(Bradenton, Fla., Dec. 9, 2021) — State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota’s (SCF) philosophy and religion professor, J. “Woody” McCree, recently published his book, “Washington Irving’s Critique of American Culture: Sketching a Vision of World Citizenship.” Described as “the most original and provocative examination of Irving’s literary identity in years” by Andrew Burstein, acclaimed historian and Irving’s biographer, the book is available for purchase now on Amazon and directly from the publisher Rowman and Littlefield.
Lexington Books granted McCree two book contracts in 2020, with anticipated publication dates in 2021 and 2022. To fulfill his commitment, McCree arranged a sabbatical for the Spring 2021 term to finalize his draft on Washington Irving and invest the remainder of his time writing about renowned Romantic artist Thomas Cole.
The publication of McCree’s book on Irving coincides with the approximate 200th anniversary of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” McCree also shared that Irving has proven to be valuable during discussions in his Applied Ethics and American Religion class since he documents the religious customs and ethics of Native Americans living out West. His Introduction to Philosophical Reasoning course also touches on the theme of world citizenship as well as the aesthetics of the sublime, topics that are highlighted in both books.
McCree’s upcoming book on Cole would concur with the 200th anniversary of a spiritual breakthrough Cole experienced as an artist. Cole inspired thinking about how artists can use their talents to move the human spirit. According to McCree, Cole is most relevant to his American Religion class, where he studies the “Spirituality of Landscape Art.”
McCree has a Master of Arts in literature along with degrees in philosophy and religion. Once he completes the revision of the Cole book, he hopes to develop an honors philosophy course on the theme of Romanticism, incorporating insights from both books.
For more information, contact McCree at McreeJ@SCF.edu or call 941-408-1503.