Books by Centre Alumni
Listed by Alumni Year
Browsing the bookstore shelves or library stacks for the perfect read can be a daunting task. Why not narrowthe field and choose a book written by fellow Centre alumni? From poetry collections and memoirs to history
and self-help, Centre alumni are a prolific bunch who leave no subject uncovered. Below are books published
by Centre alumni (that we know of) organized by class year. Click here for the most recent releases.
Sean Chandler ’08 published The Notice (Kindle, 2012), a fictional account of a young girl setagainst the backdrop of the Bosnian War in 1992. Sean is working on his second book, a memoir
about the year he spent teaching near the North Korean border in 2010-11.
Brooke Folley Counts ’03 has written her fifth book,Rising Storm (Amazon Digital Services Inc.2012), under the pseudonym Kathleen Brooks. The romantic suspense novel follows Katelyn Jacks, a
newly retired runway model who settles down to open an animal clinic. However, Katelyn’s life only
picks up pace as she discovers a dog-fighting ring and meets the man of her dreams. Rising Storm
made the USA Today Bestseller List for all books on Aug. 30, 2012.
Brooke Folley Counts ’03 has published Bluegrass Undercover, the fourth in a series of e-readerbooks, under the pseudonym Kathleen Brooks, and has hit the top of the sales charts for
Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance on Amazon, Apple, and Barnes and Noble.
The other three books are Bluegrass State of Mind, Risky Shot, and Dead Heat. Her books
are available as e-books and in paperback.
Chuck Beard ’02 has written Adventures Inside A Bright-Eyed Sky. All proceeds benefit AdventuresInside a Campus for a Cure, a charity organization he started that uses visual artists and musical
acts to raise money for cancer research and hospitals.
Colleen S. Harris ’01 has published her third book, The Kentucky Vein (Punkin House, 2011),a collection of poems and essays. Centre appears prominently in one of the essays. According
to the publisher, “The poems and essays in The Kentucky Vein deal with our connection
to nature, exploring lessons learned from tobacco fields under harsh sun, the lifecycle of
quarried stone, childless tricycles, and the grass of a new subdivision asking where the foals
have gone. This collection is a rich symphony of images drawn from the Kentucky landscape,
people and history.”
Tiffany Reisz ’00 has sold four full-length novels and 10 short stories to Mira Books. Her series The Original Sinners is on the bestseller list in the United Kingdom. Her first and second books, The Siren
and The Angel (Harlequin MIRA 2012), were chosen by DivaMoms Book Club as their second and third
book-club picks. And she was featured in a USA Today article about the resurgent interest in erotica.
Shelly Brownsberger Terrazas '99 is co-author of Educating Health Professionals inLow-Resource Countries: A Global Approach (Springer Publishing, 2010). The book, a
co-publication with the Carter Center, is a practical manual of teaching and learning
strategies for instructors of health professionals in countries and cultures at different
levels of technology and materials development. The preface was written by former
U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Will Lavender ’99 has published his first novel, Obedience (Random House/Shayne Areheart Books, 2008), a thriller set on a college campus. Kirkus Reviews calls it “an inspired thriller
about cognitive dissonance, conjectural misdirection and the conspicuous dichotomy
between academia and the real world.”
Will Lavender ’99 has written his second novel, Dominance (Simon & Schuster, 2011), which a review in the New York Times (July 6, 2011) called “quick and
complicated.” A mystery, set like his first novel, on a college campus, received advance
praise from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Review. Lavender was featured in a Centre
web story for his work. Story here.
Anne Marshall '98 has written Creating a Confederate Kentucky: The Lost Cause and Civil War Memory in a Border State (University of North Carolina Press, 2010). The book traces
the development of a Confederate identity in Kentucky between 1865 and 1925, one that
developed even though Kentucky never left the Union and more Kentuckians fought for the
North than for the South. Rather than focusing exclusively on postwar political and economic
factors, Creating a Confederate Kentucky looks over the longer term at Kentuckians’
activities - public memorial ceremonies, dedications of monuments, and veterans
organizations’ events - by which they commemorated the Civil War and fixed the state’s
remembrance of it for 60 years following the conflict. She is an assistant professor of history
at Mississippi State University.
James Higdon ’98 has written The Cornbread Mafia: A Homegrown Syndicate’s Code of Silence and the Biggest Marijuana Bust in American History (Lyons Press), a true story about backwoods outlaws
in Kentucky.
Stephanie Kimbro '98 has written Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Services Online (ABA LPM Publishing, 2010). The book is a practical manual for attorneys who
want to deliver legal services online by creating a virtual law office. It addresses virtual
law practice that is either completely web-based or where a firm has integrated a virtual
law office into a traditional practice management structure. The goal of the book is to
guide anyone interested in the concept of virtual law practice through the different
management structures, technology options, ethics and malpractice issues, marketing
methods, and daily management. Because the technology involved in creating and
maintaining a virtual law office changes frequently, she intends to update the information
in the book on her blog as necessary. She has run a Web-based virtual law office in North Carolina since 2006
and delivers estate planning and small-business law to clients online.
