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
Research + Teaching
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
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
Mad Men archive open for research
The archive of the television show Mad Men is open for research at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Researchers will have access to the creation and production history of the series’ 92 hourlong episodes. [Read more…] about Mad Men archive open for research
