An astronomer tells tales of stargazing and pursuing the universe’s big questions, a grandparent shares wisdom for happy living, a jazz drummer lays down a cool new album 鈥�

But behold, yet more! An engineer pens STEM biographies for children, a cartoonist draws stories from his life, researchers ponder the future of river and wildlife conservation, and faculty masters bring out new classical recordings on guitar and piano.

Though 2020 was a holy humbug of a year, 91探花 talents persevered, and published. Here’s a quick look at some giftworthy books and music created by 91探花faculty and staff, and a reminder of some recent favorites.

Stargazing stories: , associate professor of astronomy, published the anecdote-filled “” in August. “These are stories astronomers tell each other when all of us are hanging out at meetings,” Levesque said. Kirkus Reviews called them “entertaining, ardent tales from an era of stargazing that may not last much longer.”

‘Grand’ wisdom: , professor emeritus of English, has written novels, short stories and more, but takes a personal turn in “.” He offers his grandson, and readers, “what I hope are 10 fertile and essential ideas for the art of living.” It’s all presented “tentatively and with great humility,” Johnson says, as “grandfatherly advice is as plentiful as blackberries.”

Drums, duets: , assistant professor of music, released the album “” in March. Poor told 91探花News the music “is a celebration of space 鈥� space for drums to resonate and convey a feeling, and for the melody to dance around and push that feeling. It is primarily a collection of duets with saxophonist聽 and the sound of the record is focused on drums and sax throughout.”

STEM stories: , professor of civil and environmental engineering, published two books for young readers this fall: “The Secret Lives of Scientists, Engineers, and Doctors,” volumes and . The volumes showcase “the struggle, growth and success” of 12 professionals in STEM fields, including a geneticist, a biologist, a cancer researcher and a scientist at the National Institutes of Health. More books are .

Life drawings: , professor of Slavic languages and literatures and comparative literature, published “,” a eclectic collection of drawings and essays, highlighting his different styles through the years, “from tragedy to tragicomedy to documentary to black humor,” he said.

Guitar works: School of Music faculty guitarist released his 10^th album in March. “” features classical guitar works written for him by composers and

Sheppard plays Brahms: , internationally known professor and pianist, put out a digital release of 107 early Brahms works in October, titled “.” The work joins Sheppard’s lengthy from a decades-long career.

Ecological restoration: How has climate change affected regional ecological restoration? , a research scientist in human centered design and engineering, looks for answers in “,” from 91探花Press.

River history: Seattle was born from the banks of the Duwamish River, writes BJ Cummings of the 91探花Superfund Research Program, but the river鈥檚 story, and that of its people, has not fully been told. Cummings seeks to remedy that with 鈥�,鈥� published by 91探花Press.

Coexisting: Agriculture and wildlife can coexist, says , professor of environmental and forest sciences, in his book “.” But only “if farmers are justly rewarded for conservation, if future technological advancements increase food production and reduce food waste, and if consumers cut back on meat consumption.”

And here are some favorites from 2019:

O鈥橫ara鈥檚 鈥楥ode鈥�: History professor provides a sweeping history of California鈥檚 computer industry titans in “ The New York Times called it an “accessible yet sophisticated chronicle.”

Mindful travel: of the English Department and the Comparative History of Ideas program discusses how travelers can respectfully explore cultures with lower incomes, different cultural patterns and fewer luxuries in “.”

Kingdome man: , associate professor of architecture, studies the life and work of Jack Christiansen, designer of the Kingdome and other structures, in “,” published by 91探花Press.

Powerful silence: “,” a documentary directed by English professor about NFL star Marshawn Lynch’s use of silence as a form of protest, is available for rent or purchase on several platforms.

Seattle stories: 91探花Press republished English professor ‘s well-loved 1976 reflections on his city, “.” Sale, who taught at the 91探花for decades, died in 2017.

• Joanne De Pue, School of Music communications director, assisted with this story.

Climate change and adaptive restoration explored in ‘Anticipating Future Environments’

How do climate change and its symptoms 鈥� drought, wildfire, flooding, extreme weather 鈥� affect the daily work of scientists involved with ecological restoration?

, a research scientist with the 91探花 Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, looks for answers to this in a new book published in July by 91探花Press. “” tells of past and present salmon habitat restoration science in the Columbia Basin.

“Ecological restoration is often premised on the idea of returning a region to an earlier, healthier state,” Hirsch writes. “Yet the effects of climate change undercut that premise and challenge the ways scientists can work, destabilizing the idea of ‘normalcy’ and revealing the politics that shape what scientists can do. How can the practice of ecological restoration shift to anticipate an increasingly dynamic future? And how does a scientific field itself adapt to climate change?”