Andre Bergeron '98 has written The Devil’s Ridge (Mars Media Publishers, 2007), a novel about a hunt for the legendary ape Bigfoot.
Nicole Work '95 has written The Witching Season (Lulu.com, 2005) under the pen name Stephanie Work. It tells the thrilling tale of children unwittingly releasing an evil witch
from a mirror and their efforts to trap her again.
Bryan Prendergast '95 has published his first novel, Detention Center in Red (iUniverse, 2007), a philosophical work about which Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Prendergast’s writing is
parsimonious, incisive, and as stark as the landscape it paints. He skillfully deploys the
eloquence of reticence: His characters are as bright and evocative as Persian
miniatures . . .”
Andrew McNeill’s ’95 first novel, Breckenridge County (Headline Books, 2011), will be out in September. He
describes the book as “rural noir,” containing elements of Southern culture, criminal fiction, and political
thriller.
Stuart W. Sanders ’95 is the author of Perryville Under Fire: The Aftermath of Kentucky’s LargestCivil War Battle (2012, The History Press), which examines what happened to Perryville and
surrounding communities once the firing stopped. Centre’s role during the aftermath is noted.
Laura Boswell '94 has written The Quotable Businesswoman (Andrews McKeel Publishing, 2002), in which successful female executives, from Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina to
Avon head Andrea Jung, talk about reaching goals, taking risks, and winning in the world of
business. She is also the author of The Christian Book of Questions (Three Rivers Press,
2003), a compilation of 350 ethical questions to help individuals explore their beliefs on
everything from cloning to reality shows.
Jason Horger '93 has written Whom Must I Kill to Get Published? (Dragon International Independent Arts, 2009), a novel that follows an aspiring author (a Centre graduate)
whose first visit to a writer's conference starts out as a love story (he meets the woman
of his dreams), strays into a murder mystery (his potential literary agent is murdered), and
degenerates into a spy thriller (an international plot unfurls around his manuscript).
Alysia Fischer '93 has written Hot Pursuit: In Search of Ancient Glass-blowers (Lexington Books, 2008). The book examines ancient glass-workers at the site of Sepphoris, in northern
Israel, which she first visited as a Centre student. By drawing upon the knowledge and
experience of current Middle-Eastern glass-workers to interpret the artifacts excavated
at the site, she creates a picture of the life and work of craftspeople living 1,500 years ago.
The book incorporates methods drawn from the four fields of anthropology and calls for
more integration among the sub-fields. She teaches in the anthropology department at
Miami University.
David Waldon '92 has written Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Sssssssssensation (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2006). Called the “ultimate companion” to the
movie, this book provides an overview of the action-horror flick and examines the
pre-release excitement it generated on the Internet.
Wayne Williams '92 has written Flags, Kittens and Mud Puddles (PublishAmerica.com, 2006), a collection of his e-mail correspondence during his tour of duty in Iraq in 2004.
He was with the 307th Battalion of the Iraqi National Guard training the Iraqi Security
Forces to defend their country. All proceeds will be donated to a scholarship fund for
children of fire fighters and EMTs.
Marcia Mount Shoop '91 has written her first book, Let the Bones Dance: Embodiment and the Body of Christ (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010). In an innovative work of
embodied theology, she explores what it means to have a body in the Christian tradition
and what enriching our understanding could mean for believers and churches. She proposes
a new vision of human flourishing and suggests how churches can more fully invite God to
inhabit every layer of congregational life. Says one critic: “She combines the intellectual
vigor of an academic with the heart and soul of a pastor who understands what it means to
lead a congregation. Happily she writes like a poet. Let the Bones Dance is provocative,
stimulating and readable” (John Buchanan, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago).
She is an an ordained Presbyterian minister and is theologian-in-residence at University Presbyterian Church
in Chapel Hill, N.C. Her father is Eric Mount (religion, emeritus).
Retired after more than 25 years in the Army, Dwight Gray ’89 has published his first bookof poems, Overwatch (Grey Sparrow Press, 2011), which looks at war from a soldier’s perspective.
Jon Ryker '89 and Jo Rogers have written Education, Not Babysitting! A Foundation for Reclaiming Your Public School (iUniverse, 2009). The authors, both of whom have taught in
the public schools, explain how schools lose their way under competing priorities, a lack of
leadership, and a lack of oversight, and they show how taxpayers, parents, students,
teachers, and administrators can drive the process of refocusing a district on its sole
critical mission—maximizing student learning. Click here for more information.
Karen Weyler '88 has written Intricate Relations: Sexual and Economic Desire in American Fiction, 1789-1814 University of Iowa Press, 2005). A description says, “Weyler’s
passionate and persuasive study offers new insights into the civic role of fiction in the early
republic.”
