November 11, 2008

Dr. Hadler responds to new study promoting the use of statin drugs

Dr. Nortin Hadler, author of Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America, writes regularly for abcnews.com. Yesterday, he responded to the release of new study results showing that a cholesterol-lowering drug could be beneficial for patients who don’t even have high cholesterol. Hadler begins: On March 31, 2008, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca trumpeted the early closing of its… Continue Reading Dr. Hadler responds to new study promoting the use of statin drugs

Categories Health / Medicine
November 10, 2008

Today in history: the Wilmington Race Riot

This past Saturday Wilmington, North Carolina, dedicated a new memorial to the victims of the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898. The memorial site includes an installation of six 16-foot-high bronze paddles created by sculptor Ayokunle Odeleye. Today, November 10, is the 110th anniversary of the event. Ten years ago, UNC Press published Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898… Continue Reading Today in history: the Wilmington Race Riot

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Current Events/History/North Carolina/Politics/The Book Biz/Travel
November 7, 2008

John and Dale Reed brighten UNCP clean-up day

Well, it’s the semi-annual “clean-up day” here at UNC Press. That means everybody (except Courtney, whose office is always clean) takes some time to get their offices in order, thin out their email archives, and purge outdated files. A few extra HUGE recycling bins are brought in and are often filled to overflowing. Oh, the paper! Remember when everybody started… Continue Reading John and Dale Reed brighten UNCP clean-up day

Categories Cooking / Food/UNC Press News
November 5, 2008

Election digestion

Congratulations to everyone who voted yesterday! There was record turnout nationwide: more than 130 million people voted. North Carolina had 68.37% voter turnout. With more than four million votes cast for president in North Carolina, Obama is ahead by about 12,000 votes. Provisional ballots are still being counted (thus they haven’t called it an Obama victory for NC yet). We… Continue Reading Election digestion

Categories Current Events/North Carolina/Podcasts/Politics/TSoT
November 3, 2008

This week in history: all our presidents got elected

It’s hard to think about anything else right now, as far as I’m concerned. And I don’t even watch teevee! That’s the thing about the internet: if you need a fix of pretty much anything, you can get it, and get it immediately. Sometimes hitting “refresh” over at fivethirtyeight.com or pollster.com feels as good as hitting the release on the… Continue Reading This week in history: all our presidents got elected

Categories UNC Press News
October 31, 2008

Welcome to the neighborhood

I’ve added a few more press blogs to our university press blogroll recently, and I wanted to bring them to your attention and encourage you to go check them out. Island Press focuses on environmental issues. Their Eco-Compass blog features posts by authors discussing green development, conservation, wildlife, sustainability, population growth, and more. NYU Press, whose blog From the Square… Continue Reading Welcome to the neighborhood

Categories Art / Architecture/Economics/Environmental Studies/History/North Carolina
October 30, 2008

Holy Smoke – the song!

If you’ve already gotten your hands on a copy of Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, you’ve seen that the book opens with the lyrics of a song penned in the book’s honor by Tommy Edwards, lead singer and guitarist for The Bluegrass Experience, based in Chatham County. Well, folks, Tommy’s recorded it for us and I… Continue Reading Holy Smoke – the song!

Categories Cooking / Food
October 28, 2008

Christensen, Shelby, Hogan earn awards

Three UNCP authors deserve special cheers for winning awards recently: Rob Christensen, author of The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics, has been awarded the 2008 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association. The successor to the organization’s Mayflower Cup, the Ragan Old North State Award honors Sam Ragan: poet, critic, publisher, and… Continue Reading Christensen, Shelby, Hogan earn awards

Categories African American Studies/American History/Appalachian Studies/Awards/Civil Rights/Fiction/History/Juvenile/North Carolina/Politics/UNC Press News
October 27, 2008

Durham County Library lecture series: “Divining America: Religion in American History”

The Durham County Library is in the midst of a fantastic lecture series called “Divining America: Religion in American History,” which kicked off in mid September and runs through November. The series explores many of the major religious movements and watershed moments in American history from the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. Lectures/discussion sessions so far have covered Deism, Puritanism, Native… Continue Reading Durham County Library lecture series: “Divining America: Religion in American History”

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Civil War/Events/History/Religion
October 24, 2008

BookTV airs “2008 Best of the Best from University Presses”

If you’re not on your way to the Lexington Barbecue Festival Saturday morning around 10 a.m., tune in to C-SPAN2 for BookTV’s presentation of the 2008 Best of the Best from University Presses. The program consists of a panel of 5 librarians discussing their favorite university press books of the year, one of which is Jeff Wiltse’s book Contested Waters:… Continue Reading BookTV airs “2008 Best of the Best from University Presses”