David Montgomery, 91探花professor of Earth and space sciences and author of several books, praised the new work: “In this hard look at how to restore an ecosystem that is changing our from under you, Hirsch reinforces the message that good science is not enough.”

91探花Notebook asked Hirsch a few questions about the book and its topic.

How did the book come about?

Shana Lee Hirsch: I was researching water management in the Columbia River Basin and I was really struck by the complex and overwhelming issues that people are facing in terms of, not only managing water, but in sustaining livelihoods,聽and all of the life that depends on the river. When climate change is piled on top of that, the issues are magnified.

But what really stood out to me was the way that people didn’t give up 鈥� they just kept on working through all of these complexities, restoring the river and finding creative ways to adapt. I wanted to understand what people, and particularly restoration scientists and practitioners were doing differently in light of climate change. How were they adapting their science, and their work, to deal with a climate-changed river system?

Who is the book’s intended audience?

S.L.H: It is an academic book, but tried to write it in a way that is accessible to a broader audience of people who are generally interested in environmental management or restoration of salmon habitat, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

What do you hope readers take away from the book?

S.L.H: I hope that readers will be inspired by what the restorationist community is doing to ensure that salmon continue to survive in the Columbia River Basin. Despite all of the devastation that salmon populations have suffered from development, and now climate change, the salmon and the people are not giving up. There is simply too much to lose.

Climate change should not overwhelm and stifle us to inaction, it should spur us to action and hope. The restorationists in this book can serve as an inspiration in this regard.

For more information, contact Hirsch at slhirsch@uw.edu or visit her personal .

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In other 91探花book news:

Stay the wrecking ball: ‘Building Reuse’ out in paperback

91探花associate professor of architecture argues for the environmental benefits of reusing buildings instead of tearing them down in her 2018 book “.” 91探花Press published a paperback edition of the book in August.

Tearing down buildings and “throwing away the energy and materials embodied in them” is contrary to the values of sustainable builders and environmental stewards, Merlino told 91探花News in 2018. “I’m not arguing that all buildings are worthy of preservation and reuse, but I think a change in discourse is necessary.”

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Anu Taranath’s ‘Beyond Guilt Trips’ a Washington State Book Award finalist

The Washington Center for the Book has named “” by a finalist for a 2020 Washington Book Award in the general nonfiction category. Taranath is a principal lecturer in the departments of English and the Comparative History of Ideas.

“Many of us want to connect with people unlike us, and we know that鈥檚 a good thing 鈥� it鈥檚 good for our democracy, good for our souls, good for our communities,鈥� Taranath told 91探花News in 2019. “But we鈥檙e also not sure how to do so, because of the persistent inequities in race, economics and global positioning. And having good intentions and knowing how to connect are two different things.”

The book also was on Oprah Magazine’s and the Fodor’s Travel list of books to inspire travel, and received an from the booksellers’ publication Foreword Reviews.

The Washington Book Awards were announced on Aug. 21, and the winners will be named on Sept. 25.

A teacher discusses respectful world travel, a historian explores Silicon Valley鈥檚 evolution, a professor and violist plays the music of Robert Schumann and a late English faculty member’s meditation on Seattle returns 鈥�

Here鈥檚 a quick look at some gift-worthy books and music created by 91探花faculty in the last year 鈥� and a reminder of some recent favorites.

O’Mara’s ‘Code’: History professor Margaret O’Mara provides a sweeping history of California’s computer industry titans in her book 鈥�,鈥� published by Penguin Press. Publishers Weekly wrote: “O’Mara’s extraordinarily comprehensive history is a must-read for anyone interested in how a one-horse town birthed a revolution that has shifted the course of modern civilization.” The New York Times called it an “accessible yet sophisticated chronicle.” 聽 for a 2020 Pacific Northwest Book Award.

Seattle stories: 91探花 Press is republishing 91探花English professor 鈥榮 well-loved 1976 reflections on his city, its history and its possible futures, 鈥�.鈥� Pacific Northwest Quarterly called the book 鈥渁n exhilarating critique of Seattle鈥檚 birth, growth, sickness, health, promise and fulfillment. Any serious student of Seattle or of recent urban history will now read Roger Sale, and with good reason.鈥� Sale, who taught at the 91探花for decades, died in 2017. The new edition has an introduction by Seattle writer Knute Berger.

