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University Press of Kansas launches new nonfiction line Plainspoken
LAWRENCE — The University Press of Kansas has launched Plainspoken Books, a new nonfiction trade imprint focused on bringing Midwest stories into national conversations. The debut title, out September 2025, is “Whirlwind” by native Kansan and acclaimed journalist Bill Kurtis, with forthcoming titles from Kansas City-based author Chris Arnone, former Kansas poet laureate Huascar Medina and journalists Max McCoy and Clay Wirestone. The press is currently accepting proposals at all stages.
KU School of Business partners with Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeast Kansas
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Business has launched a collaboration with a Bourbon County organization to support local entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) will work with KU entrepreneurship programs both to identify community business projects for student engagement and to access programmatic resources. The collaboration allows KU students to gain hands-on experience while HBCAT and its community partners benefit from KU’s expertise, tools and support for entrepreneurial development.
Male monarchs throughout history portrayed as ‘mother’ figures, new research reveals
LAWRENCE — Rulers have traditionally relied on masculinity to display their ability to govern. Or have they? New research suggests that throughout history — and within many cultures — male monarchs have often been positively portrayed as maternal. The topic is explored in the new article “King as Mother: Gendered Metaphors of Power in Early Modern Europe,” written by Luis Corteguera, professor of history at the University of Kansas, and published in the Journal of Women’s History.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Alec Loganbill, University Press of Kansas, 785-864-1258, [email protected]
University Press of Kansas launches new nonfiction line Plainspoken
LAWRENCE — The University Press of Kansas has launched Plainspoken Books, a new nonfiction trade imprint focused on bringing Midwest stories into national conversations.
Far more than flyover country, the Midwest is a dynamic, important place that is vital to understanding who and what America is and where it is going. This imprint was created to lift up authentic voices and stories from the middle of country and publish meaningful books for readers everywhere.
Plainspoken Books is taking a boutique approach, offering whole-press attention, supportive editorial partnerships and collaborative marketing strategies. The entire staff at the University Press of Kansas will be involved with Plainspoken authors, combining the experience of the nearly 80-year-old publishing house with a deep knowledge of and appreciation for the Midwest. Editor Alec Loganbill is leading the imprint.
“As a lifelong Kansan, I recognize the cultural value of the often underestimated Midwest,” Loganbill said. “It is truly exciting to create an imprint that brings together the incredibly talented authors, journalists and storytellers from the Midwest, supports them with authenticity and understanding, and helps develop their impact and reach far beyond the boundaries of our region.”
The debut title, out September 2025, is “Whirlwind” by Bill Kurtis, the legendary Chicago journalist whose early life in Kansas set him on a path to cover some of the most iconic stories in modern history. In the fall of 2026, Plainspoken Books will release “My Name Was Baby: An Intersex Memoir,” a candid and inspiring story of growing up different and learning to love oneself by Kansas City-based author Chris Arnone; and “God’s Misfits,” journalist Max McCoy’s search for the heart of good and evil in the wake of an Oklahoma murder. Other titles under contract include “The Prairie Fool,“ a lyrical meditation on politics, class and culture by former Kansas poet laureate Huascar Medina; and “In the Shadow of Trump,“ in which veteran reporter and editor Clay Wirestone unpacks the past decade of Kansas politics to offer clarity for today and hope for tomorrow.
Plainspoken Books is the place for strong, concept-driven books about the politics, cultures and environments of the Midwest. Whether it is narrative journalism, sharp political commentary, inspiring memoir or zeitgeisty history, this is an imprint for authentic authors, stories with a sense of place and ideas that can capture the national imagination.
Loganbill is currently accepting proposals at all stages from agents and authors. For more, visit the Plainspoken webpage.
The University Press of Kansas was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University.
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KU activity supports nearly 88,000 jobs — or 1 in every 23 jobs in Kansas.
If KU by itself were its own industry sector, it would be the 10th-largest sector in Kansas.
https://economicdevelopment.ku.edu/impact
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Contact: Lauren Cunningham, School of Business, 785-864-9540, [email protected]
KU School of Business partners with Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeast Kansas
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Business has launched a collaboration with a Bourbon County organization to support local entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT), an organization dedicated to building a healthy, thriving workforce, will work with KU Business entrepreneurship programs both to identify community business projects for student engagement and to access programmatic resources. The collaboration allows KU students to gain hands-on experience while HBCAT and its community partners benefit from KU’s expertise, tools and support for entrepreneurial development.
“Our partnership with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team exemplifies KU’s commitment to fostering economic development throughout Kansas while enhancing the student learning experience,” said KU School of Business Dean Jide Wintoki. “Our students get to apply their business expertise to support small but growing companies, with the potential to generate new jobs in the region. It’s a powerful way to strengthen our students’ professional skills while creating meaningful impact in the state.”
