The Her Campus Guide to College Life by Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, Annie Chandler Wang, Windsor Hanger Western, and the Writers & Editors of Her Campus

Many of you are probably already familiar with Her Campus, especially since we have our very own chapter here at Fairfield University. Her Campus is the #1 global online community for college women founded by three Harvard alums. Their website is an invaluable tool for female college students and it was the winner of the Harvard College’s business plan competition in 2009. Articles on the site are written by top college student journalists (5,000+ contributors) and more than 250 college chapters have been formed. Many contributing writers and campus correspondents have gone on to accept positions at big name magazines and marketing companies such as Glamour, Vogue, People, and Ogilvy.

This guidebook offers the “collegiette” (Her Campus’ moniker for the in-the-know female college student) lots of helpful advice, such as creating roommate contracts and eating right—despite some unhealthy dining hall options. As a senior, I did find some useful tips, particularly in the chapters on LinkedIn, social media etiquette, and landing coveted internships and jobs. It is also always beneficial to learn about new ways to beat stress (whether it’s low level or chronic) and get refreshed on ways to handle roommate situations or unhealthy relationships with friends or dates. Despite enjoying this book, I do feel it is best targeted to the first and second year student. 

The five-part sectioning of the book works well to organize subjects, for example, “Staying Safe in College” and “Managing Your Money and Career”.  Each chapter concludes with Wellness Check-ins, like “Six Workout Mistakes to Avoid” as well as Chapter Checklists.  The authors’ goal is to take you through all aspects of college life both academic and social with insights that will help you succeed in thriving during your college years.  They accomplish that goal having created a most thorough and well written guide.

Reading this book is like having a conversation with your best girlfriends and older role models who sincerely want to help you succeed. These articles written by the founders, are recent college graduates who, in looking back, can give you sage counsel on how to navigate the often-complicated waters of college. This ultimate college handbook should be given to young women at their college orientation as there are so many tips that are perfect for new students, such as how to beat the freshman fifteen and talking with career planning.  Some say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I say, this book will be the best friend that can change your life.  If you aren’t already a collegiette, you’ll certainly be on your way after reading this book!

 

Interview with co-founder Stephanie Kaplan Lewis:

GW: What sparked your interest in starting Her Campus for college girls? Did you have a specific experience that launched the idea?

SKL: My co-founders and I met as undergrads at Harvard while working on a student publication that was a lifestyle and fashion magazine for Harvard women.  We took over leadership of the publication and transitioned it online, and it took off—not just with women at Harvard, but also with women at colleges across the country. Women at other colleges started contacting us asking for advice on how to start something similar at their school, and this gave us the idea to create a national media property targeted at college women, with both national and local content, all produced by student journalists.

GW:  What was college life like for you?

SKL: College was very busy!  I was a psychology major, economics minor; editor-in-chief of the student publication that gave us the idea for Her Campus; VP: Communications for my sorority, Delta Gamma; conducted psychology research in two different labs; and worked as a tour guide at the admissions office.  Over the summers I studied abroad in Barcelona, and held editorial internships at Seventeen and SELF.

GW: When and how did you come up with the idea of a “collegiette”?

SKL: We came up with the term "collegiette" in the very early stages of Her Campus, before we had launched.  I don't remember exactly how the idea came to us but as soon as we thought of it, it stuck!

GW: What does it take to become a campus correspondent for Her Campus or to start a new chapter?

SKL: Anyone interested in starting a chapter of Her Campus can apply here: http://www.hercampus.com/start-your-own-my-campus-chapter and we then conduct a rigorous application process involving publicity ideas, demonstrated interest from your peers, interviews, and more.  If your school already has a chapter of Her Campus, you can visit your chapter's page within HerCampus.com and email the Campus Correspondents to get involved!

GW: What is a typical day like for you at Her Campus?

SKL: There really is no typical day!  But on any given day I might be meeting with different departments and people I oversee, answering emails, going through agreements for clients, working on the editorial calendar, working on projects like our conferences, and more.  Some days might also involve speaking engagements or, most recently, book signing events!

