CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois Press is hosting a book show and a book TV bus this month.
In cooperation with the Illini Union Bookstore and Insight Communications, the
U. of I. Press will host C-SPAN 2's Book TV from 10 to noon Thursday (Sept. 20). The bus, a 45-foot-long motor coach outfitted with a mobile television production studio and media demonstration center, will be parked at the corner of Wright and Daniel streets in Champaign next to the bookstore, which is at 809 S. Wright St.
The 2007 Book, Jacket and Journal Show of the Association of American University Presses will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept 28. (Friday) at the U. of I. Press offices, 1325 S. Oak St., Champaign. The show is appearing at five university presses nationwide.
"The U. of I. Press is delighted that Book TV has chosen to interview authors representative of the many strengths of our university," said Willis Regier, the director of the U. of I. Press. "Scholarly books and journals are as vital as ever for promoting and assessing research, for up-to-date teaching, and for taking work out of the campus and into the world at large."
"The Illini Union Bookstore is excited that Book TV has chosen the University of Illinois for a location," said Brad Bridges, the director of the bookstore. "This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the important work of U. of I. authors and to allow students to view TV production from the inside out."
During its visit, Book TV will interview the following U. of I. authors:
- Eric Arnesen, professor of history and African American studies at the U. of I. at Chicago, and the editor of "The Black Worker: Race, Labor, and Civil Rights Since Emancipation" (U. of I. Press, 2007).
- Orville Vernon Burton, U. of I. professor of history and director of the Illinois Center for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and author of "The Age of Lincoln" (Hill and Wang, 2007).
- Bruce Michelson, U. of I. professor of English and director of the Campus Honors Program, and author of "Printer's Devil: Mark Twain and the American Publishing Revolution" (University of California Press, 2007).
- Robert Dale Parker, U. of I. professor of English, and author of "The Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky: The Writings of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007);
- Dan Schiller, professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, and author of "How to Think About Information" (University of Illinois Press, 2007).
The Book TV Bus has been touring the nation since 2005, promoting C-SPAN 2's weekend-long programming of non-fiction books and authors, and collecting interesting literary programming from communities around the country.
Visitors to the bus will be able to tour the set and watch an interactive demonstration about Book TV programming. The bus also provides an opportunity to learn how a television show is produced.
Book TV's non-commercial programming is broadcast every weekend on C-SPAN 2, which is available in 77.5 million households. C-SPAN 2 can be viewed in Champaign-Urbana on Insight cable channel 16.
During the book show the press will hold a special reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 (Wednesday) at it offices. All viewings and the reception are free and open to the public.
On view will be 50 books and jackets representing "the best of university press publishing," said the press's art director, Copenhaver Cumpston.
A limited number of high quality catalogs that show each entry in full color with typographic, paper, printing and binding information, along with designers' and judges' comments, will be available at no cost.
The U. of I. Press supports the mission of the university through the worldwide dissemination of significant scholarship, striving to enhance and extend the reputation of the university. Through its publishing programs, the press promotes research and education, enriches cultural and intellectual life and fosters regional pride.
In 2008, the press will celebrate its 90th anniversary.
Contact Michael Roux at the press for more information at 217-244-4689 or mroux@uillinois.edu, or Franne Davis at the Illini Union Bookstore at 217-244-1522 or fadavis@illinois.edu.