The Stand UP award “honors those who through their words and actions have done extraordinary work to support, defend and celebrate the university press community.” The award was announced June 7 during the association’s annual conference, held virtually.

Wong is the author of two novels, “” in 1979 and 鈥溾�� in 1995, republished by University of听 Washington Press in 2005. In 2019 he co-edited a third edition of 鈥�,鈥� also published by UW Press.

In 2019, he also worked with UW Press to create the supporting the publication of books on Asian American history and culture. (Read a talk with UW Notebook about the book fund.)

The association honored Wong in part for leading the grassroots effort to protect the right of UW Press, together with the Okada estate, to publish Japanese American author John Okada’s 1957 novel “.”

Wong teaches Asian American literature for the English department and screenwriting in the Department of Cinema & Media Studies. He is also a founding instructor in the , which teaches storytelling to veterans with PTSD, depression or anxiety disorders.

Larin McLaughlin, editorial director of UW Press, said, “In the process of his successful advocacy, Professor Wong brought the important work we do as university presses into the spotlight.” McLaughlin also said that sales of “No-No Boy,” 170,000 so far, “secure a future for our work in a very real way.”

Formed in 1937, the is an organization of more than 150 international nonprofit scholarly publishers.

In his 36 years of teaching, some of the best writing UW English Professor Shawn Wong has seen came out of English 302, his class on narrative storytelling. Still, he was taken aback by Zoe Hana Mikuta鈥檚 essay in winter 2019.

鈥淚 write about queer, half-white girls and I kill off their families for the drama of it all,鈥� the essay read. 鈥淚 make them fight robots, because it’s thrilling, and I make them fall in love to give them something to fight for.鈥�

Mikuta, a sophomore at the time, had been unassuming in class. 听But, at just 19, she had already secured a two-book deal with MacMillan Publishers, one of the 鈥淏ig Five鈥� publishers of English-language books.

Mikuta鈥檚 first book, 鈥�,鈥� is set to come out June 29. Categorized in the young adult genre, it tells the story of Eris and Sona, who live under a tyrannical regime enforced by 100-foot-tall mecha robots called Windups. Mikuta, now 21, has to 鈥淕earbreakers,鈥� and she鈥檚 currently working on its sequel, due out in 2022.

Mikuta was born in the Washington, D.C., area to a Korean mother and white father. The family moved to Boulder, Colorado, when she was 12. In D.C., she enjoyed gatherings with her mom鈥檚 family. In mostly white Boulder, she was cut off from her Korean heritage.

Mikuta began writing in third grade, and it became a release, a way to de-stress. Her parents divorced in 2017, during her senior year of high school, and she had a separate lunch period from her friends. She went to the library during lunch and wrote 鈥淕earbreakers鈥� in just three months 鈥� a pace she doesn鈥檛 think she鈥檒l match again.

That summer, she sent out query letters to find a literary agent, and a week before leaving home for the UW, she signed with an agent 鈥� all unbeknownst to her parents. She then inked a publishing deal the following April, a week after turning 19.

The point of view in 鈥淕earbreakers鈥� switches back and forth between Eris, who is a half-Korean, half-Japanese member of a rebel group called the Gearbreakers, and Sona, who is a half-Korean, half-white cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. Eris is a cold-hearted warrior, while Sona is on fire to avenge her parents鈥� murder at the hands of the regime. Both grow as they find their opposites in each other, and both are reflections of what Mikuta was going through at the time.

“When I was all angry and hateful, I definitely was not grappling with humanity on that kind of scale,鈥� Mikuta said, referring to the struggles her characters face. 鈥淏ut what I’m trying to explore in 鈥楪earbreakers鈥� is 鈥� what makes our humanity? I think it’s the people we love.鈥�

Writing the book at such a young age allowed her to create an emotional 鈥減rototype鈥� for her life.

