Bookshelf

Ahmed, Tanzila, "Punk-Drunk Love."  Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women.  Eds. Ayesha Mattu & Nura Maznavi. Berkeley CA, Soft Skull Press, 2012.

One of many personal perspectives in this anthology, this story narrates the interesting intersection between Islam, love, and the punk-rock scene. This may not seem to be a common combination, but in this story Tanzila tries to balance all of her identities while deciding what to do with her feelings for the leader of a punk band. Above all of this, “Punk-Drunk Love” is a story about human experience and the need that we all feel for affection and how we come to understand ourselves.

Allen, Hervey. "Soldier-Poet." The Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57343/soldier-poet.

This poem is dedicated to Francis Fowler Hogan, a Pittsburgh native and poet like Hervey Allen. Hogan died at age 21 in the front lines, and was later reburied in Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Batykefer, Erinn. Allegheny, Monongahela. Red Hen Press, 2009.

This poetry collection contains a series of self-portraits imagined through the Pittsburgh landscape. Batykefer is a librarian, writer, and Pittsburgh native. Guided by the lyric tradition, Batykefer offers poetic styles and voicings as fluid, wide, and powerful as the rivers of the collection's title.

Bell, Thomas. Out of this Furnace. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976.

First published in 1941, this novel follows three generations of an immigrant Slovak family working in the steel mills and blast furnaces of Braddock and Homestead, Pennsylvania. Bell tells the story of American industrialization between the 1890s and 1930s through the eyes of the humblest workers, a welcome contrast to accounts from the viewpoint of the steel magnates. He exposes the grim realities of life for impoverished Slovaks struggling in the face of entrenched racial discrimination, hazardous working conditions and the company’s anti-union agenda. Readers will be held captive by this piercing account of the immigrants who lived, worked and died in the shadow of the mills. 

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. 1972.

John Berger was a critic and an artist who enthusiastically invited us to reconsider the ways, and importance, in which we "see" the world around us, what we actually mean when we reference "authenticity," and how visuals, replications of visuals, and visualizing can alter our world.

In Episode 1, Berger examines the impact of photography on our appreciation of art from the past.

Borges, Jorge Luis. "The Library of Babel." In the Stacks: Short Stories about Libraries and Librarians. Michael Cart, ed.  Woodstock NY: The Overlook Press, 2002.

This short story was originally published in 1941, but translated into English in 1962. The speaker describes an alternate universe, one that is entirely comprised of texts. The key imagery is made up of hexagonal rooms that are stacked to the brim with books that outline the major necessities to life. The text is very theoretical and does not represent the true form of a library today, however it is an interesting read for someone who would like to potentially reconsider the purpose of the library in today’s society or engage in a thought experiment.

Brown, Mark M. Cathedral of Learning: Concept, Design, Construction. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1987.

In this booklet, the University Art Gallery does a short historical piece honoring the Cathedral of Learning. The piece delves into the history of the Cathedral. It touches on the concept it was striving for, how it was designed and the construction. Bowman’s financial plans to not take up more debt than necessary to build the Cathedral are illustrated and it goes into the Cathedral as a staple or emblem of the University. It is described how the Cathedral has upheld it’s original goals to symbolize higher learning by reaching higher heights and how it has therefore become an architecturally dominant landmark in Oakland.

Calvino, Italo, and William Weaver. Invisible Cities. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974.

Published in 1974 and envisioned to be a collection of fictional loose dialogues between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, this text helps readers not only to visualize and build imaginary and fragmentary urban landscapes but also enables them think about theories of space surrounding scopes such as sociality and historicity. Full of rich lyrical prose, the book is divided into parables of about fifty-five made up cities that are grouped by themes such as memory, history, and trading. If you’re interested in the intersections between dreams and reality or just love beautiful imagery, you’ll find this book an alluring and immersive experience.

