Holidays/National Months

International Women’s Day

Celebrate International Women’s Day by checking out some of the Syracuse University Press’s many female-focused titles. We hope this selection of books written by women, about women, and about women studies will illuminate the impact females have had on society and the world.

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Sylvia Porter

Sylvia Porter: America’s Original Personal Finance Columnist discusses the life of one of the most admired women of the twentieth century. A pioneer for both male and female journalists, Porter established a new genre of newspaper writing while also carving a space for women in the male-dominated fields of finance and journalism. Tracy Lucht traces Porter’s professional legacy, identifying the strategies she used to pave the way for not only herself, but female writers everywhere.

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Athena’s Daughters

Athena’s Daughters: Televisions New Women Warriors examines the complex relationship between feminism and violence in popular television shows that feature women warriors. This book is made up of individual essays based in feminist theoretical debate about alternative feminist storytelling in the media. Editors Frances Early and Kathleen Kennedy provide a cutting-edge forum to recognize women’s increasing role in popular culture as action heroes.

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Running for All the Right Reasons

Running for All the Right Reasons: A Saudi-born Woman’s Pursuit of Democracy is the story of Ferial Masry, the first Saudi American to run for political office in U.S. history. As a recent immigrant and naturalized citizen, Masry surpassed all the odds by winning the write-in vote for the California State Assembly seat. This book recounts Masry’s childhood in Mecca and her decision to emigrate to the United States, as well as her career as an educator and her bold entry into the political sphere. Her journey is truly remarkable.

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Arab Women’s Lives Retold

Arab Women’s Lives Retold: Exploring Identity Through Writing is a collection of essays that challenges the stereotypes of Middle Eastern women by analyzing the autobiographical writing of various Arab novelists, poets, and artists. This book explores the ways female Arab writers have spoken about their roles and identities in different social settings. As a whole these writings provide a clearer picture on the impact of identity and global politics on Arab women’s rights.

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Editor’s Favorites

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Respectability & Reform

I’m extremely proud to have worked with Tara McCarthy on Respectability and Reform: Irish American Women’s Activism (1880–1920). McCarthy makes use of meticulous archival research to recount the ways Irish American women contributed to the women’s suffrage movement and Irish nationalist movement in America. With lively prose, compelling images, and exciting newspaper accounts, McCarthy gives us a provocative, informative, and important book about the vital role women play in social and political reform. It’s a model that is especially important to honor, learn from, and be encouraged by today.
Deborah Mannion, Acquisitions Editor

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Mihrî Hatun

Mihrî Hatun was an early Ottoman poet, far ahead of her time in the subversiveness and boldness of her work. She challenged traditional notions of gender in the Ottoman court when knowledge production was thought to belong solely to educated, elite men. I loved working on Didem Havlioglu’s elegant study of Mihrî—here, we get to read the poetry, understand this remarkable woman’s life, and recognize the foundational role she continues to play in the intellectual history of the Middle East.
Suzanne Guiod, Acquisitions Editor

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‘Tis the Reading Season

Whether you’re shopping for a nature lover or a sports fan, we’ve got you covered with this book list for readers of every interest.

All of these books are part of our Holiday Sale. Enjoy 50% off selected New York State and regional books until December 31, 2016. Click here for more details.

slicesFor the Syracuse season-ticket holder:

Slices of Orange: A Collection of Memorable Games and Performers in Syracuse University Sports History by Sal Maiorana and Scott Pitoniak

Chronicling of the rich tradition of Syracuse University sports, this book recaptures heroics of running back Jim Brown’s 43-point performance against Colgate at old Archbold Stadium, the pain of Keith Smart’s jumper that denied Syracuse a national title in 1987, and the joy of forward Carmelo Anthony’s levitation act in the 2003 NCAA basketball championship game.

fanny-sewardFor the history buff:

Fanny Seward: A Life by Trudy Krisher

On April 14, 1865, the night of President Lincoln’s assassination, Booth’s conspirator Lewis Powell attempted to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward in his home just blocks from Ford’s Theatre. Seward’s beloved daughter, Fanny, recounts the night in poignant detail. Her diary entries from 1858 to 1866 offers her intimate observations on the people and events during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

peanuts-240For the Sunday comics reader:

Peanuts, Pogo, and Hobbes: A Newspaper Editor’s Journey Through the World of Comics by George Lockwood