Mindful travel: How can travelers respectfully explore cultures with lower incomes, different cultural patterns and far fewer luxuries? Anu Taranath, lecturer in English and the Comparative History of Ideas program, explores such questions in “,” published by Between the Lines. Taranath has led student trip to India, Mexico and other locations. “Mindful travel in an unequal world,” she says, is about “paying attention, and noticing positionality in relation to each other. It鈥檚 about understanding that we are all living in a much longer history that has put us in different positions of advantage and disadvantage, and equipped us with very few tools to talk about it.鈥�

Salish Sea fishes: , curator emeritus of fishes at the Burke Museum and a professor emeritus of aquatic and fishery sciences, teamed with James Orr of the Alaska Fisheries Center for “,” the first-ever documenting of all the known species of fishes that live in the Salish Sea. Published by 91探花Press, this three-volume set represents the culmination of 40 years of work and features striking illustrations by and details about 260 species of fish, complete with the ecology and life history of each species.

Watras plays Schumann: , professor of viola, offers new music and a masterwork by composer in “Schumann Resonances,” a CD released on Seattle’s Planet M Records. Schumann’s is the centerpiece and artistic jumping-off point for the CD, which is inspired by fairy tales and folklore, and features 91探花faculty colleagues and . The music and culture blog An Earful wrote: “Besides having a burnished tone and monster technique, violist Watras has a gift for contextualizing the music of the past 鈥� with ‘Schumann Resonances,’ Watras continues to prove herself a curator, performer and composer of unique abilities.”

Solo cello, Icelandic composers: Assistant professor of music and cellist has a new release on the Sono Luminus label titled “,” which features music for solo cello by several Icelandic composers and a return to an earlier composition, “Solitaire.” In liner notes, writes: “This project is a compilation of pieces by composers that not only share my mother-tongue and culture, in language and music, but also bring their unique perspective and expression in their compositions 鈥� I couldn’t have asked for more generous artists to come into my life and allow me to explore my voice through their music.”

Fanfiction examined: Fan fiction has exploded in popularity in recent years. In their book, 鈥�,鈥� and examine fanfiction writers and repositories and the novel ways young people support and learn from each other through participation in online fanfiction communities. Davis is an associate professor in the 91探花; Aragon is a professor in the . Published by MIT Press.

Here are a few other notable 2019 titles from 91探花Press.

Seawomen, Icelandic waters: “ by Margaret Willson, affiliate professor of anthropology and a faculty member in the Canadian Studies Center has been released in a paperback edition. The book, first published in 2016, was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award.

Asian American voices: A new, third edition of “,” published in 1974 and co-edited by , 91探花professor of English. The New York Times Book Review : 鈥淭he stories are 鈥� strewn with new insights buried in the flesh of the narrative; they illuminate areas of darkness in the hidden experiences of a people who had been little more than exotic figments of someone else鈥檚 imagination.鈥�

Haag remembered: A paperback edition of 鈥�,鈥� which explores the career of the founder of the 91探花Department of Landscape Architecture, best known in Seattle for his . Written by 91探花architecture professor , who said Haag鈥檚 legacy is found in the places he designed, which 鈥渋nspire students to think beyond what they know 鈥� they ignite civic engagement and public service, for Rich鈥檚 most important work was in the public realm.”

Staff discounts: 91探花Press is offering a 40% discount on all titles during the holidays. Staff and faculty get a 10% discount year-round when ordering through their website using the code WUWE.

• Joanne De Pue, School of Music communications director, assisted with this story.

91探花Notebook is a section of the 91探花News site dedicated to telling stories of the good work done by faculty and staff at the 91探花. Read all posts here.

Recent notable books by 91探花 faculty explore mindful international travel, men seeking work as day laborers, and activist teachers.

Mindful travel, thoughtful engagement in an unequal world

What is it like to travel through parts of the world that are socioeconomically different from home? How can travelers navigate the challenges, opportunities 鈥� and sometimes powerful emotions 鈥� of respectfully exploring cultures with lower incomes, different cultural patterns and far fewer luxuries?

, a senior lecturer in the 91探花 Department of English and the Comparative History of Ideas program, explores such questions in her new book, “.” Taranath has led student trips specializing in human rights themes to India, Mexico and other locations, and has her own company on racial equity.

“Many of us want to connect with people unlike us, and we know that’s a good thing 鈥� it’s good for our democracy, good for our souls, good for our communities,” Taranath said. “But we’re also not sure how to do so, because of the persistent inequities in race, economics and global positioning.

