Short Takes

Booklist reviews ALONE ATOP THE HILL, Alice Dunnigan's "indelible self-portrait." The book "gives deserved recognition to a principled and hardworking reporter whose array of singular accomplishments makes her worthy of further scholarship and public attention," according to Foreword Review. The Root reviews ALONE ATOP THE HILL with two other recent books (Eye on the Struggle and The Presidency in Black and White) on black female journalists:

 [T]hese books provide a fascinating timeline of history to enlighten a generation that takes it for granted that a black woman can be the most powerful media personality in the United States or a confidante to a sitting president and first lady. [Alice] Dunnigan and [Ethel] Payne, the Jim Crow pioneers, could best be described as crosses between, say, the political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson and the advocate-broadcaster Tavis Smiley.

Nieman Reports has an excerpt from ALONE ATOP THE HILL. Check it out, along with Simeon Booker's comments, here.

Advance review of the forthcoming book, LENS OF WAR, from Booklist:

This collection of images, many of them familiar to Civil War enthusiasts,were selected to serve as a jumping-off point for the essays of 27 scholars on topics suggested by the photos. The photos, topics, and essays are an eclectic mix. By themselves, many of the photos would seem unremarkable, but the often brilliantly written essays compel the reader to view the photos with a fresh perspective. . . . Together, the photos and essays make a superb addition to Civil War collections.

Check out the Way of Improvement Leads Home blog interview with Brian Craig Miller about his new book, EMPTY SLEEVES. Here's a sample:

JF: In two sentences, what is the argument of Empty Sleeves?

BM: The challenges amputees posed to southern society were not merely visual and symbolic: injured veterans depended on surgeons to make a proper medical recommendation; on women to provide continued medical care, emotional support, and often basic functioning; on employers to cheerfully accept diminished capacity without seeming to stoop to charity or pity; and on the state to provide prosthetics, validation, and, ultimately, a pension. The process by which this new level of white male dependency--on other men, on women, on employers, and on the state--became societally and culturally accepted (however ambivalently) and was, I argue, a critical facet in the remaking of white manhood in the postbellum South.

Library Journal calls THE CURIOUS MISTER CATESBY "a joy to behold."

The Ms. Magazine blog interviews Barbara McCaskill, author of LOVE, LIBERATION, AND ESCAPING SLAVERY, about her forthcoming book, which focuses on William and Ellen Craft.

Want to see the music playlist Monica McFawn would use for her short story collection, BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE? Check out it out at Largehearted Boy. Ploughshares praises  McFawn's book: "After reading this collection, you will be thankful that somebody so talented has been able to communicate such hidden, intrinsic details so clearly."

Fourteen Hills interviews recent Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction winner Siamak Vossoughi. His collection of short stories, BETTER THAN WAR, will be available this September.

Want to read Sarah Gorham's STUDY IN PERFECT but haven't gotten a copy yet? Check out the excerpt up on Utne.com.

Congratulations, Jeffrey B. Leak! His book, VISIBLE MAN, is the winner of the 2015 Nonfiction Book award from the Literary Awards Committee of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. The awards ceremony will take place on June 28 in San Francisco.

Congratulations, John Lane! His book, MY PADDLE TO THE SEA, has won the fourth annual Allan D. Charles Award for nonfiction given by the University of South Carolina-Union. The prize will be given at the Upcountry Literary Festival on March 21.

Congratulations to our editorial, design and production departments! Three of our titles were selected for the 2015 AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show in the trade typographic category:

American Afterlife: Encounters in the Customs of Mourning, by Kate Sweeney
Designer: Kaelin Chappell Broaddus
Production Coordinator: Kaelin Chappell Broaddus
Acquiring Editor: Beth Sneed
Project Editor: Rebecca Norton

Study in Perfect, by Sarah Gorham
Designer: Kaelin Chappell Broaddus
Production Coordinator: Kaelin Chappell Broaddus
Acquiring Editor: Beth Sneed
Project Editor: Jon Davies

Truman Capote: A Literary Life at the Movies, by Tison Pugh
Designer: Erin Kirk New
Production Coordinator: Kathi Dailey Morgan
Acquiring Editor: Walter Biggins
Project Editor: Jon Davies

Short Takes

The Los Angeles Review recommends Sarah Gorham's STUDY IN PERFECT.

The essay ["The Changeling"] concludes as many of Gorham's do: not with a solution, but with lingering moral questions—all of which expand outward, demanding that readers confront their own personal truths, even when the truths themselves are imperfect.

Kirkus Reviews gives the forthcoming LENS OF WAR a starred review, calling it "[a] brilliant starting point for truly understanding the Civil War."

Be sure to check out WHAT RIDICULOUS THINGS WE COULD ASK OF EACH OTHER author Jeffrey Schultz's poem "Habeas Corpus" for the American Academy of Poets "Poem-a-Day."
 