GW: What advice would you give to college students or “collegiettes” that you did not include in your new book?

SKL: If you have an idea for a business, get started as soon as possible!  There is no time like the present.

GW: What do you think is the most important takeaway from The Her Campus Guide to College Life if you had to sum it up in a few words?

SKL: College is all about balance.

GW: What are you reading now? What would you recommend a soon-to-be college graduate put on her reading list? (Other than The Her Campus Guide to College Life of course!)

SKL: Two great books I've read recently are Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (obviously!) and The Glitter Plan by the founders of Juicy Couture.

Co-founders of Her Campus: Windsor Hanger Western, Annie Chandler Wang, and Stephanie Kaplan Lewis

Making Marks: Discover the Art of Intuitive Drawing by Elaine Clayton

Before even opening this book, I was privileged to experience a stream drawing session with Elaine Clayton. What many of us call “doodling”, Elaine terms stream drawing, or intuitive stream drawing. Upon sitting down with her, she asked me to form a question in my mind with emotional attachments or meaning. For example I chose to question my future, specifically where I’ll find myself career-wise in the near future.  She then told me to pick up the pencil with my non-dominant hand and close my eyes. After drawing one continuous line of random twists and shapes, I opened my eyes to find a mess of swirls and curves.

She began by asking what I saw in my drawing, what images first came to mind when looking at the piece of paper. I immediately saw a dragon pointing to the right of the page, which she said was facing towards the future, after which I told her about the recurring dragon dreams I had been having. She said this could mean I am thinking of a job or the working world as a “beast” or that I have this strength inside me pointing towards the future. As we turned the paper around to view each angle, new images popped up like an Indian Scout, the number two, and a dog. She then examined the images and feelings that sprang forth. It was a very emotional experience, one that can really help you delve into your intuitive, creative center.

The book begins by explaining the art and process of stream drawing, followed by the practice of reading and uncovering meaning in these drawings. Each chapter contains playful illustrations in the margins. She also includes examples of sessions she conducted with people in the past with color illustrations. Reading about her experiences is enjoyable as they often reflect the uncanny abilities of our intuition.

If you’re feeling blocked to new ideas or you are seeking answers to seemingly unanswerable questions, stream drawing is a great process that takes us back to a child-like state when our intuition was at its height. It doesn’t matter if you are not artistically inclined. Stream drawing puts you in touch with your intuition and frees you of the rigidity of daily life. Many of us who used to draw as children have now stopped due to busy lives or feeling “not good enough”. When Elaine asked me why I no longer draw, my response was part bewilderment, part feeling as if I wasn’t skilled enough. Elaine argues that drawing is a fundamental part of our lives. By revealing our emotions and experiences, “stream drawing can calm the nerves and open the mind and heart to new self-acceptance”.

The next time one of your professors reprimands you for “doodling” in class, let him/her know that people actually retain 29% more information when they “doodle”! Put it on your calendar now to come and meet Elaine Clayton at the Fairfield University Bookstore on Saturday, April 25^th at 11am. She will discuss her new book and conduct stream-drawing sessions. Don’t miss this great opportunity! Check out her website: http://www.illuminara.com/.

Fairfield's One Book One Town event for Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Upon returning from Paris on a book tour in Europe, Emily St. John Mandel swept the stage inspiring her audience and instilling in them the notion that life is ephemeral. No average day or small feat should be taken for granted. She urges her listeners to stop sleepwalking through life and notice life’s intricacies through a sharper lens. Stop to notice the astonishing technologies and inventions that surround us like the flick of a switch that floods a room with light or the ability to travel across oceans in hours rather than days, weeks, or even months. These miracles have been diminished to mere routine predictability. Emily’s new book, Station Eleven forces readers to take a step back and examine your life. Do you appreciate the wonders around you? Are you living an honorable life?

