Carly Kocurek, assistant professor of digital humanities and media studies at Lewis College of Human Sciences, has published a new book about gaming pioneer Brenda Laurel.

Laurel is best known for her work with Purple Moon, the gaming company she co-founded in the 1990s. Purple Moon’s games are based on years of research Laurel conducted to better understand why girls expressed little interest in computer games. Through sources such as trade journals, newspapers, recorded interviews, and an original interview with Laurel herself, Kocurek explores Laurel’s contributions to the early development of games for girls and her overall contributions to research-informed design in game development.

Brenda Laurel: Pioneering Games for Girls was published by Bloomsbury Publishing in February 2017.