Page 31 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 94, No. 3 Spring 2014

species are less abundant, Chaplin writes.
The fish collected by CCGC, an ichthyolo-
gist at the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, and colleague James E.
Böhlke compose the largest collection of
Bahamian fish anywhere.
Like his father, Chaplin led a rather
picaresque life initially. A citizen of the
world, he has lived deeply in his time.
His book title, Full Fathom Five , is taken
from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. As
with much of Chaplin’s writing (he is the
author of several other books), there is
some thought-provoking self-assess-
ment and reflections on his interesting
family, but his book really starts to soar
when he describes the science at work.
Full Fathom Five is a nicely designed
book, with outlines of 40 Bahamian fish
species inside the binding covers and
three colorful fish on the dust cover. The
text reads well, enhanced by 21 photo-
graphs – 11 in color, plus a section with
six paintings of key Bahamian fish and
their descriptions, excerpted from CCGC
and Böhlke’s classic title Fishes of the
Bahamas and Adjacent Tropical Waters.
The excerpts are enlivened with the
younger Chaplin’s extensive annotations.
CCGC also wrote an identification guide
to fish of the Bahamas, illustrated by Peter
Scott (son of the celebrated Antarctic
explorer Robert Falcon Scott) that can be
taken underwater.
Rare Birds of North
America
by Steve N. G. Howell,
Ian Lewington, and Will
Russell ’59
Princeton University
Press, 428 pages, $35.00
Reviewed by Henry T. Armistead ’58
Rarity fascinates us, no matter what the
context. When it comes to rare birds, our
best sources include Arizona, Florida, the
Aleutians, the Maritime Provinces, Texas,
and the seas, but they can materialize
anywhere.
The Last Museum
of Laughter
David E. Oprava ’91
Poet John Dorsey writes,
“David E. Oprava’s The
Last Museum of Laughter
is a prime example of
artistic evolution. Filled with warmth
and unbridled humanity, this book is the
poet at the peak of his creative powers.
Perhaps more emotionally accessible
than prior collections, Oprava’s heart,
body, and soul are on full display and
this museum is filled with beautiful
works of art . . . by a modern master.”
New Hampshire Road-
side Viewing Guide
Brent E. Scudder ’56
This new compilation of
more than 125 precise
panoramic diagrams
depicting dozens of
roadside views from across the Granite
State is a great companion book to the
author’s acclaimed White Mountains
Viewing Guide.
Sheperd Paine: The Life
and Work of a Master
Modeler and Military
Historian
Jim DeRogatis
This is the first book to
thoroughly examine the
modeling work of Sheperd Paine ’64,
cataloging his remarkable art through
On the Shelf . . .
more than 500 beautiful color photo-
graphs. The material is presented in
a conversational format inspired by
another book about a great artist and
storyteller, François Truffaut’s portrait
in interview form of director Alfred
Hitchcock. The book includes plans
and drawings used in the construction
of many of Paine’s models.
The Electric Affinities
Wade Stevenson ’63
This book examines the
interior lives and motives
of six affluent, artistic
friends as they struggle
to find love and meaning
in the summer of 1969. Set in the Hamp-
tons and New York City, the novel cap-
tures the decadent, freedom-loving
lifestyles of characters trapped in a
“prison of opulence.” Their paths mirror
the disillusionment inherent in the late
’60s, as they turn inward in a quest for
self-understanding.
For My Father
Amira Thoron ’88
Part memoir, part ghost
story, For My Father
examines the territory
of grief and memory and
its mysteries and silences.
Through poems that are at times lyrical
and at times spare, Thoron explores what
it means to be haunted by what you can-
not remember or never knew.