鈥溾�楪earbreakers鈥� hinges on the relationships between characters,鈥� Mikuta said. 鈥淭hat’s what makes any book series special to me. It鈥檚 about the characters鈥� relationship with others and relationship with themselves. By writing, I’m just discovering what feels good in that regard.鈥�

Now, Mikuta is working on the 鈥淕earbreakers鈥� sequel and exploring a new set of themes, including the experience of being biracial. The book is set in a future where the presence of Korean culture has been whittled down, hidden but still a strong part of the characters鈥� identities. Readers will find Korean words and references to Korean culture, echoing Mikuta鈥檚 own efforts to reconnect with her heritage by learning the language.

Writing from her own perspective, Mikuta is filling a gap in the genre. She , which features two women of color 鈥� something Mikuta hasn鈥檛 seen very much in young adult literature. She says that young adult books featuring people of color often have white authors, crowding out authors of color who want to tell stories from their own experience.

Lack of representation is something Wong has grappled with throughout his career.

鈥淚n the early 1970s, I had to educate an audience to Asian American literature, before I could become a published writer,鈥� said Wong, who along with being a professor, is also a pioneer of Asian American literature as an author, publisher and scholar. 鈥淵ou feel responsible 鈥� and I think for Zoe, it’s the same thing. There’s this vacuum out there, and there are readers out there who want to see themselves.鈥�

Mikuta attended fall quarter at the UW from her mom鈥檚 house in Boulder, and she鈥檚 now living in her first apartment in Seattle. She鈥檚 keeping up with her UW community as the president of , a group for UW鈥檚 queer women, nonbinary and trans students, even though she鈥檚 had to defer her studies this winter due to financial difficulty.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for me to continue my education at the UW, because I want to know as much as possible,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes I get very excited that I get to be old someday, because I can鈥檛 imagine how much I鈥檒l know by then. Learning feels to me like participating in the most fundamental, moral human practice.鈥�

Mikuta puts that love of learning into her writing. It鈥檚 how she鈥檚 come to know more about herself 鈥� from trying out relationships and processing emotions to thinking about identity 鈥� as she explored in her 2019 essay for Wong鈥檚 class:

鈥淲hat kind of person can feed into the person that you are at this point in time? Do your edges line up nicely where they need to, do they blur where it is necessary? Is it comfortable, have you both grown into the way you’ve grown up? Do you like the way I look?

鈥淚s it okay that I’m still working on being happy?鈥�

New books by 天美影视传媒 faculty members include a pair of children’s works profiling STEM researchers and a personal memoir of an immigrant’s journey to freedom. Also, several UW faculty and staff members are featured as UW Press looks back on a century of publishing 鈥� and a book on British colonialism is honored.

Work of Quintard Taylor, Bill Holm featured as 天美影视传媒 Press looks back at 100

Marking the 100^th birthday of 天美影视传媒 Press, its staff chose “10 pivotal titles” from its history 鈥� including three books by UW faculty members 鈥� in an essay for the website LitHub titled “.”

The list represents books, the staff wrote, that helped define their fields. “Mirroring the innovative spirit of research and inquiry at the 天美影视传媒, the press developed a reputation for publishing at the forefront of many fields 鈥� from natural and environmental history to Native and Indigenous studies, and from African American and Asian studies to literature in translation.”

The list includes “,” by , UW professor emeritus of art history and curator emeritus of the Northwest Coast Indian art at the , calling it “a foundational reference work and study guide for contemporary Native carvers, painters and weavers.” UW Press put out a 50^th anniversary edition of the volume in 2014.

Also featured is UW history professor emeritus ‘s chronicle of “the growth of the neighborhood at the city’s heart that shaped its urban history.” “” was published in 1994.

“Seattle’s journey to world-class status has been closely tied to the vibrant culture that blossomed in this community,” the UW press staff wrote, “nurturing such talents as Ray Charles, Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix along with the first Black Panther Party chapter outside of Oakland. The book’s call for economic justice remains as relevant and urgent as ever.”