Chris Blazina ’88 has written The Cultural Myth of Masculinity (Praeger, 2003), that details how masculinity is a socially constructed entity with a definition that has evolved
over time. The volume presents "two masculinities," representing the aristocracy and the
warrior class notions of how to be a man, that have vied for dominance throughout most
of Western culture.
Lynnell Major Edwards ’86 published her third book of poetry, Covet (Red Hen Press, 2011).She is an associate professor of English at Spalding University.
Lynnell Major Edwards '86 has published two collections of poetry, The Farmer’s Daughter (Red Hen Press, 2003) and and The Highwayman’s Wife (Red Hen Press, 2007). “What a
wicked pleasure the poems of Lynnell Edwards are, with their saucy boldness, their wild
feminine bravada, their sly rhymes and clattering consonants. In The Highwayman’s Wife,
Edwards reinterprets old myths and legends, twists the old formal strategies,
undomesticates domesticity, mixes drinks, plants dahlias with a pick-axe, and laments
and resurrects laughing, bitter, bright the wench,” says Cecilia Woloch of Western culture.
Geoff Pope '85 has published his first book, The Word in Question (WinePress Publishing, 2009), a collection of verse reflections on peculiar scriptures from the Bible. He teaches
English and communications at City University of Seattle, including one course for the
Coast Guard.
Sheri Hillman Scott ’83 has written Money: Get Clear and Get Free, a book focused on transforming your finances with long-term tips and solutions. She provides a clear plan for getting out of debt and
breaking from financial obstacles. This book will first be available in spring 2013 in electronic
format.
Amy Spears Metz ’83 has published Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction (Iconic Publishing2012), the first in a series of humorous murder mysteries. After Tess Tremaine moves into a new,
quiet town, she becomes interested in a 75-year-old murder involving a bank robbery and family
tragedy. As she struggles to find out the truth, she encounters danger, temptation, and a whole lot
of southern charm.
John David Dyche ’82 has written Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell (ISI Books, 2009), a book columnist George Will calls “respectful without
being reverent.” It is based on dozens of interviews with McConnell’s colleagues, friends,
and rivals, as well as with the senator himself.
Kim Turkington ’81 has written Hope That Lives (Lulu.com), a Bible study written specifically for cancer patients. After her own experience with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005, she hopes to help
others going through similar experiences.
Corky Deaton ‘81 has written Grace Happens: A Recovering Alcoholic's Perspective on Holy Transcendence (Tate Publishing, 2008). Grace Happens is the true story of a man’s
struggle with addiction and the subsequent journey through recovery to freedom spotted
with events that some might consider coincidence, but recognized by the recovering and
clean addict as God’s grace manifested through the men and women with whom we
interact on a daily basis.
Susan Franks Sieweke ’81 has written Things Church Girls Don’t Talk About (PublishAmerica 2009), a novel about a
young girl and her mother searching for true faith amidst a sea of toxic religion and quirky, eccentric Southern
characters.
Susan Franks Sieweke ’81 has written Annie Nell Meets the Sock Gnomes (Tate Publishingand Enterprises, 2007), a children’s book whose heroine solves the mystery of why socks go
missing in the dryer.
Don Boes ’80 has written Railroad Crossing (Finishing Ling Press, 2005), a chapbook of poems.
Teresa A. Daniel ‘79 has written Stop Bullying at Work: Strategies and Tools for HR and Legal Professionals (Society for Human Resource Management, 2009). Highlighting her
recent research delineating the key differences between a bully and a “tough boss,” the
book provides practitioner-oriented solutions designed to help human resource and legal
professionals take proactive steps to deal with the problem within their organizations.
Teresa Daniel ’79 has written The Management of People in Mergers and Acquisitions (Quorum Books, 2001) with her husband, Gary Metcalf. According to Personnel Psychology,
it “provides an excellent guide for human resource practitioners who may be involved in,
an organization merger or acquisition. Recommendations are backed up with clear
rationale, and although ‘hard core practitioners’ may find the book too theoretical, the
liberal use of examples and case studies makes the book a worthwhile guide for managing
people in mergers and acquisitions.” She has also written Cash Balance Plans: A Practical
Primer (Intl Foundation of Employee Benefit, 2000).
Jane Sevier ’78 had her first novel, Fortune’s Fool, publishedfirst as an e-book for Kindle and Nook (September 2011) and subsequently in paperback. Set in
1930s Memphis, it hit Amazon’s historical mystery bestseller list three days after its e-book release.
It won the Chicago-North Fire and Ice, Cleveland Rocks, and Golden Gateway competitions and
was a 2010 Romance Writers of America Golden heart finalist. And it also won Reader’s Choice
for Single Title/Mainstream Cover in the Houston Bay Area’s Judge a Book by Its Cover contest.
