For the Books: CofC English Professors' Prolific Publishing Season
Four College of Charleston English professors have books being published over four months in 2026.
Above (clockwise from top left): English professors Joe Kelly, Susan Farrell, John Bruns and Scott Peeples
This year has been one for the books for faculty members in the College of Charleston Department of English! Between July and October 2026, four English professors are celebrating the publication of new books.
From Bob Dylan to Kurt Vonnegut and from the prehistory of fascism to the history of film, these works showcase the expertise and passion of our English faculty and provide written proof that great things are coming out of the offices in the historic house at 5 College Way: It’s our own little publishing house!
Check out these professors’ books, and find them on Amazon!
How Many Roads: A Life of Bob Dylan
by Scott Peeples
In How Many Roads, College of Charleston English Professor Scott Peeples follows Bob Dylan’s journey from his modest Midwestern beginnings to his place as one of the most compelling artists in modern cultural history. Spanning more than six decades, the book weaves biographical narrative with illuminating analyses of Dylan’s transformative albums and live performances, offering a new perspective on a musician whose constant reinvention has shaped generations of listeners.
A lifelong Dylan fan, Peeples draws on years of teaching and research – including an upper-level English course titled Bob Dylan and the American Dream – which, he says, “got me deeper and deeper into Dylan’s work and Dylan’s lore.” As he immersed himself further, he noticed that, despite the many works surrounding Dylan, there was no concise, up-to-date critical overview of his career. How Many Roads aims to fill that space.
Peeples describes the book as “an introduction to Dylan as much as a biography of Dylan,” crafted so newcomers and casual fans can understand why Dylan is such a compelling figure in modern culture.
How Many Roads (Reaktion Books) will be available on Amazon on Oct. 12, 2026.
The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818-1915
by Joseph Kelly
In The Biggest Lie, Professor of English Joseph Kelly argues that fascism did not import from Europe; rather, it was homegrown, planted by elite Southerners who insisted that slavery would fade away without constitutional interference. Kelly explores how this lie was rooted in the antebellum South under Jim Crow and then emerged after the Spanish American War, proposing that the nation belongs to a master-race.
Inspired by present American history, Kelly chronicles how the monied elite have long excelled using disinformation to sway public perception, creating what theorists of fascism describe as a “state of unreality.” He urges readers to reassess this history and confront how these corruptions of democracy “set us on the road to fascism.” Seeking truth, he writes, even when it challenges one’s “fighting faith,” is essential to sustaining a democratic society.
The Biggest Lie (Bloomsbury Publishing) published on July 21 and is available on Amazon.
Vonnegut’s War: The Making of Slaughterhouse-Five
by Susan Farrell
Susan Farrell, professor of english, examines the real story behind Kurt Vonnegut’s world-famous anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, in her new book, Vonnegut’s War.
Vonnegut’s 1969 novel has been banned, burned and censored due to its controversial anti-war theme, which draws on his own traumatic experiences as an imprisoned WWII soldier who was captured during the Battle of the Bulge. After teaching the novel for many years, Farrell was inspired to tell the real-life story behind the deceptively simple style and science-fiction elements.
“I wanted readers to understand the deep seriousness and pain in the book, as well as its important historical relevance to World War II, to the turbulent 1960s when it was published, and to today,” she says.
Vonnegut’s War explores the cultural forces that helped shape Slaughterhouse-Five and examines the question about the possibility of a so-called Good War. In an era marked by political polarization and global conflict, Farrell argues that Vonnegut’s novel is more relevant than ever.
Vonnegut’s War (Bloomsbury Academic) published on Aug. 20 and is available on Amazon.
Essential Film History: The Evolution of Movie Storytelling
by Charles Ramírez Berg and John Bruns
In Essential Film History, John Bruns, who teaches film studies in the College of Charleston Department of English, and his co-author Charles Ramírez Berg take on a lively, educational style that makes the textbook “a pleasure to read” for both newcomers and seasoned students of film.
This indispensable guide to cinematic style breaks film language into three core components: image, sound and narrative structure. It traces how this audiovisual language consolidated between the 1890s and 1940s and then spread across documentaries, animation, avant-garde and made-for-TV movies. By covering major figures, studios and technological and sociopolitical shifts, the textbook offers a clear, comprehensive account of how cinematic styles have evolved over the course of more than 125 years.
Bruns emphasizes that, while other film history texts survey global cinema, Essential Film History distinguishes itself by “offering readers a primer on film appreciation.” By examining how lighting, sound quality and storytelling shape a viewer’s understanding of what happens on screen, the book teaches students to think critically about movie elements.
Essential Film History (University of Texas Press) will be available on Amazon on Oct. 13, 2026.