In this memoir, Lockwood draws upon his forty years in the newspaper industry as a reporter and editor, offering a unique glimpse into the world of newspaper cartoon strips. He details the production and promotion of countless comic strips, while also providing his own assessments of the most iconic cartoonists.

walking240For the nature lover:

Walking Seasonal Roads by Mary A. Hood

Having traveled nearly every seasonal road in Steuben County, New York, Hood finds they provide the ideal vantage to contemplate the meaning of place, offering intimate contact with plant and wildlife and the beauty of a rural landscape. Each road reveals how our land is used, how our land is protected, and how environmental factors have impacted the land. As a literary naturalist, Hood reflects on endangered and invasive species, as well as on issues of conservation and sustainability.

tumble-innFor the fiction enthusiast:

The Tumble Inn by William Loizeaux

Tired of their high school teaching jobs and discouraged by their failed attempts at conceiving a child, Mark and Fran Finley decide they need a change in their lives. Abruptly, they leave their friends and family in suburban New Jersey to begin anew as innkeepers on a secluded lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The Tumble Inn is a moving drama about home and about the fragility and resilience of love.

greatFor the environmentalist:

The Great Experiment in Conservation: Voices from the Adirondack Park by Michael Pearson

Representing a remarkable achievement in environmental scholarship and drawn from decades of research, The Great Experiment in Conservation captures the wisdom born of the last thirty years of the park’s evolution. The editors bring together leading scholars, activists, and practitioners—those who know the Park’s origin and the realities of living in a protected area—to narrate this history.

our-movie-houses-190For the film aficionado:

Our Movie Houses: A History of Film and Cinematic Innovation in Central New York by Norman O. Keim, with David Marc

Despite the tremendous contribution of both New York City and Hollywood to the evolution of American cinema, Syracuse and Central New York also played a strategic—yet little-known—role in early screen history. This book provides a highly readable and richly detailed account of the origins of American film in CNY, the colorful history of neighborhood theaters in Syracuse, and the famous film personalities who got their start in the unlikely snow belt of New York state.

wildFor the aspiring artist:

Wild Exuberance: Harold Weston’s Adirondack Art by Rebecca Foster and Caroline M. Welsh

Early in his career, critics and collectors widely recognized that Harold Weston (1894-1972), was capturing and saying something unusual in his paintings. Along with 104 color and ten black-and-white plates of Weston’s works, the catalog includes essays that cover myriad aspects of Weston’s life and art.


Native American Heritage Month

native-student-program-logo-002In 1990, President George H.W. Bush declared November to be National American Indian Heritage Month. Since then, this commemorative month formally recognizes the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of this country. It not only allows Native people to share their culture and traditions, but also encourages educational programs on Native American history, rights, and issues.

At Syracuse University, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and other student organizations have lined up several speakers, performances, and film screenings in November as part of Native Heritage Month.

“Native Heritage Month presents events and programs not only to celebrate the culture and many contributions of indigenous peoples, but also to generate important dialogue about indigenous peoples’ history and current issues affecting indigenous communities and our world,” says James Duah-Agyeman, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “We invite, and encourage, all members of the campus community to participate and engage with these many opportunities.”

Upcoming events for Native Heritage Month include a New York State Education Department Native American Education Conference and a Sacred Lands Film Project Screening and Discussion with Toby McLeod, both on November 29. For the full schedule of events, access the Native Heritage Month calendar online.

Syracuse University Press also proudly publishes numerous books in Native American studies. We’ve compiled a list of just some of the contributions to the field.

For more Syracuse University Press books on Native American studies, click here.


The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

Today, we honor those have courageously risked their lives in order to serve our country and protect our freedom.

Veterans Day, formerly called Armistice Day, was first celebrated on November 11, 1919 to pay tribute to the soldiers who fought in World War I. It was on this day in 1918 at 11:00 AM, the Allied Nations and Germany reached a ceasefire, which ultimately ended the First World War. After World War II and the Korean War, the holiday was changed to Veterans Day, in order to honor all military personnel.

Here are a few books that offer a glimpse into the sobering and chilling effects of war.

geneThom Rooke’s Gene Basset’s Vietnam Sketchbook: A Cartoonist’s Wartime Perspective

In 1965, Gene Basset, a will-known political cartoonist, was sent to Vietnam by his newspaper to sketch scenes of the war in order to help the public better understand the events occurring in Southeast Asia. He came back with sketches that portrayed the everyday, often mundane, aspects of wartime with an intimate touch that eases access to the dark subject matter.