Did you miss the Georgia Focus feature of COURTHOUSES OF GEORGIA on last week's Georgia News Network? Don't worry, we have you covered! Listen to it here.

In a review for the Athens Banner-Herald, Dink NeSmith praises the "heirloom-quality" COURTHOUSES OF GEORGIA.

Dr. George Justice of the University of North Georgia did a masterful job telling the story of each courthouse. And as I've told Greg Newington, he found the absolute best way—159 times—to showcase the individual structures. The lighting, the angles, the shadows, natural surroundings and overall composition demonstrate his artistic genius.

Congratulations to Dr. Louis W. Sullivan! His book, BREAKING GROUND, is one of the nominees for a NAACP Image Award for Literary Work-Biography or Autobiography. The winners will be announced on February 6.

Short Takes

The Wall Street Journal selects James Marten's AMERICA'S CORPORAL as an "outstanding stud[y] of life after battle" in its roundup of this year's gift books on the Civil War. "Mr. Marten focuses on James Tanner, a double amputee who vaulted into prominence when he was drafted on the spot to take the testimony of witnesses to Lincoln's assassination and who eventually became a spokesman for disabled veterans."

Open Alphabet interviews Jeffrey Schultz about his book of poetry, WHAT RIDICULOUS THINGS WE COULD ASK OF EACH OTHER.

OA: The cover illustration is "Riot of the Madmen", by George Grosz. It depicts urban mayhem, shipwrecks, arson, looting, and various types of interpersonal violence, but it is drawn in very simple lines, not much more than stick figures. How did this come to be the cover of your book? How does it relate to the poems?
JS: I first saw this drawing at LACMA with my wife and good friend, the poet Joshua Robbins. There are a lot of things I love about it. I’ve spent a lot of hours looking at album covers and book covers over the years, and I really appreciate one you can continue looking at, continue noticing little details of. So that’s part of it, but what made it seem right to me for the book was exactly what you’re pointing to: we see all of these terrible things happening in the drawing, but because the drawing is so simple, so cartoonish, it gives the impression that none of it is really necessary at all, that none of it need be real. It’s that contrast, between the very real sorts of violence the drawing points to in the world and the form that says that everything that led to it was quite careless and could be easily wiped away if only we would put a little work and thought toward it that I really love. And I hope it resonates, then, first with the title of the book and then with the individual poems. I’ve tried, so much as I was able, to walk these poems up to those moments when we might start becoming able to ask the questions we would need to ask in order to begin to find some ways to start setting the world right, and the Grosz I hope sets the stage or mood or whatever for those attempts of mine.

I’ve got to say thank you here too to the wonderful folks at the University of Georgia Press for finding a way to get the rights to the Grosz and for then designing such a wonderful cover. I couldn’t be happier with it.

Check out the rest of the interview here.

Read Her Like an Open Book blog praises Monica McFawn for BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE, saying the work is "intriguing and thought-provoking. . . . This is a smart, ambitious collection of stories by a writer whose initial acclaim is certain to grow."

Kate Sweeney's AMERICAN AFTERLIFE made the best of 2014 list for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (subscription required)

Congratulations to Sarah Gorham! Her book, STUDY IN PERFECT, was chosen as one of Slate's 27 Overlooked Books of 2014. "Easily one of the best books I read this year was Sarah Gorham’s gorgeous, one-of-a-kind Study in Perfect. . . . Gorham’s writing is crystal-clear and drawn from a more poetic well than most."

Congratulations to John Griswold! His book, PIRATES YOU DON'T KNOW, AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN THE EXAMINED LIFE, was named as one of the best nonfiction books of 2014 by Entropy magazine.

Congratulations to Monica McFawn! Her book, BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE, has won a Michigan Notable Book Award. The award is given to 20 books celebrating Michigan people, places, and events. Her book was also named as one of NPR's Great Reads for 2014.

Congratulations to Glenn T. Eskew, Kari Frederickson, Karen L. Kilcup, and Jeffrey B. Leak! Their books (JOHNNY MERCER, COLD WAR DIXIE, FALLEN FORESTS, and VISIBLE MAN) were chosen as Outstanding Academic Titles by Choice magazine.

Short Takes

The first biography of William and Ellen Craft (for adults), LOVE, LIBERATION, AND ESCAPING SLAVERY is also the first telling of their story by a scholar. Complementing UGA Press's edition of the Crafts' 1860 memoir, RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES TO FREEDOM, Barbara McCaskill's new book examines the couple's two escapes from slavery, their activism on the transatlantic antislavery stage, and their work to assist the freed people in their birthplace in Georgia. To learn more about this new book, listen to the interview below.

Volume One Magazine interviews Debra Monroe about her memoir, ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NORMAL. Check out the interview here to find out about her forthcoming memoir, MY UNSENTIMENTAL EDUCATION, that we will be publishing next fall.

