American society has experienced fundamental changes that have polarized the nation’s political climate and ignited a perpetual culture war, according to co-authors of a new book Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2024). In a sequel to their award-winning collaboration Asymmetric Politics, Boston College Associate Professor of Political Science David A. Hopkins and Matt Grossmann (Michigan State University) show that the Democrats have become the home of highly educated citizens with progressive social views who prefer credentialed experts to make policy decisions, while Republicans have become the populist champions of white voters without college degrees who increasingly distrust teachers, scientists, journalists, universities, non-profit organizations, and even corporations. Hopkins and Grossmann say the result of this new “diploma divide” between the parties is an increasingly complex world in which everything is about politics–and politics is about everything. An article adapted from Polarized by Degrees appears in the magazine Governing.
“Diploma divide” in American politics
Posted in Boston College Authors
Tagged American politics, Political Science department
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Murder in Harvard Square
Boston College Law School Professor R. Michael Cassidy, a nationally recognized expert in criminal law and legal ethics, drew on his knowledge of both academic life and criminal procedure for his debut novel, When the Past Is All Deception (Atmosphere Press, 2024). The legal thriller is factually inspired by the unsolved 1991 murder of a professor in Cambridge. “I served as a prosecutor in Massachusetts when this grisly crime was committed, and I have been haunted by the slaying ever since,” Cassidy told BC Law School Magazine. Cassidy has re-imagined the details of the case and placed the story in a contemporary context. When the Past Is All Deception tells the story of Mark Price, a conservative law professor who is removed from his classroom due to an explosive conflict with his students over issues of political correctness. His problems on campus pose complex challenges for his wife, Susan Price, a partner at a Boston law firm who has been nominated for a seat on the State Supreme Court. The novel unfolds through shifting perspectives: those of the Prices, their two teenage children, and the lead detective assigned to investigate the homicide of one of the Prices. Read more in BC Law Magazine.
Posted in Boston College Authors
Tagged Boston College Law School, crime novel, legal thriller
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Thrive!
Licensed mental health clinician Karen Symanowicz, a 1999 Boston College graduate, is on a mission to help simplify the understanding of functional mental health. She has published a step-by-step guide that demystifies the complexities of mental wellness and helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of self. Symanowicz provides practical tools and techniques designed to empower readers to transform their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. According to Symanowicz, THRIVE offers a transformative journey to understanding and redefining mental health.
Fairy Godmother
Boston College graduate Jen Calonita explores the origins of one of Disney’s beloved magic makers in the new young adult book, Fairy Godmother (Disney Hyperion, 2024). From the publisher: “Before she created carriages out of pumpkins, fashioned gowns out of thin air, and conjured one-of-a-kind glass slippers, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother was a spirited sixteen-year-old named Renée Dubois.” Fairy Godmother is the first volume in a new Disney book series called The Enchanters. Calonita is a bestselling author of more than 30 books for young adult and middle grade readers. Her books have sold more than a million copies and have been translated into 15 languages. Her writing also has appeared in Glamour, Marie Claire, Self, and Entertainment Weekly.
‘Bothering to Love’
An international group of more than 20 scholars explores the realm of Catholic theological ethics through the contributions of Boston College Canisius Professor of Theology James F. Keenan, S.J., one of the most influential Catholic ethicists today. Co-edited by BC alumni Christopher P. Vogt (St. John’s University) and Kate Ward (Marquette University), Bothering to Love: James F. Keenan’s Retrieval and Reinvention of Catholic Ethics (Orbis Books, 2024) was officially unveiled at a two-day conference honoring Fr. Keenan held at BC in September. The Festschrift features chapters on areas such as fundamental moral theology, virtue and virtues, bioethics, ethics of sex and gender, and spirituality and morality. Read more from BC News.
