Tag Archives: University of Kentucky

Meet the Press: Patty Weber, Production and Publishing Services Manager

Name: Patty Weber

Position: Production and Service Center Manager

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Social Media Handles: @bookswrangler on Twitter

Alma mater; major; minor: B.A. in Art History from Goucher College; MLA in Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University


Tell us a little bit about your position at UPK.

I head up the Production department, and the soon-to-be-launched Publishing Services Center. Production is what happens at the end of the process of getting the book published: doing the typesetting, designing the cover, and getting the book printed and shipped. The Publishing Services Center offers all kinds of solutions to different kinds of projects, from journals to logo design to one-off special printings.

What’s one of your favorite UPK titles and why?

I got caught up reading Kentucky Heirloom Seeds by Bill Best and Dobree Adams when I was checking a book proof; it sucked me in!

If someone was visiting Kentucky for the first time and you were their tour guide, where would you take them? Any specific restaurants, landmarks, etc.?

I am a newcomer to Kentucky; I’m the one who needs the tour guide!

Do you have a favorite font? If so, what is it?

I love Doves Type, for the amazing story behind it.

doves type cropped

Did you know you wanted to work in publishing? When you were a kid, did you want to do something different as an adult?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be the person who names the Crayola colors.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? What’s a random factoid about yourself?

I collect pins! I have a bunch of brooches – some old, some new, some pretty, and some just wacky.

What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

I read Uprooted by Naomi Novik after it sat in my To-Read pile for a while, and I love it! It has a classic fairytale or folklore kind of flavor, and I couldn’t put it down.

If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say? Do you have a personal motto?

A positive attitude can be the secret to success. My motto is “It’s going to be great!”

If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

I still think it would be fun to name the Crayola colors.

patty weber

 

 

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Meet the Press: Kayla Coco, Marketing Intern

Name: Kayla Coco-Stotts

Position: Marketing Intern

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Alma mater; major; minor: University of Kentucky; B.A. in Print Journalism; Communication minor (December 2018)


Why should students be interested in their local university press?

I believe that students should be interested in their local university press because there is so much culture and accomplishment within university presses that I think is somewhat overlooked. I heard about UPK my freshman year of college and knew I always wanted to intern here, but so many others haven’t had the chance to learn about the amazing work UPK does for the Commonwealth. Students especially are able to learn so much from UPK; it’s like having a library of amazing authors, reads, and resources right on campus.

Why should students support their university press? How are some ways to support the press?

Students should support their university presses because they’re in need of our support! Even just sharing social media, buying UPK books, or going to events that feature UPK authors stimulates the marketplace of ideas and keeps the local book culture thriving within the universities.

What have you learned during your time here, and how will you use the skills you gained as you start a career, further your education, etc.?

I’ve learned how to craft a press kit and the true meaning of marketing. I never thought I would see myself enjoying the marketing side of publishing, but it is truly rewarding to excited people about the projects we’re working on. I’ve already been thankful enough to use the skills I’ve obtained here to set up a job when I graduate.

What’s one of your favorite UPK titles and why?

Mend: Poems by Kwoya Fagin Maples was amazing, heartfelt, and conveyed a level of anguish that I could never imagine being strong enough to experience. I also really loved Clarence Brown: Hollywood’s Forgotten Master by Gwenda Young because it gave me an opportunity to learn about an age of Hollywood that I’ve just not taken the time to understand before.

If someone was visiting Kentucky for the first time and you were their tour guide, where would you take them?

Actually, I’m from St. Louis originally so I’ve kind of become an unofficial tour guide for Lexington (I’m still waiting for my name tag to come in…I’m sure they’re sending it any day now). I always take people on a long walk around UK’s campus because I think it’s gorgeous, as well as downtown to some of my favorite restaurants and bars, like West Main Crafting Co. and Buddha Lounge. Breakfast? Josie’s for sure. Needing some lunch? Let’s head to Planet Thai! Can you tell I love food?

Did you always know you wanted to intern in publishing? When you were a kid, did you want to do something different as an adult?

Growing up I was very driven and academically successful, and I always heard, “You’re going to be a doctor someday,” from relatives. When I started at UK, I began in biosystems engineering, but doing something I could do versus something I wanted to do was entirely different. After a quick Google search and some encouragement from friends, I switched to journalism and decided to intern at UPK during my first semester. I have always loved books, and being a book editor is what I used to tell people I would do, “when I grow up.”

What was the last book you read?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and The Rules of Magic: A Novel by Alice Hoffman. Both are amazing books!

Name three things you can’t live without.

