Shelf Life

A Balm in Gilead: Eulogies of Comfort by Randall Webber ’82

A Balm in Gilead:
Eulogies of Comfort

By Randall Webber ’82

(BK Royston Publishing)

Funeral sermons by notable African American clergy and public speakers situate the inevitable end of life within the larger context of Christian hope. Contributions by Winston George Bennett III, George and Shirley Burke, Robert O’Keefe Hassell, Gerald J. Joiner, Martin Luther King Jr., Nicole Danielle McDonald, former President Barack Obama and Pompey the Great helped listeners cope with the deaths of loved ones and move forward in a variety of circumstances. Each selection includes an introduction in which the editor elucidates the sermon’s historical situation, rhetorical techniques and possible outcomes.

Randall Webber ’82, a Baptist minister from Louisville, Kentucky, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Furman and a master of divinity and a doctorate from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Asides: Occasional Essays on Dogs, Food, Restaurants, Bars, Hangovers, Jobs, Music, Family Trees, Robbery, Relationships, Being Brought Up Questionably, Et Cetera by George Singleton ’80

Asides: Occasional Essays on Dogs, Food, Restaurants, Bars, Hangovers, Jobs, Music, Family Trees, Robbery, Relationships, being Brought Up Questionably, Et Cetera

By George Singleton ’80

(Eastover Press)

Recently published in magazines like
Oxford American and Garden & Gun, George Singleton ’80 explains in these essays how he came to be a writer (he blames barbecue), why he still writes his first draft by hand (someone stole his typewriter) and why he ran marathons (his father gave him beer). He also will tell you why Aristotle would have been a failed philosopher had he grown up in South Carolina, how Henry Gibson of “Laugh In” is to blame for his education in literature and what was in the most delicious soup he has ever eaten.

Readers are invited to join Singleton as he gets his dogs to promise they won’t use his new garden as a Porta-Potty, learns about his not-so-famous relations and generally charms anyone sensible enough to read this delightful book.

Singleton has written eight collections of short stories, two novels and an instructional book on writing fiction. He taught creative writing at the Governor’s School and Wofford University. At Furman, he majored in philosophy and was Phi Beta Kappa. Singleton received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Pushcart Prize.

The Engagement Party by Finley Trent Turner ’14

The Engagement Party

By Finley Trent Turner ’14
(Crooked Lane Books)

A lavish engagement party turns deadly, and the bride-to-be is the primary suspect in this heart-stopping thriller in the vein of writers Sarah Pinborough and Ruth Ware. “The Engagement Party” explores the dark underbelly of the uber wealthy and just how far people will go for revenge.

Before Kass Baptiste and Murray Sedgemont even get to share the news of their engagement, an invitation arrives via messenger to an engagement party hosted by Murray’s parents. When Kass and Murray arrive at the Sedgemont Estate, she is astonished to learn that Murray’s family is one of the most powerful in North Carolina. As Kass’s future mother-in-law, Beatrice, whips herself into a frenzy over the perfect party for the state’s elite, Kass begins to receive anonymous, threatening social media messages.

On the night of the event, as champagne is popped and the celebrations begin, a body is found in the lavish home. All eyes are on Kass, the interloper among the rich and powerful guests. During the course of the party, Kass’s dark past unexpectedly becomes intertwined with the murder. To prove her innocence, she must finally come to terms with her secrets.

Finley Trent Turner ’14 lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she writes and parents. She double majored in religion and Asian studies at Furman.

From Axon to Zebrafish…The ABCs of Neuroscience by Shane Wrighten ’06

From Axon to Zebrafish…The ABCs of Neuroscience

By Shayna Wrighten ’06

(Little Sapiens)

This board book uses the ABCs to introduce infants, toddlers and caregivers to the beautiful world of neuroscience, introducing them to common words in the field. Fun and colorful illustrations are paired with brief descriptions to transform neuroscience from complicated and mysterious to understandable and accessible.

Shayna Wrighten ’06 earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience at Furman and a doctorate in biomedical science with an emphasis in neuroscience from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Wrighten is a biology professor at Francis Marion University and lives in South Carolina with her husband and children.

Our Country First, Then Greenville: A New South City During The Progressive Era And World War I by Courtney L. Tomlinson Hartness ’99

Our Country First, Then Greenville: A New South City during the Progressive Era and World War I

BY Courtney L. Tollison Hartness ’99

(University of South Carolina Press)

This book places Greenville’s experience during World War I within the context of the progressive era to better understand the rise of this New South city. Greenville, South Carolina, has become an attractive destination, frequently included in lists of the “Best Small Cities” in America. While Greenville’s 21st-century renaissance has been impressive, in “Our Country First, Then Greenville,” Courtney L. Tollison Hartness ’99, distinguished university public historian and scholar at Furman, explores an earlier period, revealing how Greenville’s experience during World War I served to generate massive development in the city and the region. It was this moment that catalyzed Greenville’s development into a modern city, setting the stage for the continued growth that persists into the present day.

“Our Country First, Then Greenville” explores Greenville’s home-front experience of race relations, dramatic population growth (the number of Greenville residents nearly tripled between 1900 and 1930), the women’s suffrage movement, and the contributions of African Americans and women to Greenville’s history. This important work features photos of Greenville, found in archival collections throughout the country and dating back over 100 years.