Storyville recently featured FAULTY PREDICTIONS author Karin Lin-Greenberg's short story, "Bread," via its app. In case you missed it, check out the website to learn the story behind the story.

According to Covington News, COURTHOUSES OF GEORGIA is a "vibrant new photography book. . . . Organized by the nine travel regions of Georgia, the book offers the perfect starting point for touring any of Georgia's counties and instills an appreciation for historic preservation." Curious about why the Bartow County courthouse graces the cover of the book? Check out this article by the Daily Tribune.

In an interview with the Macon Telegraph, Association County Commissioners of Georgia executive director Ross King and photographer Greg Newington explain some of the thought behind COURTHOUSES OF GEORGIA:

'I wanted to capture the character of the building. [The courthouse] is the center of the community and a driving force behind community involvement,' Newington said.

King echoed Newington's sentiments. The buildings, King said, are not just to hold court.

'They are the people's building,' he said.

In its review of the book, the Augusta Chronicle praises the photographs of the courthouses, suggesting folks buy the book "for the photos of these wonderful, historic buildings that represent their counties in the best of lights." Besides the beautiful photographs, COURTHOUSES OF GEORGIA also features brief histories of the 159 county courthouses. In an interview with WMAZ, former Georgia House Majority leader Larry Walker "says while helping with the book, he learned facts about his native Houston County courthouses."

In an interview with Island Packet and Beauford Gazette Reporter Erin Shaw, PENN CENTER author Orville Vernon Burton explains why the story behind Penn Center is "amazing."

Burton said he was drawn to Penn Center's story because it offers a different South Carolina history than most people are used to.

'Here was the alternate vision to segregation in South Carolina,' he said. Penn Center, originally called Penn School, 'allowed blacks and whites to treat one another as brothers and sisters.'

The Durham Herald-Sun has a round-up of new titles, including Melissa Estes Blair's new book, REVOLUTIONIZING EXPECTATIONS. "The history of feminism in Durham is unique, in that it did not arrive 'through marches or mass demonstrations' but through organizations like the YWCA, which made the goals of feminism acceptable for more people." To learn more about the book, check out this interview with Blair at Warren Wilson College.

CBS News recently aired a piece on the University of Georgia's mascot, Uga. (Did you miss it? If so, check out the video below.) Want to learn more about Uga? Be sure to pickup a copy of DAMN GOOD DOGS. Monica McFawn, author of BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE, explains why she does not write down stories in a guest post for the blog, Read Her Like An Open Book:

Despite the fact that I’m a writer, the majority of stories I’ve told won’t be committed to paper. It isn’t because I think the stories aren’t good enough. In fact, some of the stories I tell are polished to a sheen, any crude transitions or slow spots worn away by years of telling, of watching listeners’ faces. Still, I believe the fact that I don’t write them down has paradoxically helped me become a better writer.

Visit WKMS 91.3FM to hear an interview with Kate Sweeney about her book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE.  "The way I write always winds up having some irreverence in it. I always wind up finding humor in things," Sweeney says.

Congratulations Julian Hoffman and Joe Cook! Their books are two of this year's recipients of the 2014 National Outdoor Book Awards. Julian Hoffman's THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS won for Natural History Literature. "It is the small things that capture Hoffman’s attention, and through the simple power of his writing, they attract us as well." Joe Cook's THE CHATTHOOCHEE RIVER USER'S GUIDE won for Outdoor Adventure Guidebook. "This guidebook . . . has everything a good guide should have: excellent maps, enticing photographs, and intelligent organization. And the writing? That's where this guide really shines."

Congratulations Kari Frederickson! Her book COLD WAR DIXIE has won the 2014 Bennett H. Wall Award from the Southern Historical Association. It is awarded to the best book published in southern business or economic history over a two-year period.

Short Takes

Sarah Gorham, author of STUDY IN PERFECT, is best known for poetry books. In an interview with WFPL 89.3, she explains how she transitioned from poems to essays:

I started a series of poems called 'Study in Perfect,' prose poems, and some of them were page-long prose poems, and I realized they were closer to lyric essays, so I just went with the idea. That's where I am now. It's a much more relaxed form. It's a very natural form for me.

Publishers Weekly gives Monica McFawn's BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE a positive review: "Bursts of insight illuminate these carefully crafted tales; McFawn somehow wrenches the deepest humanity out of even the most unlikable characters."

In an interview with the Newnan Times Herald, Joe Cook talks about his research for the newly-released CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER USER'S GUIDE, the second book in the Georgia River Network Guidebooks series.

'People are returning to the river. It’s such an exciting story, and it’s inspiring, because we have taken a stand, as a community, and said we’re not going to put up with this anymore,' Cook said. 'We want a clean river and we’re getting a clean river.'

