Recent works by alumni and faculty

I Spy an avocation
After many years of success with the I Spy series of educational books, as well as books on science, history, poetry and sports, author Jean Marzollo '64 (CLAS) has combined her writing career with her love for painting in a new series of books based on biblical writings.

"The stories in the Bible are endlessly interesting. Look how long they've lasted compared with the best writers of today," says Marzollo. "The stories are so great they can be read on many levels. My heart leapt at the possibility of doing them."

The Bible story series is published by Little, Brown and Company and includes Miriam and Her Brother Moses, Daniel in the Lion's Den and David and Goliath. The books feature her colorful paintings that illustrate each story.

Combining her professional and amateur interests is another turn in Marzollo's journey from her days as a home economics-turned-English major at UConn. A demanding English literature professor's critique of her writing inspired Marzollo to work harder. "He thought my compositions were too sentimental. That motivated me to write something about The Grand Inquisitor by Dostoevsky to show him I could write more intellectually," she says. "He gave me an A plus. It gave me the confidence that I could write for an intended audience. My education at UConn was terrific. I had wonderful classes."

After going on to earn a master's in education, she became a high school teacher in Massachusetts before deciding she wanted to pursue a career in writing. Moving to New York City, Marzollo became the editor of Scholastic's kindergarten magazine, Let's Find Out, a position she held for 20 years. One day a colleague suggested that she try writing a children's book. A partnership with photographer Walter Wick resulted in the first of the seven popular I Spy books and spin-off games and puzzles, which challenge youngsters to identify and find objects that fit in with rhyming riddles. The series led her to a new career as a best-selling author of more than 100 children's books.

Marzollo says before each of her books is final, she visits classrooms to read the stories to children. "A lot of writers think of a parent reading to a child. I always think of the books being read to groups of children," she says. "I go into schools to see if kids get them and that they're not bored. I can see out of the corner of my eye if they're squirming around."
— Kenneth Best

The 60 Second Procrastinator
Jeff Davidson '73 (BUS), '74 M.B.A.
(Adams Media)

Self-help books and management handbooks share a common trait: They break down complicated tasks into smaller, less daunting dilemmas that help move the reader toward resolving whatever situation may be at hand.

UConn alum Jeff Davidson, a management consultant and motivational speaker, has been a prolific author on such topics, having previously written several books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Time and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Stress.

Recognizing the difficulty of getting procrastinators to even begin reading, Davidson offers an easily accessible compilation of 60 essays filled with familiar, everyday examples of barriers to productivity and common sense approaches to overcoming them.

Combining psychology and management principles with humor and crisp writing, Davidson's book provides more than just an opportunity for procrastinators to fill out a collection of books on the subject. — K.B.

All Politics Is Local
Christopher Collier
(University Press of New England)

One of the 20th century's greatest politicians, Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill of Massachusetts, who served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, offered the sage observation that "All politics is local." Christopher Collier, UConn professor emeritus of history and Connecticut state historian, agrees with O'Neill and argues in his latest book that the concept originates from the days of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Challenging conventional views of why state delegates acted as they did in developing the U.S. Constitution, Collier makes the case in All Politics Is Local that Connecticut's 40 anti-Federalist representatives were not motivated in their decision making by ideology, economics or intellect. Instead, he says, it was family and militia connections, local politics and other more practical considerations.

Collier argues further that a state-centered micro-study of each of the other 12 original states is necessary to fully understand the origins of the U.S. Constitution and to help complete historical and contemporary interpretations of what the framers had in mind. — K.B.