University of Mary Washington - Index

University of Mary Washington - summer08 - Index

– that they are white, racist, uneducated – are now placed upon
the South as a whole. Mathews contends that the origins of the
misconceptions about the ties between fundamentalism and the
South predate the 1925 Scopes Trial in Tennessee, during which a
high school biology teacher was found guilty of teaching evolution.
Instead, Mathews contends, the fallacy was spawned by the
American print media in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
She maintains that common terms, such as “Bible Belt South” and
“fundamentalist South” were created by the media. Ultimately,
Mathews, whose research included the study of nonreligious news
sources, re-examines the control of religion over culture and,
conversely, culture over religion.
Published by The University of Tennessee Press, 2006.
BOOKS BY ALUMNI:
Hazard and Prospect: New and Selected
Poems
By Kelly Cherry
In her recent collection, Hazard and Prospect: New and Selected
Poems, Kelly Cherry ’61 combines popular poetry from her previous
publications with new, short poems outlining the happiness she
has found on her Virginia farm. Dedicated to her husband, the
collection breaks Cherry’s writings into thematic divisions, such as
family, first marriage, adult education,
and Virginia. Interspersing longprose
poems with short ones, Hazard
and Prospect reveals a broad range of
poetical prowess and a diverse palette
of inspirations ranging from the
natural world and spiritual longing
to love and loss. Cherry, a former
professor of English at the University
of Wisconsin, has a master’s degree
from the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro. Her body of work,
nearly 30 publications, includes
poetry, fiction, memoirs, and drama.
Published by Louisiana State
University Press, 2007.
After the Peace: Loyalist Paramilitaries in
Post-Accord Northern Ireland, Version 2
By Carolyn Gallaher
A decade after the signing of the 1998
Belfast Agreement, Northern Ireland’s
loyalists are still fighting. With her book
After the Peace: Loyalist Paramilitaries in
Post-Accord Northern Ireland, Version 2,
Carolyn Gallaher ’91 examines why
the fighting continues in the face of the
treaty that aimed to quell the 30-year
feud between the region’s Protestants
and Catholics and release the area from
the grip of the paramilitary. Through
interviews with current and former
paramilitary members, government
officials, and community residents,
Gallaher presents reasons behind the
continued aggression and how the fighting has affected the citizens
of Ireland. She considers the idea that many members of the loyalist
paramilitary want peace and a chance to mend their communities,
while others reject that idea and insist on continuing to fight.
Gallaher also reveals the loyalists’ campaign for Ulster-Scots as a
language, as well as the virulent fights among paramilitary groups
the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Ulster Defense Association, and the
Loyalist Volunteer Force.
Gallaher, associate professor in the School of International Service
at American University, received her doctorate from the University of
Kentucky.
Published by Cornell University Press, 2007.
River Country
By Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda
The disappearing natural beauty of
the eastern Virginia Tidewater region
inspired the poetry of River Country, a
new collection of poems by Carolyn
Kreiter-Foronda ’69. In it, she uses
flowing lyrics and rich language to paint
pictures of pristine spots still remaining
there. With subjects such as rivers and
trees, damselflies and fish, cardinals,
osprey, and bald eagles, Kreiter-Foronda,
Virginia’s Poet Laureate, captures the
majesty of a microcosm of unvarnished
nature in an urban area where manmade
change is quickly encroaching.
UMW Professor of English Claudia Emerson, who won the 2006
Pulitzer Prize for poetry, had high praise for the work: River Country, she
said, is “graceful and honest in its ‘need to leave something nourishing
behind.’ ” In this collection, Kreiter-Foronda gives a voice to wildlife
and expresses to others the need to appreciate, preserve, and protect it.
Published by San Francisco Bay Press, 2008.
A Possum’s Christmas Tale
By Jamey M. Long
Back when Jamey M. Long, MBA ’05 was a teacher, a student’s
father, a Pentagon police officer, was killed in the line of duty. In
the time after the accident, Long wanted to help his young friend
and make her first Christmas without her dad a little easier. That’s
when Opie the Opossum and Long’s book A Possum’s Christmas Tale
were born. Dedicated to Long’s student, the story follows Opie as he
explores and discovers the joys of family, the holiday season, and the
birth of Jesus.
Since then, Long, operations manager for UMW user services
in the Department of Information Resources, has written a series
of books following the adventures of Opie the Opossum as the
creature enjoys holidays and takes
part in historical events. Each story,
imaginatively illustrated by Brandon
Wood, aims to teach children about
faith, family, friendship, honor, and
love for one another.
Long is also adjunct instructor
at George Mason University and
Northern Virginia Community
College.
Published by Tate Publishing, 2007.
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