Hudson Valley Writers Reflect on Writing

In River of Words: Portraits of Hudson Valley Writers, seventy-six contemporary writers consider the literary life, the craft of writing, and the beauty of New York's Hudson Valley. With text by Nina Shengold and photos by Jennifer May, the book takes us inside the lives of these writers and examines the pull of the Hudson Valley. For centuries, writers have drawn inspiration from the Hudson River and its surroundings. John Burroughs, James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edith Wharton all lived and worked in the region immortalized by the Hudson River School of painters. River of Words offers intimate portraits of the current crop of Hudson Valley writers as they continue the tradition of writers drawing inspiration from this distinctive American landscape.

Jennifer May recently created a website for the book that is chock full of exciting content, including sections focusing on the seventy-six writers, excerpts, and news and current events.

Cooking your way through the Hudson Valley

Food historian and writer Peter G. Rose's new cookbook, Summer Pleasures, Winter Pleasures, offers a variety of recipes that spotlight the historical and culinary heritage of New York's Hudson Valley. Peter was interviewed in today's Albany Times Union. The interview is followed by a series of recipes from the book. We hope you have fun creating these Hudson Valley dishes in your kitchen.

As a teaser, here's one of the recipes from the book:

Pork Chops with Pears and Blue Cheese

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 thick pork chops
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large pears, quartered, cored and peeled
1/2 cup white wine or water
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

In a frying pan, heat oil. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and fry until browned on both sides.

In the meantime, cut each pear quarter lengthwise into 3 slices. Add pears to the browned chops, along with the wine or water. Cover pan, reduce heat, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chops are done.

Uncover pan and sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on top. Turn off heat, replace the cover and allow pan to stand for a few minutes.

Peter will be at "Sip & Sign," a free book signing with 25 authors, from 1 to 4 pm Nov. 14 at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, 26 Wing Road, Millbrook, NY. Call (845) 677-8383 for details.

SUNY Press partners with the Albany Institute of History & Art

We're happy to share with you that we are now partnering with the Albany Institute of History & Art to offer digital and print editions of previously published works by the Albany Institute, one of the oldest and most prestigious museums in the United States. These works showcase a wide range of topics, including colonial Dutch arts and crafts, contemporary painters of the Hudson River, artists Paul Cushman and Richard Callner, and a celebrated overview of the two-hundred-year history of the Albany Institute. Visit our website for a complete list of these titles.

We're also collaborating with the Institute on new publishing ventures, so stay tuned for more information!

Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Visit their website for more information about the museum and for current exhibitions.

SUNY Press partners with the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art

In our previous post, we mentioned that we've partnered with the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (SDMA). Today we'd like to give you the full scoop on this exciting new venture. We are now distributing print and digital editions of titles published by SDMA. The books and catalogs cover a range of topics, including nineteenth-century American landscape paintings of the Hudson River; the photography of Eva Watson-Schütze; and artists George Bellow, Rimer Cardillo, and Judy Pfaff. We are also collaborating with SDMA on new publishing ventures.

Located at SUNY New Paltz, SDMA's permanent collection spans a period of almost four thousand years. Areas of specialization include twentieth-century prints and paintings, decorative arts, photographs, Asian art, and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts. The Museum has a special commitment to collecting works of art created by artists that have lived and worked in the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions. Please visit our website for a complete listing of SDMA titles offered by SUNY Press.

New York's 400th

Recently, the rebuilt Onrust was joined by a replica of Henry Hudson's Half Moon and other vessels in a flotilla on River Day, a quadricentennial celebration along New York's Hudson River. The Onrust was originally built by a stranded Dutch crew in America in 1614. The Half Moon is an 85-foot replica of the ship Henry Hudson sailed while exploring the Hudson River in 1609.

SUNY Presser Greg Smith watched the flotilla arrive in Albany and snapped some beautiful pictures. For more on New York's 400th celebration, check out the official site. We've even put together a collection of SUNY Press titles to celebrate the anniversary as well. Now enjoy some lovely photos from River Day.