In Athens this coming Wednesday (10/22) and have nothing on your calendar? Then be sure to attend the "Who Owns Water" premiere with director David Hanson at Cine from 6:30-9:00. Avid Bookshop will be selling copies of CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER USER'S GUIDE, which author Joe Cook will be signing. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided by The National, and tickets are $7.50. Pickup your ticket at Cine or online. More information is available here. Flagpole also has more information about the event available here. The event is sponsored by the UGA Environmental Ethics Certificate Program, the UGA Press, and Georgia River network.

Not Even Past interviews Leslie M. Harris and Daina Ramey Berry about their new book, SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH. Check out the interview with accompanying images here.

Congratulations, Leslie M. Harris and Daina Ramey Berry! SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH has won one regional and one national award. The regional award focused on the exhibits aspect of the project, as the Southeastern Museums Conference recognized it in its annual competition, which focuses on the interchange of ideas, information, and cooperation. The national award honored the complete project and was given by the American Association for State and Local History. Its Leadership and History Award is its most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. Telfair Museums has more information about the awards available here.

Congratulations, Linda LeGarde Grover! Her book, THE DANCE BOOTS, has been selected as the Duluth Public Library's One Book, One Community winner. The public voted online through the Duluth Public Library's website, its Facebook and Twitter feeds, and on paper ballots at local libraries and bookstores throughout the region.

Short Takes

BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE author Monica McFawn has "empathetic power" and "talent," according to a recent review by NPR Books. Check out this interview with McFawn over on WMUK 102.1 FM.

Read Her Like an Open Book praises FAULTY PREDICTIONS author Karin Lin-Greenberg for being "a gifted storyteller."

Lin-Greenberg displays impressive insight into human nature and empathy for regular people trying to make sense of their lives and circumstances. She also possesses a nicely dry wit and a gift for realistic dialogue that pops off the page. Remember her name; she is a young writer worth watching.

Check out the video below for an interview with Lin-Greenberg about FAULTY PREDICTIONS.

Karin Lin-Greenberg's "Faulty Predictions" from Colonie Library on Vimeo.

Sarah Gorham will read from and sign copies of STUDY IN PERFECT at Carmichael's in Louisville, KY on October 5 at 4:00pm. In advance of the event, LEO Weekly reviews Gorham's new book. "In addition to blurring the boundary between poetry and prose, Gorham’s writing is wonderfully free from other traditional boundaries — the personal and intimate bump right up against linguistics, literary analysis, architectural theory and other academic discourses."

To see a photo of Sarah Gorham reading from her book, STUDY IN PERFECT, at Prairie Lights, check out this article on the Iowa Writer's Workshop from the Des Moines Register.

Voice of Reason: The Journal of American for Religious Liberty recommends Lawrence J. McAndrews' WHAT THEY WISHED FOR, calling it a "detailed and impressive study."

H-Net's H-War reviews Kari A. Fredrickson's COLD WAR DIXIE: "COLD WAR DIXIE is a masterful examination of one particular community’s encounter with the modern military state, but one that has broader significance across the region and the nation."

Congratulations to Glenn T. Eskew, Stan Ulanski, Jane F. Gerhard, and Eric E. Bowne! Their books have been chosen for the newest edition of the AAUP selection guide for public and secondary school libraries:

JOHNNY MERCER, Glenn T. Eskew
THE BILLFISH STORY, Stan Ulanski
THE DINNER PARTY, Jane F. Gerhard
MOUND SITES OF THE ANCIENT SOUTH, Eric E. Bowne

Congratulations to Glenn T. Eskew, Leslie M. Harris, and Daina Ramey Berry! Their books, JOHNNY MERCER and SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH, have won the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee's Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of an Archive.

Using Google Maps and a custom iconographic key, the Fall 2014 UGA Press Google Influence Map demonstrates the many associations the Press has with people, places, and organizations around the world. Listed here are workplaces of authors, editors, and other contributors whose books are being published this fall. View the map here.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=ziPXju0BaMrk.kyXqu0wqzpxw

Short Takes

Sarah Gorham's STUDY IN PERFECT received two positive reviews: Publishers Weekly and Brevity. Publishers Weekly calls it "superb" and "gloriously close [to perfect]," giving it a starred review.

Gorham’s voice is often philosophical, asking unanswerable questions and proposing theories about how the world works. . . . To support her elegant conclusions, Gorham draws examples from history, linguistics, pop culture, science, and literature. . . . But rather than remaining in the distant hypothetical or the realm of history or legend, most of Gorham’s examples of perfection and imperfection are solidly embodied in a particular life: its physical environments, human attachments, and trials and tragedies. Things do fall apart. And when they do, we have the opportunity to see how our idea of perfect may need revision.—Brevity

Sarah Gorham also shares her thoughts for "Writers Recommend" on Poets and Writers. Check it out here.

Shelf Awareness invites "lovers of fiction" to read Monica McFawn's BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE and discover "a Flannery O'Connor Award-winning collection of short stories from an intriguing new voice in fiction."

