Selections from Syracuse University Press and York State Books

In spite of the fact that The Waterwall’s posts have been predominantly book-centric it has always been the intention of this site to present interests ranging across art, history, literature, travel and other cultural miscellany both in general and sometimes with special focus on those topics as they relate to my home state. That these all too infrequent entries so far have not progressed in an Empire State way much meets redress here in the form of some notes regarding a series of books published by Syracuse University Press including one that points the way to a presentation of one of this state’s most unique architectural legacies. And redress in the form of some personal New York recollections I associate with these books.

Syracuse University Press, founded in 1943, is a university press that is part of Syracuse University. The areas of focus for the Press include Middle East Studies, Native American Studies, Peace and Conflict

Resolution, Irish Studies and Jewish Studies, among others.^[1] The Press has an international reputation in Irish Studies and Middle East Studies.^[2] It is a member of the Association of American University Presses.              (Wikipedia)

Syracuse University Press also publishes, under its imprint York State Books, topical material related to New York State. My own internet searches for details of the imprint’s history and works have produced nothing constructive. At present I’m engaged in correspondence with the Press to learn more. The little I am able to report on is based on books I’ve acquired from various used bookstores. 

It’s probable that the material handled by York State Books was formerly the purview of Syracuse University Press proper before diversifying into the broader range described above however at the moment that’s mainly a hunch.

In the early 2000’s traveling from western New York to Cape Cod my timetable permitted journeying on back roads through the Adirondacks, my first real glimpse of the region. in the town of Speculator I was lucky to overnight in a Lake Pleasant cabin where among the comforts of its simple rooms were assorted books on the renowned park. I delved into Adirondack Country by William Chapman White.

The 1985 publication of Adirondack Country by York Sate Books reprinted for the first time in paperback the author’s biography of the Adirondack Preserve originally published by Duell, Sloan & Pearce in 1954, a year before White’s death at age 52. As late as 1967 when Knopf issued the first reprint of the title it had secured a reputation for unmatched depth of study, as is attested to by noted Adirondack region scholar and water use crusader Paul F. Jamieson, who is quoted in the introduction to that edition – “the most comprehensive book on the region since [Alfred l.] Donaldson’s History.” 

In researching the original publisher of Adirondack Country I learned it belonged to a larger roster of Country books Duell, Sloan & Pearce and released in a series called American Folkways edited by Erskine Caldwell. American Folkways is representative of postwar regional series that comprised a national self -portrait according to Oak Knoll Press, publishers of Series Americana by Carol Fitzgerald who is profiled in an earlier post for her groundbreaking work with the Rivers of America series. That York State Books in no way points to Adirondack Country’s origins in American Folkways is, I presume, an indication that as late 1985 when they reprinted it, there was not yet recognition that various regional series constituted a so called national self-portrait series as Fitzgerald’s thesis asserts. I would think that detail would add to Adirondack Country’s pedigree. In any event, it is commendable that York State Books brought Adirondack Country and the intimate profile it offers out of obscurity.

Syracuse University Press has also reprinted the slim volume Just About Everything in the Adirondacks, forty-seven of White’s journalistic pieces for the New York Times and New York Herald Tribune first published by the Adirondack Historical Association in 1960. The reprint couples the columns with notable landscape paintings of the region.

Landmarks of Rochester and Monroe County: A Guide to Neighborhoods and Villages © 1974 and Cobblestone Landmarks of New York State © 1978 both belong to an intriguing series of books published by SUP we might nickname “Landmarks” books. Both were happy discoveries in stores trading in “previously owned” books, the earlier title being the second such event, its identical square format suggesting the two might be parts of a series; follow-up correspondence with SUP confirmed they were. According to the publisher the series originally included: Landmarks of Rochester and Monroe Co.; Cobblestone Landmarks of New York; Landmarks of Otsego Cty; Landmarks of Oswego Cty; and Syracuse Landmarks all in cloth and paper editions. Only the Syracuse title is still in print.

These fabulous, straightforward studies of notable architecture in the western counties of the state feature introductory essays followed by black and white reproductions usually one per building occupying the greater proportion of the page along with addresses of locations (which makes it possible to track the buildings down as I have done in a couple of instances). The essays succeed in conveying a deep passion and respect for the architectural treasures they present along with a demurely urgent call to preserve these structures against the sweeping ravages of urban renewal.

Of particular note is Cobblestone Landmarks of New York State. Prior to discovering this book I was unaware of the architectural form but it has since remained a top personal interest among the treasures of New York State which I’ll expand on following this post.

Lastly, Growing Up In Cooper Country was another delightful discovery in the aisles of one of the best used bookstores I have ever visited which warrants a quick plug. The Book Barn in Niantic, CT is treat with few equals for those who love to prowl used bookstores. It comprises three locations. The main store, a quarter mile out of “downtown” on the main street itself comprises an old barn, some outbuildings and stalls situated on an old farm. Each structure on the welcoming and highly appealing grounds is dedicated to different genres. You can easily spend a day browsing and not have covered everything. Of course it’s replete with all the idiosyncracies of such places: cats; antiques; abundant placards of quotes and other literary signage; I think they had tea breads or some sort of country baked goods. The personnel are very friendly as they manage brisk business. The other two locations are in town around the corner from each other. One handles children’s books and the other quality paperbacks. Junk quotient is low; “finds” quotient high.

Growing Up In Cooper Country: Boyhood Recollections of the New York Frontier © 1965 by Syracuse University Press presents “extensive boyhood reminiscences from the out-of-print autobiographies of two men who grew up in the Cooper Country in the frontier period.” Contemporaries and local to each other the two subjects did not know each other. One, Beardsley became a lawyer and member of the state legislature while the other, Wright, was a clergyman, reformer, suffragist and abolitionist, thus their writings reflect totally different points of view as they record memorable descriptions of similar events such as bear hunts, clearing forests, building log houses, bees and dances, witches and Indians, etc.

 
The book's handsome jacket illustration itself sports a classic 1960s graphic sensibility. The back cover lists other titles under the heading The York State Scene – so we see a preceding nomenclature of the later imprint and an early, very handsome stylization of SUP's trademark glyph.

As suggested through the titles presented here, Syracuse University Press offers, to those interested, deeper layers of New York history. It would be a welcome feature of the press if their public presence included more on their history and archives.