The partnership will support Bourbon County businesses through three tailored pathways, each grounded in a KU Business entrepreneurship co-curricular program.
Jayhawk Consulting: HBCAT will identify local startups and small businesses that could benefit from student-led consulting services.
RedTire (Redefine your Retirement): HBCAT will connect with businesses nearing an ownership transition and work with KU’s RedTire team to assess fit for the program’s comprehensive business valuation and succession planning services.
The Catalyst: HBCAT will help launch a locally led version of KU’s program, which supports aspiring entrepreneurs through mentorship and venture development. KU will provide HBCAT with training and resources on curriculum and program management, with the first Bourbon County Catalyst cohort expected to launch in spring 2026.
Through this partnership, KU students will gain a stronger connection to and understanding of Kansas’ economic landscape while contributing to its continued growth.
“Our entrepreneurs have been clear about what they need: more guidance, more support and more opportunities to grow,” said Jody Love, HBCAT president and CEO. “Partnering with KU allows us to respond directly to those needs and ensure that small businesses in southeast Kansas have the resources to succeed.”
The KU School of Business provides entrepreneurial curricular and co-curricular education to students of every major and across all stages of interest, from those exploring new ideas to those actively launching ventures. Students learn to solve meaningful problems with purpose and creativity, building a mindset that equips them to thrive in any career path.
More information about KU Business entrepreneurship programs can be found at the school’s entrepreneurship webpage.
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Research at KU powers 54 active startups with more than half based in Kansas.
https://ku.edu/distinction
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Contact: Jon Niccum, KU News Service, 785-864-7633, [email protected]
Male monarchs throughout history portrayed as ‘mother’ figures, new research reveals
LAWRENCE — Rulers have traditionally relied on masculinity to display their ability to govern. Or have they?
New research suggests that throughout history — and within many cultures — male monarchs have often been positively portrayed as maternal.
“Good rulers should be strong warriors and upright against injustice. But they also need to be nurturing and caring,” said Luis Corteguera, professor of history at the University of Kansas.
His new article titled “King as Mother: Gendered Metaphors of Power in Early Modern Europe” explores this concept using biblical and classical sources and evidence from nature to describe the authority of male rulers across early modern Europe. The metaphor contributes to cultural understanding of female authority and of the effectiveness of women’s agency based on the same allegories and images.
The research appears in the Journal of Women’s History.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around what this means,” Corteguera said. “I had seen a medievalist write about Christ as mother, which is an easy metaphor to understand because theology and spiritual things are kind of malleable. But then I began seeing it elsewhere and kept wondering to what extent male monarchs could be thought of as mothers.”
Co-written by Irene Olivares, a professor at Johnson County Community College who earned her doctorate at KU, the article looks at how such maternal imagery contributed to kings’ authority, laws and governance. It argues that specific depictions — like a nursing king — helped writers promote an image of male leaders as accessible and approachable, reinforcing the idea of an intrinsic bond between ruler and subject based on the relationship between mother and child.
“Some of the images, like illustrating French king Francis I with male and female body parts, is metaphorical. But in this period, the language of symbols and emblems is very powerful, and people responded to striking images,” he said.
The concept is hardly limited to that period. Egyptian pharaohs are sometimes represented through the image of the Nile. And the Nile, which feeds Egypt, is often represented as a male with breasts. Because of that metaphor, pharaohs sometimes are shown with breasts.
It is even contained in the Bible. Isaiah 49:23 states: “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their queens thy nurses.”
“You see it in pre-Columbian America, in African cultures, in Asian cultures. We find examples from India, Japan and China. This idea of combining maternal and paternal instincts and virtues exists in many cultures over many centuries,” Corteguera said.
The impetus for the article sprung from Olivares’ research into the history of petitions to a king.
“She was looking at women writing letters to the king of Spain and asking for things. We had been noticing how there was consistent language of appealing to the king as someone with sentiments that were not necessarily manly,” he said.
Considering this pattern has been going on for millennia, current U.S. President Donald Trump could also benefit from being perceived as more maternal, Corteguera said.
“On the surface, it might seem impossible for Trump to act like this. He likes to be so macho and masculine. But certainly there’s no way he could have the platform he has without conveying being more than just an assertive, aggressive person,” he said. “When he talks about being assertive, it’s usually in a protective way. He is protecting Americans from all those dangers, whether they’re immigrants or criminals or radical politicians. So that protective aspect could be hinting at those soft sides of power.”
Now in his 31st year at KU, Corteguera studies early modern European history, specializing in Spain, the Spanish Empire and Catalonia. He is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I’m always interested in trying to understand how we make sense of power,” he said.
“While we all recognize that power as force is very clear, it’s interesting to see how that is often not enough. I’ve seen references to Mao and Stalin, some of the most egregious tyrants of history, who discuss how power is ultimately about convincing people. It’s about images and impressions. This metaphor of king as mother seems to be another aspect of that.”
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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]
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