Maurice C. Daniels's SAVING THE SOUL OF GEORGIA made the Atlanta Voice's Georgia Book Reading List. "Attorney Donald L. Hollowell was the quintessential behind-the-scenes powerbroker" for desegregating Atlanta and the South.

Joshua D. Rothman's FLUSH TIMES AND FEVER DREAMS is referenced in the blog post "We Got 99 Problems... Talking Racism is One" on the Lil' Mamas blog.

The Humble Essayist published a paragraph selection and commentary on Julian Hoffman's THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS. Check it out in the archive here.

Congratulations, Linda LeGarde Grover! Her book THE DANCE BOOTS is one of four finalists for the 2015 Duluth MN "One Book, One Community" read.

Congratulations, Jenna M. Loyd, Matt Mitchelson, and Andrew Burridge! Their edited collection BEYOND WALLS AND CAGES has won the Association for Borderlands Studies (ABS) Past President Book Gold Award. The ABS Past Presidents’ Book Award is presented to any published monographic (single or multiple authored, including edited) book in the social and natural sciences, and humanities involving original research on borders, borderlands and border regions, and reviewed in the Journal of Borderlands Studies.

Short Takes

The latest Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction winners, Karin Lin-Greenberg's FAULTY PREDICTIONS and Monica McFawn's BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE receive positive reviews in the September 1 and 15 issues (respectively) of Booklist. FAULTY PREDICTIONS is "luminous" and "masterful," and the stories in BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE "shine."

In her guest column for the Saporta Report, Laura McCarty, vice president of the Georgia Humanities Council, discusses Glenn T. Eskew's recent book, JOHNNY MERCER. JOHNNY MERCER "explores the life and global legacy of Mercer—one of the most prolific, successful, and popular songwriters of the 20th century."

In the September/October 2014 issue of Poets & Writers, the first line of Sarah Gorham's STUDY IN PERFECT is included in the Page One round-up of new and noteworthy books.

Congratulations to Susan Puckett and Charles Seabrook! Their books (EAT DRINK DELTA and THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH) made this year's Books All Georgians Should Read list. The Georgia Center for the Book selected the works of 22 prize-winning authors and illustrators with Georgia connections for the 2014 list.The public ceremony was held on Thursday, August 21 at the Decatur Library in Decatur, GA.

Don't forget: the Decatur Book Festival is happening this weekend! Make sure to stop by our booth and check out our specials! More information about our presence at the Decatur Book Festival is here.

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."

Short Takes

CORNBREAD NATION 7 tackles "this great complicated subject of Southern food, Southern food history and chefs, the habits and humor and rules that go in and around and behind our food," according to a recent review in Garden & Gun. It is "described and analyzed and eulogized by some of the South's finest writers." 

In a starred review, Kirkus calls Monica McFawn's BRIGHT SHARDS OF SOMEPLACE ELSE "[t]he rarest kind of literary debut—unpredictable and moving."

Voice of Vashon interviews Julian Hoffman about his book, THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS. Listen to the interview here. Also, be sure to pickup one of the remaining cloth copies of the book before they are gone. We will be releasing the paperback edition later this fall.

PopMatters reviews Tison Pugh's TRUMAN CAPOTE:

What the book does best is encourage us to seek out Capote’s work in any form. Capote’s artistic talent, and not his sexuality, is of utmost importance. There are moments of heartbreaking beauty in quotes like “I knew damn well I’d never be a movie star. It’s too hard and if you’re intelligent, it’s too embarrassing,” uttered by Holly Golightly, which could also have been about Capote himself, who knew he didn’t have the right looks to be a star, even though he adored the movies.

The Journal of Peace Research reviews Marc Sommers' STUCK:

Sommers has produced an important book that deals with an issue pertaining to many processes of postwar reconstruction and development in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. His careful analysis underscores the importance of addressing the challenges and needs of youth in postwar contexts for achieving stability and sustainable development.

John Inscoe will be discussing his book, THE CIVIL WAR IN GEORGIA, at the Gwinnett County Public Library on September 15 as part of "Civil War 150." The event will begin at 6:30pm. More information is available here. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

Short Takes

In a recent article for CNN, Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, author of BREAKING GROUND, points out the disparities in healthcare, following the U.S. News and Report's latest "best hospitals in the country" rankings.

In the May 2014 issue of CHOICE, our director Lisa Bayer is featured with five other university press directors addressing the relationship between university presses and libraries.

"STUDY IN PERFECT [by Sarah Gorham] is a well-curated essay collection that examines the breadth and depth of the ideal of perfection. . . . Every detail has been attended to, from the project level to the sentence level. The cover is serene and appealing; it echoes perfectly the calm, reflective tone of the book."—ForeWord Reviews

Tyson Pugh's TRUMAN CAPOTE is a "must for anyone interested in seeing the connections between film adaptations and quintessential Capote literature," according to Library Journal.

