New Books from Alumni

A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama
Ray Anthony Shepard, M.A.T. ’71
(CALKINS CREEK PRESS, 2023)  
In this YA novel, written in lyrical verse, Ray Anthony Shepard highlights the struggles of six Black Americans from different eras, including the country’s first Black president, Barack Obama; Ida B. Wells, an investigative journalist, activist, suffragette, and one of the founders of the NAACP; and Ona Judge, a former slave of George and Martha Washington who escaped to her freedom. A Long Time Coming is the third book written by Shepard, a former history teacher. 

Hidden History of Cambridge & Harvard: Town & Gown 
Jane Merrill, M.A.T.’71 
(HISTORY PR, 2023)  
Split into four parts — the early years, becoming the United States, the 19th century, and modern times — Hidden History is an historical look at the founding and growth of Harvard University and the city where it’s located. Within each of the chapters, author Jane Merrill shares the lesser known history of the city and college, such as student protests and school pranks over the years, and highlights more well-known aspects such as Hasty Pudding, the final clubs, the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard Square, and local bridges. 

Working with Humans: Tools You Didn’t Know You Needed for Conversations You Never Expected to Have 
Laura Crandall, Ed.M.’09 
(BANQUET PUBLISHING, 2023) 
As Laura Crandall points out in Working with Humans, we all deal with situations at work that can be “concerning, confusing, or crazy-making.” At the root of this, she writes, is not having and not using tools that we need to communicate well with one another — despite being in what we call the Information Age. Access isn’t the issue. Our approach and how we communicate is. Working with Humans offers the tools needed to help manage teams (and yourself), navigate tricky situations at work, and lead with humanity. 

AI and the Future of Education: Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence 
Priten Shah, Ed.M.’21 
(JOHN WILEY & SONS, 2023)  
Calling it a primer for educators to learn what artificial intelligence (AI) is and how students are using it, Priten Shah provides in AI and the Future of Education practical tips, tricks, and thought-provoking questions that educators can ask themselves as they weigh the opportunities, risks, and barriers AI brings to the classroom. She writes that while concerns over plagiarism and cheating often dominate conversations about AI, with this new book, she wants to present a more optimistic outlook at what AI can do for teaching and for learning. 

Black Matters: African American and African College Students and Graduates Tell Their Life Stories 
Edited by Andrew Garrod, Ed.D.’82, and Robert Kilkenny, Ed.D.’92 
(ROUTLEDGE, 2023) 
In Black Matters, Andrew Garrod, a professor emeritus at Dartmouth College, and Robert Kilkenny, founder of the Alliance for Inclusion, pull together a collection of personal memoirs from 10 Black women and men, reflecting on their undergraduate experience at Dartmouth (plus four Dartmouth alumni looking back). As the book notes, the college’s Black student population hovers at around 6%. The essays include moments and events that transformed students’ academic, professional, and racial identities. 

Preserving Planet Earth: Changing Human Culture with Lessons from the Past
Jane Roland Martin, Ed.M.’56 
(ROUTLEDGE, 2024)  
Preserving Planet Earth starts with a strong opening statement: “The red alert has sounded. Our planet’s natural environment is in distress and the reason is us.” As author Jane Roland Martin, a professor of philosophy emerita at UMass Boston writes, it’s not the birds or the polar bears responsible for climate change and water shortages — it’s humans who are destroying ecosystems and the world. Still, she writes, there is a lot people can do to positively move forward, including more of a focus on closing the knowledge and “doing” gaps.