Remembering UGA Press author and friend Thomas Dyer

The Press was saddened to hear of the passing of Thomas Dyer this past Monday. In addition to being a University of Georgia professor and administrator, Dyer was a UGA Press author and editorial board member. The author of numerous books, Dyer is best known at the Press for his definitive history of the University of Georgia in THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY, 1785-1985. More information about Dyer can be found in the official obituary published on the Athens Banner-Herald website, which is available here.

Former UGA Press executive editor, Nancy Grayson, remembers Dyer and shares some of her favorite memories of him:

Tom Dyer, who wrote a fine bicentennial history of the University of Georgia, was enormously influential in shaping its more recent history. His legacy is indelible and wide-ranging, a reflection of his interest in higher education at all levels. Tom's initiatives transformed the undergraduate learning environment at UGA, doubled the recruitment of African American faculty, and also helped foster the development of our top-rated Institute of Higher Education. He's the only person, in my memory, who was both vice-president for instruction/academic affairs and also vice-president for services. 

Tom was a loyal supporter of the UGA Press. He served on its faculty editorial board for a number of years, including three times as chairman. In addition to publishing two of his own books with the Press, he chaired the editorial board of the New Georgia Guide (published by UGAP)--a mammoth project that benefited from Tom's breadth of vision and scholarly integrity. 

Some of my warmest memories of Tom are of casual conversations on North Campus when he'd stop to talk about whatever was on his mind. Once it was to express his distress over the closings, or threatened closings, of several university presses; he was a passionate advocate of our sector of publishing. Most often it was to update me, with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, on the six-volume autobiography he was writing. He assured me that he was making good progress (he was already on volume 4) and would soon be delivering the entire manuscript to the Press. His sense of humor was legendary. 

Like most of his friends and colleagues, I have the sad feeling that we will never see his like again.

Nancy Grayson retired from UGA Press last September. She spent 26 years in university press publishing, 20 of which were at UGA Press. Her roles at the Press included manuscript editor, acquisitions editor, editor-in-chief, and executive editor.

Four-day film festival presented by UGA Press and Special Collections Libraries

The University of Georgia Press and UGA Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries will be hosting a four-day film festival Nov. 12-15. The four films being shown are “God’s Little Acre” (1958), “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang!” (1932), “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” (2002), and “Glory” (1989).

UGA Press senior acquisitions editor Walter Biggins will introduce the first three films, and Matthew Hulbert of the UGA History Department will introduce “Glory.” A brief question-and-answer session will follow each film. Admission is free, and all screenings will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries auditorium.

"God's Little Acre" is based on the bestselling and controversial novel by Erskine Caldwell, originally published in 1933 and reprinted by UGA Press. "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang!" is based on Robert E. Burns's autobiography, published in 1932 when he was still running from the law and subsequently reprinted by UGA Press. "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" is based on the novel by Chris Fuhrman, originally published by UGA Press. "Glory" is based in part on Robert Gould Shaw's letters, which were later collected as "Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Robert Gould Shaw," published by UGA Press.

The film festival is part of the UGA Spotlight on the Arts festival, the UGA Press 75th anniversary, and University Press Week. 

Spotlight on the Arts
The Spotlight on the Arts festival is presented by the UGA Arts Council, of which the University of Georgia Press and Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries are participating units. More than 60 events are scheduled during the nine-day festival in November. For more information, see http://arts.uga.edu/.

UGA Press
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the UGA Press was founded in 1938 and 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 UGA Press currently publishes 80-85 new books a year and has more than 1,800 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. For more information, see www.ugapress.org/.

University Press Week
The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) is celebrating the second annual University Press Week from Nov. 10-16, 2013. The focus this year is on the variety of ways that university and academic presses are innovating both in the formats that they publish in and the subject areas in which they find vital research to further excellence in scholarship. The AAUP was formally established in 1937 and currently has 130+ member presses.

Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board Award Ceremony

Congratulations to Jingle Davis, Ben Galland, Paul Pressly, and Drew Swanson! Their books, ISLAND TIME, REMAKING WORMSLOE PLANTATION, and ON THE RIM OF THE CARIBBEAN received  awards from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board on October 22 at the Georgia Archives in Morrow, GA. Here are a few photos from the event, courtesy of Christian Lopez.