 

Andrew J. Dunar’s America in the Teensamerica

As part of his America in the Twentieth Century series, Dunar examines the social, political, and economical events and trends beginning in 1910. He covers the election of 1912, World War I, social change in the late Progressive Era, the influence of war on women and minorities, and changes in the motion picture industry.

 

 

art-politics-190D.H. Melhem’s Art and Politics / Politics and Art

Melhem’s collection of poetry offers a unique voice for the individual triumphs and ongoing catastrophic conflicts of our world, such as the Trojan War, World War I, the Gulf War, the Iraq war, and the conflict over Palestine. Her background as a painter and sculptor brings a visual and tactile quality to her work.


National Poetry Month is Here

April is an exciting time in the literary world. In these 30 days, poetry is given center stage in the hearts and minds of poets and readers across the globe. We, at SU Press also bring poetry to the forefront by featuring inspirational selections from our favorite collections. In 2015, we celebrate National Poetry Month by highlighting the work of 2011 Nobel Prize winner Tomas Tranströmer. His Inspired Notes captures facets of life that are mysterious yet familiar, possessing the same timelessness that has allowed his work to be nominated for this prestigious award for 18 consecutive years. Tranströmer , in his subtle intensity, transforms the common meanderings of life into complex experiences that beg our attention and awareness.Inspired Notes

A Woman’s Portrait, 19th Century

The voice is smothered in her clothing. Her eyes

Follow the gladiator. Then she herself

Stands on the arena. Is she free? A gilt frame

Constricts the picture.

Medieval Motif

Beneath our enchanting play of features waits

Always and ever the skull, the pokerface.

While the sun rolls slowly on across the sky.

The chess game proceeds.

A hairdresser’s clippers sound from the thicket.

And slowly the sun rolls on across the sky.

The game of chess comes to a halt, it’s drawn. In

The rainbow’s silence.

Collected PoemsDuring this month, we would also like to acknowledge the work of early 20th century, Irish poet Francis Harvey. Collected Poems is a beautifully written anthology, showcasing the best of the poet’s scenic lyricism. Much like the work of Tranströmer, we gain new insights of the simplicities of life, seeing within and outside Harvey’s personal and environmental experiences. Needless to say, the read is worthwhile.

Consider

Consider the unblinking perfection

Of this utterly pitiless eye.

An eye being an eye to the heart of stone.

Consider an eye that has never shed a tear

For being what it is and for what others are.

Consider a piece of matter ground out of a glacier.Consider the eye of this falcon and the world as it is

And the eye of God flinching at the peephole of a star.

Enjoy, Happy Poetry Month!


Books to Get You in That Spooky Spirit!

We know that you’re surprised, what kind of chilling tales has SUP been hiding? If you dare, pick up one of our suggestions of the strange and paranormal. Here are a few books to get you in the spirit of Halloween, show your friends that you know the meaning of spooky!

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You know the story of Dracula, but what about the vampire who inspired that blood-sucking fiend? Do you dare take on Carmila on All Hallows Eve? This classic gothic tale will have your spine tingling, and maybe even sporting a fashionable, yet protective scarf come the 31st.

under devils spell

Not interested in vampires? What about witches? Delve into the tales of witchcraft and sorcery in Renaissance Italy. Let the magic of Under the Devil’s Spell take over your mind!

werewolf

Does Halloween fall on a full moon this year? The Literary Werewolf provides a little truth to the tale, these 22 stories ranging from Stephen King to Brian Stableford, will have you questioning what you know!

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Vampires, wolves, and witches aren’t your thing? How about ghosts? Dive into the classic, Anna in the Afterlife, and find more than a tale of things that go bump in the night. Take a journey with Anna as she watches loved ones move on after her death, and looks back on her life with a refreshing new view.


What Book Would You Give Your Mother?

Here are the results from our SU Press Staff Survey on book suggestions for Mother’s Day!  We shared our ideas, now we want to hear from you!

Book Reason
The Photographed Cat
Picturing Close Human-Feline Ties, 1900–1940

Arnold Arluke and Lauren Rolfe

 

She loves my cat
Improbable Women
Five Who Explored the Middle East

William Woods Cotterman

 

We’re both on a journey and can see ourselves in one of these women
Sheva’s Promise
Chronicle of Escape from a Nazi Ghetto

Sylvia Lederman

 

Female strength
Beyond Home Plate
Jackie Robinson on Life after Baseball

Edited by Michael G. Long

 

It’s hot right now!
Selections from The Art of Party-Crashing
in Medieval Iraq

al-Khatib al-Baghdadi
Translated from the Arabic and illustrated by Emily Selove

 

It’s funny and she would find it so too
Different Kinds of Love
Leland Bardwell

 

Looks funny and interesting
Walking Seasonal Roads
Mary A. Hood
It will make her travel or at least consider it more!

