Harold Toliver’s “Black Holes and Other Powers of Attraction” Brings Science and Literature to Frankfurt

Professor-turned-author Harold Toliver’s “Black Holes and Other Powers of Attraction” will bring an interdisciplinary perspective to the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, where the collection will be presented by The Maple Staple from October 7 to 11 at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Copies will be available for visitors at Hall 5.1, Stand D86.

Part of a series of studies by Toliver, the collection considers how modern natural history can change the way selected literary texts are read. It examines the contrast between today’s understanding of a nearly 14-billion-year-old universe and the human-centered assumptions found in influential literary traditions.

Toliver places works associated with John Milton and the metaphysical poets alongside the expanding scientific understanding of the cosmos. The essays consider what this vastly larger perspective means for the way humanity understands its place in the universe, bringing scientific knowledge and literary interpretation into the same conversation.

The collection reflects Toliver’s long career in literary scholarship. A retired Professor of English, American, and Comparative Literature at the University of California, he has held academic positions at Johns Hopkins, the University of Washington, Ohio State University, and UCLA. His publications include The Past That Poets Make and Animate Illusions, among numerous other works in literary history and theory.

Following his retirement, Toliver turned primarily toward interdisciplinary work linking the humanities with the sciences. His research has focused on the extent of the natural continuum and the perspective it offers on cultural myths and literary traditions.

The Frankfurt Book Fair presentation marks The Maple Staple’s third appearance at the international event, with books spanning nonfiction, fiction, poetry, spirituality and religion, self-help, children’s literature, and other categories.

Visitors interested in Toliver’s collection can encounter it in person at Stand D86, while additional information about the showcase and featured titles is available through The Maple Staple’s Frankfurt Connect profile and Frankfurt 2026 event page.

“Black Holes and Other Powers of Attraction” is also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other leading book retailers worldwide.

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