Editor-in-chief, Mick Gusinde-Duffy (right), accepts an award on behalf of Drew Swanson.

Dr. William Pressly (center) accepts an award on behalf of his brother, Paul Pressly.

Jingle Davis (second from left) and Ben Galland (third from left) accept their awards.

From left to right: P. Toby Graham, Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library director and Digital Library of Georgia director, Jingle Davis, author of ISLAND TIME, Ben Galland, photographer for ISLAND TIME, Lisa Bayer, UGA Press director, and Mick Gusinde-Duffy, UGA Press editor-in-chief.

Short Takes

Athens Patch calls THROUGH THE ARCH "an essential work for anyone interested in history and buildings in Athens."

THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS author Julian Hoffman has information about his book and upcoming events on his blog. Check out the recent post here. Bookish Nature blog also provides a good introduction to Hoffman's work and the book. Check out the post here.

Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment interviews Julian Hoffman for their blog:

Flyway: If you could have readers take away one thing from The Small Heart of Things, what would it be?
JH: That rich possibility, or “murmurs at every turn” in Rilke’s words, can be found in the places around us when we look at them with curiosity and openness. I would be delighted if a reader wanted to step outside into a place of their own after reading the book.

Publishers Weekly reviews Jacquelin Gorman's THE VIEWING ROOM:

Gorman navigates these emotionally intense situations through the perspective of the chaplains as they struggle to maintain professional composure. Both characters are deeply human in their portrayal, each with their own coping mechanisms: Maurice, for example, puts Vaseline in his contact lenses to avoid seeing the autopsy he is required to view. These vibrant but disturbing stories provide insight into life's bleakest moments.

The Day, the Hartford, CT newspaper, describes THE VIEWING ROOM as "a heart-carving collection. . . . gorgeously written."

Congratulations to Jay Watson! His book, READING FOR THE BODY, was awarded Honorable Mention for the 2013 C. Hugh Holman award in southern literary scholarship, sponsored by the Society for the Study of Southern Literature.

Georgia's poet laureate and UGA Press author Judson Mitcham (THE SWEET EVERLASTING,  SABBATH CREEK, and A LITTLE SALVATION) will be inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame on Monday, November 11. Information about the event can be found here.

Don't forget: our Dirty Book Sale is in a couple of weeks!

Short Takes

Interested in marlin, swordfish, and other species of billfish? Then check out this WICN Inquiry interview with THE BILLFISH STORY author Stan Ulanski. Or, listen to the podcast here.

Library Journal recommends THE BILLFISH STORY, saying it is "[a] worthwhile choice for both anglers and students of these majestic fish."

Tom Kealey, author of THIEVES I'VE KNOWN, returns to his hometown for a couple of events. The Greensboro News & Record compares Kealey to Flannery O'Connor and declares he can "flat-out write," just like O'Connor did.

The short story, "Blood Rules," from Jacquelin Gorman's THE VIEWING ROOM is this week's short story available for viewing on Storyville. According to Gorman, "'Blood Rules' is the centerpiece story in the collection, the dramatic turning point of one hospital chaplain’s journey of faith.  Maurice, a Christian minister, had lost his ordination, his license to lead a church, due to his unholy desire for bloody revenge for his mother’s murder. His soul is shattered by the rejection of his own congregation."

Today, October 17, Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT is hosting an evening reception for THE VIEWING ROOM author Jacquelin Gorman. The event will be from 5-7pm. More information is available here.

Congratulations, Marc Sommers! His book, STUCK, has been named a finalist for the 2013 Ogot Award. The Bethwell A. Ogot Book Prize of the African Studies Association is awarded annually at the ASA Annual Meeting to the author of the best book on East African Studies published in the previous calendar year. The winner will be recognized during the 56th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association during the Awards Ceremony, which will take place on November 23rd, 2013.

Upcoming Events

As we near the end of October, take some time to attend these author events.

