In celebration of the man who made Indiana University what it is today, the IU Libraries will host a reception to introduce a new biography by James H. Capshew, Herman B Wells: The Promise of the American University, published by IU Press.
Held April 18 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Herman B Wells Library, the event will feature remarks by President Michael A. McRobbie and IU Libraries Dean Brenda L. Johnson. Professor Capshew, who is a faculty member in the History and Philosophy of Science Department, will read a selection from the biography. Wells-themed hors d’oeuvres and Wells cake will be served, and copies of the book will be available for purchase.
In researching the biography, Capshew relied primarily on the IU Archives, a department of IU Libraries that maintains the university’s historic records. Wells’s papers and other professional and personal items are part of these extensive collections, which document IU’s origins and development. Selected items from the IU Archives will be on display during the event.
“We are so pleased that the IU archives could offer such rich material for this biography,” said Dean Johnson. “Professor Capshew spent years poring over the Wells papers, discovering a great deal of illuminating information about Herman B Wells and his influence on the university. It’s been especially fascinating to learn from Capshew about how and why Wells built the university’s Main Library in 1969. That building is now the Herman B Wells Library, where we are honored to host this exciting event. Professor Capshew has done a remarkable job of portraying Wells not only as a visionary but also as a compassionate person whose presence enriched the lives of so many, and this biography offers an opportunity for the IU community to be reintroduced to this extraordinary man.”
The culmination of more than a decade of work, Herman B Wells incorporates Capshew’s firsthand knowledge of the IU president and chancellor as his friend and former employee. Capshew worked as a houseboy for Wells in the 1970s, when Capshew was an IU undergraduate and Wells served as university chancellor.
“He really changed my life in all kinds of positive ways,” said Capshew. “He did the same for the university. I’ve tried to make this book a comprehensive survey of his life and career, focusing on his main areas of involvement and what he stood for.”
Publishing Capshew’s book holds special meaning for IU Press, as it was President Wells’s idea and initiative to establish a press at Indiana University in 1950. “Throughout the years until his death, President Wells remained a mentor to the Press and a prime supporter of its work, recognizing its importance to Indiana University,” said Janet Rabinowitch, Director of IU Press. “We are proud and honored to publish this book.”
Capshew will be available to sign copies of the book and answer questions about his research. In addition, a new paperback edition of Wells’s autobiography, Being Lucky: Reminiscences and Reflections, will be available. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the event, contact Helene O’Leary at IU Libraries.
In honor of tonight's BookTV event with John Shaw, we're giving away an autographed copy of his new book Richard G. Lugar, Statesman of the Senate. Send an email to winiupress@gmail.com with your name and mailing address to enter. The contest ends Friday, April 6 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners will be notified by email and books will ship via USPS.
Norbert Krapf, author of the forthcoming poetry collection Songs in Sepia and Black and White, has the following events planned for March:
March 17
Krapf will join Liza Hyatt for a poetry reading in Indianapolis to celebrate the release of her new collection, Under My Skin, from WordTech Editions. Bookmamas is hosting this free event at 2 p.m.
March 22
Krapf will be a featured writer in an Author's Showcase at Vincennes University in Jasper, IN at 6 p.m. He'll sign copies of Bloodroot and Invisible Presence before and after the event.
March 25
The Indianapolis Artsgarden will host an afternoon of poetry and jazz with Krapf, David Baker: A Legacy in Music author Monika Herzig (piano), Carolyn Dutton (violin), and Peter Kienle (bass/guitar). The event is free and goes from 2 to 3 p.m.
For more information on Norbert Krapf, please visit his website.
Pink and Blue author Jo Paoletti has several events lined up for March:
March 5
Paoletti will give a lecture about Pink and Blue at 6 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. Attendees can purchase copies of the book at the event, and Paoletti will be available to sign them. The lecture is free and open to the public.
