In the News: John C. Inscoe Honored with Two New Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Georgia Historical Society: Brandy Mai

University of Georgia Press: Amanda E. Sharp

John C. Inscoe, the Albert W. Saye Professor and University Professor of History at the University of Georgia, has received awards for two separate books, both of which were published by the University of Georgia Press in association with the Georgia Humanities Council.

Inscoe received the Georgia Historical Society’s 2012 Malcolm Bell, Jr., and Muriel Barrow Bell Award for the best book in Georgia history for WRITING THE SOUTH THROUGH THE SELF: EXPLORATIONS IN SOUTHERN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Drawing on two decades of teaching a college-level course on southern history as viewed through autobiography and memoir, Inscoe explores the southern experience as reflected in the life stories of those who lived it. The Society announced the award at the 173rd Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 17, 2012, at its statewide headquarters in Savannah.

Accepting the Malcolm Bell, Jr. and Muriel Barrow Bell Award for Writing the South Through the Self were UGA Press executive editor Nancy Grayson, on behalf of the Georgia Humanities Council, UGA Press director Lisa Bayer, and UGA professor and author John Inscoe. The award was presented by Georgia Historical Society president and CEO Dr. W. Todd Groce (second from left).

“The Georgia Historical Society is very pleased to recognize this outstanding book,” said Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. “The University of Georgia Press has a stellar reputation as a publisher of history. Along with author John Inscoe and copublisher the Georgia Humanities Council, UGA Press is to be commended for yet again producing top-flight scholarship that engages the public in exploring our state’s and region’s past.”

“The Press’s longstanding relationship with the Georgia Humanities Council has always yielded important projects that benefit teachers, students, and citizens of the state and beyond. We are honored to receive the Bell Award along with the Council for John Inscoe’s latest contribution to Georgia letters,” said Lisa Bayer, Director of UGA Press.

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) recognized THE CIVIL WAR IN GEORGIA: A NEW GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA COMPANION with the national Leadership in History Award of Merit presented for excellence in history programs and projects. Inscoe selected articles from the New Georgia Encyclopedia, of which he is general editor, for use in The Civil War in Georgia. Inscoe will receive his award on October 5 at the 67th AASLH Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. This book was also published in association with the University System of Georgia/GALILEO.

“We are so pleased that THE CIVIL WAR IN GEORGIA has received this national recognition from AASLH. We are grateful to John Inscoe and the New Georgia Encyclopedia staff for their excellent work as they continue to establish new models for digital and traditional publishing,” said Jamil Zainaldin, President of the Georgia Humanities Council.

Short Takes

RUMOR, REPRESSION, AND RACIAL POLITICS author, George Derek Musgrove, was on NPR's "Tell Me More." Listen to the interview here.

According to the Times-Picayune, CORNBREAD NATION 6 is full of diverse pieces, while still staying true to the South. "Some of Anderson’s selections focus on the near-fetishistic passion for local food that’s currently trending in the new hipster South. Others are paeans to regional low-culture delicacies. Cheerwine, the Dr Pepperish Carolinian soda, appears as the subject of a poem and as a braise for short ribs. Processed cheese in Tex-Mex queso is referred to as 'mother’s milk' more than twice."

Mark Auslander, author of THE ACCIDENTAL SLAVEOWNER, will be speaking at the Cyclorama in Atlanta on July 22nd as part of the annual BATL event commemorating the Battle of Atlanta. More details about this program, the other author talks or the entire week of BATL programming are available here. The BATL author events are sponsored by the Georgia Humanities Council, The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, The Dekalb History Center and The City of Atlanta with host partners Bound To Be Read Books and Friends of East Atlanta Library.

Weld for Birmingham features an interview with Harvey H. Jackson III about his book, THE RISE AND DECLINE OF THE REDNECK RIVIERA.

You obviously have a lot of love for this part of the world. What would be your blueprint for a perfect day on the Redneck Riviera?

Offhand, I can’t recall a bad one. Y’know, get up. Walk down on the beach, throw the tennis ball with my dog, watch Libby the Lab run free. Pick up after her, then come back up here, eat some breakfast. Go back down, sit around, read till it gets too hot. Come back up, eat some lunch, take a nap. Go up on the deck, have a gin and tonic, watch the sun set and, if they’re having a concert at Seaside, sit on my deck and listen to the music.

