Books by Barnard Authors

Nonfiction

A Milkweed Chronicle: The Formative Years of a Literary Nonprofit Press

by Emilie Buchwald ’57

Buchwald, a poet, author, and teacher, tells the story of the literary and visual arts journal and award-winning nonprofit press she co-founded in Minneapolis in 1979. In the process, she offers a valuable first-person perspective on the literary publishing world.

Not Dead Yet: Rebooting Your Life After 50

by Barbara Ballinger ’71 and Margaret Crane

Writer, editor, and creator Ballinger teams up again with her longtime writing partner for this memoiristic guide to fully living one’s golden years, sharing insights and affirming solutions for those in the boomer generation and looking toward the future with hope, empathy, and inspiration. 

One Pound, Twelve Ounces: A Preemie Mother’s Story of Loss, Hope, and Triumph

by Melissa Harris ’95

The author chronicles her experiences of pregnancy and caring for a premature baby in her latest book, One Pound, Twelve Ounces. Harris’ moving memoir opens a window onto the lived reality of motherhood during and after high-risk childbirth.

The Red Menace: How Lipstick Changed the Face of American History

by Ilise S. Carter ’95

Carter’s debut book traces the history of beauty in the United States through lipstick production and trends. Carter offers an extensive view into the development of the makeup industry while exploring the interwoven topics of race, gender, and social upheaval. 

Toward Camden

by Mercy Romero ’96

A professor and author grapples with the official — and the untold — narratives of life and diaspora in the Cramer Hill neighborhood of her hometown of Camden, New Jersey. Romero examines the relationship between its Puerto Rican and African American communities, taking on issues of memory, property, and everyday life through history. 

Logjam of a Beauteous Mind 

by Peter Simon Karp

After Mona Pecheux Karp ’57 died of lung cancer, her widower penned this memoir of her travails in treatment and of the caregiving team that formed around her. Karp reflects on his life with Mona and shares their experience with vulnerability and humor. 

Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments

by Erin L. Thompson ’02

An art historian and professor of art crime, Thompson examines the complicated origins and legacies of public monuments across the United States, covering the most iconicized and well-known American statues, their significance, and contemporary reckonings with their troubled histories.

Todd Bolender, Janet Reed, and the Making of American Ballet

by Martha Ullman West ’60

The stories of artist-dancers Todd Bolender and Janet Reed form the backbone of this exploration of the development of American ballet. West traces the art form’s history from its European origins and extends her historical narrative across the U.S., offering an expansive understanding of the form.

When to Talk and When to Fight: The Strategic Choice Between Dialogue & Resistance

by Rebecca Subar ’81

An accomplished educator and consultant, Subar has expertly crafted a guide to understanding the politics of negotiation that weaves together complex analysis and profound storytelling to examine how community organizing, advocacy, and group mediation happens, offering insights into methods of dialogue, resistance, and protest.

Fiction

Voices in the Dark: A Century of Classic Nepali Short Stories About Women

translated by Ann Hunkins ’89

A poet and translator, Hunkins brings classic Nepali literature to the forefront in this collection of short stories that center women and issues of gender. Hunkins worked directly with the Nepali authors to create the truest possible translations of their stories. 

The Days of Afrekete

by Asali Solomon ’95

Author and professor Solomon’s novel explores the profound, complex dynamics between two college friends who have long drifted apart and are now navigating middle age. Solomon brings immense life and humanity to her characters in a story that celebrates both change and the lasting effects people have on one another. 

Children’s Books

The Magic of Kindness! (Triple Trouble Plus One, Book 5)

by Diane C.  Wander ’70

The fifth in Wander’s series about a set of 12-year-old triplets and their 10-year-old sister recounts the adventures of the Hoffman kids when they are challenged to participate in a kindness campaign when schools are forced to close because of a tropical storm.

Poetry

Borderline Fortune

by Teresa K. Miller ’04

In this collection (winner of the 2020 National Poetry Series), Miller explores inheritance, intergenerational conflicts, and the changing environment while reflecting on her family history and weaving together issues of trauma, grief, and humanity.

Liar

by Jessica Cuello ’93

Winner of the Barrow Street Poetry Book Prize, Cuello’s latest book ranges through her life and interrogates the past as object. Cuello’s genre-defying collection centers her unique voice and challenges traditional standards of writing and poetry.