Calvino, Italo. "A General in the Library." In the Stacks: Short Stories about Libraries and Librarians. Michael Cart, ed.  Woodstock NY: The Overlook Press, 2002.

This short story speaks to the history of libraries in times of war. Calvino critiques the effects of military control over what should be public knowledge. He points out the flaws of the government and their fear of a knowledgable, educated people. If you’re interested in a pointed critique about such a government or the role of libraries (especially during fictional wartime), "A General in the Library" will be a good, quick read for you.

Carson, Rachel. “Silent Spring.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 16 June 1962.

An iconic investigative journalism piece published in three installments throughout 1962 in the pages of The New Yorker, Carson comments on and reveals the potentially harmful effects of pesticides on the environment. In addition to accusing the chemical industry of spreading misinformation regarding DDT, she also calls for society to rise up so that we can preserve nature while increasing the amount of sustainable and healthy farming practices throughout the nation.

Cather, Willa. The Pittsburgh Stories of Willa Cather. Peter Oresick, ed. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2016.

This newly republished collection of short stories by Willa Cather vividly captures the early 1900s in Pittsburgh. The transient theme of the search for beauty and meaning in a chaotic world resonates as powerfully today as when the works were first published from 1902 to 1929. Cather deftly highlights the sorrows and struggles of Pittsburghers enduring the seasons of life. The following quote exhibits the lyricism of Cather’s words, “The high school commanded the heart of the city, which was like that of any other manufacturing town--- a scene of bleakness and naked ugliness and of that remorseless desolation which follows upon the fiercest lust of man. The beautiful valley, where long ago two limpid rivers met at the foot of wooded heights, had become a scorched and blackened waste” (22-23).  Readers, appreciative of delightful wording and moving stories centered around Pittsburgh will greatly enjoy this collection. 

Chabon, Michael. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. New York, HarperCollins, 1988.

This novel is a coming-of-age story from a University of Pittsburgh alumnus. It follows recent college graduate Art Bechstein as he enters the "real world" and tries to find his place within it. Art struggles with love, family, friendships, sexual identity, and the criminal underworld during the eventful summer of 1982. Chabon's novel is filled with equal parts humor and exploration, and takes place within the city of Pittsburgh. 

Chamoiseau, Patrick. Texaco: A Novel. Translated by Rose-Myriam Rejouis and Val Vinokurov. New York: Vintage International, 1998.

In this 1992 novel (first translated into English in 1997), we find an urban planner encountering the inhabitants of a shantytown called Texaco on the island of Martinique. He’s met with some resistance, as the community knows he comes to decide whether the City will incorporate or raze their homes. To convince him their homes are worth saving, they turn to the storytelling powers of the shantytown’s creator, Marie-Sophie. Will the story of Texaco’s founding, and of Marie-Sophie’s lifelong journey towards this home, be convincing enough to prevent the destruction of the illegal neighborhood? Although the multilayered quality of this narrative can be difficult, readers interested in the morals of urban planning, subverting social injustice, spunky female narrators, interesting textual forms, and Caribbean literature will find it worthwhile.

Coles, William E. Another Kind of Monday. Avon Tempest, 1999.

Written by a former Pitt English Department faculty member, this explorative novel takes readers on a scavenger hunt through both the familiar and secret spaces of the city of Pittsburgh. The journey begins when high school senior, Mark, checks out a book at the Hillman library for a class project and discovers a hidden note tucked within its pages. This book focuses on themes such as friendship, self-discovery, coming-of-age, race, and gaining familiarity with the city around you. Although the tie-ins with the novel “Great Expectations” and with the city of Pittsburgh are fun and witty, readers are left with tons of questions and fallen expectations as the story dissolves toward the end of the “quest.”

Curtis, Edward. Muslims in America: A Short History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

A historical text that details the history of Muslims in the United States from colonial America to the post-9/11 world.  This is an incredibly rich history and is one that is often skipped in the textbooks. Muslims have been an important part of our community for generations and their stories should not be forgotten. For those who love to read about history, society, or religion this should be a good pickup.

