Indiana University Press blog

Author interview: Tom Roznowski, An American Hometown

Tom Roznowski was interviewed by the Terre Haute Tribune-Star about his forthcoming book, An American Hometown:

New Tom Roznowski book profiles Terre Haute of 82 years ago

By Mark Bennett
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Tipping back his fedora-topped head, Tom Roznowski gazed up at the immense facade of St. Benedict Church, its red bricks, gold crosses and ornate doorways.

“Now this … this is a church,” he declared.

Through 15 years of visiting and researching Terre Haute, Roznowski has talked to numerous residents and eyeballed hundreds of buildings. The result is his upcoming book, “An American Hometown: Terre Haute, Indiana, 1927,” due in stores Nov. 1 through Indiana University Press. The process revealed a different view of the future that existed here 82 years ago, and St. Benedict’s spectacular structure illustrates that change, Roznowski said. Continue reading...

Book review: The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre

"[T]he book is full of well-shot shot photographs that do a great job of demonstrating the theatre’s beauty at various stages of its history, making Pfeffenberger’s 'The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre' a lovely and important keepsake for those interesting in Fort Wayne’s history." —Frost Illustrated

Book signing at Menahem Pressler concert tonight

Pianist Menahem Pressler and author William Brown will be available to sign copies of the recently released book Menahem Pressler: Artistry in Piano Teaching following the Pressler and Friends concert tonight at 8 p.m. in Auer Hall on the IU Bloomington campus.

Check out some pictures from Tuesday's Pressler and Friends concert, courtesy of the Jacobs School of Music.

Listen to a BBC interview with author Jonathan Pieslak

Jonathan Pieslak, author of Sound Targets, was interviewed about his book on the BBC's Radio 4 Today program. Listen to the interview here.

Bloomington named Five Star food town by Midwest Living

Midwest Living recently named Bloomington as a Five Star food town in its May/June issue. Daniel Orr and David Tallent, the respective owners of two of the restaurants featured in the magazine—FARMbloomington and Tallent—also have ties with IU Press. Daniel Orr's book, FARMfood, will be published later this summer, and we have cookbook in the works with Christine Barbour and David Tallent.

Thanks to my coworker for discovering this article in her doctor's waiting room and bringing it to my attention (the doctor even let her take the magazine back to the office so she could show it to me)!

Indiana author event: An Evening Under the Dome

Promoting author events becomes a whole lot easier when they align at the same time and place! On August 3, Scott Russell Sanders (A Conservationist Manifesto), Nancy Hiller (The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History), Rachel Berenson Perry (T.C. Steele and the Society of Western Artists), Norbert Krapf (Bloodroot), and Daniel Orr (FARMfood) will be presenting from their recently published books in a celebration of Hoosier craft and culture. The event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Atrium at the West Baden Springs Resort (which, in my humble opinion, you should visit at least once in your lifetime—it's breathtaking!).

In addition to presenting from his book, Daniel Orr in collaboration with Sinclair’s Restaurant will also supply Hoosier-themed culinary delights for the event. Music will be provided by Tom Roznowski (author of the forthcoming IU Press book, An American Hometown) and Monika Herzig.

Tickets are $85 and are available through the Sunrise Box Office. Bloomingfoods is also offering tickets with round trip bus fare for $99.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit WFIU. For more information, visit the Porch Light website.

Dillinger event planned to commemorate 75th anniversary of death

John Dillinger enthusiasts plan to gather at Lincoln Station in Chicago on July 22 to mark the 75th anniversary of his death. The life of Dillinger will be re-enacted by The Brides of Ghost Hunter Richard Crowe, to be followed by a procession to his death spot near the Biograph Theater. More details on the event can be found here.

Want to know more about John Dillinger? Read about his life in our anniversary edition of Dillinger: The Untold Story.

Article: Walking Together, Walking Far

The IU News Room recently published an article on one of our latest releases, Walking Together, Walking Far:

IU Press publishes book on IU-Kenya partnership

Indiana University Press has just published the first book on an IU partnership that is Kenya's most comprehensive initiative to combat HIV.

The book, Walking Together, Walking Far: How a U.S. and African Medical School Partnership is Winning the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, chronicles the historic partnership between Indiana University School of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, says author Fran Quigley.

The book's title derives from an African proverb: "If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together," reflecting how the 20-year partnership has thrived over the long haul in the face of many health and development challenges. Continue reading...

My Goodreads review: Middletown Jews

Middletown Jews: The Tenuous Survival of an American Jewish Community by Dan Rottenberg

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book for a Jewish History class that I took at IU, taught by one of my very favorite professors, Irving Katz (Sept. 24, 1932 — Jan. 24, 2008). Little did I know that one year later, I'd be working for the publisher of this book! It's a fascinating study of the Jewish experience in Muncie (aka "Middletown"), IN. I was a junior in college when I read it, so it's very accessible. I'd recommend it for students and general readers interested in Jewish history.

View all my reviews.

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Choice reviews - July 2009

The following books were reviewed in the July issue of Choice:

Alva Myrdal
...Hirdman's account is a riveting psychological and emotional portrait of the Myrdal marriage. ...Recommended.

The Brusilov Offensive
Dowling ... presents a balanced account of this offensive that is especially valuable because he uses materials from the Austrian State Archive to illuminate the actions of the Central Powers. The author's focus is squarely on the military aspects of this campaign. ...Highly recommended.

The European Union Explained
This book covers all the essential topics related to the EU. ...Recommended.

Kurdistan
...Houston finds new ways to look at the processes of secularism, modernization, nationalism, and Islamism in this area and how these processes have affected Kurdish identities. He usefully critiques other authors, particularly anthropologists. ...He includes a helpful bibliography of a range of sources, including some in Turkish. ...Recommended.

Made in Mexico
...The international aspects of marketing and production, as well as weavers' uses of text sources to reproduce earlier Zapotec and Navajo textiles—beautifully illustrated in 30 color plates—underscore the social constructedness of representations of national cultural heritage. ...Recommended.

Mammals of Indiana
The usefulness of this updated volume extends beyond Indiana, and is a major contribution to North American mammalogy. ...Highly recommended.

Mendelssohn in Performance
This book does a superb job of explaining the 19th-century sound environment of Felix Mendelssohn and his audiences. ...Essential.

Sacred Waters
Sacred Waters is a significant addition to its field of study ...The impressive amount of information presented within the essays underscores the scope and diversity of water spirit religions in Africa and the African diaspora. ...Recommended.

Storytelling on the Northern Irish Border
An intriguing read for those interested in folklore, ethnography, and the role of stories in shaping a community. ...Recommended.

TV China
...The book's content certainly helps to fill in cracks and crannies of Chinese television studies, for which readers will be thankful...

Youth and the City in the Global South
This work offers a rich opportunity to witness the dynamics of youth development amid the tumult of poverty, hunger, crime, and desperation in various global communities. ...While there are many uses for this text, Hansen's collaboration is best suited for library collections focusing on international human rights and youth. ...Recommended.