If you’re looking for gift ideas, UNC Greensboro has plenty to offer, from tickets to fantastic events at UNCG and on downtown stages to poetry, memoir, works of fiction, and historical studies, as well as new albums by faculty and alumni.
“How to Survive a Human Attack: A Guide for Werewolves, Mummies, Cyborgs, Ghosts, Nuclear Mutants, and Other Movie Monsters” by K.E. Flann ’98 MFA
Listed in the New York Times’ “Gifts We Want to Give in 2021,” Flann’s clever guide adopts the perspective of the monsters defending themselves against humans.
“Blind Man’s Bluff” by James T. Hill, ’03 MFA
Hill delivers a memoir of losing his sight and how he hid it from friends, colleagues, and significant others – pretending he could still see for 15 years. His story is both humorous and heartfelt.
“Truffle Hound” by Rowan Jacobsen ’92 MFA
In “Truffle Hound: On the Trail of the World’s Most Seductive Scent, with Dreamers, Schemers, and Some Extraordinary Dogs,” Jacobsen travels the world to examine the world’s most coveted culinary fungi, and why it delights the taste buds and maintains an everlasting allure.
In January, take your loved one to the Tanger Center for Greensboro Opera’s production of Gershwin favorite “Porgy and Bess,” directed by UNCG’s David Holley and featuring star alumni Rhiannon Giddens ’05, Sidney Outlaw ’04, and other Spartans.
“They’re Calling Me Home” by Rhiannon Giddens ’05
Giddens’ new album, recorded with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, is inspired by the music of three musical cultures: American roots, Irish folk, and Italian opera.
“The Human Heart” by Teri Bickham, School of Music
Bickham’s first album, released from Albany Records, features vocal interpretations of poetry by women such as the Brontë sisters, Emily Dickinson, and others.
“Lesson in Red” by Maria Hummel ’98 MFA
The companion to “Still Lives,” selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club, “Lesson in Red” is an art world mystery novel centered around a museum and a documentarian. Hummel has been noted by the BBC for her “genius for layering levels of meaning.”
“Unspeakable” by Carole Boston Weatherford ’92 MFA and Floyd Cooper (illustrator)
Kirkus Prize finalist and National Book Award longlist honoree “Unspeakable” is a stirring, illustrated telling of the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. While the subject matter is serious, the book is intended for young readers and has been featured in K-12 educator book lists, and “The 25 Best Children’s Books of 2021” list from the New York Times.
“Othmar Schoeck—Das stille Leuchten,” by Clara O’Brien and James Douglass, School of Music
Associate Professor of Voice O’Brien and Professor of Collaborative Piano Douglass have teamed up to release a song cycle by one of Switzerland’s greatest 20th-century composers.
University Concert and Lecture Series
Surprise someone with tickets to one of the performances or talks at UNCG this spring that are part of the University Concert and Lecture Series, or give the whole four-pack. Performers and speakers include Kelli O’ Hara, Margaret Atwood, Geena Davis, and Malpaso Dance Company.
“The Pact” by Jennifer Militello ’96 MFA
In her newest collection, award-winning poet and memoirist Jennifer Militello confronts issues of intimacy through love poems inspired by disparate and unusual locations.
“Forever this Summer” by Leslie C. Youngblood ’05 MFA
In this young adult novel, Georgie has no idea what to expect when she, Mama, and Peaches are plopped down in the middle of small town USA –aka Bogalusa, Louisiana – where Mama grew up and Great Aunt Vie needs constant care.
“Speaking for the People” by Dr. Mark Rifkin, English
Rifkin’s new book from Duke University Press examines nineteenth-century Native writings to reframe contemporary debates around Indigenous recognition, refusal, and resurgence.
Season tickets, mini-packs, and single game tickets are available for cheering on the Spartans this winter. The UNCG men’s basketball team went 7-2 in November and once again looks like a contender for a Southern Conference title. The Spartans host nine SoCon games at the Greensboro Coliseum this season, starting with traditional front-runners Wofford on New Year’s Day and Furman on Jan. 5.
The Greensboro Review MFA Program in Creative Writing, English
Give a subscription to UNCG’s The Greensboro Review, a literary journal with a distinguished history. Read the best in new fiction, poetry, and nonfiction edited by students and faculty in the MFA Program in Creative Writing.
“Expression in Contested Public Spaces” edited by Dr. Spoma Jovanovic, Communication Studies
These collected essays address how people express themselves and their differences, in ways that amplify the many voices central to the mission of democracy. Looking at research activity, engaged scholarship, and creative expression, the chapters show how community organizers, activists, and scholars advance peace and justice, and social change.
“Princess Fearless: Walking to School” by Lakeetha Blakeney (Keetha B) ’03
Blakeney’s debut children’s book empowers young readers to be fearless, overcome trials, and get to know people who seem different.
List compiled by Susan Kirby-Smith and Dana Broadus, University Communications
Photography by Martin W. Kane; images courtesy of the authors and publishers.
