Indiana University Press blog

Book review: The Last Studebaker

"With relevance to the way today's economy impacts lives in perverse ways, The Last Studebaker is a novel engineered for long life." —NUVO

 

Norbert Krapf and Gordon Bonham to present 'Bob Dylan and the Blues'

In honor of Bob Dylan's 71st birthday this Thursday, May 24, IUP author Norbert Krapf and musician Gordon Bonham will present "Bob Dylan and the Blues" at the Indianapolis Artsgarden at 12:15 p.m.

All seven poems that Krapf will recite during this free show are part of his forthcoming poetry collection Songs in Sepia and Black and White, available from IUP this summer.

This program is part of Krapf's Creative Renewal Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis to combine poetry and music, with an emphasis on the blues.

Watch a preview of the event on the Indianapolis Star's website.

Author event: Carolyn Harstad to speak in Indianapolis this Saturday

Carolyn Harstad, author of Got Shade? and Go Native!, will present an illustrated talk called "Using Native Plants in Your Garden" at 1 p.m. this Saturday, May 19 in Indianapolis, IN. This free event will be held at Irvington Community Middle School, 6040 E. Pleasant Run Parkway South, and is open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing after the presentation.

Podcast: Carrol Krause discusses 'Showers Brothers Furniture Company'

During its 87-year existence, the Showers Brothers Furniture Company and its founders made a positive impact on the city of Bloomington. On this episode of the IU Press podcast, author Carrol Krause discusses her new book on the Showers Brothers and their place in local Bloomington history.

Fun trivia fact: this podcast was recorded in one of the former Showers Brothers' buildings (now home to the IU Press offices)!

Podcast: John T. Shaw discusses Richard Lugar

It's primary election day in Indiana, and one of the most hotly contested races is between Richard Lugar and Richard Mourdock for the Indiana Senate seat. On this episode of the IU Press podcast (which originally aired on February 29), author John T. Shaw discusses his new book Richard G. Lugar: Statesman of the Senate and Lugar's battle to win re-election.

Enter to win a free copy of 'Showers Brothers Furniture Company'

In anticipation of our "Town and Gown" event at Bloomington's City Hall next week, we're giving away a free copy of Carrol Krause's new book Showers Brothers Furniture Company! To enter the contest, send an email to winiupress@gmail.com with your name and mailing address. Entries will be accepted through May 11 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Winners will be notified by email and books will ship via USPS.

Find out more information about the book and the event on our blog.

May author events for Matthew Tully

Matthew Tully, author of Searching for Hope and award-winning political columnist for the Indianapolis Star, has the following events scheduled for this month:

May 8
Tully will discuss his book and the education system at the Bloomington Rotary Club meeting. His talk begins at noon at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. This event is open to rotary club members and their guests. 

May 12
Tully will discuss his book with Project Home Indy, a non-profit organization that helps homeless teenage girls who are pregnant or parenting to gain self-sufficiency. The speech will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Indiana Landmarks Center in Indianapolis.  

May 15
Tully will speak about his series of columns on Manual High School at the Marion County Central Library in Indianapolis at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of Searching for Hope will be available for purchase, and a booksigning will follow the event.

May 23
Tully will be the featured speaker at the Avon Education Foundation's 5th Annual Community Breakfast. The breakfast will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Serendipity @ Metropolis in Plainfield. Tickets are available at the Avon Community School Administration Center between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Cost is $25 per person or $300 for corporate tables of eight.

For more information on these events, visit Tully's blog.

40% off select field guides this month!

Now that spring is here, it's a great time to explore the outdoors (especially before the sticky summer weather sets in!). And we have several books to help you identify the natural world in Indiana! Now through May 31, 2012, we're offering 40% off select field guides. Use code GUIDES at checkout. Visit our sale page for more details.

Staff pick: A Guide to Caves and Karst of Indiana by Samuel S. Frushour

Reviewed by production assistant, Laura Hohman

Those familiar with the geology and landscape of southern Indiana may know what karst topography is. Caves, sinkholes, springs, and disappearing streams and rivers all make the landscape both spectacular and fascinating. Utilizing these karst features and ecosystems is an amazing variety of unique (and often rare or endangered) wildlife. Humans are only occasional visitors to these underground worlds, but having once visited these subterranean landscapes, they may crave more extensive knowledge of how they are formed and what lies within.

A Guide to Caves and Karst of Indiana by Samuel S. Frushour gives the reader an excellent overview in a convenient to carry field guide sized book. Contained within its pages is a general overview of all things related to Indiana karst—cave formation, features, fauna, information on tourist and wild caves, and safe/ethical caving practices. It is everything the beginning cave enthusiast wants or needs to know about our local caves. The color photos, detailed cave maps, and the durable book design are merely a bonus to the information provided.

Sam Frushour, the retired Head of the Field Services Section of the Indiana Geological Survey is what the caving community refers to as a "big name caver." I’ve known Sam for years (and I’ve gone caving with him more than once), so I can assure you of the reliability of his knowledge base. His expertise with respect to caves is extensive, and he’s exactly the person you would go to with questions about caves—geology, biology, history, conservation, cave rescue, etc.

Celebrate Bloomington history at a 'Town and Gown' booksigning for two new IU Press books

On May 16, from 4 to 6 p.m., IU Press and the City of Bloomington present “Town and Gown,” a celebration of the release of two historically significant books—Showers Brothers Furniture Company by Carrol Krause and Herman B Wells by James H. Capshew.

The event, a part of Historical Preservation Month activities, will take place in City Hall Atrium and is free and open to the public. Mayor Mark Kruzan and IU Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Tom Gieryn will introduce the authors who will read from and sign books. Books will be available for purchase at a 20% discount.

When the Showers family arrived in Bloomington, IN, the railroad had only recently come to town and a modest university was struggling to survive. Having spent the prior 18 years moving from place to place, the family decided to settle down and invest its modest resources to start a furniture company. The business proved to be extremely profitable and a stroke of good fortune for the small community. The company’s success strengthened Bloomington's infrastructure, helping to develop new neighborhoods, and the philanthropic acts of the Showers family supported the town’s continued development. The family’s contributions helped Indiana University through difficult times and paved the way to its becoming the largest university in the state. In The Showers Brothers Furniture Company, Carrol Krause, a member of Bloomington’s Historic Preservation Commission and a Herald-Times columnist, tells the story of a remarkably successful collaboration between business, town, and gown.

Energetic, shrewd, and charming, Herman B Wells was the driving force behind the transformation of Indiana University—which became a model for American public higher education in the 20th century. A person of unusual sensitivity and a skilled and empathetic communicator, his character and vision shaped the structure, ethos, and spirit of the institution in countless ways. Wells articulated a persuasive vision of the place of the university in the modern world. Under his leadership, IU would grow in size and stature, establishing strong connections to the state, the nation, and the world. His dedication to the arts, to academic freedom, and to international education remained hallmarks of his 63-year tenure as President and University Chancellor. Wells lavished particular attention on the flagship campus at Bloomington, expanding its footprint tenfold in size and maintaining its woodland landscape as new buildings and facilities were constructed. Gracefully aging in place, he became a beloved paterfamilias to the IU clan. A faculty member of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at IU Bloomington, and former Wells house boy, James Capshew shows how Wells built an institution, and, in the process, became one himself.

For more information on the event, contact Nancy Hiestand, Program Manager Historic Preservation, at hiestann@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3507.