Book your summer with alumni authors

Marc Okkonen (‘70 B.A.) published several groundbreaking books about the history of Major League Baseball uniforms, and won the Henry Chadwick Award from the Society for Baseball Research in 2014. He also wrote books about the history of his hometown, Muskegon. Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century: The Official Major League Baseball Guide is painstakingly-researched and even includes illustrations drawn by Okkonen.

Huda Fahmy (‘06 B.A.) uses humor to depict situations that many Muslim-Americans experience. She is the author of the comics “Yes, I’m Hot in This.” Her graphic memoir, That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story, which is about her experience meeting and marrying her husband, was just published in March 2020.

R.J. King (‘85 B.A.), editor of DBusiness, wrote this book, which was named a finalist in the 30th annual Midwest Book Awards. It is about how Detroit became the birthplace of the automotive industry.

Toni Buzzeo (‘76 B.A.) is a New York Times bestselling author and has published over 30 book titles for children, teachers and librarians. If you’re looking for summer reading for children, check out some of her books! She has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Caldecott Honor Book for One Cool Friend, which is about a boy’s unlikely friendship with a penguin.

William Rapai (‘82 B.A.) has written three books about topics related to Michigan. His book The Kirtland's Warbler: The Story of a Bird's Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It was named a notable book by the Library of Michigan.

Paul Kemp (‘96 B.A.), in addition to being a practicing attorney, is a New York Times bestselling author who has written numerous fantasy novels, many of which are shared world fiction. He is best known for his Forgotten Realms novels. Twilight Falling is the first novel in “The Erevis Cale Trilogy.”

R.J. Fox (‘00 B.A.) teaches English and video production in the Ann Arbor Public Schools and is the author of the memoir Love & Vodka: My Surreal Adventures in Ukraine, the collection of essays Tales from the Dork Side and the novel Awaiting Identification. This book is both a travel memoir and love story.

Joseph Cabadas (‘90 B.A.) has written several automotive books, including The American Auto Factory and River Rouge: Ford’s Industrial Colossus, which were named notable books by the Library of Michigan. The latter traces the history and impact of the Ford River Rouge Complex.

David Baggett (‘88 B.A.), a professor of philosophy at Liberty University, has written and edited numerous books related to theology and philosophy, including works analyzing popular culture through a philosopher’s lens. He is the co-author of God and Cosmos: Moral Truth and Human Meaning.

Frank Pearsall (‘63 B.A.), a neuropsychologist who wrote under the name Paul Pearsall, wrote extensively on positive psychology. He is the author of The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy, which explores the theory and science behind energy cardiology.

Gregory Loselle (‘85 B.A., ‘91 M.A.) has won several awards for his poetry, playwriting and short fiction. He is the author of the full-length poetry collection “The Very Rich Hours,” which recounts his childhood experiences at his grandparents’ house on Grosse Ile.

Matthew Kapell (‘94 B.A.) has written and edited numerous essays and books on media studies, history, and anthropology. He is the author of Exploring the Next Frontier: Vietnam, NASA, Star Trek and Utopia in 1960s and 70s American Myth and History.

Jon Burgstone (‘97 M.S.E.) is a successful business executive, professor and investor. He co-wrote the book Breakthrough Entrepreneurship: The Proven Framework for Building Brilliant New Businesses.

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