HOT DESK
Laura Dickerman
In her debut novel, Hot Desk, Laura Dickerman, MA English ’93 introduces readers to Rebecca Blume, an editor in the New York City publishing industry who has been relegated to sharing a “hot desk” on alternating days with a rival editor, Ben Heath. What ensues as they come to know each other through passive-aggressive notes on a cactus plant on the desk becomes a funny and heartwarming story as the two vie for the same publishing opportunity and uncover secrets that have been buried for 40 years. Dickerman utilizes dual timelines to tell a story that unfolds in the early 1980s and connects with Rebecca and Ben’s story in the present. The narrative is well written and entertaining as it reveals the ins and outs of the NYC publishing world in two different decades and tells a story of friendship, love, and literature.
EVERYTHING ALIVE
Molly Johnsen
In 2015, Molly Johnsen, MA English ’14 had a near-death experience when she was hit by a car and sustained severe physical damage to her body. She survived, and as she dealt with the chaotic aftermath, she processed her trauma through writing. In her first book of poetry, Everything Alive, she confronts head on her ordeal by dividing the book into five sections: her experiences of the accident and what followed; what she calls a “letter to her epilepsy”; a reckoning as she figures out how to get through it all and open a door to hope; settling into a new selfhood; and, last, a true culmination expressed in the final poem, “Everything Alive.” The writing is beautiful, honest, wise, and moving as she weaves together her journey from disembodied brokenness to resilient survival through her use of language and words, which are the most important part of reclaiming her life and self.
SWEET VICTORY
Joseph Pearson
The Berlin Airlift, enacted in 1948 after the Soviets blockaded West Berlin in an attempt to take control of the city, was the largest air operation in history. In his latest book, historian Joseph Pearson ’97 recounts the events in a factual narrative that reads like fiction but is based on primary sources such as interviews, descriptions based on documentary material, and dialogue quoted from records like transcripts. The result, Sweet Victory: How the Berlin Airlift Divided East and West, is a comprehensive and accurate telling of an event that has often had a Cold War myth twist. By showing the airlift through the eyes of the people who lived through it, Pearson corrects the notion that Berlin was cut off; in fact, between 1948 and 1949, American and British pilots delivered 2.3 million tons of essentials to the West Germans in the city. Part of the “sweet” story includes a forgotten group of airmen who risked their lives to drop chocolate bars from the sky.
EUPHORIA
Dave Patterson
Dave Patterson, MA English ’08 captures small-town life with clarity and insight and in his latest book, Euphoria: Ten Maine Stories, he delves into the lives of the residents of Euphoria, Maine, a once-thriving mill town. Each story reveals compelling characters and their complex situations as they navigate through poverty, addiction, grief, and uncertainty in ways that will seem familiar and achingly human. Patterson imbues his tales with pathos, wisdom, and humor, drawing the reader into each unique world the characters inhabit as they try to make connections and find meaning in their lives. The writing is beautiful and the characters deeply and compassionately drawn. The town of Euphoria and its inhabitants will live on in your memory.
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