Closed for the Holidays!

Our offices will be closed December 22, 2012 - January 1, 2013. We'll be back at work Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Happy Holidays!

Spring 2013 titles announced

The Spring 2013 seasonal catalog is now available on our website featuring titles that will be published from March through August 2013. We have an exciting range of new books in the categories of history, geography, international relations, literary & cultural studies, environmental studies, and creative writing, as well as plenty regional interest titles.

Highlights include:

THE DINNER PARTY follows the path of Judy Chicago's iconic piece of American Art—The Dinner Party—as it traveled from inception (1973) to completion (1979) to tour (1979-1989) to the permanent collection of the Brookly Museum (2007), and it sheds light on the history of American feminism since 1970.

In OLD LOUISVILLE, author David Dominé and photographers Franklin and Esther Schmidt take the reader on an intimate tour of one of the largest and most significant historic preservation districts in America.

Robinson Forest in eastern Kentucky is one of our most important natural landscapes—and one of the most threatened. THE EMBATTLED WILDERNESS chronicles the cultural and natural history of the forest and makes the case for saving it.

Get out and explore northwest Georgia's biologically diverse and beautiful Etowah River with the waterproof guidebook, ETOWAH RIVER USER'S GUIDE.

The beautifully illustrated ISLAND TIME by retired Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist, Jingle Davis, captures the history and beauty of the Georgia seaside destination, St. Simons Island.

NORTH CAROLINA'S AMAZING COAST, modeled after the successful GEORGIA'S AMAZING COAST, contains 100 short, self-contained features about the flora, fauna, and natural history of North Carolina's coast. It makes an excellent educational tool and inspiring gift.

Now back in print and available in paperback for the first time is James Beard Award Winner NATHALIE DUPREE'S COMFORTABLE ENTERTAINING.

2013 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

Press release from UGA Today

2013 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame inductees announced by UGA Libraries

Tuesday,December 18, 2012

Writer: Jean Cleveland

Contact: Toby Graham

Athens, Ga. – Judson Mitcham, Georgia’s poet laureate, and the late author Toni Cade Bambara, who compiled one of the first anthologies of African-American women’s writing, will be honored as the newest inductees of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame at its 2013 ceremony.

A poet and novelist, Mitcham—the only two-time winner of the Townsend Prize for Fiction—was not formally trained as a writer. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Georgia and spent his career as a psychology professor at Fort Valley State University where he taught for 30 years. His debut novel, The Sweet Everlasting (1996), and his second, Sabbath Creek  (2004), were both published by the UGA Press. He also twice has been given the Georgia Author of the Year Award, for his first novel and his book of poems Somewhere in Ecclesiastes (1991).

“In his novels and his poetry, Mitcham’s elegiac voice looks backward with fondness and discernment on a personal and regional past slipping rapidly beyond reach,” said Hugh Ruppersburg, senior associate dean of the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

A resident of Macon, Mitcham began teaching writing workshops at Mercer University in 2002. He also has served as adjunct professor of creative writing at UGA and Emory University, where he has directed the Summer Writers’ Institute.

Bambara is well known for her teaching and community service, in addition to her award-winning writing, which focused on African-American culture. Her first novel, The Salt Eaters, won the 1981 American Book Award and the Langston Hughes Society Award.

Born in New York City, Bambara lived in Atlanta several times during her career, including being writer in residence at Spelman College (1978-79), visiting professor in Afro-American studies at Emory University (1975) and instructor at Atlanta University (1979). She died in 1995.

Bambara did not separate civil rights from the fight for women’s equality. In 1970, she published The Black Woman, an anthology that made connections between the two struggles and included fiction, non-fiction and poetry by herself as well as such writers as Nikki Giovanni and Alice Walker.

Mitcham and Bambara were elected to the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame by a board of judges appointed by the University of Georgia Librarian. The board includes academicians, civic leaders and librarians, the heads of the University of Georgia Press and The Georgia Review, and recent Hall of Fame inductees. The board votes following the conclusion of the annual ceremony.

Making its debut at this year’s ceremony in September was a special issue of The Georgia Review, the university’s award-winning 65-year-old literary magazine, which features work by and commentary on 33 of the 43 Hall of Fame members.

“We really ought to call this group the ‘Georgia Writers in the World Hall of Fame,’ because there is nothing merely local or regional about so many of their achievements,” said Stephen Corey, editor of The Georgia Review. “One of my greatest pleasures in having produced this issue is the thought of copies going out across the United States, and in more limited fashion into many other countries around the world, to show readers what a universal group of writers is gathered here.”

