Thursday, March 06, 2014

Classic Reissues from the UGA Press

As a part of our 75th anniversary, we are reissuing eight classic books originally published by the University of Georgia Press. Last fall, we reissued the first four books: FOLK VISION & VOICES, MISS YOU, FLANNERY O'CONNOR'S GEORGIA, and SHOUT BECAUSE YOU’RE FREE. This spring, we are releasing these remaining four:


GENERATIONS IN BLACK AND WHITE, edited by Rudolph P.Byrd and photographs by Carl Van Vechten, is a portfolio of eighty-three photographs celebrating African American achievement in the twentieth century. The photographs are complemented by a substantial introduction by Byrd, biographical sketches of each subject, and poems by the noted writer Michael S. Harper. The result is a volume of beauty and power, a record of black excellence that will engage and inform new generations.




Originally published in 1993, GREAT AND NOBLE JAR by folklorist Cinda D. Baldwin was the first authoritative study of South Carolina stoneware—from its beginnings in colonial times and its heyday in the 1850s through the post–Civil War period and the first half of the twentieth century. The author examines not only many traditional pottery forms but also the methods by which they were thrown, glazed, decorated, and fired. It is illustrated with nearly two hundred photographs, maps, and drawings and includes an index of South Carolina potters.




First published in 1972, John Linley's ARCHITECTURE OF MIDDLE GEORGIA is a sweeping survey that remains one of the best books on the topic, covering primitive, Gothic, Greek Revival, and Victorian styles, and beyond. John Linley’s descriptions of the diverse structures of the Oconee area are illustrated with more than three hundred photographs and representative floor plans. Fine architecture, as Linley shows, is greatly influenced by climate, geography, the region's natural resources, history, custom, and tradition.




If it is true that the pen is mightier than the sword and that one picture is worth a thousand words, Thomas Nast must certainly rank as one of the most influential personalities in nineteenth-century American history. With more than 150 examples of Nast’s work, THOMAS NAST: POLITICAL CARTOONIST by John Chalmers Vinson recreates the life and pattern of artistic development of the man who made the political cartoon a respected and powerful journalistic form.



We are very excited about these classic reissues as they commemorate 75 years of publishing history and seek to continue UGA Press' legacy of providing quality literature to UGA, the surrounding communities, and the world. For more information about UGA Press, visit our website here.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Religion, Politics, and WHAT THEY WISHED FOR

Throughout American history, there has been much debate as to what role religion should play in politics. Just recently, much controversy has erupted over the Arizona Bill, SB 1062, vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer. The bill would “have allowed business owners in her state to refuse to serve gays and others if those customers somehow offended the proprietors' religious beliefs” according to the recent NPR article Arizona Gov. Brewer Vetoes Controversial Bill. To read the full article, click here.

Though this bill seems to avoid the influence of religious views in Arizona, it may be a reflection on the changing religious views in the U.S. as a whole. The article also explains that “Brewer had been pressed by leaders of Arizona's business community and some of her fellow Republican lawmakers to reject the legislation.” Republican strategist Jaime Molera also explained that, “business leaders believed a veto would help buttress Arizona's reputation nationally” showing that such legislation could conflict with the majority of national views on the matter.

America’s politics, like in many countries' politics, will inevitably be influenced by the personal beliefs of the citizens. Like the Arizona Bill, SB 1062, it is clear that religious affiliations of the citizens is a central part of a country’s politics and plays an important role in the bills that politicians will support.

UGA Press author Lawrence J. McAndrews examines the impact of Catholics in U.S. history in his new book, WHAT THEY WISHED FOR: AMERICAN CATHIOLICS & AMERICAN PRESIDENTS, 1960-2004. “Roman Catholics constitute the most populous religious denomination in the United States” and have influenced U.S. presidential policies and politics on issues from “Vietnam to Iraq, the civil rights movement to federal funding for faith-based initiatives, and from birth control to abortion…”

McAndrews’ book brings to light the strong influence of Catholic presence in political-religious issues in the United States from Kennedy to Kerry. It examines not just the politics and policy of Catholic presidents but that of presidents elected by Catholic voters such as George W. Bush.

