In Amanda Laugesen’s new book, the novel is an object of war. In Taking Books to the World: American Publishers and the Cultural Cold War (University of Massachusetts Press, 2017), Laugesen tells the story of Franklin Publications, a publishing company created in 1952 as a joint project between American publishers and the USIA. Amid the scramble for influence during the Cold War, Franklin was tasked with disseminating books that promote American ideals throughout the developing world. [Read more…] about American publishing during the Cold War
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Born to be posthumous: An interview with cultural critic Mark Dery
Critics never quite knew what to make of Edward Gorey (1925-2000), the author and illustrator whose darkly droll tales have influenced Tim Burton, Lemony Snicket, Alison Bechdel, and Guillermo Del Toro. [Read more…] about Born to be posthumous: An interview with cultural critic Mark Dery
The companion of the dead
Celebrating Mary Shelley at the 200th Anniversary of Frankenstein
Fugitive findings
How artists of color survive in the archives
By Diana Silveira Leite and Gaila Sims
We’re celebrating Black History Month with the display Fugitive Findings: How Artists of Color Survive in the Archives. [Read more…] about Fugitive findings
Meet the Staff: Pforzheimer project digitization specialist Cassandra Chen
Cassandra Chen was recently appointed the Pforzheimer project digitization specialist. Four years ago, she came to the University of Texas at Austin via Taiwan. [Read more…] about Meet the Staff: Pforzheimer project digitization specialist Cassandra Chen
Collated & perfect
The publication and series of programs Collated & Perfect tracks the changing standards that collectors, institutions, and scholars have used to describe and evaluate early printed books. Doing so reveals why the books take the often surprising forms they do today. [Read more…] about Collated & perfect