Saturday, October 19

Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction: A 30th Anniversary Reading
Lit Crawl 2013
Location: City Art Gallery, 828 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA
Description: Five Flannery O'Connor Award authors (Catherine Brady, Amina Gautier, Molly Giles, Tom Kealey, Lori Ostlund) will be speaking on a panel.

Friday, October 25

THROUGH THE ARCH by Larry Dendy
Location: Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
Description: Talk and signing

THE BILLFISH STORY by Stan Ulanksi
Location: Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC
Description: Signing

Saturday, October 26

THE BILLFISH STORY by Stan Ulanksi
Location: Downtown Books, Manteo, NC
Description: Talk and signing

ISLAND TIME by Jingle Davis, photographs by Benjamin Galland
Location: St. Simons Island, GA
Description: Left Bank Art Gallery

Sunday, October 27

ISLAND TIME by Jingle Davis, photographs by Benjamin Galland
Location: Friends of the Brunswick Library, Brunswick, GA
Description: Talk and signing

Thursday, November 7

THE FAITHS OF THE POSTWAR PRESIDENTS by David Holmes
Location: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library of Virginia
Description: Talk

Friday, November 8

THE CHILDREN’S TABLE by Anna Mae Duane
Location: Hunter College, New York, NY
Description: Roundtable discussion

THROUGH THE ARCH by Larry Dendy
Location: College of Environment and Design, UGA, Athens, GA
Description: Talk and signing

Sunday, November 10
THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS by Julian Hoffman
Location: Leigh Community Center, Leigh-on-Sea, England
Description: Shorelines 2013

Upcoming events on the UGA campus

Mark your calendars now for this year's Spotlight on the Arts festival.

From the Spotlight on the Arts press release:
"The University of Georgia will spotlight its arts programs and venues during a nine-day festival in November that includes concerts, theater and dance performances, art exhibitions, poetry readings, film festivals, discussions on the arts and creativity, and more.

The 2013 Spotlight on the Arts festival, to be held Nov. 7-15, will follow the pattern of the inaugural Spotlight festival that attracted some 15,000 attendees to more than 50 events scheduled over a similar period last year."

More than 60 events are scheduled for this year's festival. All of the events designated as Spotlight on the Arts festival events must be sponsored or co-sponsored by at least one of the UGA Arts Council units. UGA Press is one of the twelve units that make up the Arts Council. Other campus units include the Performing Arts Center, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, the Lamar Dodd School of Art, the department of dance, the department of theatre and film studies, the Georgia Museum of Art, The Georgia Review, the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the special collections libraries and the Office of the Provost.

The second full week of the festival also happens to be University Press Week. In its second year, University Press Week is meant to highlight the extraordinary work of university presses and their many contributions to culture, the academy, and an informed society.

The press will help kick-off the Spotlight on the Arts festival with the ever-popular Dirty Book Sale at the Tate Student Plaza. Hundreds of slightly shelf worn, nearly new books at deeply reduced prices in such subjects as literary studies, history, biography, Civil War, and cooking, as well as fiction and poetry will be available for sale.

November 11–15 will include a week-long exhibit of the 2013 Association of American University Presses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show and a four-day film festival featuring movies that either originated as or inspired UGA Press books.

The press will cosponsor with other UGA departments two additional lectures. The UGA College of Environment and Design, UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and UGA Press will host an event for the new UGA campus guide, THROUGH THE ARCH, on Friday, November 8. On Tuesday, November 12, author of, THIS DELTA, THIS LAND, Mikko Saiku will give a lecture in the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries. His seminar is cosponsored by the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program, the UGA History Department, the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries, and UGA Press.

2013 Spotlight on the Arts festival

UGA Press events

Thursday, November 7

Dirty Book Sale

9:00am-4:00pm

Tate Student Center Plaza

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Friday, November 8

Dirty Book Sale

9:00am-4:00pm

Tate Student Center Plaza

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Talk and Signing: Larry B. Dendy, THROUGH THE ARCH

4:00-5:30pm

Jackson Street Building, Lecture Hall 125

Co-sponsored with College of Environment and Design, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Saturday, November 9