Lawrence J. McAndrews, professor of history at St. Norbert College, has written many books and articles about politics in the United States. His latest work, WHAT THEY WISHED FOR, is scheduled for publication on May 15, 2014.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Short Takes

EarthLines praises Julian Hoffman's THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS:
For me, reading this book was a profound experience; a significant shift in my coming to terms with separation from my own deeply-rooted shadow places. Hoffman’s entrancing prose illuminates the processes by which ‘the subjective allure of the land is a continually shifting, and enriching, inner terrain’ and, for me, travelling through these essays was like a homing in itself; like the ‘accumulation of light’ which, in that ‘heartwood’ essay, grows even in its passing and in the shadows; an enriching meditation on how that process builds, and how we can carry those moments with us, connecting home to home in our wider home, and constantly creating roots in new soil. This is a book to which I will return, and return.
The book launch for SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH took place in Savannah on February 12 at Telfair Museums. Here is a photo of the editors, Leslie M. Harris and Daina Berry, at the event.
Daina Ramey Berry (second from left) and Leslie M. Harris (center)
On Susan Puckett's EAT DRINK DELTA, Culinate.com says "Whether bringing multicultural influences to Southern food, offering ideas on handling unique ingredients, or collecting observations traveling from one town to another, these authors each enlighten us further about the South — its land, people, and foods."

The Journal of American History commends Megan Kate Nelson for her work in RUIN NATION saying "[a]n unusual strength of the book is the author’s use of visual evidence, including photographs, engravings, and lithographs to make important points about the cultural interpretation of war’s destruction.”

According to The Journal of American History, Joshua D. Rothman's FLUSH TIMES AND FEVER DREAMS “is an original contribution to cultural history of the antebellum slave South.”

The Register of the Kentucky Historical also reviewed FLUSH TIMES AND FEVER DREAMS saying it “is a fine example of historical detective work, anthropological analysis, and lively narration. Readers looking for a richly colored portrait of a time and its problems will enjoy it immensely.”

Antipode commented on Jason Hackworth's FAITH BASED saying it provides "an important intervention that takes seriously the role of evangelical FBOs in the construction of our current welfare apparatus."

Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism recently said THE BIOREGIONAL IMAGINATION, edited by Tom Lynch, Cheryll Glotfelty, and Karla Armbruster, “promises a systematic approach to literature and a more rigorous theoretical framework. In fact, it offers an openness and open-endedness and an overriding sense that ‘a bioregion is a story – an open, permeable story’ (112)."

As reviewed by Florida Historical Quarterly, Mark D. Hersey's MY WORK IS THAT OF CONSERVATION is a “well-written reconsideration [that] should find a welcome audience not only among scholars of environmental history and African American though and culture, but also among advocates seeking environmental justice and sustainable practice today.”

Monday, March 03, 2014

UGA Press Authors at VA Festival for the Book

Every spring, Virginia Festival for the Book hosts mostly free literary events that are open to the public as they honor book culture and promote reading and literacy.. This year, several UGA Press authors will be featured at the 5-day festival. Mark your calendars to attend the events listed below:

Wednesday, March 19

THE BILLFISH STORY by Stan Ulanski
Location: City Council Chambers, Charlottesville, VA
Event: Gone Fishing

Thursday, March 20

THE MELANCHOLY OF DEPARTURE by Alfred DePew
Location: New Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville, VA
Event: Fiction: Short Stories

TURN ME LOOSE: THE UNGHOSTING OF MEDGAR EVERS by Frank X Walker
Location: UVa Bookstore,Charlottesville, VA
Event: Poetry: Haunted by History

Saturday, March 22

BECOMING CONFEDERATES by Gary Gallagher
Location: UVa Bookstore, Charlottesville, VA
Event: The Civil War: A Conversation with Gary Gallagher

LOVE, IN THEORY by E.J. Levy
Location: City Council Chambers, Charlottesville, VA
Event: Nice Jewish Kids Gone Wild