Liberal Arts In Print – August 2026
The following are publications recently published in the College of Liberal Arts.
Teaching Political Communication: Elgar Guides to Teaching
Co-edited by Diana Zulli, associate professor of communication (Edward Elgar Publishing)
February 2026
Teaching Political Communication serves as a comprehensive guide for educators looking to respond to and prepare students for the fast-evolving socio-political environment. The text addresses core pedagogical approaches to teaching courses in political communication politics and public policy more broadly. By bridging foundational communication theories with emerging socio-political and technological dynamics, the book offers actionable course frameworks, assignment models and classroom strategies to promote productive conversations about politics and cultivate civic engagement and critical media literacy in undergraduate students.
Batman and the Classics: Echoes of Mythology, Literature and Philosophy in the Comics and Films
Authored by Michael Nicols, associate professor of Cornerstone (McFarland & Company)
March 2026
In Batman and the Classics, Michael Nichols investigates how the famous Batman comic books, graphic novels and cinematic adaptations reimagine foundational archetypes — from Greek tragedy and epic poetry to existential philosophy. By analyzing key storylines and thematic arcs, the book reveals how modern popular culture continues to adapt and echo classic mythic storytelling. It is an engaging, interdisciplinary read for everyone from fans to scholars interested in pop culture and comparative literature.
Sports and Games in the Ancient Near East
Co-edited by Raleigh Heth, assistant teaching professor in the Cornerstone program (Archaeopress Publishing)
May 2026
Sports and Games in the Ancient Near East explores how athletics, competition and recreation shaped the religious, cultural and social fabric of ancient civilizations. Bringing together contributions from scholars of archaeology, history and textual studies, the volume examines everything from chariot racing and long-distance running to board games and mythology.
Rarities: Conservation Science in a Time of Unintended Consequences
Zoe Nyssa, associate professor of anthropology (Chicago University Press)
June 2026
Rarities: Conservation Science in a Time of Unintended Consequences by Zoe Nyssa explores the complex and often unexpected effects of efforts to protect the natural world. Drawing on historical, archival and ethnographic research, Nyssa traces the evolution of conservation science and reveals how well-intentioned interventions can sometimes create new ecological and social challenges. Blending anthropology, environmental history and science studies, the book offers a thought-provoking look at how ideas about rarity and endangerment shape both conservation policy and our relationship with nature.
The Flight of the Purdue OWL
Harry Denny, professor of English and director of the writing lab, Vicki Kennell, associate director for graduate and multilingual education of the writing lab, and Garrett I. Colón, associate director of Purdue OWL in Indianapolis (Purdue University Press)
June 2026
The Flight of the Purdue OWL: An Institutional History by Harry C. Denny, Vicki R. Kennell and Garrett I. Colón traces the remarkable evolution of Purdue's Online Writing Lab from a small campus writing center into one of the world's most widely used educational resources. Drawing on archival research, interviews and the authors' firsthand experiences leading the OWL, the book chronicles decades of innovation in writing instruction, peer tutoring and digital learning. Blending institutional history with stories of the people who shaped it, the book offers an inside look at how a local teaching initiative grew into a global resource that has helped millions of writers.
Aquina’s Ontology of Place
Jeffrey Brower, professor of philosophy (Oxford Academic)
June 2026
Aquinas's Ontology of Place: Local Motion, Space, and Spatial Location by Jeffrey E. Brower reexamines Thomas Aquinas' understanding of place, motion and spatial location through the lens of contemporary metaphysics. Drawing on close readings of Aquinas' natural philosophy, Brower argues that medieval debates about space remain deeply relevant to modern philosophical questions. Blending historical scholarship with analytic philosophy, the book offers a fresh perspective on one of Aquinas' most overlooked theories while demonstrating its enduring significance for understanding the nature of the physical world.
Interiority in German Women’s Writing
Co-edited by Beate Allert, comparative literature professor and program director (University of Delaware Press)
July 2026
Interiority in German Women’s Writing, co-edited by Beate Allert brings together new scholarship on how German women writers between 1750 and 1850 explored the inner self through literature and philosophy. Spanning poetry, letters, prose, fairy tales and theater, the collection examines how women used creative expression to navigate identity, constraint and personal freedom. By reframing interiority as a distinctly feminine discourse, the volume offers fresh perspectives on gender, selfhood and the lasting influence of women’s voices in German literary history.
Keeping Contact: Jewish Cultural Initiatives Across Cold War Borders
Authored by Rebekah Klein-pejšová, associate professor of history (Purdue University Press)
July 2026
This publication builds upon discussions of Jewish survival and cultural viability after the Holocaust in Eastern and Central Europe, including the Soviet Union. It confronts both a shifting postwar geopolitical landscape and the remnants of devastated European Jewish populations with their global diasporas, tragically and radically transformed. The volume traces the flow of ideas, people, cultural practices and materials, and even bodily remains across securitized Cold War borders, as the postwar geography of European Jewish life largely shifted to Israel and North America.
Resurgency: Outlasting the War on Terror in Iraq
Authored by Kali Rubaii, assistant professor of anthropology and Cornerstone (Duke University Press)
July 2026
This book offers detailed ethnographic insight into how decades of war have affected everyday life in Iraq. Drawing on fieldwork in Anbar province and Iraqi Kurdistan in 2014–15 and 2021–24, Rubaii foregrounds the practices of displaced people who stubbornly outlast their occupiers, returning to homes that feel estranging, repairing war-damaged land, and surviving into futures to which they have been disinvited. The publication expands the temporal and descriptive categories of what war is and what resistance looks like, offering new methods and insights to those concerned about the possibilities of life amid environmental devastation, mass displacement and the slow violence of the forever wars.
Town of Dollars: Ambient Violence and Everyday Dispossession in the Philippines
Dada Docot, associate professor of anthropology (University of Washington Press)
August 2026
Town of Dollars: Ambient Violence and Everyday Dispossession in the Philippines by Dada Docot examines how the legacies of colonialism continue to shape everyday life in rural Philippines. Drawing on ethnographic research in her hometown of Nabua, Docot explores how migration, labor, family and local traditions are intertwined with generations of inequality and dispossession. Blending personal reflection with historical and anthropological analysis, the book offers a powerful new perspective on the quiet, persistent forms of violence that endure long after colonial rule ends, challenging readers to rethink resilience, survival and justice.