Dancing with Merce Cunningham is a buoyant, captivating memoir of a talented dancer's lifelong friendship with one of the choreographic geniuses of our time. Marianne Preger-Simon's story begins amid the explosion of artistic creativity that followed World War II. While immersed in the vibrant arts scene of postwar Paris during a college year abroad, Preger-Simon was so struck by the unconventional dance style of choreographer Merce Cunningham that she joined his classes in New York. She soon became an important member of his brand new dance troupe - and a constant friend. Through her experiences in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Preger-Simon offers a rare account of exactly how Cunningham taught and interacted with his students. She describes the puzzled reactions of audiences to the novel non-narrative choreography of the company's debut performances. She also portrays the relationships among the company's dancers, designers, and musicians, many of whom - including John Cage, David Tudor, and Carolyn Brown - would become integral to the avant-garde arts movement, telling tales of their adventures and conversations touring in a VW Microbus across the United States. Finally, reflecting on her connection with Cunningham throughout the latter part of his career, Preger-Simon recalls warm moments that continued to characterize their enduring friendship. Her memoir is an intimate look at the early years of one of the most influential companies in modern American dance and the brilliance of its visionary leader.

Heart By Heart is a non-fiction anthology of poems and stories by and about mothers and daughters, written during many different stages of their lives, from birth to death. The author/editor, Marianne Preger-Simon, chooses heart-warming and affirming stories of love, courage and transformation that speak to a variety of mother/daughter experiences. Each chapter illustrates a particular quality that enhances the mother/daughter relationship. The author/editor writes informative introductions to each chapter that explain the quality demonstrated by the stories and poems that follow: Communicate and interact more effectively with your mother or daughter. Develop more intimacy with your mother or daughter. Achieve separation from your mother or daughter within a context of connection. Heart By Heart will touch and inform both the heart and mind of anyone who is interested in the complex dynamics of mothers and daughters. It will enable you to appreciate the richness and complexity of this unique, universal relationship.