Books published by University Press of Florida and UF Press were reviewed and mentioned in the media frequently throughout the past year. Join us in celebrating this recognition of our books and authors in this year’s highlights.
The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers
by Andrew T. Huse, Bárbara C. Cruz, and Jeff Houck
“The book unpacks . . . layers of history like those of the sandwich itself . . . to understand where it came from and how it has evolved. It weaves together research and profiles of artisans who are making the sandwich in different parts of the world today.”—NPR’s All Things Considered
“In this new perspective on a passionate, long-standing contest, University of South Florida academics Huse and Cruz and food writer Houck suss out the origins of the Cuban sandwich and steer readers through the intense, fraught debate between Miami’s and Tampa’s fiercely defended versions.”—Booklist
“Trace(s) the sandwich’s history not just as a food but as a vital expression of a complex culture, both on the island of Cuba and among the diaspora of its people.”—Tampa Bay Times
“Makes it clear the story of the Cuban sandwich is as mixed up and nuanced as the flavors of the sandwich. . . . The book is told in clean, bright prose, a pleasure to read.”—Miami Herald
“Not only gives an impressive history of the sandwich but also offers firsthand accounts from restaurateurs and chefs who have made the preservation of the Cuban’s recipe, authenticity, and lore their mission.”—Local Palate
The Cuban Sandwich was mentioned on CNN, Fodor’s Travel, and Garden & Gun, and featured in a podcast episode on Heritage Radio Network.
Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East
by Bob Beatty
“This book examines the importance of guitarist Duane Allman as a musician, his leadership of the Allman Brothers band, and the power of the ABB’s seminal 1971 album At Fillmore East.”—Vintage Guitar
“Whether or not you’re a lifelong devotee of The Allman Brothers Band, Play All Night! is a story about what can happen when you remain true to your vision, no matter how unconventional it may be. Regardless, this book may lead you to check out the landmark live album that is the result of Duane Allman’s unrelenting quest.”—Glide Magazine
Play All Night! was mentioned in Rolling Stone.
Good Day Sunshine State: How the Beatles Rocked Florida
by Bob Kealing
“[Kealing’s] sources come from outside the Beatles camp, adjacent observers offering reflective testimony on a moment when The Beatles were not yet fully draped in myth.”—Uncut Magazine
Dreams in the New Century: Instant Cities, Shattered Hopes, and Florida’s Turning Point
by Gary R. Mormino
“Provides a window into the state’s politics, people and patterns of life.”—The Economist
Black Miami in the Twentieth Century
by Marvin Dunn
“For historical perspective, start with Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. The book delves into the major events that brought the Black American and Bahamian work force to the area shortly before the city became incorporated in 1896, then carries readers through the trials and victories of the next hundred years.”—New York Times
Coconuts and Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South
by Von Diaz
Von Diaz, author of Coconuts and Collards, was interviewed on NPR’s Code Switch.
The American Beach Cookbook
by Marsha Dean Phelts
“Marsha Dean Phelts’ cookbook pays tribute to a historic Florida community’s seafood favorites,” says Southern Living, which featured Phelts’ Savory Crab-And-Shrimp Gumbo Exotica recipe.
Maximum Vantage: New Selected Columns
by Bill Maxwell
“A retrospective of stellar journalism, the impactful collection Maximum Vantage tackles some of society’s biggest issues with insight and incisiveness.”—Foreword Reviews
Janet Reno: A Life
by Judith Hicks Stiehm
“The warm biography of a consequential attorney general—a trailblazer whose singular experiences helped her to navigate some of the country’s thorniest legal challenges.”—Foreword Reviews
Home in Florida: Latinx Writers and the Literature of Uprootedness
edited by Anjanette Delgado
Read Anjanette Delgado’s guest commentary about gender-based violence in Puerto Rico and the island’s political future in the New York Times.
The Thing about Florida: Exploring a Misunderstood State
by Tyler Gillespie
Read Tyler Gillespie’s guest commentary about the “Florida Man” meme and its origin story in the Washington Post.
Cosmonaut: A Cultural History
by Cathleen S. Lewis
“Lewis brings the disconnect between propaganda and real life to the fore with the exploitation of cosmonauts for political purposes—from the arbitrary selection process leading up to the space flights to cosmonauts’ curated lives under the watchful eye of the Communist party. . . . An innovative study of pop culture, memorabilia, propaganda, and hero worship, Cosmonaut brings the Soviet space program to life from inside Soviet society.”—Foreword Reviews
Lunar Outfitters: Making the Apollo Space Suit
by Bill Ayrey
Read an interview with Bill Ayrey and other spacesuit experts on BBC Future, discussing Axiom Space’s newly designed lunar space suit for NASA’s Artemis III mission.
Archaeologies of Indigenous Presence
edited by Tsim D. Schneider and Lee M. Panich
Read an article in the American Museum of Natural History Gottesman Research Library News about how books such as Archaeologies of Indigenous Presence are categorized in libraries, and how the Library of Congress has revised its subject headings in recent decades.
The Valkyries’ Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic
by Michèle Hayeur Smith
Michèle Hayeur Smith, author of The Valkyries’ Loom, was interviewed and featured as the cover story for the October 2022 issue of Scientific American.
Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life
by Gavin Larsen
“An insightful and beautifully written memoir. . . . Larsen, now a teacher and writer, worked as a professional ballerina on both coasts and in Canada. Her book is a seamless weaving back and forth between her life as a dancer and her reflections on dance, which are meaningful and smart.”—Literary Hub
Onstage with Martha Graham
by Stuart Hodes
Author Stuart Hodes passed away in March 2023 at age 98. Hodes was remembered by many publications including the New York Times and Dance Magazine, and PBS NewsHour re-aired its “Brief but Spectacular” segment featuring Hodes.
Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the Twenty-First Century
edited by Lindsay Guarino, Carlos R.A. Jones, and Wendy Oliver
Literary Hub featured books on this year’s University Press Week reading list, which included Rooted Jazz Dance.
The Florida Bookshelf 