Equal of the Sun
Scribner, 2012
Hardcover, 448 pages, $26

Legendary women -- from Anne Boleyn to Queen Elizabeth I to Mary, Queen of Scots -- changed the course of history in the royal courts of 16th-century England. They are celebrated in history books and novels, but few know of the powerful women in the Muslim world, who formed alliances, served as key advisers to rulers, lobbied for power on behalf of their sons, and ruled in their own right. Equal of the Sun, a novel by Anita Amirrezvani (Writing faculty) is a tale of power, loyalty, and love in the royal court of Iran.

Her protagonist is Princess Pari Khan Khanoom Safavi. Iran in 1576 is a place of wealth and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah’s daughter, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess’s maneuvers to instill order after her father’s sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her closest adviser, Javaher, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry of secrets and information that reveals a power struggle of epic proportions.

The Art of Stanley Grosse
Blurb, 2012
Hardcover/paperback, 200 pages, $70/$60

Stanley Grosse (1956 alumnus) and photographer/designer Bob Will (also an alum from the 1950s) created this biography featuring Grosse's life and work. It features 550 photographs and extensive comments by friends and former students. There is also a second version available that excludes the comments (160 pages, 469 photographs, $63 hardcover / $49 paperback).

Grosse says: "Bob Will flew to Maui to meet me. He's now 70 years old. He went away with interviews, hundreds of photos, and a secret desire to do his first book. We Skyped and shared screens, allowing us to have a dialogue while the book was in progress. I furnished him with stacks of CDs with archival photos of my travels, my art over the last 50 years, my master's project completed in Mexico in the early 1960s , discussions of my work, and much more, right up to the present day. A labor of love, but a dream come true of a proper biography.

"Those of us graduating back in those '50s days are getting more rare. Just losing too many old friends. But those of us remaining are dedicated to continuing our craft and have a deep regard for our CCAC. I'm in a wheelchair now but I still feel like when I graduated back in 1956. At least my brain thinks so. I recently finished 200 paintings on envelopes using a variety of materials: watercolor, acrylics, ink stains, transparent overlays, and collage. Since becoming wheelchair-bound, it's the first time in my life that I've dedicated time to doing small pieces. What fun. My electric go-go scooter allows me to get around to photograph and make visual comments about my surroundings.

Oyster Culture
Cameron & Co, 2011
Paperback, 144 pages, $19.99

This book authored by Gwendolyn Meyer (Individualized Major 2004) and edited by Doreen Schmid (MA Visual Criticism 2005) features more than 150 photographs and evocative text describing this singular aspect of food culture. It focuses on the oyster farms of West Marin in northern California, including the Tomales Bay Oyster Company, Drake’s Bay Oyster Company, and Hog Island Oyster Company. It also includes 18 delicious oyster recipes prepared for the home cook from West Marin restaurants, chefs, and oyster farmers, including Osteria Stellina, Station House, the Marshall Store, Nick's Cove, and more. The book is about the pleasures of oysters, and the rich intersection between oyster farming and culinary culture in this unique region. Oyster farming itself is in the limelight these days, particularly in West Marin, and this book is aimed at all readers who have an interest in locally sourced food.

Paula Hayes
Monacelli Press, 2012
Hardcover, 240 pages, $50

Leah Koransky (Graphic Design 2008) designed this book about the artist Paula Hayes, who is most famous for her exquisite, high-end art terrariums of organically shaped, handblown glass. But her affinity for all things green extends to full gardens as well. She has created more than 20 full gardens for private clients around the country. This volume, the first monograph on her work, is structured in a two-part format that devotes equal attention to both.

Hayes has been a fixture of the New York art scene for more than two decades. Her installation in the lobby of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Nocturne of the Limax Maximus, garnered much critical acclaim and landed her a feature on CBS Sunday Morning. She has an oversized terrarium in the lobby of Lever House in New York, and a solo exhibition on her work was held at the Wexler Art Center in Columbus, Ohio, where she also installed a permanent garden adjacent to the museum's main entrance.