Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Short Takes

Lawrence J. McAndrews' WHAT THEY WISHED FOR has "rich scholarship," and "his treatment of his subject is both consistent and compassionate," according to a recent review in U.S. Catholic magazine.

In explaining the the history of Southern food, the Times Literary Supplement reviews both HOG MEAT AND HOECAKE and THE LARDER to examine the South's reliance on (and obsession with) pork. As stated in HOG MEAT AND HOECAKE, "If the 'king' of the antebellum Southern economy was cotton, then the title of 'queen' must go to the pig."
HOG MEAT AND HOECAKE points to an important historical context . . . reminding us that not everyone has had equal access to the groaning board—the most notable example being the enslaved population, which was forced to hunt, forage and beg in order to augment minimal rations of pork and corn. . . . [THE LARDER] is dedicated to setting the historical record straight and to probing the illusions propagated by Southern food evangelists.

Atlanta INtown includes Joe Cook's CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER USER'S GUIDE in its roundup of new books by local authors.

The Biblioracle shares his list of "Books I Really Enjoyed From the First Half of 2014 and What Happened to Me While I Read Them" with the Chicago Tribune. John Griswold's PIRATES YOU DON'T KNOW, AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN THE EXAMINED LIFE makes the cut. Griswold's book also made Entropy's "10 Best Novels of the First Half of 2014" list. "This is an incredibly humanistic and moving collection of essays. It explores so many topics with both a mix of joy and melancholy. John Griswold's compassion, his astute sense of observation, his keen ability to see the depths, shines through in every piece."

Mark your calendars now to stop by the Tattnall County Library in Reidsville, GA now through Aug. 22 for an exhibit featuring the nature photography of James Holland. A Closing Reception will take place on Thursday, Aug. 21 from 6-7 p.m., with a slideshow for kids of all ages at 4 p.m., called “The Wonders of Wetlands.”
Credit: James Holland
If you are interested in nature photography, art, wildlife, or the river, you will be interested in seeing this exhibit and in hearing James Holland speak. Few people know the Altamaha River better than James Holland. In 2012 a collection of his photos was published by UGA Press in a book called Altamaha. More than 230 color photographs capture the area’s majestic landscapes and stunning natural diversity, including a generous selection of some the 234 species of rare plants and animals in the region. Local author Janisse Ray, who wrote the essay about Holland in the book, will introduce Holland at the reception. The show was produced by Dorinda Dallmeyer of UGA and co-author of the book and was first shown at the UGA College of Environment and Design’s Circle Gallery in Athens. Refreshments will be served and all are invited to attend. These events are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Don’t miss hearing this author and photographer. For more information, call the Friends at 912-557-1053 or the Tattnall County Library at 912-557-6247.

The Chronicle of Higher Education explores the ongoing discussion of footnotes in scholarly work. Some authors and publishers are currently directing readers online for citations, rather than including them in the printed work. In the article, our editor-in-chief, Mick Gusinde-Duffy, offers some insight from the university press perspective: “We’re all discussing the invisible bridge between the arguments made in Perlstein’s book [The Invisible Bridge] and the citations living elsewhere online."