In the spring of 2007, IUPUI's School of Liberal Arts gave its approval to the nation’s first center for the study of Ray Bradbury, one of the best-known American cultural figures of the twentieth century. His work and influence spans many aspects of modern American intellectual and popular culture, including mainstream literature, the highly popular genre fields of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and detective fiction, and nearly all forms of media presentation, including radio, television, stage drama, film, magazines, periodical and book illustration, and graphic fiction. He is regarded as a cultural mentor in such widely divergent fields as creative writing, education, public transportation, theme parks, and urban architecture.
Over the next four years, the faculty and material resources of the center have made a significant impact on Bradbury studies at a national and international level. The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies opened in 2007 with the goal of providing an archive for the writings of one of America's most popular authors. Since that time the Center has gone on to establish, in partnership with Kent State University Press, a journal, The New Ray Bradbury Review, now in its third issue, and an MLA approved critical edition, The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury, whose first volume, covering the years 1938-1943, appeared in April of 2011. The work done by the Center is largely a collaborative endeavor, given direction by its two founders, Prof. William F. Touponce and Prof. Jonathan R. Eller. Supported by the editorial staff of the Institute of American Thought, and the School of Liberal Arts, as well as private donations, each of these endeavors aims to achieve the goal of studying broadly Bradbury's contribution to the humanities. The Center is already having an impact on the humanities in Indianapolis, and was recently given a feature article in NUVO magazine.
At this point, the center is very much a work-in-progress, and we welcome inquiries. Please check back with us from time to time to find out about new developments. In the meantime, if you wish to contact the center, please e-mail or write to the director:
Jonathan R. Eller
Director, Center for Ray Bradbury Studies
Tel (317) 274-1451
The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
902 West New York Street
Education and Social Work Building Room 0014
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5157
Recent News:
Publications and Presentations by CRBS Faculty:
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March 2, 2012
On Monday, March 12, 2012, Jon Eller will speak on Ray Bradbury's
Fahrenheit 451 on the campus of the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena. His presentation is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
in Caltech's Guggenheim Lab. Dr. Eller, Director of the Center for
Ray Bradbury Studies and Senior Textual Editor of the Institute for
American Thought, published the first volume of a Bradbury biography
series, Becoming Ray Bradbury, in 2011. His visit to Southern
California this March will focus on research sessions with Mr.
Bradbury as well as archival work at Caltech. Cathy Jurca, Professor
of English at Caltech, will host and moderate a Q and A session after
the talk. For more information, see http://library.caltech.edu/friends/
August 23, 2011
Jonathan R. Eller's Becoming Ray Bradbury, a 328-page study of Bradbury's early life and career, has been published by the University of Illinois Press. A recent review in The Washington Post by Michael Dirda, along with other reviews and related release information can be found at the following links:
The Collected Stories Critical Edition Updates:
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January 1, 2011
The newest addition to the critical editions edited at the Institute for American Thought is The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury, Volume One (1938-1943). Edited by William F. Touponce and Jonathan R. Eller, the edition is published by Kent State University Press. Inaugurating a series of volumes on this celebrated American science fiction and fantasy author, the edition bears the MLA's seal of approval for scholarly editions.
The New Ray Bradbury Review Updates:
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February 17, 2012
Volume 3 of The New Ray Bradbury Review is planned to release in the Fall of 2012. This issue is completely archival and will focus on Bradbury fragments including notes, sketches, and drafts. Preorder your copy here: The New Ray Bradbury Review, Volume 3.
August 20, 2010
The New Ray Bradbury Review #2 is now available from Kent State University Press!!
- Call for papers on Ray Bradbury!
The New Ray Bradbury Review, a yearly journal designed primarily to study the impact of
Ray Bradbury's writings on American culture is seeking submissions for future issues.
Edited by The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, a newly established archive of Bradbury's
writings located at Indiana University, it is published by the Kent State University
Press. Issues are organized thematically. Recently published, the first issue is devoted
to the question of adaptation, or Bradbury's translation into other media. This inaugural effort also features two of
Bradbury's unpublished screenplays, reviews of his work in radio, and an extensive
bibliography of Bradbury's adaptation into other media. Although the journal will consider submissions on any topic related to Bradbury, and welcomes diverse approaches to this influential American author, now in his eighty-eighth year, two future issues are in the planning stages: in Fall 2009, a special issue on Bradbury and Halloween, and in Fall 2010, a special issue devoted to Fahrenheit 451. Proposed articles should be submitted at least six months in advance of these publication dates. Address all correspondence to the editor, William F. Touponce
(
). Submissions should be made electronically in MLA format.
General Announcements:
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September 7, 2011
April 27, 2011
- Nuvo (an Indianapolis-based weekly magazine) has printed a wonderful feature article on the Bradbury Center.
July 7, 2010
- On August 20th, 2010 the Los Angeles City Council will consider a resolution declaring August 22–28 RAY BRADBURY WEEK in Los Angeles to honor his upcoming 90th birthday. You can join the Facebook page here.
- Send Ray Bradbury a personalized birthday message via The Planetary Society before August 9th!
January 14, 2010
- World Premiere engagement of a new musical! Ray Bradbury's Pandemonium Theatre Company (celebrating its 47th anniversary) presents Ray Bradbury's Wisdom 2116 at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena, California on January 16, 2010 running through Saturday, February 27. Book and lyrics by Ray Bradbury. Music by John Hoke. Developed, directed and choreographed by Steve Josephson. Produced by Ray Bradbury and Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners. Presented by Ray Bradbury's Pandemonium Theatre Company and Gallimaufry Performing Arts.
For more information visit this link. Or, for reservations call (323) 960-4451.
January 14, 2010
- Ray Bradbury will be lecturing and signing books at the Venice Library, 401 S. Venice Blvd, Venice 90291 on Thursday, January 21, 2010
August 25, 2009
- Recent news items of note about Bradbury, supplied by John King Tarpinian:
October 15, 2008
- Professor Touponce talks about recent editing done at The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, including the Moby Dick screenplay. Click here to see the interview.
April 11, 2008
- On Saturday, May 17th, Bradbury will give the plenary lecture at the Eaton Conference on
Chronicling Mars. He will also receive a lifetime achievement award by the National
Endowment for the Arts. Details of the conference program can be found at http://eatonconference.ucr.edu/program.php.
March 17, 2008
- Ray Bradbury recently held a telephone interview with the
Egyptian Big Read conference, coordinated by the U.S. State Department. Bradbury says
that Fahrenheit 451, in an Egyptian translation, "is
going into the Library at Alexandria and we discussed and celebrated the fact that my
book was entering their library where the first books were burned more than five thousand
years ago [two thousand years ago]." Click here to see pictures of Ray just after the interview.
April 19, 2007
- Congratulations to Ray Bradbury for winning a much deserved 2007 Pulitzer Special Citation "for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." For more information please visit www.pulitzer.org.
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