Fairfield Public Library’s annual “One Book One Town” event was centered on Emily St. John Mandel’s fourth and latest book, Station Eleven. The “One Book One Town” concept was developed by Nancy Pearl of the Seattle Public Library’s Washington Center for the Book. She launched a program wondering what the results might be if everyone in one town/city read the same book at once. The idea has since spread throughout the country and the rest of the world. Fairfield’s One Book One Town initiative began in 2006 with Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Last year’s selection was a current New York Times Bestseller, Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Librarians and community volunteers put together an array of month-long programs and events focused around the book selection for each year. Mandel’s appearance last week at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center was the culminating event for the Fairfield town-wide celebration for Mandel’s new book.

Emily was born on an island off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, which, incidentally, she used as a model for a central character’s birthplace and home in Station Eleven. She pursued her passion for dancing at the School of Toronto Dance Theater and subsequently moved to Brooklyn where she now lives with her husband.

Before deciding to become a writer, Emily was a dancer primarily with a focus in ballet, later switching to modern dance. She always loved writing and in fact wrote a published anthology of poems when she was 15.  Her first book was published when she was 30 after she was discovered in a slush pile at a publishing house. Currently she works part time as an administrative assistant at a cancer research center as her day job, writing whenever she can.  Her husband, also a writer, understands her need to lock herself in her office for hours on end on weekends when she finally gets the chance to write uninterrupted.

Station Eleven, a dystopian apocalyptic novel is one of many in a popular and ever-growing genre of books. It has been equated to a love letter in the form of a requiem. Her book transforms the genre, placing her story in an entirely different sphere, one where the best aspects of society, like Shakespearean plays, meet apocalyptic pandemic. Mandel reflects, “it seems to me that the citizenry of Elizabethan England would have been haunted by the memory of pandemics in the recent past. The plague swept over England again and again in those years, and it brushed close against Shakespeare’s life”. In writing the book, she asked herself the question: what would people miss most from their old life and the world as we knew it? Certainly they would want to be reminded of the best our world had to offer and Shakespeare is symbolic of the best in literature.

In creating her characters, Emily finds herself most akin to Miranda, first wife of Arthur Leander, who has been writing and illustrating a comic book called Station Eleven. The comic book is central to the novel’s plot and is also a possible next project for Emily. She has also sold options for a movie adaptation. Fingers crossed!

Emily reminds aspiring writers to finish what work they have started, although constant revisions are necessary. A common misconception is that you must know the right people and work your connections in order to get published; either that or live in Brooklyn, which is simply not true. Determination, motivation, passion, and a little luck are all involved when it comes to getting published or even possibly authoring the next bestseller. Unless you submit your work and get it out there (even if it finds its way into the dreaded slush pile) your manuscript will never find its way into the hands of readers. Emily St. John Mandel’s novel, Station Eleven, is a case in point in which her novel went from the slush pile to become a 2014 National Book Award Finalist and now a New York Times Bestseller.

 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

“The Traveling Symphony: Because survival is insufficient” are the words painted on the side of a caravan. The traveling troupe of actors and musicians who inhabit this caravan risk everything in the name of art and culture. It is years after an apocalyptic pandemic, as the nomadic group of actors travel through the Great Lakes region representing the idea that we need art to thrive in this world.

The story opens earlier, when Arthur Leander, the character that binds them all together, suddenly dies of a heart attack one wintry night on stage performing in King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo turned EMT jumps at the chance to save a life, a famous celebrity’s life no less. Kirsten Raymonde, a child actress in the play, watches in horror as the curtain drops and Arthur’s life drains from his body. The night of this tragedy, the Georgia flu becomes a real threat to North America.  It was thought to be contained in Russia and the surrounding countries, but evidence appears to the contrary. Even though the epidemic becomes a pandemic, spreading everywhere imaginable, people rush to their cars, clogging the highways, most eventually abandoning their cars and setting out on foot as life deteriorates around them.

Now, 15 years later, Kirsten still belongs to the Traveling Symphony, surviving in the name of art for humanity. Unfortunately, no one can survive without committing some act of violence usually in self-defense. A small knife is tattooed on the people who have killed someone, denoting how many kills each person has committed since the pandemic broke out. Kirsten also has a line from Star Trek tattooed on her arm, the same quote written on the side of their caravan: “Survival is insufficient”. In their travels they encounter a violent prophet, whose name is as mysterious as his past. He is a master of brainwashing who has many followers.

