huneven, a member of the Neighborhood UU Church of Pasadena, Calif., has published two previous novels, Round Rock and Jamesland, and has received a General Electric Foundation Award for Younger Writers and a Whiting Writers’ Award for Fiction.
Sunday Meditations for Liberal Religious Worship. Peter Tufts Richardson. Red Barn Publishing, 2009; $19.95. Richardson, a retired UU minister, has assembled sixty-five of his meditations, which are accompanied by photographs he has taken at home and abroad. Arranged by season, the meditations deal with holidays, current events, nature, and the world’s religions.
Singing Meditation: Together in Sound and Silence. Ruthie Rosauer and Liz Hill. Skinner House, 2010; $12. An introduction to singing as meditation, with two chapters about leading singing meditation groups. Rosauer, a member of the UU Congregation of Eau Claire, Wisc., has led singing meditation groups since 2004. Hill is a member of Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colo.
We Side with the Morning: Daily Prayers to the God of Hope. William Cleary. Sorin Books, 2009; $15.95. Cleary provides a prayer for each day on a different topic, allowing for a full spectrum of reflection on the nature of God. Cleary is the author of numerous UU books, including ABC’s for UU Newcomers. He is a member of the First UU Society of Burlington, Vt.
Shift: Change Your Words, Change Your World. Janet Smith Warfield. Word Sculptures Publishing, 2007; $19.95. Warfield argues that a shift in consciousness can be created through a shift in words. She says that words are not truth; they are catalysts helping readers find their own truths. Warfield, who is an author, poet, attorney, and mediator, grew up in the Unitarian Church of Germantown in Philadelphia, Pa., and was a member of the UU Congregation of the South Jersey Shore in Absecon, N.J.
Real Peace, Real Security: The Challenges of Global Citizenship. Sharon D. Welch. Fortress Press, 2008; $7. Just-war theorists often focus on international conflict as the last resort, but here, Welch focuses on preemptive strategies that would avert war. Welch is provost and professor of religion and society at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, as well as a member of the UU Church of Columbia, Mo.
Women Writing for (a) Change: A Guide for Creative Transformation. Mary Pierce Brosmer. Sorin Books, 2009; $15.95. Brosmer founded Women Writing for (a) Change, a network of feminist writing schools, to help women “nurture the conscious feminine voice within them.” Her book shares her techniques and the story of the organization (womenwriting.org). Brosmer is a member of St. John’s UU Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A Guide to Fantasy Literature: Thoughts on Stories of Wonder & Enchantment. Philip Martin. Crickhollow Books, 2009; $16.95. Martin delves deeply into the genre of fantasy fiction in this revised edition of an earlier work, exploring the nature of the genre and different types of characters, settings, and plots. A member of the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, he is the series editor of The New Writer’s Handbook, an anthology of advice about writing, and author of several books on the traditional culture of the Upper Midwest.
Guided by Dreams: Breast Cancer, Dreams, and Transformation. Rachel G. Norment. Brandylane Publishers, 2006; $16.95. Norment, an artist trained in dream interpretation and a member of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church in Charlottesville, Va., describes her own battle with breast cancer and how she used dreams to help chart her treatment.
Hire the American Dream: How to Build Your Minimum-Wage Workforce into a High-Performance, Customer-Focused Team. Dave Melton and Tim McIntyre. John Wiley & Sons, 2009; $24.95. Melton shares the story of his success as the owner of four Domino’s Pizza franchises in New York City. Chapters cover hiring, motivating minimum-wage employees, customer service, and giving feedback. McIntyre is now vice president of communications for Domino’s Pizza and a member of the UU Church of Farmington, Mich.
Compelling Conversations: Questions & Quotations on Timeless Topics. Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson. Chimayo Press, 2008; $24.50. This ESL textbook for advanced students is divided into sections called “Your Life,” “Free Time,” “Modern Times,” and “Civic Life.” Aberson, who has taught English and supervised English teachers for thirty-five years, is a member of the UU Fellowship of Wilmington, N.C. Her co-author, Roth, is her son.
