Michael Graves, now a master architect, was awarded the American Academy's Rome Prize in 1960, which gave him two years to see and study masterworks in Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Germany, France and England. As he camped his way across the continent -- at 25 cents a night -- he would photograph and make analytical pencil sketches or pen-and-sepia drawings of the structures that interested him, both the monumental and the humble. This collection features 300 of those illustrations. Graves includes a short foreword, written from a 40-years-later perspective, and a reprint of his 1977 essay, "The Necessity for Drawing," outlining the types and purposes of architectural drawing. Author Ambroziak, a former Graves architecture student at Princeton, and project designer for Michael Graves & Associates, comments on the tour's impact on Graves' life and work. He is currently a professor at the University of Tennessee. Order information: Online and local bookstores, or Princeton Architectural Press at http://www.papress.com ISBN 156898-529-0

by Lamar Herrin, PhD (A&S) '78

Herrin's newest book is a true, lyrically written work with a dual story line. In one, he tells how he met the lovely Amparo, whose photo appears on the book's cover, and his subsequent heroic efforts to obtain the permission of Spanish authorities to marry her. The other follows the couple’s return to Spain, 30 years later, to revisit the countryside and find the perfect place for their retirement.

The author refrains from typical love-story excesses, but his skill in lyrical description is delicious. For example: "We enter Navarra. The valleys broaden, scoop out deep broad hollows where wheat and grapes grow. Towns are situated on the slopes, the warm ocher of their stone giving off tints of red in the afternoon sun. Pamplona lies ahead. … I'm curious to see how the city might have changed since I came here looking for help. I was a lonely man then, being kept from the woman I loved."

Review another Herrin book, "House of the Deaf."

Amazon.com
or Unbridled Books
ISBN: 1-932961-22-4

By Robert Earnest Miller, A&S ’81, MA (A&S) ’86, PhD (A&S) ’91

From his own experiences as a youngster and as a parent, Miller deems the county's park system one of the region's "most treasured resources" and "the area's most popular outdoor attraction." With seven million people a year visiting the county parks, numbers do surpass the combined annual total of people who attend Reds and Bengals games and visit Kings Island.

What makes the Hamilton County Park District so successful? In a carefully chronicled story, the UC adjunct associate history professor traces the parks' steady development and services from their Great Depression beginnings to the present, all illustrated by photographs. He credits the "amazing foresight and vision," plus hard work and perseverance, of local people who cared enough to preserve land and wildlife habitat threatened by development.

Review Robert Miller's book about Cincinnati in the WWII era.

Amazon.com
or Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0-7385-4114-1

by Sue Ann Painter, MA (A&S) '73, photographs by Alice Weston, DAAP '79

This impressive 9-by-10-inch tribute to Cincinnati's architectural treasures presents beautiful photographs on every page. More than a visual treat, however, the book tells the story of Cincinnati's important commercial, civic and sacred architecture in chronological order -- from early land developers who saw a chance to create a metropolis in the wilderness to the completion of the University of Cincinnati's Campus Master Plan with the Richard E. Lindner Athletic Center.

In a reference to UC's new campus buildings, the author points to the university's leadership in sustainable design, a practice that honors conservation of energy and water, as well as the use of "green" materials in construction. By October '05, UC had registered 13 qualifying projects, more than any other institution or corporation in the U.S.

Painter, executive director of the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, has been a public historian for the Cincinnati Historical Society for more than a decade. Other contributors to the project include John Hancock, UC professor of architecture, editorial adviser, and Walter Langsam, UC adjunct associate professor, architectural historian.

Review another book by Sue Ann Painter.

Amazon.com
or Ohio University Press
ISBN: 0-8214-1700-2

by Pamela Pease, DAAP '74

Artist Pease’s clever pop-up book about Louisville’s famous "Run for the Roses" is a visual and informational delight. There are moveable views of Derby Day crowds, horse stalls whose doors open and close, a horse and rider that can be made to gallop, the famous Churchill Downs oval racetrack and golden winner's trophy.

The designer also provides photos of a dozen Derby champions of the past, an explanation of the raising of thoroughbreds and a summary of U.S. racing traditions, including how the colorful “silks” worn by each jockey reveal the stable he or she represents. For readers who long to hear the famous bugle call that introduces the race, Pease includes a recording on a tiny CD of the authentic “Call to the Post.”

As if her illustration and writing talents aren't enough, this alum has also founded her own publishing company, Paintbox Press, to monitor the production quality of her hardcover 11.5 x 11.5 volumes.

Amazon.com
or Paintbox Press
ISBN: 0-9669433-5-X

by Pamela Pease, DAAP '74

Subtitled "a pop-up book for children of all ages," Pease's version of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a delight. Since 1924, rain or shine, the famous store on New York's Herald Square has entertained 50 million viewers at the start of the holiday shopping season. Most watch the parade on television; Pease offers a new vantage point.

In colorful pop-up scenes, readers see rows of marching band members; elaborate floats led by Tom Turkey; hundreds of Macy employees as clowns, mimes and Keystone Kops; and high-flying character balloons guided by teams of Macy volunteers. When the Radio City Rockettes do their synchronized dance kicks, readers have a chance to set the pace.

Pease, who owns her own publishing company, Paintbox Press, teaches a course on the art of Children's books at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Amazon.com
or Paintbox Press
ISBN: 0-9669433-2-5

San Francisco's Famous Sea Lions
by Kat Shehata, A&S '00, and Jo McElwee, RWC '97

The "noisy, stinky, playful, lazy" sea lions who make their home at Pier 39 in San Francisco star in this charming picture book, which is not just for kids. Shehata has written a concise, fact-filled text that complements McElwee's appealing paintings. The talented mother-daughter team, having earned writing and illustration certificates at UC, describes sea lions' quirky habits, favorite foods, social manners and occasional need for rescue by the nearby California Marine Mammal Center. One mystery remains: No one really knows why the world's most famous sea lion colony moved from Seal Rock, their long-time home, to San Francisco's popular tourist pier in 1989. The sea lions aren't telling. Order information: Angel Bea Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders

DISCOVER AMERICA DIARIES:
50 STATES, 50 STATES OF MIND
Volume One: East Coat to West Coast
by Priscilla Rhodes, with photography/graphics by Ken Rhodes, DAAP ’76