Mandel weaves stories seamlessly from before and after the pandemic all connected to Arthur. Station Eleven teaches us never to take the world we live in for granted and to stop sleepwalking through life. Imagine, “No more Internet. No more social media, no more scrolling through litanies of dreams and nervous hopes and photographs of lunches, cries for help and expressions of contentment and relationship-status updates…”. As you read, perhaps you will wonder if you, too, would be able to survive in a barren world void of our technological comforts.

Visit http://www.emilymandel.com

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Have you ever heard of a blackberry abatement specialist? I hadn’t either until I read this quirky, downright hilarious book claiming to be one of the best books you’ll read in recent years. If you grew up in a small town like me, you’ll relate completely to these community driven parents and teachers of Galer Street Middle School. Over-involvement in committees and clubs galore is just what Bernadette Fox sees as a complete waste of time. 

Bernadette and her husband Elgin have recently moved to Seattle, Washington for his job at Microsoft.  Their 15-year-old daughter Bee, a student at Galer Street and their dog, Ice Cream, complete the family set dubbed “The Beatles” by Bernadette and Bee. The novel is told from Bee’s perspective largely comprising of letters, e-mails, and memos spanning the course of just a few months.  As Bernadette’s mysterious past unfolds, you’ll begin to understand her agoraphobia and utter social anxiety, which was sparked by a disaster in her glory days as an architect. When Bernadette disappears, Bee goes into a tailspin, blaming her father for attempting to ship her mother off to Madrona Hill, a rehab center.

It all began when Bee got straight A’s at school (or should I say straight S’s, as Galer uses their own grading scale) and her dream vacation to Antarctica was approved by her parents. Her mother, whose fear of people has driven her to use a virtual assistant in India to do her most basic errands, sees this trip as extremely problematic. When her mother/best friend disappears, Bee uses personal documents to lead her down the trail to Bernadette. This is a laugh-out-loud yet touching tale about an eccentric intellect and a mother-daughter relationship gone haywire.

Look for Semple’s first novel, This One is Mine or visit her funky website: http://www.mariasemple.com/

The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

The title of this book captured my attention, especially because I’m a senior about to graduate, wondering about the life I am intended to live.  This ghostly love story, published in December, contains themes found in P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel’s second book. Her first book was the international bestseller, The Sweetness of Forgetting.

The Life Intended opens with Kate Waithman remembering a life now swept away. A young widow working in New York City as a music therapist, she finds herself engaged again to a charming and successful young man. It seems she should feel more excited looking towards a bright new future, however, her mind drifts to the past in her sleep with dreams of her late husband, Patrick, and of a daughter they never had, named Hannah. Is Patrick reaching out to send her a message from the unknown or is her soul unable to let go of a heartbreaking past?

Balancing her life between dreams and reality, Kate uncovers Patrick’s hidden meaning feeling drawn to a sign language class and the New York City foster system. Through life’s tragedies and searching for your purpose in life, you will feel connected to this book and relate to Kate. Many of us have woken from such dreams that seemed so real, we think they couldn’t possibly be simply a figment of our imagination. We desperately try to hold on to the dream to stay there just a little longer. 

As Kate continues to be beckoned into her dream world, the line between dreams and reality becomes ever more blurry.  Her dreams of Patrick lead her to uncover her newly intended life, the one she is challenged to embrace in order to find happiness and fulfillment. Though this may seem like a ghost story or a fantasy novel, it is actually written in a very realistic style. Be prepared to get emotional as you watch Kate’s life unfold at the hands of her late husband who unpredictably helps her navigate through life’s many trapdoors and hidden meanings. 

For more info, visit the author’s website: http://kristinharmel.com/ along with her Twitter @kristinharmel and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KristinHarmelAuthor.

