How to Get Your Free Copy of The Civilized Tribes

WC958Z8UBEF2 On the creative writing side, we mainly release poetry (our substantial Akron Series in Poetry) and non-fiction (Joyce Dyer’s upcoming Goosetown). We are not a press that is known for publishing fiction and, looking over our catalog, it could easily be assumed that we haven’t published any. It’s easy to become lost in our forty-plus books of poetry, or our sizable collection of Ohio History & Culture, but hidden amongst our releases is a single book of short stories.

In the early days of the Press, waaaay back in 1995, we released The Civilized Tribes by Jerry Bumpus. Tribes is a collection of eleven short stories that were originally published in the 70’s and 80’s. The stories encompass a wide territory and one reviewer states that “Bumpus variously employs surrealism, magic realism, and the fantastical . . . it is not the underside of life but the underside of consciousness that [these stories] explore.” The reviewer goes on to mention that Bumpus’ stories “truly require a new critical lexicon” and that Tribes can help us “to revise our understanding and expectation of fiction.”

The book begins with the titular story, which examines a potentially fatal accident and its consequences for a former Army medic. The story employs a flowing narrative that is equally at home conveying the panic of the accident as it is painting a picture of the protagonist sharing drinks with a professor. The book moves on to stories that “epitomize Bumpus’ strongest work in conventional realism” to pieces which “encapsulate the grotesque . . . and a reality that is not what it appears.”

We will be offering copies of The Civilized Tribes for free to the first ten people to email press@uakron.edu with CIVILIZED TRIBES in the subject line. Winners pay the cost of shipping, but will receive the book for free, and will receive a reply with instructions on how to get their copy of Tribes.

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In early 2010, we will be releasing our second book of short stores, a reissue of Eric Wasserman’s The Temporary Life.

 

The Frankfurt Book Fair 2009

You could dash across the A3 or hurry along the B43 or rush along the L3004, but no matter if it’s October, all roads lead to the Frankfurt Book Fair. Oktoberfest you say. A misnomer. The Oktoberfest ends in early October most of the time, and people are downing beer in Munich beginning in mid-September. When the tenth month arrives, travelers from around the globe and some would say from as far away as Mars, o.k. maybe Le Mars, Iowa, who have anything to do with the publishing industry, show up at the Frankfurt Flughafen (airport) and Bahnhof (train station) and along Theoder Heuss Allee (the street adjoining the fair grounds).

The Messeturm (main exhibit building) with its triangular top is a beacon for the trading of distribution and translation rights. If you’re from Bangkok and are looking for the latest Twilight book for Thai translation, you’ll have scheduled an appointment with the folks at Little Brown, but be prepared to stand in line. That property is hot. Eight exhibit halls are packed with books, buyers and sellers, new digital readers, antiquarian wares, miniature books, and other related products with people dealing in languages familiar and obscure, and if all else fails pointing and gesturing work, too.

The Book Fair is all business for the first three of its five-day run. The public can only come in on the weekend. Smaller publishers have their own cubicles (space comes at a great cost) or they are part of a larger organization that rents them space. The big dogs, the Simon and Schusters, the Macmillans, the Elseviers, and the Penguins have a presence that portends the amount of Geld (money) they generate selling various rights including movie rights if they own them. Their dance cards are full of half-hour, face-to-face meetings with calculators and contracts nearby to finalize the numbers and terms, “If you don’t want it, the next appointment probably will beat you to it.”

University presses have a part in the big fair. Some books “travel” (the word used to indicate the book has an international market and not to indicate you carried it aboard your transatlantic flight), especially ones that have a lot of pictures of say the Grand Canyon or desert scenes in New Mexico. Some university presses even publish those wonderful coffee-table tomes. Scholarly monographs, in the sciences and technology and business, are sought for translation into Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Even though global economy is not what it was and the dollar is worth less than the Euro, American ideas are still valuable.

If you search hard enough, you can find some publisher in some part of the world that specializes in just about any subject. Looking for that compact history of Mauritania, you say.  More into the history of traditions and customs. Your feet might ache after a day of walking, but you’d probably find that one publishers whose book covered the Sunderland belief that a child would grow up to become a thief if her fingernails were cut before the age of one.

Frankfurt has a buzz heard around the word. The printed book doesn’t look all that dead yet, and I’m sure Gutenberg whose buried in the Franciscan church at Mainz, a town an S-Bahn ride away, is smiling when he sees how many bound words he spawned. If you’re heading to the Gutenberg Museum, be on time; the trains are.

