Scorned since antiquity as low and animal, the sense of taste is celebrated today as an ally of joy, a source of adventure, and an arena for pursuing sophistication. The […]
Release Party: Politicizing Creative Economy, by Dia Da Costa
Scholars increasingly view the arts, creativity, and the creative economy as engines for regenerating global citizenship, renewing decayed local economies, and nurturing a new type of all-inclusive politics. Dia Da […]
Alfred Bester’s writing process
Excerpted from Jad Smith‘s book Alfred Bester, the latest volume in the Modern Masters of Science Fiction series. After Boucher accepted “Fondly Fahrenheit,” Bester revealed his particular investment in the […]
Backlist Bop: Four censorship battles
One might be forgiven for thinking that, given current political trends, a new public affection for censorship is in the offing. After all, history shows that the Americans who loudly […]
Separating families for enslavement
Excerpted from Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage, by Sowande’ M. Mustakeem The nature of slavery inflicted permanent scars as traders moved purchased captives off […]
Paul Thomas Anderson and the pits of ourselves
Excerpted from the book Paul Thomas Anderson, by George Toles. The film discussed is There Will Be Blood. Anderson briefly confuses us about which man has been struck down and about […]
There will be analysis. . . on George Toles and Paul Thomas Anderson
During winter break, the Los Angeles Review of Books covered our new book on Paul Thomas Anderson by film scholar George Toles, himself a figure of distinction in the moviemaking dream […]
Release Party: Neoliberal Chicago, edited by Larry Bennett, Roberta Garner, and Euan Hague
The neoliberal philosophy of fiscal austerity aligned with reduced economic regulation has transformed Chicago. As pursued by mayor Rahm Emanuel and his predecessor Richard M. Daley, neoliberal thinking has led […]
Holiday break
The UIP blog will be on break until January 3, 2017. When we return, it’ll be all hot new books on how neoliberal politicians sold, and sold out, the city […]
Christmas in the Land of Milk and (Uncle) Honey
Alan Guebert’s book The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey may have been inspired by a little homemade wine. Guebert, has been writing his nationally syndicated column “The Farm and Food […]
200 Years of Illinois: Raggedy Riches
On Christmas Eve, 1880, an Arcola painter-illustrator and his wife welcomed John Gruelle to the family. John sank roots into the professional illustration trade himself at age 25 when he […]
Oh gnarly tree
I am fortunately immune to nostalgia about past celebrations of the yule, with one exception: the Christmas tree. Not a tree in the abstract, but the Christmas tree I grew up with, a […]