In the Woods by Tana French

The first in a series of five books, Tana French’s debut novel is impressive and mind-bending, another stay-up-all-night read. Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, In the Woods is dark and mystifying, masquerading as a murder mystery for what is really a brilliantly cruel piece of psychological mastery. For fans of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects, this book is a must read.

The story begins in Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 1984 when three children vanish in the woods. Two of them have disappeared forever, leaving Rob Ryan clutching a tree trunk in sheer terror, unable to speak, much less remember what had happened. Twenty years later as a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad, Ryan buries his past in order to work on the case of a murdered 12-year-old girl who was found in the same woods. Detective Ryan and his partner, who have become fast friends, delve into past and present to solve the murder.

This first person novel is as much about the murder mystery as it is about the narrator himself and his dark and dreary past, which comes back to haunt him every time he visits the scene of the present crime. Are the two crimes connected? You will wonder if Ryan’s repressed memories will resurface as he delves into the murder of another child in the same secretive and illusive woods. As you become privy to Detective Ryan’s thoughts and unravellings, the transformation he undergoes will be particularly striking. Questions left unanswered will undoubtedly have you craving more. Reach for the next in the series, The Likeness followed by Faithful Place, Broken Harbour, and recently released final book of the series, The Secret Place. Find a good spot to read this, preferably with people around, but definitely not in the woods!

Visit her website: http://www.tanafrench.com/. Connect with her on Twitter: @TanaFrench or visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TanaFrench!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Though daunting in size, this popular book will sweep you off your feet with an unexpected explosive opening. For fans of Donna Tartt and her popular debut, The Secret History, her recent novel will continue to captivate artsy, literary minded readers. The novel is also already on its way to being adapted to film in some way, whether through a TV show or a movie by the producers of The Hunger Games. A New York Times Bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner this book has been deemed the “it book” of 2014 by some and rejected by others who call it a children’s book for adults. My advice is to put the criticism aside and read this book. The author weaves a brilliant story using beautiful language and unforgettable characters.  Although 700 pages, you will find yourself deeply entrenched in the novel’s depth and highly crafted level of suspense. 

The epic centers around the life of Theo Decker who has undergone a horrific trauma while visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother. A vicious terrorist attack on priceless works of art and the people inside the museum enjoying them, turns Theo’s life upside down as a result of his mother’s death and his survival. Amidst the wreckage he spots an old man on the edge of death attempting to speak to him.  At his request, Theo absconds with Fabritius’ 1654 masterpiece, The Goldfinch. As the novel progresses through his life, Theo moves from place to place meeting eccentric and off-kilter people: a young well travelled Russian boy, a reclusive furniture restorer, and a charitable Park Avenue family to name a few.  But what happens to the painting? You’ll be propelled along to find out if he continues to smuggle the masterpiece or chooses another option. The unforeseen events and circumstances that evolve make the reader’s journey worthwhile and rewarding.  The next time you’re snowed in and caught up on class projects, delve into this masterfully told tale—you won’t regret it.  

Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive Adapted for Young Adults by Laura Hillenbrand

For fans of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, originally published in 2010, this new young adult version recently released contains engaging new additions. Full of photos, many of which were from Louie Zamperini’s private collection, the book also includes Louie’s last interview with author Laura Hillenbrand.  The film adaptation, directed by Angelina Jolie, was released this past Christmas Day, and has sparked controversy not only in Japan, but also here at home.

Hillenbrand decided to create a young adult version of her #1 New York Times Bestseller to expand the audience for her book and to be part of the trend to reach young adults. A recent example of this is I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai adapted for young readers.  She also believes Louie’s story should touch everyone’s life in some way, including the lives of children.  Director Angelina Jolie agrees, saying, “Every young person should have the chance to read this book”.  Louie ran a children’s camp and so was equally thrilled upon hearing of her idea for the book.  The interview at the end of this new edition was her last recorded conversation with him before he passed away in the summer of last year. Hillenbrand even had the idea to ask students for question ideas so that she could conduct the interview from a young adult’s point of view.

