Books published by University of Illinois Press

Positioning the minimum wage as a fulcrum for the most basic conflict underlying America's unique combination of democracy and a market economy, this title shows how a defense of the minimum wage built on a communal sense of responsibility rests on a strong tradition of civic republicanism and strengthens the hope for a truly democratic society.

Traversing the no-man's-land of political loyalty and betrayal, this title documents the fierce battle for the minds and hearts of American prisoners during the Korean War. It describes the soldiers' day-to-day experiences in prisoner-of-war camps and the shocking treatment some of them received at the hands of their own countrymen after the war.

Presents an introduction to the movers and shakers who have shaped Illinois as well as to the state's history and geography. This book includes profiles of important Illinois residents, from inventor John Deere to scientist Enrico Fermi and from poet Gwendolyn Brooks to entrepreneur Ray Kroc.

Opening not only a reconsideration of genre in medieval European lyric, this book also re-examines the notion of "genre" itself, showing that it should be considered as an historical phenomenon influenced by the cultures in which the lyrics arose. It also explores the relations of medieval lyric genres to their historical contexts.

Focusing specifically on the Russian writer Isaac Babel and Americans Mike Gold, Samuel Ornitz, and Daniel Fuchs, but also taking in cartoons, movies, and modernist paintings, this title casts the Jewish gangster as a favorite figure used by left-wing Jewish writers to examine their own place in world history.

Moving from classic texts ("The Secret Garden" and "Goodnight Moon") to ephemera ("the Hardy Boys", "Goosebumps", and "Harry Potter" series), from the printed page to the silver screen ("Willie Wonka", "Jumanji", "101 Dalmatians" and "Beethoven"), this title intends to interrogate children's culture and reveal its conflicting messages.

Surveys examples of contemporary literature, drama, art, and music that extend the literary tradition of African-American slave narratives. Revealing the powerful creative links between this tradition and liberation theology's search for grace, this title shows how these artworks profess a liberating theology of racial empathy and reconciliation.

Beginning with two turn-of-the-century operas - Frederick Delius' "A Village Romeo and Juliet" and Claude Debussy's "Pellias et Mlisande" - that present humankind as lost in a tangled wood that is at once internal and external, this title develops the theme of wilderness in sociological, psychological, ecological, and even geological terms.

Known as the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe pioneered a different category of music and inspired generations of musicians and fans. This title offers a tribute to the man and the musician who transformed the traditional music of western Kentucky into an international sensation.

Exploding the myth that the Bible was largely unknown to medieval lay folk, this title presents a comprehensive catalog of Middle English biblical literature: a body of work that, because of its accessibility and familiarity, was the primary biblical resource of the English Middle Ages.

Explores how traumatic loss affects identity and how those who are shaped by loss give shape, in turn, to the empty place where something - relationships, family, culture - was and is no longer. Taking the example of the decimation of European Jewry during the Nazi era, this title confronts the problem of transforming trauma into cultural memory.

Explores the prospects for a comprehensive approach to evaluating environmental programs. This book provides integrated perspectives on the task of environmental program evaluation. It contains essays that are organized thematically, covering institutional, scientific, economic, and administrative topics.

Publication of this long-awaited volume makes available for the first time in complete and accessible form the most important source of information on Lincoln's early life. For twenty-five years after the president's death William Herndon, his law partner, conducted interviews with and solicited letters from dozens of persons who knew Lincoln personally. Up to now, the valuable information he collected has been available only in a microfilm edition in the Library of Congress, of such poor quality that it has been rarely used, particularly since there was no table of contents or adequate index, and in collections at the Huntington Library and the Illinois State Historical Library. The only previous publication of Herndon's materials, more than a half century ago, contains less than 10 percent of the collection and is so unreliable that scholars have hesitated to use it. Douglas Wilson and Rodney Davis have earned the gratitude and admiration of scholars by taking on the daunting task of collating the collections in the three libraries, painstakingly deciphering the all but illegible handwriting of Herndon and some of his informants, and carefully documenting the entire work.

This sweeping overview of Norwegian-American literature         goes beyond fiction, poetry, and drama to probe letters, travel accounts,         informational emigration aids, and newspapers. The author brings to his         work extensive knowledge of the American cultural setting. His clear,         jargon-free writing style will be welcomed by scholars and layreaders         alike, as he gives the impression of examining literature almost from         within, rather than from the vantage point of a literary critic.

A collection of photographs that uncovers the mystery and beauty of the American Midwest, a part of America that for most people is hidden in plain view. It reveals both the physical splendor and the natural history of this ten-state region encompassing Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

At a time when technology can sustain marginal life, it is more important to understand what constitutes a person. What are the medical, ethical, moral, mental, legal, and philosophical criteria that determine protectable human life? This book addresses with another ambitious and complicated matter: determining the nature of personhood.

Covering the breadth of Native musical experience, from traditional to contemporary styles