FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 17, 2006
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124


MUW English professors receive book contract

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi University for Women English professors Dr. James Keller and Dr. Leslie Stratyner have received a new book contract with McFarland Publishers for an edited collection tentatively titled, “Fantasy Fiction and Film.”

He said, “The new manuscript is scheduled for completion by fall 2006, and the book itself will probably be released the following year.”

Keller and Stratyner are expecting to receive essays from contributors around the world, as they have on their previous projects. They are hoping for essays on the film versions of works such as “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” and “Narnia.”

He mentioned this project has been Dr. Stratyner’s brainchild. Dr. Stratyner teaches courses directly related to the fantasy novel/film genre.

Keller, who is also the department chair for The Languages, Literature and Philosophy Department, said, “The essays will focus on the transformation of novel, short story, etc. into film, the deletions, additions and revisions from written to cinematic narrative.”

Their previous joint projects include, “Almost Shakespeare: Reinventing his Work for Film and Television” and “The New Queer Aesthetic on Television.”

Keller also said, “The intellectual lynchpin of the volume is the transition from text to the screen.”