The release of the book’s adaptation for younger readers created buzz for the movie, which already promised to be a thriving success all on its own. For readers who have both read the book and seen the movie, you noticed the extreme focus placed on Louie’s experience in the POW camp in Japan where he lived under the ruthless rule of ‘The Bird”. In the book, his story is more equally divided between his childhood, race to the Olympics, survival on the open ocean, life as a Japanese prisoner, and acceptance of Christianity. Jolie has been criticized by some for instead crediting Louie’s newfound devotion to spirituality in general. In Japan, uber nationalists have slammed Jolie for being racist and the film for being historically inaccurate.  This was, after all, Louie Zamperini’s account of his hellish ordeal during WWII, which is superbly depicted in Hillenbrand’s book and the newly adapted young adult version. Check out the book and the movie today to see for yourself!    

Irish Cosmopolitanism: Location and Dislocation in James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, and Samuel Beckett by Nels Pearson

For any of you who have had the pleasure of taking one of Dr. Pearson’s classes, particularly Irish Lit, you will know what I mean when I say he has a true passion for his work.  This book reflects that passion for Irish Lit as he navigates the choppy waters of the development of the modern Irish writer, as epitomized by James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, and Samuel Beckett.  These three writers highlight in their works the struggle between embracing the world at large and retaining one’s national identity.  In fact, as Pearson argues, it is this very overlap that creates Irish modernism.  There is a yearning within their character as they constantly evolve, looking for the global future, yet paradoxically still tied to the roots of the mother country.

Dr. Pearson posits that you must travel away from your country of origin to truly grasp its identity.  He uses the example of Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist of A Young Man in that “his process of ascertaining an Irish consciousness….comes to co-exist with, to influence and be influenced by, his developing international consciousness and ideas about the human universe”.  What results from this intersection of national and international concerns is Irish modernism.  Irish Cosmopolitanism explores the changing term “cosmopolitan” in relation to Ireland’s history of decolonization as seen through the lens of quintessential Irish expatriate writers.  It is a scholarly treatise, yet still lends itself to the average reader who wants to increase his/her knowledge of Irish literature.  Take a further step and consider taking EN 161 (Irish Lit) with Dr. Pearson next year.  The course works span from medieval poems to feminist writer Edna O’Brien to modernist Sebastian Barry. You will glean a broad understanding of Ireland’s tumultuous past and the brilliant writers that it spawned.

Come to the Fairfield University Bookstore on Thursday, February 12 at 7:00 p.m. to meet Dr. Pearson and learn more about his new book!

Interview with Dr. Pearson:

1) What sparked your passion for Irish literature and history?

Reading James Joyce's works as an undergraduate and then going to Ireland were the two inspiring factors that led me to my passion for Ireland. I actually was studying abroad in Italy and went to Ireland for my spring break that semester and mostly traipsed about Dublin following the paths of Joyce's characters.

2) Have you ever lived in Ireland or have you traveled there frequently? If so, which area is your favorite?

I have traveled to Ireland several times and co taught a course there last year. My favorites are the west coast towns of Sligo (where WB Yeats was from) and Doolin.

3) Are you planning to use this book in any course you teach?

No. I think it is really too specialized or geared to graduate students and colleagues in the field. But I might certainly make smaller sections available for reserve/optional reading and put it on reserve for certain research paper topics.

4) What is your favorite aspect of teaching at Fairfield University?

I appreciate the balanced climate of active researchers and devoted classroom teachers.

5) What topics are you currently researching that you will be writing about in the future?

I am currently starting a new book project on the role of water (sea, crossings, coasts, maritime economics) in Irish twentieth century literature.

6) Who are your top three favorite authors?

Tough call. Probably James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and WB Yeats.

7) What books would you recommend to a person who is new to Irish literature?

Great Question. Wish we could crowd source my EN 161 students. I would say, for earlier 20th century works, Joyce's Dubliners and the early poetry of Yeats, but for some great more recent stuff, anything by Roddy Doyle, Seamus Deane's Reading in the Dark, Edna Obrien's The Country Girls, and John McGahern's The Dark and Amongst Women.