Georgia Literary Festival

Milledgeville, GA

Sunday, November 10

Georgia Literary Festival

Milledgeville, GA

Monday, November 11

AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

10:00am-4:00pm

Main Library, Third Floor

Also part of University Press Week

Tuesday, November 12

AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

10:00am-4:00pm

Main Library, Third Floor

Also part of University Press Week

Guest Lecture: Mikko Saiku

5:00-6:30pm

Special Collections Library, Room 285

Co-sponsored with the EECP, History Department, UGA Libraries

Film Fest: GOD'S LITTLE ACRE (book and movie)

7:00-9:30pm

Special Collections Library, Auditorium

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Wednesday, November 13

AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

10:00am-4:00pm

Main Library, Third Floor

Also part of University Press Week

Film Fest: I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A [GEORGIA] CHAIN GANG! (book and movie)

7:00-9:30pm

Special Collections Library, Auditorium

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Thursday, November 14

AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

10:00am-4:00pm

Main Library, Third Floor

Also part of University Press Week

Film Fest: THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (book and movie)

7:00-9:30pm

Special Collections Library, Auditorium

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Friday, November 15

AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show

10:00am-4:00pm

Main Library, Third Floor

Also part of University Press Week

Film Fest: BLUE-EYED CHILD OF FORTUNE (book)/GLORY (movie)

7:00-9:30pm

Special Collections Library, Auditorium

Also part of the 75^th anniversary celebration

Spring 2014 Sneak Peak 2

One of the hardest topics to think about, much less talk about, is death. How do we as humans cope with our mortality and share that with others? For many locations across the world, people are being given a new setting to do just that. In March 2013, the organization formally known as Death Café Atlanta had its first meeting in the bell tower at Oakland Cemetery. Kate Sweeney, reporter for 90.1 WABE, shares their story:

“No grim subject is off-the-table at Death Café Atlanta’s free monthly meetings, which are open to the public, though attendance is limited. If this seems weird, think about how we usually approach end-of life issues […] Put simply, we don’t. Not until we’re forced to, say, when someone close to us dies. At least, that’s what you hear from most professionals dealing in death […] The goal is to create a fun and freewheeling atmosphere, so that it’s easier to talk about things like…well, like planning one’s own funeral.”

However, to help with the mood, it’s a requirement that all Death Café meetings have cake and sometimes the meetings end in a cheerful song. The intent is to foster a fun and open atmosphere for participants to open up and talk about the uncomfortable and frightening issue that is death. This allows people to discuss a host of topics including but not limited to childhood recollections, funerals, superstitions, “Bucket” lists, legal issues, as well as fears. Popularity for Dead Café Atlanta is growing at a tremendous rate with attendance at capacity for most of the meetings thus far. For the entire article and the broadcast recording of the story, click here.

Alongside covering stories like these, Kate Sweeney is also a University of Georgia Press author. Her latest work, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE, is scheduled for publication in March 2014. AMERICAN AFTERLIFE fits in a tradition of books going back to Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death and including more recent successes such as Mary Roach's Stiff and Thomas Lynch's The Undertaking, but Sweeney's temperament and reporting ability lead her largely outside the traditional funeral business and give her work a unique angle on understanding the actions we take and the objects we create in the face of grief.

AMERICAN AFTERLIFE reveals this world through a collective portrait of Americans past and present who find themselves personally involved with death: a klatch of obit writers in the desert, a funeral voyage on the Atlantic, a fourth-generation funeral director—even a Midwestern museum that takes us back in time to meet our death-obsessed Victorian progenitors. Each story illuminates details in another until something larger is revealed: a landscape that feels at once strange and familiar, one that’s by turns, odd, tragic, poignant, and sometimes even funny.

Someone dies. What happens next depends upon our personal stories when it comes to death and on where those stories fall in a larger tale—that of death in America. It’s a powerful tale. And yet it’s usually hidden from our everyday lives until it happens to us.

Peter Trachtenberg, author of Another Insane Devotion, shares his perception of Sweeney’s collection, “At a brisk pace, but with frequent stops to relish the magnificent oddities of the terrain, Kate Sweeney guides readers down the lanes and boulevards of the American way of death. As we look into the grave, she looks at us, with an unflinching gaze that would be the envy of Jessica Mitford. Revelatory and—dare I say it?—terrifically entertaining.”

