Six Decades of Publishing What Matters
60th Anniversary: History of the Press
At the heart of publishing is collaboration. From the first stages of the editorial process to sharing its volumes with a worldwide audience, the Kent State University Press shows that the exchange of knowledge has always been a cooperative endeavor.
Officially established in 1965, the Kent State University Press has been recognized for publishing in a wide range of subject areas for both specialist and general audiences. Our first publication, Renaissance Humanism, 1300–1550 by Frederick B. Artz (1966), established our robust list in literary criticism. Additionally, current areas of publication include regional and Rust Belt studies, sports history, fashion history, true crime, and US history.
Regional History
Our regional-interest publications work to create a deeper appreciation for and understanding of Ohio’s natural environment, such as Light Enters the Grove: Exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Poetry, edited by Charles Malone, Carrie George, and Jason Harris. This title is a current finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year (Anthology) and was chosen by the Ohio Center for the Book to be included in the “Great Reads from Great Places” booklist for the 2025 National Book Festival hosted by the Library of Congress. Other books to receive recognition include Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape by Deborah Fleming, which received the 2020 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Fleming’s most recent essay collection, Ghosts of an Old Forest, was published in spring 2025 and examines Ohio’s relationship with agriculture.
Collaboration
Over the past 60 years, many of our books and series have benefited from fruitful collaborations within and outside of Kent State University. These relationships continue to expand and thrive. To give but a couple examples, our long-standing partnership with the Wick Poetry Center has led to numerous ongoing projects, such as the annual Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize, through which the winner’s first full-length poetry collection is published by the University Press. Other collaborations include volumes like Speak a Powerful Magic: Ten Years of the Traveling Stanzas Poetry Project, which highlights the community arts project, Traveling Stanzas, and features poetry from students, immigrants, refugees, healthcare patients, caregivers, veterans, and many well-known American poets.
Since 2017, we have also partnered with the Costume Society of America to publish works about fashion history, conservation, and more. In 2022, we published Red, White, and Blue on the Runway: The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics of American Style by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, a behind-the-scenes look at the only fashion show held at the White House. These—and other—essential partnerships have helped amplify the distinct voices of our authors while showcasing key areas of distinction for the University.
Also of Note
Kent State University Press also publishes Civil War History, a leading journal that was launched by the University of Iowa before moving to Kent State in 1968. Overseen by an interdisciplinary board of scholars and thinkers, the journal seeks to present pioneering scholarship that investigates the cultural, social, and comparative history of the Civil War era.
And finally, as a member of the Association of University Presses, we’re among a select group of university-sponsored presses whose outstanding and place-based programs help make publishing more diverse and vital.
Every KSUP publication is crafted through the collective effort of our staff as it is shepherded through the publishing process: acquisitions, editorial, design and production, and marketing. Many of our books have received awards and attention from leading outlets around the nation and the world, including PEN America and PBS NewsHour. In 2024, we began highlighting our achievements and sharing updates on our blog, The Book Starts Here.
As we reflect on the past 60 years, we remain committed to our vision: to collaborate with stakeholders and share compelling stories and scholarship that have enduring significance—books that matter.
This project highlights books that represent the Kent State University Press’s publishing history over the past 60 years. Titles were selected based on their significance to the Press’s legacy, the strength of ongoing series, personal favorites, and cover design. Each description includes either the reason for selection or a brief summary of the book’s content and importance.
Bandersnatch, Diana Pavlac Glyer; James A. Owen, illustrator (2016)
The Press’s best-selling title of all time.
Its enduring popularity makes it a standout.
Renaissance Humanism, Frederick B. Artz (1966)
The first book officially published by the Press in 1966.
Its historical importance marks the beginning of the Press’s publishing legacy.
Democracy and the American Civil War, Kevin Adams & Leonne M. Hudson (2016)
Part of the Symposia on Democracy series.
This book explores race against the backdrop of the Civil War and the fight for the belief that freedom is an inalienable right.
To Plead Our Own Cause, Christopher Cameron (2014)
This book explores the foundations laid for abolitionism and the antislavery movement before the nineteenth century.
It highlights early voices in the fight for justice.
Already the World, Victoria Redel (1995)
This was the first book in the Wick Poetry First Book series.
It showcases the Press’s long-standing collaboration with the Wick Poetry Center.
White Sustenance, Kat Snider Blackbird (1994)
One of the first books in the Wick Poetry Chapbook series.
It represents the Press’s early investment in emerging poetic voices.
Moments of Truth, Howard Ruffner; Foreword by Thomas M. Grace (2019)
This book contains nearly 150 photos from May 4, 1970, and the days leading up to the Kent State shootings.
It is a compelling and illuminating account of a pivotal time at Kent State.
The Fifth Star, Jamie C. Capuzza (2023)
This book tells the story of the women of Ohio’s fight for the right to vote in the early twentieth century.
It uses powerful primary sources to present a portrait of determination.
Small Town, Big Music, Jason Prufer; Foreword by Joe Walsh (2019)
This book explores Kent’s influence on the early 1970s music scene.
Historic photos and iconic musicians bring the era to life.
Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe, Tom Batiuk (2007)
Beginning in 1972, the Funky Winkerbean comics started as humorous high school tales.
This collection shows the strip’s evolution into serious themes, particularly Lisa’s journey with breast cancer.
Under Kilimanjaro, Ernest Hemingway, Edited by Robert W. Lewis and Robert E. Fleming (2005)
One of the last manuscripts by Hemingway to be fully published.
It reflects the Press’s notable work in Hemingway studies.