Dante's Cypher by T. Stephens

A demonic curse linking the early Catholic church, a seemingly peaceful Maine wood, and an escaped convict fill the pages of this suspenseful page-turner.  This is a can’t-put-it-down book that propels you to tear through the story desperate to uncover the secrets surrounding the sinister cabin in the Maine woods where Steve and Carol expect to relax on their anniversary.  What begins as a few spooky incidents turns into a full on hunt for the truth as Steve unearths more and more about the land’s past.  After a terrible accident, Steve flees a modern day witch-hunt led by local and state authorities.  A frantic chase ensues to save his wife from an unknown and other worldly threat.  The short novel alternates between ancient diary entries of the land’s late owner, Steve’s disturbing historical discoveries, his attempts at survival, and the search for justice by the local police.  Well-written and flawlessly unfolding from start to finish, this is a haunting and nightmare worthy ghost story.  Dante’s Cypher is a stay-up-all-night read, reminiscent of the works of Stephen King, most of whose tales of horror are also set in Maine.  Come to the Fairfield U Bookstore on Saturday, February 7^th from 12-3 pm to meet the author and pick up your own copy!  For excerpts of the book and more information check out his website: http://dantescypher.tateauthor.com/.  Twitter account: @Dantes_Cypher and Facebook page: T. Stephens Author and Dante’s Cypher.

Interview with T. Stephens:

1) What began your interest in writing? Have you always enjoyed horror or do you plan to explore other genres?

I have always dabbled in newspaper and magazine articles, but this was my first foray into novel writing. The story of Dante's Cypher (DC) came to me in a dream, based on a place where I was staying. As for the horror question, I never intended to be a "horror" writer; it just sort of worked out that way. I describe DC as an intense, thriller-mystery with tones of horror. This is my Genre for now.

2) In your afterword of the book you state that the setting, history, and the cypher all actually exist.  Is this haunting tale completely a work of fiction or based on real events?

This story is based on real events that my twisted mind grabbed hold of and made a creepy story out of.

3) What are you currently working on?

I have a few projects that I am working on. I am in negotiations to turn DC into a screenplay for movie development, which has required a lot of time and has been very exciting.  I also have another novel that is in its final stages; it just has to be refined for publication. As a matter of fact the photo-shoot for the cover was just last week, so that is very exciting also.  In addition, I am doing a tremendous educational push, talking/guest lecturing with multiple universities (i.e. UCONN, Keene State, Fairfield), and schools. I talk about empowerment and actively guiding your life, not just being a passenger. I find this very rewarding and self-gratifying.

4) Who are some of your favorite authors, other than your implied respect for Stephen King?

I have so many authors that I am a fan of, lately I haven't had the time to read much, but I am currently reading "The Acolyte" By John T. Hitchner and am enjoying it very much.

5) Finally, what advice would you give aspiring authors?

WRITE!!! HONE YOUR CRAFT!! BELIEVE!!!

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Imagine yourself walking along a woodland trail without a care in the world, taking in the fresh air and tranquil surroundings.  Now imagine you found a baby very deep within the leaves.  Is it dead or alive and what is the next thing you would do?  At first Nathan McCann assumed, as many of us would, that the unexpectedly discovered baby was past all help.  But with a twitch of a foot, lives were changed forever.  The baby boy was still alive so Nathan launches into action and feels an overwhelming sensation of fatherly devotion towards the infant.  At that moment Nathan knew he would be a part of the child’s life in one way or another.  The boy is fittingly named after his rescuer, but later shortens it to Nat.  The unexplainable and unbreakable bond Nathan feels towards the baby endures throughout the rest of his life.  The story unwinds through a series of events and circumstances that constantly test the unconditional love poured upon Nat.  Spanning decades and interchanging between the perspectives of Nathan and Nat, When I Found You is written in an easy, conversational style, yet delivers powerfully heartbreaking moments.  Catherine Ryan Hyde has written numerous other novels including Pay It Forward, which was adapted to film in 2000.  Hopefully, filmmakers will consider this thought provoking tale too.  For more information, visit her website: http://www.catherineryanhyde.com/