Terry Noel ’78 has written Empty Nest Egg: Why You Must Start Your Own Business NOW (available from createspace.com or from Amazon on Kindle). The book looks at how
learning to open a business can mean the difference between prosperity and poverty as
our economy becomes more unstable over the coming years.
Caryn Dudrow Cole ’77 has published Fingerprints of Grace (Tate Publishing 2012), a novel about a son’s quest to find his father, a man he never knew. As he gains his family’s support in his search,
Marcus begins to understand the importance of honor, respect, and companionship. Fingerprints of
Grace is a sequel to Haleub Place (Tate Publishing 2010).
Caryn Dudrow Cole ’77 has published her first novel, Haleub Place (Tate Publishing, 2009), “a story about healing, restoration and forgiveness on a journey to finding out who you are
and where you belong,” she writes. Click here for more information.
Mary C. Carruth ’77 is the author of Feminist Interventions in Early American Studies (University of Alabama Press, October 2006), a collection of essays about the intersections
of gender, race, and class in the culture and literature of early America to 1830. From the
publisher: “The essays synthesize feminist perspectives from a number of approaches,
including cultural studies, gender studies, new historicism, and race theory. They treat a
variety of literary genres, from sermons, travel narratives, letters, and diaries to poetry,
drama, and early novels. Some of the essays recover little known texts, such as the travel
records of women Quakers and colonial accounts of the Creek “Indian princess”
Mary Musgrove.”
Barbara Fleming Phillips '76 has written a chapbook of poetry, Early Lessons (Finishing Line Press, 2009), published by a small award-winning press in Georgetown, Kentucky. The
poems are rooted in childhood memories and, says Sherry Chandler,“illuminate the small
miracles and larger lessons of life.”
Valarie Ziegler ’76 has published Diva Julia: The Public Romance and Private Agony of Julia Ward Howe (Trinity Press, 2003). Publisher’s Weekly says, “No one has been
so thorough or bold as Ziegler. She moves past the apparent implications within Howe's work
and avoids painting a cheery picture where there is none. Instead, she presents an honest
look at Howe's personal struggles to do great public works, and her biography is the better
for it.” She has also published The Advocates of Peace in Antebellum America (Mercer
University Press, 1992) and is editor of Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
Readings on Genesis and Gender with Linda S. Schearing and Kristen E. Kvam (Indiana
University Press, 1999).
Michael Willi Lowe ’76 has published Wizardmont (iUniverse, 2006), the first in the Promise of the Stone epic fantasy series that he started writing while at Centre.
Keen Babbage ’76 has published four “extreme” guides for teachers. The latest is Extreme Economics: The Need for Personal Finance in the School Curriculum (Rowman
and Littlefield Education, 2007), which identifies what children and teenagers need to
know about personal finance and shows educators how to design instructional activities
that enable students to learn about personal finance in real, fascinating, and meaningful
ways. He has also written Extreme Students: Challenging All Students and Energizing
Learning (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2005), Extreme Learning (ScarecrowEducation,
2004), and Extreme Teaching (ScarecrowEducation, 2002).
Angela Allen ’75 has a book of poetry, Saturday Afternoons (Clothesline Press, 2009), written with three other Portland, Ore., writers. In addition to contributing poems to the
collection, her photograph, Laundry, San Felipe, appears on the cover. Click here for more.
Nelson Rhodus ’75 has published White Lick Creek (AuthorHouse, 2007), a collection of nonfiction poetry and prose that reflects on his Kentucky childhood.
Joanne Kellar Bouknight ’75 has written two volumes in Taunton Press’ Idea Book series.The Kitchen Idea Book (revised in 2004) explores all kitchen styles, from farmhouse to
stainless steel, and helps homeowners create the kitchen of their dreams. The Storage Idea
Book (2002) provides creative ideas and flexible solutions to clutter challenges in every room
of the house. Lucy Hendrick calls it a “"MUST read for everyone who wants to put away their
stuff!” and says, “Bouknight demystifies storage so we can all find our belongings and be
more productive. Written with insight, intelligence and no small amount of common sense."
Debbie Adams Cooper ’74 has written Letcher County (Arcadia Publishing, 2011), in theImages of America series. A native of Whitesburg, Ky., in Letcher County, she writes, “When
I realized a few years ago that I had unwittingly spent my childhood among the beautiful
stone architecture built by Italian immigrants, I wanted to know more.” For more
information, please contact her at debcoo@setel.com.
Will Glass ’74 has published Strangers in Zion: Fundamentals in the South, 1900-1950 (Mercer University Press, 2001). It is “a history that fills a significant gap in the historical
literature on fundamentalism and on religion in the American South. As such, he lays the
groundwork for understanding the South's contribution to the growth of the religious right in
second half of the twentieth-century.”
Craig Duerr ’74 has published The Landlord’s Nightmares (Professional Press, 2003), a book about the perils
of owning rental property.