Also noted is “,” published in 1973 with a new, updated edition in 2018. The book 鈥� called the bible of botanists and gardeners in the region 鈥� is by C. Leo Hitchcock, who was a UW professor of botany; with botanist Arthur Cronquist. The new edition was revised by David Giblin and Peter Zika of the and UW biology professor , with Ben Legler of the University of Idaho.

Also on the list was John Okada’s novel “No-No Boy,” with fair consideration for the author’s family by UW English professor .

* * *

Faisal Hossain of civil & environmental engineering publishes children’s books on STEM

, UW professor of civil and environmental engineering, has published two books for young readers: “The Secret Lives of Scientists, Engineers, and Doctors,” volumes and , from Mascot Books.

The books will showcase “the struggle, growth and success” of 12 professionals in STEM fields, including a geneticist, a biologist, a cancer researcher and a scientist at the National Institutes of Health, among others. They will be written especially for readers from second to fifth grades.

With more volumes planned, the book series is a spin-off from a National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine effort called aiming to widen access to science education. Read an on the Civil & Environmental Engineering website.

Published in September, the book is available for order and will be in stores soon. To learn more, contact Hossain at fhossain@uw.edu.

* * *

Affiliate dentistry faculty member publishes memoir of escape from Iran

, a part-time affiliate faculty member of the UW School of Dentistry, has published “,” a memoir of her solo journey from Iran to the United States as a Baha鈥檌 refugee.

The book tells of Khajavi-Harvey growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, and of her escape on her own at age 15 across the Iran-Pakistan border. Khajavi-Harvey is a Seattle dentist and human rights activist.

One reviewer wrote that the story “is a vivid reminder that immigrants bring with them deeply rooted values of family, loyalty, hard work and perseverance. We are richer for their presence.”

The memoir is available through eBook platforms, online retailers and bookstores. To learn more, contact Khajavi-Harvey at zkharvey@gmail.com.

* * *

Historian George Behlmer’s book ‘Risky Shores’ honored by conference on British studies

UW history professor emeritus ‘s 2018 book “Risky Shores: Savagery and Colonialism in the Western Pacific” was co-winner of the 2019 from the North American Conference on British Studies.

The prize, which comes with $500, is awarded each year to “the best book published anywhere by a North American scholar on any aspect of British studies since 1800.” Behlmer’s was published by Stanford University Press, and was this summer in the journal American Historical Review.

The other Stansky Book Prize winner was “Trust Among Strangers: Friendly Societies in Modern Britain,” by Penelope Ismay of Boston College.

That commitment is also expressed in a book series in his name for 天美影视传媒 Press. got its start in 2019.

“We’re interested in all Asian American authors, particularly classic works that have gone out of print. We are open to anything 鈥� fiction, poetry and nonfiction,” Wong said. “But we’re also interested in new works.”

Wong teaches Asian American literature for the and beginning and advanced screenwriting in the . He is also a founding instructor in the , which teaches storytelling to veterans with PTSD, depression or anxiety disorders. He is the author of two novels, “Homebase” in 1979 and “” in 1995, republished by UW Press in 2005. In 2019 he co-edited a third edition of “,” also published by UW Press.

UW Notebook visited with Wong about this new book series and the process of choosing what to publish 鈥� or republish.

What is the mission of the fund, and your work in this area?

Shawn Wong: The short version is I’ve spent 50 years rediscovering and bringing attention to forgotten and neglected works of Asian American literature that should be part of the American literature canon, such as “” by John Okada, and others.听My partnership with the UW Press and the book series is a natural outgrowth of my early efforts in the 1970s to help them establish a catalog of Asian American literature classics.

My role is to fund the series with financial support with a simple equation 鈥� all the money I make from my own writing and speaking goes into the fund, and I have a very generous anonymous donor who has also stepped up and matched my donations to the fund.

How will you choose new books to publish?

