Mary Pipher
Pipher is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Lincoln, Neb.
The Middle of Everywhere, published in 2002, is her latest book, and it describes the plight of refugees settling in Lincoln as well as Pipher's interaction with them as a teacher, cultural broker and therapist.
Greensboro is also a haven for refugees from many countries, and the all-city read will include discussions by many groups of people in the community.
Pipher is the author of four other books,
Hunger Pains: The Modern Woman's Tragic Quest for Thinness,
The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families,
Reviving Ophelia and
Another Country: The Emotional Terrain of Our Elders.
Reviving Ophelia, first published in 1994, broke new ground in helping parents understand the pressures teenage girls face in today's American culture.
It reached No. 1 on
The New York Times best seller list in 1995.
Pipher earned her bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969 and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska in 1977. Her work combines her training in both the fields of psychology and anthropology. Her special area of interest is how American culture affects the mental health of its women.
The recipient of several awards and honors, Pipher was awarded the distinguished Presidential Award from the American Psychological Association in 1998. She is a commentator for Nebraska Public Radio, a popular speaker and workshop leader. She has been a guest on NBC's Today program and National Public Radio's Fresh Air program.
