Alumni Authors

Books make thoughtful, meaningful gifts, and these titles by Portland State alumni and faculty offer stories that inspire, educate and entertain. 

T-Shirt Swim Club: Stories from Being Fat in a World of Thin People

Ian Karmel ‘10

Comedian Ian Karmel, with help from sister Dr. Alisa Karmel, opens up about the daily humiliations of being fat and why it's so hard to talk about something so visible.

The River Why

David James Duncan ‘73

Fly fishing genius Gus Orviston, seeking refuge from his stuffy, world-famous father and ripsnorting cowgirl mother, embarks on a reluctant quest for meaning that leads him to an astonishing task.

Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion

Mitchell S. Jackson ’99, MA ‘02

Equal parts stunning, photo-rich lookbook, and cultural commentary, Fly is the story of the extraordinary intersection of high fashion and basketball, from the league's inception to today, and celebrates the iconic style of NBA athletes.

Oregon Wine + Food

Kerry Newberry ‘05, Danielle Centoni

Oregon Wine + Food charts the history of this region’s celebrated terroir through the stories of its renegade winemakers and recipes from some of the best chefs across the state.

Lines of Deception

Steve Anderson MA ‘94

A West German nightclub owner goes behind the Iron Curtain on a desperate mission to save his brother, in this Cold War thriller by the author of Lost Kin.

LOW: Notes on Art and Trash

Jaydra Johnson ‘10

In the tradition of other outcast artists who have spun refuse into art, the essays in Low reclaim trash as a precious resource and a medium for storytelling.

Boys of Alabama

Genevieve Hudson ‘13

In this bewitching debut novel, a sensitive teen, newly arrived in Alabama, falls in love, questions his faith, and navigates a strange power.

Duel with the Devil

Paul Collins

Duel with the Devil is acclaimed historian and PSU professor Paul Collins’ remarkable true account of a stunning turn-of-the-19th century murder and the trial that ensued – a showdown in which iconic political rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr joined forces to make sure justice was done.

The Dark Road

Kathleen Rhodes '02

This gripping psychological thriller from a promising debut author will leave you pondering the enigmatic boundaries between reality and the subconscious.