August Frugé – författare

When August Fruge joined the University of California Press in 1944, it was part of the University's printing department, publishing a modest number of books a year, mainly monographs by UC faculty members. When he retired as director 32 years later, the Press had been transformed into one of the largest, most distinguished university presses in the country, publishing more than 150 books annually in fields ranging from ancient history to contemporary film criticism, by notable authors from all over the world. August Fruge's memoir provides an exciting intellectual and topical story of the building of this great press. Along the way, it recalls battles for independence from the University administration, the Press's distinctive early style of book design, and many of the authors and staff who helped shape the Press in its formative years.

While French sea captain Auguste Duhaut-Cilly may not have become wealthy from his around-the-world travels between 1826 and 1829, his trip has enriched historians interested in early nineteenth-century California. Because of a poor choice in goods to trade he found it necessary to spend nearly two years on the Alta and Baja California coasts before disposing of his cargo and returning to France. What was bad luck for Duhaut-Cilly was good luck for us, however, because he recorded his impressions of the region's natural history and human populations in a diary. This translation of Duhaut-Cilly's writing offers today's readers a rare eyewitness account of the pastoral society that was Mexican California, including the missions at the height of their power. A veteran of the Napoleonic wars, Duhaut-Cilly was an educated man conversant in Spanish and English. He was also Catholic, which gave him special access to the California missions. Thus his diary allows the reader an insider's view of the padres' lives, including their dealings with the military.Through his eyes we see the region's indigenous people and how they were treated, and we're privy to his commentary on the behavior of the Californios. This translation also contains Duhaut-Cilly's account of the Sandwich Islands portion of his voyage and provides an authentic rendering of life at sea during the early nineteenth century. In the spirit of Richard Henry Dana's Two Years before the Mast, Duhaut-Cilly's reflections are a historical gem for anyone with a love of personal narratives and original accounts of the past.

The motivation for this volume arose from a desire to bridge the gap between artists and their audience, facilitating a deeper understanding of the artist's purpose and process. Rico Lebrun, during an evening discussion in San Miguel de Allende, highlighted the importance of giving artists a platform to articulate, in their own words, the thoughts and feelings underlying their creations. While art communicates through form, color, sound, or texture, words can sometimes clarify the artist’s unique perspective on style, technique, and life itself. Just as people in other fields seek understanding and respect from their peers, artists also face the challenge of gaining acceptance, especially when their work diverges from popular norms. This divergence can lead to a defensive resistance from audiences, who often prefer the familiar over the unsettling unknown that avant-garde art might represent.In our society, this tension frequently casts the artist as an outlier, one who disrupts the comfort of the present by intuitively reaching into future possibilities. New ideas in art, like those in science, require an openness to the unfamiliar; yet, audiences may resist, feeling overwhelmed by the demands of confronting something new. The artist, however, hopes for more than superficial applause or detached critique. They seek a resonant response that validates the enduring impact of their work. This volume, therefore, is intended to foster a more profound dialogue—not just between artist and audience, but also among artists themselves—enhancing mutual understanding and respect for the creative journey.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1956.

The motivation for this volume arose from a desire to bridge the gap between artists and their audience, facilitating a deeper understanding of the artist's purpose and process. Rico Lebrun, during an evening discussion in San Miguel de Allende, highlighted the importance of giving artists a platform to articulate, in their own words, the thoughts and feelings underlying their creations. While art communicates through form, color, sound, or texture, words can sometimes clarify the artist’s unique perspective on style, technique, and life itself. Just as people in other fields seek understanding and respect from their peers, artists also face the challenge of gaining acceptance, especially when their work diverges from popular norms. This divergence can lead to a defensive resistance from audiences, who often prefer the familiar over the unsettling unknown that avant-garde art might represent.In our society, this tension frequently casts the artist as an outlier, one who disrupts the comfort of the present by intuitively reaching into future possibilities. New ideas in art, like those in science, require an openness to the unfamiliar; yet, audiences may resist, feeling overwhelmed by the demands of confronting something new. The artist, however, hopes for more than superficial applause or detached critique. They seek a resonant response that validates the enduring impact of their work. This volume, therefore, is intended to foster a more profound dialogue—not just between artist and audience, but also among artists themselves—enhancing mutual understanding and respect for the creative journey.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1956.