PopMatters calls CORNBREAD NATION 7 "a splendid collection of tales of Southerners traveling abroad and children of immigrants living in the South and reflecting on their heritage."

Check out Atlas Obscura for a Q&A with Kate Sweeney about her book AMERICAN AFTERLIFE.

Coming this fall is the new book, CONFEDERATE ODYSSEY. The book is a companion to the Atlanta History Center exhibit, The Confederate Odyssey: The George W. Wray Jr. Civil War Collection, which opened Friday, July 18. The Civil War Picket blog and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) has more on the collection, exhibit, and book.

UGA Press acquisitions editor Pat Allen, Atlanta History Center Executive Vice President Michael Rosen, Atlanta History Center curator and CONFEDERATE ODYSSEY author Gordon L. Jones, Atlanta History Center President and CEO Sheffield Hale

Short Takes

Congratulations to our friends at Telfair Museums! Their "Slavery and Freedom in Savannah" project, a multi-year project encompassing the SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH book, museum exhibition, three-day symposium, and multiple community partnerships, was recognized with the Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The exhibition is currently on display at the Jepson Center (through August 31), and the book, SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH, is available from your local or online bookseller.

Publishers Weekly reviews Tison Pugh's TRUMAN CAPOTE:

With thick paragraphs on every page, each chapter is its own academic essay, with enough content to be stretched into a full collegiate course. This makes for dense reading but also opens many avenues of film and literature to explore as well. It's a hefty book yet rich with insight into Capote's literary and cinematic achievements.

When asked what Southern lit has G.J. Ford Bookshop (St. Simons Island, GA) excited, owner Mary Jane Reed recommends ISLAND TIME. "It was our best selling book last year and will probably be our best seller this year."
 
James Taylor interviewed Kate Sweeney about her book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE, for his program, "Writers-in-Focus." The interview has not yet aired, but a list of all previously-aired programs is available here.

"Writers-in-Focus" interviewer James Taylor with Kate Sweeney
Photo courtesy of James Taylor

The Journal of Southern History offers a positive review of David L. Holmes' THE FAITHS OF THE POSTWAR PRESIDENTS in its May issue. "[Holmes] has a well-honed eye for colorful details and telling anecdotes that make the book a pleasure to read. . . . Such material would animate any undergraduate lecture and will keep all readers tuming the pages."

On June 30, UGA Press director Lisa Bayer and acquisitions editor Pat Allen accepted the Malcolm Bell, Jr., and Muriel Barrow Bell Award from the Georgia Historical Society. Glenn T. Eskew's JOHNNY MERCER and Paul M. Pressly's ON THE RIM OF THE CARIBBEAN tied for the award this year.

Paul M. Pressly, author of ON THE RIM OF THE CARIBBEAN
with the press's Malcolm Bell, Jr., and Muriel Barrow Bell Award

Congratulations to Jonathan Addleton! He has been selected for the 2014 Christian Herter Constructive Dissent Award, given for "intellectual courage, initiative and integrity." The award is given by the American Foreign Service Association for constructive dissent by Foreign Service members. Addleton is the author of SOME FAR AND DISTANT PLACE.

Short Takes

Kirkus Reviews has given Sarah Gorham's forthcoming creative nonfiction book, STUDY IN PERFECT, a starred review! "Fear during a daughter's life-threatening illness, grief over her mother's death, nostalgia for family gatherings in summers past: All lead Gorham to consider how perfection is interlaced with pain, desire and even sin. A contemplative, lyrical, splendid collection."

THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH by Charles Seabrook is a "delightful read," according to Georgia Library Quarterly. "Seabrook's love for these areas is abundantly clear . . . in this beautiful elegy to the important and endangered salt marshes found on our southeastern coast."

On last Tuesday's (June 3) program of "Against the Grain," Sebastian Kaempf answered questions about the chapter he contributed to the volume THE FUTURE OF JUST WAR on KPFA-FM in Berkeley. Listen and/or download the program here.

Dr. Louis Sullivan, founding dean and first President of the Morehouse School of Medicine and former Secretary of Health and Human Services says the VA Hospital problem is fixable. Find out how and more about his new book, BREAKING GROUND, on Doc Talk.

USCatholic.org recommends Lawrence J. McAndrews' WHAT THEY WISHED FOR as a good summer read. "WHAT THEY WISHED FOR maps these movements [by Catholics] of presidential policies and politics, and shows how American Catholics have successfully shaped the political dialogue starting with the election of President John F. Kennedy."

In David Correia's PROPERTIES OF VIOLENCE, "[o]ne of the book's strengths lies in its ability to deconstruct the social production and articulation of property rights as a set of privileges conferred by a particular nation-state," according to a recent review in Western Historical Quarterly. The Journal of American History call it a "must-read for historians of the American Southwest."