The book’s publication date is March 15, 2014, so mark it on your calendars. In the meantime, visit Sweeney’s website for updated and announcements. Also, to learn more about Death Café in Atlanta visit their Facebook page.

The Stuffed Scholar's Travelogue: Day Two

The puddle jumper from Athens to Memphis yesterday was so small, my (two) fellow passengers and I were asked at check-in how much we weigh. Unfortunately, that number will be higher for me on the return trip.

This morning, the first of the sixteenth annual Southern Foodways Alliance symposium, first-time attendees enjoyed spicy bloodies garnished with . . . wait for it . . . Tabasco-brined bacon. Blair Hobbs' and John T. Edge's house was not hard to miss—we just looked for the Bloody Mary banner proudly waving outside. I sweated it out with restaurant designers, chefs, writers, and chowhounds before heading to the Lyric Theater for a full day of food talk.

Pat Allen is an acquisitions editor at the University of Georgia Press.

The Stuffed Scholar's Travelogue: Day One

For the next few days, travel along with Pat Allen as he attends the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium this weekend.

As the Press's acquiring editor for the Southern Foodways Alliance Studies in Culture, People, and Place series, the biennial Cornbread Nation series, and our food and regional interest books in general, I'm excited to attend the SFA symposium at the University of Mississippi for the first time. The annual symposium, now in its sixteenth year, is legendary both for the breadth of its scholarship and the length of after-hours groaning boards. In a series of blog posts over the weekend--a miniseries I'm calling, for my own amusement, The Stuffed Scholar’s Travelogue--I'll be documenting this first-timer's adventure through one of the liveliest academic meetings in the game.

Day One is a half-day of travel from Athens to Oxford, and I'm packing for the trip. A bit antsy about what the weekend holds in store, I asked friends and colleagues who've attended before about what I should expect. A curious number of sports metaphors were given, the most succinct of which was that the weekend will be "a marathon, not a sprint."

Thus forewarned, I’m gathering my athlete’s kit.

• For SRO panel discussions as well as long waits at the bar, I'm packing my most comfortable shoes, with drugstore insoles fresh out of the box.
• An appointment book for dates and notes is a necessity when meeting speakers and scholars. If there's down time, I plan to visit Faulkner’s Rowan Oak and have the romantic notion of reading Candace Waid's SIGNIFYING EYE: SEEING FAULKNER'S ART while sprawled under the shade of one of the ancient trees there.
• I feel it's only fitting to wear one of Billy Reid's John T model shirts this weekend and a necessity to wear my "eatin' pants” (everybody has eatin’ pants, yes?) and a loose belt.
• A handful of antacids, virtually every colleague impressed upon me, is essential; also for medicinal purposes, of course, a flask.
• Gonna make it rain business cards, so I'm taking a big stack of them.
• Anyone who's ever flown in an unpressurized small aircraft, as I'll be doing in the puddle jumper from Athens to Memphis tomorrow, knows why I'm packing a neti pot--enough said. For four hours without wi-fi on the plane tomorrow, I have to take my pocket-size travel version of Connect 4.
• Because there's business to be done and acquaintances to be made, a couple of neckties go in my bag too.

Next stop, Memphis.


Pat Allen is an acquisitions editor at the University of Georgia Press.

'Tis the Season for Apples

Alongside the latest buzz on Apple’s latest iPhone, another American apple industry has been hitting the newsstand over the last few weeks. Yes, we are talking about industry centered on the healthy fruit found in every supermarket and grocery store across the country. According to The Produce News, covering fresh produce around the globe since 1897, the apple industry in the United States is expected to produce approximately 243.3 million bushels for the 2013 season.

The Produce News says, “[w]ith strong crops returning in Michigan and New York, where apple crops were decimated by frost in 2012, the national crop is expected to exceed 2012 figures by 13 percent.” With production broken down by region, the researchers estimate the East will produce 58.3 million bushels (39% ahead of 2012), the Midwest 35.6 million bushels (up from the five-year average of 22.1 million), and the West 149.4 million bushels. With the abundance this season, visit your local grocery store and pick up some apples to make the following mouth-watering recipes.

