The Book of Tahl: From Homelessness to Paralympic Gold

Written by Tahl Leibovitz with Sean O’Neill and Jim Bergman

 

Becoming a Writer: A Memoir and Workbook

Written by Carol Bergman

Not Done Yet: The Humor of Aging

Written by Sherry Deren

Not Done Yet: The Humor of Aging is an illuminating exploration of the funny side of aging as experienced by author Sherry Deren, a retired social psychologist who spent most of her career directing federally funded behavioral research studies into HIV and drug use. Made up of a selection of her blog posts (humorandaging.com) of the last four years, Sherry’s anthology is a rich mixture of how a sense of humor and some common sense can help us cope with aging and even enjoy it.

While covering many of the usual challenges and pleasures of aging, including staying healthy, deciding what to save or throw away, and managing changing family relationships, Not Done Yet also takes the reader into new uncharted territory worthy of senior consideration: hearing aids that play nice music when somebody compliments you and automatically turn down the volume when confronted by an angry or critical person; designer lenses that block out messy street garbage and distort the faces of people whose advice is both unwanted and overbearing, and dental implants that when tapped deliver refreshing mouthwash, savory tastes and other culinary delights. “Rather than simply look to restore the previously youthful functioning of our senses,” says the author, “why not just use technology to enhance those senses that have declined with age.”  Why not, indeed!

Valerie’s Remarkable Steps

Written by Valerie Pepe and illustrated by Fernando Quintero

Valerie Pepe was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, known as AMC. After writing two books for grown-ups, and meeting so many parents and children at AMC conferences, she decided to write these true stories based on her life just for children. They can be read aloud by adults to children, or by children themselves.

On My Own Terms

Vasu Varadhan

On My Own Terms is a classic story of an immigrant’s struggle to forge an identity of one’s own amidst the upheavals of geographical and cultural displacement. On another level, it is an homage to a remarkable woman’s struggle to maintain individuality, integrity and freedom as an accomplished scholar inside the orthodox Hindu culture in which she was born and raised.

Vasu Varadhan holds a PhD in Media Studies and is currently a faculty member of New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She teaches a wide range of interdisciplinary seminars on media theory, identity in a multi-cultural world, ancient Indian literature and South Asian literature with a special focus on emerging Indian writers in the diaspora.

Rethinking The Ground Rules

Works by the Hudson Valley Women’s Writing Group

A second anthology of prose and poetry from the prestigious Hudson Valley Women’s Writing Group — seven friends from diverse occupational backgrounds (academics, social workers, teachers and lawyers) who write from the collective perspective of being women-of-a-certain-age in a culture that tends to render older women invisible or irrelevant, and who share their unique perspectives on memory, joy, resistance, resilience, aging and transformation.

Deformed: My Remarkable Life Continues

Valerie Pepe

In this sequel to Deformed: My Remarkable Life (Mediacs, 2016), Valerie Pepe updates the inspirational story of a woman’s struggle to overcome a crippling birth defect in pursuit of a “normal” home and work life. Picking up where her first memoir left off, Valerie takes the reader on a heartfelt journey into middle age; the loss of family members, including her dad; a new and deeper love affair, and volunteer work to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy and others who like her were born with the joint contractures and abnormal muscle fibrosis of Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC). Born and raised in Staten Island’s Italian-American community, Valerie Pepe has written a sequel that once again stands as a shining example of how a strong and independent person with a severe physical disability can refuse to be marginalized.

Deformed: My Remarkable Life

Valerie Pepe

Valerie Pepe’s autobiography is an inspirational story of a woman’s successful struggle to overcome a crippling physical deformity and live a normal life. Born with joint contractures and abnormal fibrosis of the muscle tissue in her lower body, a rare birth defect known as Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), Valerie has fought a never-ending battle against those who would isolate her and other deformed individuals. As a child growing up in the New York City borough of Staten Island, Valerie was encouraged by her parents and older brothers to play street games with the neighborhood kids despite her dependence on crutches. After entering school, however, she was segregated into classes for disabled children — an experience which left her with the life-long determination to never again allow herself to be isolated from so-called normal people. In her strong, down-to-earth, no-nonsense voice, Valerie tells her story of a disabled person rising to the challenges of college, career, sexual relationships and marriage.

Colden and Wick: Mind Intruders

Josh Wickom

When mild-mannered Josh Wickom retired from a successful engineering career, he and his beloved wife Ruth anticipated a senior life of renewed romance and exotic vacations. Instead, they and their two adult children were plunged into a three-year nightmare when two powerful mind intruders hijacked John’s existence. First came Colden, a deeply-depressed paranoid intent on ending his own life. Then came Wick, a flamboyant concert promoter fueled by electroshock therapy-induced mania and grandiose illusions.

