Library Exhibit Celebrates 50 Years of Publishing Excellence

Since 1959, the UA Press has generated a remarkable list of titles from archaeology to space science.

The University of Arizona Libraries will host an exhibit honoring the UA's publishing arm. The retrospective exhibit, "Fifty Years of Publishing Excellence: The University of Arizona Press, 1959-2009," will run through May 29 in Special Collections at the UA Main Library. The exhibit showcases the books and awards that have contributed to the UA Press's international reputation.

The prime focus of the UA Press has been anthropology, Latina/Latino and Native American studies, Western history and space sciences, with nearly 1,000 books in print.

Examples include University Distinguished Professor J. Jefferson Reid and Stephanie Whittlesey's "The Archaeology of Ancient Arizona," Douglas Kupel's "Fuel for Growth" and "Writing on the Edge" by Tom Miller. And for the memoir devotee, there is Richard Shelton's classic "Going Back to Bisbee," which has sold more than 30,000 copies since its publication in 1992.

As part of the celebration, Heidi J. Osselaer, faculty associate in the history department at Arizona State University, will speak on Thursday, April 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Special Collections about her book, "Winning Their Place: Arizona Women in Politics: 1883-1950."

This new UA Press publication examines women in statewide politics from the territorial era to just after World War II, with a foreword by former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Osselaer will also answer questions during the session, and her book will be available for purchase and for signing. Light refreshments will follow the talk.

Since the 1959 publication of George Webb's "A Pima Remembers," the UA Press has been committed to publishing Native American life stories. That commitment has continued through the publishing of "Sun Tracks: An American Indian Literary Series."

Launched in 1971, "Sun Tracks" was one of the first programs to focus exclusively on the creative works of Native Americans. In its first three decades, the "Sun Tracks" series has included more than 40 volumes of poetry, prose, art and photography by such distinguished artists as Joy Harjo, N. Scott Momaday, Simon J. Ortiz, Carter C. Revard and Luci Taphonso.

Since 1996, the UA Press has also published Camino del Sol: A Latina/Latino literary series. This series has published the poetry, fiction and essays of acclaimed and award-winning Latino writers including Ray Gonzalez, Juan Felipe Herrera, Patricia Preciado Martin, Demetria Martínez, Virgil Suarez, Sergio Troncoso and Luis Alberto Urrea.

During the last five years alone, the UA Press has sent more than 1.3 million books to customers in every state and fifty-six countries. Each year, the press sponsors more than 125 author events across the country reaching more than 175,000 readers, booksellers and librarians through promotional mailings.