Recommended Reading: Berman '89, Bluemel '86, Metz '89, and more
The Nonprofit Crisis: Leadership Through the Culture Wars
Greg Berman ’89, P’21, ’24
In this timely and incisive work, Berman examines how nonprofit organizations are increasingly caught in the crossfire of today’s culture wars. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, he explores how political polarization, shifting public expectations, and internal organizational pressures challenge mission-driven institutions. Berman offers practical strategies for leaders seeking to navigate ideological divides without losing sight of core values and emphasizing clarity, resilience, and ethical leadership. At its core, The Nonprofit Crisis is both a diagnosis of a sector under strain and a pragmatic guide for sustaining trust, purpose, and impact in a fractured social landscape. (Oxford University Press)
Enchanted Wood: Engraving a Place for Women Artists in Rural Britain
Kristin Bluemel ’86
Bluemel’s Enchanted Wood delves into the transformative power of modern art in the lives of British Depression-era urban and rural women as she recounts the story of four historical figures—Gwen Raverat, Agnes Miller Parker, Clare Leighton, and Joan Hassall. Through close analysis of their wood engravings and illustrated books, Bluemel shows how these artists used a traditionally “gentle” medium to renegotiate professional, social, and personal boundaries. Drawing on the legacy of Thomas Bewick while addressing modern themes of gender, labor, and domestic life, their work reflects both historical continuity and artistic innovation. In this way, Enchanted Wood invites readers to truly consider the power and meaning of art in the lives of everyday people as she lauds these women as important figures in modern day artistry and literature. (University of Minnesota Press)
Hurricane Envy
Sara Jaffe ’99
Jaffe’s short story collection crackles with energy, capturing contemporary life in all its grief and glory. Her characters buzz with frantic half-convictions and self-doubt, caught between public performance and private reckoning. They are walking contradictions, struggling with the daily demand to be good enough—as parents, artists, (white) people. Jaffe’s prose is sharp and deliberate, each sentence charged with intent, pushing readers to ask what stories and music can really do. Ranging from queer parenting and the music industry to post-punk culture and artistic ownership, the collection is held together by a disarming sense of humor. With ease and precision, Jaffe places her characters in moments of reckoning, forcing them to contend with themselves and their desires: what does it mean to be human, to crave attention, to want to run from it? (Itasca Books)
Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women
Oona Metz ’89
Drawing on decades of professional experience as a psychotherapist and her own personal journey with divorce, Metz provides a comprehensive and compassionate resource for women facing this transformational process. Beginning with information on how to initiate the process, then legal and financial concerns, through the emotional rollercoaster and finally reflection after reaching “the summit of freedom,” Metz offers worksheets, meditative exercises, and insights with empathy and understanding. Unhitched provides practical emotional support during a complex time that blends the financial, legal, and personal so that women can emerge from divorce with newfound independence, confidence, and self-compassion. (Gallery Books)
Old Before Their Time: A Scientific Life Investigating How Maltreatment Harms Children and the Adults They Become
Frank W. Putnam ’69, MD
Putnam manages to blend memoir with cutting-edge science in this deeply researched and touchingly humane book exploring the lifelong consequences of childhood maltreatment. Drawing from his career as a pioneering psychiatrist and researcher, he reveals how early trauma shapes brain development, physical health, and emotional well-being across the lifespan. With clarity and compassion, Putnam translates complex neuroscience into accessible insights as he reflects on the ethical responsibilities of clinicians and society. Old Before Their Time is both a sobering scientific account and a powerful call to recognize, prevent, and heal the enduring wounds of childhood trauma. (Routledge)
