alumni profiles

Good Reading

Several new books are off the presses from alumni of the College.

Phyllis Coleman with co-authors (l-r) Robert Jarvis and Johnny C. Burns

Phyllis Gallup Coleman, JM 1970, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, recently published her third book. A reviewer called Bush v. Gore: The Fight for Florida’s Vote (Kluwer 2001), co-authored with two of her colleagues, “one of the most useful, thoughtful and well-written books on the presidential election litigation.”

Coleman has also published Sports Law: Cases and Materials (West Group 1999) and Florida Family Law (Carolina Academic Press 2000). She was named to The Independent Florida Alligator Hall of Fame in 1999.

Stephen Strang, JM 1973, president of Strang Communications and founder of Charisma magazine, is the author of Old Man, New Man (Charisma House 2000), examining the spiritual aspects of life. He draws upon his experiences as a journalist dealing with men’s issues and suggests ways “you can close the gap between the life you could be living and the one you are living.” Strang also publishes New Man magazine for the Promise Keepers organization. He was named an alumnus of distinction in 1994.

Carl Hiaasen, JM 1974, has published his ninth comic novel, Basket Case (Alfred A. Knopf 2002), currently on the New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list. The Gainesville Sun entertainment editor Bill DeYoung said the hero “used to be the star columnist at a South Florida newspaper. Jack Tagger, however, is way too opinionated for his own good, after a verbal skirmish with the corporate weasel who’s taken over said newspaper, he’s demoted to obituary writer…The book concerns the backstabbing and brown-nosing that goes on in the newsroom of a daily paper.” Hiaasen, himself, has been the star columnist for The Miami Herald for 20 years. He was named an alumnus of distinction in 1992.

Debbie A. Owens, PhD 1994, contributed a chapter in the new book Say It Loud! African American Audiences, Identity and Media, edited by Robin Means Coleman (Routledge 2002). Owens’ chapter details African American responses to newsmagazine coverage of the 1995 Million Man March. Owens is an assistant professor of communications at Fayetteville (N.C.) State University. She recently was honored by the University’s College of Arts and Sciences for her research and publication activities.