RECENT NONFICTION BY LOCAL AUTHORS

Art from Intuition: Overcoming Your Fears and Obstacles to Making Art, by Dean Nimmer (2008)

Practical self-help for artists who want to free their creativity by learning to trust their own intuition, the sixth sense that directs an artist's work. By letting go of the self-criticism, doubt, and insecurity that discourage art making, artists will be able to soar to new heights. Practical exercises take the reader from basic intuitive art to more sophisticated techniques. Works of art by students and contemporary artists exemplify how exciting and how productive a freer, more intuitive approach to making art can be.

An Execution in the Family, by Robert Meeropol (2003)

Details Meeropol's odyssey from being Julius and Ethel Rosenbergs' son to becoming a prominent political activist in his own right. This is the story of how he tried to balance a strong desire to live a normal life and raise a family with a growing need to create something useful out of his childhood nightmare. It is also a poignant account of how, at age forty-three, he finally found a way to honor his parents and be true to himself.

Going Bigtime: the Spectacular Rise of Umass Basketball (1996)

Award-winning writer Marty Dobrow takes readers through one of the most compelling sports stories in recent American history. Using in-depth profile, revealing anecdote, and keen analysis, he chronicles the colorful University of Massachusetts basketball teams of the sixties and seventies that included legendary figures Julius Erving and Rick Pitino, then describes the eighties squads that plunged to embarrassing levels, only to be rescued by a charismatic coach named John Calipari.

Historical Dictionary of the Shakers, by Stephen Paterwic (2008)

Describes significant philosophies, people, places, and events in the 235-year history of the small Shaker religious movement in the United States. The chronology and introduction detail the history and main tenets of the religion. Among the cross-referenced, alphabetically arranged entries are synopses of every Shaker community in the country.

In Unbroken Line, by Eric Bascom (2008)

In main-line churches, women have been ordained for generations, but in the Congregational churches of New Hampshire, Elida Frost Bascom (1894-1981), the author's mother, was the first to shatter the stained glass ceiling. Her life mission was to go to China. How she settled for a closer objective, and the steps she took to get there, are the ingredients for a zealous and durable life.

Look Me in the Eye, by John Elder Robison (2007)

The brother of Augusten Burroughs and the son of Margaret Robison describes life growing up different in an odd family, his unusual talents, his struggle to live a "normal" life, his diagnosis at the age of forty with Asperger's syndrome, and the dramatic changes that have occurred since that diagnosis.

Pie Traynor: a Baseball Biography, by David Proctor (2010)

A Baseball Hall of Famer, Pie Traynor was the face of Pittsburgh baseball during the twenties and thirties, when the Pirates were a perennial pennant contender. (They won the Series in 1925.) Traynor was a line-drive, and by all accounts he was a dazzling defender. After his playing days ended, Traynor stayed in Pittsburgh, managing the Pirates for five years and working as a popular broadcaster for decades, cementing his place as one of the most popular athletes ever to play in the Steel City.

Springfield, by G. Michael Dobbs (2008)

Springfield, a city rich with history, includes such notable events, figures, and personalities as Shays' Rebellion, the Gee Bee airplane, the first gasoline powered automobile, Dr. Seuss, the counter-culture hero Timothy Leary, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and more. This richly illustrated books notes them all with its collection of annotated picture postcards.

Sundays in America, by Suzanne Strempek Shea (2008)

Shea grew up Catholic then drifted away from church. However, in 2005 the funeral of John Paul II and a diagnosis of breast cancer made her wonder what so many people found in Christianity that she did not. Sundays in America recounts her year-long pilgrimage to visit a different church every Sunday, whether the sanctuary was a multimillion-dollar extravaganza, a centuries-old edifice, an abandoned building, or an airport chapel, and perhaps recapture a faith-filled passion in her own life.

Talking About Race, by Kaolin (2010)

Based on a successful college course now adapted in book form, Talking About Race will appeal to white people working to achieve racial equality in their lives, and to readers of color who would like insight into psychological and social experiences white people encounter. Heartfelt stories from Kaolin's former students fill the text, interspersed with over 140 self-study questions. Talking About Race can be used by individuals, small study groups, and in secondary and higher education classrooms.

To Dakota and Back, by Judith Kappenman (2010)

Biography of the author's grandfather, John Donahue, who rode an orphan train to South Dakota in the late 1800s and was taken in by a strict farmer and his German wife. Despite what he considered a loveless childhood, Donahue prevailed, building a successful life in the small town of Ethan , South Dakota and presiding over a loving and supportive family.

Why I Left the Amish, by Saloma Miller Furlong (2011)

Furlong shares the story of her turbulent and isolated childhood in an Amish community and how her decision to leave irrevocably changed her relationship with her family. She begins and ends her narrative by recalling her father's death during her first semester at Smith College . In this personal and moving memoir, Furlong traces the genesis of her desire for freedom and education and chronicles her conflicted quest for independence.