Indiana University Press blog

Two IU Press books receive Herskovits Awards

We are (doubly) pleased to announce that two of our books have received Herskovits Awards! The Masons of Djenne by Trevor H. J. Marchand and Women and Islamic Revival in a West African Town by Adeline Masquelier were both named winners at the African Studies Association's annual meeting, which was held earlier this month.

The Herskovits Award is presented annually for the best scholarly work on Africa published in English in the previous year and distributed in the U.S. With these recent wins, a total of eight IU Press books have now received Herskovits Awards. Congratulations to our authors!


Trevor H. J. Marchand, The Masons of Djenne


Adeline Masquelier, Women and Islamic Revival in a West African Town

Read an excerpt from Wreck of the Carl D.

On this day back in 1958, a 623-foot limestone carrier—caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history—broke in two and sank in less than five minutes. Four of the 35-person crew escaped to a small raft, to which they clung in total darkness, braving 30-foot waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, Michigan, the hardscrabble town that was home to 26 members of the Carl D. Bradley's crew, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates. In Wreck of the Carl D., Michael Schumacher reconstructs the terrible accident, perilous search, and chilling aftermath for the small Michigan town so intimately affected by the tragedy.

Read an excerpt from the book.

Richard Brent Turner to present at AAA annual meeting

For those attending this year's American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, be sure to check out Richard Brent Turner's presentation of “Recreating the Congo Square Beat: The Second Line and African Diasporic Culture in New Orleans Jazz.” Turner's presentation takes place November 19 during the panel "Short Circuits: The Circulation of African and African Diasporic Art, Film, and Music in Global Contexts."

Richard Brent Turner is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa and author of Jazz Religion, the Second Line, and Black New Orleans.

Mark your calendars for our annual Holiday Book Sale Dec. 1 and 2

 
For those in Bloomington and the surrounding area, you're invited to our annual Holiday Book Sale December 1 and 2 in the Indiana Memorial Union Georgian Room. Sale hours are 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on December 1 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 2.

More than 300 titles will be available for sale at 20 to 80 percent off suggested retail. In honor of our 60th anniversary this year, we will give away a free book to the first 30 customers each day of the sale.

Cash, check, and major credit cards are accepted. Quantities are limited and all sales are final. Be sure to stop by and find the perfect gift for all the book lovers on your holiday shopping list!

Author interview: Stephen McCloud (Real Stories of Big Cat Rescues)

This month, we published Real Stories of Big Cat Rescues, photographer Stephen D. McCloud's spirited follow-up to Saving the Big Cats: The Exotic Feline Rescue Center. In this book, more than 100 color photographs of the resident big cats, old and new, are showcased with loving detail. McCloud has spent countless hours getting to know the cats—their likes, dislikes, quirks, and backgrounds.

I recently interviewed McCloud and learned more about the work that went into his book, his involvement with the EFRC, and why he claims to be "the only person who has ever won a tug of war with a lion."

Tell us a little about the origins of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center and its mission.

Taken from the EFRC website: “The EFRC was founded in 1991 by Joe Taft in Center Point, Indiana, on a rural stretch of 15 acres. The mission of EFRC is simple: EFRC provides permanent homes for exotic felines that have been abused, abandoned, or for some reason have nowhere to live out their lives, while educating the public about these beautiful cats.”



In 1991 Joe Taft was living in New Mexico with a leopard and two tigers he had rescued. Owning these animals is illegal in New Mexico so Joe moved back to Indiana and bought 15 acres of reclaimed strip mine land as far away from people as possible. EFRC is now a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and 108 acres. Joe is the permanent director.


How did you first learn about the EFRC? What impressed you the most after your first visit there?

I mentioned to an acquaintance that I was tired of my current volunteer work and I was looking for something new. She told me about EFRC. There were about 70 felids at EFRC when I first arrived. It was hard to not be impressed by a large group of tigers and lions out in the middle of nowhere in Indiana. Unlike a zoo, EFRC is designed for the animals and not people. Imagine a primitive state park with tigers. Unlike a lot of nonprofit organizations, it was immediately obvious that almost all the money was going to animals and not salaries or anything else.


This book is a follow-up to Saving the Big Cats. Why did you decide to do another book on the EFRC?