March 11
Paoletti will be a member of the panel titled "The Science of Gender" at the Tucson Festival of Books. The panel will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Room 218 of the Henry Koffler Building on the University of Arizona campus. This event is free and open to the public, and will be broadcast live on BookTV. Visit the Tucson Festival of Books website to learn more.
March 25
The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. will hold a Pink and Blue booksigning with Paoletti at noon.
March 29
Paoletti will give a reading and sign copies of Pink and Blue at Atomic Books in Baltimore, MD. The event begins at 7:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
For more information on these events, visit Paoletti's blog.
Matthew Tully, author of Searching for Hope and award-winning political columnist for the Indianapolis Star, has several events in Indianapolis this month:
March 2
Bookmamas, a new and used bookstore located at 9 S. Johnson Ave., will host a book launch party and signing with Tully from 6 to 9 p.m.
March 13
Tully will attend an event hosted by the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities to discuss the challenges facing schools at 6 p.m. (Location TBD. Check the events section on Tully's blog for updates.)
March 14
To kick-off SPOKES, a new community outreach group, School on Wheels will host "An Education Conversation with Matthew Tully" at the Ball and Biscuit bar and lounge on Mass Ave.
The event will last from 5 to 8 p.m. with Tully 's remarks at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A session.
Drink specials will be available before and after the talk. A $5 donation is suggested to benefit School on Wheels. All attendees must register for the event.
March 15
Tully will be the guest speaker at the League of Women Voters of Indianapolis annual pitch-in lunch at the North United Methodist Church on Meridian St.
Registration is from 11 to 11:30 a.m. with lunch service beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tully's talk on education and politics will begin at noon.
As this is a pitch-in lunch, please bring a dish to share along with your own serviceware, utensils, and napkins.
For more information:
Please visit Matthew Tully's blog for more news about author and book events.
Also, be sure to check out Tully's Indianpolis Star columns on The Manual Project.
A current exhibit at the Ivy Tech Gallery of Art & Design in Columbus, IN, features work from two IU Press photographers' books, Darryl Jones's New Harmony Then and Now and Kendall Reeves's A Home of Her Own. Entitled "Harmony and Home," the exhibit runs from now until March 9. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for public visits.
On February 22, the Ivy Tech Gallery will hold an artist reception for Jones and Reeves from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Books will be available for purchase from Viewpoint Books, and the photographers will be on hand to sign them. For more information about the exhibit and the reception, visit Ivy Tech's website or contact Lloyd Brooks at (812) 374-5139 or by email.
The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) will present an Education Policy Chat with Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Dogwood Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.
Tully spent a year covering Manual High School for the Star, and has written a new book about it called Searching for Hope. He will discuss his experience at Manual and the insights he gained on education reform. An audience Q&A and a booksigning will follow the talk. (Only cash or checks will be accepted on site for book purchases.)
For more information on this free event, please visit CEEP's website, or contact CEEP's Education Policy Chat Series Coordinator, Stephen Hiller, at schiller@indiana.edu.
Dawn Knight will discuss and sign copies of her book, Taliaferro: Breaking Barriers From the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower, at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday, February 4 at the Barnes & Noble store in Carmel, IN.
“We ... are excited during this Super Bowl weekend and Black History Month to have Dawn Knight discuss her biography about the legendary Indiana University football player, NFL star and pathfinder, George Taliaferro, and the challenges he faced as an athlete and citizen,” said Thomas E. McLean, Community Relations Manager for the Barnes & Noble store in Carmel.
For more information on the event, call the store at 317-844-2501.
IU Press author Carrol Krause will be the keynote speaker for "Making Bloomington Modern: The Showers Family Legacy," a free lecture to be held in the Common Council Chambers of Bloomington's City Hall on Friday, February 3 at 7: 00 p.m. Krause will discuss her forthcoming book Showers Brothers Furniture Company and the importance of the Showers family to Bloomington's local history.
The Monroe County History Center has also planned a display of Showers artifacts in the city hall's atrium this month. For more information, please call (812) 349-3507.
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