Since 2009 Taussig has devoted himself exclusively to writing and composition. His first book, “The Atheist’s Guide to Miracles” was published in summer 2012. Over the next seven years he has published four novels, two memoirs, two poetry and short story collections, and one translation from the German, his father's holocaust era memoir, "Man Without a Shadow, The Jew Who Would Not be Caught". The list of his compositions includes an opera (Fibonacci), a requiem Let There Be War, an oratorio (Eve of Life), three symphonies, and concertos for Bagpipe and Orchestra, steel pan, and Peruvian panpipes. His ballet “Three Dubious Memories” was choreographed by Paul Taylor in 2011 and toured extensively by the Paul Taylor Dance Company. His current CD projects include “101 Sound-bite Symphonies - a celebration of short attention span”, and the electronic CD "Musica Sacra Nuova - Thirteen Urban Rituals" (2014). In 1998 Taussig suffered an injury to his right hand which ended his concert career. He was married to Canadian concert pianist Kathryn Taussig, née Root (d. 2015) . He has one daughter, Elena Sachi Taussig, and lives in Colrain, Massachusetts with artist Linda Baker-Cimini. Matthew Yuricich  Matthew J. Yuricich (January 19, 1923 – May 28, 2012) was an American special effects artist. Born of Croatian immigrant parents in Lorain, Ohio, he spoke only Croatian when he started grade school. After graduating high school in 1941, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served on the escort carrier USS Nassau, seeing combat in the Pacific Theater. Before becoming a special effects artist, Yuricich received a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where he also played football and joined Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He received Miami's 2006 Distinguished Achievement Award for his career achievements and was a charter member of the Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame. A pre-war friendship with pinup star Betty Grable allowed Yuricich entry into the movie industry after the war. As a matte artist, much of his early studio work was uncredited but included work on "Forbidden Planet" (1956), "North by Northwest" and "Ben-Hur" (both 1959). Some of his later credits are "Soylent Green" (1973, special photographic effects), "Young Frankenstein" (1974, uncredited), "The China Syndrome" and "1941" (both 1979), "Blade Runner" (1982), "Ghostbusters" and "2010" (both 1984), "Fright Night" (1985), "", "The Boy Who Could Fly" and "Solarbabies" (all 1986), "Masters of the Universe" (1987), "Die Hard" (1988), "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Dances with Wolves" (1990) and "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" (1991).