Books, Music, and Movies from Perpich Alumni in the Perpich Library

May 21, 2024

It’s Graduation Week!

It’s a week of celebration and bittersweet reflection. There’s excitement about the future, and sadness about the end of an era. To honor this time of year, we are looking at the accomplishments of past graduates. The following items are a small selection of amazing materials we have in the Perpich Library which have been created by or contributed to heavily by Perpich alumni.

Curious about what else we have? Search for more alumni work using “Perpich Alumni” as a keyword search in the library catalog!

All items on this list are available at the Perpich library. Click on titles for more information.

1. Animation Sketchbooks by Laura Heit (Visual Arts 1992)
Fifty of the leading contemporary talents working in independent animation offer a glimpse into their private sketchbooks. During the conceptual stages of their projects, these groundbreaking and award-winning artists employ a variety of mediums to exercise their creativity, including pencil, paint, collage, puppetry, and photography. Each artist shares a selection of their craft along with personal insights into their influences and the artistic processes behind their unique sketches, character studies, storyboards, and doodles. The range of visions and techniques on display provide endless inspiration and allow a rare insight into the scope of the animator’s art. (from publisher)

2. Best Summer Ever by Har Mar Superstar aka Sean Tillmann-Hauser (Theater 1995)
2016 release from indie singer/songwriter Sean Tillmann, AKA Har Mar Superstar. Since its inception, Best Summer Ever was imagined as a musical time machine of Har Mar Superstar’s greatest hits, spanning musical genres and styles from the ‘50s to the ‘80s. The result is a slow burn masterpiece full of soulful ballads and synth pop jams. Features songs written or co-written by Julian Casablancas, Karen O, Bobby Charles and more. (from Amazon)

3. Carnelian by Kill the Vultures with Alexei Casselle – aka Crescent Moon (Music 1999)
Rapper Crescent Moon delivers surreal narratives based on the intersection of race, religion, and crime from his perspective as a person of mixed-race heritage. Producer Anatomy explores the dark altered state suggested in the vocals, incorporating avant-garde influences, while staying rooted in hip-hop. (from Amazon)

4. A Christmas With Family and Friends by Jennifer Grimm (Music 1995)
Mother of 2024 Lit Grad (and Library TA) Rowan Hilden
This Christmas album features Jennifer and her wonderfully musical Family and Friends. There’s a taste of her own Christmas memories throughout the album, but the final track really captures the essence of what she loves: The family, the friends, the food, and the fun. (from Amazon)

5. The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic: Revised and Expanded Edition by Jessica Hopper (Media Arts 1994)
Throughout her career, spanning more than two decades, Jessica Hopper, a revered and pioneering music critic, has examined women recording and producing music, in all genres, through an intersectional feminist lens. The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic features oral histories of bands like Hole and Sleater Kinney, interviews with the women editors of 1970s-era Rolling Stone, and intimate conversations with iconic musicians such as Björk, Robyn, and Lido Pimienta. Hopper journeys through the truths of Riot Grrrl’s empowering insurgence; decamps to Gary, Indiana, on the eve of Michael Jackson’s death; explodes the grunge-era mythologies of Nirvana and Courtney Love; and examines the rise of emo. (from Amazon)

6. Hush Hush, Forest by Mary Casanova, Woodcuts by Nick Wroblewski (Visual Arts 1992)
Here, in enchanting words and woodcuts, is the magic of night falling and winter approaching in the North Woods. Hush Hush, Forest peers through twilight’s window at the raccoon preening, the doe and fawn bedding down, the last bat of the season flitting away. The owl surveys, the rabbit scurries, the bear hunkers, readying her den. (from Amazon)

7. Landmark by Hippo Campus with Zach Sutton (Music 2014)
A spirited indie rock quartet based out of the Twin Cities, Hippo Campus deliver angular and melodic guitar-driven pop that falls somewhere between the collegiate Afro-pop/garage rock of Vampire Weekend and the post-punk nerviness of Bombay Bicycle Club…Hippo Campus released their debut full-length effort, Landmark, in 2017. The group formed in 2013, made up of front man Jake Luppen, co-front man/guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton, and drummer Whistler Allen. (from Amazon)

8. Look Alive! by Early Eyes with Jake Berglove (Music 2016)
Look Alive! vibrates with angst, punctuated by computerized glitches and disintegrating threads of abandoned melodies that echo in the distance before roaring back to life…Band is Jake Berglove (lead vocals/guitar), Joe Villano (guitar), John O’Brien (guitar), Sam Mathys (drums), and Megan Mahoney (bass). (from Amazon)

9. Mirepoix and Smoke by Ben Weaver (Visual Arts 1997)
Weaver’s seventh full length album released in 2010 consists of spare folk songs with poetic lyrics.

10. Nobody Notices Minerva by Wednesday Kirwan (Visual Arts 1998)
Minerva is being a very naughty girl today. But no one seems to notice or care when she pulls out the stuffing from Dad’s favorite chair, peels off the wallpaper, knocks over the milk, and pokes her brother. And not only is everyone ignoring her, but being bad doesn’t even make her feel good! Is there a better way to get a little attention?
A story kids will really relate to (complete with a sly ending) and adorable art featuring a cute Boston terrier bent on mischief will make this a toddler favorite. (from Amazon)

11. Pressure by Kitten Forever with Liz Elton (Media Arts 2005) & Corrie Harrigan (Literary Arts 2003)
Fun and high energy “Riot Grrrl” punk album, released in 2013 by Kitten Forever which consists of Liz Elton, Corrie Harrigan, and Laura Larson.

12. Sound of Snow Falling by Maggie Umber (nee Smith) (Visual Arts 2000)
Sound of Snow Falling is a graphic novel done in a poetic documentary mode. In this unique work, the reader becomes a voyeur of the natural world, following a great horned owl family through the dead of winter. (from Amazon)

13. Steampunk & Cosplay Fashion Design & Illustration: More Than 50 Ideas for Learning to Design Your Own Neo-Victorian Costumes and Accessories
by Samantha Crossland (Rei) (Visual Arts 1999)
Whether your dream is to become a fashion designer, or you simply want to combine your artistic skills with a love for steampunk fashion and culture, the tips, tricks, tools, and step-by-step projects in this book provide you with everything you need to learn to design and draw an assortment of cosplay outfits. (from Amazon)

14. The Whale by Ethan Murrow & Vita Murrow (nee Weinstein) (Theater 2000)
There is a legend that a Great Spotted Whale lives in the ocean, although a sighting fifty years ago was never corroborated. Now two young whale watchers each set out to find the whale, one armed with sound-recording equipment, the other with a camera. When their boats collide, they pool their resources to capture incontrovertible proof that the mythical whale exists. The eventual sighting is a magical moment, especially when the children discover that it was their own grandparents who first glimpsed the whale fifty years ago. The Murrows’ spectacular wordless adventure is brought to life with stunning graphite drawings that convey the drama and haunting beauty of the ocean and capture the majesty of the awe-inspiring whale. (from Amazon)

15. Your Creative Path Workbook: An Artist’s Guide to Goal Setting, Career Planning, and Creating Intentional Art by Libby Copa (nee Rasmussen) (Literary Arts 2003)
Your Creative Path Workbook is for the slam poets, the travel photographers, the experimental musicians, the digital nomads. This workbook is for the creatives. Whether your medium is avant-garde or old school, this workbook will push you to unlock your fullest potential. (from Amazon)

All items on this list are available at the Perpich Library.