Recently Published Works by Emersonians
Inspired by true events, ‘Foreign Seed,’ the debut novel by Allison Alsup ’94, follows the search for a missing botanical explorer after he disappears from a ferry on the Yangtze River. The book was released in June by Keylight Books. 
‘One Tick Stopped the Clock,’ a memoir by Jennifer Crystal, MFA ’14, was published by Legacy Book Press. The book, which Crystal began writing as a student at Emerson, details her medical journey resulting from tick-borne illness. 
Cassandra Furtado ’11, writing as Cassandra Mortimer, released the new adult romance book ‘The Autumn Effect,’ her first foray into self-publishing, in September. 
Gabriela Gavrilov ’96 recently published ‘U.S.–Russian Commercial Relations: 1763–1933: Origins of Russophobia.’ Her two previous works are ‘Fire on the Steppe: A Historical Novel of Russia’ and the ‘United States 1904–1916’ (2020) and ‘Fire on the Steppe: A Historical Novel of Russia and the United States 1917–1918’ (2020). 
Yasin Kakande, MFA ’23, recently published his debut novel, ‘A Murder of Hate.’ 
Maria D’Arcangelo- Lapides ’85, P ’17, has published her first children’s book, ‘Emerson the Performing Duck’ (Arc Angel Publishing). 
‘The Backtrack,’ by Erin La Rosa ’07, was recently released by Canary Street Press. The magical realism fiction book is La Rosa’s fifth book. 
Cartoonist and filmmaker Mary Matthews ’95 recently published ‘A Kids Book About Long-Term Care’ with author Jenny Abeling. This book helps kids, families, and communities talk honestly about long-term care—early and often. The book’s release also marks the start of Gal Pal Productions, founded by Matthews and Abeling, producers of the popular short film ‘Castle Dweller,’ about Emerson’s study abroad program in the Netherlands. 
Peter Mishler ’03 recently published a poetry collection, ‘Children in Tactical Gear,’ which offers stark incantations and unsparing satire. Set in distinctly American landscapes, this collection demonstrates the unsettling force of a surreal imagination under duress. Mishler, who lives in Kansas, is a contributing editor for Lit Hub. 
Jay Baron Nicorvo ’01 published the true-crime memoir ‘Best Copy Available’ in September, when it was named an Indie Next pick as well as one of the 10 best books of the month by the Los Angeles Times. The book also won the 2023 Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction, which is part of the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Award Series. 
Andie Powers ’04 published ‘I Am Bold: For Every Kid Who’s Told They’re Just Too Much’ in April. The picture book is a follow-up to ‘I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us,’ which was a 2022 Goodreads Choice Award winner. 
Megan Roy ’09 published her first children’s book, ‘Can You Do This?,’ with Blue Star Press. The book encourages kids to jump, stomp, spin, and imagine their way through a world of playful possibilities. 
New York Times best-selling author Erik Sherman ’88 has written his ninth book—this one with Boston Red Sox legend Dwight Evans. Part charming memoir of an underrated star from a bygone era of baseball and part exploration of a man whose inner strength sustained him through various trials and tribulations, ‘Dewey: Behind the Gold Glove’ is the long-awaited full story of Evans from the man himself. 
‘The Causative Factor’ by Megan Staffel ’74, was published on October 22. The novel is Staffel’s sixth book of fiction. 
Tripp Whetsell ’94 published the biography ‘Norman Lear: His Life & Times’ in November. Whetsell, a journalist and the author of four other books, is an affiliated faculty member at Emerson, where he teaches a course on the late television legend Norman Lear ’44, LHD ’68.
