Bookshelf

(Philadelphia: Frayed Edge Press, 2023).

Nagle offers the first complete English-language translation of La Guzla, a literary hoax that dates back to the 19^th century. Originally published in 1827, La Guzla purported to be a collection of folktales, ballad lyrics, and travel narratives compiled and translated into French by an anonymous traveler returning from the Balkans. However, it was soon revealed that both the stories and their “translator” were the fictional accounts of a young civil servant named Prosper Mérimée. Along with footnotes explaining the historical and sociological context of the author’s “discoveries,” this new translation includes Mérimée’s preface to the 1840 edition of the work, in which he confesses to the deception, as well as a translator’s note by Nagle, who discusses the work’s background and the challenges of translating it. Her translations of prose and poetry from French and Spanish also have appeared in such journals as AGNI, The Southern Review, ANMLY, and The Los Angeles Review.

(Toronto: Sutherland House Books, 2023).

Miracles are possible. That’s the first line in the description of this book. According to the publisher, “An accomplished storyteller with a refreshing, humorous voice, Rabbi Zedek draws on a range of materials including biblical tales, Indian and Japanese folklore, the works of St. Augustine, Einstein, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Groucho Marx to take readers on a truly original search for spiritual sustenance in everyday life. Readers will learn how to identify and appreciate the miraculous in an often-mundane world; how to take God seriously when much of the intellectual world doesn’t; and how to make the most out of underutilized spiritual resources such as poetry and prayer. Heartfelt and amusing, Taking Miracles Seriously is a master course on how to craft an enriched and enriching spiritual life.”

(Bloomfield, Conn.: Antrim House, 2019).
One reviewer described the author’s debut collection of poetry this way: “Doug Hyde, with his wide lens and clear eye, draws us in through his meticulous observation of both nature and human nature. He shows us what it feels like to climb a mountain, to note bird songs or a returning nesting squirrel, or to feel the poignancy of intimate engagement with those he loves. The love poems seem lit from within. There is puckish humor here too, as when he manages to get a granddaughter to behave at table or to wear clothes while helping to build a wall. There is also loss in the lived experience recounted, as when love is temporarily lost until a bridge can be rebuilt. In the face of life’s inevitable losses, Hyde’s poems offer solace: ‘And so we persevere . . . measuring our days.’ He tells ‘heart’s truth,’ and our souls are nourished as if we’d spent time with an especially wise and observant friend.”

(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023).
A history of public private growth and antipoverty partnerships since the New Deal, this book centers the perspectives and mobilization of local business elites — e.g., chambers of commerce and regional development organizations — to trace deep continuities and change between the New Deal, mid century liberalism, and neoliberal modes of governance. The author is an assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.

(Great Goal Books, 2023).
From Pelé to Raí, Ruy Ramos, and Zico, Brazil has produced an incredible number of dazzling soccer players and champions. Having lived in the country for almost two decades and attended 10 consecutive World Cups, the author offers his inside take on the secrets of samba soccer culture. This book includes dozens of full-color photos showing Brazil’s star players in action, plus highlights of Beebe’s global travels to watch high-profile soccer matches on six continents.

(New York: New York University Press, 2023).
While families of color make up 41 percent of homeschoolers in America, little is known about the racial dimensions of this alternate form of education. Drawing from almost 100 interviews with Black and white middle-class homeschooling and non-homeschooling families, the author investigates why this percentage has grown exponentially in the past two decades. According to the publisher, Stewart’s findings contradict many commonly held beliefs about the rationales for homeschooling. Rather than choosing to homeschool based on religious or political beliefs, many middle-class Black mothers cite their schooling choices as motivated by concerns of racial discrimination in public schools and the school-to-prison pipeline. Conversely, middle-class white mothers had the privilege of not having to consider race in their decision-making process, opting for homeschooling because of concerns that traditional schools would not adequately cater to their child's behavioral or academic needs.

(Brentwood, Tenn.: Permuted Press, 2023).
This book tells of the relentless advocacy of Vietnam War-era POW/MIA wives, whose persistence outlasted repeated admonitions from the U.S. government to “keep quiet.” These women waged their battle against the backdrop of cultural, social, and economic upheaval, at a time when women could not obtain a credit card without a husband’s signature. Despite the stonewalling they encountered, the women took their case to the Paris Peace Accords and the world leaders there. They testified before Congress to demand an accounting for their men. Moving from the sidelines to the front lines of diplomacy, the women made the POW/MIA issue central to the peace negotiations, ultimately changing policy so “no man is left behind.”

(Mineral Point, Wis.: Little Creek Press, 2022).
In this, the author’s third novel, he weaves the plot-twisting tale of what happens following the brutal murder of a local city councilwoman. According to the publisher, “Detective Lincoln Barnes and her cerebral partner, Warren, lead an investigation that focuses on the charismatic mayor and the victim’s chief aide. Barnes’ romantic encounter with a judge turns into an obsession after she discovers startling facts about his past. As she and Warren close in on the killer, events occur that make her question her future as a Minneapolis cop and contemplate a new life with a man who's either the answer to her prayers or the personification of evil.”

(Why Not Books, 2023).
This work of historical fiction focuses on Jack Morgan, who returns home from World War II desolate from the trauma of the battlefield and the unexpected departure of his wife, who left with their young son. He moves to West Virginia with his sister Nellie to take a job as a high school teacher and football coach. The two soon find themselves opening their home to community members in need and are eventually lauded for their compassion. Rich with historical facts and anecdotes, the novel also offers a snapshot of post-war America and West Virginia’s prominent role in it — from race relations, to politics, to baseball.

(Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, 2023).
With a focus on mainstream Bombay cinema, the author identifies singing, listening, and speaking as key sites in which gendered notions of identity and difference take form. According to the publisher, “Charting new paths through seven decades of film, media, and cultural history, Sundar identifies key shifts in women’s playback voices and the Islamicate genre of the qawwali. She also conceptualizes spoken language as sound, and turns up the volume on a capacious, multilingual politics of belonging that scholarly and popular accounts of nation typically render silent.”