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The SUNY series, Humanities to the Rescue publishes books in partnership with the Humanities Institute at the University of Buffalo. Our newest title in the series, Utopian Imaginings: Saving the Future in the Present, edited by Victoria W. Wolcott, challenges readers to use utopian thinking and practice to counter the conditions of the present and create an alternative future.

Our series in Italian/American Culture is the first and, to date, only series to focus exclusively on the study of Italian American culture. Now available in paperback, Italian Trans Geographies, edited by Danila Cannamela, Marzia Mauriello, and Summer Minerva, provides a remapping of Italian and Italian American culture by retracing trans and gender-variant experiences within Italy and along diasporic routes.

"To my knowledge, this collection is absolutely unique—and, for that reason, absolutely vital. Over and over again, I was impressed with how smart it is. Besides being accessible to audiences both inside and outside of the academy, the movement across gender studies, anthropology, history, and political activism is also useful. I learned a lot by reading this anthology, and it really challenged me to think about the relationship between my own Sicilian American identity, gender, and sexuality, and the possibilities they might present for future projects and encounters, both scholarly and personal." — John Champagne, author of Queer Ventennio: Italian Fascism, Homoerotic Art, and the Nonmodern in the Modern

"Modeled after Pier Paolo Pasolini's Comizi d’amore, Italian Trans Geographies challenges the concept of 'trans' from a geographical and gender studies lens. This foundational work casts light upon numerous 'othered' voices from diverse generations, the most noteworthy being Porpora Marcasciano's, to demonstrate how space, place, and time impact trans people's lives and how they, in return, frame the spaces they inhabit. The structure of the opus is unique and forces the texts to speak to each other, while the translations shine. Italian Trans Geographies is a 'must have' for those studying gender within the Italian Diaspora." — Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas

Our Horizons of Cinema series aims to publish accessible, critical, and appealing studies of the history, production, cultural reception, and social meaning of film, considered either retrospectively or with a view to future developments (or both). Subjects may include specific films, filmmakers, genres, historical eras of film production, and production processes; as well as multicultural, ethnographic, technical, and theoretical aspects of cinema. 

Is Harpo Free?: And Other Questions of the Metaphysical Screen, by Matthew Cipa, examines how philosophical concepts like free will, personal identity, and goodness are given an artistic life in films and television programs.

"This book is an excellent introduction to metaphysical concepts in and of film, and both the clarity with which they are expressed and the deftness with which they are applied make it a very rewarding read. Cipa stretches our understanding and renews our appetite for thinking about cinema and television." — Daniel Varndell, University of Winchester

"Many colleges and graduate programs have courses in film theory, but this book is a rarity these days in that its themes are ideas so universal, and so deep, that it has a fair chance of finding an audience among nonspecialists. All it really requires of the reader is a love of film and television." — William Rothman, University of Miami

New in paperback, The Human Figure on Film: Natural, Pictorial, Institutional, Fictional, by Seth Barry Watter, offers a fresh approach to the problem of the human figure in an age of digital cinema.

"This is a major contribution to the ontology of film. It extends our understanding of what the human figure on film is, what it does, and some very important ways in which it has attracted scholarly attention. It is still with me, haunting my thinking and teaching about film in the present, and one can hardly ask more of a book." — Jason Jacobs, author of Reluctant Sleuths, True Detectives

New in paperback from our music studies list, The Jazz Problem: Education and the Battle for Morality during the Jazz Age, by Jacob Hardesty, shows how jazz spurred a generational debate that reshaped American culture.

"Engaging and interesting to read by a layperson, but also well researched, documented, and written for scholars in the history of jazz, American music, or music education." — Phillip Hash, School of Music, Illinois State University

"As important as this period of jazz is, it continues to be understudied in a variety of ways. This manuscript is a good example of finding new ways to study this era without revisiting the same well-trod ground." — Court Carney, Stephen F. Austin State University

Interested in art and walking? Also new in paperback, Walking as Artistic Practice, by Ellen Mueller, lays out foundational information about the history of walking and its development as an artistic practice, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. 

"As a long distance thru-hiker and multidisciplinary visual artist invested in social engagement, I am very excited about what this book will bring to those interested in bringing walking as artistic practice and social engagement into their studio practice and classrooms. … This book will become even more relevant as we continue to navigate the pandemic looking for solace in connecting with ourselves and others, reimagining purpose for our lives, the 'great resignation,' navigating a global mental health crisis, relearning practical skills and traditions." — Karen Gergely, Associate Professor of Art, Graceland University

"This book comes at a prescient time in the field as more artists, arts organizations, nonprofits, and community groups move toward new ways to engage audiences, participants, members, and neighbors. This book is highly useable and approachable." — Kevin McKelvey, Director of Master of Arts in Social Practice Art, University of Indianapolis

Happy reading and come back to see what's new next month!