Home Making by Lee Matalone (Col ’11)

A novel of home and family, identity and belonging. Impressionistic sections are narrated by a Japanese-French woman, Cybil, adopted by Arizonans; her daughter Chloe; Beau, Chloe’s closest friend; and Pat, Chloe’s estranged husband. Belonging comes when Beau helps Chloe bear a son—and when Beau rejoins his long-lost love. “Some of us are homeless in spirit,” one writes, “...those of us who grew up not knowing the foundation of a happily betrothed mother and father.”

Superhero Thought Experiments: Comic Book Philosophy by Chris Gavaler (Grad ’06) and Nathaniel Goldberg

Recognizing the depth of the issues posed in superhero comics, Gavaler and Goldberg use comics to illustrate philosophy—and use philosophy to analyze the comics. Posing thought experiments—asking “what if?”—they begin with a look at the moral codes of the 1938-39 iterations of the foundational superheroes: Superman and Batman. This is not philosophy for beginners.

The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg (Grad ’15)

Two “girls,” hippie types, were shot to death in remote West Virginia. Years later, Eisenberg came to question the facts about those involved when she, a VISTA volunteer, spent time with local girls and men. She entwines her own tale with an exploration of class and sexism, and the impact of the murders on residents and a third girl—who happened to escape the others’ fate.