Louisiana State University Press
The Louisiana State University Press opened its doors in 1935 at Louisiana State University. Its initial mission focused on publishing scholarly works for academic audiences. The press became a member of the Association of University Presses shortly after establishing itself. This early period set the stage for decades of dedicated scholarship and regional history.
LSU Press publishes approximately 70 new books each year today. Their backlist contains over 2000 titles covering diverse topics. Primary fields include southern history, southern literary studies, and environmental studies. They also cover the American Civil War, roots music, foodways, poetry, fiction, media studies, and landscape architecture. European history and Louisiana and the Gulf South remain central to their catalog.
In 2010, LSU Press merged with The Southern Review, which is LSU's literary magazine. The company now oversees operations of this publication alongside its book program. This consolidation expanded the press's literary operations significantly. It combined the strengths of a university press with a prestigious literary journal under one roof.
Domestic distribution for the press is currently provided by Longleaf Services at UNC Press. The University of North Carolina Press manages these logistics for LSU Press. This partnership ensures wide availability of their titles across domestic markets. It allows the smaller press to reach broader audiences without maintaining separate distribution infrastructure.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was published in 1980 and won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Three titles have won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry from this press. Henry S. Taylor received the award in 1986 for The Flying Change. Lisel Mueller won in 1997 for Alive Together: New and Selected Poems. Claudia Emerson took home the prize in 2006 for Late Wife.
Lisel Mueller's 1981 The Need to Hold Still won the National Book Award for Poetry that year. Wayne A. Wiegand and Shirley A. Wiegand won the 2019 Eliza Atkins Gleason Book Award for The Desegregation of Public Libraries in the Jim Crow South. Kelby Ouchley received the John Burroughs Medal for natural history writing in 2023 for Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp. Gregg Andrews' Shantyboats and Roustabouts won U.S. Maritime History at the John Lyman Book Awards in 2023.
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Common questions
When did the Louisiana State University Press open its doors?
The Louisiana State University Press opened its doors in 1935 at Louisiana State University. Its initial mission focused on publishing scholarly works for academic audiences.
What are the primary fields covered by the Louisiana State University Press today?
Primary fields include southern history, southern literary studies, and environmental studies. They also cover the American Civil War, roots music, foodways, poetry, fiction, media studies, and landscape architecture.
Which book published by the Louisiana State University Press won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was published in 1980 and won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Three titles have won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry from this press including Henry S. Taylor's The Flying Change in 1986.
Who provides domestic distribution for the Louisiana State University Press?
Domestic distribution for the press is currently provided by Longleaf Services at UNC Press. The University of North Carolina Press manages these logistics for LSU Press to ensure wide availability across domestic markets.
When did the Louisiana State University Press merge with The Southern Review?
In 2010, LSU Press merged with The Southern Review which is LSU's literary magazine. The company now oversees operations of this publication alongside its book program under one roof.