Trudy Knowles ’73 has published What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, Second Edition with Dave F. Brown (Heinemann, 2007) and The Kids Behind the Label: An Inside
Look at ADHD for Classroom Teachers (Heinemann, 2006), based on interviews with
fourteen ADHD students from elementary school to college.
Sam Denny ’73 has published . . . And Bring Me Back the Change (Evanston Press, 2012), a collection of 30 short stories that he says “connect everyday life to our financial decision-making” and “emphasize the importance of being in a healthy relationship with your financial resources.” He has worked in financial services for more than 30 years. For more information about the book, contact him at smdennylou@aol.com.
Bill Cutrer ’73 has published several Christian medical thrillers with Sandra Glahn: False Positive (Random House, 2002), about abortion clinic intrigue, Deadly Cure (Kregel
Publications 2001), about the dark side of biomedical research, and Lethal Harvest (Kregel
Publications, 2000), about the murder of an embryologist. They also co-wrote The
Contraception Guidebook: Options, Risks, and Answers for Christian Couples (Zondervan,
2005), The Infertility Companion: Hope and Help for Couples Facing Infertility (Zondervan,
2004), When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden: Encouragement for Couples Facing
Infertility (Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), and Sexual Intimacy in Marriage (Kregel
Publications, 2007). He has also collaborated on two books in the BioBasics Series: Basic
Questions on End of Life Decisions: How Do We Know What's Right? (Kregel Publications, 1998) and
Basic Questions on Reproductive Technology: When Is It Right to Intervene? (Kregel Publications, 1998).
Phillip Sterling ’72 has published Significant Others Positive (Main Street Rag, 2005), a book of poetry.
Phillip Sterling ’72 has written a collection of 15 short stories, In Which Brief Stories Are Told (Wayne State University Press, 2011). The stories present a “collage of intriguing
moments” in the lives of average people—car salesmen, motel maids, parents, neighbors,
and professional colleagues, according to the publisher. “While varied in length from short
glimpses to longer narratives, each of the stories is defined by a unique perspective, as
characters present their version of a story—sometimes other peoples’ stories—clouded by
the same emotion, judgment, and passing of time that inhabit all of our memories.” Says
one review: “In plainspoken language, the stories leave a lasting impression. Some of them
end with a twist, many of them are full of Michigan imagery. Take the time to track down
this slim volume. You will be glad you did.”
Walter Lawrence ’72 has written Take Me To Texas: Lone Star Stories of Love and Other Adventures (Luckenback Press, 2011). The collection of 12 short stories set in Texas
remembers favorite family times,the struggle to come of age, and the recollection of first
infatuations. Click here for Amazon.com review. A native Texan, Lawrence has written more
than 40 articles and the novel Texas Cool Million.
Steve Lyon ’72 has published The Gift Moves (Houghton Mifflin, 2004), a futuristic novel for young adults.
Mark McDaniel ’71 spent two decades living as a monk at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, in Southern Indiana. His book Days of Grace and Wonder: Journals 1976-2008 (Lulu.com, 2011)
is a daily chronicle of life inside the cloister of a Benedictine monastery during the exciting
years of reform that followed the Second Vatican Council. The book surveys a tapestry of
people encountered and places visited, the joys and tensions of life at close quarters with
more than 100 other cenobites, as well as the wider backdrop of nine presidential elections,
three papal conclaves, a half-dozen social revolutions, and the horrors of September 11,
2001.
A Feisty Friend At My Feet is about his little Yorkie, Pondo (Blurb Books, 2011). 
Kate Stout ’71 is the editor of From Hearth to Horizons: 125 Years of the Social
ScienceClub of Newton (River View Press, 2011). The book charts the 1886 founding and subsequent
growth of one of America's oldest, continuously meeting women's study groups. It provided
an outlet for women of the greater Boston area to present research papers. Study and social
action defined these women, and, in turn, they helped define their respective eras and the
women's club movement in America.
Kent Masterson Brown ’71 has a fifth book, One of Morgan’s Men: Memoirs of Lieutenant John M. Porter of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry (University Press of Kentucky, 2011).
Lieutenant Porter wrote his memoirs in 1872, and Brown spent five years editing and
annotating them. Porter’s memoirs cover his years as a Confederate soldier under John Hunt
Morgan from the outbreak of the Civil War until Porter was captured in June 1863, his
imprisonment at Johnson’s Island, and his release and his journey back home to Butler
County, Kentucky. It is the first memoir by one of Morgan’s men to be published since 1917.
Mark McDaniel ’71 has written a memoir, A World to Remember: Coming of Age on the Eve of a New Millennium (Lulu.com, 2009). The book recalls his childhood in Owensboro,
Kentucky, his years at Centre during the height of the Vietnam War, and his eventual
decision to join a monastery; he went on to spend two decades as a Benedictine monk at
Saint Meinrad Archabbey, in Southern Indiana. He is now a Roman Catholic priest in the
Archdiocese of Louisville and teaches part time at Bellarmine University and
Spalding University.