S.W.: Our first book, “” by Louis Chu, was an easy choice to make since it was reissued by the UW Press many years ago, then the original publisher took the rights back, and then it fell out of print for many, many years until we were able to secure the rights again.听 It’s a pioneering work of Chinese American literature (and made into movie by director Wayne Wang).听Asian American literature professors have been waiting for a new printing for many years.
Mike Baccam, the Asian American literature acquisitions editor at UW Press, and I consult on all future projects.听We consider what’s missing from the Asian American literature series at the UW Press, what might be out of print, what kinds of literature teachers and professors are looking for or rediscovering. We also look at new works or repackaging of two or more works that are out of print by the same author and reshaping the narrative about those works for a new audience of reader and scholars. Final editorial decisions are made by the UW Press.

What can reshaping such a narrative involve?听

S.W.: One example might be that a book written during the 1960s or ’70s that talks about the issues of civil rights, Vietnam War protests, etc., might be relevant to today’s readers and today’s students, bringing the social justice issues from decades ago into the current discussion.

What is the process of bringing back a book long out of print?

S.W.: We have to search for who owns the rights to the book and then seek permission from the author or the publisher or both.听In some cases, the publisher has gone out of business, so the search takes longer to find the trail of the rights.

Any thoughts on what the series might publish next, and when?

S.W.: Hopefully, the UW Press and I will find a new project in 2021, most 听likely a work that needs to be back in print and would be useful for Asian American literature classes. One of the areas might be the books from the ’60s and early ’70s, at the heyday of the beginning of Asian American studies and social justice issues.

You also have been committed to the Red Badge Project, along with actor Tom Skerritt and others, helping veterans. Where does that project stand? 听

S.W.:听 The Red Badge Project is now in our seventh year. We began at Joint Base Lewis-McChord with the Warrior Transition Battalion and now have expanded to vet centers around Washington state. Because of the pandemic, most of our workshops with veterans are now online. I’ve also developed a course in the English Department titled “” that brings some of that experience with the project into the UW classroom. It’s really been some of the most challenging and rewarding teaching I’ve done in my 48 years of teaching.

A teacher discusses respectful world travel, a historian explores Silicon Valley鈥檚 evolution, a professor and violist plays the music of Robert Schumann and a late English faculty member’s meditation on Seattle returns 鈥�

Here鈥檚 a quick look at some gift-worthy books and music created by UW faculty in the last year 鈥� and a reminder of some recent favorites.

O’Mara’s ‘Code’: History professor Margaret O’Mara provides a sweeping history of California’s computer industry titans in her book 鈥�,鈥� published by Penguin Press. Publishers Weekly wrote: “O’Mara’s extraordinarily comprehensive history is a must-read for anyone interested in how a one-horse town birthed a revolution that has shifted the course of modern civilization.” The New York Times called it an “accessible yet sophisticated chronicle.” 听 for a 2020 Pacific Northwest Book Award.

Seattle stories: 天美影视传媒 Press is republishing UW English professor 鈥榮 well-loved 1976 reflections on his city, its history and its possible futures, 鈥�.鈥� Pacific Northwest Quarterly called the book 鈥渁n exhilarating critique of Seattle鈥檚 birth, growth, sickness, health, promise and fulfillment. Any serious student of Seattle or of recent urban history will now read Roger Sale, and with good reason.鈥� Sale, who taught at the UW for decades, died in 2017. The new edition has an introduction by Seattle writer Knute Berger.

Mindful travel: How can travelers respectfully explore cultures with lower incomes, different cultural patterns and far fewer luxuries? Anu Taranath, lecturer in English and the Comparative History of Ideas program, explores such questions in “,” published by Between the Lines. Taranath has led student trip to India, Mexico and other locations. “Mindful travel in an unequal world,” she says, is about “paying attention, and noticing positionality in relation to each other. It鈥檚 about understanding that we are all living in a much longer history that has put us in different positions of advantage and disadvantage, and equipped us with very few tools to talk about it.鈥�

Salish Sea fishes: , curator emeritus of fishes at the Burke Museum and a professor emeritus of aquatic and fishery sciences, teamed with James Orr of the Alaska Fisheries Center for “,” the first-ever documenting of all the known species of fishes that live in the Salish Sea. Published by UW Press, this three-volume set represents the culmination of 40 years of work and features striking illustrations by and details about 260 species of fish, complete with the ecology and life history of each species.

