American Originals: Information

Below are some various materials and contents for use by any interested party in learning about the new University of Toledo Press publication.

American Originals: Northwest Ohio's Polish Community at Home, Work, Worship, and Play is another in a series of books examining Toledo's ethnic heritage published by what has become the University of Toledo Press. Previous books in the series include Hungarian American Toledo: Life and Times in Toledo's Birmingham Neighborhood (2002), The Irish in Toledo: History and Memory (2005), and Arab Americans in Toledo: Cultural Assimilation and Community Involvement (2010).

Introduction:

American Originals: Northwest Ohio’s Polish Community at Home, Work, Worship, and Play edited by Timothy Borden, is an essential volume to those interested in Toledo area history, or even the Polish history of immigration to the United States. The first chapter, written by Rep. Marcy Kaptur, tells an engaging narrative of her connection to the culture and what it means to come to the land of opportunity, and what it meant for those who were able to leave before the events of WWII and the rise of Communism compared with those that stayed behind, which she witnessed first-hand.

The book is rife with historic photographs of Polish Americans, their place in the local religious community, and interviews with local Poles. It illustrates some of the influences on modern culture that Polish immigration had on the area as well as the United States in general. If you’re looking to learn more, feel free to contact us here at the University of Toledo Press.

We’d be happy to do further interviews regarding the publication.

Company Information:

The mission of the University of Toledo Press is to publish professional quality books with relevance to general readers in Toledo, Northwest Ohio, and the Western Lake Erie region. The UT Press will read and consider for publication manuscripts that investigate, highlight, and celebrate the unique identity of our region's communities, institutions, and individuals. It will consider scholarly and general nonfiction, fiction, photography or poetry manuscripts. It will also consider manuscripts by writers with a biographical connection to the region.

The University of Toledo Press was established in July 2010 and benefits from institutional support from the University's Department of English Language and Literature, College of Graduate Studies, and Office of Marketing and Communications.

Barbara Floyd, the current Director of the University of Toledo Press, has authored, co-authored, and edited multiple works such as:

• The Tower’s Lengthening Shadow: 125 Years of the University of Toledo. Toledo, OH: Friends of the University of Toledo Libraries, 1997.
• ‘A Most Excellent Education:’ 100 Years of the University of Toledo College of Arts and Sciences. The University of Toledo College of Arts and Sciences, Spring 2010.
• Principal author and editor, “Wholly Toledo: The Business and Industry that Shaped the City.” Exhibition catalog. Published by the University of Toledo Libraries, November 2010.
• Principal author, “Medicine on the Maumee: A History of Health Care in Northwest Ohio.” Exhibition catalog. Published by the University of Toledo Libraries, March 2012.

She also serves the University of Toledo as the Director for the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections and a Professor for Library Sciences. Her education consists of a B.A. of Journalism, an M.A. of American History, and an M.P.A. in Public Administration, all from the University of Toledo. She carries a vast range of knowledge of history, though she has specialized in medical history pertaining to Ohio and the Toledo area.

Product Information and Testimonials

The new publication, American Originals: Northwest Ohio’s Polish Community at Home, Work, Worship, and Play, does just as the title describes. It is an exploration of the Polish community of Toledo and the Great Lakes region in general.

"This [book] is a mix of the broader themes that have shaped our community with the actual lives that Polish-Americans recall - sometimes remembered with pain, more often with joy, and always with respect for the accomplishments of the families, friend, and neighbors. These are the histories of true American originals, who found a proper home for their ideals in the Polish-American community of northwest Ohio. May God bless our ancestors, who worked so hard to help us achieve our goals."

- Dr. Timothy Borden, editor,
American Originals: Northwest Ohio's Polish Community at Home, Work, Worship, and Play

"So, at the turn of the twentieth century, our grandparents on both sides took fateful journeys that were to change the course of our family history forever ... Poles from Poland, and Polish-Americans, value their histories because we know the price of our very existence."

- U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur,
from American Originals

Related News Stories:

Check out some articles written about our publication from around the net and print:

Article:

"Local book explores Northwest Ohio’s Polish heritage"
by Tom Konecny at the Toledo Free Press.

Article:

"UT Press publishes book on Toledo’s Polish community"
at the UT News archive.

 

FAQ:

Q: Why is this book relevant?
A: Because it’s a focus on a local culture that had a heavy hand in developing communities. Where would any community be without the immigrants that came together to form the cities, towns, and landscape that we know today? The Polish community held a heavy influence on the American way of life as a whole, from the city name of Sandusky, to the early name of the Maumee River.

Q: Who is featured in this book? Who takes it from anecdotal narratives to academic relevance?
A: The editor of the volume, Dr. Timothy Borden, author of Richard T. Gosser and comprehensive unionism in postwar Toledo, Ohio, has curated American Origins to be both flavorful and substantial. The book features chapters from: Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Dr. David Gwidon Chelminski, Dr. Sarah E. Miller, and some anecdotal interviews with Polish peoples from Northwest Ohio conducted by Dr. Borden himself. In short, while it does contain personal narratives, it relates those narratives to the broader context of this culture’s history and impact on the region.

Q: How does this book relate to my readers’ or viewers’ interests? How will my presentation of this book in my media improve my demographics’ lives, and thereby life for myself?
A: This book is of relevance to everyone in the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan areas, as their lives have been directly influenced by the Polish people, of whom more than 58,000 still reside in the area (according to a 2010 census). In a broader note, this is one of those cultures which offered its fair share of ingredients to the grand melting pot of the United States. This book would go excellently with a feature on the Lagrange Street Polish Festival, as it offers a historical context for the modern celebration. This book aims to give readers of all kinds a window into another culture, or possibly their own culture, that is not easily accessible through any other venue.

Q: What else should I know about the book other than what can be found on this page?
A: It is a locally written, locally edited book, geared towards a local audience. If you would care to learn any more information about the books contents, feel free to contact the University of Toledo Press using the information provided above.