My dogs, sweatshirts, and dry shampoo

If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say? Do you have a personal motto?

Just do what you love. People always are going to say, “life’s too short,” but life can get pretty long and dull when you’re stuck doing something you don’t really enjoy, whether that be in a professional or personal environment. Oh, and while you’re still in high school, get a credit card, only use it to buy gas, and always make payments on time.

What’s your favorite word?

Sonder: the realization that each random passerby is living a life as complex and vivid as your own.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? What’s a random factoid about yourself?

I try to be as conscious as I can about living a minimal waste lifestyle by avoiding plastic containers or cups and avoiding using more than I need.

If you could have dinner with any three people—dead or alive, famous or not—who would it be?

Abraham Lincoln, Stephen King, and Malcolm X.

If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

Andy Lassner, the executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, because I love a good scare and I think Ellen and I would be great pals.

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Meet the Press: Sara Nederhoed, Marketing Intern

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Name: Sara Nederhoed
Position: Marketing Intern
Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI

____________________________________________________

Tell us a little bit about your position at the press.

I am a senior at UK majoring in journalism with a double minor in English and political science. I’m graduating in May 2019. As a marketing intern here at UPK, I help the marketing staff out with things like writing press releases, creating graphics, and managing the social media accounts to help promote the books UPK releases. I started here in August at the beginning of the fall 2018 semester.

What’s one of your favorite UPK titles and why?

TobyCompFOne of the titles that I have worked with a lot is Taking Shergar: Thoroughbred Racing’s Most Famous Cold Case written by Milton C. Toby. I think it is a very interesting story that grabbed my attention right away–a mystery about one of the most famous Thoroughbreds in the world being stolen in the middle of the night. The thieves wanted ransom for Shergar, but it was never paid. Shergar was never returned and his remains were never found. I wanted to learn more about it right after I read the description!

 

If someone was visiting Kentucky for the first time and you were their tour guide, where would you take them? Any specific restaurants, landmarks, etc.?

I am huge on food, so I hope my tourists are hungry. Being from Michigan, there were a lot of restaurants that I had never tried or even heard of when I came down to Lexington for school. Stop number one: Canes. I know they only have chicken tenders on the menu, but that is why I love it (and the SAUCE). Two: Local Taco. I’m not typically someone who eats tacos or anything like what Local Taco has, yet they have converted me. Southern Fried Tacos with no tomato = yum! Three: Keeneland. I have never been to a horse race before coming down here, and to me, it sets Kentucky apart. Keeneland amazes me every time I’m there.

What is your favorite word?

Ever since I was a kid, my favorite word to spell or write out has been Mississippi.

Do you have a favorite font? If so, what is it?

As a journalism major, I am very partial to the bland and boring Times New Roman. My sister, who is a graphic designer, would yell at me for that answer.

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Did you always know you wanted to intern or work in publishing? When you were a kid, did you want to do something different as an adult?

I have always loved books, but never considered publishing before this internship. Since I am graduating soon, I am trying to expand my horizons and see what careers are available for me. As a kid and even into high school, I wanted to be a doctor. Something about it has always fascinated me, but alas, I found out that hard science is not my strong suit.

Why should students be interested in their local university press?

University press books are great tools, but students may not realize they exist or be as familiar with UPs/UP books as they would with books from trade publishers. Some students may not think about where their books are coming from! There are very important books being produced by authors and university presses. Keona K. Ervin’s Gateway to Equality: Black Women and the Struggle for Economic Justice in St. Louis, a title from UPK, received the 2018 Missouri History Book Award. It’s great to see the authors and books we work with get the recognition they deserve!

Students should also be interested in UPs because UPs often offer internships and may cause them to dive into a career path they have never considered before or even thought possible (like me). Plus, UPs serve their local areas and regions from within the region, which means publishing isn’t only designated to one place or one group of people—and it means that not everyone has to move to New York in order to work in publishing! (Unless you want to move to New York, because who doesn’t at one point in their life?)

Why should students support their university press? How can students support UPs?

Students should support their local university press because the books that come out are really interesting and have a lot of educational value. For example, being from a different state, I have learned a lot from the books we have published that are written about Kentucky or even by Kentucky writers. I think celebrating the fact that there is so much Kentucky has to offer in a literary sense is a great thing to show off. Students can learn so much and still support their UP just by going to events and even reading university press books that they find interesting. I first learned about UPK when one of my professors a couple years ago scheduled for us to come in and learn more about what book publishing is about and what goes into it. It was a great learning experience that a lot of students could definitely benefit from!

What have you learned during your time here, and how will you use the skills you gained as you start a career, further your education, etc.?

