New Reads From the Longhorn Universe to Kick Off 2022

By Alcalde Staff in 40 Acres, Good Reads, Jan | Feb 2022 on January 1, 2022 at 9:23 am | No Comments

It’s Not Just Cookies
Stories and Recipes From the Tiff’s Treats Kitchen
By Tiffany Chen, BS ’01, and Leon Chen, BBA ’01, Life Members

After standing Leon up for a date in 1999, Tiffany delivered him cookies as an apology, inadvertently creating Tiff’s Treats. As sophomores, they started the company in their college apartment. Now with dozens of stores across five states, the couple hopes their misadventures and successes inspire a fresh batch of entrepreneurs. Crucially, the book also contains recipes for homemade versions of their many favorites.

Trusted Eye
Post-World War II Adventures of a Fearless Art Advocate
By Claudia Fontaine Chidester, MLIS ’86, Life Member

Trusted Eye is a biography of Chidester’s mother, Virginia Fontaine, told through a richly illustrated compilation of photos, artwork, and journals from her time in postwar Europe. Born in Milwaukee, she joined her husband in Allied-occupied Germany in 1945 and soon became active in the Jewish underground, helping Jews resettle in Israel. Fontaine would become a key figure in the German art scene as a curator and liaison between beleaguered German artists and the outside world.

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words
by Stacey Abrams, MPAff ’98, illustrated by Kitt Thomas

Based on Abrams’ childhood, young Stacey must overcome her fears and confront a bully after being chosen to represent her school in a spelling bee. The former Georgia House minority leader and gubernatorial candidate is a prolific writer, having written eight romance novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery, as well as multiple nonfiction bestsellers and 2021’s political thriller While Justice Sleeps.

The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous
Stories From The Kennedy Center, The White House, and Other Comedy Venues
By Cappy McGarr, BA ’73, BJ ’75, MBA ’77, Life Member

The prestigious lifetime achievement award, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, has honored comedy legends for more than two decades, including Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Carol Burnett, and Bob Newhart. Philanthropist McGarr, who co-founded the Kennedy Center’s award, provides history and behind the scenes anecdotes that only he can tell—such as Bill Murray playing golf in the Oval Office or the time Eddie Murphy met President Barack Obama.