By SIU Press

“This engaging history of one of the largest ethnic groups in Illinois explores the influence and experiences of German immigrants and their descendants from their arrival in the middle of the nineteenth century to their heritage identity today.
“Co-authors Miranda E. Wilkerson and Heather Richmond examine the primary reasons that Germans came to Illinois and describe how they adapted to life and distinguished themselves through a variety of occupations and community roles.”

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Posted on June 17, 2019

By Twilight City Studios

“In my family, hand-me-down books were the heirlooms, not jewelry or anything like that.”

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Posted on June 14, 2019

You can find video of various panels broadcast by C-SPAN’s BookTV here; they aren’t embeddable. Meanwhile, more ephemeral highlights here:

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Posted on June 12, 2019

By SIU Press

New in the series.
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Flowering Plants: Asteraceae, Part 2
By Robert H. Mohlenbrock.
In this second volume on the aster family, botanist Robert H. Mohlenbrock recognizes 133 species in 42 genera, as well as seven hybrids and 29 lesser taxa.
Flowering Plants: Asteraceae, Part 2 provides an easy-to-use key to the genera and species and a complete description and nomenclatural and habitat notes for each plant, including its usefulness, if applicable. The book details the most important features of the species and includes common, locally used names. Synonyms that have been applied to species and lesser taxa in Illinois are given for each species.

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Posted on June 10, 2019

By Beckham Publications

Walter E. Massey, former chairman of Bank of America, will publish his memoir, In the Eye of the Storm: My Year as Chairman of Bank of America During the Country’s Worst Financial Crisis, with Beckham Publications, the house announced. Release is set for spring 2020.
“Massey’s memoir will offer an insider’s gaze at events and people that never before have been revealed publicly,” says publisher Barry Beckham. “He starts with his shock and surprise after learning that the board had chosen him, and it’s nonstop from there.”

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Posted on June 5, 2019

By SIU Press

“This first comprehensive account of the Illinois village of Kaskaskia covers more than 200 years in the vast and compelling history of the state. David MacDonald and Raine Waters explore Illinois’ first capital in great detail, from its foundation in 1703 to its destruction by the Mississippi River in the latter part of the 19th century, as well as everything in between: successes, setbacks, and the lives of the people who inhabited the space.

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Posted on May 28, 2019

Ginger Heals, In Pilsen

“To the Filipinx community, luya (ginger) has healing properties, just as it does in many other Asian cultures. Organized by multidisciplinary artists from the Chicago Filipinx diaspora, Luya is a welcoming space for poets of color to express themselves to an audience that understands where they’re coming from. Whether you’re a spoken word veteran, or someone just starting to find your voice, we’re here for you. Perform with or without music, alone or in a group, stick to the theme or don’t – all we ask is that you bring your whole self to the mic.”
*
Through Poetry, Luya Bridges Gaps and Diasporas in Chicago.

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Posted on May 22, 2019

Surprises: Boys Wearing Make-Up And Kids Being Bald

Oak Park author Malayna Evans and publisher Tantrum Books will release Jagger Jones & The Mummy’s Ankh, a debut middle-grade novel, on May 28.The story draws on the author’s Ph.D. in Egyptian History from the University of Chicago and features diverse protagonists, inspired by her son, who told her, at 9-years-old, that he wanted to read a book featuring a biracial American kid like him visiting ancient Egypt.

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Posted on May 21, 2019

By Sally Young/The Conversation

News Corp must have been startled to find itself becoming one of the major issues in the Australian election campaign. But this is just another sign that, in recent years, the company’s ability to read the public mood has gone wildly off-kilter.
From attacking the decision of the jury in the sexual assault trial of Cardinal George Pell to last week’s Daily Telegraph attack on Bill Shorten using his deceased mother as ammunition, there are mounting signs of panic and folly at one of Australia’s largest media companies.

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Posted on May 20, 2019

By SIU Press

After a series of victories through Mississippi early in the spring of 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee had reached the critical point in its campaign to capture Vicksburg. Taking the city on the hill would allow the Union to control the Mississippi River and would divide the Confederacy in half. Confederate morale was low, and a Union victory in the war appeared close before the start of Grant’s assault against General John C. Pemberton’s Army of Mississippi.

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Posted on May 9, 2019