The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame is administered by the University of Georgia’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, which holds the most comprehensive collection of books by Georgians in existence along with the papers of many Georgia writers.

A date for the 2013 induction ceremony has not been set. For more information, see here.

Short Takes

LOVE, IN THEORY receives a starred review in Kirkus. "Levy’s award-winning short-story collection masterfully explores the vagaries of romantic love. . . . Levy’s prose is deeply philosophical and sometimes heady but never pompous. It depicts infidelity and loss yet avoids melancholy and sentimentality, as the characters often don’t have the expected reactions to difficulties—they are too cerebral for that. . . . Readers will likely savor this collection, a 2011 winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, for its intoxicating language and introspection. A smart, insightful collection of stories about life and love."

In the winter issue of ForeWord, Michele Gillespie's KATHARINE AND R. J. REYNOLDS is listed as one of "ten outstanding books that enlighten our understanding of America. . . . Michele Gillespie offers readers of all persuasions an eminently readable take on the wonders and warts of one of the American South’s most compelling time periods."

Rebecca Lave's new book, FIELDS AND STREAMS, looks at the criticisms and praise for Dave Rosgen's controversial work regarding stream restoration. "[S]he argues that restoration practitioners can be effective if they use Natural Channel Design but adapt it to local stream conditions and layer other techniques on top." Indiana University profiles Lave and FIELDS AND STREAMS in a recent press release.

Southern Spaces reviews AN EMPIRE OF SMALL PLACES. "Robert Paulett has given us a refreshing consideration of life in the eighteenth-century deerskin trade. His focus on disparate groups occupying the same arena but living different experiences challenges us to reimagine the complexities of life among multiple cultures and changing landscapes. . . . [H]is work adds new information and a different perspective to studies of the American South."

Amina Gautier's AT-RISK is reviewed in the recent issue of the Iowa Review. In it, the reviewer what this collection of stories has to offer the reader. "Ultimately, these aren’t stories that surprise us at the end, but rather ones that surprise us with how those ends are reached. . . . A thought-provoking read, AT-RISK offers no easy solutions to the problems of inner city poverty and racial discrimination. In the end, we may not be able to love these children and teenagers enough to change their circumstances, but Gautier ensures that we will, in fact, love them."

In the News: Eat Drink Delta

If you live in Mississippi and are looking for something to do next week, be sure to check out one of these many events for Susan Puckett's new book, EAT DRINK DELTA. The Clarion-Ledger calls it "a fun, flip-through read."

Monday, December 17 @ 5:00 pm
Jackson, MS

Talk and Signing – LemuriaBooks, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North.

Tuesday, December 18 @ 5:30 pm
Greenwood, MS

Talk and Signing – TurnRow Books, 304 Howard Street.

Wednesday, December 19 @ 5:30 pm
Clarksdale, MS

Signing – Miss Del’s General Store, 145 Delta Avenue.

Thursday, December 20 @ 5:00 pm
Charleston, MS

“Sip and Sign” – Charleston Arts and RevitalizationEffort (CARE),
1 North Market Street.

Friday, December 21 @ 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Indianola, MS

Signing – Crown Restaurant, 112 Front Street.

Short Takes

Atlanta Magazine names Charles Seabrook's THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH as one of the Top 10 Books of 2012! "In a mesmerizing blend of reporting and memoir, longtime environmental journalist Seabrook captures the poetry and the science behind the marshes that he has loved since his childhood on Johns Island, South Carolina."

A review of THE DELUXE JIM CROW appears in the new Bulletin of the History of Medicine. "Drawing on meticulous, comprehensive research in published sources, archival materials, and oral interviews, [Karen Kruse] Thomas looks at the debates over and implementation of state and federal health programs in the South. . . . The result is a book that illuminates the key influence of region and race on health politices in the first half of the twentieth century."

The Glorified Love Letters blog reviews Marcia Aldrich's COMPANION TO AN UNTOLD STORY. "Not every writer would be able to pull off a book like this, and I don't know how much attention Aldrich has received for her effort — apart from winning the AWP Award for Creative Nonfiction — but I suspect that it isn't what it deserves."

According to the Cemetery Club, ATLANTA'S OAKLAND CEMETERY "is not only an absolutely beautiful book, it's full of information about Oakland as well as helpful cemetery information in general. Chock full of gorgeous full-color photography, this books takes you into this historic cemetery even if you are reading it hundreds of miles away from this impressive cemetery. . . . This is an A+ book on an A+ cemetery."

Rain Taxi features an interview with LOVE, IN THEORY author E. J. Levy.