I have learned so much here at UPK. It is one thing to learn how to use and develop your skills needed for a career after college, but it is another to actually get to apply them to real-life situations. Writing press releases has helped me with my writing, with which I always need practice. Creating graphics and banners using creative software like Photoshop has helped me expand my design skills in order to use that in my future career when designing promotional ads or graphics. And in this day and age, social media has become a huge part of daily life whether we like it or not, and to be able to say that I know how to promote a book, author, event, or business effectively across social media is an important skill to have.

If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would you choose?

Not necessarily a character, but more of a literary universe: Harry Potter. I got into the series a lot later than most people my age, but everything about the books intrigues me.

What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

I just finished Frances Burney’s Evelina for my 18th-century “Rise of The British Novel” class and I really enjoyed it. Some twists and turns in a typical foundling narrative fashion, but the storylines we had to follow were very interesting!

What’s your favorite song to sing at karaoke and why?

A tough one because I never seem to sing the same song twice. A big one that I always enjoy other people singing is “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks. Even if you’re not a country fan, you still sing along!

 

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Kentucky Novelist, UK Professor Enjoys Sweet Peach of a Summer

“Another sweaty summer presents itself like a gift. Sun is a peach outside the window, grass all calmed down.”

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University Press of Kentucky author Crystal Wilkinson has had a summer of gold. From her novel, The Birds of Opulencebeing named the winner of the 2016 Appalachian Writers Association‘s Appalachian Book of the Year for Fiction to Wilkinson herself being appointed as the 2018 Clinton and Mary Opal Moore Appalachian Writer-in-Residence at Murray State University, Wilkinson has spent the hot summer months earning both professional and personal honors.

Birds follows four generations of women in a bucolic southern black township as they live with—and sometimes surrender to—madness. The book hones in on the hopeful and sometimes tragic navigation of life as seen through the eyes of the Goode-Brown family. This marks the fourth award The Birds of Opulence has won, including the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the Weatherford Award for Fiction, and the Judy Gaines Young Book Award. Wilkinson’s novel was also named the debut selection of the Open Canon Book Club, which was created by New York Times bestselling author Wiley Cash to introduce readers to varied voices and portrayals of the American experience.

Birds is not the only one of Wilkinson’s books that has gotten attention this summer. Her second short story collection, Water Street, has been selected as the One Book Read at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. The program is a community-wide effort to help eliminate illiteracy in the region, with faculty and staff at WKCTC collaborating with many local and college partners to promote reading.

WATER STREET

Wilkinson’s work has earned her personal honors as well. The Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence Committee and the West Virginia Center for the Book selected her for the Appalachian Heritage Writer’s Award. Previous recipients include Henry Louis Gates, Charles Frazier, Frank X Walker, Denise Giardina, and Silas House. In conjunction with the award, she will be the One Book, One West Virginia Author for 2019, and Water Street will be read by students across the state.

In addition, Wilkinson has gained speaker representation from Authors Unbound, which will broker her events in the form of literary engagements, one book programs, distinguished lectures, keynote appearances, community visits, and a variety of signature events.

Pictured at the top is Wilkinson sitting on a book bench designed by Bowling Green artist Lora Gill. Book Benches: A Tribute to Kentucky Authors is a public art project that features book-shaped benches, each themed around a different work by a Kentucky author, that have been placed around Lexington as a way to encourage reading. Wilkinson’s bench will be installed along South Limestone Street in front of the University Press of Kentucky office in November.

To top it off, Wilkinson accepted a new position as Associate Professor of English in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program at the University of Kentucky. Further information on Crystal Wilkinson, her books, and her upcoming events can be found on her new author website: https://www.crystalewilkinson.net/.

From all of us at Kentucky Press, congratulations on a wonderful summer, Crystal!

Remembering Dr. Paul Karan

Dr. Pradyumna (Paul) Karan, long-time University of Kentucky professor of geography and Japanese Studies, passed away on July 19, 2018. Dr. Karan was a highly regarded and respected professor and colleague. In the words of Anne Dean Dotson, Senior Acqusitions Editor at the University Press of Kentucky, “He will be missed dearly . . . . He was a special, patient soul, and his familiar chuckle will never be forgotten.”

Karan

Born in India in 1930, growing up with the importance of education stressed by his parents, Dr. Karan studied economics and geography at Banaras Hindu University, and later got his PhD from Indiana University. Hired in 1956, Dr. Karan was one of the first international faculty members in UK’s history. Over his sixty-year career, he was a professor of human geography, director of Indian Studies, taught in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and was heavily involved with the UK Japan Studies program. Dr. Karan traveled extensively to Japan, China, and India for research and speaking engagements. He also taught at several universities across the United States, Europe, Russia, Japan, and India.

