Body Geographic by Barrie Jean Borich in The Rumpus

“In all, Body Geographic navigates fluidly between recovery narrative, travelogue, family legend (in both the literary and cartographic senses of the word), and coming-of-(middle)age story, and in so doing posits a new telling (or re-mapping) of the American story.” -Molly Beer

From the Caxton Press, On the Dark Side of the Moon by Mike Medberry in Terrain.org

“Mike Medberry has written a slim volume of a memoir that’s a victory in many ways. This environmentalist and writer—in his first book—offers to the reader a story of debility and recovery, a journey he experienced following a stroke in April of 2000 that left him helplessly lying on the rocks of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. But On the Dark Side of the Moon: A Journey Toward Recovery is more than just a book about a man struggling to regain health.” -Andrew C. Gottlieb

Bridging Two Dynasties by Lyle Spatz in the Tampa Tribune

“This is a well-researched, informative book that puts a pivotal year of Yankees history into proper perspective. New York had flashier stars, better pitchers and hitters and gaudier statistics in other years, but the 1947 squad deserves some respect, too. Spatz and his colleagues provide the evidence.” - Bob D'Angelo

Philadelphia’s Top 50 Baseball Players by Rich Westcott in the Baseball Almanac

“This book is a delight both for fans of Philadelphia baseball and fans of baseball itself. Prolific author Rich Westcott has assembled five-page reflections on each of Philadelphia’s top 50 players. The list extends from the Pioneers (pre-1900) to the greatest players of the Modern Era (1971-2012). In-between are looks at Philadelphia legends which are sure to strike the nostalgia keys and bring back memories of great names whom one has seen play or whose exploits have been read about through the years.” -Dr. McKim

501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read Before They Die by Ron Kaplan in Baseball Almanac

“Kaplan's abilities make this book live up to a line about it on the back cover: ‘Anyone who loves to read about baseball will find in this book a companionable guide, far more fun than a reference work has any right to be.’ This book is definitely worth acquiring for yourself. In a number of ways it will be interesting and valuable. It will also keep you busy with ‘must reads’…for a long time!” - Dr. McKim

Island of Bones by Joy Castro in Portland Book Review

“Through it all, Castro continues to struggle with questions of identity and membership: do I really belong, and where, and to whom? Who am I, really? Her search for the truth of her own life is given to us in honest, eloquent, and insightful prose.” -Daniel Hobbs

Smokey Joe Wood by Gerald C. Wood on Cleveland.com

“Gerald C. Wood (no relation), author of this first full-scale biography of "Smoky Joe" Wood, delivers an impeccably researched and poignant account of a great athlete and even greater man.”- Mark Hodermarsky

Barbara Loeb is the co-editor of The Woman Who Loved Mankind by Lilian Bullshows Hogan, the fascinating life story of a 20th-century Crow woman elder. Loeb and Mardell Plainfeather set out to tell Hogan's story in traditional Crow storytelling forms. 

When Mardell Plainfeather and I recorded the life story of Mardell’s elderly Crow Indian mother, Lillian Bullshows Hogan, I wanted to write Lillian’s stories the way she talked. No easy task, but my quest led me to the idea that oral storytelling is performance, so it was important to follow the rhythms of Lillian’s voice, changing to a new line each time she paused. That meant years of intense and detailed work—twenty years worth, to be exact—yet, despite of countless hours with these stories, I still find the stories fresh and relevant. 

Lately I have been pondering a small cluster of three particularly timely stories that address trans-gender issues. Crow people solved some of these dilemmas long ago. Women might follow a more masculine lifestyle if they choose, and men might become berdaches (men who dressed and lived as women).  Early church ministers, Indian agents, and other white authorities were uncomfortable with the idea of berdaches, and they harassed and humiliated them out of existence. The tradition disappeared, but Lillian’s family knew the last of the old-time Crow berdaches quite well. He lived until 1929. In the Apsáalooke language his name was Ohchikapdaapesh, or Ochiich, for short. In English his name meant Finds Them and Kills Them. Ochiich was a respected warrior who wore men’s clothing in battle but lived much of his life as a woman. He was a good cook and a skilled beader, and he almost always wore a dress and other women’s garments. 

Lillian described this traditional berdache, as well as her memories of his visits to her family. She recalled his fun-filled teasing and the oranges and other goodies he brought to her and her brother whenever he came for a visit. She also recounted one of his military accomplishments, and she told a moving story of a confrontation between Agent Estep, the white man who enforced harsh federal polices on the reservation, and Chief Plenty Coups, the last of the tribe’s great old-time chiefs. Estep called Ochiich into his office and attempted to force him into more masculine ways, but Chief Plenty Coups made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Ochiich had a place in Crow society just the way he was. If you would like to read the story of Ochiich, Agent Estep, and Chief Plenty Coups click here. 

-Barbara Loeb

Let's hit it:

• 8-year-old's invention for keeping books dry in the bath
• Travel back in time with the WIRED Media Kit from 1992
• Britain's most remote bookshop is for sale
• History of Typography