Richard Fariña, one of the authors of Megafauna: Giant Beasts of Pleistocene South America, will give a presentation and sign copies of his book at the George C. Page Museum May 29. His talk will begin at 6 p.m. with the booksigning following at 7 p.m.
The Page Museum is located in Los Angeles, CA. For more information, visit the museum's website.
Learn more about Megafauna in Ian Paulsen's recent Birdbooker Report review.
On this episode of the IU Press podcast, I speak with historian Susan Zuccotti. She is a two-time National Jewish Book Award-winner and author of four previous books on Holocaust history. In her latest book, Père Marie-Benoît and Jewish Rescue, she examines the life of a French priest who helped save many Jews during World War II. We discuss this remarkable man who became known as the “Father of the Jews” on the show.
Giveaway ends May 22, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Giveaway ends May 22, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Reviewed by Michelle Sybert, manuscript editor
Coming of age novels and stories have reverberated with authors and writers for so long that a fresh telling is a rare creature indeed. In Sightings, B.J. Hollars manages to capture not one, but ten fresh tales of growing up and coping with loss in Indiana. Though the Indiana that Hollars describes is a mystical land populated with 21st century pioneers, clowns, Confederate soldiers, and robots, their experiences perfectly capture our own, passed along in the sage, but fanciful voice of a child.
In one story, a child describes his creation of Brady, a vacuum cleaner robot named for his dead brother, while in another, a benchwarmer helps Sasquatch prepare for a hot prom date. Though each of these stories can stand alone as an enjoyable read, Hollars weaves subtle connections between the stories, drawing the reader into this unbelievable world, populated with characters who have experiences reminiscent of our own, allowing us to reconnect with childhood, with the absurdity that we survived.
Though we have not all lost a brother at a young age and have not all suffered through an Oregon Trail re-enactment, complete with apple cider, venison, and no cell phones, we have all lost. We have all been thrust into the awkward and foreign world of adulthood, yet somehow we made it. Though we couldn't laugh about it then, Hollars ensures that we can now. And more importantly, by pulling us from our known adult world back into the alien and the absurd, he offers us the chance to reconnect with our past and to capture glimpses of insights we missed while we were caught up in the excitement and the terror of growing up and losing things and people we held dear—family, friends, childhood itself.
The truly rare quality of Sightings is that in addition to the opportunity presented for reflection and reconnecting with our past and our loss, this is the funniest book you will read all summer.
On May 22 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., the Indianapolis ArtsGarden will host a Bob Dylan Birthday Bash to celebrate the singer/songwriter's 72nd birthday. This second annual tribute will feature IUP author Norbert Krapf and bluesman Gordon Bonham.
During the event, Krapf will recite poetry from his Songs in Sepia and Black and White collection (IUP, 2012) and from his new prose poem cycles collection American Dreams (Mongrel Empire Press).
Admission is free. Check the Indianapolis ArtsGarden website for more details on the event.
Learn more about Norbert Krapf and his book Songs in Sepia and Black and White on our website or in this review by the Yearbook of German-American Studies:
"Pursuing a tri-fold creative concept that unites poetry, art in the form of photography, and music is certainly not a light challenge. Norbert Krapf has mastered it with remarkable virtuosity and once again reinforced his reputation as the pre-eminent German-American poet of the English language."
These awards will be presented on May 29 at the 17th Annual IPPY Awards at Providence NYC, kicking off the annual BookExpo America convention.
All IPPY Award medalists will receive a medal, a certificate, and 20 awards seals. For more information, visit the IPPY's website.
May 17
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires will present a book discussion with the editors at 10:45 a.m. at the Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington, MA. Admission is $3. More information is available on the federation's website.
We're pleased to announce that IUP staff members Laura Baich, Electronic Marketing Manager, and June Silay, Project Editor, were recently awarded professional developments grants from the Pat Hoefling Memorial Fund. This fund allows new and mid-career level staff to attend publishing conferences in order to learn about new technologies and practices within the industry. Baich and Silay will use their grants to attend the AAUP annual meeting in Boston this June.
The Pat Hoefling Memorial Fund, which is supported by donations, has helped send several IUP staff members to AAUP over the last few years. Past winners include Production Coordinator Dan Pyle, Sponsoring Editor Raina Polivka, and Trade Marketing and Publicity Manager Mandy Clarke.
Pat Hoefling was sales and marketing director at IU Press from November 2005 until her death in July 2010. During her tenure at the Press, she positively affected staff members by generously sharing her knowledge and encouraging them to learn new skills to advance their professional development.
Both of this year's winners spoke of how Pat’s legacy endures through these grants. "I'm very honored to receive this grant," Baich said. "Pat was a great advocate of my career development while she my boss, and it means a lot that she can still help me further my professional goals."
"I am pleased and grateful for this opportunity," said Silay. "It is gratifying to know that this memorial fund is stimulating more and more interest and applicants each year. In itself, this is a testament and a tribute to Pat's spirit."
To learn more about the fund or to make a donation, visit the Pat Hoefling page on our website.
Today is National Train Day! Learn more about railroad history and why trains still matter in these books:
Railroads and the American People
H. Roger Grant
"With plenty of detail, Grant brings a bygone era back to life, addressing everything from social and commercial appeal, racial and gender issues, safety concerns, and leaps in technology. But Grant never loses sight of the big picture and the essential role the railroads played in American life. He writes with authority and clarity in a work that can appeal to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Available July 2013
Off the Main Lines
A Photographic Odyssey
Don L. Hofsommer
In this visually stunning and comprehensive photographic essay, railroad historian and photographer Donovan L. Hofsommer records the end of branchline passenger service, the demise of electric railroads, the transition from steam to diesel power, as well as the end of common carrier freight service on the Colorado narrow gauge.
Available August 2013
The Rock Island Line
Bill Marvel
This richly illustrated book tells the story of a legendary railroad whose tracks spanned the Midwest, serving farms and small-town America for more than 140 years.
Available October 2013
John Frank Stevens
Civil Engineer
Clifford Foust
One of America's foremost civil engineers of the past 150 years, John Frank Stevens was a railway reconnaissance and location engineer whose reputation was made on the Canadian Pacific and Great Northern lines. Drawing on Stevens’s surviving personal papers and materials from projects with which he was associated, Clifford Foust offers an illuminating look into the life of an accomplished civil engineer.
And if you're looking for more than just a railroad reading adventure, search the National Train Day website for events in your area.