National Poetry Month Has Arrived

April is here; spring is in the air, flowers are starting to bloom, and it’s National Poetry Month!  Each year, Syracuse University Press takes a moment to recognize the work of talented poets by sharing one of our favorite pieces.  Last year we celebrated with Poe and this year we chose to commend one of our own, Laila Halaby.  She is a best-selling novelist and PEN Award winner who entered the world of poetry last year with her first collection my name on his tongue: poemsThrough her poetic words, Halaby forms a touching memoir that speaks to and for a large audience.

Halaby-au pic     home

as a young child
when Home
was where you lived
and where-are-you-from?
was more about your parents
I thought
I belonged
to the Whites
because that
was where
my house was

I pretended
those children
with chisels
in their powdery hands
and spit in their wet pink mouths
didn’t mean to hurt me
as they questioned
my name
my face
my place of birth
my father’s absence

later
when I stared
in the mirror
examined my skin
peeled it back
peeked through
at tissue and veins
and blood
saw who
I really was
I opted
for the Arabs
erased all
whiteness
erased my house
let those warm
dark arms
hold me
love me
make me theirs
build me
a new house

it worked
for a while

until I found
that Home
is inside
not out
that the view changesmy name on his tongue
depending
where I sit
which window
I look out of

mixed blood
is like an old trailer
that’s always frowned at
because no matter where
it’s parked
it’s always
out of place

on the other hand

you can drag it anywhere
if your hitch is strong enough
just be careful
if there’s a hurricane
or tornado
yours
will be the first to go

Happy National Poetry Month!


Welcome to March and Women’s History Month

March is made up of more than just spring break and St. Patrick’s Day; it’s a month to celebrate women’s history!  Women’s History Month is a national tribute to women of all generations who’ve impacted society in a positive way.  According to womenshistorymonth.gov, the month originated as a week beginning March 7, 1982, but later, after heavy petitioning, was passed by Congress as the month of March.  Syracuse University Press joins the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in honoring this special month dedicated to the many triumphant women of past time.

frontiers-of-feminityLooking for an interesting read this month?  Pick up Karen Morin’s Frontiers of Femininity: A New Historical Geography of the Nineteenth-Century American West.  This collection of essays illustrates how geography was fundamental to the formation of women’s identity and explores the self-expression of professional travel writers like Isabella Bird.  Winifred Curran of DePaul University writes, “”This is the kind of book that I would like to give to every American historian I know; this is what geography adds to history, breaking open the notion of the Great Man tradition, writing women in, exploring multiple identities and the role of these identities in both the representation of landscapes and the people who inhabit those landscapes.”

For more information on Frontiers of Femininity by Karen Morin visit the Syracuse University Press website.


SUP Spook-tacular Read!

This Halloween, we have a special treat for all you scary book lovers! Ghost Dance by Gregory O’Donoghue is a vibrant book of poetry with symbolic depth. Poet and long-time friend of the author, Maurice Riordan, describes Gregory as “sensitive to the preternatural and the ghostly presences.” This eerie Dedalus Press title is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. For more information on this book visit the Syracuse University Press website.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!


Celebrate Independence Day with an American Classic

Once hot dogs, hamburgers, and fireworks are all finished, sit down with Drums Along the Mohawk. National Book Award winner, Walter Edmonds penned a masterpiece of historical fiction that brings our state’s past to life in vivid detail.

“The best work of its kind. Throbs with life upon a hostile frontier . . . doubly thrilling as Mr. Edmonds sets it down, touched with local color, lively with dialogue, bright with suspense.” —New York Times


SU Press Celebrates National Poetry Month with Poe!

April 1st marks the start of National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate the brilliant work of talented American poets. From Mark Twain to Emily Dickinson, we all have a favorite poet who we praise for their touching words that come to life on paper. This month, Syracuse University Press chooses to commend the famous, Edgar Allan Poe by sharing one of his popular poems.

A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow–
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand–
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep–while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Take some time to explore a variety of different poems this April. Happy National Poetry month from the Syracuse University Press!