Watras plays Schumann: , professor of viola, offers new music and a masterwork by composer in “Schumann Resonances,” a CD released on Seattle’s Planet M Records. Schumann’s is the centerpiece and artistic jumping-off point for the CD, which is inspired by fairy tales and folklore, and features UW faculty colleagues and . The music and culture blog An Earful wrote: “Besides having a burnished tone and monster technique, violist Watras has a gift for contextualizing the music of the past 鈥� with ‘Schumann Resonances,’ Watras continues to prove herself a curator, performer and composer of unique abilities.”

Solo cello, Icelandic composers: Assistant professor of music and cellist has a new release on the Sono Luminus label titled “,” which features music for solo cello by several Icelandic composers and a return to an earlier composition, “Solitaire.” In liner notes, writes: “This project is a compilation of pieces by composers that not only share my mother-tongue and culture, in language and music, but also bring their unique perspective and expression in their compositions 鈥� I couldn’t have asked for more generous artists to come into my life and allow me to explore my voice through their music.”

Fanfiction examined: Fan fiction has exploded in popularity in recent years. In their book, 鈥�,鈥� and examine fanfiction writers and repositories and the novel ways young people support and learn from each other through participation in online fanfiction communities. Davis is an associate professor in the UW ; Aragon is a professor in the . Published by MIT Press.

Here are a few other notable 2019 titles from UW Press.

Seawomen, Icelandic waters: “ by Margaret Willson, affiliate professor of anthropology and a faculty member in the Canadian Studies Center has been released in a paperback edition. The book, first published in 2016, was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award.

Asian American voices: A new, third edition of “,” published in 1974 and co-edited by , UW professor of English. The New York Times Book Review : 鈥淭he stories are 鈥� strewn with new insights buried in the flesh of the narrative; they illuminate areas of darkness in the hidden experiences of a people who had been little more than exotic figments of someone else鈥檚 imagination.鈥�

Haag remembered: A paperback edition of 鈥�,鈥� which explores the career of the founder of the UW Department of Landscape Architecture, best known in Seattle for his . Written by UW architecture professor , who said Haag鈥檚 legacy is found in the places he designed, which 鈥渋nspire students to think beyond what they know 鈥� they ignite civic engagement and public service, for Rich鈥檚 most important work was in the public realm.”

Staff discounts: UW Press is offering a 40% discount on all titles during the holidays. Staff and faculty get a 10% discount year-round when ordering through their website using the code WUWE.

• Joanne De Pue, School of Music communications director, assisted with this story.

UW Notebook is a section of the UW News site dedicated to telling stories of the good work done by faculty and staff at the 天美影视传媒. Read all posts here.

, dean of the UW Graduate School and a professor of education, has been honored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities for her book “,” published in 2018 by Teachers College Press.

The association has named the book winner of its annual for outstanding contributions to the understanding and improvement of liberal education.

“This well-researched volume explores how the black freedom struggle and the anti-Vietnam War movement dovetailed with faculty and student activism in the South to undermine the traditional role of higher education and bring about social change,” the association said in a news release.

Lynn Pasquerella, president of the association, praised the book as well, adding that it demonstrates the power of student and faculty activism to advance social justice causes by “disrupting entrenched racialist structures within the academy.”

Thanking the association for the honor, Williamson-Lott said: “History teaches us that we must remain staunch stewards of academic freedom and freedom of speech at our colleges and universities. I am gratified to know that I join so many of my colleagues in that endeavor.”

The award, which includes an honorarium of $2,000, was established in 1979 to honor the association’s ninth president. Williamson-Lott will receive the honor at the association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in January 2020.

In other book news:

Classic Seattle history returns: 天美影视传媒 Press is republishing UW English professor ‘s well-loved 1976 reflections on his city, its history and its possible futures, “.” The new edition has an introduction by Seattle writer Knute Berger.

