(cover art by Femi J Johnson. Instagram: @femijj) In today’s post, we’re excited to feature a discussion by Megan Cole Paustian, an insightful author and academic whose work, Humanitarian Fictions: Africa, Altruism, and the Narrative Imagination, explores the complex relationship between storytelling and humanitarian efforts in Africa. Paustian critiques the oversimplified ‘white savior’ trope and its impact on aid effectiveness, offering a compelling argument for the role of literature in imagining more equitable and nuanced approaches to humanitarianism. Her examination encourages ..read more

Praised by Herb Boyd for bringing “a lively descriptive narrative to this timeless section of Harlem,” Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill: Alexander Hamilton’s Old Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries is coming in April. Author Davida Siwisa James talked with the blog. Q: Let’s start with some coordinates. Where are Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill? DSJ: Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill are in the elevated part of West Harlem, adjacent to Washington Heights. The historically recognized boundaries are approximately 135th Street and Edgecombe/St. Nicholas avenues to about 165th Street stretchin ..read more

Praised by Nicholas Dagen Bloom at Hunter College as “a readable autobiographical account, integrating personal memoir and housing policy analysis,” Just City: Growing Up on the Upper West Side When Housing Was a Human Right is coming in April from Fordham University Press. Here, author Jennifer Baum talks about the book. Q: Manhattan’s Upper West Side is one of those neighborhoods that conjures vivid associations for many people. Tell me how your book fits in with the tangle of ideas and realities about this storied place. JB: I feel as though my book gives voice to a collective experience ..read more

1. Could you describe your current position as an intern? What are some of your responsibilities? As an intern at FUP my main responsibility was securing and keeping up with peer reviews. Any book from a university press will have been read and critiqued by someone in the author’s field. I was responsible for reaching out to prominent academics for reviews and keeping in communication with the reviewers until they were paid. I also worked with artists who provided the art for book covers. This was a similar process to reviewers where I would remain in communication with them until they had be ..read more

By Raj Tawney, author of Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience Two years ago, when my then-agency was shopping a proposal around for what would be my debut memoir, they were having a difficult time generating an offer. Many of the big houses said my story was beautiful, but they were unsure how to market it. With no offer on the table and dwindling interest from my representation, I decided to leave the agency. My manuscript sat on the shelf for months while I worked on other projects. I was heartbroken and felt rejected by an industry more interested in dar ..read more

PRESS RELEASE New York, NY – Fordham University Press (FUP) is excited to announce a groundbreaking venture to launch direct-to-consumer e-commerce for their extensive range of eBooks, in partnership with Glassboxx. This initiative represents a significant development in FUP’s commitment to digital accessibility and customer engagement, allowing readers to purchase and enjoy eBooks directly through FUP’s enhanced website and a new reader-friendly app. This strategic move aligns with FUP’s ongoing efforts to adapt to evolving reader preferences and technological advancements. “At Fordham Univ ..read more

The leaves are burning the color of fire, the wind now carries that crisp scent of autumn, and there seems to be an abundance of tiny pumpkins almost everywhere. The only thing missing is the perfect book to crack open on park benches during lunch/ bathroom breaks alike. You find yourself craving a good read just as much as a pumpkin spice latte. Luckily, you can relax—simply scroll for ten reads that are sure to capture the spooky spirit of October. Fall 2023 | Available for Pre-order | publication date: 11/7/23 A brief, but amazingly thorough discussion of Lovecraft’s biography. . . Very a ..read more

By Wendy Kozol, author of The War In-Between (forthcoming May 7, 2024) Who among us hasn’t been emotionally gutted by the images from Israel and Gaza circulating on media platforms since October 7? The problem, though, is that as we continue to watch this horrifying and escalating war unfold, it gets easier to suspend critical judgment of this heavily curated archive. Spectacles of suffering and violence may help sustain international attention to the ongoing crisis, but they also delimit our understanding of the complex histories of this region by envisioning spaces of militarism as only and ..read more

PRESS RELEASE Joyce Studies Annual New Co-editors Announcement: Accepting Submissions as of September 1, 2023 We are pleased to announce that the new co-editors of Joyce Studies Annual beginning in 2023 are Keri Walsh and Christopher GoGwilt. In summer of 2022, Fordham University Press released the Ulysses centenary issue of Joyce Studies Annual (JSA), edited by Moshe Gold and Keri Walsh. It features a diverse array of challenging and captivating pieces on every episode of Ulysses.  Now, following a year’s hiatus to complete the centenary issue, Joyce Studies Annual is accepting submissi ..read more

By David J. Goodwin, author of “Midnight Rambles: H.P Lovecraft in Gotham“ The influential horror writer H. P. Lovecraft explored Manhattan’s Greenwich Village on the eve of his thirty-fourth birthday in August 1924. His account captures his relationship with New York City and reveals both the enchanting and repulsive elements of his character.   Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Howard Phillips Lovecraft adored his hometown, even hyperbolically declaring it to be “the most beautiful city in the world!”[i] An obscure horror and science fiction writer publishing exclusively in pulp magazin ..read more