UW-L alumni authors celebrated for publications

Cassie Tritt, Staff Reporter

On Oct. 21, Strzelczyk Great Hall in the Clearly Alumni Center welcomed UW-La Crosse alumni and faculty to an event that celebrated campus authors and their recent publications. The authors spoke with others about the rewards that came along with publishing a book and also the struggles that they faced among accomplishing such a tedious task.

One of the speakers, Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, talked about her recently published book, titled, “Modern Motherhood, an American History,” which centers on the development in the maternal role throughout American history.

Vandenberg-Daves is a UW-L history professor, who said, “I am in hopes of having my book enrich the larger picture of the American past.”

She said that by having a supportive department and department chair, she could accomplish what she has always wanted to: publishing a book that women can relate to. Her book examines multiple themes that include cultural representations of motherhood, the development from the American past and general advice to mothers out there.

“As authors, we produce knowledge, develop ideas and connect with other authors, which makes it so wonderful to publish your own book,” said Vandenberg-Daves.

She believes that women’s history or how society structured the idea of women as mothers haven’t been fully integrated into history yet.

Vandeberg-Daves’ book is available in Murphy Library.

The next campus author that presented was David Berling, accompanied by his wife, Melissa. Berling doesn’t remember the moment that changed his life forever, Apr. 27, 2007, when his plane crashed to the ground at more than 100 miles per hour, causing him to sustain traumatic injuries and ultimately the loss of both of his legs.

He is a UW-L 2001 grad who was invited
to speak about his experience of flying and having his life turned upside down in a matter of minutes. He and his wife presented their non-fiction book, “Just Living the Dream” to help others overcome struggles that they have faced.

“We wanted to self-publish and do our hard copy first in order to be able to send our book to others who experienced a tragedy in their life and for them just to have something tangible to hold on to,” said Berling.

David and Melissa agreed that the finished product is a reflection of the author.

“That made us determined to make the best self-published book out there,” said Berling.

They explained that the more time a writer spends writing their book, the more time they will spend marketing and promoting it. They are working towards inspiring as many individuals as possible through their publication in hopes of others becoming optimistic about the challenges that life throws at them.

“Deciding not to give up and to inspire others through my own experiences was the most rewarding decision I’ve made,” said Berling.

Those who missed the event or are interested in reading these books and several others can find them in Murphy Library, where they will remain for a few weeks.

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