Each year a nation is designated as the guest nation. In 2009, the year of the ox, the guest nation was China which brought out the cries of protesters who saw governmental censorship as a detriment to Chinese writers, especially those who criticized practices of the ruling elite. On the first day of the fair, a group gathered outside the entrance hall to read books banned by Chinese authorities. Showing traits of the ox, fearless, obstinate, and hard-working, the group mounted up after reading for an hour and took their protest to the streets of Frankfurt. After all, they were “Bicyclists against Censorship.”

And then there are always the little things about the Book Fair that show how flat the world has become. The very prestigious and staid Langenscheidt’s publisher, the Webster’s of the German language, got all MTV’ed out this year and were passing out promos to “Pimp deinen Wortschatz!” Nein baby, they weren’t trying to accessorize their Audis. They want teenagers to pimp their vocabulary, and may the Klaus or Bettina with the largest lexicon win!

Auf widersehen.

– Tom

Henry Inman Library Event Media Release

From Monique Mason at the Akron-Summit County Public Library:

LOCAL AUTHOR HENRY INMAN SPEAKING AT MAIN LIBRARY
Making extensive use of Main Library’s oral history archives,
Hank Inman tells tale of Rubber Division and of Akron

Author Henry Inman.

Tuesday, November 10, 6:30 pm.

In 2007, Henry “Hank” Inman was commissioned to write the 100 year history of the Rubber Division of
the American Chemical Society, founded in Akron in 1909.  Rubber Mirror: Reflections on the Rubber Division’s First 100 Years is the result of his research. Inman made extensive use of interviews conducted and recorded by Rubber Division, ACS, historian Herbert Endres starting in 1964 and now available through the Summit Memory Project, www.SummitMemory.org, a collaborative digital project administered by the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Drawing on these interviews with scientists, engineers, executives, academics, and representatives of the publishing industry and the United Rubber Workers Union, Inman has crafted a story of how people of varied backgrounds , working together, have propelled advances in natural and synthetic rubber materials and applications, polymer engineering and manufacturing, thermoplastics research and chemistry.  Rubber Mirror, published this past August by the University of Akron Press, reveals the heart and spirit of these pioneers of the rubber industry and of Akron’s industrial heritage.

Inman will speak at the Akron-Summit County Public Library on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 pm.  A book signing will follow.

For more information, please contact the Science & Technology Division, 330-643-9075.

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Click here for more on Rubber Mirror, including excerpts and ordering information.

Also, be sure to become a fan of the University of Akron Press on Facebook for updates on our latest events.

Book Cataloging

We recently signed up for both LibraryThing and GoodReads accounts. It seems as if the two are the MySpace and Facebook of book cataloging sites, although both are a bit time-waste-y than either MySpace or Facebook (after all we’re cataloging literature here!). After perusing the interwebs, we found a good comparative review of both sites. It seems like LibraryThing is more suited for us as a publisher, and that GoodReads is better for our personal collections and reading lists.

We’re still in the process of organizing our GoodReads account, but our LibraryThing profile now lists the bulk of our books, and is more or less organized by series and imprint. We’re pretty excited, so if you use either of these sites add us as a friend!

Buchtel Books releases Recipes by Ladies of St. Paul’s Church, with Meats and Varnish

The first release from our new imprint, Buchtel Books, came out this week.

Buchtel Books will be specializing in the reissue of titles that provide a picture of Northeast Ohio’s history and culture. Recipes by Ladies of St. Paul’s Church, a cookbook first published in 1887, provides a perfect example of what Buchtel Books is all about.

Recipes is a unique and nostalgic look at a slice of Ohio’s history through late 19th century’s cooking. In addition to faithfully reproducing the recipes and advertisements from the original edition, the reissue contains an illuminating introduction by Jon Miller and an insert with historical photos and gloss on the advertisements.

We are posting a few pages from Recipes below, to give an idea of the feel of the book. The first is an example from “Meats,” one of the twelve sections that the recipes are divided into. The second is an advertisement for Akron based business, The King Varnish Company, circa 1877.

Meats…In addition to “Meats,” there are sections for “Soups,” “Fish,” “Salads,” “Vegetables,” and more (including a “Pickles” section!)

According the the historical insert: “David L. King, the subject of this sketch, was born at Warren, Ohio, December 24, 1825, and graduated from Harvard College. He was admitted to the bar in 1848, and located at the City of Cleveland in 1851, but four years later removed to Akron, Ohio, at which city he made his home during his entire life … he was one of the active spirits in the promotion of the social and business interests of Akron. He was for many years identified with the Akron Sewer Pipe Company and other enterprises, was one of the original promoters of the Valley Railway, being at one time its President, and latterly organized the King Varnish Company”

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For more excerpts from Recipes by Ladies of St. Paul’s Church and information on how to order your copy, please visit our website.

