Indiana University Press blog

Book review: Painting Indiana III

"I take to heart and soul the Indiana University Press books created by the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association. ... Here we witness the interplay of natural and built environments throughout all four seasons, thus bringing us to contemplate changes of light, color, texture, inviting us to travel throughout all of Indiana and seek out its bridges, cabins, pioneer farmsteads, formal gardens, church yards, monuments, fountains, marsh lands, waterfronts, springs and valleys." —NUVO

Celebrate the release of 'Historic Preservation in Indiana' this Friday

Celebrate the release of Historic Preservation in Indiana during a book launch party this Friday, November 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the I Fell Building, 415 West 4th Street, in Bloomington. Editor Nancy Hiller and several other contributors will read from the book and sign copies. Photographs from Historic Preservation in Indiana will also be on display. Both books and photographs will be available for purchase during the event.

Nancy Hiller is a cabinetmaker and principal designer at her firm, NR Hiller Design, Inc. She is author of A Home of Her Own and The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History and has published in numerous period design and woodworking magazines, including American Bungalow, Old House Interiors, and Fine Woodworking.

Meet the artists from Painting Indiana III at the Boyd House Feast June 28

Artists from the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association (IPAPA) will be on site at the Boyd House in Merrillville, IN, on June 28, selling copies and showing selections from their new book Painting Indiana III. Using the plein air ("in the open air") style of painting, the IPAPA artists will paint on site and exhibit their work from 4 to 6 p.m.

This paint-out is part of a Moveable Feast event sponsored by Indiana Landmarks. The Boyd House Feast takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Guests can enjoy a guided tour of the home followed by an al fresco dinner with a special Rogge Ranch Ale created for the occasion by 18th Street Brewery.

Tickets are $35 for Indiana Landmarks members and $50 for non-members. You can register for the event and purchase tickets here.

This is the first of several Moveable Feast events that the Indiana Landmarks will host in conjunction with IPAPA. For a complete list of dates, visit the IPAPA website.

Indiana Landmarks Center presents lecture and booksigning with Nancy Hiller

On May 9, Nancy Hiller, author of A Home of Her Own, will give a lecture and sign copies of her book at the Indiana Landmarks Center in Indianapolis. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with the lecture starting at 6 pm. A booksigning will follow at 7 pm. The event is free, but those who wish to attend should RSVP online at restoring.eventbrite.com or call 317-639-4534.

Nancy Hiller to speak at Monroe County Public Library

The Monroe County Public Library will host a coffee and conversation event with Nancy Hiller, author of The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History and A Home of Her Own, this Friday, October 26, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Room 1B. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more on the MCPL website.

'A Home of Her Own' named finalist in Best Books of Indiana

Congratulations to Nancy Hiller and Kendall Reeves! Their book, A Home of Her Own, was named a finalist in the nonfiction category for the Best Books of Indiana.

The Best Books of Indiana contest is administered by the Indiana Center for the Book and honors Indiana's "long and illustrious literary heritage."

See a complete list of winners and finalists on the Indiana State Library website.

Book reviews: A Home of Her Own

"Hiller charts the stories of 18 women for whom a house is more than just a roof over their heads. The tales of how these women managed to create distinctive spaces in the face of (and often spurred by) life's challenges are as relatable as they are inspiring." —Old House Journal

"[A Home of Her Own] tells the stories of 18 women living solo, mostly in Indiana, each re-creating and ultimately asserting her identity through her home in the wake of personal crisis. Lavish photos by Bloomington photographer Kendall Reeves depict houses that couldn't be more different. ... Yet all exude the homeyness and personal expression that many people strive—and struggle—to create." —Indianapolis Monthly

"Nancy Hiller links together an age-old desire—to build a home of your own—with a democratic idea that anyone should be able to do it. ... [A] delightful, brave and original book..." —Grey Matters

Author event: Two Chicago booksignings for A Home of Her Own

Nancy Hiller and Kendall Reeves have two upcoming booksignings in Chicago for A Home of Her Own. The first takes place November 17 at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art at 6 p.m.

The following day, Hiller and Reeves will do another booksigning at the Alan Design Studio from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Learn more about A Home of Her Own on the IU Press website.

Podcast: Nancy Hiller and Kendall Reeves (A Home of Her Own)

This month, we published Nancy Hiller's and Kendall Reeves's new book, A Home of Her Own. I recently interviewed Nancy and Kendall about the inspiration for the book, its beautiful photography, and the work that went into producing it.

Be sure to take a sneak peek at some of the photos from Clara Gabriel's Chicago townhouse, which was discussed at length in the podcast.

Nancy Hiller to be featured in Bloom Magazine and Old-House Interiors

Nancy Hiller, author of The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History and the forthcoming A Home of Her Own, will have articles featured in two magazines. Hiller's article "Women and their [Sp]Houses" will appear in the October 2011 issue of Old-House Interiors. The August/September issue of Bloom Magazine features her article about painter and IU Press book subject, T.C. Steele. Check your local newsstands for copies of these magazines!