Publicist Picks: Race, Tennis, and Native Photography

Jackson Adams and Anna Weir are publicists at UNP. Today they share their thoughts about a couple upcoming titles they’re particularly excited about as readers. The books in this discussion will be published in February.

Jackson Adams: For a lot of people who aren’t avid tennis viewers, myself most assuredly included, the sport doesn’t come up on my radar unless sororal dynamos Venus and Serena Williams have broken another record, won another tournament, or utterly subverted expectations again. One thing I appreciated in Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution by Cecil Harris is how much he puts the Williams’ successes in a larger context, that record-shattering successes fundamentally altered the racial makeup of the sport, both on and off the court. Harris does a great job making sure the Williams’ work isn’t a dry series of broken records and stats only a tennis wonk could appreciate but presents their successes as a series of actions that reverberate through the sport and will continue to for years as tennis becomes a more diverse sport.

What are you into this month, Anna?

Anna Weir: I enjoyed working on Irwin Klein and the New Settlers and so was excited to see another collection from a little-known photographer brought to new life. In The Grass Shall Grow, Mick Gidley highlights the work and career of Helen M. Post (1907-79), who in particular photographed Native Americans. The images in this collection are discussed and analyzed as the works of art they are, as well as connecting them to contemporary concerns, such as the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. The accompanying essays are well-researched and engaging, and the photos are arresting and beautiful. It’s a joy to have at my desk.