Wes Press Books Named a “Must Read,” “Outstanding”

Three Wesleyan University Press books received recent accolades.

What is Amazing by Heather Christle, was named a finalist in the 2013 Massachusetts Book Awards. It also is included in “2013 Must Read Books” campaign, aimed at Massachusetts public libraries.

When Magoo Flew: The Rise and Fall of the Animation Studio UPA by Adam Abraham received an “Outstanding” ranking from 2013 University Press Books Committee of the American Association of School Librarians. Outstanding titles are considered “essential additions to most library collections.”

According to the committee, When Magoo Flow is a “readable and surprising history of the groundbreaking animation studio, UPA. From its roots in early Walt Disney Studios to ordeals during the McCarthy Era, UPA tried to reinvent animation in ways that were stylistically and thematically more serious than work done at is rival studios. This book has guest appearances by James Dean, Aldous Huxley, Richard Nixon, and a cast of millions. Readers will see cartoons and Mr. Magoo in an entirely new light.”

Always in Trouble: An Oral History of ESP-Disk’, the Most Outrageous Record Label in America by Jason Weiss, received a 2013 Certificate of Merit from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research in Record Labels.