Daniels, Jim, et al. From Milltown to Malltown: Poems. Marick Press, 2010.

In FROM MILLTOWN TO MALLTOWN, poets Jim Daniels and Jane McCafferty team up with photographer Charlee Brodsky to create work of exponential force in much the same way their subjects: the steel mill era ghosts of Homestead, Pennsylvania, confront the gleaming demons of its mall-ified present. The result is a provocative and haunting portrait of working class America in decline and the scars we bear in the name of progress. Disturbing, elegiac, and at times, wickedly wry, the chemistry between Brodsky's bleak, beautifully spare photos and the poets' renegade imaginations jolts us in the way art must.

Daniels, Jim, Charlee Brodsky, and Jane McCafferty. From Milltown to Malltown. Grosse Point: Marick Press, 2010.

This poetry and photography collection provides the reader with detail and images perfect for subtly describing the transformation of Homestead from the site of the infamous steel strike in 1892 to the thriving shopping center that exists today. Daniels and McCafferty’s use of figurative language tells the story of a town’s unlikely transition while photographer Charlee Brodsky captures the remains of the mill town, and the prominence of the rising mall town. Those with interest in this generations’ renovation of historically blue-collar, working class towns will enjoy the powerful poetry and images in this book. 

Daniels, Jim, and Charlee Brodsky (Photographer). Street. Ohio: Bottom Dog Press, 2005

Another collaboration of Daniels and Brodsky as they use words and pictures to evoke people and places. The small book of poems is appropriately named Street as it demonstrates all the paths you could take while walking down a street and the commonplace encounters the authors had on their own journey to discover the urban landscape. The clever poetry and the creatively cropped pictures are ingenious, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. My favorite such poem is “Chaos Theory.” Very entertaining poems with some intriguing real life images of the streets in the concrete jungle.  

Dillard, Annie. An American Childhood. Harper Perennial, 2013.

In her autobiographical work, Dillard relives her experience growing up in 1950s Pittsburgh.  Dillard ties her own life to the rich history and culture of Pittsburgh, exploring her relationship with the city and how it shaped her.

Drew, Walter and Rankin, Baji. "Promoting Creativity for Life Using Open-Ended Materials." Creative Arts. 2004.

This article summarizes the importance of creative thinking emphasized at a young age. Within the article, the authors identify seven key principles for using open-ended (creative, non-restricting) materials in early childhood classrooms. These principles are supported by personal experiences and educators’ stories. This article is useful for any educators looking to incorporate new curriculum into their classrooms to induce creative thinking. Additionally, it would be useful for parents as a way to emphasize the importance of creativity within an academic setting.

Eaton, Ruth. “The City As An Intellectual Exercise.” In Schaer et al., Utopia, pp. 119-131. 2000.

While our class was examining maps of Pittsburgh at the ULS Archive Center, we utilized this text to help us think about how city layouts are connected to societal ideals and goals. In fact, Eaton claims that “the social arrangement [of a city] appears to be of primary concern and the urban of secondary” (Eaton 119). Furthermore, the text discusses the social, political, and economic changes that enable a city to provoke and undergo transformations.

Eisler, Benita. “The Lowell Offering: Writings by New England Mill Women (1840-1845).” W.W. Norton & Company, 17 December 1997.

Taking excerpts from The Lowell Offering, the first magazine created and published by women working in the New England Mills, this piece reveals what working class women thought, read, and wrote about important religious, philosophical, political, and social issues of their time. The magazine, which functioned as platform for women to communicate with one another while engaging in political activism, encompasses letters, stories, essay, sketches, and even firsthand presentations of factory working life.

Frazier, LaToya Ruby, and Dennis C. Dickerson. The Notion of Family. Aperture Foundation, 2016.