This is the funny thing about writing a book on this place. I’ve spent a lot of time down here in the last 25 years, working on articles and essays, and I write a column for The Anniston Star. A lot of it’s had to do with this. Here I was in the history department at Jacksonville State. I have a colleague who’s a French historian; he says, I’m going to France to do research this summer. Nobody blinks an eye. I have a colleague who’s a German historian. He says, I’m going to Berlin for the summer, and no one says a word. I say, “I’m going down to Panama City to do research,” and they say, “Yeah, right.”

Charles Seabrook explains the story behind THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH for a recent article in the Charleston City Paper. On writing an accessible book for a general audience: "'You try to keep it simple, but at the same time you're trying to give them a science lesson without them actually knowing they've had a science lesson,' he adds. 'You've got to make it entertaining, but you don't want to lose any of the accuracy or scientific importance of it.'"

Congratulations to Judson Mitcham, author of THE SWEET EVERLASTING, SABBATH CREEK, and A LITTLE SALVATION, for being named Georgia's new poet laureate! The Telegraph features an interview with the author about this honor.

Upcoming Author Events

There are many author events happening in July, particularly along the coast. Be sure to check out all of these great talks and signings!

July 12, 2012

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook
Location: Barnes and Noble
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Time: 12:00pm
Description: Reading/Signing



July 13, 2012

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook
Location: Capt. Dave's Dockside
Pawleys Island, SC
Time: 11:00am
Description: Luncheon hosted by Litchfield Books

Location: Litchfield Books
Pawleys Island, SC
Time: 2:00pm
Description: Signing

July 14, 2012

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook
Location: Jekyll Books
Jekyll Island, GA
Time: 2:00-4:00pm
Description: Signing

ATLANTA'S OAKLAND CEMETERY by Ren and Helen Davis
Location: FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
Time: 1:00pm
Description: Reading/Signing

July 17, 2012

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook
Location: Brunswick Library
Brunswick, GA
Time: 7:00pm
Description: Talk/Signing

July 18, 2012

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook
Location: St. Simons Island Casino
St. Simons, GA
Time: 10:30am
Description: Presentation/Signing. Event is co-sponsored by G.J. Ford Bookshop and St. Simons' Literary Guild. Free for members and $10 (for a year's membership) for those wishing to join at the door. Light refreshments will be served.

Location: Once Upon a Bookseller
St. Marys, GA
Time: 3:00-5:00pm
Description: Signing

July 19, 2012

ALMOST FREE by Eva Sheppard Wolf
Location: Library of Virginia
Richmond, VA
Time: 12:00pm
Description: Talk/Signing

NEW SOUTHERN COOKING and NATHALIE DUPREE'S SOUTHERN MEMORIES by Nathalie Dupree
Location: Georgia Museum of Art
Athens, GA
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Description: Lecture/Signing

July 21, 2012

ALTAMAHA photographs by James Holland and text by Dorinda G. Dallmeyer and Janisse Ray
Location: Jekyll Books
Jekyll Island, GA
Time: 2:00-4:00pm
Description: Signing by James Holland and Dorinda G. Dallmeyer

July 22, 2012

ALTAMAHA photographs by James Holland and text by Dorinda G. Dallmeyer and Janisse Ray
Location: Books Plus
Amelia Island, FL
Time: 11:00am-3:00pm
Description: Signing by James Holland and Dorinda G. Dallmeyer

THE ACCIDENTAL SLAVEOWNER by Mark Auslander
Location: Atlanta Cyclorama
Atlanta, GA
Time: 7:00pm
Description: Talk/Signing. Event hosted by BATL Battle of Atlanta.

July 25, 2012

THE FAITHS OF THE POSTWAR PRESIDENTS by David L. Holmes
Location: Reveille United Methodist Church
Richmond, VA
Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Description: Talk/Signing

July 26, 2012

RUIN NATION by Megan Kate Nelson
Location: Tattered Cover (Colfax location)
Denver, CO
Time: 7:30pm
Description: Talk/Signing

Now Hiring: Assistant Director and Editor-in-Chief

The University of Georgia Press seeks an experienced and talented publishing professional to direct and develop the Press’s distinguished editorial program and supervise its acquisitions staff. The Assistant Director and Editor-in-Chief is a key member of the Press’s management team and plays a major role in goal-setting, short-term and long-range strategic planning, and policy making for the Press. The Assistant Director and Editor-in-Chief also is responsible for personally acquiring 20-25 high-quality, marketable new manuscripts per year for the Press in one or more of the following areas:  history, literary studies, geography, urban studies, international relations and security studies, regional trade. This position reports to the Director of the University of Georgia Press.