Dr. Karan worked extensively to understand the connections between economic development and the environment, particularly in India, Japan, and the Himalayan states. He conducted research that aimed at reconstructing and rebuilding in Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011, among other work focused on simultaneously preserving local cultures and the environment.

The University Press of Kentucky is privileged to have published a number of Dr. Karan’s books over the course of his career. In honor of this esteemed educator, here are some of his works:

Karan book 1

 

Japan in the 21st Century explores the crucial political, economic, demographics, and environmental challenges facing the nation now and moving forward. Karan highlights challenges that will face Japan in the coming years, and offers insights into how these problems might be addressed.

 

 

 

Karan book 2

 

Japan in the Bluegrass, edited by Karan, examines the regional and local impacts of the globalization of Japanese business in the United States. Particularly focusing on the impact of Toyota in Kentucky, these essays explore beyond politics and economics, delving into the social, cultural, and environmental effects of Japanese investment in Kentucky.

 

 

 

Karan book 3

 

The Japanese City, edited by Karan and Kristin Stapleton, is a collection of essays aimed at addressing the issue of inner-city violence in American cities, particularly through examination of the city of Tokyo. Factors, such as urban landscape, spatial mixing of social classes in the city, and environmental pollution, are utilized in comparisons between Tokyo and the American city. This work offers a comprehensive look at the contemporary Japanese city.

 

 

Karan book 4

 

Written by Cotton Mather, Paul Karan, and Shigeru Iijima, Japanese Landscapes: Where Land and Culture Merge is a visual guide for Japanese landscapes. The authors look at the complex interaction of culture, time, and space in the evolution of landscapes in Japan. By examining everything from home gardens to roadside shoulders, this work offers a unified analysis of the Japanese landscape.

 

 

Karan book 5

 

Local Environmental Movements, edited by Karan and Unryu Suganuma, examines how grassroots organizations have worked to promote sustainable development in the face of defeatist attitudes towards environment crises. Drawing on a series of case studies, this work illustrates how local groups in both Japan and the United States are working for environmental protection and cultural preservation.

 

Karan book 6

Edited by Karan and Shanmugam P. Subbiah, The Indian Ocean Tsunami analyses the aftermath of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Focusing on the response and recovery to this tragedy, this collection studies the environment, economic, and political effects of the tsunami.

 

 

 

 

Karan book 7

 

Japan after 3/11, edited by Karan and Unryu Suganuma, considers the complex economic, physical, and social impacts of the 2011 earthquake that triggered a tsunami and the Fukushima meltdown. This collection includes strategies for reclamation and rebuilding, interviews with victims which explore the social implications of the disaster, and much more to serve as an invaluable guide to the planning and implementation of reconstruction.

 

Meet the Press: Hayward Wilkirson, Book Designer

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Name: Hayward Wilkirson
Position: Book Designer
Home state: Kentucky
Alma mater(s), area(s) of study: International Center of Photography, New York, Documentary Photography; University of Kentucky, Economics; Transylvania University, Political Science

_______________________________

Tell us a little bit about your position at the press.

This is a semi-new position at the press. We have had a full-time designer on staff before, but it has been years. Basically, my job is to design the covers for all of the books that we publish. Pressure, much!?

 

43. 1955

Sir Barton, 1955. Courtesy of the National Museum of Racing

What’s one of your favorite UPK titles and why?

 

I think it will be Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown, as long as the powers that be go with my favorite of the three cover concepts that I just submitted. Just kidding.

 

 

If someone was visiting Kentucky for the first time and you were their tour guide, where would you take them? Any specific restaurants, landmarks, etc.?

Shaker Village for the architecture, Mammoth Cave for the wonder, the UK Art Museum for the art, and the rooftop patio at Dudley’s Restaurant for the drinks.

What’s your favorite word?

Nice cover. Oh wait, that’s two words.

Do you have a favorite font? If so, what is it?

Do you have a favorite child?

Did you always know you wanted to work in publishing? When you were a kid, did you want to do something different as an adult?

I’ve been interested in art and design for many years, but when I was a kid I wanted to be an astronomer.

If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would you choose?

Why ruin the illusion?

What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

My mom is 98, so we try to get large-print books for her, which I sometimes pick up and read. The last book I read was one of her large-print Patricia Cornwell novels, and no, I would not recommend it.

Any hidden talents?

Hiding my talents.

If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

Sailboat captain.