Melanie Bowlin decided I would do another book. She repeatedly asked when I was going to do another book and after telling her “never” many times I finally gave in, but only if she would put the stories together. Many people asked about a new book but Melanie is the only one who kept asking.


You’re a regular volunteer at the EFRC. What kind of duties do you perform?

Photography takes up a very small amount of my time at EFRC. “Watching the front” seems to take up most of my time. Computers, electrical, signs, etc. take up the rest. Anything that needs to be done except feeding. The feeding crew does an amazing job.


Your photographs really capture the personalities of the cats. What kind of planning went into getting these photos? Did you spend several hours just waiting to get the right shot?

All the images are taken for use as sponsor photos, calendar photos, or for some other practical use. On overcast days I walk around until I see a photo. I never “wait”. Felids can spend hours in one spot and not budge. About 1,000 hours went into the images in the book, most of it spent walking.


Is there any cat at the EFRC that you have a special bond with? Why do you feel connected to that particular one?

I try to avoid having a favorite. These are wild animals, not pets. A male lion named King seems to have bonded with me several years ago because of a tug of war we had over a coat belonging to a careless worker. He was probably impressed that I won the battle. I claim to be the only person who has ever won a tug of war with a lion.


I feel a special connection to Max, the cover model for our Fall 2010 catalog. Why was he sent to live at the EFRC? What kind of personality does he have?

Max was at a very substandard facility near Indianapolis [before he came to the EFRC]. He is one of the largest and laziest tigers at EFRC. I have no idea why he has become so popular. He even has his own Facebook page. He has a real bond with Kisa, the female lion he lives with. Their relationship is unique, at least at EFRC. They remind me of an old married couple with Kisa being dominant even though she weighs several hundred pounds less than Max. The image of Max on the cover of the catalog and book took three years. Max has small dark eyes that are difficult to capture.

Many of the cats were abused before they came to the EFRC. What does the staff do to help them adjust to life at the Center? Do they have problems gaining the cats’ trust?

I find it amazing that some of the most abused animals adjust so rapidly. Animals that were almost starved to death can end up of being some of the friendliest and most playful.

What is the EFRC doing to raise awareness about animal abuse and the problems of exotic feline ownership?

Assistant director Jean Herrberg does educational sessions. I recently went with her to one at Wonderlab in Bloomington. I see almost no hope for ending the exotic animal problem in the United States. Politicians have refused to pass new laws or even enforce existing laws.

Borrowing a question from the last section of your book, how can the general public help exotic felines?

My own answer is probably quite a bit different than the answer in the book. Donate to honest animal causes like EFRC (zoos and circuses are not animal causes). Many people have tried to get laws changed with almost no success. I see no point in individuals contacting politicians about this problem. There are groups working to get laws changed, join and donate to one of those groups. Determining whether or not an animal cause is honest can be difficult. Web sites can be misleading and full of lies. After more than nine years at EFRC, I have no doubts about the honesty of EFRC.

Now available: Butler's Big Dance

Just in time for Butler's season opener against Marian tomorrow, we have released Butler's Big Dance by Susan S. Neville. In this book, Neville intertwines her recollections of Butler's amazing run for the 2010 NCAA National Championship with interviews, anecdotes, and photographs to bring readers a taste of the on-campus and courtside excitement.

Good luck to the Bulldogs tomorrow, and while you're waiting for the game to start, pass the time by reading an excerpt from the new Butler book!

Book review: Searching for Cioran

"[Searching for Cioran] tells the story of his Romanian years and gives a fine account of the personal and political circumstances in which both his philosophical ideas and his brand of nationalism were formed." —The New York Review of Books

Songs of Jimmie Rodgers wins ASCAP Deems Taylor Award

We are pleased to announce that Jocelyn R. Neal's book The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers is the winner of an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award! Jocelyn and the other award winners will be honored at a special invitation-only ceremony and reception Thursday, December 9, 2010 in New York City. For more information on the awards and to see a complete list of winners, read ASCAP's press release.

Interview with Bush on the Homefront author

Almost two years after leaving the White House, George W. Bush steps back into the spotlight today to promote the release of his new memoir Decision Points. In this book, Bush reflects on key decisions he made during his life and presidency.

