THE WHOLE NINE YARDS: Longer Poems By Daniel Hoffman, faculty (LSU Press, 2009; $50 hardcover, $17.95 paper.) In this selection of longer works from his distinguished career, the former Poet Laureate and Felix E. Schelling Professor of English Emeritus explores themes of violence and transcendence. BUY THIS BOOK
NOTHING BUT GHOSTS By Beth Kephart C’82 (HarperTeen, 2009; $17.99.) After her mother dies, 16-year-old Katie takes a summer job at the garden estate of the reclusive Miss Martine and soon becomes involved in decoding a mystery hidden in an old painting. Grief, art, and emerging love intersect in this Young Adult novel by Kephart, a frequent contributor to the Gazette. BUY THIS BOOK
LAST MAN STANDING: The Ascent of Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase By Duff McDonald W’92 (Simon & Schuster 2009; $28.) During the recent financial meltdown, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon not only oversaw a $5 billion profit for his corporation but agreed to take over the floundering investment bank Bear Stearns. That triumph solidified Dimon’s reputation as a “creative thinker and a man with the ability to shape the culture not just of his company but also of his industry and even the country itself,” in the words of McDonald, a New York-based journalist. BUY THIS BOOK
8: Ivy League Football and America By Erik Greenberg Anjou and Mark F. Bernstein (8ivyfootball.com, 2008; $24.95.) By the time the Ivy League was officially formed in 1954, the eight schools that comprised it had played a central role in the development of football. Narrated by Brian Dennehy (Columbia ’60) and featuring vintage footage of gridiron clashes as well as interviews with the likes of Chuck Bednarik Ed’49, 8 examines the evolution of the game and the tensions between the scholar-athlete ideal and the lure of big money. Bernstein is the author of Football: The Origins of an American Obsession and several articles for the Gazette. BUY THIS BOOK
EAT YOUR SAD By Jay Matsueda W’95 (wudwink, 2009; $15.) The debut album by LA-based singer/songwriter Matsueda features notable backup musicians, emotive vocals, intriguing lyrics, and a range of musical styles. BUY THIS ALBUM
