Dr. Terryl Givens, Bostwick Professor of Literature and Religion,
discusses his new book, Parley P. Pratt: A Cultural and Intellectual Biography, published recently by Oxford University Press. Dr. Givens and his co-author, Matthew J. Grow, offer the first full-length scholarly treatment of one of the most important influences on the development of the Mormon Church.
Hannah Guida, a 2011 graduate of the University of Richmond, talks about her honors thesis, “Italian-American Relocation and Internment During World War II and Its Effect on Italian Communities in the United States.” Hannah double-
majored in Italian Studies and International Studies, and she is currently working as a law clerk in Washington, D.C.
Kelly Landers, a 2011 graduate of the University of Richmond, talks about her honors 
thesis, “Freedom’s Disciple: the Life, Music, and Impact of Hazel Dickens.” Kelly majored in Interdisciplinary Studies (Ethnomusicology) and Leadership Studies, with a minor in Anthropology, and she is currently working for Teach for America in Washington, DC.
Amanda Kleintop, a 2011 graduate of the University of Richmond, discusses her senior project at the University of Richmond. Amanda graduated as an Honors History and Leadership Studies double major. The title of the project is “Networks of Resistance: Black 
Virginians Remember Civil War Loyalties,” and she worked on the project for about a year with the assistance of an Arts and Sciences Summer Fellowship. Amanda is currently working for the for the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission (for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War), and she plans to apply to graduate schools for a Ph.D. in Southern history.
Dr. Jeffrey Hass, Associate Professor of Sociology, discusses his new book, Power, Culture, and Economic Change in Russia: To the Undiscovered Country of Post-Socialism, 1988-2008. Utilizing cutting-edge theory and unique data, this book examines the role of power, culture, and practice in Russia’s story of post-socialist economic change, and provides a framework for addressing general economic change.
Dr. Tom Bonfiglio, William Judson Gaines Professor of Comparative Literature and Linguistics in the Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures, discusses his new book, Mother Tongues and Nations: The Invention of the Native Speaker. In this book, he examines the legacy of the metaphors “mother tongue” and “native speaker” by historicizing their linguistic development.
Dr. Laura Browder, Tyler and Alice Haynes Professor of American Studies, discusses her project and book, When Janey Comes Marching Home. The book features forty-eight self-posed photographs by Sascha Pflaeging, along with oral histories collected by Dr. Browder to provide a intriguing portrait of women at war. Women from all five branches of the military share their stories in this project – stories that are by turns moving, comic, thought-provoking, and profound. The book accompanies a photography exhibit that is on a national tour through Fall 2011 and Dr. Browder is also working a documentary film based on the book. For further information about the project, connect to the “Janey” website. Listen to the interview below.
Dr. Scott Allison, Professor, Department of Psychology and
Dr. Al Goethals, Professor, Jepson School of Leadership Studies discuss their recent book, Heroes: What They Do and Why We Need Them. Published by Oxford University Press, the book offers a stimulating tour of the psychology of heroism, shedding light on what heroism and villainy mean to most people and why heroes — both real people and fictional characters — are so vital to our lives. For more information on the book and project, connect to the “Heroes” blog.
Dr. Paul Achter, Associate Professor, discusses his recently published article in the Quarterly Journal of Speech entitled, “Unruly Bodies: The Rhetorical Domestication of Twenty-First Century Veterans of War.” This article focuses on the news coverage of injuries sustained by veterans of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and how those injuries motivate state and mainstream rhetoric that recuperates veterans’ bodies. View and listen to the video version to hear Dr. Achter discuss the “domestication” that structures the dominant coverage of veterans in the 21st century. The work of domestication is accomplished in visual culture, including photojournalism, video games, websites, gaming devices etc. An audio-only version is available at the bottom of this posting.
Audio Only Version Below
Dr. Thad Williamson, Assistant Professor, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, discusses his new book, Sprawl, Justice, and Citizenship: The Civic Costs of the American Way of Life. Published in May, 2010, by Oxford University Press, the book combines the use of both political theory and empirical investigation to assess the benefits and costs of sprawling development patterns in the United States. The dissertation on which the book is based was the co-winner of the American Political Science Association’s 2005 Harold D. Lasswell Award for best doctoral thesis in the field of public policy.