Buffalo Noir

A few years ago, Buffalo-born author Ed Park reached out to Akashic Books, publisher of a popular noir fiction series based in various American cities, with a proposal. Park thought his hometown’s turbulent history and gritty charm made it a perfect fit for the City Noir series—and the publisher agreed. “Buffalo Noir,” edited by Park and former Paris Review editor Brigid Hughes, brings together an impressive array of writers with Queen City ties, including Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Tom Fontana, several former and current UB professors (Gary Earl Ross, Christina Milletti, Dimitri Anastasopoulos) and a sprinkling of UB alumni (award-winning mystery writer S.J. Rozan (MArch ’80); Buffalo police detective Lissa Marie Redmond (BA ’98)). In addition to the individual neighborhoods where each story is set, Buffalo fans will recognize beloved urban icons, such as the Anchor Bar, the H.H. Richardson Complex and the Bubble Man of Allentown. (Akashic Books, 2015)

Rebecca Goldfield (BA ’75) and Mike Short

Author Goldfield and artist Short have brought to life the writings of John Jewitt in this graphic novel. Jewitt was a British sailor who was taken captive by the Mowachaht people of Vancouver Island in 1803. The illustrations aspire to historical accuracy in terms of clothing, tools and weapons, while the story authentically portrays the aboriginal perspective. (Fulcrum, 2015)

William Irwin (PhD ’96)

In this accessible volume, Irwin, chair of philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania, brings together two disciplines that rarely overlap—economics and continental philosophy—arguing for a marriage of capitalism and existentialism. Their offspring, Irwin posits, would be a form of libertarianism that resists crass consumption. (Wiley Blackwell, 2015)

John Marmysz (PhD ’01)

Marmysz has been thinking about Nothing for a while now; he is also author of “Laughing at Nothing: Humor as a Response to Nihilism” (SUNY Press, 2003). This, his first novel, follows a young, unnamed narrator’s punk rock-fueled journey to believing that life is just a stretch of futile suffering before an inevitably cold and lonely death. The book is, believe it or not, quite funny. (No Frills Buffalo, 2015)

Adapted by Bill Scollon. Illustrated by Michaelangelo Rocco (BFA ’01)

Adorably illustrated by Disney’s senior digital designer, the book adaption of Disney Pixar’s film “The Good Dinosaur” follows the story of young Arlo’s perilous journey home to Clawtooth Mountain. Along the way, he befriends a human caveboy, Spot, and together they learn the importance of family, friendship and bravery. (A Golden Book, 2015)