Poet Camille Dungy
“Poetry Days Presents: An Evening with Camille T. Dungy” will showcase Dungy’s poetry and her ability to cross genres as she did in her latest publication, Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden (Simon & Schuster, 2023). Dungy’s talk will take place at Boston College on October 9 at 7 p.m. in Gasson Hall 100. Dungy is the author of four collections of poetry, including the award-winning Trophic Cascade. She is the editor of the anthology Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry, the first anthology to bring African American environmental poetry to national attention. At the intersection of prose, nature writing, and environmental justice, Soil is about Dungy’s seven-year odyssey to diversify her garden in the predominately white community of Fort Collins, Colorado. She is a University Distinguished Professor at Colorado State University. Her appearance is presented by BC’s Lowell Humanities Series and cosponsored by Boston College Poetry Days, the American Studies Program, and the English Department. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. (Photo by Beowulf Sheehan)
Posted in Guest Authors, Lowell Humanities Series
Tagged American Studies program, English Department, environment, nature, poet
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The Anatomy of a Murder
On July 31, 1952, a murder occurred in a bar in a small resort town in northern Michigan. The trial that followed, in which young army lieutenant Coleman Peterson was tried for murdering the bar owner, inspired a bestselling novel and an Academy Award-nominated film starring Jimmy Stewart. Boston College Jesuit priest Frank J. Parker, S.J., showcases the far-reaching power of a single crime in his new book, The Anatomy of a Murder Trilogy: A Classic Trial, Book, and Film. His book follows the murder from the barroom to the court room to the theatrical release of the 1959 film. Now retired, Fr. Parker was a professor in the Carroll School of Management and adjunct professor in BC Law School. Throughout his long career, Fr. Parker served as an attorney, consultant to the Government of Bermuda, and United States delegate to UNESCO and the U.N. Human Rights Commission. In 2023, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
The gift of giving
The word philanthropy comes from the Greek words meaning “love of humanity.” This important message is the heart of a new children’s book written by 2014 Boston College graduate Jessica Carbone. Philanthropy Means Love is a story about how helping others through donations, even when you don’t think you’re giving a lot, is a profound sign of love. Illustrated by Deri Joe, Philanthropy Means Love is a lyrical book that teaches kids to support the causes they care about. Carbone works in Boston College’s Office of University Advancement.
‘The Moral Vision of Pope Francis’
For more than a decade, Pope Francis has led the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing collegiality in ecclesial governance and focusing global priorities on the poor, the marginalized, and the environment. Pope Francis’s vision for the Church and the reluctance by many Catholics in the United States to engage with this vision are explored in a new book, The Moral Vision of Pope Francis: Expanding the US Reception of the First Jesuit Pope (Georgetown University Press, 2024). Co-edited by Boston College’s Joseph Professor in Catholic Theology Kristin Heyer and BC alumnus Conor Kelly of Marquette University, The Moral Vision of Pope Francis brings together leading U.S. Catholic theologians and theological ethicists to reflect on Pope Francis’s implicit approach to moral theology, evaluating his teachings and actions to characterize his moral vision and explain how this vision should apply to a range of contemporary issues. The book’s contributing authors also examines the Ignatian influences shaping Francis’s pontificate. In addition to Heyer, BC faculty who contributed to the book are Lisa Sowle Cahill; James F. Keenan, S.J., and Andrea Vicini, S.J. In addition to Kelly, BC alumni who contributed to the book are Elyse Raby; M.T. Davila; Thomas Massaro, S.J.; Daniel DiLeo; Laurie Johnston; Megan McCabe; and Maureen O’Connell. Read more in BC News.
Posted in Alumni Authors, Boston College Authors
Tagged ethics, moral theology, Pope Francis, Theology Department
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Boston’s Black athletes
Boston College Associate Professor of the Practice Susan Michalczyk has contributed a chapter to the new book, Boston’s Black Athletes: Identity, Performance, and Activism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024). The book, edited by Robert Cvornyek and Douglas Stark, interprets Boston’s contested racial history through the diverse experiences of the city’s African American sports figures who directed their talent toward the struggle for social justice. In recounting the struggles and triumphs of these individuals, Boston’s Black Athletes amplifies their stories and reminds readers that Boston’s Black sports fans found a historic consistency in their athletes to shape racial identity and cultural expression. Michalczyk’s chapter is on BC’s first Black football player, Lou Montgomery ’41.
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