The USC book corner: fall 2013
Posted on: October 3, 2013; Updated on: October 3, 2013
By Liz McCarthy, lwhite@mailbox.sc.edu
USC faculty members continue to fill bookshelves with new volumes. Here are just a few new releases to add to your to-read or listen list.
“Cancer in our Family: Helping Children Cope with a Parent’s Illness”
Sue P. Heiney, nursing, and Joan F. Hermann
A parent's cancer diagnosis can be extremely stressful for children, whether they're toddlers or teenagers, and this helpful, calming guide teaches parents how to talk to children and help allay their fears. With expert advice on the latest psychosocial approaches to helping children cope, this guide helps parents teach children about the diagnosis, treatment, potential recurrences of the illness and terminal illness.
“Splendor of the True: A Frithjof Schuon Reader”
James S. Cutsinger, religious studies
Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998), the leading figure in the perennialist school of comparative religious thought, remains one of the most provocative voices on religion. In "Splendor of the True," James S. Cutsinger selects essential writings that reflect the full range of Schuon’s thought on religion and tradition, metaphysics and epistemology, human nature and destiny, sacred art and symbolism, and spirituality and contemplative method. In addition to Schuon’s essays, the book includes a number of poems, artworks and previously unpublished materials drawn from his letters, personal memoirs and private texts for disciples.
“Still: American Silent Motion Picture Photography”
David S. Shields, English
While the American silent movie was one of the most significant popular art forms of the modern age, it is also one that is largely lost to us, as more than 80 percent of silent films have disappeared, the victims of age, disaster and neglect. We now know about many of these cinematic masterpieces only from the collections of still portraits and production photographs that were originally created for publicity and reference. Capturing the beauty, horror and moodiness of silent motion pictures, these images are remarkable pieces of art in their own right. In the first history of still camera work generated by the American silent motion picture industry, David S. Shields chronicles the evolution of silent film aesthetics, glamour and publicity and provides unparalleled insight into this influential body of popular imagery.
“The Black Urban Atlantic in the Age of the Slave Trade”
Matt Childs, history, and Jorge Canizares-Esguerra and James Sidbury
In "The Black Urban Atlantic in the Age of the Slave Trade," 11 original essays by leading scholars from the U.S., Europe and Latin America chronicle the black experience in Atlantic ports, providing a rich and diverse portrait of the ways in which Africans experienced urban life during the era of plantation slavery. Describing life in Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, the Caribbean and Africa, this volume illuminates the historical identity, agency and autonomy of the African experience as well as the crucial role Atlantic cities played in the formation of scattered cultures. By shifting focus from plantations, this volume poses new questions about the nature of slavery in the 16th to 19th centuries, illustrating early modern urban spaces as multiethnic sites of social connectivity, cultural incubation and political negotiation.
Robert Richmond, theater
In 2011, Robert Richmond staged a new production of "Othello" at the Folger Theatre. The Washington Post called the production "compulsively watchable" and the Washington Examiner said "Richmond imbued the play with passion and a sense of novelty." As actors prepared for their final week of performances, they stepped into the recording studio to expand their stage production to an audio recording of the full text of Shakespeare's play. The result is this densely layered recording, which brings Shakespeare's words from the stage of the Folger to a new audio audience.
Faculty members are encouraged to submit their upcoming and recent books for the next book corner. Email Liz McCarthy at lizmccarthy@sc.edu.
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