Cornerstone Press, the student-staffed teaching press at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, will launch its newest book, a collection of short fiction, next week.
Cornerstone Press will release "Township" by Ohio author Jamie Lyn Smith, at 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 27, via a Zoom webinar. The event will feature a question-and-answer session with the author and a roundtable discussion about the collection. A link to the webinar will be emailed to attendees who sign up through Cornerstone Press's Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehPmtg1gnpGHDhYj23n1g-CchnmOMa7A5LVFwrNpBAHNUayg/viewform.
"Township," part of Cornerstone's Legacy Series in short fiction, was printed by Point Print and Design Studio on campus. It is currently available for pre-order at www.uwsp.edu/cornerstone. It will also be available for pre-order during the launch on Jan. 27. For more information, visit @uwspcornerstonepress on Facebook.
Set in Appalachian Ohio, Smith's debut short story collection explores a region and the rotating case of characters who call it home. With honesty and empathy, Smith closely examines the strains that intimate family ties put on lives worn raw by collective history. Ultimately, the nine stories in "Township" interrogate the notion of reconciliation, examining whether people can truly change and if forgiveness is possible.
"Jamie Lyn Smith writes with a lot of heart and passion to tell complicated stories," said Kala Buttke, the press' editorial director. "As a reader, you can clearly see the care for the complexity of the characters, and for the locales—how important space is—where the stories take place. It was a great pleasure to help build on Smith's passion."
With several new titles being released each semester, Cornerstone Press students gain industry experience working with writers from all over the United States.
"Working on 'Township' was a fantastic experience that offered insight on the lives and struggles within a small town. Each story offered a poignant understanding of its characters and setting," said Maggie Weiland, Cornerstone executive assistant. "It was wonderful to see how each story concluded and connected with the others."
Cornerstone Press, established in 1984, is made up primarily of students in the English: writing, editing, and publishing major and writing minors offered at UW-Stevens Point. It operates with the support of the English Department and is directed by Ross Tangedal, assistant professor of English and press publisher. Students gain hands-on experiences in all aspects of publishing, from acquisitions to marketing the finished product, with courses highlighting editing, design and management.
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