The Journal of American History names SIGNPOSTS "a worthwhile collection" and praises co-editors Sally E. Hadden and Patricia Hagler Minter for "help[ing] generate new ways of thinking about southern legal history that are sure to yield similarly fascinating efforts in the future."

The Journal of American History also reviews Robert J. Cottrol's THE LONG, LINGERING SHADOW:

This book represents the most coherent, lucid, and explicit update of Frank Tannenbaum's famous thesis concerning comparative slavery and race relations in the Americas to date. . . . THE LONG, LINGERING SHADOW is an important, ambitious, and thought-provoking book that offers a comprehensive comparison of slavery, race, and the law in the Americas. For scholars and students of race and inequality. . .this book is a must-read.

Co-editors Carmaletta M. Williams and John Edgar Tidwell were interviewed about their book, MY DEAR BOY, by Hopeton Hay Monday (June 9) morning for the KAZI Book Review on KAZI 88.7FM in Austin. A link to the interview will be available soon.

Congratulations, Jingle Davis! Her book, ISLAND TIME, is the winner of the 2014 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Specialty Book category given by the Georgia Writers Association. Winners were announced at Saturday night's banquet at Kennesaw State University.

Short Takes

In a special Memorial Day episode, BackStory with the American History Guys explores Americans’ changing attitudes about death: historian Drew Gilpin Faust talks about how the Civil War altered the American way of dying; writer Kate Sweeney explores the 20th Century shift toward private, restrained mourning; and our own Ed Ayers tours Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery — and discovers his own gravesite. (Kate Sweeney talks about her book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE, in the first segment.)


In a recent interview with Connect Savannah, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Historic Sites for the Telfair Museums Tania Sammons says, "Most people associate slavery with rural environments and plantations. The truth is that slavery existed all over the Americas." More of this is addressed in the new book, SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH, that we published in partnership with the Telfair Museums. Sammons was also on WTOC's "Mid-Morning Live" last week to discuss SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN SAVANNAH (book and exhibition), as well as some upcoming events. Watch the video here.

The Journal of Southern History calls Erica L. Ball's TO LIVE AN ANTISLAVERY LIFE a "gem of a book," while the Civil War Book Review claims that it has "critically filled a large gap in African American studies with deep research and elegant writing."

The Civil War Monitor recommends James Marten's AMERICA'S CORPORAL. "History enthusiasts whose interests have been confined to the Civil War years would do well to read this short book, for it shows how the conflict continued to affect America—and especially her veterans—for decades after the last shot was fired."

In A LATE ENCOUNTER WITH THE CIVIL WAR, "Michael Kreyling offers a probing examination of the complex ways Americans have grappled with the memory and meaning of the Civil War," according to the Civil War Book Review. "[N]o scholar with an interest in the war or the contours of American historical memory can afford to miss an encounter with this book."


Did you miss the "Exuberant, Elegant & Alive Old Louisville Homes Tour" of 10 sites included in David Domine's book, OLD LOUISVILLE? The tour was part of a benefit for the Conrad-Caldwell House in Louisville, KY. If you missed the event but are in the area, be sure to check out the "America’s Most Exuberant Neighborhood Tour," sponsored by the Old Louisville Information Center in Central Park. The tour is offered daily at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm; allow approximately 90 minutes for this walking tour. Cost: $20 per person. This tour stops in front of many of the homes featured in OLD LOUISVILLE. More information is available here.

Comparative Education Review offers a positve review of Marc Sommers's STUCK:

Marc Sommers’s account of the concerns and struggles of out-of-school youth opens a new vista into the lives of rural and urban youth in Rwanda. . . . The study constitutes a significant contribution to the international community’s understanding of the lives of “stuck” youth in this tiny but significant East African country. The challenges presented by a disaffected and underserved youthful majority are not exclusive to Rwanda. The results of Sommers’s work raise real concerns for continuing peace in Rwanda, as the challenges posed by an unsettled and desperate youth underclass threaten to derail the progress that has been achieved there since the end of the war and the genocide.

Congratulations, Larry B. Dendy! His book, THROUGH THE ARCH, is the recipient of a 2014 Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation Preservation Award for Outstanding Publication or Program. This category honors outstanding publications, in the field of preservation and/or history, possessing a high degree of graphic design integrity and/or wide use or impact are also recognized by this award. The foundation’s award program has been recognizing Athenians for excellence in historic preservation since it was founded in 1967. All award winners will be recognized at the 45th Annual Preservation Awards on Monday, June 2nd at The Morton Theatre.

Short Takes

CNN interviews Kate Sweeney about her new book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE. "Sweeney's book . . . is sure to get people talking about death." Read the full article here.

The Times-Picayune describes John Griswold's PIRATES YOU DON'T KNOW, AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN THE EXAMINED LIFE "probing, impassioned and occasionally tongue-in-cheek."

