Recent SCT Alumni Authors

SCT alumni have recently published books on a variety of subjects, from the New York housing market bubble to corruption in New Jersey politics to animation as a global product. Their work has made best-seller lists, developed devoted fan followings and been updated and revised in new editions.

Mass Media & Communication Alumnus Publishes Book

Photo of When Play Was Play Cover Congratulations to MM&C alum Ron Bishop '83, Professor and Director of the Communication Program in the Department of Culture and Communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia, on the publication of his book, When Play Was Play: Why Pick-Up Games Matter, by the State University of New York Press. The book explores the cultural significance of unstructured play through an in-depth analysis of interviews and written narratives about pick-up game memories from more than 150 people from around the world. For more information and to purchase the book, visit SUNY Press. Ron has also set up a Facebook page, "The Pick-Up Games Project," where he encourages visitors to share their pick-up game memories.

Alumna's New York Times Bestseller Revised and Updated

The Soprano State, a New York Times bestseller written by Sandy McClure, a 1981 Journalism graduate, along with Bob Ingle, has been revised and updated to include additional Garden State stories. The book chronicles New Jersey's culture of corruption, providing true stories of politicians, mobsters and businessmen over the past 30 years. Sandy McClure is a multiple award-winning veteran reporter whose New Jersey statehouse stories, first for The Trentonian and then for the Gannett State Bureau, where she covered state government from Republican Gov. Tom Kean to Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine. She also spent two stints in Pennsylvania covering government and corruption for five newspapers. Additional information is available from www.thesopranostate.com.

FMA Master's Grad Pens Popular Paranormal Romance Series

L.A. Leslie Banks, a 1998 M.F.A. graduate in Film and Media Arts, completed the final book in her cult favorite paranormal romance Vampire Huntress Legend Series, The Thirteenth, published by St. Martin's Press. This work focuses on the Neteru Guardian team, which is on the run as America's most wanted terrorists, following a gruesome demon battle that felled the Washington Monument. Banks also wrote the book for the popular cable network television series, Soul Food, and has contributed to fiction anthologies. Additional information about her work is available through www.leslieesdailebanks.com.

Broadcasting, Mass Communications Alumnus Publishes Book on Animation

Hong-chi Shiau, who holds a 1998 master's degree in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media and a 2002 Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communications, has written Animating the Cute, the Mean and the Beautiful: The Production and Consumption of Animation -- Taiwan's Struggles in the Age of Globalization. Published by VDM Verlag, the book explores how animation, as a form of cultural product, is produced and consumed in the global age. Taiwan was, and still is, one of the largest producers of animation in the world. However, the industry relied heavily on the pre and post-production skills of the client countries in the first world, such as the United States (Hollywood) and Japan. Shiau is an assistant professor in the department of Communications Management at Shih-Hsin University in Taiwan.

Alumna's Book Shares New York Housing Adventures

Mary Elizabeth Williams, a 1988 Radio, Television and Film graduate, wrote Gimme Shelter: True Tales from the Real Estate Bubble, which has been published by Simon & Schuster. The book shares her search for a New York living space. Publisher's Weekly said the book "provides cogent explanations of the recent financial crisis and foreshadows its still-developing repercussions." Williams is the culture critic for Public Radio International's morning show, The Takeaway, and is a regular contributor to Salon.com.

Journalism Grad Explores Justice Through Poetry

Meredith "Miz" Avakian, a 2006 Journalism graduate, wrote Propoganda Begins with PR: Poetry for the Soul, recently published by AuthorHouse. Avakian is a New Jersey native of Armenian-American descent whose poetry has been published in print and online publications including the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, the Armenian Poetry Project, Poetry Ink and The Literary Groong. Propaganda Begins with PR is a collection of spoken word poetry on human life in its rawest essence - emotion. The book is divided into sections on politics, love & lust, Armenian ethnicity, time, distrust and comedy.

Journalism M.A. Grad's Book About Philadelphia Is Launched

Karrie Gavin, a 2006 Master's in Journalism graduate, has published Moon Philadelphia (Avalon Travel Publishing 2008). The book offers in-depth insight into the city's most famous attractions while also revealing its best hidden gems. She offers experienced advice on visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art, exploring Fairmount Park and navigating Philly's diverse dining, shopping and nightlife scenes. Trip ideas include the Two-Day Best of Philadelphia, Philly's Culinary Classics and Philly on a Budget. Gavin's writing has appeared in numerous local, regional and national magazines, including Philadelphia magazine. Her interest in the city was sparked as editor of Campus Philly, where she was responsible for editing a web site, newsletter and guide to Philadelphia for local college students.

Doctoral Alumna Addresses Visual Images In Politics

Maria E. Grabe, who received a Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communications in 1996, is the co-author of Image Bite Politics: News and the Visual Framing of Elections, published by Oxford University Press. The book uses communication, psychology, political science and biology to explore voters' perception and responses to the televised coverage of politics. One reviewer described it as "a detailed, extensively referenced and thoroughly researched argument for taking the visuals of television news seriously as a source of political information." Grabe is associate professor and director of graduate studies in the department of telecommunications at Indiana University in Bloomington. She previously was a research associate in the department of political sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Alumnus, A Philadelphia Daily News Columnist, Publishes Fifth Novel

Solomon Jones, a 1997 Journalism graduate and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, has published his fifth novel, Payback, through St. Martin's Press. Jones teaches creative writing for Temple's College of Liberal Arts. Payback is the sequel to the political thriller, C.R.E.A.M., which introduced Karima "C.R.E.A.M." Thomas as a young woman torn between two powerful men. Payback begins with Karima standing before a judge, accused as an accomplice in the murders of two drug dealers. One thing soon becomes clear: Unless she finds the killer first, Karima will be the next to die. Additional information is available at www.solomonjones.com.

Journalism Alumnus Writes Biography of Roberto Duran

Christian Giudice, a 2003 Journalism graduate, wrote Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran, a biography of one of the first Latino fighters to become a mainstream sports star in the United States. Often called the greatest boxer of all time, Duran held world titles at four different weights and is the only boxer in history to have fought in five different decades. His bouts with Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler have gone down in fistic folklore. Giudice interviewed the fighter, his family, his closest friends, and scores of his opponents to write a definitive first account of Duran’s life in and out of the ring.