Yesterday's double dose of depressing news struck close to home on both fronts. My last book was published by a university press (Kent State University Press, which seems to be holding on during these difficult times). And I work for a newspaper (Cleveland's Plain Dealer, which seems to be holding on, as well). So the Missouri and New Orleans announcements were as alarming as they were distressing. When I learned late in the day that a dear friend has been hit with shingles (a badly named affliction if there ever was one), I was afraid to leave the house. Obviously not a day for happy news. About a year ago, I asked Twain pal David Bianculli if he had noticed that everything we grew up cherishing and holding dear was under fire: books, libraries, theater, newspapers, publishing, literary fiction. He'd noticed. And all of these things, it seems to me, have contributed and would continue to contribute to the quality of our lives and the vitality of our democracy. I'm not one to curse change and shake my fist at the sky. I know about adapting. I've done enough adapting over the last 35 working years to make Darwin pass out. And I'm no Luddite, as the ability to post to this forum might suggest. But as much as I admire Ray Bradbury, I must agree with Terrell. Ray got the science-fiction cautionary tale wrong. It should have been about a voracious beast consuming everything in its path. On 5/25/2012 9:32 AM, Vicki Dempsey wrote: > It is sad indeed to lose the University of Missouri Press. I am > afraid that many smaller university presses are threatened by this > economy and changes in how people access information. I was very > troubled yesterday to see that the Times-Picayune is going to a three- > day-a-week format. Who knew that Farenheit 451 would dawn, not > through a police state, but because of electronic media, hard times > and Republican legislators? (Okay, so we did know Repubs would be > involved...) > > Terrell Dempsey > On May 24, 2012, at 11:55 PM, JULES AUSTIN HOJNOWSKI wrote: > >> That's too bad! >> They published many Twain works and other very nice books :( >> Thanks for letting us know. >> Jules >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of >> Gregory spect= >> er >> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 4:37 PM >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: U of Missouri Press >> >> Hello List Members=3DE2=3D80=3D94 >> >> >> >> A quick FYI. Since it published so much on Twain, I thought >> I=3DE2=3D80=3D9= >> 9d =3D pass along this article about the closing of the University >> of Misso= >> uri =3D Press. I find the closing of the press particularly >> disappointing = >> =3D because it produced an extensive catalogue of books on the >> history, art= >> , =3D literature, and life focusing on the state of Missouri.=3D20 >> >> >> >> http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/may/24/university-missouri-press= >> =3D >> -closing/ >> >> >> >> Greg Specter