Some of the notable authors who attended Broward College include the following:

Broward College Authors

Dr. Rita Mae Brown (A.A., 1965) is a prolific American writer, poet, essayist and social activist, whose work has been critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful. After graduating from Broward Junior College, which she called “a couple of buildings and a mess of sandspurs,” however, she acknowledged that back in its early years, the college “offered little by way of aesthetics, yet a lot by way of education.” Brown went on to New York University for her bachelor’s degree, then earned her doctorate at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.

In September 2007, her 41^st book, “The Tell-Tale Horse,” will debut. Her books cover fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, a cookbook and a writer’s manual.

In addition to her books, she also is an acclaimed writer of screenplays and teleplays and was twice nominated for an Emmy Award. She was one of seven outstanding community college graduates recognized as AACC Outstanding Alumni Award recipients in 1999.

Brown lives on a farm in Nelson County, Virginia, where she breeds American foxhounds, is master of the Oak Ridge Fox Hunt Club and founder of the Piedmont Women’s Polo Club.

Dr. Parris N. Glendening (A.A., 1962) served two terms as governor of Maryland and is now president of Smart Growth Leadership Institute, a nationwide coalition of nearly 100 organizations promoting a better way to grow and develop. After graduating from Broward College, he went on to Florida State University where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and at 25, became the youngest person to earn a doctorate in political science there. He went on to the University of Maryland, where he spent 27 years as a professor of political science and authored “Pragmatic Federalism: An Intergovernmental View of American of American Government,” with Mavis Mann Reeves and was published by Palisades Publishers in 1984. He was elected Maryland’s 59^th governor in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998.

Dr. Glendening was one of nine AACC Outstanding Alumni Award recipients in 1997.

Deborah Melaney Hazelton (A.A., 1975) is a psychotherapist, hypnotist, radio personality and author.  Blind since birth, Hazelton teaches people to use their “inner sight” to navigate the universe of human relationships. She is the author of “The Courage to See: Daily Affirmations for Healing the Shame Within,” (Health Communications, Inc., 1990) and “Solving the Self-Esteem Puzzle: A Guide for Moving from Piece to Peace” (Health Communications, Inc., 1991).

Dr. Seth C. Kalichman (A.A., 1982) is a professor of social psychology at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He has published widely in his areas of research interest including sexual behavior, health promotion, disease prevention and interpersonal violence. Among his books are: “The Inside Story on AIDS: Experts Answer Your Questions,” (American Psychological Association, 2003); “Psychosocial and Public Health Impacts of New HIV Therapies,’ with David G. Ostrow, (Springer, 1999); “Understanding AIDS: Advances in Research and Treatment,” (American Psychological Association, “Answering Your Questions About AIDS,” (American Psychological Association, 1996);”Understanding AIDS: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals,” (American Psychological Association, 1995); “Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse: Ethics, Law and Policy (American Psychological Association, 1993).

Victoria Ann Johnson (A.A. 1976) is a marriage and family therapist in Boca Raton and author of “Johnson’s Emotional First Aid: How to Increase Your Happiness, Peace and Joy,” published in 1997 by Blue Dolphin Publishing. Johnson is active in community service and has served as president of Share, Inc., a not-for-profit service organization, and developed PLAYWORKS, a play therapy methodology.

Sheree Shatsky Marty (A.A., 1976) is a physical education teacher in Brevard County who one day watched on as her students played Chinese jump rope at recess. She remembered what fun it had been for her during her own childhood and decided to incorporate the activity into her lesson plans. She found that no text existed on the activity, so she wrote it. “Chinese Jump Rope” took her one year to write and was published in 1994 by Sterling Publishing.

Cherokee Paul McDonald (A.S., 1975) served in Vietnam and as a Fort Lauderdale Police officer, and drew heavily from those experiences for his novels and non-fiction books. They include: “Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire,” (Plume, 2001); “Summer’s Reason,” (Donald I. Fine, 1994); “Under Contract: The True Account of a Cop Hired to Kill,” with Allen E. Smith, (Donald I. Fine, 1992); Blue Truth: Walking the Thin Blue Line – One Cop’s Story of Life in the Streets,” (Donald I. Fine, 1991); “Gulf Stream,” (Warner Books, 1988); “The Patch.” (Warner Books, 1986).

Denise Nieman (A.A., 1979) is the longest-serving county attorney in Palm Beach County history, having served in that role since 1996. She also serves on the Town of Jupiter’s beach and charter review committees. She is the author of “Christmas Party Celebrations: 71 New and Exciting Party Plans for Holiday Fun,” published in 1997 by Brighton Publications.

Cynthia Thuma (A.A., 1971) worked as a physical education teacher for 11 years before becoming a professional journalist and author. Among her books are: “Sport Lauderdale: Big Names and Big Games,” (The History Press, 2007); “Images of America: Wilton Manors,” (Arcadia, 2005); “Creepy Colleges and Haunted Universities,” with Catherine Lower (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2003), “Images of America: Boca Raton,” (Arcadia, 2003); “The College History Series: Broward Community College,” (Arcadia, 2002); The Mongo Mango Cookbook,” (Pineapple Press, 2001); “Postcard History Series: Palm Beach in Vintage Postcards,” (Arcadia, 2001); “Insiders’ Guide to Boca Raton and the Palm Beaches” with Stephanie Murphy (Insiders Guides, 1995).

Brian Hugh Warner is probably Broward College’s best-known dropout, but hasn’t done badly for himself. Warner was a Broward College student and part-time record store employee when he decided to start a shock-rock band in which he took on a new persona: Marilyn Manson – the names taken from Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. His band – Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids started out playing small clubs and bars in South Florida until their shocking look and sound caught on. Since then, the band, now simply known as Marilyn Manson, has produced seven gold and four platinum albums. Warner also wrote an autobiography, “The Long Hard Road Out of Hell,” released in 1998 by ReganBooks/HarperPerennial.

Please note that the alumni authors web page is a growing list and does not represent a comprehensive listing of all Broward College alumni authors. If you attended Broward College and are a published author, we want to hear from you. For additional information, please contact Emily Boyce at eboyce@broward.edu, Coordinator of Special Events& Alumni.