Finalists for 26th Susanne M. Glasscock Book Prize
Six books in contention for this year's Prize.
Announcing the finalists for the 26th Annual Susanne M. Glasscock Book Prize
Who is a True Christian: Contesting Religious Identity in American Culture
(Cambridge University Press)
David W. Congdon
From the shortlisting committee—
Who Is a True Christian? by David W. Congdon follows longstanding debates about whether to treat the word “Christian” as prescriptive, signifying a community of people who hold specific beliefs that are fixed across time, or descriptive, denoting the lived practices of people who call themselves Christian. Drawing upon extensive scholarship in religious studies, political science, law, and literature, Congdon links modern-day evangelical politics to themes that have arisen in theological debates for centuries. This book offers fresh insights about our current moment to scholars and non-scholars, as well as Christians and non-Christians, who seek to make sense of how both sides of the political divide claim to be the “true Christians.”
On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice
(University of North Carolina Press)
Ryan Emanuel
From the shortlisting committee—
Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws on hydrology, environmental science, anthropology, history, and indigenous studies, Ryan Emanuel fluidly (no pun intended) weaves a narrative about the Lumbee tribe's relationship with water in On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice. The book considers how that relationship has been impacted by colonial practices, the oppression of indigenous people, and present-day environmental problems associated with pollution, toxic waste from corporate development, and climate change. He expertly builds our "awareness of the links between colonialism and environmental degradation" and demonstrates the "ongoing attempt to complete the colonial project of erasing Indigenous peoples and our connections to the Coastal Plain" (p. 44).
Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark
(Hachette Book Group)
Leigh Ann Henion
From the shortlisting committee—
Leigh Ann Henion’s Night Magic offers a captivating exploration of the ecological world of darkness. Blending journalism, memoir, and ecological research in a vivid, accessible style, the book appeals to scholars and general readers alike. Henion leads us into a realm often feared or ignored, revealing the beauty, significance, and ecological value of what she calls “night magic.” A valuable contribution to the environmental humanities, the book presents fresh approaches to ecological storytelling. It fosters wonder and deep appreciation for the night while inspiring concrete action—such as combating light pollution—to protect the fragile ecosystems that thrive after dark.
Empire of Purity: The History of Americans' Global War on Prostitution
(Princeton University Press)
Eva Payne
From the shortlisting committee—
Eva Payne’s Empire of Purity is an impressively researched and well-written book that appeals to both academic and popular audiences. Through the book, Payne makes a compelling argument for the use of American “sexual exceptionalism” as a tool of empire and statecraft. Situated at the intersection of colonial, feminist, and political history, Empire of Purity makes an important and original contribution to the study of prostitution in a global context.
Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery
(The University of Chicago Press)
Seth Rockman
From the shortlisting committee—
Plantation Goods, by Seth Rockman, makes an original contribution to the study of material culture in its examination of the insidious influence of American slavery on the global economy, and the complicity of non-slaveholding northern states in the maintenance of the institution of slavery. Rockman’s meticulously researched and well-organized historical analysis of the interconnectedness of the nineteenth-century economy reverberates to our contemporary experiences of global capitalism and reminds us of our own participation in modern systems of exploitation. In particularly effective interludes between its major parts, Rockman tracks the movement of “plantation goods”—shoes, a piece of fabric, an overseer’s whip—to provide a visceral sense of the impact these goods had on the people who produced, consumed, or were subjugated by them. The committee agrees that the book’s historical analysis is accessible to broad audiences and will contextually enrich teaching in such fields as economics, literature, and philosophy.
Novels, Needleworks, and Empire: Material Entanglements in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World
(Yale University Press)
Chloe Wigston Smith
From the shortlisting committee—
Novels, Needleworks, and Empire is an original and beautifully crafted study that weaves literary analysis with material culture to show how eighteenth-century global forces shaped women’s domestic lives in the Atlantic world. Chloe Wigston Smith offers an innovative and interdisciplinary perspective on how Atlantic expansionism and empire permeated the everyday and intimate lives of women and children. By showcasing diverse projects of craftsmanship, she provides exciting insight into how empire-building inspired tangible projects and methods of agency for often underutilized historical subjects. This impressive piece of historical scholarship is both highly original and accessible, offering fresh perspectives on gender, race, and authorship while connecting a diverse array of sources, including state archives and material artifacts from museum collections.