Centering on Frazier’s hometown of Braddock, PA, this one of a kind collection of images and personal stories reflect on themes such as civil belonging, racism, politics, family, community building, and urban change. According to Frazier, this text functions as “a transformative act as a means to reset traditional power dynamics and narratives.” In fact, the story is told through several generations of Frazier’s family ranging from her Grandmother, Ruby, to her mother, and finally, to herself. If you’re looking for a text that focuses on the intersections between narratives and images or you’re focusing on project regarding the economic and political effects on a community, we’d recommend a read!

Fullilove, Mindy Thompson. Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America, and What We Can Do About It. Ballantine Book, 2004. 

Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove explains the deep affects of "root shock" on an individual when they are traumatically displaced from their home because of urban renewal. The book focuses on three different communities of color in the United States that have been demolished because of these projects, including the Hill District in Pittsburgh. The author uses stories from individuals who have experienced, and are still experiencing, root shock first hand to inform readers of its detrimental affects, as well as hopefully call them to action against it.

George, Kathleen, ed.  Pittsburgh Noir. New York: Akashic Books. 2011.

This collection holds 14 different works of fiction spanning across characters and regions of Pittsburgh. Each story comes from a different local author and voice, but they are all written in the style of noir, as the title suggests. The city of Pittsburgh ties all the stories together, referencing the city's parks, rivers, sites, and neighborhoods within the suspense, thrill, and mystery. Pittsburgh is practically its own character within the collection, which can be read as a whole or separately.

Glasco, Laurence A. and Christopher Rawson. August Wilson: Pittsburgh Places in His life and His Plays. Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, 2011

If you’re looking for a good history read then check out this short but informative book edited by Laurence A. Glasco and Christopher Rawson. Although the main portion of the book is dedicated to a descriptive walking tour of the sites (imagined and real) from Wilson’s life and plays, the beginning section includes short testimonials from Wilson’s contemporaries and a biographic essay. This essay details the life of August Wilson, his childhood, growing up in the Hill District, his influences leading up to his untimely death. Anyone interested in great literature would enjoy this quick biography, and anyone interested in walking through Wilson’s neighborhood would find the second portion essential for a self-guided walking tour.

Gray, Thomas. "Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard." Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44299/elegy-written-in-a-country-churchyard.

This poem, written by author Thomas Gray, one of the most important English poets of the 18th century, discusses various symbols including death and isolation surrounding a country courtyard.  He explores the remembrance of common men who have passed and details the rather beautiful landscape upon his reflection.

Greenfield, Rebecca. "Our First Public Parks: The Forgotten History of Cemeteries." The Atlantic, The Atlantic Monthly Group, 16 Mar. 2011, https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/03/our-first-public-parks-the-forgotten-history-of-cemeteries/71818/.

In this significant article, author Rebecca Greenfield offers a reflective, personal narrative that proposes much historical context on the "place" of cemeteries.  She provides a personal point of view towards these more "welcoming" memorial grounds to worship those who have passed, and giving a newer sense of purpose through our individual experiences.

“Teenie Harris Archive.” Carnegie Museum of Art, 18 Mar. 2021, https://cmoa.org/art/teenie-harris-archive/.

This collection encompasses more than 60,000 images taken by Charles “Teenie” Harris, a renowned photographer for The Pittsburgh Courier, between 1935 and 1975. Harris was known for capturing the Black urban experience and keeping a detailed record of it through his photos. Carnegie Museum of Art created this archive by digitizing his work for generations to see.

Hirsch, Sarah. "Inhabiting the Icon: Shipping Containers and the New Imagination of Western Space." Western American Literature, vol. 48, no. 1, 2013, pp. 17-40.

In this article published in the Western American Literature Journal, Hirsch explores “how the shipping container and containerization has redefined notions of the West as a transnational space through spectacle” (Hirsch 17). This text addresses concerns such as human trafficking, illegal smuggling, and the disenfranchisement of workers and the poor as well as discussing how shipping containers can transform how we think about regional, national, and local spaces.