Illinois Press Book Blog

CMT.com’s Editorial Director Chet Flippo reviews Craig Havighurst’s new book Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City writing, “I just finished reading — and vastly enjoying — a new book about the history of Nashville radio station WSM. . . .  It explores how Nashville came to be Music City, the role of commerce in country music and country radio and the history of country radio itself.”

I try to be realistic about bookstore appearances in places where I don’t have friends and family to fill up the chairs and hope that someone shows up;­ maybe even a half-dozen people. A dozen would be fabulous. Thinking small gives me a chance to be delighted when I see genuine strangers out there. 

Then there’s the pleasure of finding myself in a wonderful bookstore like Malaprop’s in Asheville. I arrived about a half hour before my presentation was scheduled and it was barely enough time to wander through this wonderful store. (I ended up returning the next day.) The feel of the place is just great. Shelves of books at various angles. Lots of tables. Plenty of redundancy, so it was easy to find a book in more than one place. A friendly book-loving staff.  The espresso maker was turned off during my presentation (where there were a number of strangers!) and there was the chance afterwards to hang out and talk to people.

Quail Ridge in Raleigh had a very different feel but was also pleasant. Located in the same strip of stores as Whole Foods, it wasn’t as quirky as Malaprop’s, but the store, like Malaprop’s, was also was a welcome change from corporate-looking bookstores and a good place for booklovers to browse. As soon as I showed up, one of the staff asked me to sign my publicity photo so they could put it in the bathroom. “That’s where we put all the writers,” she said.  “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

I’m in distinguished company on that wall.

*****

Jane Bernstein, a professor of English and creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University, is the author of Rachel in the World: A Memoir, Loving Rachel: A Family’s Journey from Grief, Bereft—A Sister’s Story, and other books. For more, visit http://www.janebernstein.net/.

Jack Shafer, writing in Slate.com, takes on press embargoes supporting arguments made in Vincent Kiernan’s recent book Embargoed Science.

“For all the reasons Kiernan cites, I’d add that embargoes dangerously cartelize the relationship between reporters and sources, and, at worst, reporters begin to treat sources as their clients, not their readers.”

Zagat.com covered Andrew Smith’s November 20th appearance at the Astor Center in New York during which he discussed the Thanksgiving myths revealed in his University of Illinois Press book The Turkey: An American Story. Not to be left out, Slate.com uses the book as dressing for its holiday Leftovers piece.

Peter Cole is an associate professor of history at Western Illinois University and the author of the recently published University of Illinois Press book Wobblies on the Waterfront: Interracial Unionism in Progressive-Era Philadelphia.

As I, a labor historian, hear yet another news story about a major strike, even I cannot help but wonder what is going on?  50,000 United Auto Workers (UAW) strike Chrysler and another 75,000 GM, 5,000 members of the California Nurses Association striking hospitals in Northern California, the Broadway stagehands strike and the film and television writers strike…the list goes on.

To me, these strikes indicate that the US labor movement still has a pulse and is willing to use its ultimate weapon, the strike.  For decades, American workers and their unions have been in retreat as employers—and their seemingly willing hand maidens, governments—make it ever harder for the US labor movement to protect and improve the lives of workers. (more…)

Note to self: don’t schedule any more shared book signings with veteran professional entertainers. Now don’t get me wrong. It was an honor to work the Illinois Press booth at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention in Nashville with Roni Stoneman. Likewise an honor to meet her. I saw her on TV as a kid on Hee Haw and later became aware of how full-tilt amazing the Stoneman Family band was. But when Roni showed up wearing a white silk cowgirl shirt with fringe and armed with a banjo, I didn’t stand a chance with my blazer and my Sharpie. Fortunately I saw a bunch of old friends at IBMA, which I’ve been attending for years. And I’m happy to say there was ample interest among the bluegrassers in the WSM story. But next year I’m either going to get myself a banjo or a white cowgirl shirt. That ought to draw a crowd right?

*****

Craig Havighurst is a Nashville-based writer, editor, and producer whose company String Theory Media specializes in music documentaries.  He is the author of the recently published University of Illinois Press book Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City.

The biography of the organizer of down-trodden Jewish workers in Poland who later developed a powerful account of how economic crises occur has won a prestigious international award for its author, Rick Kuhn.  His Henryk Grossman and the Recovery of Marxism was published this year by University of Illinois Press.

The Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial Prize is awarded in London every year for a book which exemplifies the best and most innovative new writing in or about the Marxist tradition.  In the area of radical social analysis it is the Pulitzer and Booker prizes rolled into one.

“Today, when governments are using racism to build their popularity and the world economy is in a particularly fragile state, Grossman’s experiences and work are more relevant than ever,” Kuhn said in response to the award’s announcement.

Jean O’Malley Halley is a sociology professor at Wagner College in New York City. Her book about touching children, breastfeeding, children’s sleep and contemporary childrearing advice, Boundaries of Touch: Parenting and Adult-Child Intimacy, was published in 2007 by the University of Illinois Press.

Mothers are caught in a no-win situation. We are told that we must breastfeed, and we are often told we must never breastfeed—in public. Indeed, in 2006 a popular toy store in midtown Manhattan tried to get Chelsi Meyerson, who was breastfeeding her seven-month-old infant, to leave the store. They claimed that her breastfeeding was inappropriate because there were “children around.”

Like the toy store staff, many people see breastfeeding in sexual terms. Breastfeeding—because it involves breasts—is something to hide. Most of us who have spent any time breastfeeding are aware of the intense pressure to do it in private, and to stop it when our infant begins to toddle about or, worse yet, point at mommy’s breasts and say “I want num-nums.”

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Gary Allen, author of the recently published book The Herbalist in the Kitchen says, “Rosemary, sage, thyme, and dill are among the few herbs that hold their flavor well when baked,” in an Associated Press article on cooking with herbs during the upcoming holiday season. The Dallas Morning News, one of the many newspapers across the United States to run the piece, includes sage advice on preparing roast turkey, gravy, ham, stuffing, biscuits and rolls, potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Mmmm.

(Editor’s Q: Mary Giles, how many Ms in Mmmm?)

A Motley Vision ponders the contents of Eric Eliason’s new book The J. Golden Kimball Stories.

“There was a time when I had my doubts about the existence of J. Golden Kimball. I wanted him to be real. But I was afraid he was only the creation of slightly uncouth (though thoroughly orthodox) family and friends.”