iterary Hub is one of the most widely read websites devoted to literature and the arts. Recently, it completed a poll of the nation’s academic presses. Its aim was to find out which of the books they’re putting out they are proudest of. The resulting list is curious. Included are quite a few collections of the usual unreadable exercises in free verse. There are also a surprising number of graphic novels. Alongside these are some volumes on topics of interest to fewer people than compose a luge team. Among them are histories of the Canadian donut, an examination of the ecology of the dung beetle, and an inquiry into South African lawn design. There are also books on esoteric sports subjects, including an exhaustive study of American Indian basketball and one on gender politics in fantasy football, and a number of impressively obscure cultural histories (for example, a book on the “Golden Age” of children’s public television in Chicago).