A picture book by George Ella Hoskins Lyon ’71, You and Me and Home Sweet Home (illus. Stephanie Anderson, Atheneum 2009), was named a 2010 Honor Book by the Jane
Addams Peace Association. The annual awards recognize children’s books that promote
“peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races.”
The book is about Sharonda and her mother, who help build their own house, and about
the community that comes together to make this possible. Lyon says that the book grew
out of her work with an “all-women build” in Lexington, Ky., in 2000. Click here for her
Web site.
Dan Rush ‘71 is co-author with Gale Pewitt of The St. Albans Raiders (Papers of the Blueand Gray Education Society, No. 19, summer 2008), about the Confederates’
northernmost action of the Civil War. Led by Centre alumnus Bennett Henderson
Young-1862, a band of mostly Kentuckians attacked St. Albans, Vt., in 1864. Their
unexpected success surprised the Federal government and shocked the Northern public.
Rush is a professor of surgery at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, who
studies Kentucky Confederate regiments and soldiers as a hobby.
Carol Warren ’71 was interviewer and editor for Like Walking Onto Another Planet, published by the Ohio
Valley Environmental Coalition in 2006, that details the experiences of West Virginia coalfield residents
with mountain-top removal mining.
George Ella Hoskins Lyon ’71 has published a memoir, Don’t You Remember? (Motes Books, 2007), that explores a childhood experience that seems to reveal another lifetime.
Bobbie Ann Mason calls it “an irresistible story filled with suspense and wonder” and Silas
House says it is “haunting, thought-provoking, brave, amazing, and maybe even the best
book yet from this beloved author." For a list of her other books.
Kent Masterson Brown ’71 has published Retreat from Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics, and the Pennsylvania Campaign (The University of North Carolina Press, 2005), which details the
retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg in July 1863, focusing on the
complex logistics of moving a 57-mile wagon and ambulance train and tens of thousands of
livestock through hostile territory while scavenging for provisions and planning the army's
next moves. According to D. Scott Hartwig, “Using an impressive array of untapped source
material, Kent Brown has written the first detailed narrative on the Confederate retreat
from Gettysburg.” He is also the author of Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union
Artillery Commander (University Press of Kentucky, 1998) and editor of The Civil War in Kentucky (Savas
Publishing Company, 2000).
James “Larry” Hood ’70 has written Freedom in Religion or Freedom from Religion: The Great American Cultural War between Traditionalists and Secularists (Rowman and
Littlefield, 2010). Does the old religion, the western tradition as manifested in the United
States, sustain and strengthen freedom or does it circumscribe freedom so much that religion
destroys freedom? The book explores the argument between Traditionalists and Secularists
over religion and their very different understandings of the meaning of freedom.
James “Larry” Hood ’70 has written Restless Heart: Kentucky's Search for Individual Liberty and Community (University Press of America, 2008), about ironies and paradoxes
that give the Commonwealth’s way of life much of its meaning, power, vitality, wonder,
and capacity to endure. He has also written another history, Visions of Zion: Christianity,
Modernization, and the American Pursuit of Liberty, Progressivism in Rural Nelson, and
Washington Counties, Kentucky (University Press of America, 2005), as well as a novella
(under the name James Scott) set in Kentucky, The Old Man Who Danced Naked Around
the Flag Pole (Authorhouse, 2006). Now retired from Kentucky state government, he is a
professor of American and Kentucky history at the University of Kentucky.
Deanna Burleson Beineke ’69 is co-author of Dayton (Arcadia Publishing, 2007), a history of Dayton, Ky.,
for the publisher’s Images of America series.
Jerry A. Cunningham '69 has written No Coin for Charon (Big Muddy Press, 2008), the first in a planned trilogy. The story begins in Danville in 1824 and follows its protagonist,
John Calvin Cabell, as he is forced to start a new life in Memphis. In May, 2008,
Cunningham won the Memphis Public Library's "Your Story" award for a short story based
on one of the book's chapters. He teaches social studies and language arts at Sherwood
Middle School in Memphis.
Geoffrey Douglas ‘67 has written The Classmates: Privilege, Chaos, and the End of an Era (Hyperion, 2008). The book explores what happened to the Class of 1962 at St. Paul's
School, a boarding school in New Hampshire. The class included not only Douglas but
also John Kerry, whose 2000 presidential run prompted a flurry of e-mail correspondence
amongst the classmates. The book is part memoir and includes mention of Douglas’ time
at Centre. Kirkus Reviews says: “He discovered that St. Paul's alumni had endured a broad
range of experiences since graduating, and he eloquently chronicles those experiences.”
