UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing has announced a public launch event to celebrate the publication of the digital bibliography “The Pittsburgh Novel: Western Pennsylvania in Fiction and Drama, 1792–2022,” co-edited by Peter Oresick and Jake Oresick. Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh Library System, the event will be held at 6 p.m. March 7 in Archives and Special Collections at the Hillman Library on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland.
The event will feature a demonstration by Jake Oresick of the bibliography’s elaborate search functions and a conversation with several authors whose Pittsburgh-based books are included in the bibliography about the significance of Pittsburgh settings in their work. At a reception following the presentation, participants will be invited to explore the bibliography firsthand at computer kiosks. Participants are asked to register through the University of Pittsburgh’s event system.
“The Pittsburgh Novel: Western Pennsylvania in Fiction and Drama, 1792–2022" is an annotated bibliography of all known fiction with a significant geographical setting in any of Pennsylvania’s 26 westernmost counties published between 1792 and 2022.
“Peter Oresick loved Pittsburgh and the word. With the publication of ‘The Pittsburgh Novel,’ his son Jake has brought his good and necessary work to fruition,” said Stewart O’Nan, author of the novels “Snow Angels,” “Everyday People” and “Emily, Alone.”
“From Marcia Davenport to John Edgar Wideman, it’s awe-inspiring to see the many different traditions that make up our fictional city gathered in one handy volume,” O’Nan, winner of the 1993 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, continued. “I wish I’d had ‘The Pittsburgh Novel’ as a resource before I started writing mine.”
Ellen Prentiss Campbell, author of “The Bowl with Gold Seams,” said, “Good news for western Pennsylvania! Jake Oresick has completed ‘The Pittsburgh Novel,’ the comprehensive bibliography begun by his father, Peter. While working on my novel set in Bedford, I discovered the bibliography-in-progress. Now ‘The Pittsburgh Novel’ is an online treasure trove for writers, readers and time travelers. Fasten your seat belt, choose a destination on the interactive map, and take off.”
Libraries Open Publishing, the University Libraries’ Open Access imprint, is a unit within the Research Informatics and Publishing department. Libraries Open Publishing provides tools and support for Penn State–affiliated authors and groups to publish full-featured electronic scholarly journals, searchable annotated bibliographies, monographs and topical web portals using a variety of digital platforms. All publications are free to view online and download. Copyright is retained by the individual authors, where possible, or by the journals or sponsoring entity. Almost all are licensed for use under a Creative Commons license.
For more information about the program, visit openpublishing.psu.edu or contact the Open Publishing team at openpublishing@psu.edu.