“And having good intentions and knowing how to connect are two different things.”

The book, she said, is informed by her many travels with 91探花students and the ways she sees them wrestle with ideas like: What does it actually mean to be global citizens, to be mindful of these inequalities and to act accordingly?

“We often soak in guilt and soak in shame for all that we have, especially if we come from a very privileged background and are going into communities that have little or none of what we have. How could you not feel guilty? How could you not start feeling really uncomfortable?”

“Beyond Guilt Trips” starts at home and takes readers through stories where Taranath 鈥� both narrator and a central character in the telling 鈥� and students and others are finding their way through that guilt. What happens on the far side of such feelings, she asks. “And what else might we find?”

Her advice? A mix of persistence and humility. “You have to stay in it to get through it 鈥� that’s the first thing. We live in an exceptionally distracted time, and whenever there is an uncomfortable moment of feeling we are quick to swipe it away, to move out of it.”

But try to resist that, Taranath advises. And try to understand that “mindful travel in an unequal world isn’t about getting on a plane to go somewhere 鈥� it’s about paying attention, and noticing positionality in relation to each other. It’s about understanding that we are all living in a much longer history that has put us in different positions of advantage and disadvantage, and equipped us with very few tools to talk about it.”

Taranath added that these lessons are not only for travel.

Such conversations, she said 鈥� about having or not having, or enjoying opportunity or not 鈥� “these are not just questions you experience when you are abroad in Nepal or in Honduras. They are questions our students should be grappling with, all the time, here, in the community they are in.”

“Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World” 鈥� with illustrations by Seattle-based artist , was published in May by .

For more information, contact Taranath at anu@uw.edu.听

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‘Daily Labors’ explores world of men seeking work daily on Brooklyn street corner

A new book by , 91探花assistant professor of American Ethnic Studies, examines the experiences of African American and Latino day laborers who look for work daily at an intersection of streets in Brooklyn. “” was published in April by Temple University Press.

Pinedo-Turnovsky spent nearly three years talking with men seeking work as day laborers. Her book considers them as active participants in their social and economic life, publisher’s notes say.

“They not only work for wages but also labor daily to institute change, create knowledge, and contribute new meanings to shape their social world. ‘Daily Labors’ reveals how ideologies about race, gender, nation, and legal status operate on the corner and the vulnerabilities, discrimination, and exploitation workers face in this labor market.”

For more information, contact Pinedo-Turnovsky at cpt4@uw.edu.

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Activist educators through US history

A new book co-edited by two graduates of the 91探花College of Education doctoral program presents case studies of teacher activism throughout the history of the United States.

“” was edited by Tina Y. Gourd, who is now an instructor in the College of Education and Jennifer Gale de Saxe, now an instructor at Victoria University of Wellington.

“Through a lens of teacher agency and resistance,” publishers notes states, “chapter authors explore the stories of individual educators to determine how particular historical and cultural contexts contributed to these educators’ activist efforts.”

Several other 91探花education alumni also contributed chapters to the book; 91探花education professor wrote the foreword. Read an from the college about the book, which also includes an audio interview. Part of the Routledge Research in Education series, “Radical Educators” was published in late 2018.

For more information, contact Gourd at gourdt@uw.edu.

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Other book notes:

“Postracial Resistance” book honored: Ralina Joseph’s latest book, “” has received the 2019 ICA Outstanding Book award from the International Communication Association. Joseph is an associate professor of communication. She received the award at the association’s 69th annual conference in Washington, D.C. in May. Read an interview with Joseph.

“Jewish Salonica” in Greek: A Greek translation of “Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece” by , 91探花professor of Sephardic studies and history, was released in mid-March. Naar visited Salonica, Greece, for a book launch event also featuring prominent local scholars. The book was in 2016 by Stanford University Press. Naar also participated in a series of programs noting the 76^th anniversary of the start of deportations of Jews from Salonica to the death camp in Auschwitz. Naar is an affiliate of the in the .

Summer reading: New York Times co-chief art critic Holland Cotter listed “,” published by 91探花 Press and written by Harvard’s Philip J. Deloria., among interesting books for summer reading. Sully was a self-taught Dakota Sioux artist and the great-granddaughter of 19^th century artist Thomas Sully. The praises “semi-abstract celebrity ‘portraits,’ which combine a modernist spirit and Native American aesthetics.”

Debunking anti-vaccine myths: , author of “,鈥� debunks 10 common arguments used by anti-vaccine activists in , which published his book in December 2018. Sanford is an associate professor of family medicine and global health with the 91探花School of Medicine.

