From Egypt To Arkansas, University Of Arkansas Press Offers Diverse Selections For Spring

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - With its new selections for spring, the University of Arkansas Press takes readers from Pine Bluff, Ark., to Egypt, from the modern-day boxing ring to Victorian America, from politics to philosophy to history to poetry and more.

The spring 2003 catalog contains 10 new works, plus a backlist featuring seven books by Nobel Peace Prize winner, former president Jimmy Carter and a collection of poems by U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins.

The book that falls closest to home in terms of space and time, "A Photographer of Note: Arkansas artist Geleve Grice," covers the life and photography of Arkansas photographer Geleve Grice with narrative by English professor and director of the Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies, Robert Cochran. Featuring more than 100 black and white images taken over a period of 60 years, the book depicts small-town African American life in the middle of the 20^th century as seen through the eyes of the photographer. Grice spent his professional career in Pine Bluff, photographing parades, graduations, weddings and other events that brought people together. Grice and Cochran worked together to select the photographs from thousands.

"We’re excited to be showing off these pictures in this elegant book," said Laura Helper, marketing director for the press. The book is being released in conjunction with an exhibit at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, where an exhibit of Grice’s works opens on Feb. 7.

Three more books from this season’s collection feature Arkansas topics. "With Fire and Sword: Arkansas, 1861-1874" by Thomas A. DeBlack, chronicles the complex and essential role of Arkansas in the Civil War and its lasting effect on the state. "Bearing Witness: Memories of Arkansas Slavery: Narratives from the 1930s WPA Collections," edited by George E. Lankford, brings together 176 Arkansas slave narratives for the first time. He draws on interviews by people from the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project, who interviewed former slaves in the 1930s. Lankford’s introduction includes a description of the Arkansas Writer’s Project and the challenges of interpreting the interviews in the modern-day context. The third book, "Lyon College, 1872-2002: The Perseverance and Promise of an Arkansas College," by Brooks Blevins, tells the history of this small college located in Batesville.

After Arkansas, the UA Press takes its readers all the way to Egypt with "Angry Voices: An Anthology of the Off-Beat New Egyptian Poets," translated by Mohamed Enani and compiled by Mohamed Metwalli. For centuries, Arabic literature remained traditional, unchanging and highly structured in its language and forms. In the 1960s and '70s writers rebelled and began to write in various vernaculars. But today’s young Egyptian poets have rejected both the traditional and the rebellious—and have also drawn on both to create new experiences in their poetry in a dynamic and emergent scene.

The other books that round out the season’s collection include "A Year at the Fights" by Thomas Hauser, essays on boxing. "After Communism: Perspectives on Democracy," edited by Donald R. Kelley, director of the Fulbright Institute of International Relations at the University of Arkansas, features international relations experts from around the country discussing post-Soviet collapse communism. "The Light of the Home: An Intimate View of the lives of Women in Victorian America," by Harvey Green with Mary-Ellen Perry. "The Forayers or the Raid of the Dog Days." selected fiction by William Gilmore Simms, with editing by David W. Newton and an introduction by UA English professor John Caldwell Guilds; and "Philosophical Topics: The Philosophy of Alvin Goldman" edited by Christopher Hill, Hilary Kornbluth and Tom Senor.

These diverse selections further several distinct areas that the UA Press covers through its published works. These include Arkansas and regional studies, Middle Eastern studies; African American history; the Simms collection; the sports history list; and the Civil War list, Helper said.

"This is a perfect example of what university presses do best," said UA Press director Larry Malley. "We publish great books early and keep them available. Collins’ first book, 'The Apple That Astonished Paris,’ was first published in 1988, and we have continuously kept it in print."

For more information, call 1-800-626-0090 or visit http://www.uapress.com/.