• Benita Valente, Soprano, gave master classes for Cincinnati May Festival:

        Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier by Joanna L. Stratton (Simon & Schuster; $12.95).

        “I love reading about history and pioneer women. . . . I'm slightly disappointed because instead of writing about the nitty gritty of everday life, (the author) glorifies it a bit. It should have been in the words of the pioneers themselves (it is from letters, heavily edited), but I'm enjoying it.”

        • Florence Quivar, Mezzo-soprano, Cincinnati May Festival performer:

        Finding Fish by Antwone Quenton Fisher (William Morrow & Co.; $25).

        “Finding Fish is the memoir of Antwone Fisher's miraculous journey from abandonment and abuse to liberation. Afer birth to a single mom in prison, to being raised in an abusive foster home for 13 years, Antwone has gone to prove himself a deserving human being and a screenwriter in Hollywood. I saw his interview and life story on Montel Williams' show.”

        • Mark Gibson, Director of Orchestral Activities, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music:

        A Mediterranean Feast by Clifford Wright (William Morrow & Co; $35), a gift from his wife, Kirstin.

        “It is more than a cookbook; it is an exhaustive, exhilarating gastronomic tour of every nook and cranny of the Mediterranean. It is every "foodie's' dream book: history, culture and great recipes from Catalonia to Cairo. I'm gaining a pound just thinking about it!”

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