In the spirit of Halloween, the team at Purdue University Press took a little time for trick or treat in a way that, like us, is all about the books.
Please tell us about a book you thought was a treat to read or a book you’d like to give someone as a treat:
Director Justin Race:
“How much closure am I going to get? Like 30%? I need at least 30%.”
That was the question from a friend when I was vigorously recommending Haruki Murakami to him. He hadn’t read any of his books, but he knew him by his reputation for magical realism. I had to admit, if he was looking for a resolution by the last page, he was going to be disappointed. But I’ve always found the world a beguiling place, and truth stranger than fiction. I don’t pretend to fully understand what’s going on in my own life or my own head, so I don’t have those expectations for the fiction I read. Throughout Murakami’s works, strange things happen: surreal, mind-bending, dream-like, otherworldly—spooky, even. Trying to summarize his plots is like dancing with your shadow, if your shadow were to become completely unattached from you. I don’t think there’s a “right” book to start with. Coming up on 50 years of publishing, his writing today is just as compelling as what he was doing before I was even born. I recommend Pinball, 1973, if for no other reason than I just happened to reread it recently. It’s always dangerous to return to a book you loved years before—the book is the same, but you may have changed. For me, it still held up.
Editorial, Design, and Production Manager Katherine Purple:
My husband has been reading the Harry Potter series to our eight-year-old daughter to familiarize her with the stories before going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal on vacation. It’s been a treat to see this series anew through her eyes as I listen along. I grew up with the books as they came out in real-time, and the movies simply do not do the narrative justice. Our daughter received her own wand and spent our day at the theme park making magic all over the place!
Production Editor Tara Saunders:
Emma Cline’s The Guest was an absolute treat to read the whole way through—razor-sharp descriptions and commentary from an outsider POV character who is trying very hard (and with delightfully disturbing success) to pose as an insider. I’ll let you decide whether the ending functions as a trick, a treat, or both.
Please tell us about a book that was a treat to work on:
Editorial, Design, and Production Manager Katherine Purple:
Recently I had the opportunity to work with Michael R. Rosmann on his forthcoming Meditations on Farming (November 2024), and we connected on our shared love of fishing. His text convinced me that I need to give fly-fishing a try! The author even gives useful instructions within the volume on how to tie your own “little black fly,” his secret weapon.
Acquisitions Editor Andrea Gapsch:
Joan Dalton’s Second Chances: The Transformative Relationship Between Incarcerated Youth and Shelter Dogs (Forthcoming May 2025) was a treat to work on. I really enjoyed the process of working with the author to develop her memoir. Joan’s book details her experience implementing a program that incorporated dogs into a juvenile incarceration center. The story is very heartwarming, offering a sensitive portrayal of incarcerated youths and their relationships with foster dogs, and Joan’s journey to developing the program into a nonprofit.
Production Editor Tara Saunders:
I’m going to say that issues of Philip Roth Studies are always a treat to work on, because while I have already read a fair number of Roth’s novels, I find myself adding other ones to my TBR list every time a new issue goes into production and I learn what Roth scholars are talking about now!
All of us here at Purdue University Press wish you a happy Halloween. We look forward to continuing to treat you to access to interesting, educational, and exciting new books throughout the year.