Jane Snow Cooks is Out …and How to Make Cranberry Velvet

Jane Snow’s new book, Jane Snow Cooks: Spirited Recipes & Stories, was released yesterday. Jane & Michael Stern of Roadfood describe Jane Snow Cooks as, “…not just a book of recipes to treasure [but] the story of life in Akron, in the Midwest and in America as seen in the way people cook and eat.”

The book is filled with great recipes: everything from Akron favorites like Nick Anthe’s Bean Salad and Cranberry Velvet to classics such as Pennsylvania Pot Roast, Tomato & Corn Bisque, and Julienned Squash with Walnut Butter to exotic dishes like Nid D’abeilles and Gazpacho Andalucia. But, Jane Snow Cooks is more, it is alive with the stories behind the recipes. Snow shares history, her experience, and helpful tips with the reader in a way that is entertaining and informative. As you go through and cook some of these amazing recipes, expect to learn the origins and history of the dishes and have a great time.

September is a little early, but Thanksgiving will be here before you know it and Cranberry Velvet is an Akron Thanksgiving classic that is perfect any time of the year. Here’s the recipe, taken from Jane Snow Cooks:

Jane Snow will be at several events over the next few months. Come out and let her know how your Cranberry Velvet turned out. Visit our Google Calendar or become a fan of our Facebook Page for the most up-to-date information on these and other events. See our website to learn more about Jane Snow Cooks,  read excerpts, and order your own copy.

The Press Appreciates Students!

Quick! What was the last book you read that wasn’t a textbook?

This seemingly innocent question left many scratching their heads at the recent Student Appreciation Day.  Amidst the beautiful weather and lively band music, students visited the Press table to chat, get free pens and golf tees, and enter our book and T-shirt giveaway contest. With three Press T-shirts and three copies of Our Boys in Blue and Gold up for grabs (and free candy on the table), who could pass up the opportunity?

There were 377 total entries for the contest. After picking our six winners, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what UA students are reading.  So we sorted through the rest of the entries and separated them by genre.  Fiction was by far the most popular, with 202 entries or 54%. This year’s Common Reading Selection, Run, by Ann Pachett, was the most widely read book. The Harry Potter and Twilight series were also popular, accounting for 18% of the total, including two t-shirt winning entries.

A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, was the most popular memoir and a surprising number of students wrote in a children’s book title on their entry form.  Historical classics Antigone and The Epic of Gilgamesh were penciled in on a few entry forms, leading me to believe that some students are definitely taking Humanities this semester.

There were seven entries for the Bible, two who last read Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, and only one book of poetry; Charles Bukowski’s Love is a Dog from Hell.  Unfortunately, of the 377 total entries, 14% couldn’t remember the last book they’d read.

As for me, this question is easy peasy.  The last book I read was Jane Snow Cooks, one of our forthcoming titles.

Prize Winners:
Name/Prize/Last Book Read

T-Shirt – Randy Gagnon – War of the Worlds
T-Shirt – Rebeca Bute – The Longest Trail
T-Shirt – Mark Robison – The Alchemist
Book – Michelle Saylor – The Maze
Book – Chris Welch – Harry Potter
Book – Amy Oles – Harry Potter

-  Shurice

Check out our Student Appreciation Day Photo Stream on Flikr!

The Joys of Technology, Pt 1

So, we’ve been working on expanding the Press’ web presence. Part of this involves signing up for every possible social network imaginable: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, ad infinitum. One of the nice things about all these websites is that they are designed to be linked with each other. This creates a huge cyber-claw (is cyber still an “in” word for technology?) that can ensnare all of our buzzing, fleeting web-thoughts. The problem with this is that it doesn’t always work, at least not quickly or easily.

The first order of business was to beef up our Facebook page. Facebook is one of those internet phenomena that has transcended its niche; to analogize in as modern a way possible, Facebook has become the Google of social networking. Everyone is on Facebook now, it’s hard to have a house party without your grandmother and second cousin twice-removed getting invites. I wasn’t immediately aware that we had a Facebook page, as there was also a UA Press Facebook profile. As everyone already knows (and if you don’t, where have you been?) Facebook lets you create profiles for your own personal self and pages for entities. There are also groups, but we aren’t going to get started on groups (unless we’re talking about The Akron Series in Poetry Group). When I discovered the page, a Jones-esque Golden Idol hiding in the Facebookian jungle, I had the same result as Indiana. By grasping onto the elusive page, I have had to outrun the menacing boulder of technology.

The initial idea was, and remains, that the Facebook page acts as the hub for all the other non-website-web-based stuff. When we post a YouTube video, this is embedded in our Facebook page. When new events are scheduled, you hear about this on our Facebook page. When Bessie, the Lake Erie Monster, is spotted vacationing in Summit Lake, this is on our Facebook page. Everything was going smoothly, the page was becoming more streamlined, the world was calm and all was well. Then came Twitter.

