Reediana Briefs

Leaving Lila, By Bill Baker ’50

Leaving Lila, By Bill Baker ’50 (Galaxy 44 2016). Bill was six years old in 1931 when his mother left him at an orphanage, promising to return for him when she was settled in a new home. But years passed, and she virtually vanished from his life. At age 15, he unceremoniously “graduated” to a boys’ home, where orphans were forced to do hard labor and sometimes abused. Leaving Lila is the true story of Bill’s escape. With his meager possessions stuffed into a Boy Scout knapsack, he lived by wits and determination, on the road in search of his mother and a better life.

Thunderlord, By Deborah J. Ross ’68

Thunderlord, By Deborah J. Ross ’68 with Marion Zimmer Bradley, (DAW 2016). In Darkover’s past, the ages of chaos were a time of constant warfare, when powerful psychic weapons ravaged the land and slaughtered entire armies. Perhaps none was more dangerous and unpredictable than the gift to sense--and control--thunderstorms. Deborah, long-time friend of bestselling fantasy author Marion Zimmer Bradley, has coauthored several novels in Bradley’s critically acclaimed Darkover series, including The Children of Kings in 2014. 

The Sacred Beasts, By Bev Jafek ’71

The Sacred Beasts, By Bev Jafek ’71 (Bedazzled Ink Publishing 2016). Bev has published over 40 short stories and novel excerpts, some of which have been translated into German, Italian, and Dutch. Now, in her first novel, she tells a fiercely feminist story of expatriate American gay women in their travels from Argentinian Patagonia to Spain, culminating in their active participation in a revolution in Barcelona and the creation of a new conception of liberated women: sacred beasts.

The Papers of Andrew Jackson, Volume X 1832, Edited by Dan Feller ’72

The Papers of Andrew Jackson, Volume X 1832, Edited by Dan Feller ’72 (University of Tennessee Press 2016). Was Jackson a dangerous man with an uncontrolled temper? Or, was he a shrewd politician who faked outbursts of temper for political ends? He is both, according to Dan, an expert on Jackson and the editor of The Papers of Andrew Jackson, an ambitious project to publish Jackson's complete documentary record. This volume includes more than 400 documents from his fourth presidential year in which he defeated Henry Clay and secured a second presidential term. It presents private memoranda, intimate family letters, drafts of official messages, and correspondence with government and military officers, diplomats, indians, political friends and foes, and ordinary citizens throughout the U.S. Beginning with Jackson's ongoing feud with Vice President John C. Calhoun, 1832 is eventful: an ongoing Indian removal campaign, a cholera epidemic, and Jackson's plans to destroy the Bank of the United States. 

Arsenic with Austen, By Katherine Bolger Hyde ’78

Arsenic with Austen, By Katherine Bolger Hyde ’78 (Minotaur Books 2016). The protagonist, Emily Cavanaugh, starts out as a Reed professor of comparative literature, then moves to the Oregon coast when she inherits an estate from her great-aunt—who, she soon comes to suspect, was murdered. Emily uses her knowledge of Jane Austen’s works to help solve the case. Arsenic with Austen is the first novel in the Crime with the Classics series, each of which will focus on a different classic author.

The Nature of Soviet Power: An Arctic Environmental History, By Andy Bruno ’03

The Nature of Soviet Power: An Arctic Environmental History, By Andy Bruno ’03 (Cambridge University Press 2016). During the 20th century, the Soviet Union transformed the Kola Peninsula into one of the most populated, industrialized, militarized, and polluted parts of the Arctic. This in-depth exploration of five industries in the region examines cultural perceptions of nature, plans for development, lived experiences, and modifications to the physical world. It shows that while Soviet power remade nature, nature also remade Soviet power.

Critical Information Literacy, By Annie Downey [library 2012–]

Critical Information Literacy, By Annie Downey [library 2012–] (Library Juice Press 2016). A book for library science scholars and policy makers. Academic librarians are exploring critical information literacy (CIL) in ever- increasing numbers. While a smattering of journal articles and a small number of books have been published on the topic, the conversation around CIL has mostly taken place online, at conferences, in individual libraries, and in personal dialogues. This book explores that conversation and provides a snapshot of the current state of CIL.

Library Service Design: A LITA Guide to Holistic Assessment, Insight, and Improvement, By Joe J. Marquez [library 2012–] and Annie Downey [library 2012–]

Library Service Design: A LITA Guide to Holistic Assessment, Insight, and Improvement,  By Joe J. Marquez [library 2012–]  and Annie Downey [library 2012–] (Rowman & Littlefield 2016). This book was born out of the experience of two Reed librarians tasked with redesigning the library website, a project which led to examining physical touchpoints and then how space was used throughout the library. “The user’s experience is more than just a single interaction with an interface.” After discovering service design and seeing how well it worked in their environment, as well as noting the lack of reliable and holistic methods for accessing services and resources, the authors decided to share this user-centered approach for creating and refining services. It promises to “alter the way you see your library and your users giving you greater insight into the assessment of the entire library.” 

The Tango Machine: Musical Culture in the Age of Expediency, By Prof. Morgan James Luker [music 2010–]

The Tango Machine: Musical Culture in the Age of Expediency, By Prof. Morgan James Luker [music 2010–]  (University of Chicago Press 2016). In Argentina, tango isn’t just the national music—it’s a national brand. But ask any contemporary Argentine if they ever really listen to it and chances are the answer is no: tango hasn’t been popular for more than fifty years. In this book, Prof. Luker explores that odd paradox by tracing the many ways Argentina draws upon tango as a resource for a wide array of economic, social, and cultural—that is to say, nonmusical—projects. In doing so, he illuminates new facets of all musical culture in an age of expediency when the value and meaning of the arts is less about the arts themselves and more about how they can be used. Luker traces the diverse and often contradictory ways tango is used in Argentina in activities ranging from state cultural policy making to its export abroad as a cultural emblem, from the expanding nonprofit arts sector to tango-themed urban renewal projects. He shows how projects such as these are not peripheral to an otherwise “real” tango—they are the absolutely central means by which the values of this musical culture are cultivated. By richly detailing the interdependence of aesthetic value and the regimes of cultural management, this book sheds light on core conceptual challenges facing critical music scholarship today.