Founded in 1938, the University of Georgia Press is the largest book publisher in the state. It has been a member of the Association of American University Presses since 1940. With a full-time staff of 24 publishing professionals, the Press currently publishes 80-85 new books a year and has over 1,500 titles in print. It has well-established lists in Atlantic World and American history, American literature, African American studies, southern studies, and environmental studies, as well as a growing presence in the fields of geography, urban studies, international affairs, and security studies.

Because it is affiliated with a land-grant institution that is the flagship university in Georgia, the Press has a long-standing commitment to publishing books about the state and region, including natural history field guides and other heavily illustrated works. It is also a long-time publisher of creative writing through books published in conjunction with the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the Associated Writers and Writing Programs Award for Creative Nonfiction, and other literary competitions and series. The publishing program has been nationally recognized, and in recent years a number of books published by the Press have won major awards.  For more information, please visit the Press website.

The Press is located on the University of Georgia’s historic North Campus in Athens, Georgia.  Perennially rated as one of the nation's top college towns, Athens offers a vibrant place to work and live.  With Atlanta 70 miles to the west, Athens offers good proximity to the city while maintaining a small-town culture and feel.  Athens offers a nationally recognized music scene, great restaurants, a local food movement, and a vibrant downtown area with independently owned businesses. Please visit here for more information about Athens.

Required Qualifications:  Bachelor’s degree in the humanities or social sciences.  At least 5 years of acquisitions experience, with a university press or trade publisher, in one or more of the fields in which the Press currently publishes.  Academic background and experience sufficient to facilitate constructive interaction with scholars, colleagues, and university administration.  Experience in helping to shape a press’s editorial program.  Thorough knowledge of publishing trends and markets for both academic and general-interest titles. Proven managerial and leadership skills. Active participation in the Association of American University Presses. Ability to work independently and imaginatively in seeking out promising book projects. Ability to manage multiple, deadline-driven projects simultaneously. Knowledge of copyright and contracts as they relate to book publishing.

Preferred Qualifications:  Master’s degree preferred. Budgeting and forecasting experience preferred.

The full description of duties and application instructions is available here.

The University of Georgia values diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and strongly encourages applications from underrepresented minority candidates. The University of Georgia is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

The University of Georgia Press Returns to Campus

This summer brings significant changes to the University of Georgia Press.

As of late June, the Press is now located on the University of Georgia Campus. The new address is Main Library, Third Floor, 320 South Jackson Street, Athens, GA, 30602. While individual email addresses have remained the same, all phone and fax numbers have changed. For current contact information, please visit our website.

This move allows the Press to return to campus after spending nearly 20 years at the off-site Oakbrook Corporate Campus. The Press’s space in the Main Library became available when the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library—including University Archives, the Richard B. Russell Jr. Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Collection—moved into the new Richard B. Russell Jr. Special Collections Libraries Building.

"As the University of Georgia Press prepares to celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2013, our move to the Main Library in the heart of campus, nearer to faculty, staff, students, and friends, seems most fitting. Too, sharing space with our library colleagues makes possible mutually beneficial exchanges about the changing world of scholarly communications,” said Lisa Bayer, new director of the UGA Press as of July 1.

Since its founding in 1938, the primary mission of the University of Georgia Press has been to support and enhance the University’s place as a major research institution by publishing outstanding works of scholarship and literature by scholars and writers throughout the world.

The Press is the only scholarly publisher within the University System of Georgia. A full member of the Association of American University Presses since 1940, the Press is also the oldest and largest book publisher in the state. With a full-time staff of 24 publishing professionals, the Press currently publishes 75-80 new books a year and has 1000 titles in print.

In 2008 the Press received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities “for enriching the life of the humanities through a distinguished record of publications, for serving as an important resource to libraries and other community discussion groups, and for building partnerships that contribute to enlightened communities of readers in Georgia and the nation.”