Pacific Northwest Quarterly called the book “an exhilarating critique of Seattle’s birth, growth, sickness, health, promise and fulfillment. Any serious student of Seattle or of recent urban history will now read Roger Sale, and with good reason.”

The new edition’s cover also drew attention from Spine, a magazine about book design, which praised its “gorgeous colors and dynamic angles” in a recent of university press covers.

Sale, who died in 2017, taught for decades at the UW and by colleague John Webster, associate professor of English.

“Aiiieeeee!: An anthology of Asian American Writers” gets third edition: UW Press in November published the third edition of this first released in 1974 and edited by , , and , UW professor of English.

The New York Times Book Review : “The stories are 鈥� strewn with new insights buried in the flesh of the narrative; they illuminate areas of darkness in the hidden experiences of a people who had been little more than exotic figments of someone else’s imagination.”

Read an essay by Wong about the book’s creation: “.”

“Aiiieeeee!” is part of UW Press’s Classics of Asian American Literature series.

is a senior lecturer with the 天美影视传媒 and a writer in residence with the . She worked with well-known photographer to create a book featuring portraits of Northwest artists, writers and arts advocates. “” was published in September by . McCue answered a few questions about the work.

Q: How did this book come about?

A: Mary and I worked together on “,” my book about the poet Richard Hugo and the Northwest Towns that he wrote about. That collaboration came from a glint in the eye of Pat Soden, then the director of UW Press.

Pat said: “I want you to work with Mary Randlett. You two would get a kick out of each other.” Pat is a great artistic matchmaker. I loved working with Mary. The more I got to know her, the more I saw that the scope of her work was phenomenal. Then, Rachael Levay, the wonderful publicist at UW Press, suggested that I do this portraits book.

Mary likes working so it was easy to convince her. Sometimes, I’ve said that the whole project was an excuse to hang out with Mary. And, hang out we did 鈥� for two years in and in her garage, rifling through prints. We had a lot of half-finished sandwiches laying around.

Q: Several featured in this book are or were members of the UW community, including , , , , , , , and others. How did you decide who to include?

A: We had these criteria: 1) we wanted to focus on artists, writers and advocates of the arts; 2) we wanted the photographs to be compelling, exposing some essence of their subjects and 3) we wanted to include people whom Mary had loved and worked with or who provided a window into the range of work being done in this region.

Q: You wrote an essay to accompany each of the subjects of the book. Would you tell a bit about your research process?听

A: I spent a lot of time reading whatever articles, books, blogs and essays I could find about the people whom we chose. Then, I dug into the rich world of Special Collections 鈥� a place where Gary Lundell, reference specialist, and Nicolette Bromberg, visual materials curator, really helped me find some fantastic prints of Mary’s and letters to and from some of the people in the book.

Special Collections is a treasure trove; it’s a great hangout and the people who work there are immersed in the history of our region. Gary, for example, was a friend of ‘s and of ‘s 鈥� two artists whom I wrote about.

Then, there were the drives with Mary herself. To get her talking, you really have to be driving. She loosens up and tells great stories when she is on the road. So, I hung a tape recorder from the heating vent in the dashboard, and off we went. I love the material from those interviews and Mary鈥檚 quotes appear throughout the book.

Checking the facts, confirming memories 鈥� all of that happened with as many of the folks as I could reach and with a great assistant on the project, Shannon Foss. Shannon is an undergraduate in the Honors Program and a genius at collecting citations.

The last part, and one of the most important, involved my own speculations about the compositions of the photographs themselves. I looked and wrote and devised reactions and theories about the portraits as art.

And, I got some terrific help by asking Barbara Johns, the fabulous art historian, and Sheila Farr, one of our region’s great art critics, to peruse my work. As Richard Hugo once said, “A good teacher can save you 10 years.” Barbara and Sheila certainly saved me from years of flailing and I鈥檒l be forever grateful to them.

• “Mary Randlett Portraits” also features an afterword by Nicolette Bromberg.