Jerry Morton ’64 has written Reluctant Lieutenant: From Basic to OCS in the Sixties (Texas A&M University Press, 2004), is a humorous account of his training to become an
infantry officer in 1966. It is part of the Texas A&M Military History Series. He is co-author
(with Rosa L. Kennedy) of A School For Healing: Alternative Strategies for Teaching At-Risk
Students (Peter Lang Publishing Group, 1999), which tells the story of his redesigning
and directing an alternative school that focused on the positive behavior of students
expelled from public school programs rather than their short-comings. The book has
recently received renewed attention, and the state of Tennessee lists it as a reference
for alternative school programs in Tennessee.
Donald A. Clark ’63 has written The Notorious "Bull" Nelson: Murdered Civil War General(Southern Illinois University Press, 2011) about a dynamic major general who played a formative
role in the Union’s success in Kentucky and the Western theater of the Civil War. More popularly
known for his temper than his intrepid endeavors on behalf of the North, Nelson nevertheless
dedicated much of his life to his nation and the preservation of the Union.
C. Thomas Hardin ’63 a former director of photography at the Louisville Courier-Journal who shared in three Pulitzer Prizes, is the editor of the lavishly illustrated book
Our Standard Sure: Centre College Since 1819, with text by retired Courier-Journal
columnist and feature writer Bob Hill. The colorful and picturesque stroll through Centre
history, from the College's founding in 1819 to the present day, includes chapters on
Centre’s first century, women at Centre and related institutions, men’s and women’s
sports, campus culture, the College during war, the years of change during the presidency
of Thomas A. Spragens, and the modern era, as well as more than 700 photographs and
other illustrations. Our Standard Sure comes from a line in Centre’s current alma mater,
“Centre Dear,” written in 1942 by the Reverend Elwood L. Haines, with music by faculty
member Richard Warner. (The book includes the lyrics to not only “Centre Dear,” but also other alma maters
associated with Centre, Kentucky College for Women, and related institutions.) Published by the College in
2009, it is available at Chenault Alumni House jeanine.sanders@centre.edu and from the online Alumni Shop
(click here), as well as from the Centre Bookstore (click here).
Jim Perkins ’63 has published David Madden: A Writer for All Genres with Randy J.Hendricks (University of Tennessee Press, 2006), the first full-length critical work devoted
to the whole of Madden’s work as novelist, critic, poet, short-story writer, and dramatist.
Perkins and Hendricks have also teamed up on For the Record: A Robert Drake Reader
(Mercer University Press, 2001) and volume three of The Selected Letters of Robert
Penn Warren (Louisiana State University Press, 2006). He also has a collection of Stories,
Snakes, Butterbeans, and the Discovery of Electricity (Mercer University Press, 2003), and
collaborated with Suh Ji-Moon on a poetry anthology, Brother Enemy: Poems of the Korean
War (White Pine Press, 2002).
Tom Hester ’63 has published John Donne’s Marriage Letters in the Folger Shakespeare Library (University of
Washington Press, 2005) and was recognized as one of the “50 Best Books of 2005 in the USA” by the
American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Robert Brandt ’63 has published several travel books on Tennessee. Touring the MiddleTennessee Backroads (John F. Blair Publisher, 1995) profiles 15 tours that take drivers
through dense forests, swampy bottoms, and rolling bluegrass to sites like an Amish
settlement and Milky Way Farm, the home of candy makers Frank and Ethel Mars. Middle
Tennessee On Foot (John F. Blair Publishing, 1998), according to Roger Jenkins, “covers
most of the trails in the State Parks, Natural Areas, a couple of battlefields, and even throws
in some walks on country lanes, for those of us who don't want to stray too far from the
pavement. . . . He interleaves wildflowers, geology, and forestry as he winds his way down the trail. And
his descriptive narrative combines a sense of the terrain with the emotional impact as you traverse it.”
Rob Robertson '63 has written The Wonder Team: The Story of the Centre College Praying Colonels and Their Rise to the Top of the Football World (Butler Books, 2008). Despite the
acclaim the team received in the years after World War I, few now remember the talented
and colorful young men who put Centre College on the map. The book takes us back to the
beginning of the 20th century, when the creation of the Wonder Team was the dream of one
man: Robert L. “Chief” Myers-1907. For more information, please e-mail
drrob4life@comcast.net or click here.
Anne Dietrich Elkins ’62 has written Pioneers of Freedom (Tate Publishing, 2012), a historicalnovel based on the life of John Payne, a general in the war of 1812.
Alan Schweitzer ’59 has written Zone 2 (iUniverse, 2011), his fourth fantasy novel. It follows the character Brad Cole as he attempts to regain his memory after being beaten and
left for dead in the year 2059. In his search, Brad learns of a parallel world his company has
discovered— Zone 2—a world in which the Nazis rose victorious out of WWII. With the help of
a beautiful and mysterious woman, Brad explores this strange new realm, desperately hoping
to find the answers he needs.
Frances Lambert Johnson '59 is co-coordinator of a cookbook, My Favorite Things (SPS Publications, 2011), featuring recipes from celebrities (including Laura Bush, Arnold Palmer.
