Small Press, Big Dreams:
The Indie Publishing Scene in Chicago
PANELISTS
Jane Bunker, Northwestern University Press
Allison Manley, Squishy Press
Davis Schneiderman, Lake Forest College Press/&NOW Books
Cynthia Sherry, Chicago Review Press
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Jane Bunker is the Director of Northwestern University Press. Previously, she was associate director and editor in chief at SUNY Press, in Albany, NY, where she also acquired books in philosophy, psychology, and women’s studies. A graduate of St. Norbert College, she earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University, where her publishing career began as a graduate student working on the journal International Philosophical Quarterly. Active in the Association of American University Presses and a member of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, she has published countless books in these latter areas.
A Wisconsin native, Jane readily admits that the proximity to Lake Michigan was part of the appeal in making the move to Evanston. In her infrequent spare time, she enjoys walking her dogs along the lake, sailing, yoga, and—most shockingly of all—reading.
Northwestern University Press has as its mission to publish books that disseminate knowledge and further understanding of cultural, political, social, and community issues. Since its inception in 1893, the Press has produced important scholarly works in disciplines such as philosophy, Jewish studies, Slavic studies, and literary criticism as well as quality regional and Chicago books, fiction, poetry, literature in translation, journalism, and books on drama and the performing arts. Press authors have received numerous prizes, including the Nobel Prize for Literature, the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Tony Award.
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Allison Manley, owner of Rogue Element Inc. and Squishy Press, has a passion for creating design that cleanly delivers a clear message with an extra creative push to make the work stand out. Her designs have been recognized by Graphis, HOW Magazine, the Advertising Club of Washington, D.C., The Publicity Club of Chicago, and Washington Book Publishers. Allison’s involvement in green issues has made her a virtual renewable resource on sustainability, and an excellent person to ask for green living advice.
Because living and working in Chicago doesn’t expose her to enough cold weather conditions, Allison can be found in her spare time training on the ice rink as a competitive figure skater in the adult ranks. She combines her computer skills with skating by producing a monthly podcast called The Manleywoman SkateCast. As a result of her skating career, she has a deep appreciation for quality spandex and well-positioned sequins.
Rogue Element has extended their commitment to sustainability in two ways: one is an annual Green Grant of marketing services to a sustainability-focused organization. The other is Squishy Press, which produces beautifully designed and photographed books and toys for babies and toddlers that are also ecofriendly and made in the USA. Sold through retailers nationwide, Squishy Press books use environmentally conscious paper, inks, and printing processes. No laminates, foils, or potentially harmful glues are used. The goal is to remove all potentially harmful chemicals and replace them with whimsy and fun!
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Davis Schneiderman is a multimedia artist and writer and the author or editor of eight print and audio works, including the novels Drain (TriQuarterly/Northwestern) and Blank: a novel (Jaded Ibis), with audio from DJ Spooky; the co-edited collections Retaking the Universe: Williams S. Burroughs in the Age of Globalization (Pluto) and The Exquisite Corpse: Chance and Collaboration in Surrealism¹s Parlor Game (Nebraska). His creative work has appeared in numerous publications, including Fiction International, The Chicago Tribune, The Iowa Review, TriQuarterly, and Exquisite Corpse, and he is a contributor to The Nervous Breakdown and Big Other. Appearances in 2010-11 include the University of Notre Dame, the Ukrainian Embassy in D.C, the Chicago Cultural Center, the University of London Institute in Paris, and The New School, among others. He is Chair of the English Department at Lake Forest College, and also Director of Lake Forest College Press/&NOW Books. He edits The &NOW AWARDS: The Best Innovative Writing.
Lake Forest College Press publishes in the broad spaces of Chicago studies. Our imprint, &NOW Books, publishes innovative and conceptual literature, and serves as the publishing arm of the &NOW writers conference and organization. &NOW Books published the biennial collection, The &NOW AWARD: The Best Innovative Writing and the first-book by winners of the Madeleine P. Plonsker Emerging Writers’ Residency Prize. This prize awards $10,000, a two-month residency at Lake Forest College, and a first-book publication.
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Over the last 22 years, Cynthia Sherry has held financial management as well as editorial and acquisitions positions at Independent Publishers Group and at its parent company, Chicago Review Press. As publisher of Chicago Review Press, she oversees the editorial and book production of about 60 new titles yearly and manages an editorial and production staff of 11.
Chicago Review Press is a cutting-edge independent publisher that gives voice to new ideas that reach beyond the trends. The Press publishes books that inform and entertain smart, socially conscious, engaged, and curious readers. The company’s aim is to produce substantive, thought-provoking content that stands the test of time and broadens people’s ideas of the world. Their titles appear under four imprints: Chicago Review Press publishes general nonfiction on a wide range of subjects including music, film, popular science, history, biography, and travel, as well as an award-winning line of children’s activity books. Lawrence Hill Books publishes nonfiction on topics of African American interest, progressive politics, Middle Eastern studies, and feminism. Ball Publishing specializes in gardening books, and Zephyr Press publishes professional development titles for teachers.