We created a Twitter account and, at first, it ran perfectly. When the Facebook page was updated, Twitter was updated. We even had 8 followers, without any work! I had no experience with Twitter up to this point but had heard the whispers:

“It’s like a blog, but teeny tiny!”
“It’s quick, and so so so fun!”
“It will change the way you look at the interweb!”

I even had a rough idea of what Twitter was. My rough idea turned out to exactly right, Twitter lets you post updates that are the length of an SMS text message. There’s a few flourishes here and there, but that pretty much sums it up. So what’s so special about this, and why has it become the source of such frustration? Well, it was immediately cool that when I updated the Facebook, Twitter “tweeted” the update. Then I found that Twitter could be embedded on the blog (look to your right). All this was fairly cool, kind of fun, and I was beginning to think that the way I looked at the interweb was changing (not really). Then an ominous button appeared on Facebook: “Allow Twitter to update your status.”

If we backtrack a bit, my initial confusion with the Press’ Facebook was the distinction between profile and page. The page is set up to be run by administrators. The old profile is an administrator and remains as a convenient way to update the page. The problem with many Facebook applications is that they default to the profile. Some (such as Twitter) allow the page to be used in lieu of the profile. This is how Twitter was set up initially. Once the “update status” button was clicked, this began to publish Twitter posts to the profile. It was some kind of strange feedback semi-loop, I would post an event on the Facebook page, it would bounce to Twitter, then Twitter would shoot it over to the Facebook profile. This was a problem, as the profile serves to redirect people to the page. We don’t want new posts. The tweets were crowding out the only relevant post, which says go here. So I removed the connection between Facebook and Twitter, assuming that I could reestablish it as it was before the button was pressed. I was wrong.

As of now, I have deleted the Facebook Twitter application, the Twitter account, and reinitiated these several times. The closest I can get is that Twitter will update the profile. No Twitter updates from Facebook! I’m baffled and convinced that I found some Facebook/Twitter wormhole that has since closed. I’m going to remain optimistic in my search though, which is why I’m titling this post “Pt. 1″ in anticipation of some great breakthrough. Then the “Joys” can refer to actual “hey, that’s cools” rather than an expression of ironic WWW frustration.

I’ll keep you posted.

- Curt

You too can enjoy technology, Follow UAkronPress on Twitter! Become a fan on Facebook!

The Warehouse

The university owns this old warehouse and we get to use the fourth floor for storage; it’s the only part that’s climate-controlled. The rest of the building isn’t really used for anything.

I’ve heard the whole building is going to be renovated and turned into the Psychology Archives. The rumors are supported by the presence of large wooden crates on the first floor marked “Psychology Archives.” I think they should be marked “Warning! Tasmanian Devil!” since I swear I heard scratching coming from inside.

Usually, the student assistants go to the warehouse. We take the freight elevator to get to the fourth floor, which is easier than four levels of stairs. Closing the wooden gate gives me some source of juvenile joy. Mostly, this is due to the novelty since I’ve never really used a freight elevator before. It looks like the kind you would see in a movie where someone lives in a loft apartment. It’s a novelty for me and I enjoy looking at the writing on the wooden security gate and on the concrete between floors as I move.

The enjoyment doesn’t last, however, when you get stuck in the elevator. Any other day, it would have been an annoyance, but I had just read about a man who was stuck in an elevator for over forty hours. Unlike Nicholas White, I had my cell phone with me. I got Carol on the phone and people were on their way. I was stuck for maybe ten minutes until I realized the gate wasn’t staying down. All I had to do was hold it in place while the elevator moved. I was already packing books by the time the maintenance guy showed up.

During various visits to the warehouse, we’ve taken a few minutes to look at the other floors. They’re all unique and creepy in their own way. The basement is dark and cluttered. A white tackling dummy just to the left of the elevator gives you a bit of a shock when you first step out. I named him Casper.

The ground floor is a mix of rough concrete and wood veneer. For some reason there is a bag of beans (opened, but not eaten) and several small rubber dinosaurs on the floor of what was once a lobby.

The second floor is filled with office space and what we assume is cold storage room. It’s otherwise empty. To be honest, it’s a little boring except for the following fact: wheeled office chairs + lots of floor space = Tara telling Dan not to kill himself.

The third floor is filled with empty cardboard file boxes, but this description doesn’t do it justice. The boxes are identical and gray. The stacks are over six feet in height and are really more like walls. The whole floor is like a maze.

For some reason, I just find the building fascinating. Part of me wants to convert the fourth floor into an apartment. I’d probably look into doing some work on the elevator too.

- Dan

For more images of the Warehouse, check out the Warehouse Photo Stream on Flickr.