Former Bush White House John D. Graham also analyzes decisions that Bush made regarding domestic policy in his book, Bush on the Home Front. Back in May, I interviewed Graham for our blog:

IU Press blog: From 2001 through 2006, you were the regulatory czar in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, which you say put you at the “nerve center of Bush’s domestic policy-making apparatus.” While serving in this capacity, what was your most challenging or interesting policy assignment?

John Graham: I led an interagency task force charged with developing new mileage standards for all new cars and SUVs sold in the United States. The substance of the assignments was technically interesting, and the politics were thick with input from environmentalists, auto workers, the Big 3, the Japanese and German car makers, the auto dealers, and more.

IUP blog: In your interview with the IU News Room, you said, "President Obama cannot count on any cooperation from Republican leaders in Congress." What strategies should President Obama adopt from George Bush in order to achieve success with his domestic policy agenda?

JG: First, Obama should select issues that resonate with a limited number of moderate Republicans (e.g., immigration). Second, he should pressure moderate Republicans for their support by visiting their home states and appealing to their constituents through the local media. Third, he should work the interest groups with powerful ties to the Republican party (e.g., business) to help generate Republican support for the president’s agenda.

IUP blog: In the book, you discuss how George Bush employed a cross-partisan strategy to push forward his domestic policy agenda. What is cross-partisan strategy and how does it differ from bipartisan strategy?

JG: A bipartisan strategy forces the president to appeal directly to the leaders of the opposing party in Congress while a cross-partisan strategy requires outreach to only a limited number of moderate members of the opposing party (who are usually not in leadership positions).

IUP blog: You write about how American politics is becoming more polarized. What are the reasons behind this trend?

JG: The major cause of polarization has been the movement of conservative Southern Democrats into the Republican party and the movement of liberal Northeastern Republicans into the Democratic party. As a result, ideology and party affiliation are now more aligned, which allows the parties to pull further apart from each other on many issues.

IUP blog: You say that “inferring a president’s performance as a policy maker from the state of the economy while he occupies the Oval Office is a dubious line of reasoning. Voters may think otherwise.” What are some fair and unfair criticisms of Bush’s domestic policies and their effects on the state of the U.S economy during his time in office? Also, what positive effects did his policies have on the economy?

JG: Bush merits praise for cutting taxes on capital gains and dividends since these earnings are already taxed once when earned at the corporate level, and taxing them again at the individual level is perverse double taxation on investment. Bush should be criticized for failing to restrain entitlement spending—indeed it accelerated on his watch.

IUP blog: In your opinion, what is George Bush’s greatest domestic policy achievement? His greatest failure?

JG: Greatest achievement: Establishing a role for the federal government that ensures public schools do their jobs. Greatest failure: an effort to begin the privatization of Social Security without an electoral mandate to do so.

IUP blog: If you could go back to 2000 and give former President Bush one piece of advice from your book, what would it be and why?

JG: I would have encouraged him to make greater use of executive powers to achieve presidential policy goals since Congress was too divided to muster effective opposition.

Read an excerpt from the book.

In memoriam: Natalie Wrubel

We are saddened to learn of the passing of former IU Press employee Natalie Wrubel, who died Friday, November 5, 2010. Natalie joined the IU Press staff as an editor in 1969 and became managing editor in 1975.

Natalie's first day as managing editor was also director Janet Rabinowitch's first day at IU Press. Janet recalls that Natalie was a "wonderful mentor, colleague, and friend who exacted the highest standards from authors and editors." Her trademark style was to write all her edits in purple pen or pencil. According to Janet, those edits were the "gold standard."

"Natalie was a stickler for correct syntax and style, precision, succinctness, and plain, clear language."

In 1986, Natalie became the music editor, a position she held until her retirement in 1996. She built an outstanding list of books, some of which are still among our bestselling music titles. Some notable titles she acquired and edited are Maurice Hinson’s guides to the piano repertoire, Women and Music: A History, Costuming for Opera: Who Wears What and Why, Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen! Intermission Scripts from the Met Broadcasts, and Dear People . . . Robert Shaw: A Biography. Another book she acquired, Volume 2 of Haydn: Chronicle and Works, was the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Deems Taylor Award.

We will miss our colleague and friend, but her legacy to the press will long endure.