Unable to regain control of his own life, Josh watched helplessly as Coldon and Wick steered him on a wild ride from bucolic Central New York State, to the steamy Mississippi Delta and New York City — with stops along the way in the county jail, a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, and divorce court.
Josh’s ability to objectively observe and record what was happening —his scientific training — is what makes his memoir such a compelling read. It may also in part explain his eventual recovery.

Secrets of Your Child’s Education: Hidden Causes of Success or Failure

Alexa Stuart Frisbie

Alexa Stuart Frisbie’s new book provides parents with a timely and practical guide to what all children need to be happy and successful as they learn. In her book, Ms. Frisbie, herself an award-winning teacher, teacher-trainer and parent, describes hidden causes for lackluster education — from teacher-bullies to disconnected curriculum — and practical fixes parents can use to hurdle over them. “The school system, even with the best of intentions,” says the author, “can fail your child. My book will enable parents to understand common issues to help their children.”

Losing David: A Healing Journey

Joan A. de Bruin

Emma’s story is a tale of sorrow, struggle and success; growth, personal transformation, and celebration. Her familiar world has been devastated by the sudden death of her younger brother, Davy. Her grief sends her on a heroine’s quest from her familiar world, now disruptive and hurtful, into a magically exciting world, where she has a mission to complete. In time, she returns to her family, her victory won, at peace, ready to move forward on her personal life’s journey.

Julius

Written and illustrated by Susan Conklin

Julius is a true story about a proud cat who is very jealous of the attention given to a new family addition, baby Amanda – an emotion shared by many siblings, homo sapiens and pets.

The book was born in 1997 at the SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology. “I always wanted to be an illustrator,” says the author, Susan Conklin. “So I audited a Children’s Literature course at the SUNY college in Cobleskill, New York, and wrote and illustrated the book while taking the course.”

While Julius was trying to adjust to the new family reality, a doctor informed Amanda’s parents that their daughter might have a cat allergy. Susan inherited Julius shortly thereafter. Once again the main kid on the block, he lived until the ripe old age of 16.

Rosebud: The Cat Who Lost Her Nine Lives

Joan A. de Bruin and Douglas R. Decker

Rosebud the Cat’s story is a tale of heroism, challenge, transformation and success. After squandering her nine lives in bullying and fighting, the Cat Lady Goddess agrees to restore her lost lives if Rosebud travels to the Otherworld, a dangerous land of magical creatures, and recovers the Goddess’ stolen treasure. In time, Rosebud returns home, her mission complete, a loving, wise and compassionate cat at peace with herself.

Say Nothing

Carol Bergman

In this expanded edition of Say Nothing, rookie Private Investigator Alison Jenkins, recently returned to her home in Ulster County, NY from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, teams up with her mentor, PI Margaret Singer, to solve the disappearance of a decorated veteran, David Rizzo. Not far into the investigation, the detectives realize that the young man’s disappearance is only one of several related crimes committed in their jurisdiction, and that the FBI has taken a controlling interest in the case and invoked the Patriot Act. When David’s girlfriend and a young Iranian girl are found murdered, the case becomes even more complex and challenging. At each turn in the investigation, the sense of danger intensifies. Though it seems impossible for any crimes to be solved with the government insisting they back off, the detectives are determined to find the killers. What ensues is a murder case larger and more complex than they, particularly Alison, had imagined. A political thriller, murder mystery, and meditation on the futility of war, SAY NOTHING will twist its way into your psyche and not let go.

Where’s Paulo?

Paul Rowbottom

Cut adrift by the sudden and unexpected breakup of his 28-year partnership/marriage in 2006, British-born chemist Paul Rowbottom took up employment at Pfizer’s New York City headquarters. When Big Pharma offered him a generous severance package nine years later, he took the money and ran. Literally! He has spent the last two years traveling extensively, a wanderlust interrupted only by brief visits with his sons Luke and Alex in the U.K. and short stays in New York City where he teaches Organic Chemistry at St. John’s University.

Whenever possible, Paul combines his love of travel with his passion for keeping super fit. His sightseeing trips usually involve biking, caving, hiking, skiing and running marathons with his Road Runners Club and Race2Adventure buddies — physically-challenging activities that invariably end with collegial gatherings and plenty of cold beer. This book, Paul’s first, is adapted from his blog, wherespaulo.com.

Shachar and Kuti

Shachar Edry

Shachar is having her 10th birthday, but she’s not celebrating alone. Kuti is celebrating with her – one of many beauty marks decorating Shachar’s whole body. The problem with Kuti is that she’s located inside Shachar’s head, which causes all kinds of problems.

“Sometimes, I want to ask her why she chose me, or what brought her to me, but I know that’s not important… because she did choose me, and she’s with me now.” That’s why Shachar wrote this book &mdash a book about love and acceptance, for yourself and also for those who are different.