Since fall started on September 22, it is a perfect time to make some classic dishes to share with friends and family. The first recipe is from SOUTHERN COOKING by Mrs. S. R. Dull (1863-1964). In the cookbook, Dull explains health benefits that apples contain including an abundance of potassium, sodium salts, and healthy acids. In addition, she says that the juices in fruits, especially apples, help to “purify the blood and are essential to our health.” She shares her recipe for fried apples, which she claims is a great Southern dish as long as it is served with crisp bacon.

Fried Apples

Wash and core apples, then cut into quarters or smaller. Into a fry pan put a small quantity of bacon drippings; when hot put in fruit; fry until brown. Drain off the excess grease, keeping the pan hot. Replace over fire, and into the pan put a small quantity of water (three or four tablespoons), over tight. Steam until tender and almost dry. Sprinkle with sugar and serve.

For an apple recipe perfect for a social gathering, check out NATHALIE DUPREE’S COMFORTABLE ENTERTAINING. This full-range cookbook and entertaining guide features twenty-six full menus, from holiday classics to an eye-popping formal dinner party for eight, from soup parties and brunches to more casual meals and salad lunches. One interesting delight from this book is a delectable soup with stilton, caramelized onions, and apples.

Stilton and Apple Soup with Onions

And last but not least, what would fall be without apple-themed cakes? One in particular comes from THE SOUTHERN FOODWAYS ALLIANCE COMMUNITY COOKBOOK. Including more than 170 tested recipes, this cookbook is a true reflection of southern foodways and the people, regardless of residence or birthplace, who claim this food as their own. Traditional and adapted, fancy and unapologetically plain, these recipes are powerful expressions of collective identity. This remains especially true for the apple-centric recipes and dishes, especially apple stack cake.

Apple Stack Cake

Whether you prefer traditional or more eclectic apple dishes there is sure to be a recipe out there to help you create the perfect one. Need inspiration? Be sure to check out one of the above-mentioned cookbooks for more recipes and ideas.

Short Takes

Is David Vann's LAST DAY ON EARTH a re-imagining of Vann's own life? Read this review from the AV Club and decide for yourself.

Vann, it seems, has used his writing not to explain or make sense of the violence in his world (and ours), but to place a different version of events alongside it. Maybe somewhere between the real and the imagined, a measure of understanding can be found; in that space, Vann’s literature about violence separates it from literature that is merely violent.

(Congrats to Vann for also winning the St. Francis College Literary Prize for his novel, DIRT! The award was announced September 21 at the opening night gala for the Brooklyn Book Festival.)

Congratulations to Joshua D. Rothman! His book, FLUSH TIMES AND FEVER DREAMS, won the from the Gulf South Historical Association. To be considered, books "should highlight some aspect of the history and/or cultures of the states of the Gulf South and/or the Caribbean Basin."
Michael V.R. Thomason Book Award

The editor of THE CHILDREN'S TABLE, Anna Mae Duane, has a piece in Salon about "Why Flynn is the real hero of 'Breaking Bad.'" Read the article here.

The Rumpus praises Tom Kealey's THIEVES I'VE KNOWN, calling it "[a] powerful collection, mythic in feel." Check out this interview with Kealey about THIEVES I'VE KNOWN over on the Rumpus site.

Rumpus: Your main characters are mostly adolescents or teenagers, but more than that they’re usually poor and—how do we say—under-parented. Is there something about this constellation of characteristics that provokes your storytelling urge?
Kealey: Yes, though I can only take a turn at what that is. I originally came up with the idea of “From Bremerton” when I heard a radio program about how the ferry line from Seattle to Bremerton was being cut back and might actually end. That really caught my attention. I’ve always been interested in things that are disappearing, or are in danger of doing so. So, I wanted to capture one of those ferry rides, and the types of kids, as you described, who live in Bremerton, and how they contrast with this larger world of Seattle. And of course they cross water. Always crossings in my work, it seems…

KTXD's "The Broadcast" talks to Cynthia Lowen about her new book, THE CLOUD THAT CONTAINED THE LIGHTNING, as well as her film, BULLY.