We here at the University of Nebraska Press celebrated opening day of March Madness with a little party including such basketball staples as brackets, a free throw contest, and little smokies. And let it be known that we’re in good company:

 

This, for those of you who don’t recognize it, is President Obama’s bracket. Go Louisville!
As our regular readers know, UNP author Alan Zaremba (The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas) is in Vegas, watching the games and blogging up a storm. Here’s an excerpt from a post from last night:

…When Duquesne and Virginia Tech played their NIT game this evening a young man to my left twisted himself into contortions with each basket. Virginia Tech prevailed in double overtime by 8, which allowed the fellow to exhale since the spread was 7 1/2. Prior to the final buzzer, he bolted upright when Duquesne–then down by ten–connected on a three point prayer. This made the game suddenly a seven point spread and, judging from the reaction, nourished the young man's fledgling ulcer. Fortunately, a series of foul shots saved his day.

You can view more posts on Alan’s blog.

In non-March Madness UNP news, Leslie Carol Roberts, author of The Entire Earth and Sky, has a 7:30 p.m. book reading/signing tonight at Powells on Hawthorne in Portland. The book, which explores various themes pertaining to Antarctica, has attracted lots of attention, so if you’re in the Portland area, this is an event worth checking out.

Also, the University of Nebraska Press Facebook group now has more than 100 members! This page has info on UNP books, events, authors and more (as well as a few choice pics). If you’re a fan of our books, or of our blog, show your support by joining the group.

And one last general publishing tidbit for this morning: Publishers Weekly is reporting that George W. Bush will write a biography titled Decision Points. The title comes from a GWB nickname “The Decider.”

That’s it for now!