“Given the vehemence and organization of anti-vaxxers, their battle with traditional providers will probably continue for the foreseeable future,” Sanford writes. “it is important that those of us who believe in the benefits of vaccines speak our minds. If the pro-vaccine majority are passive, the anti-vaccine minority will determine the national and international tone and policy.”

A letter to curd rice? To a beggar, or a man unconscious in the gutter? A letter to one’s self?

Creative letters written by 91探花 undergraduates who studied last summer in Bangalore, India, are gathered in a new book organized by , senior lecturer in the English and Comparative History of Ideas departments.

The book, “,” includes about 60 such letters, all written by the 2013 study-abroad cohort, who spent a quarter putting it all together after their return from India.

And though the letters are personal and informal, they often touch on global issues of class, privilege and power.

About every other summer, Taranath takes 20 or so undergraduates to India for a monthlong study-abroad course called . She asks the students to consider their travels through the lenses of globalization, development and social justice. The study-abroad program is sponsored jointly by the Comparative History of Ideas Program and the 91探花Honors program.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and each trip I make helps deepen my own understanding of some of the larger global issues we are trying to understand together,” Taranath said. “But it also makes me more curious about how to teach this material.”

The idea, she said, came from Brandon Maust and Amy Hirayama, former students who now help her administer the program. The two reminded Taranath of a nightly ritual with her children in which she asks them three questions: What people were you most excited about today? What feeling are you keeping in your mind before sleeping? And what thing did you particularly like today?

With the added fourth component of “self,” this became the assignment. Students were to write a letter a week, to a specific thing, idea, person and to themselves. The student writers collectively called themselves The Letterwallahs.

Writing to an idea may seem odd, but Taranath suggested it as a way of thinking about big concepts starting in small ways.

“So, you are not talking about development as a whole, but you are asking, ‘Dear Road that I am on.’ ‘Dear building that got sawed in half to make more space for the road.’ ‘Dear tree that was uprooted.’ You’re thinking about development, for example, from a seemingly smaller angle, and from that angle you can dig your way up.

“You are entrusting your thoughts to that building or tree for the duration of the letter 鈥� that to me is an imaginative leap, one that’s really compelling.”

So while Marcello Molinaro’s letter to curd rice (rice with yogurt that South Indians eat), for instance, begins light-heartedly, it soon grows reflective: “Can a foreigner ever accurately analyze the shortcomings of another culture?” writes the forestry major. “What does it mean that much of what shocked me two weeks ago now crashes weakly against my emotional armor?”

Rasan Cherala, a graduating senior in biology and anthropology, wrote to a beggar girl he saw on the street. He said writing a letter was like taking a snapshot of a moment to remember it by. “It gave me a method to see how my thought process changed throughout the whole study-abroad experience.”

Taranath introduces her students each year to activists working on social causes in India, to give them first-hand experience and inspiration.

“Something we talked about often was, even in such a complex and maybe bureaucratically challenged environment 鈥� that is India 鈥� look at the great work people are doing.”

Still, Taranath said, it doesn’t mean these students must relocate to India to do good work. Instead, she advises them to work in their own communities: “You are an insider in many ways 鈥� use your insidership status to do hard work. Because a foreigner can only do so much.”

Taranath said the letter-writing process can help travelers be more mindful of and connected to their environment.

“I do this with my children not because we’re traveling every single day of our lives, but because I want to try to develop a small practice in them 鈥� that helps them plug into their world.”

It’s a decision Letterwallah member Molinaro seems to arrive at on his own, as he ends his letter to curd rice: “I will pledge to never stop questioning why the customs surrounding me exist, why things are the way they are. Perhaps I could take the promise with me when I return to America, home.”

Taranath is quick to credit the students, who were eager participants in creating the book together.

“The peer-to-peer learning possibilities for this are great, because it’s not a book I wrote 鈥� it’s undergraduates hopefully speaking and learning from other undergraduates, and I like that a lot.”

The Letterwallahs are: Margaret Babayan, Simon Borumand, Rasan Cherala, K. Clark, Sasha Duttchoudhury, Rukie Hartman, Amy Hersh, Marie Higinbotham, Joanne Ho, Jenny Hooker, Minjung Kim, Olivia LaFond, Rebekah Lester, Fabiola Arroyo Lopez, Marcello Molinaro, Nicola Okada, Divya Ramachandra, Landon Tan, Vinnie Tran, Annika Van Gilder, Bianca Young, Chris Yoon.