Paula Deen, Delta Burke), popular restaurants (including The Greenbrier, W. Va.; Queen
Mary 2, Cunard Lines; Sardi’s and Tavern on the Green, N.Y.C.) and more. This three-year
“labor of love,” as she calls it, supports Wheels For The World, a charity that provides
wheelchairs to those in need worldwide. Click here for more information.
Alan Schweitzer '59 has published The Bracelet (Eloquent Books 2009), his third sciencefiction novel. The story centers on protagonist Ray Willis, who discovers a mysterious
bracelet that bridges time and space. After being transferred to a parallel universe, Willis
spends the story alarmed and tormented by a past life he cannot understand. Schweitzer's
first two novels were published by subsidy publishers. The first, The Carradine Legacy,
was published in 2000, and the second, In Search of Neva, was published in 2002.
Trecia Roberts Greene ’59 has published three books, The Laws of Eleanor (iUniverse,2005), a tale of three women, Portrait of Peninsula Woman (iUniverse, 2006), a collection
of short stories, and When Lois Lane Sings (iUniverse, 2006), the story of a coming of age
that takes half a century.
Betty Boles Ellison ’56 has published A Man Seen But Once: Cassius Marcellus Clay(Authorhouse, 2005), a biography of the abolitionist from Madison County, Ky., Kentucky's
Domain of Power, Greed and Corruption (Writers Club Press, 2001), an investigation into
college athletics, and Illegal Odyssey: 200 Years of Kentucky Moonshine (1st Books
Library, 2003).
Hughes Oliphant Old ’55 has finished Our Own Time (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), the final volume in his seven-volume series, The Reading and Preaching of
the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church. Written by a preacher for preachers,
the series explores the history of preaching from the words of Moses at Mount Sinai through
modern times, examining the connections between Scripture, reading, preaching, and
ministry in the work of preachers over the centuries.
Robert Dickey ’54 has written Dynasty of Dimes (St. Margaret Publishers, 2009), the story of the eccentric entrepreneur Charles Garvin
and his Beech Bend Park, an amusement park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Throughout the almost 40 years of the Garvin era, the price of admission
remained a dime, and Garvin remained in complete control of his
fiefdom, even controlling the time of day—regardless of what clocks
indicated beyond the park boundaries. Some of the characters in the
book and their families have close Centre connections. The author, a
Bowling Green native, grew up attending Beech Bend Park and later
moonlighted as its publicist, before starting a law practice. His first client
was park ownerCharles Garvin. He has also written a memoir, Near
Misses: Growing up in Bowling Green with World War 2, Fledgling
Femme Fatales, and Fallible Football Fortunes (Cold Tree Press, 2006).
Robert Dickey ’54’s latest book is Greyhound to Vegas: The Odyssey of Hilda Reynolds Krause (self-published,
2011). The biography covers the life and sensational death of a successful Kentucky entrepreneur, from her
small café at the Greyhound bus depot in Bowling Green, Ky., to the casino scene in Havana, Cuba, before and
after Castro’s revolution, and finally to Las Vegas, where she was one of the founders of Caesars Palace. Her
death in 1974 was one of that city’s most sensational homicides. In contrast to her flamboyant life, her only
child, Charles Reynolds, became a justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Nils Peterson ’54, named Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County, Calif., in 2009, is the author of a gathering of Christmas poems, For This Day
(Frogonthemoon Press, 2008); a collection of poems, Driving a Herd of
Moose to Durango (Jotunheim Press, 2005); a collection of poems, many of
which recall his days at Centre, called The Comedy of Desire with an
introduction by Robert Bly (Blue Sofa Press, 1994); and a chapbook of
poems, Here Is No Ordinary Rejoicing (No Deadlines Press, 1976).
Bill Silverman ’53 has published Crosscurrents (Dorrance, 2002), a novel about Che Guevara, the Cold War, and the remarkable deep-diving
Aluminaut submarine.
James L. Clark ’53 has published Lucifer’s Hope . . . The Guv (Writers Club Press, 2002), a political thriller in which Satan tries to redeem himself by turning a person he corrupted
into a paragon of virtue. He chooses a corrupt Kentucky governor, and what follows has
been called a “rollicking, metaphysical muckraking of Kentucky politics.”
Homer Rice ’51 has published Leadership Fitness: Developing and ReinforcingSuccessful, Positive Leaders (Longstreet Press, 2005). His other books include
Lessons for Leaders: Building a Winning Team From the Ground Up
(Longstreet Press, 2000) and Winning Football With the Air Option Passing
Game with Steve Moore (Prentice Hall, 1985).
To have your book included on the alumni books page please contact: Diane Johnson, Editor, Centrepiece
Centre College, 600 W. Walnut St., Danville, KY 40422, (859) 238-5717 johnsond@centre.edu