Categories African American Studies/American History/American Studies/Civil Rights/Gender Studies/History
October 23, 2008

Weekend Roadtrip #10: Lexington Barbecue Festival

This weekend is the 25th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival!  Hit the road and head on down to Lexington, North Carolina, “the barbecue capital of the world,” for food, fun, and entertainment. Exhibits open at 8:30 a.m. Barbecue tents open at 10:00 a.m. Our very own Will McKinney, coauthor of Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, will be… Continue Reading Weekend Roadtrip #10: Lexington Barbecue Festival

Categories Cooking / Food/Events/North Carolina/Travel
October 22, 2008

Roy Underhill talks to Mother Earth News

America’s favorite traditional woodworker, Roy Underhill, recently talked to Mother Earth News about his brand new book, The Woodwright’s Guide: Working Wood with Wedge and Edge. The next time someone asks me what famous (not dead) person I’d like to have dinner with, I’m going to have to say Roy Underhill. Wait a sec . . . I work for… Continue Reading Roy Underhill talks to Mother Earth News

Categories Craft/Interviews
October 21, 2008

James McPherson’s top five books on the Civil War away from the battlefield

The Wall Street Journal has published a series of “Five Best” book lists in various subjects this month, including books on financial meltdowns and books on the history of medicine. This week’s list offers Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson‘s top five books about the Civil War away from the battlefield. Of the five books on McPherson’s list, one is… Continue Reading James McPherson’s top five books on the Civil War away from the battlefield

Categories Civil War/Reviews/UNC Press News
October 20, 2008

Frankfurt Book Fair 2008

The world’s largest annual book trade show, the Frankfurt Book Fair, just wrapped up its 60th anniversary gathering. From October 15-19, the Frankfurt, Germany, fair hosted more than 50,000 visitors each day, peaking at a record 78,218 on Saturday! Vicky Wells, our director of contracts and subsidiary rights, hopped on a plane last week, crossed the Atlantic and touched down… Continue Reading Frankfurt Book Fair 2008

Categories Events/The Book Biz/UNC Press News
October 17, 2008

Online book buzz: the food’s the thing

Before the week gets away from me, I wanted to be able to share some more of the online buzz UNC Press books have gotten lately. It’s all about FOOD . . . Nancy Carter Crump’s Hearthside Cooking: Early American Southern Cuisine Updated for Today’s Hearth and Cookstove is hitting bookstores now. Get an early taste over at Gherkins and… Continue Reading Online book buzz: the food’s the thing

Categories Cooking / Food/UNC Press News
October 15, 2008

Guest Blogger Laura Browder: Sarah Palin: A “Pioneer Mother” in Hockey Mom’s Clothes?

Since her first appearance at the Republican National Convention, where she was greeted with rapturous applause by her fans and with astonishment by journalists — she’s a mother of five, and she hunts! — Sarah Palin has seemed to many like a brand-new phenomenon. Actually, she’s not. Sarah Palin is following in a long tradition of women who used their… Continue Reading Guest Blogger Laura Browder: Sarah Palin: A “Pioneer Mother” in Hockey Mom’s Clothes?

Categories American History/American Studies/Current Events/Guest Bloggers/Politics/Women's Studies
October 14, 2008

Robin Williams stops by UNC Press Booth in Nashville

The University of North Carolina Press was not the only out-of-towner attending the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville Oct. 10-Oct. 12. Comedian and actor Robin Williams strolled through the War Memorial Plaza on Sunday and checked out what UNC Press had to offer. He even purchased Lincoln and the Decision for War, by Russell McClintock, as seen in this… Continue Reading Robin Williams stops by UNC Press Booth in Nashville

Categories Civil War/Cooking / Food/Events/Gay / Lesbian Studies/Juvenile/Military History/Native Amer./Indigenous Studies/Nature/The Book Biz/UNC Press News
October 13, 2008

Books for Understanding the Economic Crisis

Well, on the news that European governments are jumping in to help their banks continue lending to each other, markets seem to be showing some signs of regaining confidence today. We’ll see how long it holds. For the past couple of weeks — and no doubt for some time still to come — we’ve seen what large scale economic crisis… Continue Reading Books for Understanding the Economic Crisis

Categories Business/Current Events/Economics/The Book Biz
October 9, 2008

Verifying your voter registration status

According to an article in the New York Times today, tens of thousands of eligible voters have erroneously—and illegally—been removed from voter rolls in at least six battleground states, including North Carolina. On top of the fact that it is against the law (with few exceptions, such as death) to purge voter rolls within 90 days of an election, many… Continue Reading Verifying your voter registration status

Categories Politics/UNC Press News