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Marquette Reads: Paul Salsini

By Tim Cigelske, Comm '04

Drawing on his journalism background, Paul Salsini has synthesized both historical events and family stories together to craft his own original novels.  

So it’s no surprise that he includes the genres of literary journalism and historical fiction among his favorites for his Marquette Reads list.  

Salsini, former editor of the Marquette Tribune and a longtime writer and editor at the Milwaukee Journal, today teaches Narrative Nonfiction and is the writing coach for Diederich College of Communication.

He recently published the final installment in his trilogy of Tuscan-based novels, The Cielo, Sparrow’s Revenge and Dino’s Story.

1. Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder. “Kidder is my favorite ‘literary journalist.’ He spends a year in the fifth grade of a Massachusetts school, and the teacher should qualify for sainthood.”

2. Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King. “The building of the dome of the Duomo in Florence turns out to be not only a fascinating chronicle about architecture but also about political intrigue and personal triumph.”

3. Empire Falls by Richard Russo. “Russo is at his storytelling best in this engrossing tale of the inhabitants of a fictional mill town in Maine.”

4. Hiroshima by John Hersey. “The classic, terrifying story is still powerful 65 years after the bombing.”

5. What Is the What by Dave Eggers. “I could choose several books by Dave Eggers. This is his account of the harrowing journey of a Sudanese refugee across Africa and to a United States that is somewhat less than welcoming.”

Have an idea for a future Marquette Reads? We'd love to hear it.