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for the Nobleman, so naturallyPhoebe had to be involved withher school paper too. I lovedmy photography class with JoeSwayze, but I wasn’t the bestphotographer. Phoebe, on theother hand, is blessed with thatskill. As I wrote, I thought of thetimes I sat in Putnam Library forno other reason than to absorbthe silence while surrounded bybooks. Unsurprisingly, my protagonistenjoys hanging out inher school’s library, where unexpectedand exciting things seemto happen. Discerning readerswill also find Professor Kat Koon(a.k.a. Mrs. Coon) among thesupernatural characters builtinto Phoebe’s story, and a quickmention of former Nobles headmasterMr. Baker.Becoming an author has beenrewarding for many reasons.It was extraordinarily fun tocreate a new supernatural worldinfused with my own boardingschool memories. And eventhough Phoebe Pope is just acharacter, much of her experienceis real. The friends andencounters she has in highschool empower her and influencethe way she sees the world.Writing her story allowed meto reflect upon the ways Nobleshelped me to find my own pathinstead of following the onepreapproved by my heritage.Ultimately, I am grateful forthe foresight of the educatorsat Nobles, and how a small seedplanted in a student’s mind couldfind a way to blossom almost 20years later.—nya jade/Ama Lieb ’945by Alden Mauck, english faculty membermy books...When I am not teaching...The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael ChabonWhen I was in high school and college, I would often retreat frommy assigned reading to sneak in some detective fiction—a confessionI make at my peril. I would read Agatha Christie or John D.MacDonald and follow the exploits of Hercule Poirot and Travis McGee.In The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Chabon moves into the noir detective genre, exploring theJewish presence and a murder mystery in Sitka, Alaska, where European Jews emigratedafter World War II. It is hard-boiled, fantastic and more than a little thought provoking.The Path Between the Seas, by David McCulloughThis book satisfies one of my essential wants in pleasure reading: It is nonfiction, which isa nice departure from my “professional” reading of worthy literature. I am also a bit of aMcCullough junkie, having read Johnstown Flood and Mornings on Horseback, among othertitles. The Path Between the Seas details the building of the Panama Canal. American ingenuity,technology and grit are on full display as Teddy Roosevelt enters Panama to rescueFerdinand de Lesseps and the French from their overstep.N.C. Wyeth, by David Michaelis“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be art history majors...” Okay, that’s not how thesong goes, but before I was an English teacher, I was an art history major. I like to paint,and I appreciate artist biographies and histories. This N.C. Wyeth biography is one of myfavorite books period, not just art books. The Wyeth family is perhaps the greatest artistfamily in America, and its influence on 20th-century art and illustration begins with N.C.Wyeth, whose paintings are a familiar accompaniment to many classics of both Americanand European novels.Joe DiMaggio, by Richard Ben CramerI hate the Yankees. And I don’t even like the Red Sox. I am an Orioles fan! But lest you thinkthis will be a New Yorker’s worship of a Yankee hero, it isn’t. Cramer examines DiMaggio asa far-from-perfect man whose pursuit of fame, women, wealth and, ironically, privacy costshim dearly. Immigrant drive, immense talent, Marilyn Monroe, Mr. Coffee—it is all here.Tepper Isn’t Going Out, by Calvin TrillinWhen I used to stay with my father on East End Avenue in New York City, he might utterthis command: “Alden, my boy, get the keys to my car and move it across the street.” Andso on days both temperate and horrible, I would find his car and move it from the “Monday,Wednesday, Friday” side of the street to the “Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday” side of thestreet and then wait for 11 a.m., when it was legal to leave the car and return to the apartment.It turns out Murray Tepper was out there too, looking for the best spots in the city,and doing it without Primospot.com! This is a concise novel for New Yorkers who love theordinary people of this extraordinary city.spring 2013 Nobles 25