C-SPAN interviewed Michele Gillespie about her book, KATHARINE AND R. J. REYNOLDS. The video is available here. It will also air again on C-SPAN 2 on May 5 at 4:00am.

Congratulations Glenn T. Eskew and Paul M. Pressly! Their books, JOHNNY MERCER and ON THE RIM OF THE CARIBBEAN, are the co-winners of the 2014 Malcolm Bell, Jr. and Muriel Barrow Bell Award for the best book in Georgia history published in 2013. The Bell Award, presented annually by the Georgia Historical Society, is named in honor of Malcolm Bell, Jr. and Muriel Barrow Bell in recognition of their contribution to the recording of Georgia’s history. The award was presented at the Society’s 175th Annual Meeting on April 30 Savannah. (UGA Press books have won the award 11 times since the it was established in 1992.)

Mark your calendars for May 6! David Dominé will be signing copies of his book, OLD LOUISVILLE, at the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau in downtown Louisville, KY that day from 11:30-2:30. The event is part of the Hometown Tourist Celebration happening in May.

Also, on May 28, Glenn T. Eskew will be speaking about his book, JOHNNY MERCER, at the UGA Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries auditorium. He will be signing books after the talk. Come join us!

Short Takes

Gillian Hart argues, during a recent interview with KPFA 94.1's "Against the Grain," that the African National Congress's rule in South Africa has been disappointing to many since it began in 1994. Hart is the author of the new book, RETHINKING THE SOUTH AFRICAN CRISIS. Listen to the podcast here.

Kate Sweeney answered questions about her new book, AMERICAN AFTERLIFE, during a recent interview with WFAE 90.7's "Charlotte Talks." Listen to the podcast here. Also be sure to check-out her recent television interview with GPB's "On the Story." Watch the video here. (Sweeney's segment begins around the 15:00 mark.)

Patricia Vasquez gave a talk at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC on March 21 related to her new book, OIL SPARKS IN THE AMAZON. Oil & Gas Journal has a write-up about the event and Vasquez's book. Watch the video below to see the full talk or watch the webcast of the talk on the Wilson Center website.

Carmaletta M. Williams and John Edgar Tidwell discussed their book, MY DEAR BOY, on Channel 6 Lawrence's "The Not So Late Show." Watch the video here.

Los Angeles Review of Books calls Idra Novey's EXIT, CIVILIAN "imperative and timely."

The Santa Barbara Independent recommends Frank X Walker's TURN ME LOOSE as a must-read for National Poetry Month.

The Electronic Green Journal reviewed THE WORLD OF THE SALT MARSH, saying the author Charles Seabrook "makes an impassioned and impressive appeal in this book for the protection of the South Atlantic Bight."

Short Takes

Andrew Sullivan shares an excerpt from Kate Sweeney's AMERICAN AFTERLIFE on his blog, The Dish. The excerpt, with accompanying YouTube video, highlights Eternal Reefs, "a company that 'mixes the cremated ashes of your loved one with a cement compound to create part of an artificial coral reef.'"

On March 24, Ronald Angelo Johnson gave a talk on his book, DIPLOMACY IN BLACK AND WHITE, at the Pickering House in Salem, MA. The event was hosted by the Pickering House and the Salem Athenaeum. In its write-up about the event, the Boston Globe says it "drew a pack of dedicated history buffs, partly because it also featured a talk by Pickering family descendant Thomas R. Pickering, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who also served as ambassador to the Russian Federation, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan."

James Marten, author of the forthcoming AMERICA'S CORPORAL, answers questions about James Tanner, the subject of his book, for the Civil War Monitor. Check out the video below for the full interview. Also pickup the spring issue of Civil War Monitor for Marten's article on Tanner.
In Sunday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required), the "Personal Journeys" story about Robert Currey, a storehouse furniture founder, mentioned one of our books in the article:

Then came John McCown, a black activist who arrived in 1967 as executive director of the Georgia Council on Human Relations, a civil rights organization. Blacks considered him a savior; whites, a scoundrel, according to BLACK BOSS: POLITICAL REVOLUTION IN A GEORGIA COUNTRY written by John Rozier and published by the University of Georgia Press. Rozier credits McCown with transforming Hancock into the first black-controlled county in the United States since Reconstruction.

Michele Gillespie's KATHARINE AND R. J. REYNOLDS is a "well-researched joint biography," according to the Journal of Southern History. Gillespie "takes care to situate the couple in the economic, political, and social currents of their time . . . [she] informs readers about southern history and conveys appreciation for the lives of the couple."

A review by Hispanic American Historical Review says Robert J. Cottrol's THE LONG, LINGERING SHADOW has "made an immensely valuable contribution to analyses of racial formation and jurisprudence."

According to History: A Review of Books. Erica Ball's TO LIVE AN ANTISLAVERY LIFE "is a valuable addition to the cultural and intellectual history of antebellum America."