This week’s installment of Tar Heel Trek visit the county of Sampson, located in the coast plain of North Carolina. Formed in 1784, Sampson County is largely rural county that produces as many hogs as almost anywhere else in the country – the roughly 2 million hogs there outnumber their human neighbors 33 to one. There’s plenty of room for… Continue Reading Tar Heel Trek – Sampson County
For many, today means the last day at the office before a long weekend goes into effect for Independence Day. However, Civil War buffs and historians recognize July 2nd as day two of another important event in American history – the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. In the three hours of fighting on this evening 146 years ago, roughly 10,000… Continue Reading Gettysburg Remembered
Looking for an inexpensive get-away this summer? Well, you’re in luck. Now through July 5th on the National Mall in Washington DC is the annual cornucopia of world culture–the Smithsonian Folklife Festival! The best part about it? IT’S FREE! This year one of the festival’s three themes is Wales which, of course, reminded me of the engaging new book by… Continue Reading Check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Wash., D.C.!
For those of us of a certain age (read: Old Folks) reading has a deep association with many of our senses that the current trend towards e-Readers simply do not provide. Books, those physical collections of bound pages provide us with a certain weighty heft that lets us know we are reading something substantial. There is the tactile satisfaction that… Continue Reading The Smell of Books
Located on the Virginia-North Carolina border, directly above Forsyth County, is Stokes County, the next stop on our Tar Heel Trek. Historically, Stokes is best known for tobacco production and stringband music. More recently, it is getting attention for being the home of baseball standout Dustin Ackley. However, as a Stokes County native, I feel like some of the lesser… Continue Reading Tar Heel Trek: Stokes County
Reunited and it feels so good; okay, so maybe 1868 wasn’t as smooth as a pop song. There were a few kinks to work out. How would secessionist states regain self-governing status? How would newly freedmen be integrated into southern society? What would become of the leaders of the Confederacy? Reconstruction proved to be one of the most trying times… Continue Reading Today in history: Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were readmitted to the Union
I set out on a bright June day, heading south to retrace the path of William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1865 march through the Carolinas. I’m currently working on a project about the way Americans have remembered Sherman’s March, and I had already driven across Georgia the spring before. Now it was time to work my way from the Bennett Place in… Continue Reading Anne Rubin Follows the Traces of Sherman’s March
Some exciting news regarding UNC Press… AAUP meeting: Several folks from UNC Press traveled to Philadelphia, PA last weekend for the annual AAUP meeting–Joanna Ruth Marsland, our Director of Development had this to say about the meeting: “…The sessions focused on “best practices” for the various departments and activities within university presses, and the ones I attended were very good.… Continue Reading AAUP, abc.com…
Gary R. Bunt, senior lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Wales, was kind enough to share his time and thoughts on the events surrounding the 2009 Iranian presidential election, the protests, and the deeply entrenched tensions between politics and religion. His most recent book, iMuslims, sheds new light on the nature of contemporary Islamic discourse, identity, and community.… Continue Reading Gary Bunt on the 2009 Iranian presidential elections…
Today, the UNC Press blog is happy to offer a guest post from William A. Blair, professor of U.S. history and director of the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center at the Pennsylvania State University. In November, UNC Press will be publishing Lincoln’s Proclamation, a collection of essays coedited by Blair and Karen F. Younger that offers new… Continue Reading Juneteenth, Emancipation, and the Proclamation
Continuing along the North Carolina piedmont, Davidson County is worthy of a pitstop. Founded in 1822 and named for Revolutionary War General William Lee Davidson, Davidson County is home to many unique and historical sites. North Carolina is well known for it’s barbecue, but none is quite like the kind you get in Lexington–defining its own category, “Lexington-style barbecue.” Home… Continue Reading Tar Heel Trek: Davidson County
Judith Walzer Leavitt, who guest blogged for us yesterday, will be appearing on WUNC’s The State of Things today with Frank Stasio, discussing the evolving role of fathers in the childbirth process. The show starts at noon (eastern) and Judy’s segment will begin around 12:40. You can listen to the show online or download a podcast after it’s archived at… Continue Reading Judith Walzer Leavitt on The State of Things today
Today’s guest post is from Judith Walzer Leavitt, author of the recently released Make Room for Daddy: The Journey from Waiting Room to Birthing Room. In her book, Leavitt follows the history of how expectant fathers, over the course of the twentieth century, gradually shifted from twiddling their thumbs in the waiting room to coaching breathing exercises in the birthing… Continue Reading Dads in scrubs: now assisting in a delivery room near you!
We welcome a guest post today from Fay Botham, author of the forthcoming book Almighty God Created the Races: Christianity, Interracial Marriage, and American Law. In her book, Botham demonstrates how Christianity was important to both racist and antiracist movements in the 19th and 20th centuries and how those movements influenced litigation over matters of marriage and race. In this… Continue Reading Loving v. Virginia, then and now: race, sexuality, religion, & law
We’re starting a new series today – Tar Heel Trek will feature a different North Carolina county each week. Drawing on information from UNC Press’ great books about North Carolina, we’ll highlight the history, culture, and people that help give each place its character. We hope these posts will inspire you to look deeper and learn more about the Tar… Continue Reading Tar Heel Trek: Forsyth County
I once worked at a restaurant that served fried chicken livers in a martini glass with some fancy sauce drizzled over the top in a perfect zig-zag pattern. Soul food sure isn’t what it used to be. This unique genre of food, always comforting and often greasy, should never be served in stemware. Soul food is about making the most… Continue Reading Celebrate National Soul Food Month with Mama Dip
If you’ve lived in North Carolina for any length of time, chances are you know the state isn’t just famous for its barbecue, beaches, and basketball. It’s also a world-class destination for a fourth “B”—birding. North Carolina’s diverse natural communities from mountains to sea nurture an equally diverse array of bird species. Some spend most of the year here, enlivening… Continue Reading Know Your Birding Guidebooks
Facebook seems to be everywhere you look these days and everyone you know is on the social networking site. Now you can find the University of North Carolina Press on Facebook as well! By searching “University of North Carolina Press,” and clicking “become a fan,” you will gain access to lots of information regarding new books, upcoming events and goings… Continue Reading UNC Press on Facebook!
For everyone associated with North Carolina Tar Heel basketball, the 2008-2009 season was as good as it gets. Key players returned when they could have easily picked up paychecks in the NBA. Records were broken by individuals and team alike. Starters picked up conference and national awards in droves. Best of all, the Heels won the basketball program’s fifth NCAA… Continue Reading One Fantastic Ride with the Champs
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