Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird (Princeton University Press), by Dean of the Faculty and professor of English Gene Andrew Jarrett ’97, was published in June in honor of the 150th birthday of this Black poet, a pivotal figure in American literature. Jarrett offers the first full-scale biography of Dunbar, who was born during Reconstruction to formerly enslaved parents. This detailed account celebrates Dunbar and his impact on poetry and American literary history.
As in their first two book installments, history and public affairs professor Julian E. Zelizer and more than a dozen historians offer insights on a presidential administration: this time, the Trump administration. The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment (Princeton University Press) complements books on George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Contributors include Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Kathleen Belew, and Jason Scott Smith.
In Reading Shakespeare Reading Me (Fordham University Press), professor of comparative literature Leonard Barkan explores the profound ways the books you read shape your life. Focusing on the works of Shakespeare, from King Lear to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Barkan wants readers to reconsider what it means to read.
Many of us strive for greatness. But in his latest book, The Good-Enough Life (Princeton University Press), Avram Alpert, a lecturer in the Writing Program, argues that this obsession is damaging to our health, relationships, and overall well-being. Instead, he makes the case to strive for “decent” to lessen stressors, cutthroat competition, and divisions. He highlights how we can work together to cultivate a rewarding, leisurely life.
In Christ Is Time: The Gospel According to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) (Cascade Books), Mark James Edwards, a lecturer in religion, analyzes the teachings of the Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth. Looking particularly at Barth’s Church Dogmatics — a four-volume work that explores principles of the Christian gospels — Edwards blends these religious insights with a musical playlist featuring Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and more. As he reflects on certain principles, such as having compassion for others, he connects them to lyrics that preach similar messages.
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