Monthly Archive: February, 2020

February 14, 2020

“Not cinema”?: Joker (2019) and the State of the (Superhero) Nation in 2020

By Terence McSweeney and Rebecca Cohen

Joaquin Phoenix claimed the Oscar for best actor for his performance in Joker, solidifying the movie’s position at the forefront of current cinema. Terence McSweeney, author of Avengers Assemble!: Critical Perspectives on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a forthcoming volume...

February 13, 2020

Book Excerpt! Plum Shadows and Plank Bridge, By Mao Xiang and Yu Huai, translated and edited by Wai-yee Li

“Wai-yee Li’s translations of these famous Chinese memoirs of romantic brio and pathos from the seventeenth century are a marvel of precision, elegance, and wit—a perfect match for the book’s sensual, tragic contents. Her brilliant annotations and supplemental translations help...

February 13, 2020

Book Excerpt! To Fulfill These Rights, by Amaka Okechukwu

“I learned something new and interesting on nearly every page. This is an excellent empirical engagement with affirmative action. Amaka Okechukwu’s updated racial formation theory is smart, compelling, and engaging.” ~Ellen Berrey, author of The Enigma of Diversity: The Language...

February 13, 2020

Equal Gold Bands: Reflecting on Lesbian Marriage Plots

By Hannah Roche

“This theoretically sophisticated reading of three lesbian writers—Stein, Hall, and Barnes—is at once playful and serious. Roche’s insistence on the queerness of desire, romance, and love between women takes feminist modernist studies in an exciting new direction. ” ~Laura Doan,...

February 12, 2020

Book Excerpt! A Couple of Soles, by Li Yu, translated by Jing Shen and Robert E. Hegel

“An entertaining example of seventeenth century Chinese drama made quite accessible to English-reading audiences. Of both literary and historical interest, and offering quite enjoyable drama, comedy, and romance, it’s well worth a look.” ~Complete Review We are continuing our celebration...

February 12, 2020

New from our Distributed Presses!

Our weekly list of new books is now available! Agenda Publishing From the Austrian Economics series The Size of Government Vaclav Rybacek Vaclav Rybacek argues that many studies have underestimated the size of government, leading to erroneous policy recommendations and...

February 12, 2020

Amaka Okechukwu on the Path to Affirmative Action in Higher Education

To continue our celebration of Black History Month, Amaka Okechukwu, author of To Fulfill These Rights: Political Struggle Over Affirmative Action and Open Admissions, reflects on the history and contentious path to affirmative action. Enter our giveaway for a chance...

February 11, 2020

Jing Shen and Robert E. Hegel on A Couple of Soles

“A Couple of Soles is an entertaining example of seventeenth century Chinese drama made quite accessible to English-reading audiences. Of both literary and historical interest, and offering quite enjoyable drama, comedy, and romance, it’s well worth a look.” ~Complete Review Valentine’s...

February 11, 2020

New Book Tuesday! The First Political Order, Woe From Wit and more!

Our weekly list of new books is now available! The First Political Order How Sex Shapes Governance and National Security Worldwide Valerie M. Hudson, Donna Lee Bowen, and Perpetua Lynne Nielsen The First Political Order is a groundbreaking demonstration that the...

February 10, 2020

Columbia University Press Welcomes Fernwood Publishing

Fernwood Publishing, Canada’s largest progressive publisher, is proud to announce its partnership with Columbia University Press. Fernwood titles will now be sold and distributed in the United States, Australia and India by Columbia University Press. “We’re incredibly excited for this...

February 10, 2020

Book Excerpt! A Piece of the Action, By Eithne Quinn

“Well-written, meticulously researched, critical, and smart, A Piece of the Action may be the most important book on black American cinema in the last quarter century. Enjoyable and highly informative, this book will quickly emerge as a classic and must-read...

February 7, 2020

Book Excerpts! A Haven and a Hell, Banking on Freedomand Threatening Property

This week, we have explored Black life in the context of property and finance through the scholarship of Lance Freeman, Shennette Garrett-Scott, and Elizabeth A. Herbin-Triant. Today, we invite your to grab a warm drink and settle into a cozy...