Ted Kooser, University of Nebraska Press author, Pulitzer prize-winner, and former U.S. poet laureate, has won the Hall-Kenyon Prize in American Poetry.  A recent article from Poets & Writers Magazine discusses why Kooser was chosen.  The award is named after poet Donald Hall, and the late poet Jane Kenyon.  The honor is awarded by the New Hampshire Writers’ Project and daily newspaper the Concord Monitor.  Kooser is the first recipient and will accept the award in October at the Concord City Auditorium.  Kooser’s most recent book of poetry is Valentines.  Beginning in 1986, Kooser wrote a poem for Valentine’s Day and … Continue reading Author Wins National Poetry Award

There are always two sides to every story.  Authors themselves are no exception.  Martha Gellhorn was a groundbreaking war correspondent with six decades of stories, 16 books, and two collections of journalistic articles published during her lifetime.  But as Ernest Hemingway’s lover and wife of five years, she was viewed by some as a negative influence, and as someone with far inferior rhetorical abilities than her famous partner.  Now she will be the subject of an HBO movie as played by Nicole Kidman.In Love Goes to Press by Gellhorn and Virginia Cowles, a play set in a press camp in 1944 … Continue reading Author to be Portrayed in Movie

As the United States continues to fight two wars, as controversy over Generals and strategies grows, and as we try look towards an end to both wars, author Peter Maslowski reminds us that the ends of wars can be just as “messy” as their duration.  In a recent article about ending wars, Maslowski and other military historians talked about how the ends of wars typically have the greatest effects on history.  For example, a turning point for the American military was in 1902, after the Spanish and American War, which began years of fighting with Filipino insurgents (instead of expected military dominance) that forced … Continue reading Author Comments on “Messy” Process of Ending Wars

University of Nebraska-Omaha’s School of Social Work has now been renamed in honor of social reformist Grace Abbott.  The Grace Abbott School of Social Work finally received its new name after five years of effort made by Ann Coyne, a University of Nebraska-Omaha professor, and John Sorenson, co-editor of The Grace Abbott Reader.  Grace Abbott, a native Nebraskan, sought to protect women, children, and immigrants from social injustice.  During her lifetime, Abbott diligently worked to promote programs that aided women and children’s health and helped immigrant families successfully adapt to life in a new country.  This time period, the early … Continue reading Author Honored at the University of Nebraska-Omaha

Still looking for the right Father’s Day gift?  Check out a video about five great books to give dad this Sunday, including Never Land: Adventures, Wonder, and One World Record in a Very Small Plane by W. Scott Olsen.  Olsen’s unique memoir about flying explores our sense of adventure and our desire to be airborne.  Olsen shares his personal experiences with flying, while also chronicling the history of aviation.  Never Land explores the philosophical purpose of flying, which goes far beyond reaching a certain destination.    Check out our Father’s Day Sale to get Never Land at a discounted price. Continue reading Another Father’s Day Gift Idea

For one month every four years, the World Cup draws the attention of the entire globe.  Could such a unifying event have a hidden political undertone?  Yes.  In an interview, John Turnbull, co-editor of The Global Game, talks about soccer as a vehicle of oppression, not of peace.  Turnbull states that in many areas, in modern history, women were banned from playing soccer.  Even in the soccer-crazed country of England, women weren’t allowed to use Football Association (the sport’s governing organization) fields until 1971.  Turnbull also notes that access to soccer and gender equality can be linked.  To read his … Continue reading Soccer: The Global Game?

Father’s Day is this Sunday and the Press is celebrating with a sale.  Now through June 18th, you can save 25 percent on books dad will love.Have a sports fan in the family?  Score a homerun with On a Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place: Baseball's Worst Teams by George Robinson and Charles Salzberg.  Give dad a winning novel about baseball’s biggest losers.  This book tells the stories of the 1935 Boston Braves and their record-breaking losing percentage and the 1904 Washington Senators and their star player, who took a deadly dive off Niagara Falls.  More than scores and … Continue reading Father’s Day Sale