Congratulations to our 21 Members with Books Published January 2011 through January 2012

Journalism

Jean Alonso, The Patriots: An Inside View of Life in a Defense Plant (Leap Year Press). Takes us inside one of the world's largest defense contractors, where the mind-set necessary to wage war prevailed. " dominated our work culture, and our relations with each other. We suffered bewildering consequences that eight of us were determined to analyze." Reads like good fiction, but it's a true story.

Steve Early, The Civil Wars in U.S. Labor: Birth of a New Worker's Movement or Death Throes of the Old? (Haymarket Books). Explains the 2008-2010 disputes in SEIU and other labor organizations over member rights, structure, strategy and contract standards.

Jim Kaplan, The Greatest Game Ever Pitched: Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn and the Pitching Duel of the Century (Triumph Books). A dual biography of two Hall of Fame pitchers, weaving together their 16-inning, relief-free classic of July 2, 1963.

Robert Niemi, The Ultimate, Illustrated Beats Chronology (Soft Skull). An illustrated timeline detailing the life events and literary accomplishments of the writers who became known as the Beat Generation. Packed with month-by-month and week-by-week anecdotes.

Novels

Lois Mathieu, Debut (SterlingHouse). A story about separation and loss in the lives of a birth mother and the child she gave up for adoption. Their lifelong yearning for each other changes over the years, as they are transformed by life and family.

Erin L. McCormack, Spanish Soap Operas/Telenovelas. Kimberly leaves Ohio for New York City but gets caught up in the soap-opera-like lives of golden girl Paige and sassy Marisol. The city's dark side - drugs and violence - test their friendships and ability to survive.

Randy Susan Meyers, The Murderer's Daughters (St. Martin's) paperback edition. When their father kills their mother and goes to prison, Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned. For the next 30 years, they try to make sense of what happened, and their imprisoned father shadows every choice they make. They learn that they'll never really belong anywhere and to anyone – except each other.

Mystery

Edith Maxwell, Speaking of Murder (Trestle Press). Listening to academic blackmail and small-town intrigue, Quaker linguistics professor Lauren Rousseau uses her ear for accents and facility with languages to track down not only her star student's killer, but also crimes committed by her department chair.

Leslie Wheeler, co-editor, Best New England Crime Stories 2012: Dead Calm (Level Best Books). Twenty-seven tales from the area's dark side, by award-winning crime and mystery writers, plus several new voices. Settings include a South End funeral parlor, a Salem psychic reading, and a Nantasket Beach family vacation turned sour.

Biography

Helen Marie Casey, My Dear Girl: The Art of Florence Hosmer (Black Lawrence Press). Casey rediscovers and interprets the life of the New England painter, pairing the artist's paintings, letters and reflections to show the skill and determination it took to find her place in the Brahmin art world of early 20^th century Boston.

Wayne Soini, Porter's Secret (Fitz John Porter's Monument Decoded) (Jetty House, imprint of Peter E. Randall). Civil War commander court-martialed for refusing to throw his 10,000-man corps against 25,000 well-entrenched Confederates, he fought for his vindication. He was exonerated by Congress, received a public apology by General U.S. Grant, and is now known as a military and moral hero.

Social Justice

John Hodge, How We Are Our Enemy – And How to Stop: Our Unfinished Task of Fulfilling the Values of Democracy. This book is about the values of democracy: their ethical foundation and their personal, social and political implications. Describes how we've failed to adequately support democratic values and what we must do to implement them. Contrasts them with an age-old, mentality that cares little for the welfare of all and that fuels the current conservative movement to make America subordinate to religious fundamentalism and corporate power.

Miriam Stein, Make Your Voice Matter With Lawmakers: No Experience Necessary (Another Look Publications). Easy techniques to share concerns with and influence lawmakers, for individuals/congregations/organizations who have strong opinions about social issues. ÒEven one call, letter or email expressing some caring about an issue can get my attention,Ó Massachusetts State Representative Jay Kaufman says.

Poetry

Shelby Allen, Crack Willow: Poems of Transformation (Cherry Grove Collections). The poet writes of trees and ice, rivers and fields, family and college, and of discomforts that lie beneath the skin.

J. Kates, translator, Live by Fire (Aleksey Porvin), An Offshoot of Sense (Tatiana Shcherbina), and Level with Us (Mikhail Aizenberg). ( Cold Hub Press).

Maxine Kumin, Where I Live: New and Selected Poems 1990-2010 (W.W. Norton), paperback edition. A collection celebrating the range of one of America's greatest living poets. Poems from five previous books, together with 23 new poems that pay homage to Kumin's farm life and also to poets of the past.

Marge Piercy, The Hunger Moon: New and Selected Poems, 1980-2010 (Knopf). The poet's 18^th poetry collection: funny, political, and full of vitality, including poems that convey Piercy's unwavering political/feminist convictions, in language unmistakably and colorfully her own.

Guides

Barbara Brandt, ghost-writer, Finding Your New Owner: For Your Business, For Your Life, by Jack Beauregard (STPI Press). A business-owner's guidebook about the technical and emotional aspects of transitioning your company to new ownership and creating a personally fulfilling new life.

Nancy B. Finn, e-Patients Live Longer, The Complete Guide to Managing Your Health Care Using Technology (iUniverse). Comprehensive how-to guide on using e-tools to facilitate the best medical care possible. Tips, guidelines, and anecdotes you can relate to. How to communicate with healthcare providers; put together a personal health record; use e-mail and patient portals; maximize your smartphone's effectiveness with beneficial health-care apps; oversee your safety when you are hospitalized; find the right information on the web; wade through the maze of health insurance options.

Academic/Educational

Lee Ann Hoff, co-author, Crisis Education and Service Program Designs: A Guide for Administrators, Educators, and Clinical Trainers. A revised edition illustrating what crisis care is and is not, and shows that this essential element of mental health service is neither a mere bandaid nor a panacea for what ails the healthcare system

V. Celia Lascarides, co-author, History of Early Childhood Education (Routledge). Paperback edition. A thorough description of early childhood education in the U.S. that covers historical threads reaching back from ancient Greece and Rome to the early childhood programs of today.

Membership in the National Writers Union (www.nwu.org) includes membership in the Boston Chapter (www.nwuboston.org). Questions? Ask Boston Chapter co-chair Barbara Beckwith (BeckwithB@aol.com, 617-868-3143)