Derek Askey: Why do people need love stories? Will we always? How were you able to bring a fresh approach to them?

E. J. Levy: Our earliest recorded stories are arguably love stories (if you think of Gilgamesh, for instance, or Penelope awaiting Odysseus). Perhaps that's because love is convenient shorthand for desire, and we need desire to have drama. . . . I hope the collection helps readers re-connect with themselves and one another in a distracted age.

According to CNN Travel, Lonely Planet has named Louisville, KY as one of the top 10 U.S. travel destinations for 2013. "Louisville, Kentucky, was named the top U.S. destination for 2013, following travel publisher Lonely Planet's discussions among its group of U.S. editors and authors. While they tend to debate entries into each year's Top 10 list, everyone agreed on Louisville, said Reid." Before you go visit, you might consider picking up a copy of OLD LOUISVILLE. The book takes readers on an intimate tour of one of the largest and most significant historic preservation districts in America. OLD LOUISVILLE will be available in April. Go here to see an interview with the author and photographers on WHAS 11.

Chapter 16 reviews Benjamin Houston's THE NASHVILLE WAY in the recent Nashville Scene. "THE NASHVILLE WAY is a book that should be read by everyone interested in Nashville's history, particularly by those who lack such an interest but presume to chart our future."

The Washington Post interviews Mark Auslander, author of THE ACCIDENTAL SLAVEOWNER, about his research regarding the construction of the Smithsonian Castle. According to Auslander, the "iconic red sandstone used to build the Smithsonian Castle, one of Washington’s most recognizable buildings, was quarried by slaves, including some who were once most likely owned by Martha Washington."

Calling All UGA Press Alumni and Current Staff!

Next year is the 75th anniversary of the University of Georgia Press. In preparation for our year-long celebration, we want to make sure to connect with all current and past Press employees. If you previously worked at the Press as a full-time employee, part-time employee, or intern, we want to know! Please join one or both of our two new groups on LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find us on LinkedIn, search for "University of Georgia Press" under Groups. (Or, click here.) Once we have received and approved your request to join, stay tuned for opportunities to participate in our 75th anniversary celebrations.

On Facebook, search for "University of Georgia Press" and look for the Group. (We also have a Fan Page and Profile, so be sure to find the Group.) Click "Join Group." After we have approved your request to join, we will post information about the 75th anniversary promotions and events.

Please feel free to post Press memories, stories, and experiences. We look forward to connecting with you!

The National Poetry Series 2012 Winners

The National Poetry Series is pleased to announce the results of the 2012 Open Competition. The winning books are scheduled for publication in the summer of 2013.

the meatgirl whatever, by Kristin Hatch of San Francisco, CA
Chosen by K. Silem Mohammad, to be published by Fence Books

The Narrow Circle, by Nathan Hoks of Chicago, IL
Chosen by Dean Young, to be published by Penguin Books

The Cloud that Contained the Lightning, by Cynthia Lowen of Brooklyn, NY
Chosen by Nikky Finney, to be published by University of Georgia Press

Visiting Hours at the Color Line, by Ed Pavlić of Athens, GA
Chosen by Dan Beachy-Quick, to be published by Milkweed Editions

Failure & I Bury the Body by Sasha West of Austin, TX
Chosen by D. Nurkse, to be published by HarperCollins Publishers

The National Poetry Series was established in 1978 to ensure the publication of poetry books annually through participating publishers. More than 160 books have been awarded since the Series’ inception. Publication is funded by the Lannan Foundation, Stephen Graham, Joyce & Seward Johnson Foundation, Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds, and, The Poetry Foundation.

For more information, please contact 
The Coordinator, The National Poetry Series,

57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ  08540

Phone: 609.430.0999   Fax: 609.430.9933

Short Takes

The Kansas City Star names Hugh Sheehy's THE INVISIBLES as one of the top 100 books of 2012.

Band of Thebes names the other recent Flannery O'Connor Award winner, E. J. Levy's LOVE, IN THEORY, one of the best LGBT books of 2012.



The University of South Carolina will be hosting a talk and book signing to celebrate the final volume in the "South Carolina Women: Their Lives and Times" series. The event will take place on Thursday, December 6 at 5:30pm in the Hollings Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Two other events happening on December 6 are Benjamin Houston's UK book launch for THE NASHVILLE WAY and Hugh Sheehy's reading of THE INVISIBLES at Three of Cups Lounge.

THE NASHVILLE WAY event will be at Blackwells at Newcastle University at 6:00pm.

THE INVISIBLES reading is part of Sweet! Actors Reading Writers event. The event starts at 7:30pm and is open to the public.