Hayward

Farewell to a Sports Legend

NewtonC.M. Newton, a giant in the history of the University of Kentucky, the Southeastern Conference, and in the sport of basketball, died Monday, June 4. Newton launched a basketball coaching career that spanned three decades at three different institutions. He began in 1956 at Transylvania College (where he recruited that program’s first African-American player), followed by coaching stints at the University of Alabama (where he recruited that program’s first African-American player and led the Crimson Tide to three straight SEC titles) and at Vanderbilt University, before returning to his alma mater in 1989 to become UK’s athletic director, a post he held for 11 years.

Newton is widely credited for navigating the resurrection of UK’s basketball program after the NCAA imposed three years probation and other sanctions following the 1988–89 season. He also hired Bernadette Mattox as UK’s first African-American women’s basketball coach (in 1995) and Orlando (“Tubby”) Smith as the university’s first African-American men’s basketball coach (in 1997).

He served as president of USA basketball from 1992–1996 and helped select the United States Olympic “Dream Team” of 1992. In 2000 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

brunkCover.inddNewton reflected on his career in Wildcat Memories: Inside Stories from Kentucky Basketball Greats by Doug Brunk. In honor of this sports legend, here is an excerpt from the book:


Having grown up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida I had never seen snow before I went to Kentucky. Being in such a different environment was quite a culture shock to me. In fact, there were times I was so homesick that I thought of leaving the program and returning to Florida. My teammate Ralph Beard and our team manager Humsey Yessin talked me out of that. They’d say things like, “you don’t want to leave Kentucky” and “we’re here for you.” So I stayed.

As a player I never had a significant impact because I was a substitute. But I always felt a part of something really big. The fact that I played on the 1951 national championship team, the fact that I made the travel squad, and that I was one of the first substitutes off the bench made it palatable for me.

Coach Rupp was very important to me because he motivated in a different way than what I was accustomed to. He motivated by fear, mostly, but he was an outstanding basketball coach. I never did break through that fear of Coach Rupp. For example, I’m the only player that ever played for Coach Rupp who went on to coach against him and won. This was in 1972, during my third year as coach of the men’s basketball team at the University of Alabama. We beat the Wildcats 73-70 on our home court. Coach Rupp always considered former players as “one of his boys.” You never were a peer, but I wanted to be a coaching peer of his. When our Alabama team beat him that day I thought that might be a breakthrough on the way to that goal but it wasn’t. After our win he congratulated me and said we deserved to win. Then he said, “but…” — and with that I was transported right back to the player-coach relationship. “You’re trying to do too much offensively,” he told me. “You need to simplify your offense.” He wasn’t being critical; that was just his nature.

My freshman year as a player for UK was Coach Harry Lancaster’s first as a full-time assistant coach. Coach Lancaster actually did more teaching than Coach Rupp did. He was very good to me over the years, and very demanding. He became UK’s baseball coach my junior year and I was a member of that team. He was a task master but he was great to be around. I enjoyed him a great deal.

My teammates and I were student-athletes in the truest sense of the word. We were expected to come in and perform well in basketball as athletes, and we were expected to earn a degree in four years. Today’s players are much more coddled and recruited and different in that respect. I never will forget our transition from the 2,800-seat Alumni Gym, where I played until my junior year, to the 11,500-seat Memorial Coliseum. At the time many people thought Memorial Coliseum was just too big. “They’ll never fill it up,” critics said. But they did. There were similar sentiments expressed by critics and even by some coaches when Rupp Arena was built. Yet today, it’s difficult to find an open seat at any UK game played there. 

I was the head men’s basketball coach at Vanderbilt University in 1989 when I got a phone call from UK’s then-president Dr. David P. Roselle asking if I would consider becoming UK’s athletic director in the wake of an NCAA probation. I had no thought of leaving Vanderbilt for UK or anyplace else. But Dr. Roselle convinced me that I was not only wanted as the athletic director but that I was needed. It was the “needed” part that really got to me because UK had been so good to me over the years. They’d provided me an opportunity to receive an education and to play basketball. I had become a successful basketball coach because of my experience there. So off I went to UK.

[. . .]

The Big Blue Nation is fanatical about UK basketball. The way I see it, their level of devotion is on par with that of fans who follow Alabama Crimson Tide football. They are great fans in every respect of the word. Sometimes I felt like they took it too seriously and took it over the line, and yet you’d rather have that then have them be indifferent. People really care about Kentucky basketball. The Big Blue Nation includes people from all walks of life: alumni, bankers, coal miners, and even some who have never set foot on campus in Lexington. It doesn’t matter; they’re Kentucky fans.
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