PSU Magazine Spring 2005

T H E Good Soldiers: The History of the 353rd Infantry Regiment, 89th Infantry Division By Richard P. Matthews '68, MA '88, 89th Infantry Division Association, 2004. "American individuality was the great– est contribution that the millions of young men and women brought to the armed forces during World War 11," writes author Richard Matthews. And that individuali ty shines through in his book written about and for the 353rd Infantry Regiment. lndividuals' written accounts and letters home are inter– spersed through the story of their training and warfare. Matthews, an amateur historian and life-long resi– dent of Portland, has spem his life in conversation with veterans of World War 11 and subsequent wars. Hello Exile By Lilian Gafni, '76 PublishAmerica, Baltimore, 2004. Lilian Gafni worked for the Commis– sion on Soviet Jewry, and during the 1970s corresponded with prisoners of conscience at the height of visa denials for Soviet Jews. From that experience she has written a fascinating fictional account of Klara, a Soviet Jew who is not only denied a visa but sentenced to a slave labor camp in Siberia for four years. She must face backbreaking labor, grueling living conditions, and housing with convicts who threaten to rape her. Klara works hard to survive so she can return to the man she loves in Moscow. Sailing into the Abyss By William Benedetto '77, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, N.Y, 2005. ln 1969, the merchant marine vessel SS Badger Slate was given the task of transporting bombs from Seattle to Da Nang, Vietnam. The ship never made it and most of the crew died when the bombs on board came loose during a colossal storm, and not only blew a hole in the ship , but destroyed the S H E L F lifeboat. William Benedetto began researching the Badger State while serv– ing on the Coast Guard's Marine Inves– tigation Unit. Using eyewitness accounts, official documents , and rarely seen photos, he has written a minute-by-minute narrative of the ship's last journey. The Language of Baklava By Diana Abu-Jaber (English faculty), Pantheon, New York, N.Y, 2005. Recipes for Tabbouleh-when every– thing is fall ing apart-and Baklava– when you need to serenade some– one-punctuate each chapter of Diana Abu-Jaber's humorous memoir. The child of an eccentric family, she weaves their stories around vividly remem– bered meals in upstate New York and in Jordan, her father's homeland. Abu-Jaber is also the author of the award-winning novels Arabian Jazz (2001) and Crescent (2004). When the Thrush Calls By Rachel O'Neal MSW '99, Wordscape Publishing, Portland, 2005. This is the personal story of Rachel O'Neal's grief and eventual renewal after the death of her young husband , Greg, who died of cancer. Healing Reviews are of faculty and alumni books , recordings , and Web publica– tions . To have a work considered for this page, please contact PSU Maga– z ine via email to psumag@pd.x.edu , or fax to 503-725-4465, or mail to PSU Magaz ine, Office of Publica– tions, Portland State University, PO Box 751 , Portland , OR 97207-0751. ceremonies and nature helped O'Neal find new hope. After Greg's death , O'Neal earned her master's degree in social work, and she now works with elderly and disabled people at Clacka– mas County Social Services. Shadow Boxers By Jim Lommasson '75, John Gattuso (edi– tor), Stone Creek Publications, Milford, N.j. , May 2005. Jim Lommasson's stark and gritty pho– tos of boxing gyms across the country are the soul of the book-the dozen essays by veteran boxing writers are the heart. For the past decade, Lommas– son has chronicled the cu lture of American boxing gyms, start– ing from his hometown, Portland. His images reveal the pain and sacrifice as well as the triumphs of the men and women who box. The book includes a foreword by former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. Proven Strategies Professionals Use to Make Their Proposals Work By Michael Wells (adjunct faculty), PSU Continuing Education Press, 2005. This is the first in a new Gra11tw1iting Beyond th e Basics series from the Con– tinuing Education Press at Portland State. Michae l Wells shares his strate– gies for securing millions of dollars for nonprofit institutions during his 30- year career. He has a unique approach for using a budget to present an orga– nization's story and need. The next volume in the seri es, due out in spring 2006, will discuss finances and budget for grant writers. D SPRING 2005 PSU MAGAZINE 5