Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2006

Contact: Contact: Mike Emery
713.743.8186 (office)
713.415.6551 (pager)
pemery@uh.edu

From pulp fiction to popular bestsellers, the paperback has evolved from an inexpensive publishing innovation to a mainstay on bookshelves around the world. The University of Houston’s M.D. Anderson Library is celebrating its vital place in literature with the exhibition “Penguins, Pulps, and Pretty Ladies: A History of Paperbacks.”

The exhibition is currently on view through Sept. 8 on the library’s first floor. There is no cost to view it, and it is open to the public during regular library hours.

Among the items on display are Civil War-era Beadle’s Dime Novels, vintage Dashell Hammett mysteries, reprints of literary classics such as “1984,” a selection of exploitation novels and a rare edition of William S. Burroughs’ “Junkie” credited to the author’s pseudonym of William Lee.

People have been reading paperbacks since the mid-19th century, but they became increasingly popular following World War II as returning soldiers began attending universities, and readers sought new and accessible diversions.

“This exhibition reflects trends in American society,” said the exhibition’s curator Julie Grob, digital projects and instruction librarian for UH Special Collections. “Paperbacks have often been representative of popular literature, so visitors can get a sense of what kinds of material have attracted readers during various time periods.”

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.