tommie mascot carrying books between shelves in o'shaughnessy-frey library

Book of the Month

The St. Thomas Alumni Book of the Month Club engages alums passionate about fun, enlightening and fulfilling reading. We'll show you a book written by a St. Thomas alum or faculty member, and at the end of the month, we'll feature an interview with that author, bringing you closer to the book and giving a deeper insight to the words and ideas on the page.

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Dr. Artika R. Tyner is pictured holding her book during a speaking engagement at St. Thomas.

Justice Makes A Difference: The Story of Miss Freedom Fighter, Esquire by Dr. Artika R. Tyner

September/October 2019

Co-written by Dr. Artika Tyner (a three-time Tommie with Ed.D., M.A. and J.D. degrees), Justice Makes a Difference is the inspiring story of one little girl's realization that her name is her destiny. Through conversations with her grandma and their shared love of books, Justice learns about important women and men throughout history who changed the world.

About the Author
Dr. Artika R. Tyner is a passionate educator, author, speaker and advocate for justice. At St. Thomas, she is the founder and director of the Center on Race, Leadership and Social Justice at the School of Law. She is committed to training students to create new inroads to justice and freedom.

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Tom Smith is pictured with his son after his college graduation

the cover of Jim Bohen's book, "I travel in rusting burned out sedans: A life inside poetry"

portrait of Steve Bullock, author of this book of the month.

HOLD MINE HAND: THE INCOMPARABLE WISDOM AND HUMOR OF YOUNG BOYS BY TOM H. SMITH

July/August 2019

Every parent needs inspiration. Parenting is like exercising: It couples great satisfaction with exhausting effort. This book dives into the hearts and minds of three young boys who are growing up in a complex world. Gain Smith's insights into parenting and life by reading this month's book, Hold Mine Hand.

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I travel in rusting burned-out sedans: A life inside poetry by Jim Bohen

May/June 2019

Poems that dive, move, surprise. Lyrical laments. Love poems. Rants with bite. These are the phrases used to describe Jim Bohen's latest work and first book of poetry.

My name is Steve Delano Bullock: How I Changed My World and the World Around Me Through Leadership, Caring, and Perseverance by Steve D. Bullock '81 MBA

March/April Book 2019

Read about Steve D. Bullock's life and book in an article from the St. Thomas magazine.

The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just by Melina Mangal '87

January/February Book 2019

In this children's book, Ernest Everett Just was not like other scientists of his time. He saw the whole, where others saw only parts. He noticed details that others failed to see. He persisted in his research despite the discrimination and limitations imposed on him as an African-American.

Cecilia (McMahon) MacDonald '88 and Kathryn (MacDonald) Schneeman '88 are pictured inside an Irish pub.

C.K. MacDonald is the pen name of mother-daughter writing team Cecilia (McMahon) MacDonald '88 and Kathryn (MacDonald) Schneeman '88.

Running the Cobblestones by C.K. MacDonald

November/December Book 2018

In Running the Cobblestones, Kate McMahon, a disgraced American widow, cobbles together a new beginning in Ireland. Readers will run alongside her through Dublin streets, trailed by a foul-mouthed stalker with a stun gun. The peaceful village is thrown into turmoil when the stalker targets Kate's young gardener, Michael, a Special Olympian with a John Wayne fixation and a Dalmatian deputy. Mercifully, the action, suspense and romance are peppered with humor – the secret of Irish survival.

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Art Cullen stands at the edge of a river for a portrait

Read about an interview with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author from his visit to campus.

Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope From a Heartland Newspaper by Art Cullen '80

September/October Book 2018

In 2017, small-town newspaperman and St. Thomas alumnus Art Cullen won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for a series of editorials that took on corporate agribusiness for fouling Iowa's water supply and despoiling its soil. Now in his first book, Storm Lake, he offers an affecting memoir about his work as a reporter, and a fascinating encapsulation of Iowa's politics that could serve as a primer for political observers with their eyes on the next presidential campaign.

a portrait of one of the authors alongside the cover art for the book

Portrait of Alicia M. Long '10 J.D. alongside the cover art for "Capitol Hell"

Capitol Hell by Alicia M. Long '10 J.D. and Jayne Jones

July/August Book 2018

This fictional tale follows a small-town college graduate, Allison Amundson, as she moves to Washington, D.C., to pursue a career in politics. Her fictional story was inspired by the real-life experiences of our co-authors who met while working for Minnesota's former Senator Norm Coleman in the early 2000s.

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Portrait of author Rita Wilson '82 MBA.

Greek Lessons: A Cultural Odyssey by Rita Wilson '82 MBA

June Book 2018

In this personal story, Rita Wilson '82 MBA reminisces about her childhood as a daughter of Greek immigrants. Her parents came to America before World War II, and throughout her life she wanted to know more about her family's homeland. She began taking trips to Greece, and each visit opened new doors. In this part memoir/part biography, readers go on the journey with Wilson as she discovers her family's history.