Chaucer and Middle English Studies, Edited by Beryl Rowland (1974)
An early publication from the Press.
Its memorable cover is an example of the Press’s excellence in design.
Blood and Ink, Albert Borowitz (2002)
This book is a guide to “fact-based crime literature.”
An essential resource for true-crime aficionados.
Brainwashing, David Seed (2004)
This book features
one of KSUP’s most eye-catching covers.
It examines representations of brainwashing during the Cold War era.
Civil War History Journal, Kent State University Press
Established in 1955, CWHJ is one of the longest-running sources of scholarship on the American Civil War.
It was brought to KSUP in 1968 by former director John Hubbell.
“I greatly appreciate how Kent State University Press has made writing about Ohio’s varied history one of its hallmarks. Congratulations on your 60th anniversary!”—Kathleen M. Fernandez, author of A Singular People: Images of Zoar and Zoar: The Story of an Intentional Community
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“A vital publisher of many of my favorite topics, particularly Hemingway studies. I’m proud to have published not one but two books with the Kent State University Press and its cadre of talented editors, designers, marketers, and devoted staff.”—Robert K. Elder, author of Hemingway in Comics and coauthor of Hidden Hemingway: Inside the Ernest Hemingway Archives of Oak Park
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“Working with Kent State University Press on Small Town, Big Music was a deeply rewarding experience. Their belief in regional storytelling helped turn my passion for Kent’s musical history into a book that not only found its audience—but reached far beyond anything I could have imagined.”—Jason Prufer, author of Small Town, Big Music: The Outsized Influence of Kent, Ohio, on the History of Rock and Roll
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“I’ve had the privilege of working with KSU Press several times since 2009. From initial submissions to final publications, I’ve found everyone involved––from editors to book designers to marketing teams and everyone behind the scenes—to be top notch: knowledgeable, responsive, encouraging, and just plain lovely. And I’m proud to have books published by KSU Press on my shelf and featured in my bio––books that are beautiful to look at, that were cared for at every step by professionals who felt like friends. Happy 60th anniversary!”—Cortney Davis, author of The Heart’s Truth: Essays on the Art of Nursing and When the Nurse Becomes a Patient: A Story in Words, and Images
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“So I’ve been reading a lot of books recently that collect older comic strips, and some of them come in overly large sizes that are real wrist breakers. As a result, I’ve had to buy a small lap stand so I can read them without cutting off the circulation to my legs or breaking the aforementioned wrists. It put me in mind of a conversation I once had with Will Underwood, former director of the KSU Press. I was telling him how beautiful the Complete Funky Winkerbean books looked, and he added that they sit well in the hand. And there you have it. That’s the hallmark of the Press. They’re artisans whose products are works of art in and of themselves. They sit well in the hand, they sit well on the bookshelf, and they sit well in your thoughts and memories. Which is why the KSU Press is one of the jewels in Kent State University’s crown. Congratulations on 60 years of publishing excellence.”—Tom Batiuk, Funky Winkerbean creator and author of the Lisa’s Legacy Trilogy
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“My book Recording the Classics: Maestros, Music, and Technology, was published by the KSU Press almost 30 years ago. Since then there have been five additional books—six if one counts the expanded edition of In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland’s Torso Murders. The process from submission to publication has been exceptionally and gratifyingly smooth, and the final product has always been of the highest quality in both design and execution. I’m proud of my continuing association with the Press. Congratulations on your 60th birthday!”— James Jessen Badal, author of six titles with the Press including his latest, The Collinwood Tragedy: The Story of the Worst School Fire in American History
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“KSUP has been wonderful to work with in the preparing, publicizing, and publishing of my five books. All my queries and suggestions have been handled professionally and promptly, and I am so very happy to have been able to work with everyone at KSUP.”—Don W. King, author of five titles with the Press including his latest, Inkling, Historian, Soldier, and Brother: A Life of Warren Hamilton Lewis
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“The Wick Poetry Center is deeply grateful for our ongoing partnership and collaboration with the Kent State University Press. Since 1993, the annual Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize publication for a first full-length book of poems has launched the careers of dozens of emerging writers and contributed greatly to the community of poets locally, regionally, and nationally. Thank you to the Kent State University Press!”—David Hassler, director of the Wick Poetry Center
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“The staff at Kent State University Press is wonderful to work with––friendly, helpful, and professional. They don’t forget about you after the book is published but continue to publicize and promote it. The acquisitions editor at Kent State University Press was willing to take a chance on my collection of essays when no one else would—and it won a national award.”—Deborah Fleming, author of Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape and Ghosts of an Old Forest: Essays on Midwestern Rural Heritage
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“I’ve published several books over the years, but one that I am most proud of is “Our Little Monitor”: The Greatest Invention of the Civil War. Kent State University Press did an extraordinary job producing such a beautiful book, and I feel great pride every time I visit The Mariners’ Museum, which is conserving the Monitor’s famous turret, and see “Our Little Monitor” prominently displayed at the entrance to the gift shop.—Jonathan W. White, coauthor of “Our Little Monitor”: The Greatest Invention of the Civil War
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“The dedication, enthusiasm, empathy, and attention to detail by staff throughout the publishing process exceeded my expectations. I have since recommended the Kent State University Press to author colleagues.” —Steven L Herman, author of Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President—and Why It Matters
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“From manuscript submission through every step of the publishing process, Kent State University Press has a team of dedicated professionals who ensure that the works they issue meet the highest standards of quality and scholarship.”—J. Gregory Aken, editor of Through Blood and Fire: The Civil War Letters of Major Charles J. Mills, 1862–1865, Revised and Expanded Edition
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