UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Press has launched “PSU Press Presents,” a monthly series of free virtual events featuring authors of new and recent books in conversation with one another. Topics reflect the wide range of subjects published by the Press, including history, rhetoric, literature, animal studies, graphic studies, nature, medieval studies and many more.
The series was formed in response to the need to cancel in-person author events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Cate Fricke, associate marketing director for the Press.
“Virtual events give authors the opportunity to connect with their readers and one another in a time of isolation,” Fricke said. “Because these take place online, more people from all over the world can tune in.”
The series kicked off in June with a panel discussion on new books in the field of early American studies. The July event, “Pennsylvania Stories: Community and Activism in the Keystone State,” discussed recent books that highlight community building, organizing and activism in Pennsylvania's history. Recordings of both events are available to watch on the Press’s Facebook page.
The next event, “Animals and the Anthropocene,” will take place at 4 p.m. on Aug. 28. Guests will be:
- Marcus Baynes-Rock, author of “Crocodile Undone: The Domestication of Australia’s Fauna”
- Louise Green, author of “Fragments from the History of Loss: The Nature Industry and the Postcolony”
- Susan McHugh, author of “Love in a Time of Slaughters: Human-Animal Stories Against Genocide and Extinction”
- Deborah Nadal, author of “Rabies in the Streets: Interspecies Camaraderie in Urban India"
The publishing arm of Penn State and a division of Penn State University Libraries, the Press promotes the advance of scholarship by disseminating knowledge — new information, interpretations, methods of analysis — widely in books, journals and digital publications.
Attendance for all PSU Press Presents events is free, but advance registration is required. Events will take place on Zoom and be concurrently broadcast to Facebook Live. To learn more about upcoming events and to register, visit https://www.psupress.org/PSUP_Presents.html.